Fiction:Talven Empire

"Never put all your faith in a single strategy, a single leader, a single planet. Adaptability is survivability."

- High Councilor Balbus Marinus

The Talven Empire (sometimes referred to informally as Talva, after its founding species) is an expanding empire in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Talven Empire is known for its defensive shielding and armor technologies, as well as its growing trade network. Though it is far from the greatest power in the First Gigaquadrant, it has been hitherto successful in bringing order to a small area of the galaxy.

Origins
The Talven people evolved on the planet Aldar, achieving interstellar travel as early as 1883, using sleeper ships moving close to the speed of light. After a failed attempt to use this technology 30 years earlier (resulting in the disappearance of 1.2 million colonists), Talven settlements were founded in nearby systems, bringing vital resources back to their overpopulated homeworld. However, this was the beginning of a period of turmoil as individual organisations and governments competed to exploit or protect these systems. In 1957, Drusus Gallus, an influential philanthropist and politician in multiple countries, managed to persuade, bribe, or force the Talven people into a single government: the Talven Federation. This gave some independence to the Talven colonies, and marked the beggining of a golden age that would last until for four centuries.

The fate of the Talven Federation was decided by its location. The Talva had been unlucky enough to evolve just outside the Galactic Core, and in 2392, the Grox sent a flotilla to annihilate the Federation. With little military experience, the Federation lost most of its fleet, over half its colonies, and Aldar itself within the first two months of war. Experimental hyperspatial technology was used to create a small fleet of refugee transports, which manage to save 16% of the Federation's population while the remaining military vessels slowed the Grox advance.

The Exile
As the refugee fleet made progress away from the core, they entered a very different environment to the one which they were accustomed to. Pirates were increasingly common, forcing the fleet to develop defensive and navigational technology that allowed them to survive and avoid hostile warships. By the year 2415, the Talven fleet was capable of making hyperspatial jumps in seconds, and had begun to master shielding technology. Brief pauses at resource rich planets allowed the construction of mobile shipyards, and as the fleet begun to strip-mine most planets that they passed on their journey, they began to construct huge carrier-ships that could generate shield-bubbles around smaller transports, while possessing armor that could withstand barrages from most pirate armadas.

In 2527, the Talven fleet stumbled across Scarat, a pirate controlled planet defended by a sizable armada. By sheer force of resilience, the Talven fleet wore down the armada and took the planet. In the following year, Admiral Galerius Aquilius declared an end to the Talva's exile and founded the Talven Empire, renaming Scarat as Ancora, the capital of the Empire.

A New Beginning
With the strength of the Talven fleet, the Talven Empire expanded quickly, first by conquering pirate-controlled planets, before colonizing other nearby planets. The mobile shipyards were placed in orbit of the best mining planets, though they remained capable of hyperspatial travel.

The Talven Empire did not establish contact with friendly interstellar lifeforms, though they did encounter tribal and industrial civilizations. To solve this, the Empire helped these civilizations to advance in technology, growing them into trading partners or assimilating them into itself. As trade grew, Talven merchants grew in power, taking control of the throne and transforming many of the core colonies into city planets and palace worlds. A division grew between the merchants and the military, leading to a compromise over the Empire: The military would rule the majority of the Talven territory, acting as official heads of state through a ruling council, while the Emperor would rule and develop colonies that grew into trading worlds. Ancora was claimed by the Emperor, and in the year 2603, the official capital moved to Iubar.

This structure encouraged expansion - as the central worlds used up their own resources and began to rely on trade, the official Talven Empire needed to grow in order to maintain its domination of Talven affairs, as well as to create a buffer zone that would protect the Empire's core. The Talven people gained territory and power, entering a second golden age.

The Pride of Aldar
By the next century, the Talven Empire had grown to include over 1000 systems, a third of which had grown to respectable colonies. In the year 2642, a Talven warship disappeared just outside of the Empire's borders. A fleet was sent to investigate, and made a surprising discovery: an ancient Talven colony ship, the Pride of Aldar, was somehow still operational and heading towards Talven space.

The reason for the warship's disappearance soon became clear - the Pride of Aldar 's computer had malfunctioned, causing it's anti-meteoroid defenses to target all nearby ships. To make matters worse, the ship's armor had been reinforced, with distinctive Grox plating. It appeared that the Grox had found the Pride of Aldar and turned it into a weapon, aiming it into the more populated areas of the Galaxy. Most of the investigating fleet managed to escape the ensuing battle, though barely managing to scratch the ship's armor.

Before the Talven Empire could mobilize its forces, the Pride of Aldar disappeared. The Imperial Council suspected a Cloaking Device, and ordered fleets to be redeployed to systems near the projected path of the the ship. In 2675, the Pride of Aldar entered a Talven-controlled system. Due to the passage of time, defenses had been reduced, and by the time that reinforcements arrived, the ship had left, leaving behind only a few debris fields of waste material. The ship had mined all of the system's planets and asteroid fields - before draining its sun - within hours. This Grox modification explained the the survival of the ship, and made it a greater threat than the Talven Empire had previously imagined.

Probes were hurriedly scattered throughout Talven space to find a clue as to the Pride of Aldar 's course, and in 2689, the entire Talven armada had assembled just outside its next destination - Ancora. The battle went well at first, but without the ability to do significant damage to the ship, the armada was steadily destroyed by attrition.

The Pride of Aldar proceeded to begin mining the system. Half of Ancora's population had been evacuated, but the remaining citizens were killed instantly as the planet was torn apart, (among them Emperor Servius Aquilius). Aboard the ship, a small group of naval officers and marines (lead by Captain Decima Lucilius) had survived a crippling blow to the Defiance, a corvette. Brought into the 'maw' of the Pride of Aldar, the survivors managed to stay alive by causing their ship's reactor to overload, damaging the deconstruction machinery and buying time. Lucilius lead them to the colony ship's engines, sabotaging its ability to move. Making use of an emergency escape pod, the survivors reached the edge of the system before sending a distress call.

The Ancora system was quarantined, and several starbases were established to prevent the reactivation of the Pride of Aldar. Without an empire, the trading worlds of the Talven Empire were rapidly taken over by guilds and system governors.

Contact
In 2741, complex transmissions were detected outside of Talven space, seemingly from another interstellar civilization. Due to the number of transmissions, the Imperial Council anticipated an invasion and prepared for war. A state of emergency was declared, as Talven shipyards were hurriedly rearmed and scattered - along with the Talven armada - both to intercept the enemy's forces, and to rebuild the Talven Empire if it was destroyed by a superior foe.

But no war came. Instead, in the year 2742, the scattered fleets found something new and unanticipated: a friendly government. Though unprepared at first, the merchant guilds were quick to begin negotiating trade deals. High Councilor Balbus Marinus secretly formed the DFI (Department of Foreign Influence), in order to gain some measure of control over diplomatic affairs. The DFI first focused on developing the Talven Empire's already advanced high-speed hyperspatial technology, before sending thousands of probes out into the galaxy to gather information on other civilizations.

The empire was subtly reforming itself - the Imperial council took control of foreign policy (while continuing expansion into unclaimed space), reshaping the empire's military to avoid unwanted attention from both conquerors and peacekeepers. The merchant guilds gained unprecedented wealth and power through trade, while individual nobles worked alongside the DFI in finding weaknesses in the developing alliances between alien powers.

Government
Though the Imperial Council is now the only official government of the Talven Empire, several merchant guilds hold enough sway over the empire to be considered part of the governing system. Despite this, the Imperial Council maintains a friendly relationship with most guilds, creating a stable balance of power between the upper and middle classes. Most merchants and council members are also interested in the welfare and happiness of the lower classes as well, so the majority of the empire is represented in this system.

The Imperial Council
The Imperial Council is formed of twelve members, including system governors, military leaders, and academics that have gained enough prestige and power to be deemed worthy of ruling the Talven Empire. Though all members are generally considered equals, a High Councilor (currently Balbus Marinus) is elected to lead the council in times of war. The Imperial Council meets at least eleven times every year, at secret locations throughout the empire.

Each member of the Imperial council leads one of the empire's Departments, which coordinate all official and unofficial government activities.

DAC= The Department of Art and Culture The DAC Funds museums, heritage sites, galleries, and other organisations promoting public interest in art and history. Though the DAC is in charge of censorship, it avoids using this where possible, fearing the transformation of the Talven Empire into a police state. The DAC encourages freedom of speech, often clashing with the DoL, and works closely with the DoE and DoT to inspire progress in the empire. The DAC also assists assimulated worlds in maintaining their culture, often integrating parts of it into the rest of the empire. DAE= The Department of Agriculture and Expansion The DAE is not directly involved in the colonization of worlds, but instead assists in post-colonization projects, including terraforming and construction. For this reason, it interacts with the DoI and DoP to connect new worlds with the rest of the empire. The DAE remains in charge of planets chosen for agricultural development, and ensures that food is transported to where it is needed within the empire. DDA= The Department of Diplomatic Affairs Councilor: Balbus Marinus The DDA is possibly the largest Department, lead by the High Councilor themself. It develops alliances and trade (with the help of the DEA), while watching and protecting over foreign visitors. The DDA also settles disputes within the Talven Empire, alongside the DoL. Other Departments use the DDA as a means of working with organistions outside of the Talven Empire. DDS= The Department of Defense and Security Councilor: Drusa Lucilius The DDS works with the DoP and DoW to construct space stations and mobile shipyards over planets of strategic worth or with large populations. It is also in charge of the Talven Empire's growing intelligence network, uncovering and preparing for the development of new technologies by other civilizations, while also defending the empire's own secrets. The DDS is prepared to collaborate with spies of allied empires, but prepares itself for an unexpected betrayal. DEA= The Department of Economic Affairs The DEA generally manages the economy, and takes control of international trade routes once they have been established by the DDA. The DEA also assists the merchant guilds, preventing other Departments from acting against the guilds' interests. During war, the DEA is aided by the DAE, the DoI, and the DoP in rationing food, energy, and goods. DoE= The Department of Education The DoE funds educational institutions and libraries, encouraging all citizens to improve their ability to advance the empire's interests. It collaborates heavily with the DAC and the DoT to educate citizens for the roles for which they are most suited, miking sure that there is a good balance in employment. The DoE also works with the Dow to prepare the Talven Empire for war. DFI= The Department of Foreign Influence The DFI does not officially exist. Indeed, only the High Councillor is aware of its existence, and it is thus the only Department not to be represented by the Imperial Council. The DFI exists outside of the Talven government, leading a significant intelligence agency that manipulates events both inside and outside of the Talven Empire. The DFI aims to place the empire in the best possible position to continue expanding, and is responsible for the assassination and ascension of various foreign leaders who held power over fate of empire's position in international politics. Its role has lead several other Departments to unknowingly clash with or assist its agents, most commonly the DDA and the DDS. DoH= The Department of Health The DoH funds hospitals and medical research facilities, working with the DoT to find new ways of dealing with health issues in the Talven Empire. The DoH also contains epidemics (through quarantines, if necessary) and regularly contacts foreign health organisations through the DDA to gain vaccines for alien diseases that could reach the empire. DoI= The Department of Infrastructure The DoI funds transport, housing projects, and the construction of power stations to support the Talven population. Working with the DAE and the DoP, the DoI builds colonies claimed by the Talven Empire, and rebuilds worlds the that the empire has conquered. Recently, the DoI and the DoP have constructed a number of Dyson spheres that are currently only being used by the Talven navy. DoL= The Department of Law The DoL coordinates and funds law enforcement agencies throughout the empire. It makes final decisions on particularly difficult or significant cases, and can only be overruled by the Imperial Council itself. Rarely, the DoL collaborates with other civilizations to track down criminals through the DDA. It also collaborates with the DDA to settle disputes in the Talven Empire (such as between merchant guilds). DoP= The Department of Production The DoP is in charge of the Talven Empire's industry - from the mining of basic resources to the construction of warships and Dyson spheres for the DoI. Generally, the DoP uses mechanical technologies, developed by the DoT. The DoP works with the DoI and the DAE to set up mining and factory planets, as well as the DDS to construct space stations and mobile shipyards. DoT= The Department of Technology The DoT's goal is to adapt Talven technology to fit its circumstances. After the Talven Empire made contact with the galactic community, the DoT began to focus on learning about, mastering, and countering alien technology, leading it to collaborate with the DDA and DoW. The DoT also assists the DoE to encourage progress, and develops technologies for the DoP. DoW= The Department of War The DoW leads the Talven army and navy with the goal of protecting the Talven Empire. Its priorities are very similar to that of the DDS, leading to the two Departments working together in many ways, such as the construction of mobile shipyards (with the help of the DoP). The DoW also works on military technology with the DoT.

The Merchant Guilds
The number of active merchant guilds varies between seven and forty, while the balance of power constantly shifts. Merchants often name their houses after historical guilds, out of respect for the achievements of their ancestors. The guilds usually cooperate, though some have been known to sabotage their rival's profits in times of prosperity. The guilds use their influence and wealth to persuade various levels of government to serve their interests, and donate large sums of money to numerous projects run by the twelve official departments. The guilds also pursue their goals outside of the empire's borders, acquiring alien technology and wealth.

Technology
The long travels of the Talven people through uncivilized space has lead to significant technological advancements, some above the level of an empire of their scale. Most of these are still used exclusively by the military, but some elements are also available to the public.

Military Technology
See also: Fiction:Talven Empire/Military

Army
The Talven army evolved from the empire's marines - elite troopers used to quickly secure planets for resource gathering and to protect ships from boarding parties. Consequentially, it is based not on quantity, but on quality. This means that individual soldiers can carry more expensive technology than usual.

Most soldiers use heavily modified energy rifles, suited to their individual fighting style. Advanced armor technology has been used to create lightweight combat armor, which can protect the wearer from most kinetic and energy weapons for a reasonable period of time. The same technology has lead to powerful swords which can cut through any inferior materials, including the armor of alien soldiers. Talven soldiers communicate with warships overhead, coordinating attacks and locating hostile targets.

The advanced armor and weapons of the Talven infantry means that vehicles are not needed, and warships take the role of artillery.

Navy
The Talven navy adapted to fit two essential requirements: speed and survivability. Even the largest warships in the Talven fleet can usually outpace enemy fleets, and all ships can make hyperspatial jumps almost instantly. The calculations required for this mean that that the largest ships in each fleet - huge carrier-ships - contain immense supercomputers that transmit coordinates to all surrounding ships before each jump. These supercomputers also coordinate fleets during battle, and detect signs of the enemies tactics.

Another reason for the great size of the carrier-ships is their power generators. These are needed to maintain the shield-bubbles which are used to protect smaller ships seeking shelter within them. This acts as a membrane, stopping kinetic, explosive, and energy weapons from reaching the defended ships while robotic support ships make hasty repairs.

All Talven ships are equipped with state-of-the-art armor plating. Theoretically, this should protect them from anything up to (and including) direct contact with an A-type star for a limited period of time. However, the process of creating this is often imperfect, meaning that only a few ships have faultless armor. The DoT has experimented with weaponizing this technology, resulting in the Minotaur-class cruiser, which is built with the sole purpose of ramming enemy ships.

Domestic Technology
Civilian vessels are not as fast or protected as those in the military, but can make their own hyperspace calculations, reducing the need for a copilot. Supercomputers are also usable by citizens, either through a public network, or by certain organisations like universities. Technology similar to the membrane-like bubble-shields used in carrier-ships can be found on particularly tall buildings, slowing anyone who falls out of them.

The merchant guilds have recently gained permission from the DoW to build their own warships with military technology to protect trading interests. These ships are usually designed more for appearance than function, but are capable in battle nevertheless.

Culture
The Talva are an honorable people, but are prepared to use most methods if put in difficult situations. The idea of fighting 'to the death' is not popular within the Talven military, and what others see as bravery is often seen as foolish behavior when it gains no significant advantage.

The Talven Empire has learnt the hard way that the galaxy is a treacherous place, so earning the trust of any Talva is a considerable achievement. Talva have strong bonds with members of their own race, and can work together very efficiently. Most Talva cannot stand seeing others being suppressed, even if they are 'evil' in nature.

The empire greatly values art and science, to an extent that even soldiers often study an aspect of both fields. A combination of academic and military achievement is the best way to gain prestige in Talven society.

Foreign Policy
The Talven Empire was initially suspicious of other civilizations as it established contact with the rest of the galaxy, but has become more cooperative since establishing trade routes with neighboring powers. However, the empire is not yet prepared to commit to an alliance, preferring instead to interact with both sides of international conflicts as an outsider.

The empire is happy to provide protection for weaker governments, as it may then slowly take control of them through diplomacy.

Continuing its history of assimilating the peoples of alien tribal and industrial societies into itself, the Talven Empire allows members of other civilizations to join its military forces. These individuals are integrated into special units in the Talven army (the Talven armada is too valuable to risk sabotage), and gain immediate respect and prestige among both soldiers and civilians. This system allows the empire to gain soldiers more powerful and cunning than most Talva.

The only other foreigners allowed within Talven borders are dignitaries, diplomats, and merchants. Foreign dignitaries and diplomats are given diplomatic immunity and permitted the same rights and access as an average citizen. The merchant guilds ensure that foreign traders are treated like royalty, often inviting them to their magnificent palace worlds to negotiate trade deals.

(Note: These are the official opinions of the Talven Government, not individual leaders or citizens. For example, The Imperium of War is respected by High Councilor Balbus Marinus.)

Allies
"You have earned our trust."

Friends
"Your intentions appear to be benevolent, yet are untested."


 * Blue face.png - Through order, you forge peace. Alliance is a possibility.

Neutral
"We have no faith in your honor."


 * CuriousRelation.png‎ - We are grateful for your understanding.
 * Yellow face.png - Trading Empires often have the greatest potential.

Hostile
"The empire is prepared for you."

At War
"We will not fall easily."


 * Red face.png - Merely calling yourselves an empire does not make you 'civilized'.
 * Orange face.png - A technological advantage never guarantees victory.

Quotes
"Possible allies of the Hegemony, trading partners of the Persan, and deal-makers with the Imperium of War. Hah, they sure do know how to tangle themselves up!"

- Oji'b of the Waptoria Alliance of Species