Fiction:Draconid Imperium

"Once you step on the worlds of the Draconid Imperium, you find yourself upon worlds full of history; war, betrayal, unification. The great intricacies of their very being and their ferocity in battle, and mercy to those who deserve it earned our respect many millennia ago. You would be wise to revere such powers, for even I do."

"There is something which the Draconis understand that not many do: the difference between wealth and power. Wealth is the trade route which dries up after ten years; power is the empire that stands for millennia. They have earned their laurels, let them sit on them for a while longer."

- French Prime Minister during a state visit to the Draconid Imperium in 2795

"Peace. Pride. Grace. These are the pillars our Imperium has stood on for two hundred millennia. Countless stars, innumerable worlds, billions upon billions of sentiens swear their allegiance to it - and for a good reason. We are the safeguards of order! The paragons of culture and sophistication! As long as we stand, Andromeda will shine as a lone light in the darkness!"

- Chancellor

The Sublime Imperium of the Drak'onis (High Dracid: Salpemarga Dominicus'drak'onida; "Sublime Imperium [of the] Draconis". Also known as the Draconid Imeprium, the Imperium of the Draconis, the Imperium, the Draconis and the DI) is an ancient and extensive hegemonic empire extending out from the. With territories in several other galaxies, its status as one of the founding members of the and the, its massive industrial base, trade network and political relations, the Imperium is arguably considered one of the most prominent political and economic powers of the First Gigaquadrant. It is known throughout the intergalactic stage as a sophisticated civilization that takes immense pride in its artistic and cultural heritage, and is feared for the immense might of its armadas of warships.

In addition to its culture and strength making it a memorable superpower, the Draconid Imperium is also one of the more ancient members of the Commonwealth; with history dating back to well over 250,000 years, the Imperium is perhaps one of the oldest of the known modern powers with a legacy vast and ancient, the remains of past deeds scattered across the cosmos. Headed by purportedly-divine paragavatii or "Paragons" and ministered by the Grand Senate of, the Imperium is a behemoth of industry, commerce and military power. Despite the beauty and the majesty that the like to boast about their empire, the Imperium bears its own dark secrets; for within gilded halls the Imperium has long been a playground for questionable politics and grand games between the noble houses that hold sway over the Imperium's councils and commercial enterprises.

History
Main Article: history

Overview
Unknown to most of the Imperial population, the Draconid Imperium's history is a complex tapestry, much of the earlier history is fragmented or unknown. The imperium's greatness has fluctuated greatly in the quarter-of-a-million years it has been in existence. Technology, social norms and outlooks have varies. Splinter empires such as the were born from the incidents in these past times. There is presently no true sign of how much the Imperium has changed throughout its long history as explorers discover relics of past ages such as the uncovering of the s. One constant that appears to be apparent is the dominance of the paragons, who over the years rose to gain a divine reputation amongst the populations.

Noteable past dimaond ages where the Imeprium had reached a high-point include: The Era of Diamonds, Era of Tunnels and the Era of the Prime Paragons. As far as most know, however, the Imperium has been a unified enitity for millenia, with the Royal Acadmy constantly searching for new fragments of the Imperium's long history or re-discovering the technology of previous eras. With turmoils such as the House Wars and the consatnat flux of political changes from the Imperium's long-established House governance system, it is difficult to say how different the Imperium was in these various eras, with some speculation that even the present-day Imperium is not as great as it once was.

Pre-modern times
The origin of the Imperium dates to c.254,000 BC with an alliance between the Speeder Trade Confederacy and the Alcanti Solar Confederacy. This alliance manifested in the first becoming a province of the second, over the next twenty millenia the two states flourished in a joined union that marked a benchmark for what evolved into the concept of Pax Draconica. This unity flourished until the imperium encountered another species known as the Korkonid. Unable to get along the collapse of tensions resulted in the which led to the Imperium's first slave race and the formation of the Imperial Talon Navy. The peace that followed was shattered by the death of all the heirs of House Vospus. Confused the noble families fought for supremacy in what would become the First House Wars, a long series of conflicts that ravaged the Imperium as its nobles fought for the throne and leaving trillions dead in the process. Contrary to belief, the wars were not a single continous conflict, but an intermittent series of wars between houses, the fighting broken up by ceasefires brokered by neutral members the Grand Senate to allow sectors to recover or eventually found a lasting peace. The peace they sought was eventually pursued wholeheartedly by an alliance of houses that formed in ID.37,905 by Jasos of House Oskavarum. Through a combination of peace talks and joint operations with the Talon Aetheral Corps, the Oskavarum Alliance eventually brought an end to the house wars by ID.38,230, some 120 years after Jasos' death, with his son Eniris being declared paragavatus to commemorate the end of the wars and the beginning of the second royal dynasty.

The peace that followed led to an explosion in culture and expansion that followed from the rise of House Oskavarum, with another half-dozen empires enslaved after a series of failed invasions on the imperium. In ID.140420 the now-celebrated House Ultanos roughlt 2000 years after the Draconis discover a way to harvest the energy emitted from black holes, triggering an energy revolution and the Imperium's second golden age. Some matters of Imperial history are fuzzy however. It is presumed that the Imperium was engaging in extragalactic exploration long before the current technology was developed. Historians believed that the so-called "Era of Diamonds" might be the zenith of th Imperium's expansion as well as being one of the greatest golden ages of culture, art and science, with fragmented documents of the time indicating that the Imperium of the era was potentially centuries ahead of the present. WHat became of this power and prestiage however, is unknown and the era became a common interest of romantics and speculators, becoming a common subject for writers, artists and fillmakers of subsequent eras.

In ID.16550 Uriel IV was assassinated along with the dissapearence of the rest of the family. To prevent another power vacuum the senate had strangely chosen House Khaxvis and for over four millenia the Imperium took a much more martial level of development and expansion. When it was revealed that House Ultanos had been kept hidden the Imperium was once again engulfed in civil war, leading to the widespread elimination of anyone a formal member of house Khaxvis in ID.171300 and the return of House Ultanos. The Imperium was divided in half as entire sectors swore alliegence to either their present rulers or the returning House Ultanos in a decades-long conflict known as the. The intense fighting divided sectors and colonies as it began hurting families and communities, with the Khaxvis paragons using increasingly paranoid and severe measures to cull Ultanos support. One of the most infamous of such incidents being the execution of the entire Grand Senate by the Blood Dragons after they learned of House Khaxvis' hand in the assassination of Uriel Ultanos IV. When this event became public, entire sectors switched sides t osupport House Ultanos, sending House Khaxvis on the run. THe war ended with the public execution of every found member of House Khaxvis in plazas along the Paragon's Promenade in Minos'Drakon. House Khaxvis was not gone completely however, as it was rumoured centuries later that a few of them along with three egg clutches survived the witch-hunts.

It is commonly agreed by historians that it was roughly 110 years after the end of the Second House War the Imperium had completed and activated it's first wormhole using Senvinus reactors that had been developed several millenia earlier. The immediate result of the advent of this technology was that rhe Imperium's territories were expanded considerably, covering sizeable tracts of Segmentum Draco and small parts of Outer Andromeda. As the technology advanced, the Imperium began to reach further and further out, with the first colony in another galaxy being informally designated "Jumpgate Zero" in the in ID.183720. Over the centuries, the Imperium established itself as a safeguarding force, taking interest in thousands of planets and like in Andromeda, established observation outposts across the galaxy. Disputed and sporadic claims exist of periods of cooperation between the Imperium and precursors such as the Ashtar and Greys in the safeguarding of species thoughout the galaxy from threats of all kinds both Ancient and contemporary, with attempts to clarify hindered by the Alcanti Royal Acdademy's refusals to disclose details on the matter. Whether it was by the Grand Senate's own decision or an agreement with these precursors, seversal groups of were transplanted from  and to Andromeda, or in some cases, transplanted to other locations in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Recent History
While the Imperium has spent the last several thousands years in its present era, its recent history period could arguably be said to have started with the outbreak of what is presently known as a Mecha-Wasp war, a fifteen-year conflict that began in ID.219380 by the actions a faction of locust-like cybernetic insectoids that set out to consume the resources of the Inner rim systems of the Imperium, only coming to light in the Grand Senate after the desolation of hundreds of unaligned systems. Two years in the war claimed the life of then-paragavatus Korr Ultanos V, followed by the ascension of XVI (the was ceremony postponed until the war's end). Despite the best efforts of the Talon Aetheral Corps and the personal interventions of Uriel himself, he war claimed billions of lives and left thousands of planets lifeless or even completely hollowed out, and set the stage for a landmark political decleration that criminalised research into self-replicating nanotechnology out of fear that such a threat could be reborn withi nthe Imperium.

This glory was not to last, the Imperium was eventually overshadowed by the Confederation of Andromeda and due to several statelmates the two powers agreed on a ceasefire, sending the Imperium into an era of isolation and obscurity. The past two decades of galactic history had hit the imperium hard; the fallout of undeath from the forced them to give up a sizeable portion of their territory which they are only recently working to reclaim. As they worked to recover what they had lost they were once again driven into war, with conflicts raging throughout Andromeda's inner and mid-rim.

A wave of confidence now resides within the imperium, first emeging from harnessing the ability to build more colonies within other galaxies and their involvement in the formation of the. It is widely believed that the Imperium has entered another golden age as their influence and military strength now spreads across the Gigaquadrant. In almost a decade the Imperium has become one of they key political powers of the gigaquadrant and has had involvement with numerous foreign powers in several galaxies, noteably the Borealis the Kraw and Bunsen galaxies. With the conclusion of the the Grand Senate unanamously agreed to set abotu restoring the destruction wrought on the Imperium's territories over the past 30 years and a technological revolution has been set in motion both from internal and external influences.

The rise of the Andromedan Commonwealth catapulted Imperial influence to new heights. The mutually-agreed site of the Seat of Light on Alcanti meant that the Imperial capital enjoyed a boom as it became the heart of galactic politics. With Andromeda's in full swing ,the Imperium set out to restore planets lost to the events of the previous  eraand repairing the damage. But wile this golen age was underway, a nonviolent movement from the. a faction known as began a chain of events that threatened to topple the leadership of House Ultanos and potentially weaken the bonds of alliance between the Imperium and the Brood.

In time, the Imperium extended its contact reach to all corners of the First Gigaquadrant from to the. Their participation in events such as the and the  had placed numerous aliens in their debt. And many more became inspired by the expanding prevalence and knowledge of Imperial culture. This cultural boom has largely been accredited to paragon the sixteenth for his efforts on the intergalactic stage.

Great Xonexian Schism
The years preceeding the were where the Imperium's extent reached its furthest with its influence in the founding of the  and more clandestinely the Alcanti Triad. Relations between several powers began to strain as the Imperium grew to increasingly support its partners in GITO who were growing dissatisfied with the actions and attitude of the. It was only after the culmination of suspicion from such things as the Halcyon-B incident, the discovery of DCP surveillance technology in its own citizens and the DCP's attempts to control the that the Imperium dedicated itself to committing a full-scale war against the DCP in the.

For the first few months after the Halcyon incident, the Imperium took considerable diplomatic measures to avoid full-scale conflict with the DCP, restricting themselves to small-scale skirmishes alongside subversive actions to erode respect in the Coalition. Formal combat began in the early days of the Battle for the Milky Way when the DCP launched interdiction missions to dusrupt traffic between the Katar and Tholfame sectors, eventually pushing both the Imperium and the to their respective sectors and fully controlling the trade lane. In march, after several minor skirmshes, the used the Goa'Uld Ambigasrus to take control of an Imperial Aedan in Tholfame 22, eventually seizing control of the entire sector. Later skirmishes and the failure of Operation Deviant Rim forced the Imperium to surrender their Milky Way territories to the DCP. When the GITO stock market crashed in April 2802, the Imperial government was able to rely on its robust economy as well as the confidence of its politicians to mitigate the level of economic damage in the remaining imperial territories. Although an executive order from for the closure of all markets, the word came too late to fully spare the Imperium, plunging it into a recession that had by the time of the closure begun spreading to its trade partners while the Parisian and Galactican markets had completely collapsed, rendering the  one of the few remaining viable major reserve currencies in the network.

The Imperium gained more success however in the. Originally securing the Desolation sector and a black hole forge during the Scramble For Mirus. Despite their failures in the Milky Way, the Imperium achieved significant success during Operation Rubicon where they were able to secure the Apocalyse Black Hole Foundry and lay siege to the DCP stronghold of Armaggeddon Prime alongside hundreds of more minor star systems. The efforts of the Imperium, and the TIAF were successful in disrupting the Coalition's iron grip on the former Dominatus territories. The Imeprium's activities in Mirus however did not to go unnoticed to the natives, with several nations becoming more guarded against their activities. Hundreds of corporations attempted to bridge the gap by establishing trade connections with numerous native powers but this activity unsettled a number of notaries in the. Overall, despite their successes in combating the DCP, the Imperium's expansionist policies in Mirus made it somewhat unpopular amongst the natives.

Territory
Main Article: Territories Main article: Provinces

Layout
At present the Imperium maintains an estimated ten million colonial and provincial star systems in the, , , and the. At one point it also had claim to territory in the, and.

What is considered "Imperial space" is not a clear territory to define. Instead it is a loosely-arranged collection of millions of star ssytems divided into over a hundred different sectors. These sectors, each one measuring at least a thousand light-years across, consist of a consolidated core region where many of the IMperium's holdings sit and hundreds, in some cases thousands of satellite star systems not in the core territory itself but assaigned to the closest sector to them for adminsitrative purposes. Because these satellite systems can be up to tens of thousands of light-years from their parent sector, especially in galaxies other than Andromeda, what is ocnsidered "Imperial Space" can be very hard to define but can also give the impression of the Imperium being practically everywhere.

The Imperium uses a system called the Gateway Adminsitrative Formula which names sectors based on the distance to the core worlds, the name of the sector is referred to as the development wave (see nomenclature below) while the number indicates how many sectors share the name: Sectors in newer development waves tend to be less sophisticated, favouring farmland or wilderness over burgeoning commercial districts. The imperium also controls territories within other galaxies which follow similar formation processes to the Andromedan secotrs, with designations continuing the tradition of using the core worlds as a focal point. For instance Masthist-3 was the oldest Imperial colonial sector in the and served as the site of the Imperium's galactic capital in that sector.
 * Axah-1
 * Ohlon-6
 * Balas-12
 * Tholfame-24
 * Mathist-32
 * Anasras-70

Nomenclature
Administrative regions are named differently depending on scale. Sectors are named by expansion phase (determined by how many wormholes must be crossed to reach the homeworld), named by a Dracid word that represents their priority and which connection they are centred around (the connections are numbered based ony how many wormhole entrances in the previous sector were colonised before X). For example the core worlds are labelled Axah-0 while a third sector colonised from this one is labelled Ohlon-3. Subsectors are named after the system the subsector capital resides in along with using the sector name as a prefix, for example Ohlon-2-Alcartin. The sector name is only used when outside the resident sector. Clusters are numbered by what subsector they are in and are named in order of colonisation (e.g. cluster Alcartin-4 when local, formally Ovohn-2-Alcartin-4). Planetary systems are simply named after the star with each planet numbered in order of distance from the star, the initial colony or system capital replaces its number with the word 'prime' and moons retain an individual name. The only exeptions to the naming rule regarding planets are species homeworlds and sector capitals.

Government
Although the Paragon is seen as the head of state, The imperium's territory is ruled through two different councils; the Homeland council and the Provincial council. These councils govern Draconic colonies and vassal territories respectively but both can be overruled by the paragon. The economy itself is controlled by the state and imports are rare, but not unheard of, with Imperial colonies producing items themselves or trading with vassal territories.

Vassh'Drakonida
vassh'Drakonida (High Dracid: vassh; Peace, Drak'onida; [posession of the] dwellers of Lake Drak, Peace provided by the Draconis) or more commonly Pax Draconica or Draconid Peace is the term for the political system of governance of the various alien nations within the Draocnid Imperium. It outlines the various liberties given to provinces within along with affirming the heirarchy to which the heads of state of these nations are placed.

Pax Draconica's principles inadvertently define the Imperium as more of a hegemonic domain than a typical autocratic empire. Considered the mainframe of the Imperial governance system, Pax Draconica permits outside species to allow themselves to become part of the imperium as a whole while retaining cultural identity, freedoms, individual laws and even methods of government. Under Pax Draconica, provinces may continue their accepted methods of governance - be it authoritarian, parliamentarian, monarchical or democratic to name a few - and state representetives retain all their positions and influences. The largest change is these authorities are requested to recognise the Grand Senate as a higher authority, but for the most part, the latter is not obliged to interfere with lawmaking or administration save for a few select umbrella laws.

Species that desire to integrate can become a protectorate (where the empire in question can opt for the protection of the Imperial Talon Navy in exchange for military tithes but are not permitted a seat within the Provincial Council) or a province of the Imperium and function like a province in any other empire. However they are considered of lesser priority to Draconid colonies and must accept the Draconis within their governments. The agreement is that in exchange for technology, protection and freedom to learn Draconic values, species that join are required to provide technology, supplies, goods, vessels and even auxillary soldiers to the Imperium.

Both provinces and protectorates have near-complete freedom of expansion so long as they contribute the information of newly-established colonies to Imperial census records. The establishment of "unregistered" colonies can warrant a blockade by the Imperial Talon navy or risk isolation as the Imperium prefers to rely on the competence of provincial members to keep their records up to date and lax record-keeping can lead to the installation of a draconid administration.

Territorial Administration
The Imperial administration is divided into several tiers maintained by a Draconis-ruled aristocracy that for them ost part has been the norm for millenia. The highest levels of governance go to the paragavatus and the Imperial chancellor, the former being the head of state and the latter being the head of government and chair of the Grand Senate. In galaxies other than Andromeda, the territories are ocmmanded by an egalavatus (or viceroy) that is hand-picked by the paragavatus in order to command the territories in his or her name. Each egalavatus is head of a council of praetors each one of which is the highest authority of their sctors. These councils can number anywhere between two and twelve praetors depending on the Imperium's extent in a particular galaxy.

Sectors are divded up among numerous Aedens. While a praetor is chosen by the dominant house in a sector, Aedens come from the dominant houses in a subsector and serve as the executors of a praetor's governance. Because they are positioned as advisors in provincial territories and to the local praetor, Aedens hold a considerable degree of intermediate power. Under Aedans, each solar system within Imperial space (excluding provincial star systems) is governed by a prefect. Positions of government are assaigned though internal votes on a meritocratic basis, with the house responsible for choosing it's candidate being democratically selected by the population. Each tier requires a house to have the majority vote an a majority of each repsective level (a star system's planets for prefects, star systems in a subsector for Aedens and subsectors in a sector for praetors)

The Paragon
A common intepretation for the High Dracid word Paragavatus (High Dracid Parag; Master, and Avatus; King. Master King), the Paragon acts as the head of state. The title is hereditery and those who bear it are considered the chosen of Drakon - the patron god of the. For the past 120,000 years the Ultanos line has ruled the imperium, with the current paragon being Uriel Ultanos XVI. The past four Paragon families - Ultanos, Vospus, Oskavarum & Khaxvis - have been noted to bear a different scale colour to the norm, in some cases this has been a mutation in others the paragons simply dyed their scales.

The position of paragon is identical to that of an emperor - The next in line is the eldest and they rule for life - and when a paragon dies black banners are hoisted along the Paragon's walkway (the central and widest road within Minos'Drakon, it leads directly to the imperial palace and is traditionally used for celebrations and parades). In the event of a paragon being the last of their line, black banners are draped from the imperial palace and the senate must choose a new paragon while the chancellor acts as the head of state. Where it differs is that Paragons must pass their proposals to the senate before anything is passed. Upon the ascension of a new paragon banners of gold are draped along the Paragon's walkway, along with banners of the Paragon's house colours. Due to the Imperium's scale, technological capacity, the level of luxury the family enjoys, association with Drakon and the lofty position in the heirarchy, paragons are percieved as godlike by a sizeable portion of the population. This varies from minor demigod to rivalling established godbeings depending on the individual's perceptions. Regardless of truth, a firm cult of personality known as "Paragavatus Divinum" has grown fro mthe roots of such belief, which deifies the paragons in a wide variety of ways.

Protecting the paragons are the Blood Dragons, an elite and rigorously trained bodyguard who are equipped with some of the best equipment and most advanced varieties of powered armour available within the Imperium who serve primarily the personal guard of the royal line. Blood Dragons have. Augmenting their ferocity alongside their training is a trait known as "dragonfury", where a Blood Dragon who witnesses the death of a partner or a charge descends into a targeted berserker fury against the Dragon's enemies.

The Grand Senate
The Grand Senate (often referred to internaly as the Senate or the Imperial Senate) acts as the Imperium's governing body, senators both advise and support the Paragon along with running the imperium day-to-day. The territories are run by two logistical councils, both of which act as governance within their allocated territories and answer to the Paragon and their family. Along with this the senate also includes the security council in charge of the imperium's overall military and any planetary garrisons, the bureaucratic council which maintains the state-regulated economy and the science council which is responsible for technological and scientific development within the Imperium. Each member is elected differently depending on the council and occasionally all meet to discuss matters as the grand senate. The Chancellor acts as the senate's head consul and - along with the Paragon - usually has the final say in decisions that could affect the empire as a whole. Most positions apart from the homeland council are for life and council members are taught to respect the position they have gained.

Due to the vast scales of the Imperium, most meetings are conducted through holoconferencing, using advanced 3D hologram technology to temporarily convert even a modest office or an individual's bedroom into a seat within the Grand Senate's rotunda in Minos'Drakon. Some senators, for various reasons ranging from personal beliefs to pragmatic preference, do however prefer to visit the rotunda building itself.

Homeland Council
Founded a year after the establishment of the imperium's first colony in the Elimataia system, the Homeland council acts as the voice of the colonies within the Imperial Senate.

Charged with overseeing the management of the colonies established by the Imperial Government, the homeland council makes up a large proportion of the administration due to the fact the Draconic colonies make up a large part of Imperial space (prior to the era of tunnels the colonies made up the majority of territory). Each member is voted democratically by house, the noble house itself is then charged with choosing which member represents them on the council. Each house holds their position for 50 years before a new election is held. The council has free reign to requisition the aid of the Imperial Navy in order to defend a colony.

Provincial Council
Founded three months after the annexation of the Speeder Trade Federation, the principle of the Provincial council is that it provides the various provinces and protectorates of the Imperium a chance to aid in the development and direction of the imperium, however since establishment this has not been the case.

To begin with, provincial species cannot become members of the council, normally there is a minority of Draconis within these territories who act as a higher government. The system works similarly to above however only Draconis citizens may vote for a house to represent and once a house elects a family member they hold a chair for life until that family member dies. After this happens another election is held. Provinces and protectorates can requisition for support from the Imperial Navy however they are normally lower priority than a draconis colony or a province (this is true unless the planet stages a revolt, but even this is still lower priority compared to an outsider invasion). Many have cited the Provincial Council to be biased and unfair but few are brave enough to speak out while others just accept it.

Security Council
Composed of the highest-ranking military officials in the imperium, the security council acts as the governing branch of the military. The proconsul's seat is always held by the current lord-admiral and during their absence the executive lord-admiral rules in their place. Members are always chosen by the council based on military service with more senior and veterenated officials taking prority. Under ememrgency conditions the security council can quarantine a planet or system.

Positions in the council are held for life, while some see it as demotion by getting pulled out of the field, others see it as a great honour because their experience is not completely wasted however council members may still engage in field duties. Although all races are capable of joining the military it is extremely difficult for a non-Draconis to rise through the ranks, often remaining as auxillaries. As a result non-Draconis councillors within the security council are very rare.

Commerical council
Charged with regulating the Imperium's economy. This council is one of the more open to outsiders and is made up of some of the wealthiest and most successful merchants in the Imperium. It is also one of the only two councils - the other being the science council - where there is a near-equal chance for certain protectorate species to join the council. The Bureaucratic council monitors the state budget, imposes tariffs, maniges article legailty and oversees the overall value of the Imperium's state currency. A more controversial freedom of the council is they are free to adjust price floors and ceilings for any and all goods on a region-by-region basis, enticing the economy to grow where it needs to or covering item shortages by lowering prices.

The Commercial Council is monitored by an external regulation authority to ensure that council members do not use their power to influence the prices on their own and their rivals' products, thus working to prevent one corporation using its council member status from gaining an unfair advantage over their rivals.

Science Council
Containing the brightest and most enigmatic minds in the Empire, this council specialises in maintaining a certain level and quality of scientific research. Members usually require a significant degree of recognition within the scientific community to be accepted, the result is that there are very few young scientists within the council (however, due to the longevity of the Draconis, it is unsurprising to encounter council members who might serve for over a century). This has become one of the more lenient councils in accepting non-Draconis provided the species has an advanced mind and a natural talent for science. Again, non-draconis members require more recognition than Draconis to join.

There are cases where the science council can declare certain practices or technologies - such as cruel sentient experimentation - illegal. In most cases this is based on ethics but sometimes other factors can come into play.

Inhabitants
See also: Andromedan species

The Imperium contains hundreds of different species throughout Segmentum Draco and beyond counting up to quadrillions of intelligent inhabitants, however only a few are considered to have a major influence or standing within the imperial government due to contribution or political favour. Some governments like the United Republics pledged as a united species to join the Imperium while others, like Radeons and Kraw, pledged to join after breaking off from their parent empires either though occupation or secession.

The Imperium also plays host to migrants from other empires such as the TIAF who either moved to the Imperium under choice or had at one time been subject to conquest. There are also numerous aliens who live in the Imperium as sub-citizens - a subgroup that consists of alien populations occupied in wartime but refused to pledge themselves to the Imperium. Due to the industrial capabilities of the Imperium these sub-citizens are treated closer to less-priveliged citiens than property or a substitute for machines. They are unable to live as freely as other species and cannot migrate from certain areas (such as their assaigned planet) without permission from their overseers. Despite this lack of freedom the Imperium does offer sub-citizens food, shelter, contact and a chance to raise offspring, which is regulated by law; seeing enslavement as a blessing for both them and their culture when comapred to the fate of extermination.

Culture
Main article: society

"The very air we breathe becomes glorious!"

- An Imperial patriot

Imperial culture (specifically the high culture of the ) is known far and wide for its sophistication and celebration of the fine arts. The prevalence of Draconid influence throughout all aspects of broader Imperial culture have garnered a generalisation that all of the Imperium's citizens bear an elevated opinion of their society while indulging in the fruits of diversity and high education, which for some such as the Imperium's noble casts is not far from the truth. This is as much a fact that many have considered it comparable to high Cyrannian culture, which like the Imperium is also cosnidered a beacon of enlightenment and sophistication throughout known space. For a long time the Imperium has been a popular gathering location for aspiring artists, musicians and designers looking to express themselves and show off their skills to an ever-hungry public or perhaps gather and mingle with patrons from among the galactic elite.

Compared to nearby civilisations such as and the, the Imperium is a veritable beacon of liberal education and capitalism. Scattered across Imperial space are branches of the Alcanti Royal Academy and the Alpenix University, galaxy-spanning institutions that both cater and enlighten trillions of students and offer resources and funding to billions of professors and doctorate holders ("illuminates" in Draocnid parlance) every year with millions of smaller institutions that are either a partner of one of them or operating independently of both.

The Imperium's open outlook ot interior commerce and international business were one of the chief driving reasons for its influence over GITO; their prevalence making Imperial-originated art, business, design and engineering a commonplace site in physical and virtual marketplaces throughout the First Gigaquadrant.

Religion
Main article: religion

Officially, the Imperium has no one official state religion and while there are trillions who are agnostic or atheistic, the public mindset is dominated by several powerful faiths. Institutions such as the Grand Senate and the Royal Academy actively discourage the interference of religion in their internal workings, providing a largely secular environent of management. The Imperium's administration prefers a largely-apathetic opinion and the Imperium's largest organised faith - Commutum Drakon'Mipthum, the official belief system of the Draconis - prefers to accept that there is no singular path to live and no one afterlife. It instead promotes respect for all beliefs, major and minor, both among its followers and among any within the Imperium itself.

Alongside Commutum Drakon'Mipthum, there are other major faiths with may or may not have originated within either modern or former Imperial borders such as Massari. The other key faith - if hardly as organised as either Drakon'Mipthum or Massari - is Pragavatus Divinum, which deifies the Paragon line.

Military
Main Article:Military

The Imperium is noteable for having one of the largest military presences in Andromeda. Because of the Imperium's spread thoughout the First Gigaquadrant and the Talon Aetheral Corps' dedication to pirate-hunting and threat evaluation, Imperial vessels, patrols and soldiers are a common sight in many locations thoughout known space.

Military service amongst the specifically requires a mandatory decade-long tour of duty once the citizen reaches 40 years of age (the age of maturity for Draconis). Along with this, military academies effectively replace standard schools on some planets and settlements and teach a variety of both military and civillian topics. Upon reaching the age of 50 most draconis are already very proficient in combat and all of them own a weapon of personal preference. This provides the Talon Aetheral Corps - the organisational body of the armed forces including the ground army, marines and and navy of the Imperium - with a healthy stock of capable warriors in the event of war.

Within the provinces the level of militarisation varies depending on the species. Some are completely militarised and, as a result, provide common stock troops for the imperial auxillaries. Others will either supply technology or specialists if they cannot provide large armies or are not built for any military specilisation (although the latter is rare). To keep the auxillaries stocked, each protectorate world must provide a tithe of soldiers for the auxillaries (a responsability of the the provincial council). Neglecting this tithe is considered undesireable as the imperial administration steps in to govern the world at every level as opposed to just the highest offices. Under such administration, planets frequently become reorganised considerably in order to meet their assaigned tithe. Alongside the marine corps and the talon ground legions are the Auxillia Corps, who seve as a compliment to the regular armed forces and consist of non-citizen volunteers such as sub-citizens, pro-Draconid foreign citizens and migrant seeking citizenship. Outside of Imperial space, the Auxillia corps are most commonly posted on allied planets and stations, and for some as as much the face of the Imperium as the ground legions or marine corps.

Economy
"We all live in spires of gold and glass. Except the wealthy who live in spires of diamond and liquid platinum."

- resident

The Draconid Imperium is a market economy that is partially maintained by the state and presently rates alongside the other Great Gigaquadrant Nations in terms of econpmic scale and consists of a complex network of intra-empire exchange channels between provinces and sectors to provide for production chains which are supplied by various provincial economies. The diverse nature of the Imperium's territory permits a degree of freedom for each province to specialise in a few economic sectors or even a single one, with the Imperium as a whole being rated as a major importer and exporter internationally.

Much of the Imperium's industries are automated though the use of industrial-scale quantum replicators, sophisticated robotics and megascale manufactories such as Artificial Rings and Singularity Industrial Zones such as Deep Core, the scale and decentralisation of the industrial sector has made the Imperium as a whole notoriously resillient to conquest through attrition. Outside of self-sufficiency, the Imperium is a major exporter of numerous manufactured goods such as starships, terrestrial vehicles, refined Ansite, heavy and expotic materials, weapons, medical equipment and art. Thousands of new commercial liners, freighters and warships are built in orbital drydocks accross its Imperial territories. A policy of self-sustainence has meant that most planets can cater for themselves in terms of providing food for their populations while excess is sold to to more populous worlds - particularly in the corward systems within and around Axah-0 - or sold abroad. Most of the shipbuilding in Andromeda is between a self-competing triumirate of shipbuilding firms known only as the Shipwright's Triumvirate; Valle Astroengineering, Domcar Manufacturing and Utopis Fleet Concern. These three are also the source of the vast majority of the Aetheral Talon Body's armaments and warships.

Alongside numerous geoengineering projects, the Imperium fields technology and manufacturing techniques that give it access to exotic materials such as monopolium and neutron-degenerate matter. It is not unheard of for stars to be stripped of matter to be compressed to create the basis of singularity cores (a very common form of energy generation on Imperial starships and stations) or to be used in other megascale projects such as Star-orbiting cities or supplying its military. Some of the most ambitious projects undertaken within Imperial space include artifical moons created from lifted planetary material and arranged in gradual layers over the course of decades. Some rumours persist of the existence of artificially-constructed planets the size of or larger, made in a similar way to the way the Imperium currently builds moon-like objects. One of the most fearsome sights the imperium has been known to enact is "Solar Execution"; when for whatever dreaded reason, industries are granted the right to utterly deprive all planets and asteroids within a specific star system of worthwhile minerals, microbes, animals and flora. A process that can turn the most lushious systems into ashen wastelands wthin a few weeks.

The most powerful industrial sites in the Imperium are gravity vortex manufacturia, more colloquially known as Senvinus factories based ontheir location. These manufacturing zones - often located around gateway nodes - served as precursors to Andromeda's Deep Core facility and are some of the most highly prized and high-output facilities in Imperial space, most of which are leased by Black Star Energy.

The largely-automated primary and secondary industrial sectors give way for a proportionately large service industry. The reputation of the has fostered a reputation for elegance and grandeur that is famous thoughout the First Gigaquadrant with Draconis-made paintings and designs being highly sought-after. Tourism is another major industry within the Imperium, with major locations such as Minos'Drakon and Vencortium being ppoular tourist destinations. As well as physical tourism, the imperium employs virtual tourism considerably, with many tourists visiting numerous sites without leaving their own homes. Its society's emphasis on business culture mean that as well as pleasure tourism, there is a booming business tourism market, with and Minos'Drakon being the central calling points for business tourists. The Imperium is a major player in gigaquadrantic commerce, with the colony of (due to being the nexus of free trade in Segmentum Draco and the economic heart of the ) as one of the leading commercial capitals of known space, with  - the imperial capital and at one time the financial heart - following a close second before the Imperium's meteoric return ot prominence during the. As a founding member of the and host to it's headqaurters and central stock exchange, the Imperial economy enjoys an extreme level of dominance in markets thoughout the Xonxi Cluster as well as having notable stakes in the international markets in the Cyrannia and Ikiwa Iropsi clusters, making the Imperium a major player in international finance and industry. This power over internaitional markets and the freedoms it offers to resident corporations makes Imperium-made goods and cultural items popular in numerous nations thoughout the First Gigaquadrant. As a result, the shares of thousands of businesses, corporations and economic ventures from thoughout most of the Gigaquadrant are publicly traded on the Araveene Stock Exchange.

While the Imperium still uses a form of currency, many aspects of society have reached post-scarcity levels, primarily energy, industrial materials and medicine. Because each planet is encouraged to develop to supply both itself and neighbouring systems the Imperium's industrial and agricultural capacity is both immense and highly decentralised, allowing for widespread industrial production with minimal disruption. While such a society has largely been deemed as a post-scarcity one, cultural items are often given value for recognition of the creators' work. Most commonly the Mimidian Credit is used as an exchange currency to purchase services and to facilitate external trade. Many provinces and some distinct colonies possess their own currencies in order to streamline local economies and not disadvantage less economically-powerful regions of the Imperium. The transfer of local currencies is largely automatic, with the Mimidian credit being a largely virtual value (determined by the Bureaucratic council) that is used on the surface so as to alleviate the need to pay businesses and industries with a local currency, especially on the inter-provincial scale. The credit has existed since the Alcanti Solar Confederacy and the lack of a common decimal value is compensated by what are informally called 'sub-credits' - credit vaues that are not multiples of 10. Because of the Imperium's international commerical influence, the Mimidian Credit has become one of the major international currencies.

Science And Technology
See Fiction:Draconid Imperium/Technology for more detail

As home to leading institutions such as the Alcanti Royal Academy of Science as well as several leading research and development firms such as XenoGenesis, the Imperium is a leading centre for science and technology in the First Gigaquadrant and for a long time has been a major contributor to the gigaquadrantic community. The numerous public and private sector scientific and acaemic institutions make the Imperium a honeypot for trillions of students and academics annually, who are often drawn to the numerous continent-scale campus networks owned by the leading universities or thecity-scale high-technology R&D organisations that settle in Imperial space. The optimistic attitude to scientific development has also drawn the interest of tech companies thoughout the XOnexi CLuster, prompting some to move or establish laboratories to take advantage of the incentives provided by the Imperial government.

In terms of technological capability, the Draconid Imperium is immensely sophisticated in numerous scientific fields; particularly materials science, energy, theory, spacetime theory, exotic physics, genetics and cosmology. Presently it exists as one of a small number of technological rivals to the, a fact most evidently demosntrated in the Imperium's ability to hold its own against the Coalition's forces during the. Notable technologies devised by the Imperium's scientific institutions include hyperspace cannons, magnetic drives, quantum replicators, singularity siphons, artificial wormholes and neutron effusion.

Energy
THe Imperium is a major leader in energy production and is a major contributor in the production of hypermatter, antimatter and ansite in the first gigaquadrant, limited largely by legislation on sustainability that encourages the use development of renewable energy sources such as biofuels, hydrogen, solar energy and Penrose process siphoning. Despite these legislations, the Imperium remains one of the five largest producers of andasium and ansite in the First Gigaquadrant, exporting much of it though corporate firms that are large enough for several of them to posess international holdings. With the onset of the however, the Imperium ahs been forced to turn many of its exports inwards in order to supply its allies' and its own forces with ansite in order to maintain an even footing with the.

Within Imperial space, Black Star Energy is the single largest holder of singularity siphon facilities and tehnologies within the Draconid Imperium, and holds a state-supported near-monopoly on its production, effectively providing the Draconid Imperium with near-limitless amounts of energy for use in various industrial and commerncal practices

Foreign Policy
See relations for more detail.

With a vast network of diplomats and official representatives along with trade and scientific connections to the majority of the First Gigaquadrant and involvement in coalitions and several intergovernmental organisations, the Draconid Imperium boasts an enormous sphere of influence that encompasses a large portion of the known gigaquadrant with connections to most major political powers. In terms of foreign policy, the Imperium is an empire that is very open to foreign visitors and dignitaries and thrives on an open tourist industry, Imeprial society prides itself on being a centre of education, cultural exchange and foreign business from all corners of the First Gigaquadrant.

As a large gigaquadranticist economy, the Imperium is a major importer and exporter of various goods and services on the gigaquadrantic trade networks, its many firms often buying raw materials and cultural articles with the former to be refined into manufactured goodswhich are then sold on. The Imeprium also advocates itself as a node of economic transfer; where it buys various goods from foreign powers and sells them to more distant regions on behalf of the buying party, with trade legislation ensuring the selling party earns a share in all the transactions. The recent growth of many larger firms to transnational status - Utopis Fleet Concern and Domcar Manufacturing who expanded into the Cyrandia Cluster) acts as a promoter for this form of economic exchange and has been chiefly responsible for the economic golden age it experienced between 2793 and 2802.

Conversely, the Imperium's military presents itself as a major peacekeeping force with military patrols and outposts being very common within international space and in the territories of those it forms alliances with, drawing some criticism of acting imperialistic. With the outbreak of the however, the Talon Aetheral Corps has become increasingly iron-fisted towards pirates and smugglers as well as groups and factions that seek to harm the Imperium's citizens or allies.

Quotes from Others
Feel free to add your own

"I have never before beheld an empire of such ethereal majesty, one that streches across the stars as the wings of those beings so far removed from the restrictions of myself, those with the ability to produce anything from anything else, to create and destroy worlds at will. If the Star Dragons are not gods, then gods do not exist."

- Unknown

"I find their use of slaves abominable. Besides that, they are an acceptable ally."

- Titrit

"I WILL DESTROY THEM ALL!"

- Masuri

"They have strange ways, but I sort of maybe like them."

- Hinata

"They remind me of the Cyrannians. Both are giant reptiles that think. Both are friendly to a point. Both are somewhat democratic. Interesting, maybe they are a former part of Cyrannus? Doubtful though, Cyrannians stick together."

- Arukas

"Their fear of self-replicating nanotech is foolish and annoying. Being made of self-replicating nanotech, I find their fear of me insulting. However, I also know that they are a powerful faction, worthy allies in all things."

- Dylan

"Aldrin-Draco's experiments? How interesting."

- Aeropagus

"After extensive researching, we've concluded the Draconid Imperium is an honourable ally and friend of the Gigaquadrant community. May them prosper for centuries to come."

"STOOPID DUMBOS WIV YA INQUISISHION WEIRDOS AN BEIN HOMIES WIV UNO. I DUNT LIKE DAT. AT ALL"

"May you burn in the depths of Hell's darkest pits, Draconid Imperium!"

"A honorable civilization that we are glad to be apart of. Some people are complaining about the council laws and their fairness though. They are old and powerful, just like us in alot of ways. I couldn't help but notice some way too familiar things about them."

"I have no idea what Edoshai and the senate were thinking by joining these people."

"We honor you, Draconis, and we believe we could become greater allies in the future. In darkness of the Andromeda War, with Vartekians leaving, our alliance is now the lone light in this war-ridden and tormented galaxy."

"Beh. An entire empire of posh lizards and their little friends. You remind me too much of the Zoles."

"Ah, An interesting people. They seem nice enough."

- Barda Clett

"One week from now, your Kraw Galaxy worlds shall belong to us, for we, the conquerors from beyond, will return."

- Tyrekian

"Huh. In many ways, I admire the Imperium, their accomplishments, their attitude. In other ways, they're a bunch of posh, arrogant, unsympathetic, stuck up little twits who have no idea what it's like not being rich and cultured as fuck."

"The Imperium represents the greatest hope this galaxy has of finally achieving peace. My duty is clear - I will fight for them to the last."

- Hel'Bre'K Ce'So'Va, Blademaster of the Fordan Empire

"The golden apple tree with its roots soaked deep in blood."

- Supreme Admiral Gravius Gnissenkrassau

"Weak, technologically inferior to other superpowers at similar scale. Breath filled with ego and selfishness. Rule one though: you are never to underestimate them. They have other powers, and they are ... old. Older than many."

Trivia

 * The Imperial anthem
 * This is Monet47's first fiction.
 * The imperium bears several similarities to the Imperium of Man from the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
 * While the protectorate system has existed since the fiction's inception, the idea of dividing the system into 'protectorates' and 'provinces' came from Imperios
 * The Imperium was largely inspired by the Roman Empire.

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