State of the Empire

[Telan Desaria]

Greetings, comrades! I am returned.

I left shortly after the Great Reset where I won the Battle of Endor. After that, work got in the way. What is the status of our great power now? Are we still the biggest and baddest kid on the block, or are have we been beaten back and need to claw our way back to power?

I am interested in returning, but I dont want to jump in mention things that haven't happened or conflict with things that have.

Before I left, I was a Grand Admiral - I understand due to my four year absence if I do not retain that rank.

[Baastian Cain]

I posted this in your other thread, too, but I'll put it here for easy reference. :)

It is ten years after the Battle of Yaavin, and the galaxy is threatened by a new weapon called Starkillers. Delivered by interstellar ballistic missiles, these terrifying warheads are capable of slagging a planet or quenching a star. With both the Empire and the Rebel Alliance in possession of Starkiller missiles, a ceasefire has been brokered to prevent galactic devastation, and the Empire has been forced to recognize the Rebels as a sovereign state, now called the Alliance of Free Planets. The galaxy remains in a state of cold war.

The Jedi, long sheltered by the Alliance, have finally established a new permanent home on Ossus. Meanwhile, the Inquisitoriate has reorganized itself into the Imperial Order of the Knights of the Throne, which offers Force adepts in the Empire training, education, and protection at the cost of mandatory service. The Imperial Knights now serve as executors of Empress Miranda Tarkin's will.

[Rolth Wygraant]

Here (http://i.imgur.com/QOhhFVT.jpg) is an excellent resource in terms of coming to grips with the size and disposition of the powers that be. The Empire holds dominion over all blue and teal sections of the map, with teal being sectors of particular significance. The Alliance controls all red and gold sections of the map, with gold being sectors of particular significance. Green and brown are Hutt space, with the former being their main sphere of influence. Grey areas of the map are sections the Empire was forced to withdraw from during treaty, but that the Alliance has not availed themselves to at present. Orange sectors are especially significant roleplay zones or points of conflict.

[Telan Desaria]

Ausgezeichnet!

So, cold war. We follow Her Majesty the Empress. The war is cold...but we are still fighting, yes? Albeit peripherally and such?

I am already thinking of a come-back thread. Is there anything I should or should not do/mention, etc? I have obviously missed the last few General Staff meetings, so I don't want to step on any toes.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

Currently the Knights to the Imperial Throne are dealing with certain traitors (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?55889-Just-Getting-Warmed-Up) among the regional governors of the outer sectors of her dominion. We are also currently hunting down (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?55862-The-Hammer-at-Phindar) certain Jedi terrorists illegally on our side of the border, as well as complicating (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?55890-Waters-of-Life) the attempts by the Alliance to occupy sectors we must withdraw from.

On executing these edicts, the Knights are of course working with the Empress' loyal subjects in the Imperial Navy and Imperial Army. With their ensured loyalty victory will be assured.

[Telan Desaria]

His Excellency Baron Telan Desaria remains loyal to his Empress. I am hatching a comeback thread that may work with that, shadow war in a sector we are vacating. What sectors are we leaving? Or can I NPC/make one up.

[Telan Desaria]

Note - IC, Desaria is made an Imperial Lord (archaic and meaningless Imperial Title bestowed by Her Majesty for reasons you will see in the thread). So now: Lord Telan Desaria, Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

His Excellency Baron Telan Desaria remains loyal to his Empress. I am hatching a comeback thread that may work with that, shadow war in a sector we are vacating. What sectors are we leaving? Or can I NPC/make one up.

Those would be the grey sectors in the aforementioned map that border the empire and the alliance. The thread in Manaan is taking place in one such sector.

[Telan Desaria]

I think in the area of Antar...a few small sectors thereabouts ripe for trouble and disruption!

[Tiberius Anar]

Welcome back.

I suggest that you get input from some of the other fleet types. I've recollection of reading since I got back that there have been some limitations on "playable" ships for the sake of story. I'm also unsure about what spare fleet resources the Empire might have in the present setting.

Personally I'd quite like to see Telan using his tactical genius and a small, elite force (like Vader's) to worry Alliance and unaligned worlds and to reassure Imperial worlds that the Empire is battered but unbowed.

[Telan Desaria]

That is very similar to the plans afoot. Currently, the Grand Admiral is going to be returning from the darkened realms to which he was sent after agitating a bit too loudly against the peace. He will be doing so but running some shadow games in the Empire's Name, but without direct Imperial involvement so the Rebels cannot retaliate overtly. I am thinking puppet states having at one another. I imagine something like a skirmish between Soviet-puppet Cuba and America-puppet Puerto Rico.

I am currently reviewing all of the Fleet-esque restrictions. Is there anything of note to which you can direct me?

[Tiberius Anar]

There's a thread Reshmar started called 'A Sleeping Beast' in which there was some OOC discussion of this. Having trouble linking. Is in the planning forum.

I'm inclined to think anything very large (e.g. SSD or similar) near the border would be overly overtly provocative.

[Telan Desaria]

Of course. The Grand Admiral will be going under cover anyway, so his flagship the Intimidator will remain where it is along the Frontier with the Unknowns

[Akasha Khan]

Something else that should be noted - I don't know if we reached a consensus on the idea, but it was suggested that the first demonstration of the Starkiller warhead was against the remains of the Death Star II, which the Empire was attempting to rebuild. Starkiller missiles have effectively rendered gargantuan battle platforms like the Death Star obsolete. In light of that, and in light of the economic repercussions of recognizing the Alliance as a sovereign power, I could see the Imperial Navy shifting its philosophy away from financially crippling super-capital ships to a nimbler and more flexible force.

I don't know that a Starkiller could possibly target a SSD, but I'm sure the prospect is keeping some Imperial admirals up at night.

If you're interested in the mechanics of Starkiller weapons, we discussed them in detail in this thread (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?55818-Starkillers-How-do-they-Work-%28Poll%29).

[Telan Desaria]

Well, IC Desaria will always be a proponent of line of battle-ships. Including his flagship the SSD Intimidator.

That said, being adaptable as a Grand Admiral, he will assist in the improvement of the cruiser and frigate arms of the fleets.


So these Starkillers have been used against us...have we had the chance to use one against the Rebels?

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

No. The Rebels basically ushered in the Starkiller Age, using it in one or two highly visible displays of power to force a treaty. The Empire gained the weapons as well, but they're basically locked into stalemate at this point with neither side willing at all to push their buttons. There's still very small scale conflict, but it's always mindful of the fact that a push to widen the war could invoke a terrible price.

[Telan Desaria]

Well...we need to re-assert our dominance. Hmmm...

[Telan Desaria]

In my come back thread Desaria will be attending a meeting of the Grand Admiral's Council. I know Thrawn is lurking somewhere, Pitta is dead, and me - are the rest as exist in the canon universe? Grant, Grunger, etc

[Reikkel Orgern]

I'm not familiar with anyone writing those characters in or out, so I think they're okay?

[Lilaena De'Ville]

As I remember, however, we try not to use canon characters in our RP, although it has been known to happen. I guess a mod would have to rule on it?

[Tiberius Anar]

I think that's been the case since the Grand Reset. Certainly we agreed that all major canon and EU characters bought it one way or the other in the run-up to, events and aftermath of our Battle of Endor. I believe this was to (a) avoid copyright issues and (b) give everyone as free a hand as possible in playing in our setting. I for one would have been completely stymied had certain members of the court not died at Endor.

I would suggest avoiding as much as is humanly possible use of any of the Grand Admirals established by other writers. It's been a while and the Civil War went on for quite some time after Endor. Why not assume that all the Emperor's Grand Admirals have died, been incapacitated, or gone into retirement. (Thrawn can be off successfully fighting off alien invaders in the Unknown Regions with no need to come back.)

Why not further assume that the Empress has appointed her own cadre of Grand Admirals but a less expansive group? Maybe as a sign of her new, more focussed rule she appointed six (including Telan) rather than twelve. You wouldn't need to name the others or make them out. In fact for maximum flexibility in future it would be good if you left them kind of generic.

[Rev Solomon]

The shelving of canon characters was really to clear space for our own characters more to avoid copyright issues - after all, we're using plenty of other LucasArt properties. Otherwise, story is king here. Anbira and Wei have each invoked Force ghosts of dead Jedi masters to great effect. Charley has talked about Vader cameos in flashback threads. I don't think any of the mods have problems with these sorts of liberties.

We don't necessarily have to kill off all the Grand Admirals. You can name drop them, talk to them on the comm, trade greeting cards... I think we'd only really have a problem if someone wanted to assume the roles of those characters.

As far as I know, the composition of the Imperial Navy leadership really hasn't been explored post-reset, which means it's your playground now, along with Anar and whoever else wishes to be involved. As others join the ranks, they can meld their ideas with yours. We can always retire a Grant or a Grunger to make room for a new character if the need arises.

[Telan Desaria]

The idea I had was this: Desaria makes his return to Coruscant in time for the (bi-yearly?) Grand Admirals Council where as many of their number as possible get together and made sweeping command decisions - think super ultra mega elite club. After that, Desaria is going to make his way to Intelligence after an interview with Her Majesty.

I can write in such a way that Desaria is involved with his thoughts so we can leave the other slots open. I do want to introduce Grand Admiral Armand, a long-time friend of Desaria's and confidant, but a man getting on far better with the peace than Desaria. (Sort of like a view of opposites for the reader). He was someone (of junior rank) I mentioned a long tiem ago - he is disposable if we want to actually name the others.

As a serving Grand Admiral, I like the idea of a smaller council. Six is a good number.

[Telan Desaria]

The next post in my thread is up - any one have any complaints? If there is, I can certainly fix them

[Rev Solomon]

Dude, what you're doing is awesome! More, please! :)

[Tiberius Anar]

I agree.

In the past we have presented things as pretty monolithic but here we have at least three organisations exercising strategic control, which feels infinitely more nuanced. You have this Council of Grand Admirals, which is a semi-official thing, the General Staff, which is a sort of all purpose planning staff, and then the various military commands around the Empire. There's clearly overlap in personnel and remits and also marked differences in opinions, priorities, and resources. I'm going to enjoy watching (and perhaps helping with) the development of this side of the Empire's story.

[Telan Desaria]

Thank you. I am truly happy to be this well-received on my return.