Judicars

Judicars but one aspect of the enforcement arm of the Imperial Judges. They serve in a separate realm, and their policing authority knows no limits save for the Emperor themselves. They are all highly trained Psionic warriors, raised from a young age to remain loyal to the Colonial Earth Empire and in turn the sacredness of the Imperial Judges. They are ruthless, and rarely work with other departments. Many times, Judicars will swoop in at the last moment to vital systems and help put down rebellions or insurgencies, or will root out corrupt system governors with ruthless impunity. The Judicars are in many ways a religious order of sorts. They operate broadly under Anthrochauvinism, especially Imperials who tend to make saints out of the great Imperial arms of authorities. Some Judicars will take full advantage of that, and form their own crusader forces. Many devout or oppurtunistic entities might attach themselves to these crusader forces in order to rise in status behind a particularly powerful Judicar. They are headquartered out of Babylon , in an ancient temple that has been refurbished and rebuilt over the years since the first discovery of New Eden. Some claim, that during a more optimistic time, that this temple may have been the home of original ideologies of the ancient Be'Teu Order. Judicars have a wide breadth of powers and autonomy, their authority only superseded by the most powerful within the empire. Their abilities are highly sought after, and those powerful Judicars able to rise through the ranks often find themselves reccomended for positions with the High Houses within the Imperial Nobility. Even Grand Admirals and powerful Houses are wary to cross a High Ranking Judicar, lest they risk an extrajudicial end. Judicars have no problem flexing their authority either, often to the chagrin of those they step on or distract. Many a time will a military invasion have its forces diverted so a Judicar can dig up some ancient ruins far from the population centers, or an exploration ship diverted and sent through a highly dangerous hyperplane to an unexplored planet, just so that they can beat another rival Judicar from arriving there first. The Emperor keeps them in line where he can, though drawing the ire of too many has been known to be lethal to a sitting empire without enough support. However, if the Judicars draw the ire of too many of the Imperial Senate or the Imperial Court, they are in danger of getting obliterated by their compatriots.

Training

The methods of recruitment into the Judicars is shrouded in mystery to the Imperial public. Although all know of the "Tithe", a regular collection of psionic individuals paid by the Imperial people. Children are tested at a young age, and if they test psionically positive, they are potentially conscripted into the ranks of the Judicars. The Judicars are entitled to one-in-ten. If one is called, only a few priveledged psionics a year can dodge the Tithe. These people usually if they come from Imperial Nobility, who can afford to pay their tithe out. Those conscripted are brought to Dol Amoth to undergo Psionic chip implanting, and then given a rudimentary education. Psionic chip implantation is brutal and has a high casualty. It is also considered archaic, filled with unnecessary and dated rituals. Wealthy nobles can delay their entry, and pay for their own Psionic implantation surgery, which usually ensures a much higher survival rate at the Academy. Ethics groups have pointed at the success of programs on Chandrill or Artedis who have a death rate of effectively zero.
True training itself begins once the children are educated, and of the age of eighteen, when they are inducted into the Judicar Academy as novices. The academy been called superstitious by the Imperial Military High Command and brutal by defectors who have fled from Imperial grasp. The training is grueling, hostile, and deadly. On a regular basis pupils are tested both mentally and physically. Student on student killings are regular, as they compete for apprenticeship spots for the greatest Judicar Lords. The rules of the academy strictly forbid student killings, however this does not mean they spend many resources investigating the deaths. This whole process symbolizes the long and brutal climb that the Judicars expect. The only way out of the academy is by sponsorship of a Judicar Lord, however all must spend at least three years at the Academy. Making connections at the academy is important for one to achieve a sponsorship, which will pave the way for judicar's future within the empire. While incredibly brutal, the results of the Academy produce far more powerful psionics than most institutions do in the entire galaxy. However, Judicars are cruel and violent, a blunt object used to crush the enemies of the Imperial elite. Once they find a sponsorship, the novices officialy become Judicar apprentices. Apprentices serve under Judicars or Judicar Lords. However, one should not mistake the title "Apprentice" with that of one being incapable. The academies have prepared the apprentices carefully for the two-faced and dangerous imperial high society. Apprentices must constantly look for ways to prove themselves, while also carving out a base of power and support themselves.

To Enforce and Command

An apprentice can be put forward as a Judicar by any Judicar, Judicar Lord, or Bishop. There is always a careful balance maintained, where an apprentice is kept under the thumb of their sponsor for as long as possible. Wait too long, and another Judicar or Lord might try to sweep your apprentice out from underneath you, promote them, and bring them into their own sphere of power. Move to quickly, and you lose a powerful asset that is directly under your control. Once an apprentice is chosen to become a Judicar, they return to Dol Amoth for their "Ascension". The ritual is complicated, and takes weeks. It involves heavy use of psycoactive drugs, ritualistic scarring, extensive cybernetic surgery, and ends in the hunting of lava elementals deep beneath the surface of the planet. Successful candidates return as Judicars. Judicars can do anything from policing in the Throne Worlds, mediating for the large houses at each others throats, or they could be stationed with the exploration services, navigating the dangers of Far Space. They could also be posted as an military advisor to some Grand Admiral, commanding Shock Trooper Legions in the name of the Empire out in the Mid Rim. Some get selected to join as an attache to the OIS , hunting rebels in Pacifica. Regardless, wherever they are stationed, the Judicars command not only respect, but fear as well. They are usually outside of any established command structure, and are free to act how they will, commanding the authority of the High Magistrates. A Judicar usually finds themselves under the authority of a Sith Lord. Where as Judicars usually are on par with Captains in the Imperial Navy, or Station Chiefs within the intelligence services, Sith Lords work with Admirals and Generals, planetary governors and Imperial Senators. Judicars might command the power of several divisions, a battleship or a cadre of elite operatives. Sith Lords command entire armies, naval fleets, entire security departments. The Bishops have the ear of the Emperor themselves. When a Judicar collects enough power and influence under them, they risk the ire of the Sith Lords above them. However, this also presents an oppurtunity for other Sith Lords to undercut their rivals. Many times, rival Sith Lords will plot and shceme, funding Judicars and raising them up to challenge the Sith Lord they are under. Only a Bishop can make a Sith Lord, and they see this process as a means of ensuring only the truly strong rise to the top. The Emperor is the only one who can elevate a Sith Lord to a Bishop, however the appointment is for life. Bishops answer only to the Archbishops, and command great mystic cults and forces that could rival the Noble Houses. There is a careful balance at play within the Bishops, and they often find themselves allied to specific Noble Houses. The greatest amount of bishops find themselves within the House of Dust, who are often seen as the most impartial when it comes to Imperial politics. The Archbishops are only chosen from among their own. Their power over the bishops, Judicar Lords and these bases of power all over the galaxy make them a force that even the emperor would think twice to challenge. The archbishops are often considered as living saints, and their power as Psionics is considered some of the strongest in the galaxy. They surround themselves with loyal guards and sycophantic followers. Each controls of Sphere of Power, usually centered around some imperial apparatus.

Cults of Power

The Judicars are legally allowed to cultivate their own mystic cults. This is a means for them to recruit and fund followers in order to complete the goals of the greater Judicar order. This is a wary concession made early in the Empire's founding, as the Judicars proved essential in putting down rebellious republicans. However, it has put the Imperial authority in a perilous spot, as Judicar cults roam rampant, sometimes uncontrolled and dangerous spreading like fire through the interior of the Empire. Only the senate can disband the Warrant of Worship, but the Senate is often tied up in gridlock to do anything except curb the greatest of violators. These cults are often fanatical in nature, and worship the Emperor as a God-King. Many are recruited from backwater worlds, where the local population lives barely above poverty standards. A shrewd and charismatic Judicar can quickly gather an army around them, the difficult part is always funding them.