The Third Imperium of Man

Also called The Imperium. Founded in 0 by Cleon Zhunastu from the Sylean Federation in what is now Core Sector. The Third Imperium is a feudal confederation. Member worlds of the Imperium agree to pay taxes and obey a few fundamental laws which the Imperium promulgates, known as the High Laws. In return, the Imperium agrees to patrol the space between the worlds, to protect interstellar trade, to encourage travel and commerce, and to arbitrate diplomatic relations between worlds. Beyond this, individual worlds are left to their own devices so long as they acknowledge the power of the Imperium to rule the space between the stars. Imperial power is present on member worlds in the form of Starports, consulates, bureaucratic offices, and bases Sometimes, larger enclaves of Imperial power are placed where they can enhance the emperor’s strength.

Description

The Third Imperium itself is a far-flung empire of 281 subsectors and over 11,000 worlds. From its founding through the Pacification Campaigns it grew swiftly, then more slowly thereafter, until stability was reached in the 600s, by which time the Imperium had grown past and absorbed almost all of the territory of the First and Second Imperiums. The main exception being to coreward, where territory was lost to the split-off Julian Protectorate and the Vargr Extents. The Imperium has few laws mostly protecting trade, including banning possession of weapons of mass destruction, slavery, and murder of Imperial citizens. The rest is left to the local planet's or local system's laws. The leadership of the Imperium has trappings of nobility, mainly to have some designated person in charge when crises happen, because—due to communication lags similar to those seen on Terra in the Age of Sail—it takes weeks, months, or even years (depending on origin and destination, and the amount of deliberation required) for messages to traverse the Imperium and get acted upon.

Goals

The preamble of the Warrant of Restoration of the Imperium reads:

The worlds of the universe lie separated by the vastness of space, each alone, and dependent upon its own resources. In the past, a greater community of worlds has existed, promoting a greater good for all its members, and for all those who have interacted with it. The time has now come to reestablish that greater community. On the foundations of the past, in order to promote: Safe travel among the stars, the exploration of worlds circling those stars, the pursuit of knowledge, mutually profitable trade and commerce, the active exchange of information and tech the individual pursuit of personal betterment, and the collective pursuit of community good, we hereby re-establish the Grand Empire of the Stars.