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Alliance

2017-10-10T15:32:59Z

73.46.61.47: Undo revision 89656 by Dicando220833BR (talk)

{{Superpowerinfobox
|image1 = File:AllianceInsignia.png
|caption1 = Insignia of the Alliance
|capital = Garden City, [[Alioth/Turner's World|Turner's World]], [[Alioth]]
|government = Representative Democracy
|head_of_state = [[President of the Alliance]]
|head_of_government = [[Alliance Prime Minister]]
|legislature = Alliance Assembly
|military = [[Alliance Defence Force]]
}}
{{Quote|The Alliance rose to defend independent worlds from the relentless exploitation of the Federation and Empire. It is the newest of the great powers, but dig deep and you will find that its roots are ancient indeed. Large sections of the galaxy were once under the sway of a tiny handful of worlds in the Galactic Cooperative. Gal Cop is long gone, but its ancient founder planets of Lave, Leesti, Zaonce and other Old Worlds have an important story to tell. It is a tale that the Empire and Federation would do well to hear...|Alliance and Old Worlds Sourcebook, ''EDRPG''<ref>[https://www.edrpg.co.uk/what-s-in-the-books Alliance and Old Worlds Sourcebook excerpt]</ref>}}

The '''Alliance''', officially the '''Alliance of Independent Systems''', is one of the three galactic major [[factions]], the other two being the [[Federation]] and the [[Empire]]. Its historic and political center is the system of [[Alioth]]; Garden City on Turner's World in Alioth, close to the old industrial and ship-building city of New Rossyth, is the seat of the Alliance government.

The Alliance was formed from a number of independent systems with the goal of gaining strength in numbers and defending, where necessary, against the other major factions.

Militarily, the cooperation is successful. Each member system contributes a portion of its navy to the [[Alliance Defence Force]]. The [[Council of Admirals]] is unified and has powers to act swiftly without [[government]] approval. Vessels of the Alliance generally bear the decals of their own navy, but display an additional Alliance Defence Force decal while operating with the unified naval force.

The Alliance was formed circa 3230 AD in Alioth, and portrays itself as a beacon of human rights and democracy in an increasingly autocratic universe. It does not conform to the political ideals of the totalitarian Empire, or the authoritarian Federation and there is much cultural variation among its members. This, however, means they often struggle to achieve political agreement. The [[President of the Alliance|presidency]] changes annually around its member systems. The current [[Alliance Prime Minister]] is [[Edmund Mahon]].

==History==
===Born from conflict===
[[File:Alioth Donaldson and Turner's World.jpg|thumb|200px|Donaldson and Turner's World. The birthplace of the Alliance of Independent Systems, the spindle of the first of the system's three huge Orbis Stations is in orbit of Turner's World (Alioth 5B).]]
The Alliance may champion the ideals of harmony and independence, but it is very much the product of violence. Alioth, the Alliance powerbase, was once a highly contested system. In the decades that followed its colonisation, it was the site of almost constant conflict between the Federation and the Empire. Naturally this made life difficult for the system's inhabitants, whose lives were impacted by generation after generation of war.<ref name="Galnet Origin">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5788c3c09657ba0207588b5a Galactic News: The Origin of the Alliance]</ref>

The turning point came in 3228, when the Federal corporations supplying one of Alioth's main population centres attempted to raise prices. This triggered a revolt. Federal and Imperial forces were dispatched to quell the uprising, but the resistance, bolstered by fighters from neighbouring independent systems, successfully repelled them. Ultimately the Empire chose to withdraw from the system, reluctant to commit to a potentially protracted campaign far from its centre of power. When the Federation realised how unpopular the war had become among Federal citizens, it followed suit.<ref name="Galnet Origin"/>

===A third superpower===
[[Mic Turner]] and his life-long partner Meredith Argent were the first to propose a safe political unit for those who wished to exist outside the protection of the Federation or the constraints of the Empire. They were the main driving force behind the creation of the Alliance.<ref>http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Mic_Turner</ref>

In the wake of the conflict, the idea of an independent socio-political body rapidly gained popularity among the people of Alioth and in 3230 the Alliance of Independent Systems was established. Its founding principles were simple: to protect and support those who wanted to remain independent of the Federation and the Empire, and to empower its member systems while simultaneously preserving their independence. Over the next two decades, more than twenty systems joined the Alliance.<ref name="Galnet Origin"/>

===Recent events - 3300 on===
The Alliance was "watching keenly" as events escalated around the Imperial [[Hengist Duval#Timeline|succession]] and a junior aide had hinted at frustration in its administration,<ref>[http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=8c803c1c03 Newsletter 53: The Chancellor Speaks Out]</ref> but little news had filtered out of GalNet regarding the region.

By 3303, the Alliance had largely avoided disputes with the Federation and Empire as tensions escalated between the latter two superpowers.

On June 19, 3303, following an apparent attack by [[Thargoids]] on a Federal fleet, Prime Minister [[Edmund Mahon]] called for caution, arguing that it had not yet been proven that the destroyed Federal ships were the victims of Thargoid attacks, and that much could be learned from an advanced alien race.

The Alliance joined together with the [[Federation]] and the [[Empire]] to established [[Aegis]], a scientific organization dedicated to researching the Thargoids that utilized the shared resources and knowledge of all three superpowers, on August 4, 3303.<ref name="Aegis">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59844fbe301ce614455222a1 Galactic News: Joint Superpower Initiative Announced]</ref>

Following a second attack by Thargoid ships that destroyed a Federal fleet in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55 on September 21st, the Alliance and the other two superpowers widened Aegis' remit to focus on both research and defence. The organization's budget was dramatically increased, and it recruited the [[Engineers]] [[Liz Ryder]] and [[Professor Palin]] to produce a new anti-Thargoid weapon and a scanner for Thargoid ships, respectively.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59c3a108ced3ff7f807f54b7 Galactic News: Aegis to Widen Remit]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59c3cb9dffff1a05c9770bdd Community Goal: Engineers Appeal for Thargoid Material]</ref>

==Society==
[[File:Corbra_earthlike.jpg|thumb|200px|Cobra of the Alliance Defence Force]]
{{For|additional information|Alliance/Lore}}
Today, the Alliance is widely seen as a paragon of democracy in an increasingly autocratic galaxy. It is governed by a body known as the Alliance Assembly, the primary function of which is to establish common policies and treaties among the Alliance's member systems, and act as an arbitration body when necessary. The notional head of the Assembly is the prime minister, but in reality it is the Council of Admirals that wields the greatest degree of power.<ref name="Galnet Origin"/>

The Council of Admirals is a six-person body comprising the leaders of the six largest military forces in the Alliance. In addition to selecting the prime minister, the Council also commands the [[Alliance Defence Force]], a vast flotilla of ships contributed by each of the Alliance's member systems. The Council of Admirals is free to deploy the Defence Force without the approval of the Assembly, making it extremely powerful.<ref name="Galnet Origin"/>

"There can be no argument that the Alliance lacks the power-projection abilities of the Empire and the Federation. But it is more than capable of competing with them in economic and political terms, and of defending its member systems when necessary.<ref name="Galnet Origin"/>

What the future holds remains to be seen, but under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Edmund Mahon, it seems likely the Alliance will only continue to grow.<ref name="Galnet Origin"/>

"On revolutionary [[Eranin]] the population are expected to perform in weekly parades celebrating their independence from the Federation, even while their leaders ‘redistribute’ the people’s wages into their own back pockets."<ref>https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edrpg/elite-dangerous-role-playing-game</ref>

The Alliance has systems with various government types. This includes systems where slavery is legal. Such as Alliance systems with anarchy governments take slaves and imperial slaves which turn into regular slaves. This makes the Alliance as morally challenged as the Empire and Federation. The difference is that those systems don't want people who live in a different system to govern them.

=== Alliance Values ===
On July 2, 3301, Prime Minister Mahon gave a speech about the values of the Alliance which he holds dear at the esteemed Alioth University, his alma mater:<ref>https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5593b9d49657bab1445913c1</ref>

''“The Alliance of Independent Systems is built upon a single defining principle and that is one of freedom. The freedoms we enjoy range from our personal freedoms as inscribed in the Bill of Human Rights to the freedom of societies and even planets within the Alliance.”''

''“But we should not accept this grace blindly or assume that its existence continues by mere chance. The birth of the Alliance came from removing the burden of the Federation and the Empire who for centuries fought each other for our resources and we were caught helpless in the middle.”''

''“Both of those organisations proudly describe their origins as being freedom from the tyranny of others. And yet now they are the tyranny and it is our duty to oppose them, while also ensuring that we don’t become them.”''

==Government==
===Leadership===
[[File:Edmund_Mahon.png|thumb|200px|Prime Minister Edmund Mahon]]
The [[President of the Alliance]] is the head of state of the Alliance, while the [[Alliance Prime Minister]] is the head of government. The latter position is the more influential of the two in directing the Alliance's policies. The current Prime Minister is [[Edmund Mahon]].

The Prime Minister is elected by the Council Members. Each Member State has slightly different electoral rules based on their history. In theory the Prime Minister is elected for six years, but disputes within the Assembly have meant that the PM often doesn’t make it that long. They can suffer votes against them, often resulting in resignation, or occasionally votes of no confidence. They can serve multiple terms, but none have managed to do so yet.<ref name="Brookes">[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=225156 Governments and politics in Elite Dangerous] by Michael Brookes</ref>

===Council of Admirals===
The [[Alliance Defence Force]] is run by the six member Council of Admirals, independently from the Council of Members, but reporting to it after the event, to facilitate rapid decision-making. Each of these Admirals is from a key contributing Navy.<ref name="Brookes" />

===Alliance Assembly===
Each Alliance Member State has a number of Council Members within the Alliance Assembly, based on the size of their respective populations; some only have one. Meetings of the Assembly are conducted virtually but run on Turner's World in Alioth. The Prime Minister is elected by the Members, and it is his or her job to corral them into some sort of consensus; generally a slow process. There is much less tradition than in the other powers, and processes within the Alliance Assembly are still subject to change – generally when arguments break out, as they frequently do. In practice the Alliance is largely run by Civil Servants – salaried officials that look after day to day running of the Alliance, generally not getting involved in the political struggles.<ref name="Brookes" />

The Alliance Assembly is the central body for the Alliance as a whole. While parallels can be drawn with the European Union in the 21st century, the Assembly lacks the law making powers of the EU. In main it functions as a means for establishing common policies and treaties rather than laws. It also acts as an arbitration body between member states and depending on Assembly votes can enforce sanctions or corrective measures. However the politics of the member states often makes this a tricky process.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R8jZN2_tJU Tourist Spot 0113</ref>

When the reigning minor faction of a Member State changes, then depending on the rules of that Member State, it could change who represents them in the Assembly – but given that the Assembly rarely gets anything done, it is unlikely anyone will notice.<ref name="Brookes" />

==Faction information==
===Ranks===
The Alliance does not contain ranks, instead featuring a complex permit scheme that restricts commanders' travel to Alliance systems.

===Permits===
{{For|a list of Permits|Permits/Alliance}}

Permits are required to access certain systems that are otherwise locked out by the computer of your [[Frame Shift Drive]] (FSD).

Such permits are rewarded by the controlling faction for that locked system, when you become allied with that faction. You can often find that faction on a [[station]] outside the main system they control.

Once allied, simply visit the [[Bulletin Board]] at any of the faction's stations to accept a job titled "Making Friends And Going Places". Accepting the job automatically adds the permit to your FSD computer.

===Associated minor factions===
{| class="article-table sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align: center;" border="1"
|-
! style="text-align: center;" | Faction
! style="text-align: center;" | System
! style="text-align: center;" | Station
|-
| [[Alioth Independents]]
| 78 Ursae Majoris
| Rominger Dock
|-
| [[Alioth Independents]]
| 78 Ursae Majoris
| Read Gateway
|-
|Indaol Independents
|Indaol
|Wafer Landing
|}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
AllianceInsignia.png|Insignia of the Alliance
Alioth Donaldson and Turner's World.jpg|Donaldson and Turner's World. The birthplace of the Alliance of Independent Systems
Edmund Mahon.png|Alliance Prime Minister Edmund Mahon
Corbra earthlike.jpg|Cobra of the Alliance Defence Force
Elite_Dangerous_-_Epic_History_of_The_Alliance
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[:Category:Alliance key people|Alliance key people]] - A list of key people within the Alliance and its council
* [[Lore]] - Overview of what kind of lore is in Elite: Dangerous
* [[Events]] - Various events that have happened or are ongoing

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Alliance]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Federation

2017-10-10T15:32:03Z

73.46.61.47: Undo revision 89770 by Dicando220833BR (talk)

{{Superpowerinfobox
|image1 = File:FederationInsignia.png
|caption1 = Insignia of the Federation
|capital = Olympus Village, [[Sol/Mars|Mars]], [[Sol]]
|government = Representative Democracy
|head_of_state = [[President of the Federation]]
|head_of_government = [[President of the Federation]]
|legislature = Federal Congress
|military = [[Federal Navy]]
}}
{{Quote|Welcome to the Federation. Please state your corporate allegiance before registering your vote. The most massive of the interstellar powers creaks under the weight of its ancient bureaus. The densely settled territory of the Federation grants it superb wealth but at the cost of political stability. An under-supported working population is kept entranced by mass entertainment and commercialism even as their political rights slowly ebb away. Can the Federation’s dream of interstellar democracy, one citizen, one vote, survive in the face of trillions of voters?|The Federation Sourcebook, ''EDRPG''<ref>[https://www.edrpg.co.uk/what-s-in-the-books The Federation Sourcebook excerpt]</ref>}}

The '''Federation''', formerly the '''Federation of Star Systems''', is the oldest of the three major [[:Category:Factions|factions]] in the galaxy, the other two being the [[Empire]] and the [[Alliance]]. The planet [[Sol/Earth|Earth]] ([[Sol]]), birthplace of humankind, is the historic former capital of the Federation and regarded as the centre of human-inhabited space. The Federation loosely lies between the Alliance and the Empire on the galactic map. The Federation's current capital Olympus Village is on planet [[Mars]].

The Federation arose from the ashes of the Third World War in the mid 21st century. The war caused tremendous devastation across the planet, decimating the population.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5597abc79657bab1445913c2 The Founding of the Federation - GalNet]</ref> The Federation is highly dependent on technology and is economically and socially [[wikipedia:Corporatism|corporatist]]. In the period of rebuilding after the end of World War 3 on Earth (circa 2044-2055 AD) the corporations became powerful and dominant. In modern times it is the corporations who are the life-blood and backbone of the Federation. It is rumoured that these corporations have such [[influence]] and power that they can even direct the Federal government, perhaps even to the point of choosing the [[President of the Federation|President]]. The current Federal president is [[Zachary Hudson]].

Corruption and bribery are not unusual in the Federation and law enforcement has been known to turn a blind eye if the price is right.

The relationship between the Federation and the Alliance is one of tolerance. The relationship between the Federation and the Empire is one of deep hostility.

== History ==
===Consolidation on Earth===
[[File:Earth-3302-Elite-Dangerous.png|thumb|200px|Earth in the year 3302]]
''Mankind's first ventures into space were tentative and gradual. The early part of the 21st century saw the first manned spaceflights beyond the moon, but it took major population and economic problems to stimulate enough commercial commitment to start settlements beyond Earth.''

''The Third World War saw this exploration expenditure dragged back again and it wasn't until the very end of the 21st century that colonies on Mars and the Moon became truly permanent and viable.''

''After the war, the dominant power was the [[United States of the Americas]], and as the remaining other countries joined it over the next few decades, it was renamed the Federation of the United States and later "The Federation" as the implied reference to one of the pre-war powers was a block to the remaining countries joining it. It had a constitution and laws derived from the earlier powers, but much simplified.<ref>Tourist Spot 0165 beacon near Earth</ref>''

===Space colonization===
Many different factors changed humanity’s outlook after that. The rise of the corporations, the discovery of the first fossils on Mars, and the explosive exploration triggered by the invention of the hyperdrive by Li Qin Jao and others in the 22nd century, first by unmanned probes, then with manned craft, overtaking the generation ships sent in the previous decades. Despite the huge dangers involved, a massive land-grab followed, fuelled by the voracious corporations.<ref name="FedFounding">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5597abc79657bab1445913c2 The Founding of the Federation - GalNet]</ref>

It wasn’t until some of the ecological excesses of these early colonists became apparent over a century later that Earth took its first steps, founding the Federation and becoming the colossal entity it is now, creating some order in what had become an unruly free-for-all.<ref name="FedFounding" />

===The Federation Accord===
In 2242 the Federation Accord was created outlining certain rights and responsibilities for members, uniting many of the new colonies, by force in some cases. After a short conflict the Taylor Colony in [[Tau Ceti]] (which had been ignoring Earth's demands to stop killing the native wildlife to near extinction levels over a period of approximately 20 years) became the first signatory outside the Sol system. Sol and Tau Ceti were soon joined by [[Delta Pavonis]], [[Altair]], and [[Beta Hydri]], and these five systems are today regarded as the founding members of the Federation. The name of the Federation was also changed at this time to the "Federation of Star Systems", but the name didn’t stick and quickly returned to just the Federation.<ref name="FedFounding" />

From that point the Federation provided a stable framework to facilitate the further expansion of humanity to ever more distant star systems but not all colonies wanted a part of this. A distant early colony, formed by a band of political idealists as far from Earth as they could manage, in the system of [[Achenar]] would eventually spark another defining moment for the Federation and indeed humanity as a whole.<ref name="FedFounding" />

The Federation has always seen itself as the<span style="font-weight:normal;"> major power in the galaxy. From the very beginning, long before the Empire or Alliance existed, it took upon itself the task of policing the galaxy and being the peacekeepers. While sometimes not in the best interests of minor factions involved, the decisions made by the Federation are usually made for the benefit of its citizens.</span>

=== The Birthright Wars<span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span> ===
Between 2621 and 2735, Federal member systems underwent a period of societal change. The original colonial charters of many settlements granted hereditary land and position to families descended from their original settlers. Many of these birthright claims extended across vast areas of land and encompassed massive resources. The old charters became a hindrance especially to corporations who wanted access to these assets and gradually more and more pressure came to bear on the presidential administration to take action against this 'stifling anachrinism'.<ref name=":0">Tourist Beacon 0181</ref>

<nowiki> </nowiki>The Birthright Wars were the name given to a series of conflicts that resulted in the forced acquisition or redistribution of hereditary rights (depending on your viewpoint) from colonial pioneers to corporations who had necessary technology to exploit these regions. It was generally blamed on corporate greed at the time, but notably the Federal Navy stood by.<ref name=":0" />

The commercial race in starship innovation together with increased funding from the Birthright Wars allowed the Federation to renew and centralise its military power. In the past, mobilising a fleet had required mustering resources from each member system, but generous corporate charters authorised different corporations to build and maintain centralised fleets. The first of this was commissioned and trained at Anlave in 2702, providing a much needed new purpose for the ruined agricultural system. These could be deployed much more efficiently against the Federation's enemies.<ref name=":1">Tourist Beacon 0183</ref>

Anlave was the site for the final act in the Birthright Wars. Exiled descendants of displaced original colonists, invaded the system in 2708, and bombarded the Naval Academy at Anderton, obliterating it. A battlefleet of privateers descended on the system, but were beaten back by a spirited and shrewd tactician; Admiral Ghenkis B'nami. It was believed at the time that Imperial finance had sponsored the coup, but no link was ever proven, and this is now seen as scaremongering.<ref name=":1" />

===Recent events - 3300 on===
[[Jasmina Halsey]] of the Liberal Party was elected [[President of the Federation]] in 3300. Her initial popularity quickly faded after she criminalized the narcotic [[Onion Head]] in December of that year, and launched short-lived a military campaign against Onion Head growers in the [[Kappa Fornacis]] system. Soon after, an independent minor faction seized control of the Federation system of [[Lugh]], prompting Halsey to retaliate and igniting [[The War for Lugh]], which ended in an embarrassing defeat for the Federation. Halsey's reputation took its most dramatic hit when she ordered an attack against an unarmed refugee convoy which the leader of the Lugh rebels was reportedly aboard; almost ten thousand innocent Federal civilians died in the attack, and Halsey's approval rating dropped to 26%.

On May 26, 3301, [[Starship One]], personal ship of the Federal President, went missing with Halsey and her Vice President, [[Ethan Naylor]], on board. With Halsey presumed dead, an election was called and on June 2, [[Shadow President]] [[Zachary Hudson]] of the Republican Party was elected the next President of the Federation.

On February 26, 3302, Jasmina Halsey was found alive in an escape pod recovered from the wreckage of Starship One following a search campaign sponsored by President Hudson. Upon being revived weeks later, she claimed that she had encountered super-intelligent beings with a message of peace. Over the subsequent months, Halsey became an international advocate for peace.

By 3303, tensions between the Federation and the Empire have become heightened as both superpowers have significantly increased military spending and capital ship construction. Proxy conflicts have broken out in the vicinity of the [[Pleiades Nebula]] as Federation and Empire sought to monopolize access to [[Alien Structure]]s and [[Meta-Alloys]].

On June 13, 3303, a Federal fleet was wiped out in an apparent attack by [[Thargoids]]. On June 19, President Hudson responded to the attack and discovery that the Thargoids were tied to the recent spate of alien encounters by starship pilots, saying that the Federal military had been expanding in recent months in preparation for a possible conflict with a hostile alien species.

The Federation's shift of focus to the Thargoids was demonstrated by the completion of the Blackmount Orbital [[Asteroid Base]] in HIP 17692 on July 7, 3303, and the announcement on the same day of a campaign to gather the resources for the construction of a survey outpost in the system to monitor Thargoid activity.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/595e07ff82824f10a91fc919 Galactic News: New Superpower Bases in the Pleiades]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/595e51e1478524147370660a Community Goal: New Federal Outpost]</ref> The campaign proved successful and the outpost, Blackmount Habitation, was established on HIP 17962 A 1.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/596791606336076f0c53eb23 Galactic News: Federal Outpost Campaign Concludes]</ref>

By September 3303, speculation was rife that tensions between the Federation and Empire were thawing and the cold war was ending after the three superpowers set aside their differences to sponsor the creation of [[Aegis]]. Commentators opined that because neither the Federation nor the Empire had succeeded in establishing a monopoly over Meta-Alloys, both sides wanted to back down and save face.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59a92dbb2b36fd286819e7e5 Galactic News: Cold War Thawing?]</ref> This development was soon followed by the withdrawal of the Federal blockade of [[Professor Palin]] on [[Maia]] A 3 A.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59b265cafee03f60465ee584 Galactic News: Federal Blockade Ends]</ref>

On September 15, 3303, Chief of Federal Security Admiral [[Aden Tanner]] announced that another Thargoid attack had recently occurred which resulted in the destruction of multiple Federal vessels, including one Farragut Battle Cruiser. While the motives for this attack were unknown, Admiral Tanner confirmed that the Thargoids were now officially considered enemies of the Federation. President Hudson gave Tanner full authority over the [[Federal Navy]] to deal with the Thargoid threat.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59bb9793d5777560b7216455 Galactic News: Federal Capital Ship Destroyed by Thargoids]</ref> Amid speculation that Federal forces had provoked the attack, the Federation insisted that black box data from the wreckage indicated no provocation on their part; this was confirmed by Aegis, which had also analyzed data from the attack.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59c3a0e02468d745a72f97a0 Galactic News: Federation Addresses Rumours]</ref> The incident spurred the Federation and the other two superpowers to widen Aegis' remit to focus on both research and defence on September 21st. The organization's budget was dramatically increased, and it recruited the [[Engineers]] [[Liz Ryder]] and [[Professor Palin]] to produce a new anti-Thargoid weapon and a scanner for Thargoid ships, respectively.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59c3a108ced3ff7f807f54b7 Galactic News: Aegis to Widen Remit]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59c3cb9dffff1a05c9770bdd Community Goal: Engineers Appeal for Thargoid Material]</ref>

On October 6, 3303, authorities in the Pleiades Nebula reported that the Federation had completely withdrawn its ships from the region, likely marking the end of the Federal-Imperial cold war over meta-alloys. The Empire was expected to follow suit in the coming days. Political commentators suggested that the attitude of cooperation brought about by the joint formation of Aegis, as well as escalating Thargoid attacks in the Pleiades, had been the catalyst for the withdrawal.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59d7526d8101dd5da464f2fa Galactic News: Federation Withdraws from Pleiades]</ref>

==Society==
[[File:Federation-Federal-Navy-Fleet-1.png|thumb|200px|A Federal Navy fleet]]

In this modern age it’s hard for us to imagine that before the Federation, humanity existed on just a single world, bar a few small colonies on Mars and the Moon. Even stranger to our current experience was the fact that so many disparate tribal groupings, or ‘[[Country|countries]]’ existed on one world.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5597abc79657bab1445913c2 The Founding of the Federation - GalNet]</ref>

To an outsider, the hierarchy of Federation society is based on democratic principles - people vote within their System/State to elect Congressmen, and a President with an 8-year term and a ‘vote of confidence’ after the first 4 years.

However, corporate loyalty oils the machine, and Federation space is a battleground of commerce. Commercial organisations compete as aggressively as the law will allow for the time and attention of the Federal citizen, who goes through life bombarded by advertising.

Corruption is not unusual – individuals defend it shamelessly when caught as ‘getting one over the system’. Social class is only determined between ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. There is a lot of poverty about, as well as conspicuous wealth.

The huge gross domestic product (GDP) of the Federation economy funds a large, well-equipped Federal Navy which projects its values and influence.

Culturally the Federation is tolerant of some things (like religions) but utterly intolerant of drug-taking, political activism, and certain cultures. A great many things are illegal, like slavery, cloning and certain narcotics.

The media drives a culture of celebrity. Top ranking politicians, social commentators, entertainers and super-rich all command a great deal of media attention. This provides a massive distraction for the populace, to the extent that foreign wars conducted by the Federation on their behalf get little media attention. This has gone on for many hundreds of years, and there is no sign of it changing.<ref>[http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=f72c0f91b2 Newsletter #22]</ref>

==Government==
===Leadership===
[[File:Zachary Hudson.png|thumb|200px|Zachary Hudson, the current Federal President]]
The [[President of the Federation]] is the elected head of state and head of government of the Federation. Presidents are elected for an eight year term, but face an automatic "vote of no confidence" after four years. If the incumbent President wins the vote, they are allowed to complete their full term, but the incumbent loses the vote, a new Presidential election is called. Presidents select and appoint a Vice President to serve as Acting President in the event that the President is unable to lead. The current Federal President is [[Zachary Hudson]], and his Vice President is [[Brad Mitchell]].

When the leader of one of the Federation's two main political parties, the Liberal Party and the Republican Party, is elected President, then the leader of the other party automatically becomes [[Shadow President]]. The Shadow President has no authority in the sitting President's administration, but he or she is often at the top of their party's list to run for the Presidency during an election. The current Shadow President is [[Felicia Winters]].

==Federal Congress==
Federal Congress is made up of 500 Congressmen (the term for both men and women). They sit in Congress, in Olympus Village on [[Mars]] – which replaced its location in Washington DC early in the 3rd millennium. Congressmen are expected to attend in person to vote.

Anyone can run for election to Federal Congress. They do not need to be backed by a political party or minor faction, but it helps. There are two major parties: the Liberals and the Republicans. Corporations generally do push (and fund) their chosen candidates or parties (e.g. Hudson), as do other special interest groups. Like the President, Congressmen are elected for an eight year term, with a "vote of no confidence" after four years. If the vote of no confidence succeeds then a full election takes place. A Congressman (or President) cannot serve multiple consecutive terms, though a Congressman can (and often does) become President immediately after a term as a Congressman.

Congressmen spend their days representing their constituency. They can also hold other office as part of government – for example chairing committees etc. They are not allowed to have corporate interests that might conflict with their political roles (though quite often some hide them via their friends, spouses etc, and not all get found out).

Every Federation system has representation at the Congress, but generally a Congressman represents multiple systems, except a few (like Sol) that have more than one Congressional representative, based loosely on historic population. Phenomenal growth in the outer systems has meant that they have little representation in Congress, and there is frequent discussion about creating many new Congressmen to address this balance, but the various power blocks realise it will change the balance of power away from the core systems, the very people who would have to vote it through – so many agree it is unlikely to happen in the near future.

Congressmen do not change when their system's controlling minor faction changes, and serve until their term is up, but their life could become difficult, so they might resign, triggering a local election.<ref name="FedGovt">[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=225156 Governments and politics in Elite Dangerous] by Michael Brookes</ref>

=== Congressional Streamlining ===
Federal colonies continued to mature into Congressional members and became accepted as Federal States throughout the next two centuries. However, the ratification of each colonial charter and approval of membership made the governing body of the Federation more and more unwieldy. This meant getting decisions made became more and more of a laborious and time consuming process, increasingly relying on Presidential Influence. Eventually in 2594, Congress passed an Act reducing the total number of congressmen dramatically at the subsequent election round, amid much controversy.<ref>Tourist Beacon 0180</ref>

In parallel, the President's fixed four year term was extended to a single eight year term, with a Vote of Confidence by the people after four years. This was to address the problem that increasingly the Presidents were serving two consecutive terms (their limit - a historical limit dating back to pre Federation days), and few credible candidates would stand against them in what increasingly were referred to as the 'mid-term' election.<ref>Tourist Beacon 0180</ref>

==Federal Constitution==
Federal law is based on an agreed Constitution. People have rights and freedoms, enshrined by this agreement. A great many things are illegal, like slavery, cloning and certain narcotics. Local 'State' law prohibits other trafficking to a greater or lesser degree. Things like ship-based weapons, personal weapons, other milder drugs and alcohol are banned in some systems.<ref>Tourist Beacon 0162</ref>

Federal law is controlled by the Mars government, and the sheer size of the Federation makes it very hard for a System to have any influence on changing it.<ref>Tourist Beacon 0162</ref>

==Key systems==
[[File:Mars_Terraformed.jpg|thumb|200px|Mars terraformed, 3300]]
* [[Sol]] - origin system of humanity, including the species' original homeworld, [[Sol/Earth|Earth]] (Sol 3), and the Federation's current economic and political centre, [[Mars]] (Sol 4), with the capitol itself located in the metropolis of Olympus Village. Founding system.
* [[Tau Ceti]] - Taylor Colony (Tau Ceti 2) was home to the first extraterrestrial biosphere encountered by humanity, and played a central role in the founding of the Federation. More recently, it was the birthplace and childhood home of Shadow President [[Felicia Winters]]. Founding system.
* [[Delta Pavonis]] - Reagan's Legacy (Delta Pavonis 3) was home to the second extraterrestrial biosphere encountered by human explorers, which was at a much earlier stage of development relative to Tau Ceti's. Early human colonization led to its complete extinction, and it has since been terraformed into an arid Earth-like world. Founding system.
* [[Altair]] - Biggs Colony (Altair 4) is a humid, mostly oceanic Earthlike world, renowned for a striking beautiful and famously dangerous biosphere. It is also the home of Altairian Skin, a beneficial microorganism used to decorate and clean the human body. Founding system.
* [[Beta Hydri]] - Homeland (Beta Hyrdi 6) was an early human colony and today is one of the most densely-settled Earth-like worlds. Founding system.
* [[Nanomam]] - key military production system and the personal headquarters of Federal President [[Zachary Hudson]].
* [[Rhea]] - home to a large agricultural industry based on its twin Earth-like worlds, and a popular tourist destination. Personal headquarters of Shadow President Felicia Winters.
* [[Lembava]] - home to a number of high tech Federal corporations, and the personal headquarters of [[Sirius Corporation]] CEO [[Li Yong-Rui]].

==Faction information==
===Ranks===

{{:Federation/Ranks}}

===Faction ships===
* [[Farragut Battle Cruiser]]
* [[Federal Corvette]]
* [[Federal Gunship]]
* [[Federal Dropship]]
* [[Federal Assault Ship]]
* [[F63 Condor]]

===Permits===
{{For|a list of permits|Permits/Federation}}

Permits are required to access certain systems that are otherwise locked out by the computer of your [[Frame Shift Drive]] (FSD).

Such permits are rewarded by the the controlling faction for that locked system, when you become friendly with that faction, by accomplishing missions such as "Federal dispatch" and receiving ranks. You can often find that faction on a station outside the main system they control.

Once finished several dispatch quests, simply visit the [[Bulletin Board]] at any of the faction's stations to accept a job titled "Federal invitation". Accepting the job automatically adds the permit to your FSD computer.

===Associated minor factions===
{| class="article-table sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align: center;" border="1"
|-
! style="text-align: center;" | Faction
! style="text-align: center;" | System
! style="text-align: center;" | Station
! style="text-align: center;" | Current (YYYY MM DD)
|-
| 61 Cygni Resistance
| 61 Cygni
| Broglie Terminal
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Barnard's Star Advanced Corp.
| Barnard's Star
| Boston Base
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Barnard's Star Advanced Corp.
| Barnard's Star
| Levi-Strauss Installation
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Barnard's Star Alliance
| Barnard's Star
| Miller Depot
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Beta Hydri Democrats
| Beta Hydri
| Edmondson High
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Beta Hydri Democrats
| Beta Hydri
| Stevenson Base
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Beta Hydri Partners
| Beta Hydri
| Matteucci Enterprise
| 3301 02 04
|-
|Blue Public Solutions
|Ross 104
|Bunch City
|
|-
| Confederation of Larais
| Larais
| Burbank Orbital
| 3301 02 07
|-
| Crimson Comms Corporation
| Larais
| Volta Landing
| 3301 02 07
|-
| Federal Congress
| Sol
| Daedalus
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Federal Congress
| Sol
| Li Qing Jao
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Future of Altair
| Altair
| Solo Orbiter
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Gold Public Incorporated
| Turdetani
| Rushworth Port
| 3301 02 07
|-
| Green Party of Lutyen's Star
| Lutyen's Star
| Ashby City
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Green Party of Wise 1506+7027
| Wise 1506+7027
| Dobrovolskiy Enterprise
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Independents of Duamta
| Duamta
| Davis Terminal
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Independents of Duamta
| Duamta
| Polyakov Station
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Independents of Mildeptu
| Mildeptu
| Buchli City
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Independents of Mildeptu
| Mildeptu
| Singer Enterprise
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Independents of Mildeptu
| Mildeptu
| Wheelock Terminal
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Independents of Ross 154
| Ross 154
| Birkeland City
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Jet Power Commodities
| Duamta
| Wang City
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Kruger 60 Free
| Kruger 60
| Kepler Gateway
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Liberals of Eta Cassiopeiae
| Eta Cassiopeiae
| Morgue's Mortuary
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Lutyen's Star Co
| Lutyen's Star
| McNair Gateway
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Mother Gaia
| Sol
| Abraham Lincoln
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Mother Gaia
| Sol
| Columbus
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Mother Gaia
| Sol
| Galileo
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Mother Gaia
| Sol
| M. Gorbachev
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Mother Gaia
| Sol
| Titan City
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Partnership of Alpha Centauri
| Alpha Centauri
| Hutton Orbital
| 3301 02 04
|-
| People's Procyon Values Party
| Procyon
| Cormack Hub
| 3301 02 04
|-
| People's Procyon Values Party
| Procyon
| Pontes Gateway
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Purple Travel Industries
| Eta Cassiopeiae
| Angus Manwaring
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Purple Travel Industries
| Eta Cassiopeiae
| J.F. Kennedy
| 3301 02 04
|-
|Ross 104 C
|Ross 104
|Bunch City
|2015 05 09
|-
| Social Abrocmii Future
| Abrocmii
| Rennie City
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Sol Workers' Party
| Sol
| Burnell Station
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Wise 1506+7027 Company
| Wise 1506+7027
| Borman Port
| 3301 02 04
|-
| Wise 1506+7027 Company
| Wise 1506+7027
| Parise Dock
| 3301 02 04
|-
|V2151 Cygni Independents
|Tun
|Tun's Wart
|3302 01 02
|-
|People's Tun for Equality
|Tun
|Tun's Wart
|3302 01 02
|-
|Independent Apala Independents
|Tun
Apala
|Tun's Wart
|3302 01 02
|-
|Tun Dynamic Corp.
|Tun
|Tun's Wart
|3302 01 02
|-
|Tun Netcoms Services
|Tun
|Tun's Wart
|3302 01 02
|-
|Gold Power Partners
|Apala
|Wilson City
|3302 01 02
|-
|Bonitou Republic Party
|Bonitou
|Lyakhov City
|3302 01 02
|-
|Bonitou Jet General Party
|Bonitou
|Lyakhov City
|3302 01 02
|}
{{clr}}

==Trivia==
*Originally, the Federation government was intended to feature three main political parties: Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians. By the time Elite Dangerous launched, this had been changed to just two political parties, the Liberals and Republicans.<ref name="FedGovt" />

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
FederationInsignia.png|Insignia of the Federation
Earth-3302-Elite-Dangerous.png|Earth in the year 3302
Federation-Federal-Navy-Fleet-1.png|Federal Navy fleet
Federation-Federal-Navy-Fleet-2.png|Federal Navy fleet 2
Mars_Terraformed.jpg|Mars terraformed, 3300
Zachary Hudson.png|President Zachary Hudson
Earth Tourist Spot 0165 beacon.png|Tourist Spot 0165 beacon near Earth
Elite Dangerous Human City Concept Art.png|Human Megalopolis concept art
Elite_Dangerous_-_Epic_History_of_The_Federation
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[:Category:Federal key people|Federal key people]]
* [[Events]]

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Federation]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Empire

2017-10-10T15:28:40Z

73.46.61.47: Undo revision 89929 by Dicando220833BR (talk)

{{Superpowerinfobox
|image1 = File:EmpireInsignia.png
|caption1 = Insignia of the Empire
|capital = [[Achenar/Capitol|Capitol]], [[Achenar]]
|government = Elective Monarchy
|head_of_state = [[Emperor]]
|head_of_government = [[Emperor]]
|legislature = [[Imperial Senate]]
|military = [[Imperial Navy]]
}}
{{Quote|The Empire is one of the largest great interstellar powers. Its high living standards, outlandishly wealthy companies and sophisticated technology and design have made it an attractive place for the wealthy and famous to call home. The Empire has a fascinating political system, rampant nationalism, obsession with wealth projection, and a dark underbelly of legalised slavery.|The Empire Sourcebook, ''EDRPG''<ref>[https://www.edrpg.co.uk/what-s-in-the-books The Empire Sourcebook excerpt]</ref>}}

The '''Empire''', officially the '''Empire of Achenar''', is one of the three major [[:Category:Factions|factions]] in the universe, the other two being the [[Federation]] and the [[Alliance]]. The [[Imperial Palace]], seat of the [[Emperor]], is situated on [[Achenar/Capitol|Capitol]] in the [[Achenar]] system. The current ruling Emperor is [[Arissa Lavigny-Duval]].

Although a peace treaty has existed between the Empire and the Federation since 2382AD, there have never really been any peaceful relations between these two old enemies. The Empire despises the Federation and everything it stands for, and vice-versa.

The Empire is less technologically dependent than the Federation, choosing to keep and employ slaves for the work which machines would usually perform in other parts of the universe. The Empire is also a proponent of human cloning, a topic which the other factions find abhorrent and have officially banned within their own jurisdictions.

Imperial society is based on a ''cliens'' system - much like ancient Rome - and strictly stratified, with people being able to move between strata based on money, patronage and [[influence]]. It values both status and honour very highly. Whilst it is acceptable to flaunt wealth, treating people well is a question of honour - and this includes slaves. Having an unpaid debt is seen as utterly dishonourable - an honourable Imperial citizen would sell themselves into slavery to clear a debt they couldn't otherwise afford.

The Imperial Law is seen and enforced by [[Imperial Senators|Senators]] who themselves are above the law. They can order executions, and can even kill people themselves, though sometimes (rarely) they may be held to account for their actions by the [[Emperor]]. In the Empire very little is illegal, but many things are frowned upon, like excessive use of narcotics.<ref>http://www.elitedangerous.com/galaxy/gs-empire/</ref>

Imperial design puts an emphasis on the glamorous, glorious, and aesthetically beautiful, with extravagance in abundance. Everything in the Empire looks impressive, from their cities, to their ships, right down to the clothes worn by Imperial subjects.

== History ==

=== Origins ===
"The origins of the Empire date back to the colonisation of the Achenar system in the middle of the 23rd century. Marlin Duval was a wealthy woman from Earth, who, disenchanted with their administration and authorities, set off with her own colonising fleet to Achenar 6d because it was so far from Earth. Her leadership ended abruptly when her brother Henson oversaw a flying 'accident' in which she perished. The democratic government changed abruptly to one of strict imperial rule and from then on the family assumed leadership. Female children in the family were prevented with genetic techniques, such was the hatred of Marlin Duval's principles and vision of a world in peace. This restriction was gradually phased out over the years, but the succession of Emperors has remained along the male line until recently."<ref>Tourist Beacon 0128</ref>
===Departing the Federation===

[[File:Empire_Capitol_Achenar_6D.png|thumb|250px|Capitol, the Empire's capital planet]]

What is now known as the Empire began around in the middle of the 23rd century, with the architect of peace and an anti-Federation activist [[Marlin Duval]]<ref name="GalnetBirthOfAnEmpire">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/559fe59e9657ba1b5a47e853 Galnet News: The Birth of an Empire]</ref>. She had long spoken out against the oppressive Federal administration of the time. Such was her disenchantment that she gathered her family together, along with many supporters, and left the Federation. Marlin led them to a distant star system called Achenar, many light years from Sol, in order to found a new colony based on peaceful ideals. A suitable home was found orbiting Achenar 6, a Class III gas giant, and Achenar 6d was colonised. Now named [[Achenar/Capitol|Capitol]], this moon formed the core world of what would later become the Empire.

The colony started off extremely well, and an administrative council was formed with Marlin at the head, in order to fairly distribute power throughout the colony. As the colony expanded, so did [[The Imperial Council|the council]], with a determination that any and every situation was dealt with via peaceful methods and dialogue. This arrangement worked very well indeed and the colony continued to prosper.

===Accusations of Genocide===
Imperial historians record that many native species were found on Capitol during colonisation, which the colonists took great care to protect as best they could. Among these species, unbeknownst to the newly-formed republic, were one of the few sapient species to have been encountered by humanity. Imperial scholars have suggested a number of factors led to the extinction of this species, not least of all imported bacteria carried along with the colonists.<ref name="GalnetBirthOfAnEmpire">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/559fe59e9657ba1b5a47e853 Galnet News: The Birth of an Empire]</ref> Within a few short years, this indigenous species had been rendered extinct.

Federal historians, citing Federal decrees of the time, paint a different tale. The official Federal version of events alleges that Capitol was in fact sterilised on the orders of [[Henson Duval]], brother of Marlin Duval, prior to terraforming some years after Marlin's death. Imperial scholars disagree on whether this was due to innocent confusion over misunderstood or misrepresented information, associating plans for the terraforming of nearby world [[Achenar/Conversion|Conversion]] (a project which would not be completed until 2696) with that of the genocide, or a deliberate political smear campaign based on Marlin Duval's antagonistic relationship with the Federation.

Whether mistakenly or not, the Federation threatened retaliation if this action were repeated, later using this event retroactively as the pretext for a failed invasion attempt in 2324AD<ref name="GalnetBirthOfAnEmpire">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/559fe59e9657ba1b5a47e853 Galnet News: The Birth of an Empire]</ref> which would secure the newborn Empire's standing as a major galactic power.

===The Birth of an Empire===
The original government of Achenar was recorded as a democratic republic, elected senators representing the people and a council of high-ranking politicians acting as an executive body for the republic. Marlin Duval, as the founder and a popular political figure, retained a great deal of political power in this period, but enjoyed only a position of influence within the council rather than the absolute leadership of later Emperors.

Some few short years after the founding of the Republic of Achenar, Marlin Duval was killed in a [[The Imperial Shuttle Accident|shuttle accident]], in which her partner and children also perished. No evidence ever surfaced linking her brother Henson to the incident, but even the most loyal Imperial historians openly accept that the event was suspicious in light of his subsequent actions.

Assuming control of the senate as Marlin's closest living heir, Henson Duval quickly disbanded the ruling council and installed himself as leader of the Achenar system's colonies. Citing the continued threats made by the Federation and their defencelessness in the face of a military invasion, Henson began a campaign of propaganda rejecting his sister's pacifistic ideals. Such was his passion and power of persuasion that he succeeded in converting the capricious colonists to his doctrines in a remarkably short period of time.

Utilising his popularity among the colonists and strong control over the colony's government, Henson declared that control of the colony and any associated systems would pass from father to son. With this declaration in 2314, the Empire as we know it was born.

At this time, the federation continued to invite the colony to accept Federal rule and abandon their fledgeling Empire. Not only were these invitations met with outright refusal, but the Empire also began to approach nearby colonies to recruit them away from the Federation. Most historians agree that this was the catalyst for the Federation's move from diplomacy to military action.

===The First Empire-Federation War===
[[File:Imperial-Navy-Fleet.png|thumb|250px|Imperial Navy fleet]]
Whether in the face of the Empire's sedition or the stated charges of genocide, the Federation began an armed invasion of the Achenar system in 2324. As the largest power in the known galaxy, the Federation hoped to cow the rebellious system with sheer military might and thus bring them under Federal control.

They arrived to find a fleet of military vessels and defence platforms, designed and constructed in anticipation of just such an armed invasion. It is worth noting that while Achenar did not represent the first system that the Federation had sought to bring to heel through military dominance, the primacy of the Federation had not yet been challenged at this time and historians suggest that the Federation's military may have grown complacent. While sizeable, the Federal fleet of this time was made up of multi-purpose vessels and not the warships employed by the Empire. Outgunned and outmanoeuvred by the Imperial Fleet, the Federation were forced to retreat and accept the sovereignty of the Empire for the time being.

With the Federation embarrassed and the threat of the Federal fleet undermined, many systems flocked to the Empire in the following years. From one system, the Empire had quickly grown to a galactic power in less than a century since its founding.

===Recent events - 3300 on===
In 3300, Emperor [[Hengist Duval]] fell gravely ill, throwing the Imperial succession into question as his son and designated heir, [[Harold Duval]], was widely viewed as unsuitable to rule the Empire.<ref>[http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=560d50221f Newsletter #52]</ref> On December 19, Hengist appeared before the Imperial Senate to decree Harold was not of sound mind and could not succeed him to the throne. Senator [[Arissa Lavigny-Duval|Arissa Lavigny]], Hengist's illegitimate daughter with [[Florence Lavigny]], was touted as likely to be named the next heir, and on December 22, Hengist announced he would marry Florence and thus solidify Arissa's claim; Arissa changed her last name to Lavigny-Duval. Hengist's illness subsequently worsened and he entered a coma, causing the wedding to postponed through July 3301.

Hengist awoke from his coma on July 14, 3301, and rapidly recovered. The wedding was initially scheduled for July 29, then finalized for August 5. Dignitaries from across human space attended the ceremony, including Federal [[Shadow President]] [[Felicia Winters]]. However, the ceremony was interrupted when [[Brendan Paul Darius]], a high-ranking Imperial official and member of the ultra-traditionalist faction [[Emperor's Dawn]], assassinated Hengist Duval. The Imperial succession was again thrown into question, with Hengist's granddaughter [[Aisling Duval]] jockeying for the position. On October 6, the matter was finally settled when Arissa Lavigny-Duval was declared Emperor by a vote of the Imperial Senate, and she was formally crowned on October 18, 3301.

That same month, Senator [[Denton Patreus]] waged a military campaign to eradicate Emperor's Dawn. Many Emperor's Dawn bases across Imperial and Federal space were destroyed, and on February 5, 3302, Patreus declared the group had been wiped out. In recognition of Patreus's service, Emperor Arissa promoted him to Admiral of the Fleet, giving him command of the Imperial Navy.

By 3303, tensions between the Empire and the Federation have become heightened as both superpowers have significantly increased military spending and capital ship construction. Proxy conflicts have broken out in the vicinity of the Pleiades Nebula as the Empire and Federation sought to monopolize access to Alien Structures and Meta-Alloys.

On June 19, 3303, following an apparent attack by [[Thargoids]] on a Federal fleet, Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval urged her citizens to remain calm and assured them that humanity had overcome seemingly insurmountable odds in the past.

By September 3303, speculation was rife that tensions between the Empire and Federation were thawing and the cold war was ending after the three superpowers set aside their differences to sponsor the creation of [[Aegis]]. Commentators opined that because neither the Empire nor the Federation had succeeded in establishing a monopoly over Meta-Alloys, both sides wanted to back down and save face.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59a92dbb2b36fd286819e7e5 Galactic News: Cold War Thawing?]</ref> Despite these reports, some Imperial pundits expressed doubt that the Federation could be trusted to uphold their end of any truce.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59b115cad1c3406265302efd Galactic News: Voices of Dissent]</ref>

On September 21, 3303, following a second attack by Thargoid ships that destroyed a Federal fleet in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, the Empire and the other two superpowers widened Aegis' remit to focus on both research and defence. The organization's budget was dramatically increased, and it recruited the [[Engineers]] [[Liz Ryder]] and [[Professor Palin]] to produce a new anti-Thargoid weapon and a scanner for Thargoid ships, respectively.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59c3a108ced3ff7f807f54b7 Galactic News: Aegis to Widen Remit]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59c3cb9dffff1a05c9770bdd Community Goal: Engineers Appeal for Thargoid Material]</ref>

On October 6, 3303, authorities in the Pleiades Nebula reported that the Federation had completely withdrawn its ships from the region, likely marking the end of the Federal-Imperial cold war over meta-alloys. The Empire was expected to follow suit in the coming days. Political commentators suggested that the attitude of cooperation brought about by the joint formation of Aegis, as well as escalating Thargoid attacks in the Pleiades, had been the catalyst for the withdrawal.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59d7526d8101dd5da464f2fa Galactic News: Federation Withdraws from Pleiades]</ref>

==Society==
Originally founded by Marlin Duval, who led the colonization of the Achenar system in the mid 23rd century, the Empire is based on a ''cliens'' system. Society is strictly stratified, with people being able to move between strata (lower strata particularly) based on money, patronage and influence.
The Empire values both status and honour very highly indeed. So whilst it is acceptable to flaunt wealth, treating people well is a question of honour – and this includes slaves. Having an unpaid debt is seen as utterly dishonourable – an honourable Imperial citizen would sell themselves into slavery to clear a debt they couldn’t otherwise clear.

=== Law ===
Law is seen and enforced very differently in the Empire. Senators are responsible for enforcing the Emperor’s laws, but the Senators themselves are above the law. They can order executions, and can even kill people themselves, though sometimes (rarely) they may be held to account for their actions by the Emperor. Some Senators are warlike and may take over systems in the name of the Empire, to get the spoils, and they may get a good deal of support as a result. Some Senators do not tolerate slavery, and regularly speak out against it, but from the basis of honour - not suggesting it should not be legal.
In the Empire, very little is illegal, but many things are frowned upon, like excessive use of narcotics.<ref>[http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=f72c0f91b2 Newsletter #22]</ref>

Its high living standards, outlandishly wealthy companies and sophisticated technology and design have made it an attractive place for the wealthy and famous to call home. The Empire has a fascinating political system, rampant nationalism, obsession with wealth projection, and a dark underbelly of legalised slavery.<ref>[https://www.edrpg.co.uk/what-s-in-the-books The Empire Sourcebook excerpt]</ref>

=== Discrimination ===
People who don't speak with the quirky accent of Imperial citizens are shunned in the [[Achenar]] system, especially if they are from a Federation world.<ref>In-game Achenar system description</ref> A person with a Federation accent is met with scorn unless money can be made out of them.<ref name=":0">Tourist Beacon 0160</ref>

At the [[Imperial Palace]], foreigners are welcomed by palace staff who use subtle pro-Empire propaganda in an attempt to undermine the Federation. These greetings aren't extended outside palace grounds.<ref name=":0" />

The Imperial accent evolved out of Achenarians who tried to mock the standard Federation diction. It accentuates certain vowels. To foreigners their speech sounds like a whine.<ref name=":0" />

==Government==
===Leadership===
[[File:Arissa Lavigny-Duval.png|thumb|250px|Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval]]
The [[Emperor]] is the head of state and head of government of the Empire. Emperors are elected by a vote of the Imperial Senate and serve for life. Traditionally, all Emperors are members of Duval dynasty, which stretches back to the Empire's founding. [[Hengist Duval]], the previous Emperor, also changed Imperial law to allow female descendants of the Duvals to be crowned Emperor, clearing the way for [[Arissa Lavigny-Duval]] to be named his heir; Arissa was declared Emperor by a vote of the Imperial Senate following Hengist's assassination, and she is the current Emperor of the Empire.

===Imperial Senate===
All [[Senators]] and the [[Emperor]] can sit in the [[Imperial Senate]], but it is rare that all participate at the same time. The [[Chancellor]] is a Senator with additional powers, and he or she runs any debates in the Senate. They are appointed by the Emperor. It is otherwise structurally flat by law, but in practice has power blocks within it, led by the more important/powerful Senators. Not all Senators are equal. There are regular votes on issues of the day, and the Senator’s voting power is the total number of Citizens (in turn represented by Clients, and blocks of Clients by Patrons) they currently represent. They are influenced by their most powerful Patrons – who in turn are not all equal, and Patrons may move their block to another Senator at a whim, particularly if they feel their current Senator is not representing the views of their Clients. Senators can lose Patrons quickly if their actions are unpopular, but bear in mind a Senator sets tax rates and healthcare for all those that support them, so can effectively bribe Patrons to ally themselves with them. The most powerful Senators can have a hundred or more times the voting power than others, and a Senate majority can be just a few of the major Senators, but honour requires that the views of all Senators are listened to politely. Before voting against them.

[[File:Elite-Dangerous-Imperial-Palace-Concept-Art.png|thumb|250px|Imperial Palace concept art]]
Historically the Imperial Senate used to always physically sit in the Senate House on Capitol (Achenar 6d). It is near to the [[Imperial Palace]]. Technically it still does sit there, but in practice most Senators "sit" virtually by remote projection – though by tradition there are a number of events (like the accession of a new Emperor, and on Empire Day (January 2nd) where it is considered proper and polite to attend physically, where a party atmosphere descends on Capitol as the entourages of each Senator arrive in their finery.

There are Senators that have come up from the Military, or by corporate success – but by the very nature of Patronage, and the cost of the petitions, it can be very exclusive, with family inheritance being important too.

There are no elections, and Senators serve for life unless their title is revoked. A Senator represents a group of Patrons, who in turn represent Clients, and each of those represents a group of Citizens. This representation is public. Anyone can see who is currently supporting each Senator (Patron, Client), and their numbers. There are 1,000 Senators by Imperial Decree, dating back to the first Emperor a thousand years ago. A very popular Patron can petition to become a Senator if he or she thinks they could represent more Citizens than one of the least popular Senators. That less popular Senator the petitioner chooses to target has the opportunity to rally support against the challenger for seven days, but as does the popular Patron, and at the end of that period a decision is made based on their support, and that Patron cannot petition again for 1 Earth year if they are unsuccessful. Similarly a deposed Senator cannot petition to become a Senator again for a year. Posting a petition has a cost (1 Bn CR, paid to the Emperor) to prevent time wasters, which is returned if the petition succeeds. When a Senator dies or chooses to retire, usually their chosen successor takes their Senatorial seat. Most Senators will have such a chosen successor already working closely in their entourage, and familiar and friendly with their most powerful Patrons so continuity is assured; as a result generally their petitions are unopposed. Sometimes multiple petitions are made for the same Senatorial opening, which can happen when a Senator and their entourage dies in the same event, so this is the nearest the Empire gets to an election, with the most popular succeeding in their petition.

A controversial issue can result in a sudden mass realignment of Patrons, but this can happen at any time; the system is pretty dynamic.

Similarly there are not just senatorial petitions as above, but there are petitions for Patrons, Clients, and Citizens. A citizen petition is where a slave or child of a Citizen, or even a foreigner, petitions to become an Imperial Citizen. For children this is a fairly informal process, which is really a coming-of-age party with a brief ceremony at the start, which happens when they reach 21 years old. Apart from the Emperor, royal standing is separate from political standing. Knights, Princes etc exist, and only a few get involved in politics – and then it is mostly by influencing and supporting friendly Senators from behind the scenes, but there is nothing stopping them also becoming Senators.

Effectively all Imperial systems have representation, but indirectly. Every Imperial Citizen has a right to representation by a Client. Every Client has a right to be represented by a Patron, and every Patron a Senator. Senators generally represent power bases – which can be many systems or a specific interest group, and typically many hundred Patrons – though it is up to the Senator how many Patrons they have. There is not a fixed number. So if a system has just one Imperial Citizen living there, they will have representation in the Senate – but most likely only indirectly through their Patrons. It is likely there is a Patron at the head of each of the larger Imperial Minor Factions for example, but not a Senator.

Senators represent their Patrons as they see fit. Senators can also hold other roles, like Admiral of the Fleet, Chancellor, Leader of the House (runs the Senate hearings when the Emperor and Chancellor are not present). Senators can also have private interests, and generally represent one or more Corporations – often with large personal shareholdings in them. They are fully entitled to be biased towards their own interests, and generally do, as long as most of their Patrons hold much the same interests. Senators are above the law, subject only to a decree from the Emperor, and through history it has even been known for Senators to go to battle against each other.<ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=225156 Governments and politics in Elite Dangerous] by Michael Brookes</ref>''<nowiki/>''

==Faction information==
===Ranks===
{{:Empire/Ranks}}

===Faction ships===
* [[Majestic Class Interdictor]]
* [[Imperial Cutter]]
* [[Imperial Clipper]]
* [[Imperial Courier]]
* [[Imperial Eagle]]
* [[Imperial Fighter]]

===Permits===
{{For|a list of Permits|Permits/Empire}}

Permits are required to access certain systems that are otherwise locked out by the computer of your [[Frame Shift Drive]] (FSD).

Such permits are rewarded by the controlling faction for that locked system, when you become friendly with that faction, by accomplishing missions such as "Imperial dispatch" and receiving ranks. You can often find that faction on a station outside the main system they control.

Once you have finished several dispatch quests, simply visit the Bulletin Board at any of the faction's stations to accept a job titled "Imperial invitation". Accepting the job automatically adds the permit to your FSD computer.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
EmpireInsignia.png|Insignia of The Empire
Empire_Capitol_Achenar_6D.png|Capitol, the Empire's capital planet
Imperial-Navy-Fleet.png|Imperial Navy fleet
Arissa Lavigny-Duval.png|Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval
Elite-Dangerous-Imperial-Palace-Concept-Art.png|Imperial Palace concept art
Elite_Dangerous_-_Epic_History_of_The_Empire
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[:Category:Imperial key people|Imperial Key People]]
* [[:Category:Imperial Hierarchy|Imperial Hierarchy]]
* [[Imperial Palace]]
* [[Imperial Senate]]
* [[Events]]
* [[Emperor's Dawn]]

==References==
<references />

[[ru:Империя]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Empire]]
[[Category:Organizations]]