Atticus Obellan Duval
Template:CharacterInfobox Atticus Obellan Duval was the 12th Emperor of the Empire from 3061 to 3132.[1]
Atticus Obellan Duval ascended to the Imperial throne in 3081. His arrival triggered noticeably less celebration. Atticus' dour and bitter countenance contrasted sharply with his theatrically-inclined predecessor Gaylen. In 3082, the Emperor sent a second mission to Exioce to terraform the planet Experiment and establish a permanent Imperial presence there, putting an end to Federal ambitions in that system.[2]
In 3098, Federal Governor Raul Santorini of Tau Ceti was assassinated. The Federal press was quick to blame the Empire; despite Santorini's budget-conscious actions in Federal Congress indirectly paving the way for the Empire to colonise Cemiess and Exioce, he had been known for lambasting the Empire in his speeches. Unusually, Emperor Atticus elected to personally rebut the accusation, but in 3101 Imperial colonists escorted by Imperial warships settled on the planet Emerald. The Federation responded to this perceived provocation by sending military forces to Emerald under Admiral O'Brien, triggering a war for the planet that would rage for the next 30 years.[3][4]
Atticus contracted a debilitating illness in 3122, and the Imperial Senate took on some of the Imperial throne's authority, ostensibly to allow the Empire to continue running smoothly as its leader declined. In his final years, Atticus attempted to remove his son, Hender Saik Duval, as his heir to make way for a stronger successor, but this was overruled by the Senate and the noble houses.[4]