Overview
The Sith Empire, also known formally as the Tenth Sith Empire, was a dictatorial empire created in the aftermath of the Omega War of 849 ABY. Formed from the remnants of the One Sith Empire and the merger between the Sith Ascendancy and the Brotherhood of the Sith, the Sith Empire was officially declared on the fortress world of Bastion on the principles of Sith-Imperialism established in the Declaration of Sith Supremacy. Led by Darth Carnifex, Dark Lord of the Sith, the Sith Empire conducted a campaign of rapid expansion and punitive wars across the Northern Galactic Quadrant in an effort to hegemonize the region and establish a perpetual Sith domain.
Following the recapture of Dromund Kaas from Silver Jedi and rogue Sith elements, the Sith Empire accepted the ailing Resurgent Empire into its ranks and Carnifex formally adopted the title of Sith Emperor on Dromund Kaas with the revelry of nationalistic fervor. The Empire went on to control vast swaths of the Tingel Arm, stretching from the Braxant Run to the northern border of Hutt Space, from the Mid Rim to the Corporate Sector. While Bastion would serve as the principal capital of the Sith Empire's vast bureaucracy, Dromund Kaas was designated as the Empire's co-capital and was nearly equivalent in importance and function to Bastion.
The Sith Empire recently suffered from a major schism that saw a significant shift in internal and external policies and a restructuring of the Empire's government apparatus, replacing the position of a single Emperor with that of the Imperial Diarchy; two equal co-Emperors. War with the schismatic New Imperial Order also saw portions of the Western border lost to conflict and barbarism. To protect the sanctity of the Empire's administration, all functionaries and organs of state were shifted entirely to Dromund Kaas.
Government
The Sith Empire was governed according to the mandates and axioms of the Mandates of Sith Supremacy, the government's founding document which outlined how the powers invested in the Empire were to be wielded by those in office. Initially detailing only one Sith Emperor, later revisions of the Mandates included the now implemented Sith Diarchy; a co-rulership in which there existed an individual Dark Lord of the Sith and a Sith Emperor at any given time. Both shared equal power and authority over the Empire, were not fully bound by the constraints of its written law, and were referred formally as 'their Supreme Excellencies, Commanders of the Devoted, Custodians of the Holy Sith Worlds, Dark Lord/Emperor of the Sith'.
Previously, the Sith Empire's executive branch of government consisted of a five-member body of Sith Lords known as the Dark Council. New revisions have further sub-divided that power and authority into eight Pillars which collectively comprised the Pillars of the Empire, and were held by both members of the Sith Order and non-Force sensitive officials. The Pillars were tasked with controlling the vast bureaucracy of the Sith Empire, which was essential to the implementation and maintaining of laws.
Parallel to the Imperial Pillars was the Chamber of the Meliora, also known as the Imperial Diet, which served as the legislative body of the Sith Empire. At its top was the Grand Vizier, who oversaw the four Grand Moffs of the four Oversectors of the Empire, each sub-divided into sector groups run by Moffs, which was further sub-divided into sectors run by governors. The Meliora drafted and revised news laws for the Empire while the Pillars implemented them in accordance with their overlapping spheres of authority.
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Grand Vizier |
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Madelyn Lowe |
Grand Moffs |
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Hesperis | Transhydian | Interviae | Transperlemian |
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Aut-X | Unknown | Lirka Ka | Unknown |
Moffs |
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Hesperis | Transhydian | Interviae | Transperlemian |
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Governors |
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Hesperis | Transhydian | Interviae | Transperlemian |
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Imperial Pillars |
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Economy
The economy of the Sith Empire was an autarkic command economy structured around the financial bureaucracy of the Pillar of Commerce in tandem with local commerce guilds, with all production, investment, prices, and incomes determined by the central government.
Industries, both civic and military, were nationalized and put under the auspices of strictly centralized management committees which were regulated by the central Imperial authorities. The Empire regulated and controlled every aspect of foreign trade within the margins of its autarky, with import and export taxes being determined at fixed rates and imposed by the full might of Imperial law. The majority of physically intensive labor was carried out by droids, with state workers serving as overseers, technicians, and other roles that were better suited to learned individuals rather than programmed automatons.
Agricultural surplus from the Empire's agriworlds was requisitioned and distributed by the Bureau of Agriculture among the remaining population of the Empire, with greater percentages of the surplus being awarded to areas of greatest need. Food was rationed among the population of the Empire, as were most commodities, at distribution centers located at urban centers on each constituent planet. Though the Empire nationalized the majority of enterprise within its territory, the government was known to award special permits to individuals and organizations to operate businesses on the condition of annual tributes depending on the variables of business size, workforce, and other factors. The Empire also established the Corporate Sector as a free trade zone where the standard nationalization laws did not apply.
The currency of the Sith Empire was known as the Autarch and featured both the hex charm of the Sith on its front, the numerical value in Aurebesh, and inscriptions of ur-Kittât which translated to 'An Individual May Die, But The Sith Are Eternal'. The Empire also utilized non-physical currency which could be transferred over the Sith-Imperial Holonet or carried in small monetary chips to be used at various locations.
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Society and Culture
The Sith Empire is centered around a heavily militarized society, focused on service to the state, the accruement of power and prestige, and a fanatic dedication to law and order. The Empire is rigid and uniform, but does not curtail ambition and climbing the ranks of power. Those who perform their duties well are often rewarded with greater rank and authority, while those who fall short of expectations are often relegated to lesser positions. Competition is encouraged among the citizenry of the Empire, to constantly challenge one's self and one another to strive for personal betterment. Such kratocratic thought was passed down by the Sith Order to those bereft of the Force, deeply instilling Sith ideology among the general masses of the uninitiated.
While the Imperial Pillars and Chamber of the Meliora provided structural integrity to the Empire, both exist as a hotbed of political maneuvering and influencing among the ambitious. While the Pillars and Grand Moffs of the Empire often have the final authority on their respective aspects of the Empire's bureaucracy, the political machinations of countless Sith and Imperials are pitted against one another within the confines of the hierarchy. The motivations behind these ploys can vary but are primarily segregated into two distinct camps; those who operate in the interests of the Empire and those who are simply hoping to ascend the hierarchy by any means.
Many Sith and Imperials hope to ascend up the line of authority so they may increase their own authority and autonomy within the Empire, and thus alliances and political machinations are ever-present within the halls of power in the Empire. General, political maneuvering occurs in three different ways;
- The first is through one’s political connections and social capital. Being well connected can rapidly expedite the ascension to power.
- The second is through individual merit and accomplishments. Actions that go beyond the common call of duty can allow for standard promotions through the ranks.
- The third is through power-plays; illicit political acts to usurp certain positions. While popular, this method is far more dangerous and kept out of the public eye.
Every citizen of the Empire, regardless of their station (with the exception of the Sith), is given armbands that are to be worn around the left sleeve of their clothing. Though wearing the armband is generally not enforced by the Pillar of Unity, the Empire's social zeitgeist has made the act of wearing a Unity armband a symbol of pride and status. Those who do not wear the armband are often ostracized by their peers, creating an environment of peer-pressured compliance in wearing the symbols of the Sith Empire.
The Pillar of Unity's armband system was comprised of four ranks, each one purely honorary, that was wholly dependent on how much a citizen did to serve the Empire. This ranged from civil service, military service, reporting breaches of Imperial Conduct, and aiding the Empire in detaining subversives. The amount a citizen did to move onto the next Unity rank was entirely arbitrary.
Unity Armbands |
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Stalwart is the lowest honorary title awarded to Citizens of the Sith Empire and is the rank every citizen receives once they had been inducted into the Empire's registry. | |
Vigilant is an honorary title awarded to Citizens of the Sith Empire once they have completed sufficient acts of service to the Empire, either through civil or military service. | |
Ascendant is an honorary title awarded to Citizens of the Sith Empire once they served the Empire in an exemplary degree. | |
Executor is an honorary title awarded to Citizens of the Sith Empire once they have performed great tasks in the name of the Empire. Executor is typically reserved for the leading citizens and military leaders of the Empire |
Military
The military of the Sith Empire consisted of two aspects, the Sith Armada and the Sith Legion. Both serve as the sword and shield of the Empire's might, striking out to deliver swift and terrible judgment upon the Empire's myriad of enemies while also protecting the borders and internal territories.
The Sith Armada was the naval branch of the military, comprising the thousands upon thousands of space-faring vessels and space stations that stretch from one end of the Empire to the other. The Armada's most significant ships were star destroyers, which comprised the backbone of any naval formation and were the axis around which the Armada operated. Dozens of other smaller and larger classifications of ships revolved around the star destroyer, usually designed to serve a particular specialization over the broad generalization of roles the star destroyer fulfilled. Under the Armada was the Starfighter Corps, which was rendered subordinate to the authority of the fleet, and the Marine Corps, which garrisoned the Armada's ships.
The Sith Legion was the surface branch of the military, conscripted from the thousands of worlds subjected to the Sith Empire's authority. Numbering in the billions, the Legion's purpose was to garrison Imperial worlds, put down insurrections, and engage enemy forces on external campaigns across the galaxy. The typical soldier of the Sith Legion was known as the Legionnaire and was trained for both unflinching loyalty and unbreakable resolve, with specialized roles existing for different combat circumstances. Foot soldier, cavalry, and stormtrooper rolled into one, the Legionnaire was the symbol of the Empire's presence across the galaxy.
Just as rigid and hierarchal as Imperial society itself, the military was segmented into a strict set of ranks:
Sith Order
The Sith Order, also known as the Brotherhood of the Sith, was the Force-Sensitive religious order that existed under the Sith Empire. Sith prospects were trained and housed in academies across multiple worlds and were governed by a council of Sith Lords known as Paragons. These Paragons oversaw the six distinct Sanctums of the Sith Order, Strength, Darkness, Power, Knowledge, Truth, and Devotion. The majority of the Sith Order was housed on the sacred world of Korriban, the ancient tomb-world of the pre-Exile Sith, though there existed many lesser worlds that housed noticeable populations of Sith Order members.
Cabal of Typhojem
Astrography