No Discharge in the War
THE EMPEROR
- Intent: Establish a legitimate, long-term Emperor of the resurgent Imperial state in 904 ABY.
- Image Credit: ChatGPT
- Role: Emperor of the Imperial state and a partner of the Tarkin Initiative. He is the political sovereign of the Empire, supreme commander of Imperial forces, symbolic heir of the Fel dynasty, and the ideological counterweight to Sith warlords and Jedi political influence.
- Permissions: n/a
- Links:
- Fel dynasty
- Roan Fel
- Rurik Fel
- Stennis Fel (Wymar)
- Tarkin Initiative
- Age: 32 GSY
- Force Sensitivity: Knight
- Species: Human
- Appearance: Caius stands 1.85 meters tall and weighs roughly 90 kilograms. He possesses an athletic build maintained through lifelong training; broad shoulders, a defined chest, and strong arms—the balanced physique of a well-trained swordsman.
- Name: Caius Fel
- Loyalties:
- Wealth: The depths of Caius' wealth are extreme. In addition to preserved dynastic inheritances, he possesses the industrial backing of the Tarkin Initiative, which itself sees great support from conglomerates such as the Trade Federation, Kuat Drive Yards, and Yaga Minor Shipyards, among others. He is also the center of a personal patronage network comprised of Moffs, Imperial Governors, and corporate benefactors who are disillusioned with Imperial warlords.
- Notable Possessions: Most significant of Caius' possessions is his Imperial Knight lightsaber. Though he avoids theatrical relics, he also has in possession a Fel House signet ring that incorporates surviving heraldic symbols from his lineage. He views it as a symbol of continuity rather than reminiscence.
- Skills:
- Deep historical literacy
- High-level strategic planning and statecraft
- Fleet coordination and defensive doctrine
- Political negotiation and political reform
- Strong public orator
- Trained Imperial Knight
- Trained in Praetoria Vonil
- Trained in Praetoria Ishu
- Languages:
- Galactic Basic Standard (native)
- High Galactic
- Royal Guard battle language
- Binary (functional)
- Personality: Caius is a composed, deliberate, and intellectually gifted individual. He advocates order above all else, a measured blend of strength without cruelty and stability without softness. He believes that benevolence breeds complacency, but that pure Tarkinist "fear doctrine" sows the seeds of rebellion where they otherwise would not grow. He views himself as the corrective to both extremes of Imperial ideology. He despises the Sith as chaotic zealots who destabilize the galaxy, and views the Jedi as dogmatic idealists bound to serve corrupt political institutions. Socially, Caius is measured in speech, difficult to rattle, and analytical in his dealings. He is likeable because of his competence—Imperial troopers respect him, civilians trust him, and bureaucrats in the Imperial Court fear displeasing him. Unlike sullen warlords and Sith tyrants, Caius is capable of showing warmth to his troops and citizens, whom he values as integral to the success of the Empire.
- Weapon of Choice: Imperial Knight lightsaber
- Combat Function: If present on the battlefield, Caius serves as a commander first and a combatant second. He excels at coordinating layered defensive operations, strategic repositioning, and maintaining morale under pressure. Traditionally, the Emperor relies on the Imperial Royal Guard and Knights as his first and second lines of defense, but should both fail to protect him, Caius can defend himself. Extensive training puts him on par with the best of his Knights, making him a force to be reckoned with in single combat with other Force sensitives.
- Force Abilities (Force Users Only):
- Ideological Balance: Caius understands both Felist diplomacy and Tarkinist strength, allowing him to navigate between mercy and force without appearing indecisive.
- Institutional Legitimacy: He combines dynastic credibility with practical governance. Not only is he a symbolic heir of House Fel, he is administratively competent and militarily literate.
- Knight Training:
- Et tu, Brute?: Caius distrusts elements of the Tarkin Initiative and favors oversight through Imperial Knights over Inquisitorial channels, suspecting that the Empire's darker half runs deeper than it appears. He occasionally pits the two together in order to spot weaknesses and potential threats lurking within his ranks.
- One Empire: Caius' determination to forge one Empire above all else can overshadow regional priorities or slower political strategies. He sometimes pushes consolidation faster than others are ready for, pushing more nuanced governments to resist Imperial rule.
The death of Rurik Fel, the Iron Emperor, marked the end of Fel rule, but not the extinction of the line. Rurik's son, Stennis, vanished in the aftermath of the Empire's collapse. Whether he fled, was hidden, or was removed remains unclear. What is known in scattered Imperial intelligence circles is that a surviving branch of House Fel withdrew from public claim, choosing preservation over martyrdom.
For years, the Fel name existed as a shadow of its former prestige, a forgotten family amid the ashes of a bygone era. Caius Fel was born into that shadow, on the post-Imperial world of Entralla.
As a boy, Caius was not raised to be a prince. Instead, he was forged into an inheritor of the name Fel. From the time he could read, Caius' education was deliberate and structured. His tutors ranged from historians, strategists, economists, and Imperial officers who had survived the collapse. He was trained to understand how the Empire had ruled, but how it had failed. By adolescence, Caius had mastered Imperial political history, logistics theory, and systems governance. He studied Palpatine's rise to power, the Fel Empire, and the New Imperial Order. Required to understand the pillars of Imperialism, Caius familiarized himself thoroughly with Felism, Tarkinism, and Pallaeonism. He was required to argue both in favor of and against all three schools of thought, defending decisions he disagreed with and attacking those he supported. Through complete dissection of the fractures that splintered prior regimes, Caius was molded into a leader capable of intellectual balance.
His Knight training began early and intensified into adulthood. Caius completed full Imperial Knight conditioning, refining skills of combat discipline, battlefield coordination, and the utilization of the Force as a tool. Unlike Sith training, his instruction emphasized restraint, clarity, and control; unlike the Jedi, he was not bound by zealous dogmatism. Caius learned that the Force is a tool of awareness and responsibility, not mysticism. He emerged a capable combatant able to defend himself, his comrades, and those who looked to him for protection.
Between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-nine, Caius served quietly in limited but meaningful campaigns. He was embedded with remnant officers, kept tabs on roving warlords, and witnessed firsthand the dysfunction of fractured Imperial remnants. He saw resources squandered for ego, governors prioritize prestige over infrastructure, and treaties be struck out of fear rather than doctrinal alignment. These years tempered him, hardened Caius' belief that unity must be built by hand, not declared or mass-produced.
But he wasn't the only set of eyes gazing upon the state of the Imperial vision. During this period, the Tarkin Initiative observed him diligently. They monitored not just his lineage, but his decisions. Of note, they recorded his refusal to claim a title prematurely, his unwillingness to rally without infrastructure to support it, and his preference for stability over quick gains. When they finally approached him, it was for more than simple recruitment:
Daedalus Tarkin
presented Caius with a throne decades in the making.
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