Imperial Military

During the First Era the Imperial Military faced the biggest challenge in the history of its existence: it had to rapidly adapt and evolve from being a colonization tool designed to overtake underdeveloped worlds, towards becoming a strong tool of interstellar warfare. As the interstellar war with Federation took a toll on the Imperial society, more drastic measures were adopted to feed the growing Imperial war machine.

Below are the key branches that build the prime tools of the Imperial might, both in space and on the ground:

Imperial Navy

The Imperial Navy is the strongest branch of the Imperial Monarch’s military power. It`s name calls back to the Unification Wars when Unmesh Khan led his armada of ships over the endless oceans of Limmea.

During the Mirror Wars, the Imperial Navy includes three distinct sub-branches:

Imperial Attack Flotilla – these are the fleets assembled out of the most powerful military ships in the Empire. Their purpose includes both protecting the Imperial Space from enemy incursions and attacking deep in the adversarial territory.

Each Imperial Attack Fleet is led by a Fleet Admiral and has a complicated rotation where ships and attack groups are being constantly shuffled between offensive and defensive assignments in order to provide their crews with time to recover without costly logistics of sending personnel on a leave. This praxis had both its perks and shortcomings as heightened personnel fatigue.

Imperial Civilian Fleet – this is a mostly administrative umbrella organization that manages permits for civilian spaceships in the Empire. Despite all ships under ICC belonging to different owners and operators, they still can be commissioned by Imperial Attack Fleets as auxiliary part of the Imperial Navy.

Imperial Marine Brigades – Imperial Marines are regarded as highly trained elite troops in the Empire. Because of expansive training, their numbers are limited and prevent them from being able to perform an all-out ground assault on enemy planets.

Despite Imperial Marines being commissioned as part of the crew for different vessels of Imperial Attack Fleets, their recruitment, training and administration are being handled by IMB. Each brigade has their different customs and ways of training marines. It is known that brigades compete with each other about providing the best marines for the Imperial Attack Fleets.

Imperial Marines during a rescue mission on OGL-25

Special Operations Naval Group – An elite unit of highly trained marines and operatives who’s sole purpose is to support the military operations of the Imperial Navy.

Imperial Peacekeeping Corps

Differently from the Imperial Navy, the Imperial Peacekeeping Corps did merely change after the short Colonial era of the Empire. Just like in times before the Mirror Wars, the IPC most proficient in waging a prolonged ground war during a planetary siege. The secondary function of IPC is to maintain the law on the conquered territory and support the local Imperial Militia.

Over time, IPC has even split in multiple sub-branches that are distinct from each other in military- and civilian competences. Still, a locally recruited officer that upholds the Imperial law in their home district does have the same formal status as a professional soldier that performs siege of a Federal colony.

As the Imperial Peacekeeping Corps have the largest headcount of all Imperial military branches, they practice recruiting soldiers from recently annexed worlds. In order to ensure themselves from mutiny and infiltration, IPC has adopted a practice of always sending the Peacekeepers to serve on planets that are foreign to them. For example, Peacekeeper from Zirkon would serve on Amenda, while Amendan recruits would be sent to Zirkon. This way Peacekeepers would never be able to face their family members on the other side of the fence during local riots.

The Imperial Peacekeeping Corps don’t possess any means of interstellar transportation except for a few smaller vessels that are used by their High Command. All interplanetary transportation of troops and materiel is being handled for them by the Imperial Navy. Imperial Peacekeeping Corps were deprived of their own space fleet as a consequence of a failed military coup attempt.

Imperial Naval Intelligence

Formerly a branch of the Imperial Navy and currently a force on its own, INI has a mandate over both military intelligence gathering and the counter-intelligence work that surveys all of the Imperial Military. INI is operates in tight collaboration with the Imperial Navy and has a mandate to commission any vessel for its purposes. INI is led by the Master of Whispers that has a seat on the Secret Council.

An INI officer that interrogated Elza after an incident that followed her crash landing on OGL-25.

Sources

Imperial Informatorium