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***Joslae*** · 27-04-2023, 07:49 PM

The Inner Mechanisms of the Sith Empire

A roleplay headcannon to explain the unexplained

Introduction

The Sith Empire is the large fascist magocratic Empire that House Horuset inhabited. As seen in the lore presented in Star Wars: The Old Republic along with accompanying books or comics there is a lot of history and facts, but just as many gaps in our understanding of how the Empire functions. This document will aim to address the gaps in the lore by filling them with estimated guesses or extrapolations from confirmed lore, with a focus on the government and political nature of the Empire rather than the cultures and history of its inhabitants. At the end will be a series of links for source material where appropriate.

The Emperor and the Dark Council

The Sith Empire is a magocratic authoritarian body, being ruled by a Sith typically named Sith Emperor. The Emperor functioned as the complete commander-in-chief and Head of State for the Empire though historically only intervened in the direst of circumstances. The ruling of the Empire fell on the Dark Council, a selection of Sith Lords who together formed the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government. The Dark Council was trusted with aiming Imperial resources in their chosen direction to further the goals of the Empire: choosing military targets, appointing commanders for defence plans, selecting notable weapons development projects, ensuring the survival of the Sith Order, and so on. In addition, the Dark Council was the body entrusted with developing the legal code of the Empire before systems and documents could then be passed onto officials, allowing the Dark Council the freedom to adjust binding laws as they see fit and intervene in Imperial justice when required.

In the early histories of the Sith Empire, the title of Sith Emperor was held first by Tenebrae when then went by the name Darth Vitiate. It is believed that as the centuries passed and Vitiate withdrew himself from the Empire to work on other projects his name faded from Imperial records until he was simply known as the Sith Emperor. It is possible that documented mentions of his early life and his identity were removed by his authority, as is seen with Nathema being little more than myth and Darth Nul having her name erased from history. Following the first death of Vitiate and the genocide of Ziost he was named an enemy of the Empire, at this point, his name seemingly became more commonplace, though it is likely that he is still revered by many as the true extent of his actions remain unknown.

With Vitiate dead and his spirit banished from Yavin IV, the de facto leader of the Empire became Darth Marr, though it was Darth Acina that took the title of Empress next. Empress Acina ruled the Empire in a period of weakness after the Eternal Empire Raids. Acina adopted a policy of unity above all else, outlawing the tradition of Kagath and reducing the Dark Council from 12 seats to just 5. The Spheres were consolidated into fewer seats to allow for stronger rulers while also preventing the Council from completely outnumbering Acina.
In the adopted storyline of House Horuset, the reign of Acina ended on Iokath and the reign of Emperor Vowrawn began. From our understanding, Emperor Vowrawn has done little to change the new order that Empress Acina put in place, though he has made efforts to make appearances often and ensures he has an active hand in the ruling of the Empire, overseeing the activities of the Dark Council and providing them with direction.

At present the Dark Council has five seats with the following members:

Sphere of Sith Doctrine - Darth Anathel
Sphere of Military Command - Darth Krovos
Sphere of Scientific Advancement - Vacant
Sphere of Civil Administration - Darth Shaar
Sphere of Galatic Influence - Darth Xarion

The five Spheres in their current forms exist as amalgamations of the previous twelve, having inherited their responsibilities now each member of the Council has greater oversight concerning related topics. Sith Doctrine was formed from Ancient Knowledge, Mysteries, and Sith Philosophy; with the responsibility of understanding Sith history and serving as keepers of the Sith Order. Military Command was formed from Defense of the Empire, Military Offense, and Military Strategy; with the responsibility of overseeing the actions of the Imperial Military and how that interacts with Sith actions. Scientific Advancement was formed from Technology, and Biotic Science; with the responsibility of furthering Imperial sciences in both fields to ensure dominance on the galactic stage. Civil Administration was formed from Production and Logistics, and Laws and Justice; with the responsibility of ensuring the flow of resources and the continued function of the Empire's thousands of worlds and billions of citizens. Galactic Influence was formed from Sith Intelligence and Expansion and Diplomacy; with the responsibility of monitoring covert operations inside and outside the Empire alongside necessary diplomatic efforts.

Separate to the executive functions of the Dark Council is the Emperor's Hand, a secretive body that once served Emperor Vitiate in the manner of a cult and has been reformed by Emperor Vowrawn to carry out his direct will unhindered. The Hand functions as a form of covert operations, its existence only confirmed to the Dark Council through myths of the Hand's actions live on, along with stories of the Empire's Wrath, though who holds this position is currently unknown.

Imperial Ministries

While the Empire is ruled by the Spheres, it is organised and run by the Ministries. Ministries are organisations for Imperials to contribute to the running of the Empire, able to get on with daily business while the Sith from the Spheres maintain the authority to intervene when required by the Dark Council, or more commonly take an advisory role for Imperial officials. Of all the Ministries there are three major and believed to be multiple minors.

The Ministry of War is often seen as the largest of three major Ministries, working under the Sphere of Military Command it is entrusted with the smooth running of the Imperial Military with minimal intervention by the Sith Order. The Ministry is commanded by the Minister of War who is aided by many Moffs and the Grand Moff. The Moffs are military officers who have risen through the ranks of the Navy or Army and are now entrusted with Sector Governance and supreme military authority within their sectors. The full duties of the Ministry were many and included: fleet deployments, repairs, maintenance, organisation, army deployments, general combat tactics or strategy, Imperial security, Special Forces, and maintaining the chain of command, including senior level promotions. It is often thought that the Minister of War and the Grand Moff are some of the most powerful individuals in the Empire.

The Ministry of Intelligence is the next of the major three, headed by the Minister of Intelligence it has a smaller set of responsibilities yet vital. The largest part of the Ministry was Sith Intelligence, formally Imperial Intelligence, which is the covert intelligence and counter-intelligence service. Since the reformation at the end of the Revanite Crisis, the inner workings of the unit are kept mysterious, though its agents no doubt have a great deal of influence across the galaxy. Also within the Ministry are potential secret police organisations.
The last is the Ministry of Logistics, answering to the Sphere of Civil Administration, it is often forgotten about but typically holds the largest responsibility to ensure the Empire keeps functioning. The Minister of Logistics works with all parts of the Imperial government to ensure funding and proper resources are allocated to projects or wartime campaigns. The Ministry is also charged with the running of the nationalised economy and industries, managing the vast agricultural zones, organising slave labour, maintaining urban infrastructure and building projects, the running of civilian transport networks and the Imperial trade lanes.

It is then possible that the previous twelve spheres now live on as minor Ministries as a way for Imperial officials to remain focused on their work. There are references in the Rakghoul event in-game to the Ministry of Biotic Science, so while it stands to reason that some minor Ministries may exist in the Empire, the original three military spheres could not have created more Ministries as the Ministry of War already covered all three.

Separate to the Ministries are the smaller Imperial organisations that tackle specific areas of service and can often report to more than one ministry. While all these elements are considered part of the Imperial Military, their training may be wildly different and members attend unique academies for a specific officer or field roles. These are:

The Imperial Medical Corps - In service to the Ministry of Biotic Science, they run civic and field hospitals with much better equipment and training than an Imperial combat medic.
The Imperial Science Bureau - In service to the Ministries of Biotic Science and Technology, responsible for military research projects.
The Imperial Diplomatic Service - In service to the Ministry of Intelligence, they handle Imperial relations with exterior powers such as the Hutt Cartel.
Sith Intelligence - In service to the Ministry of Intelligence, the covert operations unit for surveillance.
The Imperial Reclamation Service - In service to the Ministry of War, but also reporting to the Ministry of Ancient Knowledge, they study ancient sites to learn from the past.
The Outreach Bureau - In service to the Ministry of Intelligence, they broadcast news across the Empire and manage propaganda campaigns in accordance to the needs of the five spheres.

Imperial Economy and Industry

The Sith Empire maintains a highly nationalised economy, with industries and production primarily being overseen by the Ministry of Logistics. In most instances, civilian industries are state-owned and managed. Arms factories may be requisitioned and set up on determined plots and jobs allocated to Imperial citizens that have either finished military service or for some were unable to contribute to standard military service. State-managed industries comply to set standards and provide set payments to Imperial labourers.

Some Independent construction firms exist that can win construction contracts for certain pieces of Imperial equipment, such as the GSS-4Y Jurgoran being designed and produced by SoroSuub, a Sullust-based independent manufacturer. Even Czerka had produced equipment for the Empire in secret. The process of an independent contractor coming into Imperial employment is a process requiring both logisticians and diplomats to arrange a price lower than what it would cost for nationalised shipyards and industries, once a contract is settled upon the supplier must deliver stated quantities within the required timeframes. This can be seen internally as well with shipyards like Sernpidal and Tandankin competing for the contract to manufacture a new shipyard.

Local industries such as cantinas or tailors are highly controlled in the Imperial Core, receiving state subsidies to provide high-quality products and experiences. The further away from the Imperial Core one travels, the more freedom these local businesses have. Typically they are run by retired military personnel or citizens thought unfit for even manual labour, if they were born defective as an example, and are often assisted by droids, all in the interests of keeping as many healthy Imperial citizens in the military as possible. Imperial residents who lack full citizenship may apply for licenses to run small and local businesses to serve the community around them, as small-scale collectivism is as important as large-scale.

The working class citizens of the Empire fall into a vague hierarchy that determines their social standing and wealth, and can typically be seen to follow the guideline set out below:

Industrial managers - Low-level officials in the Ministry of Logistics, acting as foremen to ensure proper work standards.
Administrators - Lower-level workers for the Ministry of Logistics who maintain the massive Imperial administrative mechanism.
Industrial labourer - The common working citizen who can expect a role in a production line or acquire raw resources.
Civic worker - The non-essential workers required for civic luxuries, some luxury services may be more highly regarded than others.
Guest workers - Imperial residents who find employment in the Empire but have no citizens rights.
Slaves - Born into slavery they work until they die, and their descendants shall have the same fate. Can range from hard labour to entertainment.

Imperial Military

The Imperial Military is the pride of the Empire, with a very impressive Army and Navy as designed by Odile Vaiken. Commands filter down from the Emperor to the Sphere of Military Command, then to the Ministry of War, and then either to High Command or Fleet Command, then finally to relevant commanders. The Imperial military was designed with the concept of domination while keeping the systems it relies on as simple as possible, which is why the fleet is primarily made up of Harrower-class Dreadnoughts and Terminus-class Destroyers, instead of a multitude of vessels with specific roles.

Imperial military service is a point of pride and duty for all non-force sensitives within the Empire, though one can be excluded from typical military service in a few ways. Being a resident of the Empire without being a citizen is one, though then you are afforded no protection in civic and legal matters. Or be unlucky enough to be born with some sort of defective mark of either the body or the mind, in which case you will be required to work for the Empire in other ways. Even wealthy and well-connected nobles must contribute to the military, though they will typically study in the Officers Academy to ensure a more appropriate career for one of their esteemed value. The primary military academy can be found on Dromund Kaas, but many exist throughout the Empire. More specialised academies for the Medical Corps or Reclamation Service can be entered with the appropriate exams, where students receive basic military training but focus on their intended focus.

Entry into an academy typically happens at age 18, though advanced studies are available from age 16 for some complex fields. Academy training can be expected to last for one year for standard military service as well as officers training, though can last significantly longer for specialists such as Imperial doctors or researchers. Infantry training can be rushed through in a much shorter time to deliver new recruits to the frontlines as soon as possible.

In a pinch the Imperial Military is capable of operating independently from the Sith Order, relying on the supervision of Imperial Moffs, though that rarely happens. Instead, almost all levels of the Military are overseen by Sith in a way of displaying superiority and an aura of command. While rarely seen, the Military is a highly efficient machine and most actions require lots of paperwork to ensure full documentation of military actions, often this falls on the desk of headquarters' staff who play catch up with Sith on how to act based on instinct.

Sources

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