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The Taiidani Republic

The End of the Imperial Era
The return of the Exiles to their Homeworld did more than mark a new beginning for life on Hiigara; it also helped to bring about the end of the Taiidani Imperial line, which had ruled continuously for nearly 3,000 standard years.

The Taiidani Empire of Year 0 AL (After Landfall—9510 Galactic Standard Year) held 150 star systems in its grip, but not easily. Emperor Riesstiu IV was rapidly approaching his 4th century of life, and his pogroms and agendas were becoming increasingly bloody and erratic. Relations with other Galactic civilizations were at an all-time low, with the Empire receiving regular censure from the Galactic Council during their twice-per-decade assemblies.

The Frerrn Aggregate was in a state of undeclared war with the Taiidani Empire over a number of border issues on the Far Rim, and even the Bentusi had suspended all trade contact with the Taiidani in the year 7 BL (Before Landfall—9503 GSY).

Internal Taiidani politics was faring even worse in these last years of the Empire. Tax revolts in the outer systems were a common occurrence, as Emperor Riesstiu IV's increasing paranoia led to a prohibitively large and expensive military. The Taiidani Assembly of Lords, a token political body whose task was merely to "rubber stamp" edicts from the desk of the Emperor, even began to question some of Riesstiu's more outrageous demands. The entire political system of the Imperium was corrupt and on the verge of collapse when a Mothership of unknown design breached Taiidani borders, and destroyed 3000 years of political stagnation.

A powerful group of military, political and economic figures had been plotting a coup in secret for years, staying only steps ahead of one purge or another as they looked desperately for the trigger that could sway 360 billion souls against their godlike emperor. Oddly enough, it wasn't the plight of the Kharakian Exiles as much as the mindless obedience of the Taiidani navy that created that trigger. When the first propaganda images spread through the Empire, showing yet another victory, this time against an ancient and forgotten enemy, it soon became obvious that a serious mistake had been made on the part of the Emperor's political advisors. Instead of reassuring the Taiidani people that their nigh-immortal Emperor was all-seeing and all-powerful, the images made the Taiidani react with near-universal horror and disgust. Again and again they were forced to watch one of their fleets commit an act of genocide against 300 million aliens who had committed no crime greater than entering hyperspace and violating a long-forgotten treaty.

The Emperor reacted quickly and ordered the Home Fleet to hunt down and destroy the Exiles before they could penetrate Taiidani space, but it was too late. The political damage had been done, and the secret conspirators launched their coup against an obviously mad Emperor. While the initial groundswell of support was very strong, the conspirators and the general public seriously underestimated how prepared the Empire was for just such a rebellion, and how far their leaders were willing to go in order to maintain their stranglehold on power. After the first few heady days of rebellion, the Emperor declared full martial law across the Taiidani worlds. According to his edict, no act performed in the defense of His Throne would be judged in civilian courts.

The death and destruction that followed this announcement throughout the Empire beggars the imagination. For every military unit that defected to the Coup, two others launched an orgy of brutal reprisals. Dukes and Governors that were unwilling to massacre protestors en masse were executed and replaced by ones who would. Entire rebellious asteroid cities were exterminated when navy corvettes destroyed their life support systems, and the slow death throes of millions were recorded, to be shown as an example to the rest of the population. By the end of the first month it was obvious to all but the most optimistic that the Emperor's grip on the Taiidani could not be thrown off. The final blow was nearly struck at the battle of Vorshan's Rift, where the gathered rebel navy was ambushed and devastated due to a high-level defector who led the rebels into a trap. The ranking surviving military member of the coup fled for his life, directly into the arms of the one force in the galaxy that was successfully resisting Imperial power: the returning Exile Fleet. Luckily for the rebellion, the Exiles aided the Rebel officer, allowing him the chance to escape and regroup the tattered remnants of his fleet.

When news broke that the Exiles were actively aiding the rebellion, it was the final insult to the Emperor. Riesstiu declared that he would personally command the Taiidani High Guard fleet in their crusade against the interlopers. The final battle took place high above the Exile's ancient Homeworld, Hiigara, and when it was over the Emperor lay dead and his elite guard fleet was shattered. In the resulting chaos, the Rebels seized their last chance and destroyed the Imperial gene bank. Without a clear line of succession through cloning, the Emperor having long ago executed any living relative who might try to kill him and take power, the Imperial structure collapsed. In its place was erected a new Taiidani Republic.

The Taiidani Republic
Even after the death of the Emperor, the new Taiidani Republic has had anything but a smooth ride from tyranny to democracy. What was supposed to be a quick and relatively painless coup flared into a full-blown civil war after the battle of Hiigara. Various factions tried to seize control of the Empire, while entire sectors fought for independence. After five years of skirmishes and all-out battles, the Taiidani Republic finally stabilized and established an uneasy peace within itself…but by the time the shooting stopped, only 60 out of 150 star systems were willing to call themselves Taiidani. Most of these loyal worlds are centered in the Galactic Core, while the spiral regions of the old Empire have splintered into a variety of small kingdoms, duchies and independent democratic states.

The Republic is still struggling to restore order both internally and externally and has met with some success. In year 6 AL (9516 GSY), the Republic signed a formal non-aggression and cooperation pact with the Exiles, which recognized their ancient claim to Hiigara. A five-light-year sphere of influence was also granted the new Hiigarans, in recognition of their aid to the Republic during the dark days of the Coup. Currently, the Republic and Hiigara share excellent relations, which has only been helped by the Republic's willingness to extradite war criminals who took part in the Kharakian Genocide. The Republic has also re-established trade relations with the enigmatic Bentusi, and it is rumored that the Bentusi have been crucial in supplying the new Republic with the technology, infrastructure and information it needs. Despite these advances, the Republic continues to splinter away system after system as local leaders decide they are better off on their own than to be drawn into any Taiidani conflict to come.

While most analysts still are debating whether the worst is over for the Taiidani Republic, all agree that stability needs to be based on military security for the former Empire. With a few years of planning time, the Republic has stopped trying to match the Imperialist factions on a gun-to-gun basis, and are now trying to seize the high ground by using advanced technologies.

The Taiidani military has invested vast amounts of their financial reserves and manpower in a few crucial fleet Research Stations in the hopes of making ship design and weapon breakthroughs that will allow them to defend the Republic's borders with a vastly reduced fleet. All the progress made by the Republic could be destroyed overnight, should the surviving Imperialists find a way to overthrow the Republic, and return a new Emperor to the ancient Throne of Worlds.

The Imperialist Faction
With the Empire shattered, it was to be expected that many major Imperial figures would flee the Republic to carve their own domains in the splintered frontier worlds. Many of these Imperialists call themselves "Loyalists," and support any one of hundreds of "lost heirs" that have sprung up over the past 15 years. While the Imperialist fleet is but a battered shadow of its former power, it is still a significant threat on the frontier, where many secret naval bases from the Imperial era are intact and functioning. Imperialist power remains in the hands of the fleet, and while these once-proud ships have been forced to work as equals with pirates or hire themselves out as mercenaries, they are still a force to be reckoned with, and still a major threat to the stability of the Republic. Twice in the past 15 years the Imperialists have tried to unite the splinter kingdoms by force of arms, only to be defeated by their own factionalism and the military intervention of the Galactic Council.

Apart from the desire to overthrow the new Republic, the only thing that binds the Imperialist factions together is their deep, abiding hatred of the new Hiigarans. The Imperialists hold the Exiles and their quest for their Homeworld directly responsible for the Emperor's death and the fall of the Empire. Amongst Imperialist supporters, it is an oft-quoted prophecy that the Empire will only rise again when the Imperial Fleet once more orbits Hiigara, and the work begun with the Kharakian Genocide is finished once and for all.

Needless to say, a state of open warfare exists between Hiigara and all Imperialist factions. Three times in the past 15 years (in 4, 9 and 11 AL), the Imperialists have led major incursions into the Hiigaran sphere of influence. In the latter two invasions, strike fleets reached Hiigara itself, only to be thrown back with heavy losses on both sides. While Hiigaran shipping is constantly being harassed by Imperialist forces, either operating by themselves or in conjunction with the Turanic Raiders, it has been four years since any significant fleet actions took place in the Hiigaran sphere. This has led some analysts to conclude that the Imperialist forces are more interested in consolidating the splinter kingdoms than wasting more strength and technology on a blood feud with a single world. Others merely consider this to be the quiet before another inevitable storm.