Terran Empire History
Extract from "The Formation of the Empire" by Professor Jaidus Housern. Commissioned by Emperor Nero II
"It has been 50 years since the formation of the Terran Empire united a vast section of known space under its rule. Now it is ruled with a judicious hand by the glorious Emperor for peace and the benefit of the people. He is helped in this by two loyal bodies the Imperial Knights the militant arm of the Emperor who guard our borders against enemies and hunt for pirates and deal with other military threats within, and the Emperors blades, those brave men and women who look for the malcontents and traitors who hide among the people..."
The history of known space has due to the constraints of technology has been fairly static the original sling drive had meant that the races of known space could only expand by mostly peaceful means, combat became more formal and ritualized. This tendency increased when the Feliasians created the first Exo-Armour. This technology quickly spread and Exo's as they are called in the common parlance.
Battles for resources became formal duels between small forces, with the pilot's of the Exos became heroes of there people. This all changed in XXXX when the Terrans appeared on the galactic scene, they where still a highly aggressive species who looked for there own path in technological development often following paths others had discarded. In a short time this lead to the Jumpdrive which changed everything. The first the other races knew about Jump drive was the sudden appearance of Terran warships in there systems, appearing from seemingly no where. They fought valiantly but it was a loosing battle, the Terrans seized system after system. The other races eventually learned the secrets of the Jump Drive but by then they had lost the greater part of there territory.
At that point the Empire was declared, it was beyond a doubt the single most powerful entity in known space. Yet even now the Empires grip on power is more tenuous than it would seem on its borders the other races begin to rearm and build new fleets and Exo's. While inside the Empire people began to gather to oppose the iron-fisted control of the Emperor.