Editing FederalSpace:Peoples (section)

== The Terran Empire ==

This brings us up to about the mid-22nd century. The United Earth Government, which eventually becomes just the Terran Empire, pacifies the globe, and conquers space, using the new space technologies that were developed just before the Wars. Imagine the Empire as a mix of what little we know about the canonical Khans, and the Evil Mirror Universe Federation. Brutal military force, chaotic social situation, lots of runaway genetic engineering to manufacture warrior races and sex slaves and biowarfare critters. The first contacts with extraterrestrial intelligence occur during this time, and go about as well as you'd expect from Space Nazis. The Empire's borders are rather porous, with people escaping to form their own little free colonies beyond the frontier… and then the Empire expands to absorb them. But what with all the escapees, and the Empire's own internal politics, lots of people disappear Out There. Eventually, the Imperial capitol even moves from Earth, and it's just The Great Galactic Empire. 

And then something causes the whole thing to fall apart. Probably ''several'' somethings, ranging from economics issues to civil war, but I also like the idea of something like a Berserker or Planet-Killer device suddenly blitzing through, or a supernova disrupting warp travel, or something else big and scary. In any case, the Empire collapses, and we get our Long Night scenario. This is about the start of the 25th or 26th century or so.

=== Commentary ===

'''Shadowjack, responding to s/LaSH:''' Having the "Big Collapse" event be a semi-Singularity is an interesting idea… I know I'd been thinking along the lines of either "big supernova disrupts warp travel" and "planet-killer machine from elsewhere shows up and eats several important worlds."