Sun Dynasty

The Sun Dynasty operates on a tiered and complex neo-feudalistic hierarchical ranking system; each rank has its own hierarchy, and innately controls any ranks below it. There are eleven ranks of citizenship, with Ultima Rank as the highest and 10th Rank as a basic citizen of the Dynasty. The Emperor absolutely controls the empire at the top of the Ultima Rank, though with the help of three AI advisors.   The ranking system above the 5th Rank also splits into three branches, Bureaucratic, Royal Family, and Military. The Royal Family is reserved for those with Royal blood or who marry into the family; the Bureaucratic and Military branches are (in theory) meritocratic. It is technically possible, if not plausible, to be a 3rd Rank Commander while simultaneously being a 4th Rank Junior Ambassador. Competition between those within the 1st through 4th ranks is fierce, with the Royal Family seeing the most vicious and bloody conflicts.

At first blush the Sun Dynasty seeks stability first and foremost. While they would be happy to expand their borders, fight a war, or otherwise take aggressive action, they overall believe in the long game more than the expansionist Shung Empire. For most of the Dynasty, progress has been shelved in favor of continuity.

The Sun Dynasty controls the 2nd largest Neo-Human fleet in space, falling just behind the Shung Empire. While the Shung control the lion’s share of asterium, the Sun Dynasty has made an excellent habit of recycling asterium from ships captured by their privateers, as well as trading on the black market through the neighboring Freelancer hub DSOne. The Sun Dynasty’s greatest assets are its extensive roster of Shadow Hunters, special agents with unique talents they use whenever military force is deemed to be too disruptive.

The Sun Dynasty was founded after the Exodus by Admiral Sai “Stripes” Chowdhury, the Admiral of the Exodus Logistics Fleet. Following the example of Admiral Tanner, Admiral Chowdhury split off in the opposite direction. The early years of the Dynasty are either lost or redacted, but the Chowdhury line splintered soon afterwards. Either marriage or a coup led to the rise of the Winters Family, which rules the Dynasty to this day.   The Sun Dynasty slowly expanded over the years, fighting when needed, meddling where opportunity knocks, pulling back when resources are tight. Prudence continues to be a much-valued trait in the royal family. Over time the Dynasty has parlayed this long-term thinking into becoming an economic, scientific, military, and cultural powerhouse. While perhaps second place to other polities in their areas of expertise, the Dynasty has made a point about being generalists, and it has worked. If the Dynasty could be said to be a leader in anything in Neo-Human space, it’s pop culture: nobody makes as many holovids, series, or books like Dynasty artists.   There is, however, a dark downside to the Sun Dynasty. Outside of the Emperor, who’s considered sacrosanct, the royal family is a snakepit of violence and political maneuvering. Constant breeding and intermarriage have made a tangle of the royal line and it’s not uncommon to find five claimants to the same dukedom that controls one minor world. It’s also not uncommon for those five claimants to slit each other’s throats at the drop of a hat. Each tends to have one of their own military forces as well as Shadow Hunters or Freelancer mercenaries and aren’t afraid to use them against perceived threats. The Dynasty has not recorded any true civil wars, but there are bountiful records of what they call ‘Apex Wars’ between these lower-ranked nobles. While some view this as a good thing, citing survival of the fittest, Ballard political scientists believe this drags the Dynasty down like a lead weight.   The Sun Dynasty has not had many rulers. Each Emperor/Empress has had extremely (and perhaps suspiciously) long lifespans. This has kept the Dynasty going despite its tendency towards fractious infighting and civil war, but some critics suggest it has kept the Dynasty from reaching their true potential.