Starkonian Empire

The Starkonian Empire is a faction whose territory is located in the Beta and Delta quadrants.

Its governmental structure consists of an absolute monarchy with a strict caste system centralized out of the royal palace on Ryala; the homeworld of the Starkonian people. The current head of state is their Imperator, Yuralek I, of House Kirvus.

They are bitter enemies and geopolitical rivals of the Galactic Abyssal Federation. However, they also have long-standing historical animosity towards the Democratic Cobaltian Empire, Palladian Republic, and Ketr'zai as well.

Although the two are not normally allies, due to the perceived threat that the G.A.F. poses to both of them, the Empire has a defensive arrangement with the Gazarian Dominion in the event of a war between either one of them and the former, meaning both are willing to fight side-by-side against Earth and her allies.

Starkonian military vessels are usually given the prefix I.M.S. It is very literal, simply standing for "Imperial Military Ship."

Historical Background:

The unified polity that the Starkonians are currently subject to - in its current autocratic, hereditary form, at least - is around 6000 years old by the time of the 29th century, having been founded when the first Imperator, Starkonius I, secured complete and uncontested rulership over Ryala around ~ 3200 BCE. Since then - although the noble house occupying the throne has changed several times - power over the Starkonian regime has firmly remained within the hands of the crown, with every Imperator afterward likewise having the ability to make any laws or leadership decisions they see fit. However, because of the harsh methods of their first example, virtually all of them have unfortunately been raging tyrants who use underhanded and cruel means to consolidate their power, while simultaneously suppressing any form of dissent or criticism.

Further evidence of this can be found in the fact that the most notable Imperators are oftentimes remembered for committing various high-profile atrocities against either foreigners or their own people. A very apt example that can be extracted from known records is Malsom IV, who at some point during the apex of his reign in the 3rd century BCE, personally led a ruthless conquest against the Ketr'zai's southern territories, leading to a protracted colonial war that ultimately ended in his death at the hands of the defenders.

Recent Wars:

The Starkonian Empire has participated in several direct military engagements against other factions in the Milky Way's modern era, with the most recent one being an armed conflict between a G.A.F. - Cobaltian alliance and a Starkonian - Gazarian alliance, which lasted from 2767 - 2775 CE, known as the Southern Galactic War. It resulted in a victory for the G.A.F. and D.C.E. because of their superior strategic coordination and the usage of advanced Cobaltian technology. The Empire started the war because they wished to curb Abyssalite influence in the Beta Quadrant, which their government believed threatened its interests in the region.

Additionally, it's been confirmed by multiple sources that at some point in the early-to-mid 28th century, there was a war in the Delta Quadrant between the Starkonians and Holy Union of Sarnakus, which the Empire lost. While the initial cause is unknown, its very likely that it stemmed from a territorial dispute over certain areas of the Hordless Ruins, a region where both parties maintain sizeable spheres of influence. It's also unknown what terms, if any, were agreed upon in the subsequent armistice.

29th Century Status:

Even when taking into account its several recent defeats in open warfare, the Starkonian Empire nonetheless holds a considerable amount of power on the galactic stage in the 29th century, as the Imperial Navy and Army are still strong enough to rival that of the Abyssalites in nearly every respect. Adding to this is the fact that the Gazarians are arguably equal if not better off than the Starkonians in the realm of military capabilities, meaning they still remain a serious threat as well.

As with the last major war between them, fighting the Empire and emerging victorious is something that the G.A.F. cannot accomplish alone, and will likely require aid from either its allies in the Orion Pact, or the Hyperion Federation should another conflict break out, though it is worth noting that the number of allies Earth can call upon has increased since the last occurrence of hostilities, meaning the G.A.F. may hold a slight advantage over the Starkonian-Gazarian axis.

Additional Facts:

• Since the Starkonians themselves are rather decadent in nature, much of the direct ground combat in their armed forces is conducted by war robots, which are thusly mass-produced for roles that infantry would normally occupy. Groups of these robots are also often accompanied by Starkonian commanders and officers directing their actions from behind the frontlines.

• The Starkonian Empire cruelly maintains a massive slave industry in addition to their robot army, the former of which contains billions of individuals of non-Starkonian origin. Their aptitude for building constructs on a massive scale makes it very questionable as to whether or not exploitative labor of this nature is even necessary, however, the Empire likely does this as a way to assert Starkonian dominance over other species and legitimize their societal caste system. As one can imagine, this practice is universally detested by virtually every faction that even so much as remotely respects personal freedom and equality under the law.

Main Story Importance:

• The Starkonian Empire is introduced as an antagonist faction in several early episodes of the first season. They have yet to make any major appearances since then, however, it has been confirmed that they will continue to play a role as recurring villains in the series.

• Eric Crossman and the S.G.A. Washington's crew first encounter the Imperial Military when they are ordered by Admiral Janet Klein to interrupt one of their covert operations undertaken to reactivate abandoned Cobaltian WMDs for their own purposes. Eric and his crew eliminate the enemy agents in a planetside engagement, thus foiling the Empire's plans in the process.

• A few episodes later, Eric Crossman and the S.G.A. Washington also get into a tense standoff with the Imperial Navy after the Empire kidnaps and imprisons an H.F. pioneer in an attempt to steal Hyperionite technology. Fortunately, the pioneer is rescued, though the incident nearly sparked another war between the Orion Pact and the Starkonian-Gazarian alliance.