Sovereign Lore - Imperial Conspiracies
AI rendition of The Legacy Family Authoritarians
What To Believe?
Even within the government, there are secrets within secrets, primarily created to keep everyone safe, but some are also to ensure those in power stay in power. Several popular conspiracies have taken hold over the years, with only a few being true and others being entirely fabricated by the general population. Below are some of the more popular ideas. Not all of these are true; if they do happen to be authentic, the whole story is still widely unknown.
The Legacy Families
It is worth noting that the entire concept of the Legacy Families is speculation. With that in mind, when Proxima Centauri B (Sovereign) was first settled, a more traditional government structure was implemented, one voted for the people by the people. This was eventually subverted by the reigning members of government who thought it best to revert to an Imperial government structure, especially during the expansion of the human race throughout the galaxy (The Great Expansion*). Around this time, the current leadership decided to step down and move away from Sovereign as part of The Great Expansion. The remaining government allowed this pardon and ensured one of the ships remained as a means for anyone who did not wish to be a part of the Empire (A New Beginning*). It was a way for them to leave and establish their own colony if they felt the need to do so; however, they would be cut off from the prevailing structures and systems set in place by the Empire as Sovereign moved forward.
After the launch of The Great Expansion, Zala Kane, the current presiding leader of Sovereign, was said to have established the Legacy Rule. Most believed it was a way of shutting out any other potential candidates for leadership, ensuring that only the Kane family and other select families could ever rule over Sovereign.
Legacy Rule
The Legacy Rule meant that only the most influential families within Sovereign could rule or make decisions on policy. At first, the idea was sold as a way of making consistent choices that would benefit Sovereign and all Sovereign worlds into the future. Still, eventually, it became all-consuming and controlling. This was something Victor Kane foresaw and, as such, was partly responsible for his desire to disband the Empire sooner rather than later. Legacy Rule was implemented without the people's vote and is still unknown to the general public and even some on the Concilium.
Legacy Hierarchy
Within the Legacy Rule, there was believed to be a hierarchy, and each family was strictly responsible for a specific aspect of government.
Kane Family: Top of the chain, responsible for ruling the Empire
Drake Family: Responsible for the Imperial Military due to the connection of the Drakes to militant procedures.
Khet Family: Responsible for Mining and Resources due to their mining connections and influence within the industry.
Daivand Family: Responsible for Legislation & Executive Procedure due to Enric Daivand being one of the first judges of Sovereign.
Dystra Family: Responsible for Unknown. The Dystra family is believed to be connected somehow due to their influence on the other Governors and more prominent role in the Concilium, but no one knows what they control. The most believed idea is that they control Immigration and Taxes, as that was what Penny Dystra was in charge of in the first colony.
UNKNOWN: Responsibilities unknown
The Unknown Family
The mysterious family that most have whispered of is said to be in control of one of the most dangerous aspects of the Empire, the Hāris'Raja. Not much is known about this secret level of government, but it is something not even the Emperor himself is fully aware of. This family solely runs the training facility on Cygnus and is responsible for the program, selection, and training of the participants.
It is believed this family is responsible for so many humanitarian crimes, as well as being one of the most ruthless and bloodthirsty families within the Empire. Taking children from families, killing unqualified participants, as well as entirely unethical practices. Many believe that the head of the family is the most well-trained fighter in the Imperium and is unknown even to the Hāris participants and Hāris'Raja, always concealing their identity when carrying out official duties.
One of the more outlandish claims is that the current head of the family has been alive for over 200 years, making them the longest-living human in history; others believe they are, in fact, non-human and from a different world. Many also claim that they are geniuses and have created the Hāris'Raja, an advanced form of robotic AI. Many mysteries surround this family, including whether they exist and the entire legacy family system along with them.
The Kane Murder
A little further down the rabbit hole of theories comes one of the more popular conspiracies surrounding the Kane family. Many believe they are also non-human, while others think Victor, The First Kane, is still alive and pulling the strings behind the scenes. While none of these particularly hold water, the one prevailing theory is that the Concilum murdered Victor in his later years due to his want to disband the Empire. Many believe this outlandish and that a Kane could never be without power, though most do not remember how cherished Victor was.
It is believed the story goes like this: after Victor pushed for decentralised power, the advisory council assassinated him, putting his more malleable son into power. As Victor aged, he began discussing a Republic, allowing each planet to dictate its outcomes. At this point, it meant a considerable decline in power and income for invested parties, so ultimately, the assassination of Victor was essential.
Clavialis-A: The Disease Conspiracy
CLAVIALIS-A (Clavialveoli Disease Type A) was a disease that began spreading throughout the slums. Many conspiracy theorists believed that the government deployed it to cull the poor. The prevailing theory, however, is that it began due to the high density of the population in the area and pollution causing an outbreak.
Being an airborne disease, it mainly affected the respiratory system and began a slow breakdown of the alveoli, decreasing lung capacity. This made the alveoli look like spiked balls (hence Clavi, Latin for spikes), meaning talking became very difficult very quickly, giving it the colloquial name The Whispering Disease.
This conspiracy became more popular once it was discovered that the only cure available was in control of the Emperor himself, the Familial Sceptre. People were brought to the Palace Regency to be cured by the hand of the Emperor, and many believed this was to try and garner popularity amongst the people as the Empire was looking down the barrel of rebellion at the time. The discovery was commemorated and celebrated throughout the Empire. The day was to be named after the first person to be cured of the disease, 8-year-old Malika Arran.
Many also believed this was a way of trying to turn the Kane family into all-powerful deities, which is why some do not follow the religion Konarii. Its creation not long after the curing of The Whispering Disease began another cycle of rumours and conspiracies amongst a small contingent of the population.
The True Power
The further down the rabbit hole you go, the wilder the conspiracies become. One of the least popular conspiracies is that the Kane family is controlled by a non-human species, a race behind the curtain pulling all the strings. Of course, this has minimal background or popularity. Still, among those who believe it, their most prevailing idea is that the rapid rise in technology during the early years of Sovereign had nothing to do with humanity, research or breakthroughs. While yes this does support the idea that light-speed travel is a barrier humans could not overcome alone, there is no evidence to support the conspiracy other than that.
