On the Current State of the Milky Way

Written by Lord Arnold Taylore, OKA

“Common Era Year 4005 (Bourbon Revolutionary Era Year 6) has seen humanity, among other species, spread throughout most of the galaxy and splintered into many different nations and peoples with various cultures and systems of government. Spaceships travel across great distances using Jump-Drive technology to sail through the stars as their predecessors did on Earth’s ocean thousands of years ago. However, the future is not a utopian dream, but rather bleak for most of the galaxy’s inhabitants. The rich and powerful are obscenely so, whereas the poor live lives of toil on factory and farming planets, little more than peasants. Culturally, the cycle of history has repeated itself. High culture throughout the galaxy is elegant, refined, and not unlike that of 19th century Earth. Most stellar nations are organized in a fragile order based around marriages and centuries-old treaties which are often disregarded for wars of attrition between the great powers. Though it isn’t easy to advance your station in the Milky Way, brave and enterprising individuals can find a shot at greatness, though many will fail on the long climb to the top. The current state of affairs a denizen of the Milky Way will find themselves in truly began some 720 years ago when the Papal States declared the ‘Truce of God’ in an attempt to prevent meaningless wars between Neo-Catholic nations, Of course, this has meant nothing to the Sultanate of Kthraax—though they’re not very inclined for war anyway—or to the godless horde of the Golden Khanate, but I digress. The universe as a whole has generally enjoyed centuries of peace due to the old pope’s decree, with only a few errant wars taking place. Recently, however, there has been turmoil in the Bourbon Kingdom. The nobility has been slaughtered en masse by roguish peasants who seek to overturn the order, led by that antichrist they call L’Imperator. Civilization itself is threatened by this monster, and the good leaders of the great powers must soon form a coalition against the Bourbon beast before we’re all slaughtered. At the behest of my wife, I shall stop editorializing and, as she so elegantly put it: “Get on with it.”

A Brief History of the Milky Way

* 4 Billion BCE: the universe is created.

* 200,000 BCE: Draxx Civilization creates the atom bomb, nuclear war breaks out, effectively resetting Draxx culture.

* 5000 BCE-20XX CE: Human history progresses to the point that it reached at that time.

* 2100 CE: Draxx Empire reaches its height; the United Nations Moon Colony is finally established.

* 2107 CE: Independent moon colonies are established by private corporations.

* 2109 CE: First murder on the moon occurs, perpetrator is never found.

* 2130 CE: UN Mars Colony established, private corporations follow suit within the year.

* 2198 CE: Asteroid mining has become commonplace; Venus is colonized by the United Nations.

* 2211 AD: Due to a major shift in the political climate, the Neo-USSR is formed, tensions immediately flare up with western neighbors.

* 2250 AD: Several of Jupiter’s moons have been colonized by private enterprise; travel between heavenly bodies in the solar system is fairly easy; on Earth, the United States and Neo-USSR have entered into a 2nd Cold War.

* 2273 AD: The discovery of a new element, Nikolium, on a rogue asteroid passing through the solar system leads to the creation of Jump-Drive technology, which allows for the instantaneous transplantation of a spaceship from one part of space to another through complex mathematical equations and quantum-shifting of the particles to new coordinates in an extremely complex planar system. The creation of this technology sparks a new space race between the United States and the Neo-USSR, who begin to build more and more vessels for themselves.

* 2274 AD: First interstellar exploration mission to Alpha-Centauri is conducted, to the surprise of scientists back on Earth, the system has a few planets already capable of sustaining life.

* 2278 AD: In a major victory in the 2nd Space Race, the United States establishes the first colony outside of our solar system, on Alpha-Centauri.

* 2280 AD: Neo-USSR establishes the Neo-Stalingrad colony on a distant world.

* 2300 AD: Most nations from all over the world have at least one colonized planet, if not more; America, Russia, and China control the most territory, though relative to the entirety of the Milky Way, that territory is small.

* 2300-2350 AD: Colonization boom occurs; Mars and Moon made into independent administrative districts.

* 2355 AD: First contact with an alien species, the Nymphs, occurs when one of their generational ships happened to pass by Jupiter, the cultural exchange was brief, but would have massive ramifications, including the founding of Neo-Catholicism; a Nymph is converted, later he will be known as Saint Andross of Jupiter, the First of His People, the Rock Upon the Church of Nymphs.

* 2382 AD: The United Nations looks as though it’s going to start investing towards making more centralized reforms pointing towards a homogenous governing body for mankind in the stars, however these federalists are immediately met with push-back from the anti-federalists, Tensions flare up, but don’t boil over just yet.

* 2384 AD: The Gaian Cult is formed, based upon a fanatical belief that humanity should return to its roots as a people on one planet, with one world, and one home.

* 2386 AD: War breaks out between China and Japan on a planetary backwater in the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way over a dispute regarding mining rights and planetary settlement. This war quickly snowballs into a galactic conflict.

* 2387-3000 AD: “The Bleedin’ Times” A civil war fought between humanity for centuries, leading to periods of expansion, contraction, and the rising and falling of empires until things finally settle down in the last 200 years of the conflict and we see borders and empires more similar to what we see today begin to form during this period.

* 3217 AD: First contact with the Kthraax is recorded. Islamic missionaries from the caliphates, sultanates, and emirates of humanity transform the Kthraax into a powerful spice-trading Sultanate.

* 3280 AD: Draxx Empire is discovered beyond the galactic core, adding yet another species to the mix.

* 3280-3880 AD: “The Big Nothing” A time of relative galactic peace and expansion with little paradigm-shifting events occuring due to a Papal decree. Border skirmishes happen occasionally, with what little gains made between empires often erased in a few decades. The cycle repeats itself at different times and places, but a state of total war never broke out during this period.

* 3900 AD: 90% of the Milky Way has been explored and most of it colonized.

* 3980 AD: Famines and an economic crisis begins in the Bourbon Kingdom.

* 3982 AD: Calls for liberal reforms and democracy are made in the Bourbon Kingdom.

* 3984 AD: The Bourbon Revolution begins and the social order is thrown into disarray.

* 3988 AD: The Estates Generales is formed, giving the Bourbon Kingdom a legislative body and representative government.

* 3999 AD: Jean-Louis Robespierre is made Consul of the newly christened Bourbon Republic.

* 4004 AD: Jean-Louis Robespierre declares himself L’Imperator of the Bourbon Republic and begins large scale military spending and drafts. War appears on the horizon.

Stellar Nations of the Milky Way

The Terran Reich (Homeworld: Terra, adjective: Terran): Space-Prussians ruled by Kaiser Heinrich Von-Koingsburg; The greatest of the great powers, the Terran Reich has the longest history of any human civilization, and is centered around the human homeworld of Earth and the Reich’s rise to power over thousands of years. Through systematic purging of 'undesirable' individuals and enemies of the state, the Reich has created a loyal and ‘genetically perfect’ nation. That being said, for the last 1000 years or so, this program has been all-but abandoned. These days, one can find people of all stripes living in every strata of Terran society. Still, the imposing stellar navy of the Reich has never faltered.

The Bourbon Republic [née Bourbon Kingdom] (Homeworld: Calais, adjective: Bourbon): Space-French ruled by L’Imperator Jean-Louis Robespierre; One of the great powers which has existed for over 1000 years, the Bourbon Republic was formed from refugees fleeing the Terran Reich’s cleansing program. For most of time, they existed as a monarchy, but in the last 20 years, a period of great unrest has seen revolution sweep through their territory, and in the last few years a charismatic military strongman has seized power and declared himself L’Imperator.

The Kingdom of Albion (Homeworld: Avalon, adjective: Albionic): Space-English ruled by King Benedict VI of the House of Lancaster; The Kingdom of Albion is the third great power, founded by colonists in Orion’s Belt in the earliest days of Jump-Drive travel. Albionic society is proud and heavily industrial, ruled by a parliament underneath a king in a constitutional monarchy. The kings have slowly given more power over to parliament in recent centuries, but they still wield a great deal of influence, with the ability to declare a state of national emergency and dissolve parliament if it should ever become necessary. The prime minister of our grand and glorious kingdom has recently made sweeping overhauls to our defense budget, reinvigorating our strong navy to deter potential attacks from the haughty Terrans to the galactic west, and the ignoble republicans to the galactic south. With these reforms, Albion shall endure for ten millennia—of this I am certain.

The Papal States (Homeworld: Il Vaticano, adjective: Papal): Space-Italians/Catholics ruled by Pope Pius CV; Neo-Catholicism has become the dominant religion in the Milky Way, and though the Papal States may only control a small amount of physical territory, their reach is expansive and their influence knows little bounds. The current Pope, Pius CV, is a fairly traditional old man who would like to maintain the natural order of things and has continued the Papal tradition of attempting to enforce a modern ‘Truce of God’ as was seen in the middle ages of ancient Earth history to limit fighting between the great powers.

The Sultanate of Kthraax (Homeworld: Kthraax, adjective: Kthraax): Space-Ottomans ruled by Sultan Salman Ka’Thranx; The Sultanate of Kthraax was formed when the vast majority of the Kthraax civilization converted to Islam via human missionaries. This came at a moment when the Kthraax were questioning their place in the universe, and seeking guidance, and Allah gives that guidance to the Sultan every day. The Sultanate is proud, old, and very rich. Trading rare Kthraax spice throughout the Milky Way has made even the poor live better lives by comparison to most of the other nations. The only real domestic issue with the Kthraax is that their species is slow to reproduce, and the population remains comparatively small, even today.

The Kansei Shogunate (Homeworld Neo-Honshu, adjective: Kanseinese): Space-Japanese ruled by Shogun Hattori Shimazu; Founded in the early 30th century, the Kansei Shogunate is a technological and martial powerhouse. The Shogunate has expanded rapidly and constantly probes its neighbors for weaknesses—through overt or duplicitous means.

The Olympian League (Homeworld: Capricorn, adjective: Olympian): Space-Classical Greeks ruled by High-Archon Stelio Alexandros Petrakis; A small duchy in the Small Magellanic Cloud, the Olympian League has been a minor but influential power, as they export a great deal of luxury goods and have pioneered the industry of Bionics.

The Tsardom of Romanov (Homeworld: New Saint Petersburg, adjective: Romanovii): Space-Russians ruled by Tsarina Ekaterina The Great; An old and proud nation which traces its roots to the 2nd Space Race and the Neo-USSR, The Tsardom of Romanov is an expansive nation with a rich history and culture. The Tsardom is considered the weakest of the great powers due to their slowness to adapt to changes in both technology and industry.

The Golden Khanate (Homeworld: Karakorum, adjective: Khantish): Space-Mongols ruled by Khan Ularum Tchesko; Born out of a ruined seed ship, the Khanate is a warrior nation of conquerors and barbarians made up of thousands of unique clans who seek to expand at any cost. The Khanate controls a large amount of space, and will only grow as time passes on.

The Union of Sovereign Planets (Homeworld: Alpha Centauri, adjective: Union): Space-Americans ruled by President Terrence Johnson; The USP is a democratic republic formed out of the first star system settled by humanity in the early days of expansion. The USP values egalitarianism and the rights of citizens above all and would like to see those rights expanded to the entirety of the Milky Way. How very droll they are!

The Draxx Empire (Homeworld: Draxx Prime, adjective: Draxxish): Space-Orcs ruled by Queen Shelmazta; Once a much larger empire that has shrunk due to infighting in recent millennia, the Draxx are a bloodthirsty people who are eager to regain the imperial splendour and near pan-galactic rule that they once possessed—at any cost. Still, the current state of their empire means that they will surely remain a self-destructive backwater.

Catalogue of Species Found in the Milky Way

Humans: The most populous and widespread species in the galaxy, humans expanded rapidly for centuries and now control most of the stellar real estate. Aside from that, they’re much like they’ve always been, though perhaps with a bit more bionic and cybernetic implants.

Kthraax: The Kthraax are a species of four-legged and blue skinned individuals that have been largely converted to Islam over the last 800 years. Due to this, the Kthraax are a deeply spiritual people and are heavily invested in peacefully prosthelytizing their religion to the rest of the galaxy. In terms of appearance, the Kthraax have four legs: two anterior and two posterior, and a fairly humanoid torso, with a face that is similar in size to a human’s, but with a long snout that protrudes about six inches ending in a mouth. They also have three eyes, with the third being located in between the other two.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Draxx: The Draxx are a green-skinned warrior race and a proudly matriarchal society. The men of the species, though larger and stronger than the women, are rendered subservient due to the careful release of pheromones by the females, which is an evolutionary trait finely tuned over millions of years. Male Draxx are easily larger than a human and most have large muscles with a face that’s dominated by large incisors protruding from the mouth. Females are taller than most humans and generally considered very beautiful as they lack the large teeth of their male counterparts.

Goblorbs: A diminutive cousin to the Draxx, these little fellows are green and resemble goblins from the old fantasy tales. It’s a common practice among Goblorbs to engage in cybernetic enhancement and alteration of the body. Some Goblorbs are kept as slaves by the Draxx, but most are free as long as they contribute to society.

Nymphs: Tall and beautiful space nomads who live for centuries, the Nymphs resemble elves from old Earth popular culture. Nymph society is based around a spiritual desire for traveling, and clans of Nymphs sail through the stars on massive generational-ships that sustain them on their journeys. Nymphs aren’t hostile to outsiders, but very rarely does one leave their vessel to strike out on their own.

Florians: The tree-folk that once fought a war against the Kingdom of Albion who colonized their worlds. In the old days, they had a meagre stellar nation with pacifist tendencies and traveled the stars using primitive solar-sails. Florians live near or at the bottom of Albionic society and currently either live their lives as servants and factory workers, or on segregated reservations. Their anatomy is humanoid, though they posses bark instead of skin, have leaves in place of hair, lack blood and internal organs, and are sprouted from seeds rather than via live-birth. There are dreams of a return to the old ways among most Florians, though there isn’t much likelihood of that happening unless someone takes up their cause.

Glossary of Important Terms One May Hear in Our Fair Galaxy

Jump-Drive: The single most important invention in human-history, the Jump-Drive is powered by Nikolium and allows a ship to travel instantaneously from one location to the next. The equations use complex interactions between quantum physics and mathematics that the Nikolium enables. Jump-Drives do not have an unlimited range, and they do require time to recharge. Other than those caveats, however, the Jump-Drive has remained the go-to way of travel for millenia.

Glassing: Destroying all of the surface of a planet from orbit with laser weapons that create a flat, glasslike terrain after use.

Neo-Catholicism: Catholicism that incorporates alien saints and practices much like certain South American branches of monks would incorporate the practices of the natives. This can range from alien voodoo on backwater planets, to the Archdiocese of the Kthraax. Neo-Catholicism is the majority religion in the Milky Way and is hard to define given the vast disparities in standards of living and cultures across the galaxy.

Spacers: People who spend the majority of their life in space as opposed to a planet.

Shields: Energy-based barriers that protect spaceships from lasers and micrometeorites.

Nikolium: A rare and highly reactive element used to power Jump-Drives in spaceships.

Gaian Cult: A religion based around the belief that humanity should return to earth and leave the galaxy in its “Natural State” untouched by human hands and all the destruction and enlightenment that brings with it. Most Gaians are fine, but a growing sect in the cult finds violence more and more acceptable, they also say that there’s something lurking in the blackness of space that will bring about the apocalypse, but that’s probably just hogwash.

Calender: Naturally, every settled planet will have its own ‘year’ defined by its orbit around its respective star. However, this would lead to a massive amount of confusion regarding dates, ages, etc. To that end, in the early days of colonization, humanity decided on using a universal calendar based around the old Earth Common Era system. There are 12 months comprised of 365 24-hour days making up a single common year across the galaxy regardless of local orbital timeframes. This calendar is based off of the Earth’s revolution around Sol and also applies to spaceships in interplanetary travel. Alien species have their own dating systems, but the Common Era is the lingua franca of dates, as it were, and is used throughout the galaxy.

Neo-Plague: A disease that was created from cross contamination of humans and aliens interacting that, due to this, affects all species equally and with equal mortality. Outbreaks of the Neo-Plague are deadly, and immediately quarantined by galactic governments.

Bolsheviks: Despicable socialists from the Tsardom of Romanov that seek to reform their government through increasingly violent means. Thankfully, the old Tsar and current Tsarina have begun to deal with the problem via mass imprisonment and deportation to a prison planet located deep within the Siberian Nebula. Here’s hoping they rot for their crimes.

Cossacks: A sect of Tsardom society that lives aboard a massive space station and fields a large fleet of vessels used primarily for raiding the surrounding areas. The fact that these thieves and pillagers are technically recognized as an official branch of the Tsardom’s military should be an affront to civilized nations everywhere.

Bourbon Foreign Legion: A special forces branch formed after the Bourbon Revolution, this unit is composed of both Bourbon nationals and expatriates from other nations who support republican sentiment. Though largely composed of dirty peasants, their skill in combat has been proven to be...begrudgingly elite. They serve as auxiliaries and trump cards in Bourbon fleets that pose a great danger to any commander facing them.

Löwenritter: “Lion Knights” in service to the Kaiser of the Terran Reich, the Löwenritter have served with distinction in several major conflicts. They are worthy of respect in that they act with chivalry, but their prowess in combat, both in fleet and ground actions, should never be underestimated.

Bedouins: A group of Kthraax who live nomadic lives and adhere to the ancient religion of the Kthraax. Not much is known about the Bedouins, as they are generally distrustful of outsiders and only seem to do business with the Nymph caravans, whom they respect for their similarly nomadic lifestyle.

Seed Ships: In the early days of human settlement in the cosmos, seed ships were used as the main pipeline of colonization. The methods to construct these behemoths has been lost to time, as they carried millions of people, millions of tons of supplies, and millions of tons of construction materials. Most seed ships were dismantled when they made planetfall, but some remain as towering reminders of the past on the ecumenopoli that dot the galaxy.

Exofauna: Sapient alien life is rare in the galaxy, but there are countless examples of exofauna and exoflora around the galaxy. Most planets settled by humans have undergone little terraforming, as that science is still little-understood, and were taken as-is for their earthlike qualities. In addition to these sentient animals, there are many instances of animals from the old Earth colonization boom being imported to these worlds. The common horse, for example, has been propagated throughout the galaxy as a means of labor and transportation for poorer planets (though the amount of breeds has quintupled due to the divergent evolution brought on by slightly different gravitational constants, diets, etc.). Notable examples of exofauna include the Twenty-Valved Clams from planet Bristol, which make an excellent chowder; the Double Headed Tuna of planet Edo, an excellent choice for sushi; and perhaps the most enigmatic of all creatures, the Core Whales located near the center of the Milky Way. Core Whales rival Ships of the Line in terms of size, and feed on asteroids through their specially evolved baleen. Rumors persist that the Khan has even domesticated some of these graceful beasts for the purposes of war—but this humble servant of the King has no idea how that would work.

Nymph Caravans: Nymph caravans are made up of massive generational starships that fly through space using conventional sublight propulsion. This means journeying from world to world can take many years for a caravan, but due to their biological nigh-immortality, they don’t mind. The Nymphs are peaceful traders and spiritual seekers, so it’s almost always a good time when a Nymph caravan enters a star system. They are friendly enough, so much so that even pirates rarely set upon them, and visiting them is an experience one should have at least once in their lives.

Spatium Incognita: The last bastion of unexplored space in the Milky Way. There are scant bases along the outskirts, with several pirate hideouts and dens of iniquity due to no empires having made formal claims to territory within Spatium Incognita. Navigation here is nigh-impossible due to the concentration of nebulae that impede jump-drive computers. Still, intrepid explorers make journeys into Spatium Incognia in order to uncover the supposed riches that lie within. The rumors that come out of this wild and untamed region are many, with some claiming that planet-swallowing leviathans stalk the darkness of space, some claiming that an ancient empire was imprisoned here—seeking to escape, and some claiming that the universe’s end will be found within. As any enlightened man will tell you: these are all likely poppycock dreamed up by men afflicted with a bout of space-madness. The only thing man has to fear is man.

Classes of Starships Traversing Space

Fighter: The smallest ship, and also the most nimble. Aside from the obvious differences being in space would bring, these are similar to the fighter jets of ancient Earth.

Shuttle: A small craft that lacks a jump-drive and is generally designed to carry up to 10 people for ferrying between larger vessels and space stations, or planets if they occupy the same star system.

Sloop: The smallest type of military vessel and the smallest to carry a jump-drive, the sloop carries 25-50 people and is lightly armed. Sloops are generally used in patrol and policing duties in colonized systems.

Brigantine/Brig: A small vessel designed for escorting larger ships, brigs have a crew of around 100 and are well-armed for their size. Brigs are the vessel of choice for pirates, as they’re both maneuverable and carry a big punch in a small package.

Cargo Vessel: A catch-all term for any lightly-armed vessel that carries cargo, these can be either government or civilian vessels and are generally escorted by ships ranging from brigantines to cruisers, depending on the cargo.

Mover: A super cargo ship containing millions of cargo bays and enough booty to make any space pirate blush. These vessels are massive, carrying 10,000 general crewmen and a detachment of 5000 stellar marines. Beyond the obvious external defences, these ships are generally escorted by cruisers, destroyers, and a small fleet of frigates. To make a mover your prize is the dream of every pirate captain.

Frigate: The frigate is a beefier brig, carrying crews ranging from 200-300 and several weapons. Frigates are used heavily in wars between nations, and are often used in hit-and-run raids on enemy vessels.

Destroyer: The mainstay of most starfleets, destroyers carry around 500 people and are well-armed and armored. Destroyers are used in all types of military operations, from escorts to planetary assaults.

Cruiser: Cruisers are powerful vessels with crews of about 1,000. Cruisers are the most versatile ship in any given starfleet due to having high destructive power and maintaining some maneuverability.

Battlecruiser: Crewed by 2000 people, Battlecruisers are the heavier brother of the cruiser. A battlecruiser may be the centerpiece of a small starfleet and lacks the agility of its smaller twin. What it lacks in agility, it makes up for in sheer destructive force.

Battleship: An extremely large vessel usually crewed by 5,000. Battleships are rare, and often used to lead planetary assaults in wars. A battleship is slow to move, but extremely deadly.

Carrier: A ship that carries fighters or boarding craft. A carrier can vary in size and crew count depending on what nation is fielding it.

Dreadnought: A colossal vessel of war that holds 10,000 people and enough weapons to glass entire planets in only a few hours.

Ship of the Line: The rarest, and largest type of vessel, a ship of the line carries a crew of 50,000 and generally possesses the ability to destroy entire star systems. Ships of the Line are almost always the flagship of any given nation.

Weapons and Defenses Most Frequently Used in Combat

Mass Driver: Magnetically fired slugs of dense material shot out like guns at other ships in order to destroy them. Extremely long-range rounds are strong against armor.

Laser: Beams of superheated energy and light focused on a single point to cause extreme heat-based damage. Beams are strong against shields.

SRM/LRM: Short and long-ranged missiles carrying payloads of varying yields. These can be small missiles designed for single-seat dogfighting between fightercraft, or larger long range missiles carrying a nuclear payload. Nuclear bombs are always dangerous, and if a radiological alarm ever goes off on the radar, a captain should initiate evasive maneuvers as soon as possible. These missiles all have individual strengths and weaknesses depending on the payload, size, and intended target.

Plasma Cannon: A large ball of superheated plasma is fired at an enemy ship at extremely high speed and close range. The plasma melts through the armor and damages internal components. Short-range broadsides are strong against armor and bypass any shielding.

Grappler and Cutter: A series of grappling hooks and plasma-cutting streams to force entry onto a ship or station, much like the ancient sailors would throw grappling hooks to pull ships over for boarding.

Small Arms: Conventional gunpowder based weaponry is still in widespread use in the modern age, with its ease of manufacture and cost-effectiveness making them the most efficient way to equip an infantry force. Laser weapons only exist in longer range rifles, as the focusing needed hasn’t been miniaturized enough to fit into a sidearm. Plasma weapons exist generally as single-shot arms that are considered to be the most deadly—if they can manage to hit their target—and are functionally comparable to the flintlock weapons of old.

P.L.A.T.E. Armor: Advancements in killing have led to the advancement of protecting. The PLATE armor system was designed by Elijah Bancroft, a Goblorb living in the Kingdom of Albion, as a suit of reactive armor that could defend against incoming projectiles both kinetic and laser based. PLATE armor comes in many varieties, with the highest end models costing more than entire starships, but affording excellent protection to those who can manage to have them. That being said, PLATE armor won’t be found on most infantry units—only those who serve in special forces or will be subjected to prolonged enemy fire.

Swords, Plasma-Swords, and Other Melee Weapons: Swords are much like they always have been, but Plasma-Swords kick things up a notch by adding a layer of superheated plasma on the blade that can cut through most any PLATE armor. Thus the use of melee weapons hasn’t completely disappeared in the future, but rather seen quite a resurgence over the last few centuries in close-range infantry actions. In addition to these, there are many other weapons native to alien species that can be found, like the Draxx Gon-Gon-Suley, a large bludgeoning instrument used in millennia old rituals.

Conclusion

This is by no means an exhaustive history or in-depth look at the state of things, but I do hope this primer will serve to educate the masses on the more backwater planets upon the state of affairs our empire faces as it strives ever closer to its destiny as the crown jewel of civilization. Only when you know your place can you truly do your part. God save the King!

—Lord Arnold Taylore, Knight of the Kingdom of Albion, Vice Secretary General of Education.