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| [o] | Imperial Edict 97 - This executive order is the enabling act for the use of Imperial warrants. Unusually obscure for such a wide ranging and powerful edict, it is nonetheless on file at all Imperial installations. The edict text runs to 34 pages, much of it pure legalese; when distilled down, it proves very direct; it assists the holder of an Imperial warrant with all of the power that can be brought to bear.
Only the emperor has the power to issue these warrants.
A similar edict (Imperial Edict 3097) provides limited power to the Grand Dukes of the Imperium to issue similar warrants, although they are limited in their duration and territory. | |
| [o] | Imperial Research Station - The worlds of the Imperium manifest a wide range of technological levels. The Third Imperium has always allowed its member worlds a wide degree of latitude, and it meddles very little in local affairs. Previously, with communication limited to the same speed as transportation, a single offworld query could involve weeks, months, or even years before a reply was received. With the advent of FTL communications, that is no longer the case but underlying governmental structure has been slow to change such that individual worlds still enjoy a great deal of autonomy.
Most worlds have found that simply purchasing advanced technology from a neighboring world is impractical. Not only is such high technology expensive, putting it to any cost-effective use requires that the technology be understood.
Consider: as useful as Tech Level 8 solid-state chip circuits are; they cannot be used on a large scale without the knowledge of electronics or the ability to provide supporting circuits (power circuits, circuit boards, and so on), which further implies a knowledge of photo processing, and even crystal culture. In the final analysis, attempting to jump to a higher Tech Level without passing through any of the intervening Tech Levels just doesn't work: one must pass through the lower stages of technological development on the way to higher Tech Levels.
Regardless of what the individual member worlds do, there are also certain large-scale interests in the Imperium which back research projects. Such research is generally privately backed (such as under contract by multiworld corporations), or it is sometimes performed in established Imperial Research Stations.
Private Research: On a scale as vast as the Imperium, it is often cheaper to duplicate research rather than search out and contract for technology elsewhere in the Imperium. However, trade between worlds tends to introduce new knowledge and technology to those who do not yet have it. If a certain offworld item proves useful, local companies may try to achieve the same technology with the goal of entering into local manufacture. Local manufacture has the advantage of taking into account local preferences, as well as providing local employment. It also avoids potential problems with licensing agreements and arrangements. | |
| [o] | Iridium Throne - The symbol of the continuing line of emperors of the Third Imperium. The physical throne was originally an iridium construction on which the emperor sat. Over time, the term has come to represent not only the emperor's throne, but the office of the emperor himself. | |
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