AN: "Holy shit, the consequences of my actions!" - Admiral Victor Williams probably

"One voice, one throne, one state." - Yang Dynasty motto

Garden 01-23, The Forbidden City, Beijing, Earth, 8:33 am local time

Princess Cordelia Yang was standing on a small bridge in one of many gardens in the Forbidden City, her home for the majority of her life, overseeing a small lake with numerous species of fish. It was a tranquil place, an island of green surrounded by a planet-sized city. She was tired, and it showed, with bags under her eyes and her hair slightly unkempt, and having a more volatile mood than usual, which contrasted the elegant and flowing yellow robes that she wore as part of her royal lineage.

With the Empress of the Galactic Hesukar Regime and her children visiting Earth, she had more responsibility as the Imperial Internal Security officer, and as such, had to work for longer hours than usual for her safety. She sighed, knowing full well why they were here; her brother, Prince Charles Yang, was getting married to Crown Princess Illaria. Smiling, the thought brought her true happiness to her. Although many think that the princess is anti-social, and there is some truth to this, she genuinely cared for and loved her younger brother, despite the jealousy she had towards him as the most likely successor to the throne when their father, Imperator Adrian Yang XIV, ultimately dies. Besides, she liked her job too much, and had no thoughts of running a star empire, the very thought making her head hurt.

Taking a sip of her tea, she looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to rise, turning the sky into a comforting orange-red mix, and outlining the orbital ring surrounding the planet. The megastructure's frame was blurred slightly by the atmosphere but was more than recognizable should one look up. The sight of the megastructure comforted her, knowing that Earth was defended by not only the citadel in orbit around the sun but also a massive structure with gun batteries, missile silos, and strike craft hangers. The ring also was home to the Imperial Internal Security headquarters, her workplace, where she coordinated her work on not only Earth but on other worlds as well, weeding out criminals, terrorists, and dissidents wherever they may be.

In the middle of her self-reflection, Cordelia thought back to when she emerged from the nanite infusion chamber, distorted and confused, with her father by her side throughout her recovery, as he was with her brother as he finished his infusion. Unlike her brother, however, she became a decorated soldier, fighting in numerous wars and bringing many of humanity's foes to heel. Her brother was more of a pacifist, a trait that would've warranted immediate re-education for the normal citizen, instead focusing on bureaucratic affairs, and was instrumental to shaping the Technocracy's administration into its efficient form today.

The sound of running steps caused her to look in the direction of the sound, seeing a maid of the City running towards her. While the Yang Dynasty had AI and synths doing the majority of the household chores, what few servants they did employ acted as spies for the family, watching over the other employees, and were paid very well. The maid then stopped fifteen feet from the princess and bowed while placing her hands together in front of her head, the traditional greeting towards members of royalty.

"Your Highness," they began. "Our guests are arriving now. The Empress and her children are headed to their rooms as well."

"And?" Cordelia asked, annoyed.

"...and that's it. Just wanted to let you know."

The princess squeezed her teacup so hard it shattered. She had little patience for people who wasted her time, especially from baseline humans, especially from their servants.

"I know that already, baseliner," Cordelia spat out, emphasizing the final word. "I'm in charge of security, remember?"

The maid started backing away slowly, seeing their life flash before their eyes. The last thing any servant of the dynasty needed was to anger a member of the royal household since their life would be essentially forfeit.

"M-My sincere apologies, y-your highness, I'll... I'll go see to the guests," the maid said before they ran off, carrying their dress as they did so.

The princess sighed and went to take a sip of her tea, only to find she had shattered her cup. Throwing the remains into the water with a shout, she stormed off back to work, the other servants she encountered smartly giving her a wide berth.

The Forbidden City, northwest wing

Imperator Yang was strolling through the northwestern section of the Forbidden City and admiring the various pieces of artwork present. He'd spared no expense in making this ceremony as grand and impressive as possible for his son, the lucky man who was about to be married to the daughter of his ally, Empress Jaffaba Sartyr. The arrangement was as much about maintaining relations between the two nations as much as it was about actual love, so for the continuation of good relations, this needed to be as smooth as possible. As per the Empress's request, an entire section of the palace was commandeered by the Regime to fully renovate it to suit House Sartyr's needs. Royal advisors were coordinating with imperial decorators to transform the northwestern wing into residences more suitable for the Empress and her retinue, much to the chagrin of the governor.

Native plants from Mithra were imported, historical Hesukari paintings were recreated in holographic form, and even the temperature was changed to better match conditions found on the tundra planet. Yang had to admit, that even for someone who preferred human art over others, the Hesukari could make exceptional drawings. After a few more moments of walking, he spotted his son, Charles, pacing back and forth.

"Nervous?" He asked as he approached.

"Well, Father, I'm about to marry the love of my life in front of countless amount of people," the prince replied. "Yes, I'm slightly uncomfortable."

Yang smiled at that. Although it pained him that his son couldn't go into the armed forces like he wanted him to, he was a prodigy in the art of statecraft and bureaucracy, so he was happy with his son in the position of the Imperial Minister of State.

"Don't be, you'll be fine. Besides, she's your future wife, it's not like she'd purposefully ruin this."

"I know, but I can't shake the feeling."

"Besides, your mother-in-law would never allow anything to happen to you."

"Adrian!" The voice of Empress Sartyr caused the both of them to look forward. "Are you gossiping about me again?"

Yang looked and saw the Empress quickly walking towards them, a wide smile on her face. Flanking her was her son, Prince Lynntil, and her daughter and his son's soon-to-be wife, Princess Illaria. As the Regime is a matriarchal society, the princess would be next in line to inherit the throne after her mother, and as such, this marriage was supremely important.

"Mary," the Imperator began, using the Empress's human name. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Well, wonder no longer, my dear human," Mary said as she cupped Yang's face lovingly. "It'll be a splendid month here."

"And how is your progeny doing?"

"Fine, sir," Lynntil replied with a smile. "Words cannot express how happy I am for my sister."

"And how is your sister- oop."

Yang looked over and saw that Illaria was locked in a deep kiss with his son. They'd met while both of them were stationed in a frontier colony that had anomalous bio-luminous flora. Charles was an administrator, Illaria was a scientist, and they both had reports to file, so they helped each other. One thing led to another, and by the end of the week, both of them were making love in Illaria's residence.

"Anyways, how are your accommodations? Do you need anything?" He asked as the governor of Earth joined them.

"It's been wonderful, sir," Lynntil replied. "My staff are already deploying orbital hydroponics so that my mother, sister, and I can enjoy fruits and vegetables from Mithra without needing to bother you with imports."

"Such a resourceful one, isn't my son?" Mary chuckled.

"With all due respect, Empress," the governor interrupted. "We've already had to renovate a quarter of the Forbidden City, and import various flora and art from your capital to meet your needs, and now you wish to occupy Earth's orbit with unnecessary filler? Can't we just import more? It's not a problem for us."

Yang, Mary, and Lynntil all shot a look so murderous at the governor that he instinctively reached for his weapon. Seeing the volatile situation, the princess and human prince both tried to diffuse the situation.

"What the nice human meant to say," Illaria began. "Is that he thinks that my brother's additions are unnecessary, seeing as they have done so much for us already."

She faced the panicked governor. "My mother, brother, and I thank you for your hospitality. However, there are some things that we must do ourselves. Importing royal food for us to consume is simply unacceptable for individuals of our status, I'm sure you understand."

"Exactly," Charles agreed. "Right father?"

Yang merely sighed and dismissed the governor with a wave of his hand, to which the governor scampered off.

"Infinite apologies, Mary," he said. "It's just that all of us have been very busy in making your visit as comfortable as possible, me especially since you've shown me that courtesy before on Mithra. We've even changed the temperature of Earth to match that of Mithra."

"No need," the Empress assured. "I understand full well how people can go beyond their authority and question those who are not meant to be questioned. You need to have harsher controls, Adrian."

"But if I do that, the people will be angry."

"The people's feelings are irrelevant when compared to the future of the state."

"Anyways, Lynntil, how long will it take for your people to set up those orbital hydroponics?"

"Two-and-a-half Earth days, sir," the prince responded. "We won't get in the way of your industry or guests, I promise."

"No worries. I bet my son and his soon-to-be wife want some private time together, why don't I take you on a guided tour of my home?"

Low Earth Orbit

Farseers Caennyl and Elathana were sitting in a luxury transport alongside admirals Williams and Conner as they descended to the Earth. They had both heard stories that Earth, or Terra as they knew it, was a polluted, horrid place where cities covered the natural lithosphere with no greenery in sight.

What they saw contradicted every expectation they had. Earth, or this universe's Earth, was still covered in urban sprawl, but was very clean and even had some patches of greenery as well as still having oceans, their blue color the same as Elathana's irises. They assumed Victor would be excited, but he seemed more reserved, more muted. Normally, this would've relieved them as they wouldn't have to endure his arrogant words, but it concerned them instead, as it meant that something was wrong. He kept rubbing his upper back and even his partner was concerned somewhat.

"Victor?" Julie asked.

"Hmm?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong."

"Well, you don't look like nothing's wrong."

Victor sighed. "It's just that I haven't seen some of these people for so long, plus I need to make a speech before the entire Technocracy, so yeah, I'm a little stressed."

The two farseers looked at each other. The admiral wasn't stressed about an upcoming speech, something else was at play here. They wouldn't tell the two though.

"Well, better you than me, I'd probably pass out from the stress of so many eyes on me." That got a laugh out of Victor.

As the transport entered the atmosphere and switched to atmospheric thrusters, all four looked out the window to a truly spectacular sight. Humans were all over the place, to the point where they obscured the ground. In front of them, a massive parade featured infantry, armored vehicles, and robotic constructs.

"Looks like the marriage deserves this type of celebration," Julie noted. "Is it bad that I imagine it's for us?"

"Nah," Victor replied. "It's kind of beautiful in a way." That earned scoffs from the farseers. After a few short moments, the transport landed at the Forbidden City, and the doors opened to reveal five Home Guard soldiers and an officer, their black and yellow uniforms blowing in the wind.

The officer yelled over the noise of the engines. "Admirals Victor Williams, and Jirana Amriali, plus two guests?"

"That's us," Victor replied.

"Excellent, follow me please."

The officer guided the four through four checkpoints, much to the annoyance of the farseers. As they walked, the officer began to chat with them.

"First time here, correct?" They asked.

"Yep," Julie replied.

"Yes," Victor replied as well. "Pretty ironic if you ask me; I'm a human, yet never visited the cradle of humanity."

"No shame in it, admiral, I've only been stationed here for the past month, and only because of the marriage needing increased security."

Victor shivered a little. "Is it always this cold here? I'd thought it'd be warmer."

"Not usually, no. The Imperator thought it would be appropriate to decrease Earth's temperature to make it more comfortable for the Empress and her children." Julie's eyes went wide at this.

"THE Empress? As in Empress Jaffaba Sartyr?" She asked in both fear and wonder. "She's coming here personally?"

The guard member looked at her as if she was stupid. "Yes, admiral. She's here to attend her daughter's marriage and will be here for a month at least."

"How long will the marriage last?" Victor asked.

"Forever, if we're lucky," the officer jokingly replied. "But in all seriousness, the celebrations themselves will last for the month, the ceremony itself will be over in a day." They swiped a keycard that allowed them to enter the City proper. "This is where I'll leave you, the ballroom is straight ahead and the Grand Archive is to the right. Any questions should be forwarded to the maids and servants." With that, the officer left the four alone.

"How about I take our guests to the Archive while you go find the ballroom?" Victor asked.

"Fine by me," Julie replied.

The Grand Archive truly lived up to its name, as it was over seven stories tall and full of databanks where holographic sheets of data flowed through them like water in a river. There were many people present as well, mostly admirals and generals, looking at military history, development, and strategies. Victor let out a long whistle of wonder, while the farseers looked on with curiosity.

"Wow," Victor mumbled in awe. "They say that anything can be found here, looks like the rumors were true."

The admiral decided to test the theory.

"History of conflicts in the 20th century," he said out loud, and immediately, a holographic sheet landed in his hands that detailed every single conflict that occurred throughout the 20th century. He turned to the farseers.

"So? What do you think?"

"It's impressive, I'll grant you that," Caennyl admitted. "But surely the claims of containing everything must be exaggerated."

"Let's see." Victor cleared his throat. "The complete history of the Eldar species."

The farseers scoffed, not expecting anything to happen, and yet a holographic sheet flew down and into the admiral's hands. Elathana took the sheet and swiped through it, and was shocked to find not only was the information accurate, but it seemed to have been written by someone with first-hand experience during the rise, fall, and collapse of their empire. The farseer released the sheet, which rejoined the current, and stumbled back a bit.

"Is it accurate?" Victor asked.

"But... but... how...?" She stammered out in disbelief.

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" he laughed. "Didn't expect your history to be laid bare before you, did you?"

"Indeed they didn't," a voice caused all three to spin around where they saw a woman in a yellow dress standing in front of them. "Are you here for my brother's marriage, admiral?" The woman asked coldly.

Instantly realizing who she was, Victor made a bow with his hands connected in front of his head. "Your Highness, your presence here is unexpected and welcomed, forgive my lack of manners." The farseers looked on in amusement. They had never seen the admiral act in this manner before, not even towards them.

"Well, you should've. This is my home and I can go where I want."

"Of course, Your Highness. You surprised me, that's all."

"Isn't the first lesson you learn in the Academy is 'expect the unexpected?' You are either very forgetful or unfit for duty, Admiral."

Victor proceeded to kowtow at the feet of the princess, causing the farseers to burst out laughing at the display.

"Please, Your Highness, I meant no offense. Please forgive my words." This caused the princess to laugh as well.

"Rise, admiral, I wasn't serious," she got out through laughs. "You should've seen your face though."

Victor then awkwardly rose, dusted himself off, and cleared his throat. "Of course, Your Highness, very funny."

The princess looked at the farseers. "Are these your guests?"

"They are, Your Highness."

"Well, they should learn some manners," she said disapprovingly. "As the Head of the Imperial Internal Security Division, I will not tolerate such barbarity within these walls."

The admiral looked at the farseers who were seething at the princess in rage and urged them to calm down. Before he could offer an apology or any other response, the princess motioned for him to follow.

"Your Highness, what about my guests?" He asked. She snapped her fingers at a servant and ordered them to escort the farseers to the ballroom. The pair then moved through the Archive to wherever the princess wanted Victor to go.

The walk through the Forbidden City was an experience for Victor, as he had only heard stories about its grandeur in stories or condemnations of it in hushed whispers, but to experience it in person was another thing entirely. It didn't help that his "guide" was one of the most influential and dangerous women in the known galaxy and that her moods were as stable as improperly stored volatile motes, a known explosive and popular primer. After a while of walking, they reached a door where the roaring voice of the crowd and the Imperator giving a speech could be heard.

"...for attending this wonderful and glorious moment which will go down in galactic history!" The muffled voice of the Imperator was heard before the cheers of the crowd drowned out whatever sound remained.

Victor looked at the princess. "Is it time, Your Highness?"

Cordelia shot him a rare encouraging smile. "It is, admiral. Don't worry, nothing you say will be wrong, my father will make sure of that."

"Wish me luck then, Your Highness."

"Luck will have nothing to do with this."

The princess then opened the door and urged Victor outside, where the roars of the crowd nearly deafened him. They were everywhere; in the plaza, on the roads, and even on the balconies and roofs of nearby buildings. The Imperator himself was standing on an extended platform and flanked by Home Guard soldiers, weapons at the ready to guard against all foes. Above, no less than eight Home Guard snipers were aiming for the crowd, their LS-344 Crossbow snipers ready to eliminate all threats before they could get close. The Imperator turned his head to the left, noticed the admiral, and smiled warmly at him.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the man who stepped into another universe, Admiral Victor Williams!" The crowd roared again as Victor took the stand with Punitive Corps and Planetary Guard soldiers, tanks, APCs, and many other military units paraded sixteen-wide below him. He felt like the most important figure in the world while simultaneously feeling like he was attending the Academy of Warfare for the first time. With a nervous step and shaky breath, he grabbed the microphone.

Ballroom, 11:33 am local time

Julie and the farseers were watching the Imperator in the distance speak to the crowd in their private booth, away from the crowds. While the admiral watched on in adoration, the farseers noted that for the supposed ruler of all humanity, the man they were watching speak was surprisingly humble in his words; a far cry from their expectations, as with all things in this universe. The thoughts of the gargantuan crowd below threatened to overwhelm them, but they successfully managed to block them out.

"Are you good with public speeches?" Julie asked the farseers. "Because I'm not."

"We have few reasons to make speeches on our craftworld," Elathana said, gaze focused on Victor. "Much less reasons to gather like this."

Then, the Imperator introduced Victor to the stand, both figures unclear due to distance, causing Julie to jump up and clap her hands before she noticed the farseers' judging glares on her and awkwardly sitting back down. Despite the overwhelming positivity, they couldn't help but feel like something wrong was about to happen. Julie noticed this.

"Something catches your eye?" She asked. "I know my partner's a looker, but you're taking it a bit too far."

The farseer blushed. "I have a bad feeling about the human."

Julie looked over. "What? I see nothing wrong with him."

"Physically, no. Other things... are very bad."

"...should I be concerned?"

"Very much so, young one."

After he composed himself, Victor began to speak.

"In the year 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found the New World," he began, his voice echoing through the speakers. Camera drones surrounded him, broadcasting his face throughout the Technocracy. "Now, over a millennia later, we are recreating his voyage, for we have sailed the sea of souls and reached a new universe!"

The crowd cheered, but Victor could feel something... off about him, like something or someone was beginning to mold him like clay. Ignoring the sensation, he continued the speech.

"But this universe is not welcoming, nor friendly. No, the universe is hostile, their humanity has devolved into mindless brutes, minds full of Dangerous Thought that have led them to ruin!"

The crowd booed and jeered, an expected response to such beliefs.

"Although they may seem beyond redemption, we, as a rational and progressive species, must bring those who take comfort in false deities and beings, and show them the cold, hard truth of innovation and progress!"

As the crowd cheered again, Victor could feel something growing out of his right arm. He looked and saw what looked like a tentacle growing out of it. Ripping it out, Victor continued his speech.

"For this universe and all others are not meant for those who will not leave behind primitive ideals in the dirt and grime where they belong and embrace the wonders of innovation!"

More tentacles began to grow, more tentacles got pulled out by the silently panicking admiral. If the guards flanking him noticed something wrong, they didn't say anything.

"Life in this universe is all about change. Change in society, change in belief, change in oneself. Without change, we would revert to the level of cavemen, ever the more ignorant of our place in the cosmos. NO LONGER!" Victor's eyes glowed blue as purple smoke spilled from his fingertips. He slid his hands beneath his armpits. "Our science shall illuminate the darkness, our progress shall outshine the stars, AND OUR INNOVATION SHALL CHANGE THE FABRIC OF REALITY ITSELF!"

As the crowd cheered and as Victor made his speech, monitors in another location in the city noticed that his brainwaves were increasing. This wasn't unusual; nanite-augmented individuals often experienced such changes due to their brains having to compensate for their increased activity, but this was different. This was anomalous. A monitor switched their focus to a monitor displaying the admiral's vital functions, which showed that Victor's genetic stability was rapidly degrading.

"Command to response team," another monitor said, voice trembling. "Something is about to happen. Apprehend Admiral Williams and send him to the medical ward."

"Copy, intercept in six minutes."

The monitor then focused their attention on Victor's vitals and saw that his nanites were beginning to fail. The response team needed to hurry, as failure in an individual's nanites meant either uncontrollable mutation or death for the individual.

"... for to be a human is to thrive in hardship, to be a human is to resist those who would go against you, and to be a human is to not only survive but THRIVE, in environments where we do not belong. That is why it is up to me, you, and all of us to secure our claims to this new universe, and to secure our legacy as the first multi-universal species!"

The crowd roared as more and more smoke came out of the sleeves of his uniform, and tentacles began to emerge from his other arm, which caught the attention of the Home Guard members flanking him.

"Are you okay, admiral?" A guard asked.

"I'm fine," Victor whispered back with strained breath as he ripped out more tentacles. "I'm just cold."

"You're not fine."

"Just let me finish."

Facing the crowd, he continued as his body began to change. "It is not enough for us to merely be innovative in this new universe, as there will be those who would hamper our destiny! We must weed out these non-conformists and turn them on the right path! One of progress, understanding, and innovation, for it is not merely our responsibility, it is our DUTY!"

"Okay, admiral, you need to stand down," a guard whispered sharply at him as they increased the grip on their rifle.

"Please... just a little longer..." Victor pleaded before he faced the crowd and planted both hands on the podium to stabilize himself.

"I shall lead you and humanity's forces through the darkness, through all hardships, and bring back glory, not just for myself, but for all of you! We will drive back the darkness, enlighten the ignorant, and bring about a new era of progress and prosperity! But the dream is just that; a dream, unless YOU get out there and make it a reality, for today is not just my day or the Imperator's day, FOR TODAY IS HUMANITY'S DAY!" Victor finished with as much passion as he could muster.

The cheers and roars of the crowd could be heard from orbit, and as soon as the last camera drone left his face, he collapsed and began to shake uncontrollably while a guard dragged him away from the podium.

"This is Scutum 1, I have a... something going on with the admiral, I need a medical team now."

More and more tentacles emerged from his arms and legs, but Victor did not have the strength to remove them. Blue and purple smoke poured from his uniform, and his eyes glowed an unsettling purple. In his shaky vision, he could see Juliet and the farseers standing up in their booth and racing towards him just as a medical squad burst through the door and stood him up.

"Admiral Williams," the squad leader said. "By the order of the Imperator, you are temporarily relieved of duty until your condition improves."

All Victor could do was nod shakily as he was taken away, his bodily structure growing uncontrollably, his nanites desperately trying to keep him stable. As they escorted the mutating admiral through the halls, passersby either gasped in shock, threw up, or straight up fainted.

"W-what's h-h-happening to m-m-me?" He managed to get out.

"That's what we're going to find out, admiral," the squad leader replied. "You'll have the best medical facilities in the galaxy to help you.

"D-did you l-like my sp-speech at le-least?"

"It was amazing, admiral," a squad member genuinely said as the others made noises in agreement.

Information Data Logs

Princess Cordelia Yang: The female child of Imperator Adrian Yang XIV, Cordelia acts as the head of the Imperial Internal Security Department, using her skills gained from the Punitive Corps to ruthlessly hunt down and eliminate threats to public order, including, but not limited to criminals, dissidents, traitors, and cowards, either stealthily, or if the Technocracy wants to send a message, violently. As a member of the Yang royal bloodline and Dynasty, she primarily resides in the Forbidden City, although she occasionally visits the orbital ring surrounding Earth to reinforce their abilities. She adores her father and brother, who are most likely the only two beings in the galaxy she genuinely cares about, as whether through natural means or as a result of her nanite infusion, she has anti-social disorder and frequently mistreats the few servants employed by the dynasty. This is something she is trying to curb.

The Forbidden City: For some, it is a symbol of the glory of humanity, the legacy of the Imperator, and the ruling palace of the largest empire in the history of humanity. For others, it is the symbol of the most oppressive, imperialist, and bloodthirsty regime in galactic history. But for all others, it's merely the ruling building of the Interstellar Solar Technocracy. Made during the 15th Century during the Ming Dynasty, it has been the home of various emperors and dynasties since and is currently used by the current dynasty, the Yang Dynasty, which has expanded the city to cover five city blocks. It is quite possibly the most guarded location in not only the Technocracy, but the entire galaxy, even more so than other parliaments, courts, or imperial residents. Thousands of Home Guard soldiers patrol the premises without rest, and automated turrets gun down any unauthorized visitors. Despite its importance, hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the city each day, hoping to look upon the historical works within or to visit the Grand Archive to satisfy their curiosities.

Prince Charles Yang: The male child and designated heir of Imperator Adrian Yang XIV, Charles is to the bureaucracy and administration what his sister is to the Imperial Internal Security Department; efficient, organized, and hard-working. Despite undergoing the same nanite infusion process as his sister, he never had an ability for violence and warfare. While for normal people, this would warrant re-education or even execution for cowardice, the Imperator in his infinite wisdom recognized a need for efficient bureaucracy in an era of galactic expansion and made his son the head of all bureaucratic affairs, a position he has taken to with passion. With the protection of his sister, he has enjoyed stability and security in his position and has transformed the Technocracy's bureaucratic system from a garbled mess into an efficient machine to rival that of the First League. Despite his successes, some are concerned about him becoming Imperator when his father dies. Some believe that he'll make the Technocracy more efficient in the future, while hardliners think that his "pacifism defect" will turn the Technocracy into a cowardice and weak empire, and have called for his arrest or death. Those people were never heard from again.

Yang Dynasty: The ruling "party" of the Technocracy, many debate when the dynasty truly began. Some believe it was when the hyperdrive was invented in 2198. Others believe that it started when the War for Societal Unification was won by the then Asiatic Sovergrin Technocracy. But most, including the Imperator himself, believe that the Yang Dynasty began when the first Imperator, Fei Yin "Arden" Yang, made himself so during the Era of Billigerance. If going off of the Imperator's beliefs, then the Yang Dynasty is currently over five hundred years old, during which many Imperators came and went, some better or worse than others, but Adrian Yang XIV is the longest serving, coming into power in the year 2192 by overthrowing his decadent father. Despite him not being as involved as other dynasties, any changes must go through the Imperator before they're implemented.

The Grand Archive: In its effort to catalog everything that occurred in galactic history, the Technocracy had built the ultimate data storage device in the form of the Grand Archive. Using a mixture of recovered and reverse-engineered Vulatum* and First League** technology, along with their homegrown holographic technology, the Technocracy created what was essentially a data repository capable of recording the distant, distant past with the accuracy as if someone had witnessed them in person and recorded a journal of it. Notable examples include the complete autobiography of the Eldar Empire, what the original Necrotyr were, and the complete history of the Zroni.*** It is said that within the chambers of the Archive, information flows as freely as air and all one needs to do to receive information is to utter a topic and the most detailed holographic sheet will float down into one's hands. Want to know your entire genetic tree? Utter your last name + history and you'll have a detailed family tree reaching as far back as the Iron Age. Need to research a topic for a test? Utter the subject and have a complete description in easy-to-digest parts.

LS-344 "Crossbow" Sniper Rifle: More akin to a miniaturized railgun than a gunpowder rifle, the Crossbow is a five-and-a-half foot long projectile weapon that utilizes a very powerful magnetic field to charge and propel a foot-long sharpened rod of pure neutronium at twenty times the speed of sound that can punch through just about anything in existence. Tanks, bunkers, shielding, organic armor, small spaceships, everything is fair game no matter the size or armor. As expected, impact with an unarmored opponent is devastating, leaving little, if any, remains to be found. The recoil of this weapon is appropriately high, with only members of the Punitive Corps being able to not have their arms dislocated when firing.

*The Vultaum Star Assembly was a precursor race that developed advanced virtual reality technologies that led them to believe that the universe was one big simulation and that they needed to "crash" it so that they may "escape." This culminated with the race committing mass suicide via neutron torpedos and those who didn't believe the delusion were too few to repopulate their empire.

**The First League was a federation of alien empires and perhaps the first federation in the history of the galaxy. Their bureaucratic might was unparalleled by empires even today, and as they were a federation, they had many talents to bring to the table. Unfortunately, as is the fate of many a federation, inefficient processes, red tape, and general incohesion caused the First League to disband, and their capital, an ecumenopolis called Fen Habbanis III which relied on imports of food, was cut off, leading to mass starvation, riots, cannibalism, and ultimately the total collapse of their society.

***The Zroni were the earliest psionic users in the galaxy, their strength rivaling that of the Eldar during the peak of their empire. So proliferate in their psionic abilities, that the Zroni did not need conventional space-faring craft, as they could simply walk through the Shroud, and exit halfway across the galaxy. As such, for such a powerful race like the Zroni, there were surprisingly few colonies found, with only around five planets that could be confidently called "colonies" by conventional means. However, at the height of their civilization, many questioned the efficacy of using their psionic abilities. Questions turned into debates, debates into arguments, and arguments into conflicts that ultimately caused a massive civil war to break out between two factions; those who opposed using their psionic powers, known as the Saviors, and those who embraced their powers which were known as "the Divine." Despite the numbers advantage on the Saviors' side, the Divine could use their powers without restriction and summoned entities from the Shroud to use in combat. In a last-ditch effort, both sides used desperate measures to assure their success; the Divine tried to grow the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, while the Saviors channeled their energy into one being who turned themselves and the Divine into a reactive, and addictive, substance; all that is left of this powerful race.