Lyran Star Empire

History

Early Origins

Federation historians know little about the early days of the Lyran Star Empire, other than that they had been a Romulan client state for an extended period, at least during the Earth-Romulan War. The Lyrans claim that they were strong enough to at least partially resist the Romulans, enough to be granted favoured status, but the veracity of this claim has been doubted in some academic circles. It is known that the internal tensions that have rent the Empire have existed in some form since its foundation.

Romulan Retrenchment

When the Romulans abruptly cut off their contacts with the outside galaxy in the wake of the Tomed Incident, they also sealed their border with the Lyran Star Empire, after recalling their many advisers and garrisons. This left the Lyrans in a state of chaos, and the empire collapsed into anarchy, dividing up into numerous pocket factions.

Beta Lyrae itself was conquered five times in as many years by different factions, and the hereditary Emperor went into hiding. (Some suggest he sought refuge with the Romulans, others with the Federation, and still others suggest a prolonged sojourn into uncharted space.) A state of chaotic balance was rapidly attained, as it became increasingly apparent that no one side held any decisive advantage, and a collapse into anarchy seemed inevitable.

The Klingon Wars

In 2323, thirteen years into the Civil War, the Imperial Klingon State elected to launch a full-scale attack to conquer Lyran space. The Marquis of the Marches, Forqual was one of the few nobles to have remained relatively aloof from the warring factions, and was able to mount a partial defence; it was at this point that the Emperor returned from his prolonged retreat, long enough to call for the Empire to unify against the common enemy, before declaring Forqual (his illegitimate son) his rightful heir, and once more leaving, this time for good.

Though mistrust continued, the warring fleets rallied under the banner of the new Emperor, and though small in number were battle-hardened, with the advantage of knowing their space intimately. The IKS did not have the capacity for a prolonged campaign, and after one final battle, their main fleet was defeated, causing a humiliating rout from Lyran space that has yet to be forgotten.

Continuing Tensions

Forqual I acted to break the power of the former great families by ennobling dozens of the heroes of the Civil War; this act was extremely popular among the people, and served to create a loyal noble faction. He only lived for three years following the war, and his daughter strove to continue the balancing act that kept the Empire whole, playing the Great Houses against each other in a bid to perpetually keep them off balance. In 2362, the Empire signed a non-aggression pact with the Federation.

Politics

The Lyran Star Empire is a feudal state, with three Great Houses each ruling approximately a quarter of the Empire in terms of both territory and assets. The Emperor, currently Forqual III, personally controls the border provinces close to the Federation and IKS borders. Each of the Houses is required to maintain a standing military force, which they are obligated to put at the service of the Emperor on request; in practice, they have a significant say in its deployment. Many lesser nobles also maintain small forces, based on their control of corporations, planets, or cities; little unity is maintained in terms of command structure or ship tactics.

Military

The Lyran Star Empire has had little opportunity to develop its own military structure, and is instead reliant on old Romulan designs, though updated with more modern technology and abilities. The most prevalent rank and tactical doctrine is based on 23rd-century Romulan military patterns. Attempts to develop a native ship design capability have failed due to a lack of co-ordination; some attempts have been made to licence Federation or Free Worlds designs, but these have so far come to nothing. It is thought that the Houses are more reliant on espionage for new designs than scientific research.