In the face of depravity and corruption
With extinction looming in the horizon
Great men come to the fore
To bring hope to a broken nation
To perform deeds never done before
And smite their foes with cold iron
Such was the beginning of the Poem of the Imperial Crusade, as written by Governor-General Adrian Lao of the Imperial Host in his college years before the outbreak of the Civil War that cemented the Imperial Republic as the dominant force in the Solar System.
By the year 2500, mankind had spread across the stars under the Global Ministry, which was proclaimed when mankind feared its destruction and united the world's nations towards a common cause. With that proclamation, the extraterrestrial colonies of each nation became united. The Golden Age of Peace was thus proclaimed afterwards. At the turn of the millennium, the International Commune replaced the Global Ministry after a neo-socialist revolution took the galaxy by storm, seeking to establish a utopia. The borders of man now reached the edges of the Local Arm and a portion of the Sagittarius Arm of the Galaxy. Despite these advancements, the utopia promised by the International Commune never came. Instead, many of those living in Earth felt only suffering.
And so, by the year 3220, a rebellion fuelled by a hatred of the Commune and an ambitious sentiment to bring humanity to a golden age led by a mighty ruler birthed a new state: the Legionary Empire of Man. It spread from the heart of mankind, deep in the Eastern Region of Terra, all the way to the edges of the Sol System in 3228 by means of conquest. Now, eight years later, it prepares to once again threaten International Commune space. Their targets: the fifteen star systems closest to Sol.
Of the many renowned units of the Imperial Host is the First Expeditionary Theatre, lead by none other than the ruler of the Legionary Empire itself, the Princeps Civitatis and Augustus, Laurentius I. Its flagship, the white-and-gold Strategos, sits just beyond Pluto. Underneath the First Expeditionary Theatre is the First Army, lead by the Augustus' infamous lieutenant, Legatus Augusti pro Praetore Adrian Lao himself, whose strategic brilliance and management of the First Legion, the Legion of Saint Michael, allowed for then-General Laurentius Job's victory over three International Armies in the decisive Battle of Berlin that crushed the last major Communard resistance on Earth.
The First Expeditionary Theatre has mobilised, and has been ordered to prepare to conquer the star systems closest to Sol: Alpha Centauri, Klopstock, Hadrianus, and Tau Ceti, with a host of five million men and twenty thousand ships.
Attention, citizens! In your path to become fully-fledged members of society with the right to vote and join the Imperial government, you have joined the military in service to your country, and in service to your people. But let's forget all your ambitions for now, because right now, you are all soldiers in the First Expeditionary Theatre, born and raised in the Sol System. Some of you may be part of the Extraterrestrial Themes, or the Provincial Legions of Earth, but our goal remains the same: we will conquer the stars as we are commanded, prying their planets from the tyrannical grip of the dying International Commune, and bring glory to the Empire and Humanity! Hail the Fatherland, hail Augustus, and hail Mankind!
THEMES
It's a military science fiction story inspired by Legend of the Galactic Heroes and drawing inspiration from the government in Starship Troopers. Need I say more?
Sure. Here's the deal: despite the fact that this is a thousand years into the future, I'd rather we keep the technology as close to reality as possible, excluding the way people here travel the vast cosmos. I'm not going to elaborate on all the technology right now, though, since that will be overly complicated and boring in an interest check, though we'll dive into some weapon systems later on. Also, fictional star systems just make everything more interesting, let's be honest.
As you may have already gathered, the participants of the RP will be playing as members of the First Expeditionary Theatre, either as foot soldiers, officers, ship captains, or admirals. War is now the norm as an Imperial citizen. Unlike in our time, wars are no longer simply defined by who controls the cities, but by who controls the orbit of a planet. However, ground battles still play a significant role in the ending of wars should the goal be the capture of a planet instead of its destruction. Orbital superiority is similar to air superiority, except it sucks more for the guys with orbital inferiority since they're always at risk of getting orbitally bombed with armaments that aircraft just can't carry.
In terms of basic firearms, there will only be two types: projectile-based and energy-based. Laser weaponry is used mostly by scouting units and snipers, since they're generally lighter as they won't require magazines, just a single battery pack for a single mission. They're useful at penetrating enemy body armour at long ranges, and don't suffer from the same problems a projectile has, which is the fact that light isn't pulled by gravity. Also, no recoil. Unfortunately, there are certain limitations. For example, the greater the distance, the less effective the beam is at killing; another would be the fact that in fog or smoke, the laser would be so dispersed that it wouldn't do anything at all. Projectile weapons are generally heavier because of the ammunition, and they're not as accurate, but they certainly do more damage because of the energy a bullet can impart once it rips through the body. Also, projectile-based weapons are much easier to mass-produce because of a lack of complicated parts, though the logistical part makes it harder on the logistics crews and strategists.
That's it for now, I guess.