Sol Imperium

The Sol Imperium is the current dominant power in the Solar System, governing all nine planets, their moons, and all planetoids in the system. The Imperium was founded by Emperor Msingi I in 2054, who unwillingly betrayed his close friend and brother-in-arms, Karel Labuschagne, shortly after the conquering Earth. The Imperium as of 2931, is currently ruled by the Akii-Bua Dynasty under Hekima III, who has been under pressure to keep the semi-autonomous worlds in the system under control. Following the brief Kuiper Wars (2927-2929), the Imperium has been on edge ever since, and the traitorous boasts to secede from the Imperium by the United Kingdom of Callisto, and plunge its parent state, the Jovian League into civil war, thus spliting the Imperium in half, has done little to calm the nation. Currently, Callisto is under Imperial occupation, with troops from the other subject nations assisting.

Beginnings
The Imperium can trace its beginnings back to 2008, with the birth of its future emperor, Idris Suja Karume, in a small village in Kenya. He was born to a poor couple, who like the rest of their village, depended on the small farms they tended to for their livelihood. As Idris grew, he bore witness to the increasing deteriorating state of his nation, as the political parties wrestled for power of the state. In 2021, one of the political parties, funded by Western nations, waged a “war on terror”, a more a subtle way of waging a then-current leadership, which refused to bow to international pressure to release newly discovered sources of oil. The President of Kenya at the time decided to horde the oil for himself, and sell it off to friendly nations such as the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation. However, the political stance of the United States and the European Union would not allow that, and he was warned to either allow American and European oil companies into his country, or they would be “forced to take administrative action”.

The Kenyan leader refused, and thus playing on social, economical, and political tensions, the West offered to assist the president’s political rivals bring “true freedom and economic prosperity” to their country. They justified their actions stating that they would buy the oil reserves at a premium price, and Kenya and the surrounding nations would reap the benefits. Thus, the president was killed in a U.N.-sponsored coup. However, the opposition leaders could not decide who would secede him, and began fighting amongst themselves. Thus, the Western nations only created a new problem that kept them away from their precious oil. This attempt to keep their own nations prosperous plunged the Kenyan state into civil war, and seeking to fill the gap in power, surrounding nations such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda, invaded Kenya. Kenya thus became the new Somalia of East Africa. In 2024, during the fighting, Idris’ parents were killed in a raid on their village to recruit new fighters for one of the local militias. Idris’ father refused to fight, and was shot on the spot. His mother faced a fate just as bad as death, and her suffering was ended in much the same way, only delayed at the behest of some of the militiamen. Idris and all of the able-bodied boys in the village were taken, and what was left his and others’ homes and memories, were burned to the ground in mere minutes. Idris, seeing no other way out of his predicament, opted to fight for as long as he had to, and to make good out of a bad situation. Sometime during 2027, a young South African man fighting with his mercenary father in the region, freed Idris from his life as a soldier in his militia. Why he was freed or how has been lost to time, but the young man’s name is still well known today.

Karel Labuschagne was 22 at the time of freeing Idris, and trained him in the “proper way of fighting”. Taking Idris under his wing, the two continued to fight in Kenya, up until around 2030, when Kenya was abandoned by the Western forces as “unsalvageable”, and left to its own devices. Taking Idris to South Africa with him, the two became quite friends, and discussed much about war and politics. They spoke much about the failings of the First World to help the Third World, and having seen all sides of the issue, at home, and later abroad, the two planned on just how they, as two relatively well-to-do mercenaries, could help those who could not help themselves. They came to the conclusion that simply founding a “Save the World” charity group as so many in the past would be pointless. Then, considering the source of the issues, they finally discovered what to do. By simply removing the rebel groups, corrupt politicians, disruptive influences abroad, and crushing the corrosive criminal elements within, they could in effect save Africa, then the world.

First Steps
As both men would soon realize, there was nothing “simple” about their plans. The rebels in Africa had been fighting each other for more than half a decade now, and looking at their organization and the world’s failure to quail the fighting in Kenya, they became rather dishearten. However, neither refused to stop themselves from failing their one goal. Karel came up with a rather clever plan. Looking at the past, the people’s inability to help themselves lead to them relying on abusive warlords for protection. Thus, the two agreed that they would go from country to country, training the people how to fight, and how to build their homes into thriving communities. While this plan wasn’t by any means unique, it was a step that could see the destructive warlords staved of recruits, and left weakened and open to attack by those seeking to build their country at last. They started in Congo, and worked their why north to the Central African Republic, killing warlords as they went, and leaving the people to deal with the rebel forces themselves.

As time passed, Karel thought that while their cause was noble, simply leaving farmers and villagers to defend the future their nation wasn’t enough. He wanted to build an army and forcibly unite Africa into a single unified power that would rid itself of the things that plunged it into darkness in the first place. Idris protested, stating that was the main reason so many warlords appeared in the first place. They all had their own idea of how they would “unite” Africa, and “save” the world. Idris wanted the people to live their lives free of tyrants, but Karel managed to sway Idris into believing that he was no tyrant. Idris, seeing a friend and not a ruthless killer, agreed to help his only in the world, and do as he wanted. As Idris discovered soon after, Karel was no different than those he sought to rid the world of. Until then, the two recruited men and women throughout the continent, and brought in fighters from abroad to prepare for their grand plan.

Idris’ blind trust and horror of his best friend’s true motives was not made manifest for some time, but until that time, the two were building an army. This army was made up of those who all wanted the same thing; a world free of the wars that hampered mankind’s progress for centuries. All were willing to lay their lives on the line, hoping that their work would allow their children to grow up in a safe and progressive world. Not wishing to reveal their plans to wage a worldwide war of unification, the prospective fighters were told to gradually make their journey to South Africa, and afterward, meet up with their respective liaisons in Zimbabwe, Angola, and Mozambique, after which they would be led to the army’s location. Between the formation of what Karel and Idris named the Army of Global Unification (or the AGU) in 2037, and the launch of their campaign in 2041, the AGU attracted some 57,600 members, who shared the duo’s dream of a unified mankind.

Moving on Kinshasa
On June 13, 2041, Idris, then 33 years of age, and Karel, 36 years of age, embarked on what was known then and still today as, the War of Unification. Leaving from their base to the far west of the city of Kisangani, the AGU forces set about their attempt to bring peace and order to the world, once and for all. The army marched to the southwest, determined to take Kinshasa, and force the government to capitulate. Gaining the trust of the populace, and training more people as they marched, the AGU established small battalion-sized forces to enforce their laws in the conquered territories. Each force would be responsible for protecting the people from corrupt government officials seeking to recruit troops to fight the AGU. These detachments would later form the core of the Kudhibiti, the force of military police charged with keeping order in the Imperium soon after its creation.

The AGU force laid siege to the Congolese capital, demanding the President step down and face justice, or die with his men in the eventual defeat he would face. Seeking clemency, he agreed, and he was charged with gross corruption, and later on sentenced to life imprisonment as per the agreement reached as part of his surrender. Up until the point Kinshasa fell to Karel and Idris’ army, the rest of the world thought the AGU to be yet another rebel army seeking power at the expense of others. Yet, looking at their successes, and the relative protection they granted their new citizens, the international community granted the force global recognition. However, they soon discovered what the force’s plan were, and sought to stop them or at least keep them contained.

By 2050, the Army of Global Unification conquered much of Central African, and reached a total of 580,000 members, drawn from those seeking a new life, far from the squalor and destitution they had been living in for so many years. As time passed, Idris and Karel, after much success in quelling multiple Sub-Saharan nations, and dividing them into new states, they decided to split their force, and take on a two-front campaign. Karel would invade Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, and Idris would attack Uganda, Tanzania, and his home country, Kenya, still suffering from its civil war. Optimistic and looking forward to enjoying the fruits of their labor, Idris and Karel split ways, and moved to take their homelands. As both discovered, their observers would not be to pleased with their success. The world was moving to stop them before they became a “real” threat.

The World Intervenes
After many successful campaigns in Africa, the world began to realize that the AGU was no simple rebel army. It was well-trained, well-equipped, had a goal and solid leadership capable of directing it to do amazing things. This was a issue that worried world powers. The possibility of a unified and resource-rich Africa capable of drawing on all of its manpower was too great of a threat to the current balance of power in the world. The United States, China, Russia, Britain, France, Turkey, India, and Brazil, without the permission of the United Nations, sent a massive army known as the Coalition of Stability, to the African continent to put an end to the nuisance that was the AGU. The Coaliton would first strike at Idris, seeking to end his march to the coast.

Idris’ campaign to the city of Mombasa placed under him command of 230,000 troop, 5,000 tanks, 700 aircraft, and 130 missiles, known as the Army of Haki, all paid for by donations from like-minded individuals around the world, captured stockpiles of cash taken from corrupt leaders, and the rejuvenated economies of the African states liberated by the AGU. While not a cutting-edge military force, for the feats it accomplished, it was without a doubt an impressive army. While taking a quick break from the push to Mombasa, Idris was tipped off on the Coalition’s coming invasion, and readied his forces for the attacks. As history would later reveal, luck save Idris and the AGU’s effort in ways that both proved the need for the AGU to win, and the reason why.

Invasion of Africa
As the AGU braced itself for the Coalition’s attack, a series of blunders and failings on the Coalition’s side would give the AGU some edge in the coming invasion. First off, the Coalition was assembled hastily, and lacked any solid plan before going into East Africa. Second, while they knew Idris was a threat, they had forgotten to take into consideration Karel and his half a million strong army, which was far better equipped and trained, considering it was taking on the better developed part of Africa, and its regional power, South Africa. Thirdly, it was fighting another war that the public in the member states didn’t want. The abysmal failure in Somalia, and later Kenya, left a bad taste in both the mouths of citizens and veterans, as well as politicians and commanders. Thus, they lacked proper grounds to justify going back into the region. Lastly, they failed to take into consideration the economic issues surrounding the conflict. The AGU forces were fighting not for money or power, but for peace and security. The Coaltion lacked the will to fight.

Before the Coalition forces even reached the shored of Kenya, India and Turkey backed out, stating that social issues had arisen. Following the Fourth Indo-Pakistan War and the Invasion of Iran, the citizens of both countries refused to fight into yet another conflict. Brazilians forces were incapable of bypassing Karel’s army, which was in the process of invading South Africa, and closed off the region’s airspace, and prevented ships from going around South Africa by maintaining a strong anti-ship airforce. Going all the way through the Suez Canal was deemed uneconomical, and the Brazilians scrapped their plans to assist in the invasion, leaving only the United States, China, Russia, Britain, and France in the fight. The planned 350,000 man force was thus limited to 175,000, ruining plans for quick victory. On the AGU’s side, this was a relatively good thing, though the superior of the Coalition’s forces would make life unbearable for them.

As Coalition troops landed on the coast near Mombasa, AGU troops released an unforgiving hail of sniper, artillery, and small arms fire, killing a significant number of Coalition as they disembarked from their amphibious landing vehicles. Coalition airpower eventually forced the AGU backed into the city, but they maintained a grip on the coast long enough to prevent the bulk of the Coalition force from landing, and thus keeping full force of their firepower from assembling. Some 5,769 AGU personnel were killed in the first battle on the coast, only 621 Coalition forces were killed or wounded. That kind of fighting would persist as time passed and only get worse as the AGU was forced back inland. The Coalition forced its way after the AGU, soon succumbing to the opposition’s mastery of jungle warfare. Aerial support was useless for both sides, as the dense foliage prevented aircraft pilots from hitting the right targets.

The fighting took a turn in 2053, when the Coalition suffered a major defeat at Kindu. Some 8,000 Coalition soldiers were killed when an AGU covert team set of a nuclear device in the Coalition base. Questions soon arose at how the AGU got a nuclear weapon, how gave it to them, and more importantly, how did they get it onto the base in the first place. Such fighting soon lead to the people of Coalition nations taking the streets, demanding that the war be brought to an end, and the AGU be recognized as a member of the world community. Karel’s return from fighting in South Africa to main front to take over for Idris only hastened the Coalition’s final response, and bowed to international pressure. Seeing no alternatives, the Coalition pulled its forces out of Africa, and left the continent to its own devices, much in the same way it did to Kenya. The AGU victory, though not what it wanted, was complete.

Birth & Betrayal
On June 20, 2054, Idris and Karel arrived in the city of Lubumbashi, which had served as the AGU capital since 2047, to announce the creation of the state they had worked so hard to build. Karel walked up to a podium, and announced the formal formation of the Sol Imperium. The name confused many, and Idris was particularly concerned. However, the intention for such a name would be give. Karel announced that while the AGU had completed a feat many armies in the past could not, he stated that its job was not done. Rebuilding their new nation was a start, but the whole world needed to be brought to heel to reap the benefits of ‘’his’’ new empire. That sign finally gave Idris all of the clues needed to realize that Karel was just as corrupt as those he had vanquished. Matters were only made worse when Idris discovered that his now 49 year old friend, had spent half of those killing innocents, and hiding such knowledge from him to keep him loyal to ‘’his’’ cause.

Sickened, betrayed, and distraught, Idris realized that he had to make a move now, less Karel only drag the Imperium down with him. Knowing the Karel would any attempt to bring to be brought to justice, Idris made a quick prayer for what he knew he’d have do next. Taking a deep breath, and walking calmly toward Karel as his spoke, Idris pulled his gun from his holster, and giving a subtle nod to his and Karel’s advisors, all aware of the monster Karel was, put the gun to the back of Karel’s head. Without so much of a twitch, and knowing his former friend was aware of his fate, Idris pulled the trigger, killing Karel on international television. The crowd watched in horror as Karel’s lifeless body slumped over the podium, and Idris’ bodyguards carry it away. Idris, tearful but undeterred, explained to the audience at home and abroad, what he and his officers had discovered about Karel. Without prompting, the audience applauded Idris. Well aware of his new role in life, Idris embraced his position as Emperor, and set about rebuild his new empire, the way it should have been.