The Project Gutenberg E-text of Imperial Empire Concordance, by Ann Wilson

A: (Imperial English): The neutral-animate pronoun. Emperor Chang disliked the fact that there was no good Standard English pronoun that referred to a single individual of unknown sex, or where sex was immaterial, so he made use of the Celtic "a", often written with an accent mark (á) by those who use Standard, to distinguish it from the indefinite article (@ is sometimes used when the printing/writing device cannot show accent marks). In Imperial English orthography, the Cyrillic "ya" (reversed R) is used.

[Preparer's note: The @ symbol has been used throughout these stories in the manner described above.]

ACADEMY: The Imperial Military Academy or Imperial Administrative Academy. Both are headquartered in and have their most prestigious facilities in the Antarctica Palace Complex; "branch" Academies are located throughout the Empire.

ALANNA, Clan: First of the Sandeman clans. Famous for its outstanding edged weapons.

ALANNA, Dana Dru-: Originally Dana Manfredi. A Terran woman who swore personal fealty to Richard Jason. When Jason repudiated her after trying to kill her, Dana asked the Alanna clan-chief's help in making atonement for allowing him to accept an unworthy thakur-na. After seeing the evidence, the Alanna instead asked Clan Miklos to convene a planet-wide conference, and asked Clan Vader to rule on both Dana's and Jason's actions. The decision was that Dana had acted properly and Jason had not; the Alanna then offered her his clan's countenance (essentially adoption), and when she accepted, claimed Chief's Right on her behalf. The conference agreed with that, banning Jason from any business in Subsector Sandeman, declaring his property forfeit, and giving him a day to get off-world or be killed by the first warrior who saw him. It also named Dana to the warrior caste and gave her the right to wear honor-black. ("Thakur-Na")

ALTERNATE UNIVERSES: Until the first ship from a provably alternate universe appeared in the Empire, these were thought to be mathematical abstractions. Afterward, however, they were accepted as fact. That first confirmed inter-universe transition, like most, was the result of a drive malfunction, and led to the further discovery that if the drive was repairable, the ship's next hyper-transition would take it away (from what happened to Imperial ships, return it to its own universe). If the drive could not be repaired, the transferees had to remain.

That, at least, was and is the official story. In actuality, controlled inter-universe transition exists, but is a strictly-controlled secret. There are several reasons for this, but the primary two are the Ravagers and the fact that, although the time rate is constant, the apparent time ranges from megayears in the "past" to megayears in the "future".

AMATOR: (Xanadu) A member of the Guild of Amators, a professional entertainer specializing in sexual activities. Students are unrated; examinations, when their instructors consider them ready, will rate them as Specialist, Generalist, or Extra Class. Ratings can be upgraded by further training and examination.

ANTHEM, IMPERIAL: Otherwise known as "Darth Vader's Theme", by John Williams, from the Star Wars trilogy. In Annexation, this choice of anthem has a strong effect on the Sandeman attitude toward the Empire.

ANTI-AGATHIC: A drug developed in 2113 which greatly extends the lifespan of humans, both standard and variant. Begun immediately after adolescence, it will approximately double expectable lifespan; begun later, the effect is less dramatic but still appreciable. Biological age remains what it was when treatment was started, until the last 3-5 years, though some minor cosmetic changes (such as graying hair) may appear at around the normal time.

ANTI-INTERROGATION CONDITIONING: A total memory erasure triggered by a code phrase spoken by the person needing to use it. At this point, the victim fixates on the first person seen or heard. Memory up to the time of the last conditioning can be restored by replay of a mindscan tape made then, and memory after the conditioning is triggered is retained; the interval between is lost.

ARMS BALDRIC: A formal or semi-formal way of displaying arms. The baldric is a length of cloth or other material about eight inches wide, hanging down in front to about wrist length, draped over the left shoulder, around the back to waist level on the right, and over the left shoulder again to about knee-height in back, with the arms pinned to it just below the left shoulder. It is colored in accordance with the level of the jurisdiction issuing the arms: green for the Empire, white for a Sector, yellow for a Subsector, orange for a system, red for a planet, and black for any lesser jurisdiction. The baldric may be fringed in silver or green, depending on the baldric's color.

BADER, Lawrence: Imperial Ranger. Recruited Jess Winters as Sovereign of Alternate Sierra, 2683.

BALIK: (Sandeman) A solitary lupoid predator. Females tend to nest and bear their kits in the mountains or high foothills. (Sylvia Stevens)

BATTLE-COMPANION: (Sandeman) One who has fought beside another for some time, or done a combat-related service for the other deserving such recognition. Battle-companions are usually warriors/w'women, but Others are acknowledged as such occasionally. Under highly unusual circumstances, even an enemy may become a battle-companion, at which point @ is no longer an enemy. Battle-companions will give each other Last Gift without question if asked, and when using High War Speech, employ the familiar mode.

BATTLEPREP: (Sandeman) A combat-oriented form of need, induced by mental and physical concentration. Unlike the sexual form of induced need, which will subside on its own with no more effect than a slight shortening of the warrior's cycle, battleprep involves the entire body; unless the warrior goes into demanding combat within an hour or two, he will go into overload and die. As this is well known, a warrior will prep only when combat is imminent.

Battleprep is often referred to as a berserker state, but that is only partially correct. The prepped warrior is only marginally, if at all, aware of pain and wounds; blood clots quickly to minimize loss; speed and strength are heightened on the same order as that of someone of average strength who can suddenly lift a car to save an infant. Beyond this, however, the berserker analogy breaks down, because the warrior retains his full intelligence and judgement. This combination makes a battleprepped warrior one of the most dangerous beings in the known universe.

BCE: Before the Common Era. Usually called BC (Before Christ) prior to the Empire. See CE.

BLACK LORD, The: Sandeman term for Lord Darth Vader, generally regarded as villain of the classic Star Wars film trilogy. The Sandemans see him as a symbol of their race: held in thrall by another (Palpatine/the Shapers), but maintaining all honor possible during that thralldom and eventually throwing it off to regain (or gain) full honor for himself and his family (or the Sandeman race). Clan Vader, the first clan formed after Overthrow, was named for him and is the arbiter for the most delicate questions of honor. The ceremonial garb called honor-black is derived directly from the Black Lord's armor and robes.

BLAST RIFLE: A shoulder weapon, powered by a small fusion reactor pack, which emits a plasma beam. Since their power packs are larger than those of a hand-held blaster, they are correspondingly either more powerful or more long-lasting, depending on the operator's preference.

BLOODMATE: A strong, possibly latent empath who has been changed by the nosferatu pseudo-virus to an extremely capable blood donor, able to supply all a Kin's needs. The primary adaptation is bone marrow hyperactivity, which permits loss of blood with no harm to the Bloodmate beyond fatigue and increased appetite. Other changes include increased physical strength, though not to the extent of a Kin's, along with heightened empathy and endurance, both of which exceed a Kin's.

Although Bloodmates appeared at the same time as Kins, their lack of visible change meant that for more than two years they were thought to be no more than unusually capable Donors. That changed when Marine Captain Jase Thompson, who was extremely susceptible to the virus, was changed and it was discovered that he literally had to donate at daily intervals to remain physically and emotionally healthy. ["Teams"] This allowed testing of the other unusually capable donors, and led to the discovery that the approximate 10% who went through change with no apparent effect had actually become Bloodmates.

BOND: A close physical/emotional tie between a Kin and a Bloodmate. It is involuntary, very fast, and takes place when a Kin feeds on a Bloodmate who is @'s complement. The empathic link between them is so strong that each is always aware of the other's physical and emotional state. This is usually quite pleasant, but if one is severely hurt or killed, the other will suffer psychological and physical pain and illness, sometimes fatal.

BROTHERHOOD OF FREEDOM: (Kingdom Systems) A Systems-wide terrorist group that appeared around 2550. It has no declared objective beyond the disruption of society, and its leader, Lawrence Shannon, claims to be the incarnation of Satan.

Its primary targets, until the Empire's arrival in 2572, were Royal Enforcement Service troopers; at that point, Imperial personnel took priority. Other than those two groups, the Brotherhood's targets are places which will cause the most distress: schools, hospitals, churches, and such are attacked at random, the people there killed with the maximum amount of violence. It is these terror raids which inspired the formation of the Strike Force section of the RES.

CADET INCOGNITO: The provision made for Imperial nobles who wish to attend the Military or Administrative Academies without receiving special attention (either leniency or strictness). The cadet's true identity is known only to the Commandant of Cadets, and revealed at graduation or if an emergency requires the cadet to drop out earlier.

CASSELL, Sandoval (Sandy): (2092-2189) Leader of the genetic engineers later known as the Shapers.

CATEGORY F ("Foreign Legion") ENLISTMENT: The provision made for anonymous enlistment in the Imperial military. A person wanting to make use of this provision must meet the normal enlistment criteria, and tell the recruiting officer the reason (which may not be revealed to any third party) for wanting Category F. If the recruiting officer is satisfied that the reason has no bearing on the individual's fitness for service, @ will be enlisted under a new name, with a Category F ident code (prefix FFF); only the Imperial computer net has data on both identities. The Cat F enlistee's career will not be restricted except in one way: @ may not become an officer without resuming @'s original name and ident code.

CE: Common Era, the Imperial term for what was called AD before the Empire's formation. BC, in those terms, is BCE--Before the Common Era. This change was made to avoid any implication that the Empire might favor or promote any particular religion.

CHANG, Cheong: (2050-2149) First Sovereign of the Terran Empire. Retired from the USMC as a Major General in 2097. Became acquainted with Reinhard Nannstein, an acquaintanceship that became a close friendship. At Nannstein's urging, Chang entered Solar Federation politics, rapidly earning a reputation for outstanding statesmanship and unyielding integrity. Elected President of the Federation in 2124, he was aware that his friend's work on gravitics (and the high probability that faster-than-light travel would soon follow) would require some drastic changes, and he began laying the groundwork for them. In 2125, Nannstein invented hyperdrive; as humanity exploded away from Terra, Chang and Nannstein acted. Democratic government, even as loose as the Federation's, had become so obviously impractical--and Chang was so highly regarded--that they were able to persuade the Federation Congress to pass a constitutional amendment dissolving the Federation and establishing the Terran Empire--on the condition that Chang agree to be Emperor. One of his first acts on assuming the Throne was to create the Rangers and nobility; another was to direct the regularization of English. His alphabet and some of his other linguistic changes caught on; some did not. He died seconds after midnight, 1 January 2149.

CHIEF'S BENCH: (Sandeman) A judicial-style bench in the clanhome's main hall, used by the clan-chief on formal occasions.

CHIEF'S RIGHT: (Sandeman) A clan-chief's right to impose punishment on one who has committed a serious offense against a member of his clan.

CIRCLE OF LORDS: The Traiti deities, three females and nine males--one of whom, Lord Esteban the Peacelord, is a human. All were planned for and then influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the psionic computer called Godhome--which had been left behind for that task when the Others departed to continue their development on another plane of existence. Once those who were to become Lords agreed to serve, Godhome forced them into full intellectual and emotional maturity; although they have powers generally thought of as godlike, they think of themselves as parents. Their aim, over millennia, is to bring all intelligence to their level; their philosophy is that self-responsibility is essential to natural maturation, so they intervene only when, and only as much as, absolutely unavoidable for racial survival.

CLAN NAMES, TRAITI: Naming convention is one or two letters, an apostrophe, and one or two syllables to form something pronounceable. Clan names probably had meaning when the clans were originally established, but those meanings have become lost over the millennia. (Some clan-names established in the series so far: Ch'geasht, Ch'kara, D'gameh, K'horan, N'chark, St'nar.)

CLANS, SANDEMAN: The basic unit of Sandeman society, the extended "family". While the clan-chief is in charge and has the last word, he is not--cannot be--a dictator. Until Overthrow, clans were established by the Shapers and restricted in size to 200-500 members; since then, some have gotten larger, and a new clan is formed by agreement between two or more "parent" clans who contribute members and resources.

Some established clans (those with asterisks formed by the Shapers), with their specialties and brief notes if applicable; there may be a more detailed entry as well, under the clan name, if available information justifies it.

Alanna*: edged weapons; the First Clan.
     Cid
     Datha
     Elwyn*
     Faerb
     Glenn
     Havek: metal-working, electronics; daughter-clan to Krishnan and Leras.
     Klein
     Krishnan*: basic research, farming.
     Leras*: farming, piloting and pilot training; the entire warrior caste of this clan is accomplished pilots.
     Levya*: shipfitters
     Lewies*
     Lowrie*
     Miklos*: communications.
     Neill*: leather battlegear, horses.
     Raynor*: medicine, genetics.
     Seldon
     Shona*: war-dogs, farming.
     Torrance: boats, other aquatic craft, seamanship.
     Vader: energy weapons; the first clan formed after Overthrow.

CLOUDCATS: Inhabitants of Ondrian, moved there by the Others about 8000 BCE because their original sun was about to go nova.

They resemble Terran mountain lions in size and shape, though because of their preference for cold climates, their fur is thick and white. They are highly intelligent, although the first colonists thought them wild animals; they communicate and manipulate objects with a pair of tentacular Y-shaped "tongues" that retract into cheek pouches when not in use.

Cloudcats are solitary hunters, living in mountain caves the Others provided with psionically-operated survival aids; although the closest world to their native one, Ondrian is enough harsher that, without the survival aids, cloudcat art and philosophy would have suffered, perhaps died. Most are involved with one or the other, many with both, and the tapestries they weave from their shed fur are in great demand throughout the Empire. Although most cloudcats never leave their home territory, some do take advantage of their right (granted in return for the colonists' free use of the equatorial zone) to travel at will on Imperial ships.

CLOUD-SILK: A soft, light, tough luxury fabric made from a plant that thrives only on Herbert's World.

CODES, COLOR: (Stories) Generally seen on military uniforms in the form of collar tabs, the color codes indicate the service's level. Imperial forces have no collar tabs; Sector-level have white, Subsector-level have yellow, System-level have orange, and Planetary-level have red.

(TE Society) These are the ones on the badges, intended to simplify mutual identification, especially when not in uniform or regalia. No color band means no Imperial rank (except for brown, which indicates a local noble; technically, they have no Imperial standing, but are generally given the courtesy title of "Excellency"). Green indicates the Sovereign (wide) and Rangers (2 narrow); white is for Dukes, yellow for Earls, orange for Counts, and red for Barons (in all of these a wide band is for a Life Noble, two narrow for a Ruling Noble and @'s Consort and Heir, one narrow for a Life Noble's spouse and a Ruling Noble's younger children). Black indicates Marines, blue Navy, with wide band for Imperial regulars, two narrows for Imperial reservists, and one narrow for local forces.

CODES, IDENT: (Stories) Only S and R indicate status in this group (Sovereign and Rangers, respectively); with the first and last letters of the individual's name, these form a three-letter prefix. All others have a five-letter prefix, with the first three being a home-planet identifier (preferably the first three letters in the Imperial English alphabet, but modified where necessary to prevent duplication), again with the first and last letters of the individual's name. The prefix is followed by an eight-digit number that precisely identifies the individual.

(TE Society) These were set up to allow computer separation, if it ever becomes necessary, by Imperial status; the first letter indicates that with S for Sovereign, R for Ranger, N for Imperial noble, C for citizens derived (or derivable) from the original TE stories, and E for citizens of extra-universal origin. TE is simply for Terran Empire, and the numbering is consecutive, assigned when enough information is available to do so--usually when the Admin Service has a persona form to work from.

COLD PEAK RANGE: A Sandeman mountain range, mostly on Clan Torrance territory. It is supposed to be the most beautiful mountain scenery on the planet, but is visited by few Sandemans other than Torrance hunting parties because of the general Sandeman dislike for low temperatures.

COMBAT DIVISION: The largest of the ITMC's major specialty divisions, it is responsible for all directly combat-related activity, including such things as basic training.

COMM IMPLANT: A surgically implanted communications system consisting of a transmitter in the throat and a receiver at the mastoid bone. Imperial implants have an always-active receiver and touch-activated transmitter, which can also be computer-activated if the comp initiates the contact and expects an answer.

COMP: Computer, of any type and size from a hand-held personal model to an Imperial Battle Cruiser's or other artificial intelligence.

CONCLAVE: The gathering of Rangers called by a new Sovereign immediately after @'s accession, to name the new Successor.

CONSORT, -CONSORT: Unhyphenated, a Kin of the Dragon who has Bonded to a Bloodmate. Hyphenated, after a title of nobility, the spouse of a ruling Imperial noble.

COR'NAYA: (Traiti) Honored One. Generally, a male who has taken and survived the Ordeal of Honor, and displays the Honor scars inflicted as a test of endurance to conclude the Ordeal. Rarely, a female who has borne twins and has been given Honor scars under anesthesia in a hospital.

CORONET: The lesser crown used by Rangers (when using their civil title of Prince/Princess) and Imperial nobles, primarily on ceremonial occasions.

CROWN, IMPERIAL: The crown worn by the Sovereign during major ceremonies such as Investitures, Grand Audiences, etc. It is made of platinum in a wing-and-star motif, with the arches topped by the globe and sun segments of the Imperial Seal. The only gems used are pearls on the arches. For comfort, the crown is worn over a green velvet Cap of Estate, turned up with ermine. For less formal occasions a lighter version, without arches (and sometimes called the Diadem), is used.

DARLAS: An aspect of Talent, a form of psionic attack that can vary in effect, depending on the user's strength and intent, from a mild stun to lethal. In whatever degree, it is extremely painful to the victim.

DERYBACH: (Traiti) A Homeworld predator Ranger Tarlac characterized as an overgrown bobcat. They bear a strong resemblance to cloudcats, though they have shorter fur and are tawny rather than white.

DIADEM, IMPERIAL: A term sometimes used to refer to the Imperial Crown as it is worn during ceremonies other than major ones such as Coronation or Grand Audiences. It is somewhat lighter, since it does not have the arches.

DISRUPTOR: A gravitics-based weapon that disrupts its target's molecular structure. Sizes (and power) vary from the relatively weak sidearm favored by the Traiti to the extremely powerful "primaries" mounted in Imperial light, heavy, and battle cruisers, which require a separate T/CT power supply equal to that used for propulsion and ship support.

DONOR: As used by Narvonese, a person who acts as an occasional (one to four week interval, depending on the individual) blood-source for the Dragon-Kin, but whose lack of susceptibility to the nosferatu pseudo-virus prevents @ from becoming a Bloodmate. Donating or not is an individual decision, as is the method. While most choose to Donate directly and get the pleasure the Kin feels and projects to @'s Donor while feeding this way, some people prefer to Donate indirectly, through a medical unit; that blood is used for Kins who for some reason or other cannot or choose not to feed normally. This is not usual, though; "bottled" blood is, rather like WWII C-rations, life-sustaining but not very good, and certainly not satisfactory for long periods. The more usual problem is keeping donors from doing so too often, to the point where it adversely affects their health.

DOWER NOBLE: A ruling noble who retires and that noble's spouse, or the spouse of a ruling noble who has died. Dower nobles have no legal power, but are entitled to the courtesies of their former ranks. They add a true-lover's knot to their arms to indicate dower status.

DRAGON PRINCE: (Sometimes referred to simply as "Dragon" or "Prince") Personification of the nosferatu pseudo-virus, the result of a dream by the first Kin, during her Change, about a platinum-scaled Oriental-style dragon wearing a crown. She was familiar with both the fictional and real Draculas, synthesizing that knowledge with what she somehow sensed (or knew through Talent) she was becoming, and the virus' essential benevolence. Her colony of virus, even though it was centuries from true consciousness or self-awareness, picked up the image, possibly as a rudimentary identification, and passed it along as other colonies reached a level that changed their hosts.

DRUGS established so far, alphabetically. See individual entries for details.
     Energine
     Felzine
     Keisha
     Libidine
     Rapid-heal
     Veranol

EGERIN: The hormone that defines a Sandeman warrior and controls his need cycle.

EMPIRE, TERRAN: Founded by Cheong Chang in 2128, the Empire is an umbrella government with functions limited to defense of the Empire as a whole, peacekeeping (primarily between Sectors, though occasionally if necessary between lesser fiefs as well), and inter-cultural relations that cannot be handled at a lower level. Its normal method of operation is that of minimum intervention, to encourage maximum diversity (within limits; neither anarchy nor Balkanization are seen as desirable).

As a safeguard, although going to the appropriate noble is generally preferable, all Imperial citizens have the right of direct appeal to the Throne, and if circumstances warrant (normally determined by an Evaluation Team investigation), the Empire will act.

The Empire is based firmly on the principle of enlightened self-interest, making it the most thoroughly pragmatic government humans have ever developed. Ninety-nine-plus percent of the time, this means demonstrating an integrity pre-Empire Terran politicians would believe undesirable to impossible, probably both.

However, there is that other fractional percent of a time. Even the greatest idealists realize that from time to time, any government is going to need to use unpleasant, unethical, and possibly even illegal means to achieve something vital. For these times, as well as for more normal undercover operations, the Empire is believed to use its IntelDiv field agents, as well as the rumored Shadow Fleet.

ENERGINE: A powerful stimulant, effective for approximately eight hours. While it will allow the user to overcome most weaknesses, too much will demand a high price in recuperation afterward.

ENGLISH, IMPERIAL: Emperor Chang's regularized version of a combination of American and British English, with phoneticized spelling and somewhat modified vocabulary.

ENVIRO-SUIT: A coverall-type garment that provides protection from extreme temperatures, either heat or cold, between approximately -100 and +150 degrees Celsius.

EVALUATION TEAM: Commonly called an E-Team, this is a group of Marine Intelligence Division operatives sent in to investigate a citizen's report or appeal for help, if a preliminary evaluation shows a potentially serious problem to exist, and determine whether Imperial intervention is both justified and necessary. Only when the report is of imminent warfare or rebellion, when it includes evidence that makes an investigation unnecessary, or when the preliminary evaluation shows it not to be an Imperial matter, is an E-Team not sent in.

EXOTIC: Xanaden term for genetically engineered human variants, specifically those originally intended as sexual objects.

Although major genetic engineering of humans was outlawed in 2310, it has been impossible to completely suppress. It has, however, been driven into secrecy, with the result that most such engineering is done by or for the rich and powerful who have grown bored with legal diversions. This in turn means that most subjects of such engineering have had their sexuality enhanced for their creators' entertainment, often with other changes being made as well.

Most of the Empire's more detailed knowledge of Exotics comes from those who disliked and were able to escape from those who engineered them. Of these, most gravitate to Xanadu and the Amators' Guild, where they can make profitable use of the engineering carried out on them (or on their forebears). It is not known how many either do not rebel or are unsuccessful in their escape attempts, but it seems reasonable to assume this number to be far greater than the escapees'.

While the details of the various Exotic types vary considerably, the basics of most are quite consistent, which is to be expected given the purpose of such engineering. An Exotic is always responsive, in some degree, to sexual stimuli, is capable of what seems to non-Exotics like incredible sexual endurance, and most begin sexual activity during or immediately after adolescence. (It must be noted, of course, that any or all of the above does on occasion occur to a non-engineered human and cannot be considered proof of engineering; genetic analysis is the only way to be certain.)

In some cases, enhancement of the sexual drive is the only change made. In most, however, physical changes have been made as well, though not all are visible (for instance, the Ishtar variants are characterized by sensory nerves lining the vaginal canal, usually leading to the brain's pleasure center). The changes which are visible also vary, from relatively minor (such as the Tingler's tentacles around his penis) to near-total alteration (such as the Elf variant's small, slender build and delicate features emphasized by pointed ears and slanted eyes).

FAMILY (capitalized): The extended family structure recently introduced in the Kingdom Systems, primarily as a socially-acceptable means of dealing with the satyr virus and the physiological changes it produces. As a side effect, it also provides a family structure stable enough that Special Operations personnel may now marry and are no longer required to be sterile. The new Families, the first and best known of which is Family Cortin, consist of several spouses--ideally, but not necessarily, half male and half female--with any children. (As an example Family Cortin, at this point [2572], consists of Colonel Cortin herself, who is Family head but not a spouse, two wives, five husbands, and three children, with a fourth on the way. It may become more balanced in the future, since it began as a mostly-male Strike Force team and has as yet had little opportunity to court more than one civilian wife.)

FEALTY, CONDITIONAL: (Sandeman) An oath to someone in return for a consideration, unknown until Gaelan DarShona talked some of the warriors on the guardian fleet around Mjolnir into taking service in Planetary Security in exchange for Imperial credits. Such an oath is considered void if payment in wilfully withheld (inability to pay is negotiable) or if the one to whom such an oath is taken attempts to injure the oath-taker, at which point the one taking the oath may feel free to take appropriate action against the false acceptor.

FEALTY, PERSONAL: (Sandeman) An oath of absolute personal loyalty and obedience. Theoretically, anyone may swear such fealty to anyone, but in practice it is almost exclusively warriors swearing to Warleaders or other high-status warriors.

It is an honor either to be offered such fealty or to have it accepted. The one giving fealty (thakur-na) becomes, to the best of his ability, an extension of the one accepting it (thakur). The only acceptable reasons for disobeying a thakur's will are to preserve his honor or his life, with the thakur's honor taking precedence. This relationship is most obvious to non-Sandemans in the custom that any children a 'na fathers are considered the thakur's, and their use of the familiar mode of High War Speech.

The 'na has his right cheek tattooed with a mark of his thakur's choice. Although in theory, since a 'na does swear absolute obedience and perfect fidelity, there is no need to acknowledge even the greatest of such service, the Sandemans are realists; if a 'na gives greater service or does a deed more heroic than may be reasonably expected, his thakur will have the tattoo circled and allow his 'na to use his name hyphenated with the 'na's own. If the 'na outlives his thakur, his tattoo is barred with black to show honorable completion of service; if it works out the other way, his thakur will see to honorable burial, if possible at one of their clanhomes.

Although those are by far the commonest ways of ending the relationship, two others are possible. If the 'na commits a serious offense, the thakur may dismiss him by telling him something like, "Leave me; I no longer need you." The real meaning is "You have dishonored me"; the 'na is expected to atone by a painful death at either his own or his clan-chief's hands. The other, since Dana DruAlanna's case in 2624, is for the thakur to dismiss without offense, in which case the 'na's tattoo is barred with black and service is honorably terminated for both parties.

FIEFS: The subdivisions of the Empire. As of 2568, the end of the Traiti War--and including the new Traiti Sector--they are broken down as follows:

     21 Sectors, consisting of two to eight Subsectors apiece
     106 Subsectors, averaging 53 inhabited planets in 36 systems
     1,431 multi-inhabited-planet systems
     2,388 single-inhabited-planet systems
     5,596 inhabited planets

Fiefs cannot be combined. If the heir to a fief marries a ruling noble, @ forfeits all claim to the fief @ was to inherit, and the next oldest child becomes heir. If one heir or ruling noble marries another, the Sovereign decides which forfeits @'s fief (usually the lower-ranking, if they are of different levels) and who is to succeed (usually the next oldest child).

FIELD AGENT: An IntelDiv officer with special training in covert intelligence gathering. Although they often work openly, sometimes even in uniform, they are not identified as field agents and are always assigned to cases where their special skills (such as reading the subtleties of body language, some of them with near-telepathic accuracy) are needed.

When working under an assumed identity, a field agent will use whatever means are available and most effective for getting the information a needs or otherwise accomplishing @'s mission. While this is recognized as necessary under such circumstances, it is not something the Empire takes pride in or wishes publicized. It is also unfortunate that at times former field agents revert to this end-over-means philosophy, though if they have left the Service, there is seldom any harm done, and very little the Empire can do unless the person has broken a law as well.

FUSION: The forced combination of hydrogen atoms at extremely high temperatures to produce energy. It is used in most craft (spaceships and ground vehicles) which are too small to carry T/CT generators.

GODHOME: The psionic computer left behind on Homeworld when the Others the Traiti call Those Who Went Before went on to a different plane of existence. A huge underground complex, it was thought for millennia to be a hill that caused madness or worse in those who went near, until it forced Kranath of St'nar to full maturity, thus making him the first of the new Traiti gods, the Circle of Lords. It destroyed its physical structure as no longer necessary when it merged with the last Lord of the Circle, Peacelord Esteban Tarlac. [Fearful Symmetry]

GRAVITICS: A science developed into practicality by Reinhard Nannstein, it has led to as many things as electronics: artificial gravity, hyperdrive, force fields and beams, ultrawave communications, innumerable others.

GYNANDRA (plural gynandri): An Arriani male genetically engineered to carry and give birth to children, though not to conceive. Such pregnancy and birth require highly skilled medical aid. Gynandri are also sought-after sex partners, both because of their enthusiasm and because they are thought to be special favorites of the Lady of Love, being as close to female as can survive on Arrian.

HELLBEAST: A Mjolnirri herbivore domesticated for its meat, which remains tender even when well-cooked. Its name comes from its remarkably ugly appearance, not its placid disposition.

HERALDRY, IMPERIAL: Although the idea of coats of arms in an interstellar society with numerous other means of identification seems redundant to some, that purpose became a minor one long before the Empire. Arms are a tradition Emperor Chang thought would serve a unifying purpose, provide continuity, and give an incentive for service beyond the expectable but not sufficient to earn a Life Nobility.

While derived from traditional heraldry and having much in common with it, Imperial heraldry has the advantage of hindsight, which has led to several improvements. The primary one is in descriptions, where English replaces Old French, making them understandable to those who are not specialists in the field. Some traditional terminology has been retained, either because it is generally understandable or because there is no reasonably concise English equivalent. Most terms, however, translated without difficulty; the slightly longer descriptions are acceptable because of the greatly increased clarity. The only exception to this is in the actual Grant of Arms itself, where the traditional blazoning is still used (though an English translation is provided on a separate sheet).

The heraldic colors remain predominantly the bright primary ones: silver (now platinum) or white, and gold or yellow, called metals; black, blue, green, and red, called colors. Less-used colors are orange, purple, brown, and "flesh tone". Taken together, colors and metals are referred to as tinctures. Anything described as "proper" is shown in its normal coloring. Only two of the numerous traditional heraldic "furs" are in Imperial use, ermine (white with black spots) and counter-ermine (black with white spots). As a rule, metal should not be placed on metal or color on color, although exceptions--mostly in the case of charges described as "proper"--do occur.

As in traditional heraldry, the field is described first, by color and any divisions, with the color on the bearer's right or at the shield's top mentioned first. Left and right, in all cases, refer to the point of view of the person supposedly carrying the shield.

Charges may be (and usually are) placed on the field, and cover any divisions. The major geometric charges (ordinaries) are mentioned first, if any appear. They generally take up approximately a third of the shield, though this proportion may vary if other charges appear, or they have other charges upon them. Note that the vertical and horizontal bars should not be confused with the three-part fields.

Diminutives (except for the quarter) are one-half normal width, prefixed "demi-", or one-quarter normal width, prefixed "quadri-" and usually borne paired. The quarter's only diminutive is the canton, taking up an eighth of the shield. If these charges do not extend to the shield edges, they are described as "clipped".

Minor geometric charges (subordinaries) are those which (except for the border) do not reach the edge of the shield; if used with an ordinary, the subordinary is placed on top. The names of these generally remain the same as in traditional heraldry, as most have no reasonable English equivalent. These are the inescutcheon, orle, lozenge, fusil, and border (formerly bordure). Two new ones are the hex and pentagon, while the circle (once called a roundel, bezant, plate, torteau, hurt, etc., depending on its color) is simply called a circle with the correct color named.

The same principle applies to other charges, such as animals and people. "Affronte" becomes "looking outward", "regardant" becomes "looking backward", and "rampant", which is easily understandable, remains the same. Charges are not restricted to the medieval ones, though many of those are used. Modern charges include things like planets, computers, stylized atoms, and spacecraft--although some of those, particularly military models, can be confused with simple circles.

Ruling nobles' arms, and those of most lower jurisdictions, do not indicate rank or anything other than perhaps the bearer's reason for being awarded them; Rangers', Life Nobles', and knights' arms, however, clearly indicate their rank. Rangers' arms, since 2243, have been ones used by previous Rangers; they are distinguished by a green canton with a platinum Ranger's star. Life Nobles' arms are bordered in the metal or color of the noble's level (platinum for dukes, gold for earls, orange for counts, red for barons) and have a black canton with the Imperial Arms. Knights' arms are distinguished by a platinum and green border, one tincture inside the other. If the field is a color, the platinum is inside; if a metal, the green.

Use of Imperial arms is restricted, for ruling nobles, to the noble, @'s spouse, and @'s heir. This eliminates the need for an elaborate system of cadency, though to prevent confusion, the spouse's and heir's arms are differenced. The differences are a label with two points for the spouse, a label with three points for the heir. Should the ruler retire, both @ and @'s spouse add a true-lover's knot (as the spouse also does if @ survives the ruler) to indicate dower status.

For Life Nobles and knights, only the person originally granted the arms bears them undifferenced. A's spouse adds a label with three points; the oldest child does the same, with @'s label having a star on each point, and the arms are passed down to each oldest child in this form.

Marshalling (combining two or more coats of arms to create a new one) exists, but is limited to marriage between two people entitled to arms, and only for the length of that marriage. If both spouses are the same rank, the arms are impaled, with the original bearer's arms on the right. If one spouse dies, the other may, but need not, ask the Chief Herald for permission to continue using the marshalled arms. The original coats go to the eldest child of each sex. If the spouses are of different ranks, the impalement has the senior's arms on the right, and the eldest child assumes those arms while the next eldest assumes those of the lower-ranking parent.

HERALDRY, SANDEMAN: Since Annexation, Subsector arms are granted by Ruling Earl Klaes, and described in English like Imperial arms. However, as is standard whenever possible with any already-established custom, the Earl follows the Shaper-established system of granting arms, in three forms, to clans rather than to individuals. The warrior caste bears them color-on-metal, with the clan-chief (always a warrior) adding a chief of the main color. The non-warrior caste (Others) bear the arms metal-on-color. To take the Clan Leras arms as an example:

Warriors: On a gold field, a chevron between three stars, all red. (Stars, unless described further, are the standard five-pointed version Old French refers to as mullets, but without the center holes those sometimes have.)

Clan-chief: On a gold field, a chevron between three stars and a chief, all red.

HERALDS, IMPERIAL: The ones responsible for issuing and insuring the proper use of Imperial coats of arms. They are also the Sovereign's representatives for most ceremonies that justify an Imperial presence but do not absolutely require royalty or nobility.

HOBISON, David Ralph: TERDN-9035-6821 (in 2569) Captain of the IBC Emperor Chang since 2536, having turned down promotion several times to maintain that command. Made a Life Count after taking part in the palace assault that ended the White Order's rebellion. [A Matter of Honor]

HOLIDAYS: Empire Day, 22 January. The only Empire-wide holiday, the anniversary of Emperor Chang's assumption of the Throne.

Overthrow Day, 7 October. Sandeman holiday celebrating their final victory over the Shapers.

HONOR-BLACK: Sandeman garb, usually ceremonial, consisting of black tunic and trousers (preferably leather), high boots, and full-length cloak, derived from the Black Lord's. The right to wear honor-black is granted by acclamation of Sandeman warriors to one (only rarely a non-warrior, even more rarely a non-Sandeman) whose honor is considered so intrinsic and absolute that it should have visible recognition.

HONOR SCARS: Four parallel scars running from just below the throat to about the waist, on a Traiti Cor'naya.

HORSES, SANDEMAN: One of the two types of livestock modified by the Shapers, of the wide variety they took with them. Records lost during the Overthrow may have given their reasons for modifying the horses as they did; with those not available, the simplest explanation is that one or more were fascinated with unicorns. Although Sandeman horses retain the full tails and all the coloration of their forbears, they have beards and, from approximately three months old, a spiral bone "horn" roughly half a meter long growing from the center of their foreheads. Most clans raise them, and they are a specialty of Clan Neill.

HYPERDRIVE: The faster-than-light drive invented by Reinhard Nannstein, allowing a speed of slightly over three light-years per hour.

HYPERFIELD: The field generated by hyperdrive engines. To conserve energy it is normally kept close to the ship's skin, but can be expanded if necessary to take a ship or other object under tow. Holding a hyperfield at towing extension for more than fifty hours, however, is dangerous and is prohibited except under war emergency conditions.

HYPERSPACE: The spatial condition discovered by Reinhard Nannstein which allows faster-than-light travel, at a speed of slightly over three light-years per hour.

ICE-BERRIES: Gourmet product of Sandeman, they grow in the Cold Peak Range and are harvested by Clan Torrance Others. It is important to keep them below the freezing point of water; they begin losing their delicate flavor at half a degree above zero, and melt at about ten degrees over that point.

INTELDIV: The ITMC Intelligence Division. The smallest of the three major specialty divisions, it is responsible for gathering and analyzing information. Most information gathering is done openly, but occasionally Evaluation Teams, and much of the time field agents, must operate covertly.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION: Power provided by explosions of fuel, usually alcohol, inside a motor. Used very little since the development of fusion and T/CT technology.

IRSCHCHANS: Felinoids averaging 158 cm in height, 50-52 kilos in weight. They are strong for their size, and fast. Since they are also covered with thick, tawny fur, it is difficult for humans to tell the sexes apart--especially since their enthusiastic adoption of kilts within days after MacLeod's arrival. They were scarcely less enthusiastic about joining the Empire, and except for an abortive rebellion, have been good citizens.

The rebellion was motivated by the fact that Irschchans have and use Talent, which in humans at the time was untrained at best and thought to be imaginary at worst. The Irschchans have recognized and used it for approximately 5,600 years, with the best becoming members of what they considered a natural ruling elite, the White Order. That Talent seemed to make them equally-natural rulers of the Empire, and in 2569 the White Order, led by its High Adept (who was also the Planetary Baron) rebelled. The rebellion was stopped thanks primarily to one of High Adept Thark's students, Corina Losinj, who was persuaded to become the first non-human Ranger in the process--thus removing the reason for the rebellion.

JAEL: A warrior culture on Lupus. When prisoners are taken, the males are neutered, the females forced to bear a child the captors will keep, then the prisoners are released.

JASON, Richard: Head of Jason Interstellar Enterprises, until 2624 an Empire-wide consortium. His unsuccessful attempt to have his thakur-na (Dana Manfredi/DruAlanna) murdered, followed by his order for her to seek the death of a 'na who has dishonored @'s thakur, resulted in a death sentence for him if he remained on Sandeman, and loss of all property in Subsector Sandeman. The Traiti Sector and several other jurisdictions followed suit, as far as banning JIE from doing business, when the circumstances became known.

JUDICIARY, IMPERIAL: The Empire has no judiciary as such, since it has a minimal number of laws and they are violated seldom enough that a separate judiciary would be impractical. Instead, disputes and violations are handled by the commanding officer of the nearest Imperial base or ship. Appeals are permitted--for cause, not as a matter of routine--through all higher levels of command, up to and including the Sovereign. Very few of those appealed, however, go further than one or two levels.

KA'NAYA: (Traiti) Female person. Used by a male to a female not of his clan, with or without another title. It is a form of respectful address equivalent to "My Lady" or "Excellency."

KAPLAN, Robert: Leader of the Nemran rebellion, in which Ranger Esteban Tarlac was seriously injured. Second child of Count Jonathan Kaplan.

KEISHA: An aphrodisiac drug produced from a plant of the same name, which grows only on Purgatory. Processed by a secret method known only to one merchant family on Origani, the drug is extremely expensive and has almost religious connotations. Attempts to grow the plant elsewhere, or duplicate the refining process, have been uniformly unsuccessful. (Linda Gerhart)

KINDRED OF THE DRAGON: Kins and Bloodmates, those susceptible to and changed by the nosferatu pseudo-virus. They are classed as human-variant, due to the extent of changes made by the virus. They are Narvon System's local nobility, and since 2280 all Imperial ruling nobles in the system are required to be Kindred. Susceptibility tends to run in families, though that is not always the case. Slightly over half the children who become Kindred have at least one Kindred parent.

Contrary to popular belief when the Kins appeared, the Kindred are neither predatory nor violent; their empathy prevents both, in many cases to the point where some Kindred have difficulty defending themselves. Because of this, they welcome the Imperial military, and many areas of all three Narvonese planets have Sandeman police forces. Violent sports are frowned on, considered in bad taste if not actually obscene.

Despite (or perhaps because of) this pacifism, most Kindred who feel capable of it spend some time in the Imperial military. Of these, most serve in the Navy's Chaplain or Medical Corps, though some are engineers or technicians. On rare occasion one will join the Marines; so far all of these have gone to IntelDiv.

KINGDOM SYSTEMS: Twelve planets in nine systems. The first, St. Thomas, was settled in 2158. The Systems' founders were Catholics who disagreed with the Roman Church on a number of matters and either separated themselves or were excommunicated, depending on point of view, when they persisted in acting on their beliefs. They appealed to the Empire, which refused to intervene in a religious dispute. The dissidents then fled, claiming persecution, in three small, barely-spaceworthy craft. When contact was lost and the Rescue Service was unable to find them, they were listed as missing and presumed dead.

Instead, they had gone well beyond what would be Imperial space for the next several centuries. Limited resources and numerous plagues made their growth slow, but it was steady, and by the time St. Michael was settled in 2180, the monarchial system was well established, the Royal Enforcement Service was in place and operating, and the Church had its own Pope.

KINS: The majority (90%) of those susceptible to and changed by the nosferatu pseudo-virus. They first appeared in 2275, the result of a laboratory accident. Kins develop great physical strength and projective empathy, as well as the elongated canines that are the visible evidence of their change. This change also restricts their diet to blood, preferably fresh from a human donor. As a rule, they have no difficulty finding donors; their projective empathy allows them to share their feeding-pleasure with the donor. Attempts by Kins to eat normal food result in violent nausea, and most have an equally-violent allergy to strong spices.

KNIGHTS, IMPERIAL: Those who have given the Empire service beyond the expectable, but not of a degree that would make a Life Nobility appropriate. Knights are granted arms and may use "Knight of the Imperium" (abbreviated KI) with their names. They should be addressed and referred to as Sir Firstname.

KRANATH: (Of Clan St'nar) Supreme Lord of the Circle, first of the Traiti gods known as the Circle of Lords.

LADY OF LOVE: The Arriani deity, depicted as an attractive human female but of no other set appearance. Although not specifically a sex deity, her followers do consider sexual activity a form of worship particularly pleasing to her (especially with a gynandra or, if off-planet and able, with a woman).

LANDER: The smallest of the Imperial spacegoing craft. It is shaped rather like a streamlined bus, and is about that size, so small it is not considered a class of ship. Its commonest use is as a shuttle between a spacecraft too large to land and a planet (from which it gets its name), but it is also useful for suborbital flights. While the configuration is usually for passenger transport, palletized construction allows rapid reconfiguration when necessary.

LANGUAGE, Traiti: A tonal language that gives their Imperial English a pleasant lilt. Like German, it combines small words to make larger ones as a matter of course, and the grammatical structure is also similar to German. Some of the terms that have made their way into Imperial English, though primarily used only in the Traiti Sector, are found under their individual entries.

LANGUAGES, Sandeman: Pre-Empire English, called Standard, and a modified version of Classical Russian, called High War Speech. Since the Shapers left Terra before Imperial English was widely accepted, they retained the old alphabet and irregularities (mostly in plurals). Standard is the Sandeman common speech used by both castes.

The purpose of High War Speech, as far as the Shapers were concerned, was another way to set the warrior caste apart. By Annexation, it was less exclusive; most Others had learned at least a little, and as long as they used formal mode to warriors, no one objected. (Familiar mode is restricted to battle-companions, lovers, and one's thakur or 'na.) There is a technical combat vocabulary, however, that remains mostly restricted to warriors since they are the only ones with a real use for it.

LAST GIFT: (Sandeman) The gift of a swift death, asked when a person (usually a Sandeman) has been too seriously wounded, or is too ill, for medical aid to do more than prolong death. Between Sandeman's overthrow of the Shapers and its annexation by the Empire, their medicine was primitive enough that this was seen as an unpleasant necessity to prevent further suffering. As Imperial medical personnel have said repeatedly, Sandeman medicine then was little more than first aid; even something as minor as an abdominal wound was normally fatal.

LAWS, IMPERIAL: The Empire has few laws, but the ones that do exist are strictly enforced, unless there is a very strong reason for not doing so--with the Sovereign the only one able to grant waivers.

And Imperial law is kept purposely simple. Pre-Empire lawyers would be appalled, because if a law is obscure or easily misinterpreted, it is rewritten until it is clear to anyone of average intelligence and subject to only minimal interpretation by the officer judging a case. As with any decision short of the Sovereign's, such a judgement may be appealed, but only on substantial grounds.

LERAS, Nevan Dar-: SNDNS-6894-7693 (7 Jul 2547-24 Jun 2855) Graduated ITMA 2569, first in class; commissioned into SecuDiv and assigned to IBC Emperor Chang. Awarded Sovereign's Medal, merit promotion to 1Lt, and choice of assignment for his actions in the Palace assault that ended the White Order rebellion. Graduated IntelDiv Field Agent School, 2570, again first in class, for which he was given a merit promotion to Captain. He was then assigned to investigate the Melgarie pirate fleet, but went beyond a simple investigation; in 2572 he was able, with the unwilling aid of Melgarie's lover Neyse Greenfield, to arrange the fleet's destruction. For this he received a second Sovereign's Medal and promotion to Major.

In 2574, he swore personal fealty to Ranger Corina Losinj. On an assignment for her in 2578 (checking the security protecting IntelDiv field agents while attempting to deliver the personal weapons his father Kelly had bequeathed to one who had saved his life), he met and rapidly became close friends with his "target", Kiyoshi Owajima.

When Empress Losinj died in 2624, Nevan technically reverted to his status as an IntelDiv Major, though one with a grace-and-favor apartment in the Imperial Palace and a lifetime income independent of Corps salary. However, the new Sovereign, Jasmine Wang, asked him to continue his special services to the Sovereign without the oath of fealty. Since he was positive his thakur would have wished that, even though she had not asked it of him, he agreed; as a result, until his death in 2855, the various Sovereigns had a personal special agent who, until his fealty oath, had been the best field agent in IntelDiv.

LERAS, Riordan Dar-: Warleader of the Sandeman fleet that approached Mjolnir in 2541. When he was defeated in a duel with Gaelan DarShona, Baron Frederick Klaes' thakur-na, he was honor-bound to provide protection for Klaes' world, which he did by leaving part of his fleet on guard there. Grandfather of Nevan, through Kelly.

LIBIDINE: A persistent, but non-addictive, aphrodisiac with no known side effects. Effects vary from simple receptiveness with a trigger dose, to release of all cultural sexual restraints with a stronger one.

LIFE-DEBT (Sandeman): The debt a Sandeman clan owes one not of that clan who gives one of its members Last Gift. This always means the person may ask Last Gift of any clanmember, whether battle-companion or not, with the certainty it will be given, and for a warrior, if captured that he will not be tortured for information. (W'women and Others, by custom, are always immune from torture.) A specific individual repayment is between the giver and the receiver's clan-chief.

LIFEPOD: A cocoon-shaped field medical unit which is capable of providing total life support.

LIGHTSABER: An energy weapon developed by Clan Vader of Sandeman, inspired by the ones in the Star Wars trilogy they call the Saga. As in the Saga, it is a large hilt containing the powerpack and other equipment needed to generate a controlled-length, high-intensity laser beam "blade". It first came to Imperial attention in 2542, when Leigh DarVader bequeathed his to Ranger James Medart as a death-gift. At that time the powerpack would support less than five minutes' blade activation, making the saber impressive but of little or no practical use. Within two years, however, Imperial scientists were able to develop a powerpack that lasted over half an hour, making the saber a practical hand-to-hand combat weapon. With distance weapons far more popular with most Imperial citizens, however, they are still seldom seen outside Subsector Sandeman.

The Vader clan's development of controlled-length laser beams, though made specifically for the saber, has proven to be a significant one in other fields as well, leading to numerous improvements in technologies from medicine to heavy equipment manufacture. It has also, since Ranger Medart assisted them in obtaining an Imperial patent on the process, made the clan extremely wealthy.

LOSINJ, Corina: RCJ-2958-5865 (2548-19 Feb 2624) The first non-human (Irschchan) Ranger, she was recruited by Ranger James Medart in 2569, when she reported the White Order's impending rebellion. In the course of stopping that rebellion, she and Medart experienced pattern rapport, which revealed that he possessed a strong Talent, including a healing aspect she had not previously encountered. She helped him train it as much as possible during the trip to Terra, completing it after the rebellion was over. Testing then showed the Sovereign and other Rangers also had strong Talent, and Losinj trained them as well. That degree of Talent, regardless of its specific aspect, was immediately added to Ranger qualifications.

She accepted Nevan DarLeras as thakur-na in 2574, was elected Successor in 2577 on Emperor Forrest's death, and succeeded to the Throne in 2603. She died in bed, with Nevan in attendance, in 2624.

LUNA: Terra's only natural satellite, site of the Imperial Navy's Prime Base and main shipyard.

MARINE CORPS, IMPERIAL TERRAN: The senior Imperial service, the ITMC was founded by Emperor Chang on 10 November 2128, though he established the Empire itself and took the Throne on 22 January. The date was deliberately chosen to coincide with the birthday, 353 years earlier, of the United States Marine Corps; the Navy and the Administrative Service were founded one week later, replacing Solar Federation services which were then disbanded.

Emperor Chang had retired from the USMC at the rank of Major General after twenty-five years' service, and thought it only fitting that the ITMC--a great majority of whose first officers and NCOs came from the USMC--continue the history and traditions he thought invaluable. He also instituted a new tradition at that time: at 1000 hours, Palace Standard Time, on 10 November of every year, the Sovereign @self publishes the Birthday Article to every Marine post and shipboard detachment. While there have been many changes, the ITMC retains things like the dress blue uniform and Marine Emblem which make its lineal descent from the USMC obvious. The dress blue uniform (with the USMC male version used by both sexes) is essentially unchanged; the ITMC Emblem substitutes the Imperial stylized globe for the USMC's Terran Western hemisphere. (For non-humans, there are uniform variations based on physical structure; Traiti, for instance, do not wear headgear except for protection, and the Irschchans, since 2569, wear a kilt version of any Imperial uniform.)

MARSTON, Dan: Dana Manfredi/DruAlanna's pen name when writing historical fiction.

MEDALERT TEAM: An emergency medical response team led by a physician, whenever possible a trauma specialist.

MEDART, James Kieran: RJT-6743-5197 (14 Aug 2494-28 Mar 2669) Imperial Ranger, 2515-2669. Led rescue of Yonar Colony, his first solo mission, 2518. Negotiated with the cloudcats to obtain human/Irschchan settlements on Ondrian in exchange for the privilege of travel on Imperial ships, 2532. Called Mjolnir Conference, 2542, which resulted in the end of the Sandeman War and the creation of Subsector 5-D, Sandeman. Recruited Ranger Corina Losinj, then helped her stop White Order revolt, 2569; en route from Irschcha to Terra on this mission, the two discovered and began to train his latent Talent. To Ranger Losinj's surprise, this included healing, an aspect that had not appeared on Irschcha.

Had Medart not been selected as a Ranger, he planned to specialize in xenoanthropology, and has in a sense done so, though not formally. His interest in the variety of cultures humans and non-humans alike can develop has led him to study and visit as many as his assignments allow; while he is not totally familiar with all the cultures in the Empire, he is the Ranger normally called on when there is an inter-cultural problem.

MELGARIE, Jord: HPUJE-7895-2835 (? 2518-20 Nov 2572) Found 18 Jun 2518 by Subsector 6-G Rescue Service, alone in an escape capsule from which all identification had been removed. He appeared to be approximately four months old, and medical tests showed him to have been a subject of major genetic engineering (which explained the lack of identification, if not the abandonment).

Raised on New Bavaria by a series of foster parents who found him difficult to cope with. He enlisted in the Subsector Navy in 2536, then deserted in 2538, stole a ship, and began a career of piracy. A charismatic leader, he soon attracted other criminals and became head of a pirate fleet which eventually spread its operations out of Sector 6, making it an Imperial rather than a local concern. Several Imperial agents attempted to infiltrate; all, until Nevan DarLeras in 2570-72, were uncovered and killed. Melgarie himself died when DarLeras was able to call in a Fleet strike which destroyed the pirate base.

MESSENGERS, IMPERIAL: Heralds or military officers with special commissions to carry particularly sensitive or ceremonial verbal or written messages from the Sovereign or a Ranger. All Messengers are protected with special anti-interrogation conditioning which can be triggered by circumstance as well as by a spoken phrase, and on occasion a volunteer is given special conditioning so @ can deliver one of the Sovereign's messages in @'s own words and as close to voice as the Messenger can manage. When acting as such, Messengers wear scarlet tunics and travel in scarlet courier-class ships.

MILITARY, IMPERIAL: The Imperial Terran Marine Corps and Imperial Terran Navy. Imperial military personnel are very carefully selected; as a rule, enlisted personnel and Academy candidates have the equivalent of a pre-Empire bachelor's degree; by graduation and commissioning, an officer has the equivalent of three or four doctorates, and all ranks are expected to continue their educations. They are thoroughly tested in all physical and psychological aspects, then assigned where their individual aptitudes, attitudes, and training will be most useful. Note that this definitely includes a person's preferences, part of the Empire's pragmatism: a person does better in a job @ likes, so it is in the Empire's interest to put @ there. If for some reason it is necessary to put someone in a job @ doesn't like, @ will be there as briefly as possible.

MIRACLE-WEED: The Ondrian plant that is the only source of rapid-heal. Originally wild, it has been intensively cultivated since 2532, when humans and Irschchans established a colony for that purpose. Miracle-weed has been grown on other worlds, but does not thrive or produce usable rapid-heal.

MJOLNIR CONFERENCE: (2542) The conference Ranger James Medart called in a successful attempt to end the Sandeman invasion of Sector Five. Mjolnir at the time was a Sandeman protectorate; its Baron Klaes declared it extraterritorial so the two sides could meet on neutral territory. The war ended due to what Medart liked to call "sweet reason, backed by five battle fleets"--though to his amusement, the Sandemans saw the fleets and Imperial weaponry as a temptation rather than a threat, and joined the Empire for the chance to use them.

MULTIVERSE: A group of related alternate universes. Exactly where one multiverse ends and another begins is not definite, since there is overlap, sometimes considerable. Grouping alternates into multiverses, though, makes it easy to refer to such a group without having to identify each alternate by its official designation.

NANNSTEIN, Reinhard: (2100-2142) A Da Vinci-type genius, Nannstein developed the science of gravitics in 2123, financed by a small inheritance he had invested and turned into a fortune. Still working independently, despite many offers from industry and government, he invented hyperdrive in 2125. Working with his friend Cheong Chang, he helped establish the Empire, then designed and supervised the building of the Imperial Palace in Antarctica. He disappeared in 2142 while testing an improvement of the hyperdrive.

General: Since the Kindred became widespread, in the early 2280s, this is one of the most peaceful systems in the Empire. Random violence, such as natural disasters and accidents, is inevitable--but it is in extremely bad taste to put pictures of the victims on the nightly news. The same with victims of violent crime, much less the crime itself. Violent sports aren't illegal, but they are not organized, and they are considered lower-class. In drama, violence (especially bloody violence) is treated about the way sex was on mid-twentieth-century North American television. Intimacy, emotional and physical, is the primary theme of Narvonese entertainment.

NEED, Sandeman Warriors': The primary physiological change that differentiates warriors from non-warriors. It is controlled by a ductlesss gland which secretes the hormone egerin, beginning at puberty; this begins the need cycle, and increases the warrior's endurance and healing speed beyond even the Sandeman norm.

There are three forms of need: cyclical, induced, and battleprep. Cyclical is involuntary, caused by the normal buildup of egerin, since that hormone cannot be metabolized alone. A warrior's cycle length is individual, and can vary from five to eight days. If the egerin buildup is not interrupted by combat or sex (both of which stimulate adrenalin production to levels that allow interaction with egerin and permit it to be metabolized), about two-thirds of the way through a warrior's cycle he begins to experience heightened sensitivity, both physical and mental. This is the pre-need stage. Need itself begins as further-increased sensitivity that could be described as irritability, at which point patience and self-control are not among the warrior's strong points. This stage, as a rule, lasts for about a day; it is not dependent on the cycle length, and is what is called active need. If it is not satisfied, the warrior starts going into overload; all body systems become hyperactive, and the effect is one of multiple stress diseases. Untreated overload lasts about two days.

The other two forms can be undertaken voluntarily at any stage short of overload. Induced need is the sexual form, stimulated by arousal and manipulation of the need gland. It results in heightened sexual ability and greatly increased fertility; if the warrior's partner is in her fertile period; conception is almost a certainty. If induced need is not resolved, it will abate on its own since it involves only the reproductive organs, speeding the warrior's cycle slightly--though the egerin fluctuations are quite uncomfortable to the warrior. Its resolution results in aftersleep, a near-comatose state that lasts for several hours.

Battleprep is the combat-oriented form of need, induced by mental and physical concentration. Unlike induced need, battle-prep involves the entire body; unless the warrior goes into demanding combat within an hour or two, he will go into overload and die. As this is well known, a warrior will prep only when combat is imminent.

At home, or on any Sandeman-controlled world, a warrior is in no danger of overload unless very unusual circumstances arise. There are always warriors and w'women around. And except in hostile-alien territory, where need is a weakness that must be concealed, keeping even an enemy warrior from dying in overload is as ingrained as their politeness. It is honorable to kill him, imprison him, even torture him for information--but if he goes into active need, he gets treatment. If no w'woman is available or willing, there is a ritual offering of non-hostile life-combat by one or more of the imprisoning clan's warriors.

The need cycle can be disrupted by serious injury or illness; the disruption will last from the time of the injury or illness until the warrior regains near-normal health.

Shaper experiments show that the need cycle can be permanently ended by removal of the need gland; this turns the warrior into an Other man with combat skills but none of the other warrior advantages. Naturally, Sandemans find this idea both repulsive and obscene.

NEEDLER: Sandeman energy handgun. Although it has less raw power than a blaster, the beam is much more finely adjusted, so it has equal or greater effective power. While the narrower beam requires more careful aim, Sandemans prefer its greater precision, most considering the blaster's wider beam unacceptably sloppy.

NOBILITY, COURTESY: Those treated as Imperal nobles, though not strictly speaking nobility themselves, out of courtesy to the noble parent or spouse. This is normally a Life Noble's spouse or a ruling noble's younger children.

NOBILITY, IMPERIAL: Life and ruling nobles. In common usage this term includes the Sovereign and Rangers, though technically speaking they are royalty. See chart below for numbers and the proper ways of referring to and addressing royalty and nobility.

NOBILITY, LIFE: Those who have been ennobled for significant service to the Empire carried out at serious personal cost or risk. The degree of service and risk or cost determine the rank given.

NOBILITY, LOCAL: Nobility other than Imperial Life or ruling nobles. These may be named by any ruling noble within @'s fief and will have whatever status the Imperial noble determines. If a nobility or equivalent already exists on a world joining the Empire, those will retain that status as local nobles. While local nobles have no Imperial status, they are generally given the courtesy title of Excellency.

NOBILITY, RULING: Those born to rule Imperial fiefs, except that the first ruling noble in a new fief will be named by the Sovereign. Technically, only the noble and @'s spouse and heir are Imperial nobles, but @'s younger children are treated so as a courtesy.

Inheritance of rule is by strict primogeniture, except in the few fiefs where, by the Sovereign's dispensation, there is some other qualification or automatic disqualification (e.g., Narvonese nobles must be Dragon-Kindred, while Sandeman nobles cannot be warriors). It is also possible, though rare, for a noble to ask the Sovereign to disqualify @'s firstborn for cause, and confirm someone else as Heir.

Should a ruling noble die without an heir, the Heir to the next higher fief takes over until the Sovereign can select a new ruler. If the fief left vacant is a Sector, a Ranger will take the position temporarily.

NOSFERATU PSEUDO-VIRUS: An organism resembling a virus more closely than anything else its first investigators were aware of. It is capable of infecting approximately one percent of the inhabitants of Narvon System and an unknown but much smaller percentage of Terrans; all others are immune. While very few Terrans are susceptible, that small percentage is extremely so, and all so far known have become Bloodmates. Susceptibility is determined by high empathy, though it may be mostly latent until the Change. Narvonese research has shown that a person with a certain rare "marker" gene configuration is susceptible, but until nearly 2600, the reason is not known. A susceptible person subjected to severe weakening (due to illness or trauma) after exposure will undergo physical and mental changes, becoming a Kin or Bloodmate.

It is the degree of empathy which determines whether the Change is to Kin or Bloodmate, with the more empathic becoming the Bloodmates.

The virus is a collective mind, symbiotic with its hosts, but does not become self-aware or more than marginally conscious until it infects and changes Chee Campbell in 2750. ["Touch of the Dragon"]

NOXI: (Traiti) Homeworld equivalent of rabbits, with ears like beagles. They are about twice the size of Terran rabbits.

NULLGRAV: Nullified, or nullification of, gravity. Used as a drive for spacecraft near planets, and in planetary craft such as airplanes and cars, as well as for exercise facilities, entertainment, medical uses, etc.

OMNISM: (for Church of the Omniverse) The commonest of the "new" (post-hyperdrive) religions. It began soon after Nannstein announced hyperdrive to be a success, and got a major boost the first time an other-universe ship appeared in Imperial space. (Dropped there by a hyperdrive malfunction, the only publicly-known reason for interuniverse transition.)

It is a highly syncretic religion which teaches that there is one Creator of all the universes that form the Omniverse. This Creator is unknowable by finite intelligence, but some of A's attributes can be deduced from what humans can understand of A's creations. The main parts are that all religions are true in part, with the gods being those aspects of the Creator (some in body) sent to reveal what a given society needs and can understand about the Creator. (Everything in all the universes is part of the Creator, of course, that being what A created with.) Sin is either failure to use, or the harmful use of, the Creator's gifts. Deliberately causing unnecessary harm/pain is the greatest sin.

OMNIVERSE: The totality of existence, in which anything that can happen either has or eventually will. (The Omnist Church defines it as "The entirety of creation, plus the Creator.")

Cloudcats were moved here circa 8000 BCE because their sun was about to go nova. The cloudcats were established in the mountains, where psionically activated survival aids left by the Others gave them the comfort and leisure to develop their arts and philosophy. Humans and Irschchans founded a joint colony in 2532 to grow miracle-weed; they believed the cats to be unintelligent predators until a young Irschchan, lost in the mountains, was rescued and returned to the colony by a cloudcat whose name translates to Starflower.

Rapid-heal was so valuable a medication that Emperor Yasunon sent Ranger Medart to attempt negotiation with the cloudcats. They proved amenable, wanting little more than that the colonists leave them alone unless they instituted the contact, and the right to travel on Imperial vessels whenever they chose. In return, they permitted the colonists to occupy and farm the entire equatorial zone.

OSI: The Intelligence Division's Office of Special Investigations, charged with investigating alleged offenses by members of the Imperial Marines, Navy, or Administrative Services.

OTHERS: (Sandeman) Those not of the warrior caste. This includes standard humans, human variants, and non-humans, as well as Sandemans who are neither warriors nor warriors'-women.

OTHERS, THE: A post-technological race that encouraged the development of intelligence in the Milky Way Galaxy, then left for another plane of existence. They are part of cloudcat and Traiti legend/history, having transported both races from their worlds of origin to different ones in order to save them, then provided them with psionic support equipment (survival aids for the cloudcats, Godhome for the Traiti). They are also known as Those Who Went Before.

OWAJIMA, Kiyoshi: Began his career as a Kai-school ninja, a mostly hereditary group that provides the Nippon-Ni Shogun's secret police. Like the others, he is honorable and idealistic, though his standards do not necessarily match most Imperial citizens'; for instance, he firmly believes the Kai school's teaching that some form of well-trained, well-disciplined secret police is essential to the smooth functioning of a society, able to unobtrusively remove disruptive elements that the open police and courts cannot touch. During this period, his cover was that of an artist, and he was much admired for the disciplined spareness of his work. When he discovered the existence of IntelDiv field agents, he decided his skills could be put to excellent use as one of that group, and after Nevan DarLeras swore fealty to Corina Losinj, was the top-rated field agent until his own retirement.

PADRE: Proper title and form of address for a priest of the Arriani Lady of Love. It is also the common, though unofficial, way of referring to all military chaplains.

PALACE COMPLEX: Located at the foot of the Sentinel Mountains in Antarctica, this is a hundred-kilometer-diameter circle centered on the Imperial Palace, protected from the elements by a modified defense screen. The inner ten kilometers is parkland surrounding the Palace; the rest consists of air- and spaceports, residential and administrative areas, and some commercial activity, but no major industry. It also has entertainment of almost every conceivable type, a wide variety of eating places, the central offices of most news services, and so on. (For reference, it is approximately half again the size of the state of Delaware.)

PALACE, IMPERIAL: A building four kilometers square, situated in the center of the Palace Complex. It is roughly a quarter public areas, about a third (including the Empire's best medical facility) semi-public, and the remainder private for Palace residents and guests.

PALACE STANDARD TIME: Called Greenwich Mean Time prior to the Empire, this is the official time kept at the Imperial Palace and aboard all military (and most other) craft in space. It is also used throughout Xanadu, the only world known to have only one time zone.

PATTERN RAPPORT: An involuntary and extremely rare aspect of Talent in which two minds are completely merged for a brief time. Irschchan theory is that it happens when the parties' underminds decide it is necessary to resolve an impasse or conflict.

PEACELORD: Ranger Esteban Tarlac, once he has passed his Ordeal and died. The last member of the Traiti Circle of Lords, his first act as Lord Esteban was to make possible an immediate, honorable end to the Traiti War.

PERIDOPICLES: Ducal family, Sector 14. Legend has it that this family was cursed when the first Duke, Orion, defeated the "witch" Lilith and destroyed the Blue Crystal from which she gained her powers. As she was dying, she pronounced the curse that death would visit Orion's heirs through their children. The line is, in fact, subject to a genetic defect which is fatal to seventy-five percent of the children and can, in a way that has not yet been determined, be passed on to the pregnant mother, with a twenty-five percent fatality rate.

Historians believe the Blue Crystal was a psionic amplifier, and that in destroying it, the Duke received a nonfatal dose of some unknown radiation which caused a genetic mutation passed in the male line; females who survive are invariably sterile. Children have an unusually high body radiation count, certain proof of parentage. (Linda Gerhart)

PLANETS: The smallest Imperial subdivision, ruled by barons. Those with only temporary or limited-purpose settlements are classified as uninhabited and subject to the rule of the settling planet's baron.

POWER ARMOR: Full-metal armor with force-field shielding, used in initial assaults and intense firefights. The force-field is the armor's primary defense; the armor itself serves mostly as a weapons platform, though if the force-field fails, it will sometimes provide enough protection for the operator to reach safety. In most cases, however, force-field failure is due to overload by enemy fire, and the ensuing suit failure and powerpack disruption cause total destruction of armor and operator both.

The armor is so massive that the operator cannot move it without assistance. This is provided by internal sensors which amplify small operator motions and transmit them to fusion-powered servos; these move the armor itself. Since delicacy of control is more important than sheer strength, which the armor provides, most power-armor specialists are women.

PSIRYNE: The hormone responsible for psionic Talent in humans. It is present even if the Talent is latent; even though this specific connection was not discovered until 2572, the Narvonese used a specific type of it as a "marker" of susceptibility to the pseudo-virus as early as 2276.

QUADRAMITE: An explosive used almost exclusively in mining. It is almost impossible to detonate until primed, at which time it becomes violently unstable.

QUIDINE: An analgesic drug. Its strength, non-addictiveness, and general safety make it a natural choice in most cases where a powerful painkiller is needed.

RANGERS, IMPERIAL: Established by Emperor Chang in 2128, this group is made up of multi-talented, genius-level generalists chosen for a number of qualities including (but not limited to) intelligence, common sense, adaptability, realistic idealism, loyalty to the Empire, no close personal ties, and--since 2569--Talent. They are generally chosen young, trained on the job for two or three years by another Ranger. They are the Sovereign's personal representatives and troubleshooters, doing what the Sovereign would if @ could be in ten places at once. They have the right to wield Imperial power at need, though if time permits, they will always consult with the Sovereign before doing so. It is they who choose the Successor, in theory any qualified Imperial citizen but so far in practice always another Ranger.

Their working uniform is forest green with a platinum circled-star badge, black leather equipment belt and boots, and a sidearm of the Ranger's choice. Semi-dress adds a silver-trimmed cloak with the Imperial Arms.

RAPID-HEAL: A drug derived from Ondrian miracle-weed which speeds the healing of injuries by a factor of about 3.5 for a standard human or Traiti, about 5 for a Sandeman non-warrior, and about 7 for a warrior of that race. It cannot be used on infected wounds, and the increased healing speed causes increased appetite and fatigue.

RAVAGERS: Inter-universal raiders. They are not life as Imperials usually understand the term; some scientists believe they are not really life at all. From time to time, at unpredictable intervals, they erupt into a random universe and--if that universe does not have a technological and population level near the Empire's--devastate it and proceed to another. However, no Empire-level civilization is attacked more than once, because a civilization at that stage can, and so far always does, defeat them. After such a defeat, the Ravagers retreat, and it is several years before they attack again anywhere. This is the reason Empires in various alternate universes cooperate to develop Empires or the equivalent in still other alternates.

RELIGION: Human Imperials follow all of the major religions from before the Empire, and many of the minor ones, though all have been modified to a greater or lesser degree by the discovery of other worlds and races. There are also new religions, of which Omnism is the commonest, and the Traiti faith picks up some human adherents after the War.

RELIGION, Sandeman: Created, like most of Sandeman culture, by the Shapers, this is a polytheistic faith loosely based on Shinto, Islam, and Odinism with a strong emphasis on honor. The deities are warriors and warriors'-women who have died in honor. They have no particular duties in the sense of most Terrestrial pantheons; they are more of an example, a goal to strive for. However, it is believed they will occasionally come to the aid of a worshipper in extreme straits, or sometimes give a helping hand simply because they feel like it.

The afterlife is much like life, only better. For the warrior caste, it is a blend of Valhalla and the Mohammedan Paradise; for Others, it is what they had before, but better and with more intensity.

Although reincarnation was not a part of the original religion, there is one sect of Others who believe that if they please the gods during their first life, they will be reborn into the warrior caste and have a chance to become gods themselves.

ROYAL ENFORCEMENT SERVICE(s): The combined law enforcement and military services of the Kingdom Systems. Each planet's Enforcement Service operates independently, but all are ultimately responsible to the High King, and the only uniform difference is the planetary insigne on the collar.

The RES is divided into the regular forces, who operate much like police in the Empire, and Special Operations, which are most similar to the ITMC's Special Forces. Until recently, because of the dangers of their work (average lifespan is less than two years), Special Ops personnel were required to be sterile and unmarried; these requirements can now be waived if the person is a member of one of the new extended Families.

Special Operations has recently acquired a subdivision called the Strike Force. It is designed as a number of quick-response anti-terrorist teams which operate under very liberal rules--particularly its Inquisitors, who operate under Writs of Immunity issued by the Pope and High King. Under these Writs, anything a Strike Force Inquisitor (or the people working with @) does in the belief it is for the Systems' protection or in their interest, except regicide or narrowly-defined treason, cannot be punished.

Unlike Imperial forces, the RES has very few women, and at this point only two are officers.

RUCHAYA: (Traiti) Clan parent. Used by any of a clan's younglings to any of its adults, though @ will generally refer to @'s birth-parents as "ka'chaya" (female parent, mother) and "es'chaya" (male parent, father).

SALVIS: (Traiti) A Homeworld plant that bears a strong resemblance to poison oak. Its tuber-like roots are edible and highly nutritious, though the taste is bland.

Another difference is Sandeman time. Both day and year are somewhat shorter than Terra's, but they use the Terran Standard system for record-keeping, which leads to some interesting anomalies, such as the last of the twenty-four hours being only forty-seven minutes long. This means they have approximately 103 hours per Standard year difference, relative to Terra. Their year is also linked to Terra's in a way different from most Imperial worlds', a way permitted by their minimal axial tilt and accompanying barely-noticeable seasons: while their physical year is 348 days, their calendar year is 368 1/4. Because of the shorter day, they add four days (February 29-31 and September 31; April 31 in leap years) so their calendar year ends up quite close to the Standard one.

SANDEMANS: A genetically engineered race considered human-variant due to the number and extent of changes made. In dealings with Sandemans, especially the warrior caste, it is essential to keep those changes, and the fact of a culture designed in large part to enhance them, in mind. Sandemans are motivated primarily by honor, are intensely proud and ethnocentric, and have an extreme privacy drive. Courtesy is deeply ingrained and they do not expect non-Sandemans to live up to Sandeman standards even when visiting Sandeman worlds. In most cases, that means they will ignore even deliberate insults from non-Sandemans--but not in all cases. Touching one without permission will get at least a verbal rebuke; attacking one will in all probability result in the attacker's death. In Subsector Sandeman, the offender is at fault; elsewhere in the Empire, that is less automatic but still the presumption. To paraphrase then-Baron Klaes of Mjolnir, the first Imperial world to have Sandemans as guests and protectors instead of conquerors: These people are used to protecting themselves, rather than relying on police. Their reflexes are exceptionally fast and strong, particularly if they are under attack; anyone assaulting a Sandeman may expect to have @'s cause of death listed as suicide.

Sandemans are short and slender, the men averaging 160-165 cm and 62-67 kilos, the women 2-3 cm and kilos less. Skin tones range from dark tan to dark olive, hair from almost white to not quite light brown, mostly straight though a few have wavy hair, even fewer curly. Eyes are pale-to-medium blue, green, or hazel. Children are born covered in fur resembling a kitten's; it is usually gone by three months of age.

Despite their small stature, Sandemans are stronger and faster than their creators, with greater endurance and higher average intelligence. Between twenty and fifty percent (up from about ten percent under the Shapers) of the males, depending on the clan, are further modified warriors, whose speed, strength and endurance are increased still further. (See also Warriors, Sandeman, and Need, Sandeman Warriors'.)

The basic Sandeman social structure is a two-caste clan, with the upper warrior caste composed of the warriors and warriors'-women, the Other caste being everyone else. Caste may be determined by the clan-prefix (warriors are Dar, w'women Dru, Others Den) and often by clothing; the warrior caste usually wears subdued coveralls, the Others brighter clothing.

As a rule, Others marry; warriors and w'women do not, fostering their children with Other families to provide a stable home life. Children mingle freely regardless of caste, until at puberty the young student warriors and w'women move into their rooms in the main clanhome, while Other children remain with their parents until they marry or establish their own homes. Warriors and w'women maintain ties, often close ones, with the families who raised them and will, in many cases, raise their children.

Most traditional Sandeman names are Gaelic, Gaelic-flavored, or Norse-Germanic. There is no naming distinction between the castes other than the clan-prefixes, or between the sexes except that names ending in -a are female; anything else can be either. Nicknames may be proper names shortened to first or last syllable, or an occasional positive-attributive descriptive nickname. Full first names are always proper usage, with 'the warrior' or 'the lady' added when speaking about a warrior or w'woman, and 'warrior' or 'lady' may be used instead of one's name when addressing @.

SATYR PLAGUE: (Kingdom Systems) A mutant plague strain that appeared on St. Thomas in 2542. Its "victims" (few of whom consider themselves as such) develop an increased sexual drive and capacity, as well as other minor enhancements. Once its effects became known, it spread rapidly throughout the Systems, and has caused a number of societal changes, including the Families. It is not contagious in normal contact; the risk (or chance) of contagion otherwise depends on intimacy of contact.

SCANLON, David Mark: (2541- ) Captured during the Nemran Rebellion (2555) shortly after his fourteenth birthday, he was helped to escape by one of his captors who did not wish to be involved further when Ranger Esteban Tarlac was taken prisoner. He then rescued the Ranger, who had been seriously injured, from the rebel camp, nursing and guarding him until Imperial Marines landed with medical help. For his actions, he was created a Life Duke.

SEAL, IMPERIAL: A stylized planet with a sun emerging above and a moon below. It appears on the Imperial Arms in color, and is sometimes used, in the form of platinum pins or a badge, as the Sovereign's rank insignia.

SECUDIV: The ITMC Security Division. This major specialty division is responsible for the security of Imperial ships, installations, and personnel.

SEPOL: (Of Clan D'gameh) One of the Traiti Circle of Lords, known as Lord of the Ordeal.

SHADOW FLEET: A secret Imperial fleet which, under normal circumstances, exists only as a cadre. Its existence, however, is a matter of perpetual rumor, and is the standard explanation for a military person who drops out of sight for an extended time, especially if @ reappears at a higher rank. When it is activated for military emergencies (under another designation, of course), it operates, if necessary, without regard for the Laws of War; its Fleet Admiral is subsequently courtmartialled, then given another identity and set up on a world of @'s choice.

Home port is Shonnar, where its cover mission (and, most of the time, real one) is to interdict that world from contact.

SHAPERS: The genetic engineers, led by Sandoval "Sandy" Cassell, who created the Sandeman race and much of its culture. They were overthrown and killed by their creations in 2316.

SHIP CLASSES, CIVILIAN: Civilian ships are so varied it is impossible to summarize them, except to say that they vary from hundred-meter needles (the smallest size able to carry hyperdrive engines) to five-hundred-meter spheres (the largest able to land in near-standard gravity fields).

Battle Cruisers (IBCs), equatorial diameter 1000 meters, mass 8 x 10 to the eighth tons, crew 2000, carrying capacity over a million, named for Sovereigns or Rangers. Flagships of Imperial Fleets when such must be assembled, and the ship-type most commonly used by Rangers. They are very well armed, used for things like colony setup, deep-space patrol, large-scale rescue, and similar missions, as well as combat.

Heavy Cruisers (IHCs), equatorial diameter 800 meters, mass 1.75 x 10 to the eighth tons, crew 1800, named for famous sea ships. Flagships of Sector-level fleets.

Light Cruisers (ILCs), equatorial diameter 700 meters, mass 1.2 x 10 to the eighth tons, crew 1500, named for stars or given guardian-type names (e.g., Guardian or Protector).

Heavy Destroyers (IHDs), equatorial diameter 500 meters, crew 1000, named for military commanders. Massing 4.28 x 10 to the seventh tons, this is the largest class of ship capable of landing in a near-standard grav field.

Light Destroyers (ILDs), equatorial diameter 400 meters, crew 750, named for military commanders.

Armed Scouts (IASs), equatorial diameter 200 meters, crew of 500, named for scouts or explorers.

Couriers (ICs), length 100 meters, crew 5-50 (some automated to require only a pilot), named at pilot's option.

(For comparison, the largest U. S. aircraft, the C-5B, is 75.5 meters long, with a wingspan of 67.9 meters, and maximum mass of 418.5 tons.)

SHIP-COMP: Ship-computer, an artificial intelligence installed on all Imperial ships of Scout class or higher.

General: Called Retreat by its inhabitants, this world was rediscovered by Crown Princess Halona Strider in 2321, while she was looking for a permanent home base for the Shadow Fleet. The mystics who had settled it were developing powers she thought might be useful in the future, if they were left alone to do so. That was precisely what they wanted, as well, so they agreed to provide the base she needed. She established an interdiction zone, with the cover story that it was there to allow Shonnar's "lizard-like, subsapient inhabitants" to develop sapience without exploitation.

SOH TREE: (Traiti) A moderate-climate Homeworld tree with broad silvery-green leaves and sticky sap.

SOLAR FEDERATION: (2091-2128) Established when enough Terrans had moved off-planet to justify a System-wide government, the Federation was a loose democracy. It was superseded when hyperdrive allowed humanity to travel faster than light, rapidly spreading to the point where sheer scale made democracy impossible. At that point the Federation Congress amended the constitution, dissolving the Federation and creating the Terran Empire.

SOUL-BLADE: (Irschchan) A dagger carried by all Irschchans from pre-adolescence. It has the owner's personality impressed on it by a specialized form of darlas, and is supposed to remain with its owner for the rest of @'s life. The owner becomes uncomfortable if it is not within reach, more so if it is handled by another, and suffers permanent psychic shock if it is destroyed.

After the owner's death, the soul-blade is preserved in the family's Hall of Memories, where the survivors are able to feel the presence of their deceased relatives.

SPECIAL LIAISON: An individual with special knowledge of a culture or society, usually because @ was born or raised in it, appointed to work with the officer in charge of a mission to that culture.

STINGWEED: Nemran plant. A low-growing shrub with silvery-green three-lobed leaves and milky sap. The sap contains something generally described as a cross between a fungus and a bacterium, which is harmless to intact skin, but is poisonous if introduced into a wound. The first indication of poisoning, usually in less than an hour, is that the wound begins to ooze a thick, greenish-yellow, foul-smelling matter. If the victim does not receive prompt treatment, a fever develops, followed by delirium, coma, and death, the speed of progress determined by the amount of poison absorbed. It is dangerous for anyone except a medic or physician with life support available to attempt medicating a stingweed victim, since even something as normally safe as quidine may at times intensify the poison's effect.

STUNNER, NEURAL: A blaster setting or special-purpose handgun that stuns rather than injuring the one shot. Although it causes no actual damage, the victim does wake with a severe, migraine-like headache.

SUBSECTORS: The second subdivision of the Empire, ruled by earls. There are 106 Subsectors, having an average of 53 planets in 36 systems.

SUCCESSION, IMPERIAL: After considerable study of possible alternatives, Emperor Chang decided that the Imperial succession should be based, with one modification, on the Roman Catholic method of selecting Popes. That difference was timing; rather than wait until the Sovereign died to elect a new one, thus risking a period without a ruler, the Conclave would elect a Successor as soon as the new Sovereign ascended the Throne. Acting on that, a Conclave to elect his Successor was held a month later; that was Ranger Susan Lindner, who followed his example, as has been done ever since. See below for a list of the first twenty-five Sovereigns and the dates of their reigns.

SYSTEMS: The third subdivision of the Empire; the 1,431 with more than one inhabited planet are ruled by counts.

T/CT: Terrene/Contra-Terrene, a more accurate term for what is often called matter/anti-matter (since both are actually matter, simply in different forms). The reaction between the two forms liberates all the energy both contain, making it by far the most efficient and least polluting energy source available. For this reason, T/CT is used almost exclusively for planetary and large-craft energy needs.

TALENT: Psionic ability strong enough to be trained into a reliable skill. Always includes a mind screen (sometimes powerful enough to be called a mind shield) and telepathy. It may also include telekinesis, darlas, clairvoyance, teleportation, psychometry, rarely precognition, and (so far only in humans) healing. There may be other aspects also, as yet undefined. On Irschcha, it has been searched for and trained by the White Order since circa 3000 BCE; the first human so trained was Ranger James Medart, in 2569.

Talent is uncommon among humans, only about half of one percent having mind shields, though perhaps twice as many have the weaker screens. Among Sandemans, Talent of shield level is fifty percent, ninety-five percent for warriors. Very few Sandemans, however, are willing to take Talent training, seeing it as a violation of privacy, so there is no way of telling what other aspects they might have.

TARLAC, Esteban: (2533-2568) Imperial Ranger, 2553-2568. His first solo mission was stopping the Nemran revolt. He was almost killed when the rebels poisoned him with stingweed, but he was rescued and kept alive, until Imperial forces arrived with medical help, by 14-year old David M. Scanlon, who was made a Life Duke for the feat.

Tarlac's greatest accomplishment, though, was his almost single-handed ending of the Traiti War. He agreed to submit to the Traiti Ordeal of Honor and succeeded, returning to Terra with the Traiti leaders, who claimed their rightful place (thanks to their Terran origin) as Imperial citizens. Tarlac was assassinated during the ceremony, by a Humanity First fanatic. The Traiti maintain, however, that he actually died of his Scarring seconds after completing the Ordeal, and became the last member of the Circle of Lords, their gods; they revere him as the Peacelord.

TEACHING TAPE: A standard reading tape "overprinted" with electronic impulses which can be played directly into a human brain to provide instant memorization of facts. The recipient must still learn to work with those facts (e.g., how to pronounce and otherwise use the words and grammatical rules of a language), but is saved the considerable time @ would normally have wasted in rote memorization.

General: The world where humanity, Traiti, and cetaceans evolved. It is the Imperial capital world, centered on the Antarctic Palace Complex; it is also the capital of Sector Orion and Subsector Sol.

It remains a world of many societies, though there is no longer much friction between them.

THARK: (ISCTK-2395-8016) High Adept of the White Order, 2540-2569. Corina Losinj's teacher until she discovered his planned revolt against the Empire. His intent was to replace the unTalented (and therefore unqualified, in his opinion) human rulers with the White Order. When he discovered that Losinj had become a Ranger, and was forced to realize that some humans did indeed have Talent, his reason for revolt was eliminated. The same honor that had motivated him to start the revolt then required that he halt it, surrender leadership of the White Order, and accept punishment. As part of that punishment, he destroyed his soul-blade, which sent him into a permanent state of psychic shock. Since he had ended the rebellion himself and imposed a part of the punishment on himself, he was not executed; instead, he was placed in the custody and care of Clan Ch'kara of the new Traiti Sector.

THOMPSON, Jase: The first Bloodmate to be recognized as such, in 2277. He was in command of the Evaluation Team sent in response to Archbishop Klein's complaint about Narvonese turning into blood-drinking monsters. When blood tests taken on landing showed him to be extremely susceptible to the nosferatu pseudo-virus, Count Nilssun decided he would be an ideal Imperial Liaison for the System if he became a Kin. When he rejected the idea, she arranged for him to become infected, then be weakened enough for the Change. To her disappointment, he did not appear to Change--but that night, it became obvious that he literally had to feed a Kin at daily intervals; in so feeding Narvon System's Chief of Detectives, Enna Kaufman, he Bonded to her. When he was questioned by Count Nilssun, he mentioned a dream of the Dragon Prince, which led to the further discovery that a number of others who had not appeared to Change had also had such a dream, and were also able, but did not have, to supply a Kin's daily needs. ("Teams")

TOLI: (Traiti) A Homeworld vine that often kills the trees it uses for support. It also yields orange berries that, to quote Ranger Tarlac, "look like jelly beans, smell like dirty socks, and taste fantastic."

TORRANCE, Clan: (Sandeman) Clanhome is located on Quivira Continent. Although its specialties are boating and seamanship, like most clans it raises most of its own food; because of Quivira's topography and relatively cold climate, it has more land than the average clan. That land includes most of the Cold Peak mountain range, which is popular with tourists who can get the clan's permission to visit; the clan hunts there, as well as harvesting ice-berries, most of which are exported as a luxury item.

TORVA BUSH: (Traiti) Actually a low-growing tree. Its tough inner bark can be used as a substitute for rope or twine.

TRAITI: A cousin-race to humanity, having evolved on Terra from a common ancestor, and removed by the Others about 35,000 BCE to insure racial survival. Although traces have been found on Terra, they were not recognized as such until after contact was made; before that, such finds were denounced as mistakes at best, frauds at worst.

Traiti males average about two meters in height and 250 kilos in mass, with females somewhat smaller. They are heavily built but not fat, due to greater tissue density. Their bodies are human-looking, as are the hands (with the exception of semi-retractile claws instead of nails), although their skin is medium gray in color and as tough as leather armor despite its softness. Heads are their least human-looking feature, being ovoid and having the long axis approximately parallel to the ground, with bulges along the top and sides. The eyes are small; the nose is barely noticeable except for slit nostrils, and the lipless mouth has triangular, serrated teeth. There are no external ears.

Much of Traiti society is influenced by their sexual imbalance and (on human terms) severely limited fertility. Only approximately one-quarter of the Traiti race is female, leading to a custom (almost a compulsion) requiring that females and younglings be protected. (Note that because of this, all Traiti fighters are male.) Their "family" structure is by clans ranging from 10,000 members up, with all adult members of a clan acting as parents to all its younglings.

Custom restricts sexual activity to within a given clan, which is not, thanks to occasional adoptions and a very stable gene pool, genetically harmful to the race. The general attitude is that sharing bodies is a thing of goodness, between any two adult members of the clan. Heterosex is preferable when available, because of the possibility (however remote) of offspring, but because of the sexual imbalance, the great majority of Traiti males are bisexual in orientation.

During peacetime, clans are led by the Ka'ruchaya consulting with the senior fighter, always a Cor'naya; in combat, the senior Cor'naya takes charge, consulting with the Ka'ruchaya. Although she is not in any formal position of authority, both listen to the clan's Speaker for the Circle of Lords, who is their religious leader. The race as a whole is led by the male Supreme and the female First Speaker.

TREASURE-TUNNELS: Role-playing game derived from the twentieth-century Dungeons and Dragons. It has a steady following in most of the Empire, especially in Subsector Sandeman, where it is a tactical training aid as well as a game.

TRIBUNAL, IMPERIAL: A formal hearing by an Imperial officer to determine the facts in a case, then order the appropriate punishment or reward.

General: The first Imperial contact with this world was made by Ranger Caitlyn Macdonald, who discovered a planetary population of intelligent four-legged creatures apparently engineered from Terran colonists' pets and domestic animals. The humans had been subsequently wiped out by a disease that did not affect the animals, and all Terran connections were forgotten. (Cathy Whitehead)

ULTRAWAVE: The gravitics-based communications system. It is essentially instantaneous at intra-galactic distances.

VADER, Clan (Sandeman): The first clan founded after Overthrow. Named for the Saga's Black Lord, it is the arbiter of the most delicate questions of honor. It specializes in energy weapons, the development of one of which, the lightsaber, required controlled-length laser beams, which has had considerable effect on many fields of Imperial technology.

VERANOL: Developed by Solar Federation researchers in 2096, Veranol is a pale blue liquid which remained the only reliable means of insuring accurate testimony until the mindprobe was developed in 2543. Although it is still used for that purpose when mindprobes are not available, its primary use now is in the anti-interrogation conditioning given Imperials in sensitive or senior positions. There is speculation that it is also used to condition IntelDiv field agents to help them maintain cover identities during covert investigations, but Marine Corps authorities refuse to comment.

VIP CODES: A ship carrying Imperial nobles and/or senior officers will use special designations to inform others of that fact. A vessel carrying the Sovereign will drop its name and use either "Navy One", "Marine One", or (in the rare case of a civilian ship) "Empire One".

Ships carrying other VIPs retain their names, identifying the senior's rank, whether crewwen or passenger, by the following Distinguished Visitor codes:

WAR DOGS, Sandeman: One of the two types of livestock modified by the Shapers, of the wide variety they took with them. These are Doberman pinschers modified for size (averaging about 45 kilos), intelligence, and speech. Their intellectual ability is about that of a ten-year-old human. The speech modification was less successful; while they can be understood, it takes either concentration or a practiced ear. Clan Shona is the primary breeder and trainer of these dogs, and tends to consider them as members of the clan.

WARRIORS, Sandeman: Males genetically modified even beyond the Sandeman norm by addition of a gland which produces the hormone egerin. Under the Shapers, warriors were about ten percent of the male population. This changed after Overthrow, when more warriors were seen as vital to the defense of the race. After Annexation, when the benefits of warrior-police were seen on the worlds they had conquered, other worlds began to hire them and warriors became an economic asset to their clans. Up to half of a modern clan's men may be warriors, with many of them away from the clan in the Marines or on contract as security forces.

Egerin is the primary part of a sex-linked recessive gene complex, and is responsible for giving them speed, strength, and stamina well above the Sandeman norm. Although the psychological segment of the gene complex is smaller, it is no less important: Sandeman warriors enjoy fighting.

These physical and psychological traits are developed by training which starts at age five. The major emphasis, of course, is on combat and related subjects, such as weapons, martial arts, High War Speech, military and Sandeman history, and perhaps some spacecraft handling. Other important subjects are customs and courtesies, need management, the clan's specialty, and one or more personal interests, usually including some form of handiwork. When the young warriors move into the main clanhome at puberty, they begin doing their own chores (laundry, cleaning, etc.), including a share in cooking.

At approximately 18 years old, there is a graduation ceremony for the new warriors and w'women, indicating that they now take their place in the clan as adults. There is no sharp division other than that an adult will not fight or have sex (except for the instructors) with a student; part of the post-graduation party is an adult inviting one of the new graduates to one or the other.

Warriors have the typical Sandeman ethnocentrism, but to an even greater degree. The race was created to be better than its creators, and the warriors are the best of the Sandemans. Fortunately, they are also more concerned with honor, propriety, and courtesy, and they are thoroughly trained in "warrior restraint"; it is dishonorable to fight Others who regard themselves as non-combatants, however great the provocation, except in self-defense. To a Sandeman warrior, the Marine slogan "Death before dishonor" is a truism--and a probable reason most warriors spend some time in that service.

Their physiology and training, however, make it unlikely that a warrior will ever become a Ranger or Sovereign; they are temperamentally unsuited to administering a civilian group larger than a clan.

WARRIORS'-WOMEN, Sandeman: (abbreviated w'women) The female members of the warrior caste, women trained in combat, medicine, and need management. They have no genetic modifications beyond those shared by all Sandemans, so any girl-child who wants to take the training may do so, and most warriors' daughters, particularly the eldest, at least begin training; those who complete it successfully wear a gold-gemmed ring (e.g., golden topaz) to mark their status. Since they have no special genetic alterations, however, any who decide they are not suited to the life may quit at any time, during or after training.

Because of this, there are fewer w'women than warriors, though ideally their numbers would be equal. About the best ratio most clans can expect is one w'woman for two to three warriors.

WEN: (Imperial English) Indefinite pronoun used either when sex is unknown or irrelevant (e.g., crewwen) or referring to a group in which both sexes are present (e.g., crewwens).

WHITE ORDER: (Irschchan) The organization of Talented Irschchans that has ruled that planet since approximately 3000 BCE, its most strongly Talented member becoming the High Adept. In keeping with the Empire's policy regarding already-existing governments, this was modified only in that the High Adept also becomes the Planetary Baron.

At initiation, a member drops @'s family name, using "of the White Order" instead.

General: Pleasure planet. Although its surface is uninhabited, its near-surface volume contains numerous large cave complexes which have been improved and expanded. It has no native life, even plants, but Terran imported plants thrive, thanks to carefully-controlled lighting and atmosphere. Since everything is underground, the surface year and day are irrelevant to Xanadens; the entire planet operates on Palace Standard Time.

Xanadu's only significant economic asset is tourism, its most famous attractions the Pleasure Dome and the amators.

ZWILNIK: Anyone dealing in illegal drugs, or dealing illegally in legal ones. (From the Lensman multiverse chronicled by E. E. "Doc" Smith, with thanks.)

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CONCORDANCE: A TERRAN EMPIRE CONCORDANCE ***

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The Project Gutenberg eBook of Concordance: A Terran Empire concordance

Imperial Empire Concordance

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