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SITS2 SB2: The Silesian Confederacy - Setting Book THE ANDERMANI EMPIRE The Andermani Empire is an interstellar polity founded by The Imperial Civil Service is dedicated to supporting the Gustav Anderman, with its capital at Potsdam in the New Emperor by solving problems before they come to his Berlin system. Consisting of 21 star systems, the Andermani attention, and has an almost religious zeal for staying within Empire has been blessed over the centuries with highly proven best practices. The success of the Empire rests upon competent rulers (with a few exceptions) and a stable its stability, and that stability is entrusted to the Civil Service, foreign policy based on self-interest. The early years of the and regarded by them as their sacred charge. More than Andermani Empire were dominated by Gustav’s benevolent one outside observer has commented on how Confucian despotism, represented in microcosm by his treatment of the Empire seems to be, in the oddest of places, and several Kuan Yin. academic articles and scholarly works on the Empire have tried to figure out how the mix of Prussian and other In 1512 P.D. Anderman, in command of a fleet of ships and traditions have reinforced each other to make a government a sizable contingent of mercenaries, took possession of the that has lasted for close to half a millennium with next to no world Kuan Yin (eventually renaming it Potsdam in keeping upheaval. with his belief that he was the King of Prussia reborn). The settlers of Kuan Yin were predominantly ethnic Chinese, Military and form a sizable portion of the Andermani military forces The Andermani military is built off of several traditions, to this day. In the early days of the Empire, Potsdam was ranging from pragmatic mercenary sensibilities to Prussian effectively a factory for soldiers, much like the nations of and Chinese customs. These have been synthesized into Prussia and Nepal were to earlier empires on ancient Terra. the guiding doctrines of a highly flexible and innovative force, one that places a high premium on intelligence - both The Empire expanded slowly, subsequent Emperors taking operational and personal - and initiative. Gustav’s example and making sure each acquisition was fully absorbed and stable before moving onward. Each Imperial Andermani Navy (Kaiserliche acquisition was planned carefully, and the Empire did not Kriegsmarine) make a move unless it could be reasonably sure of success. The Emperor is commander-in-chief of the Imperial Andermani Navy, working through the Imperial Naval Government General Staff. The IAN is the senior service of the Empire, and The Empire is administered by the Emperor directly, assisted its Academy is widely regarded as one of the most gruelling by the Imperial Chancellor (appointed by the Emperor and in its part of space. usually a close relative or trusted associate), and advisedSample file by the nine-member Imperial Council, which also has the Andermani Merchant Marine (Kaiserliche power to confirm or deny the Imperial succession. The Handelsmarine) Chancellor and Councilors are appointed for life by the The Andermani merchant marine is a civilian regulatory Emperor, and serve at his discretion. The Emperor personally agency rather than a military one, and is run by a board of approves promotions to the ranks of Field Marshal and regulators. The main duties of the board are to set standards Grand Admiral, and appoints members of the Imperial of training and professionalism for mercantile officers (by General Staff. The Emperor also appoints the Ministers of operating the Imperial Merchant Marine Academy), oversee State, Finance, the Interior, War, and Industry, who serve at training and certification of starship crew, operate the the pleasure of the Emperor. network of health and safety inspectors within Imperial space, and inspect shipyards and drydocks to maintain Each member world is allowed considerable autonomy, minimal standards of construction and performance in and is ruled by a local governor, appointed by the Imperial merchant ships. Directors serve for life, and are appointed by Council (the position is not hereditary, but tends to be given the Imperial Chancellor. to the same family over the years -- the one inflexible criteria is that the governor must be a citizen of the world). The sole Imperial Andermani Army (Kaiserliches Heer) exception is Potsdam itself, which is the personal possession The Emperor is the commander-in-chief of the Imperial of the Emperor. Traditionally, the governor of Potsdam is the Andermani Army, through the Minister of War and the heir to the imperial throne -- the governorship serving as a Imperial General Staff. Local planetary defense militias kind of on-the-job-training for the Emperor-to-be. (known as Landwehr) also exist, serving as a reserve force to the IAA, but are not as well-trained or equipped as main While governance ultimately rests with the Emperor, day force IAA units. to day administration is the purview of the Imperial Civil Service, which gains new members by competitive exam. 2 JAYNE’S Intelligence Review SITS2 SB2: The Silesian Confederacy - Setting Book While the Imperial Army has the usual assortment of task Interest in the Silesian Confederacy and mission specific groupings, with cross attachment of With the opening of the Gregor terminus of the Manticore units to meet specific aims, perhaps its most remarkable Wormhole junction, and the annexation of Gregor by the aspect lies in the degree of training that all troopers get in Andermani Empire, the interstellar traffic in the Empire constabulary and disaster relief work; more than half the grew by leaps and bounds, and eventually extended to battalions in the Army have at least an Engineer platoon for the western edge of the Silesian Confederacy. The real building bridges and repairing road and basic infrastructure; boom in Andermani traffic for the Confederacy came most regiments have a full Engineer company for larger with the opening of the Basilisk Terminus. Much like projects and civic duties. This is in keeping with the Empire’s their Manticoran counterparts do, Andermani merchant modus of investing themselves to restore order, with the cartels route freighters across the Confederacy to Basilisk, eventual aim of assimilation. using Basilisk to get to the Manticoran market, offloading the Silesian consumer goods picked up in crossing the Founding of the Empire Confederacy, then using the Gregor terminus to bring high Little is known of Gustav Anderman prior to 1500 P.D. end Manticoran goods back to the Empire. Andermani histories usually describe his previous career as “soldier and politician,” and leave it at that. What is known is Between the Empire’s expansion, and the cross-Confederacy that Anderman was a mercenary and soldier of fortune, and trade route to Manticore, Andermani merchant traffic has highly successful at that career. increased within the borders of Silesia. This has put pressure on the IAN perform patrols and escort convoys to secure Gustav, believing himself to be the reincarnation of King merchant shipping. Ultimately, this has caused the Empire Frederick the Great of Prussia, often held court in authentic to designate Silesia as its own Wehrkreis, or Fleet District. 5th century Ante-Diaspora costume, including knee pants While currently a Flotilla in strength, this designation opens and a powdered wig. While he clearly had Frederick’s the door for the Andermani naval presence to be expanded military and administrative talents, Gustav did not have on in the future. the latter’s musical proclivities (reincarnation was evidently not perfect). He did, however, share the Prussian monarch’s This burst of trade has also resulted in basing and repair passion for “collecting” savants and scholars. This enabled deals at some of the more stable planetary governments, him to adapt Terran-norm lifeforms to the Kuan Yin/Potsdam giving the Empire a vested interest in specific systems on eco-system, and made the planet a viable (if inhospitable) the western front of Silesia, much as the Star Kingdom has world for human habitation. similar basing interests and vested interests on the eastern front. One such example is the IAN naval station on the third The initial survey of the Kuan Yin had been flawed in a small moon of Sachsen. but vitally important detail -- the local microorganisms were especially fond of chlorophyll and nearly every Terran Competing against these interests is the reputation of food crop the colonists had brought was susceptible.Sample The Andermanifile vessels of being high handed and downright local microfauna left Terran animal life untouched, but no reckless in isolated systems, most notably the Brinkman terrestrial animal could thrive on the local vegetation, and Massacre, where the Dolch-class destroyer took out an entire the initial years of the Kuan Yin colony were characterized orbital platform with 2000 personnel onboard, after an by back-breaking agricultural labor, dismal crop yields and organized crime syndicate had the CO killed. a dwindling population (neither people nor animals do very well on a diet of yeast and mushrooms). Gustav brought in It is arguable that, had the Manticoran Navy not gotten biologists and genetic engineers, and imported food for the there first, the Andermani Empire would’ve continued locals for the twenty T-years it took to rework and stabilize its gradual expansion into Silesian space, grabbing the local ecosystem. distressed systems here and there as time went on. With the Manticoran Navy already there, and with plenty of other star In return for this assistance, the inhabitants of Kuan Yin/ systems to assimilate, the Andermani Empire waited for the Potsdam embraced Gustav as Emperor by acclamation, and Star Kingdom to do the natural thing, and absorb systems ceded him ownership of the world. Gustav renamed most from the Confederacy.

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