The Rimward Imperial Pact

Originally formed as a proper Remnant state under Grand General Falgar, the Pact has drifted further and further away from Imperial roots as the planets involved have come together. With various independent and mostly non-human worlds within the territory, the Pact has since become more of a defence pact between these worlds that themselves act autonomously, while the Rimward Pact structure and military presides over the space in between them and acts as a barrier between those worlds and the ambitious expansionism of the other states. That status as technically still being a ‘Remnant’ state keeps them protected from the others, despite how much they may not be liked.

While the Grand General has purview over the military and technically has responsibility over the space between the worlds of the Pact, the worlds themselves have their own autonomous and sovereign rulers that abide by the requirements to contribute to the defence and protection of themselves and other worlds, as they not only have to face down potentially other Remnant states, but other possible external threats.

However, with each of the member worlds having disparate governments, views on sovereignty and in many cases, different native species, the grip the Grand General has would be tenuous at best. Thanks to making use of the Clawdite people from Zolan as a main backbone of the Pact’s intelligence agency, he is able to keep an eye on the various leaders of the member worlds and play them against each other, making sure the rulers spend their time competing against one another and allowing him to focus on serving the people, as he sees it.

While the Pact is not at the same level of economic prowess as its fellow Remnant states, the presence of Corporate-led planets within their territory and a mindset that allows them to be far more friendly with their neighbours has allowed them to trade much more often, and much more lucratively than their sister states. Whether it is spice from Ryloth to use as medical supplies or valuable shells to sell on from Drexel, the Pact has access to the resources of many worlds through deft diplomacy and friendlier relations.

The Pact also makes use of the expertise and resources of its member worlds, including the rare and valuable crystals of Christophsis, the sheer level of production and industrial power of Druckenwell or the riches of the merchant dynasties of Manda. Manda and Druckenwell in particular often compete for more prominence in regards to trade deals and the economic power they bring to the Pact, creating a friendly rivalry between their citizens, and a far less friendly one between their leaders.

While the other Remnant states can follow much of the old Imperial military doctrine, the Rimward Imperial Pact is missing one vital component; force projection. In the cold realities of space, a strong fleet can be the difference in all kinds of conflicts, a strong fleet that the Pact is sorely lacking. While they do have ships and a fleet of their own, they pale in comparison to the intimidating and powerful Star Destroyers of the other Remnant states, and when in combat amongst the stars, the Pact must rely on cunning, bravery and pure dumb luck to get them through the day.

Thanks to this, the main backbone of the Pact military are their foot soldiers, the men and women who serve on the ships as officers and marines, and who serve on planets as the troopers who fight to maintain the relative independence of their homes. However, they are also behind compared to many of their counterparts, having inferior equipment - the bulk of the Pact ground forces use primarily Empire-era Shoretrooper armour, having reactivated the old manufactories on Ando.

To counteract this, the Pact uses numbers to as great an effectiveness as possible. While their soldiers are well-trained and courageous, the doctrine of the military is always to move in numbers, to maximise this potential advantage as much as they can. To this end, living in the Pact means that a percentage of all citizens on each member world is required to spend at least 2 years serving in either a military or civil capacity - however, serving in the Trooper Corps comes with far more benefits and social mobility, meaning that it is much more of a popular option.

In order to encourage this mindset and not only keep recruits coming in but encouraging them to stay in, the Grand General and the Pact overall engender a culture of heroism and valour, presenting the striking image of a trooper fighting for his or her planet, for their folks back home, for the kids in the street who can live equally and without having to suffer like so many did under the old Empire. This reinforcement of every trooper and veteran as a hero who should be respected just for that has kept them going for now, and also keeps a steady supply of reservists ready to go.