History
The Zenith Imperium began with the Zenith Project, a clandestine experiment by the Megalith Corporation to create genetically engineered super humans. Though the original research was suppressed, it was not destroyed. Eventually a movement of people around the world in favour of Very Elongated Life Technology (VELT) known as the Veltists arose. Over time they were able to create the first numans, known as Veltians. Of all the numan genotypes, the Veltians would be the most common. At first the Alliance of Independent Democracies (AID) was accommodating and open to this new technology that could greatly improve the life expectancy of humans.
However, as AID became the United Earth Nations Alliance (UENA), increasingly, Humanist factions began to consider the Veltians and other genotypes unnatural and dangerous, as well as fundamentally unequal. The threat of overpopulation from a never aging group of superhumans, spurred resentment, and eventually UENA banned VELT.
In retaliation, the Veltists tried to stage a coup d’état which failed. The remaining Veltists and Veltians, together called Veltianists, were rounded up, and only saved from extermination by a combination of the same Humanists being unable to order their genocide, and the remnants of the once wealthy Megalith corporation, still sympathetic to the genotype cause, offering to provide interstellar colony ships to exile the Veltianists and many other genotypes to a far distant star cluster.
Swearing loyalty to UENA, the Veltianist exodus set course and departed the solar system as one of the earliest inter-generational colony ships. In theory, the long lives of the Veltians would help them survive the journey.
At some point on their journey, the Veltianists cut off all contact with Earth. They would go on to found a society in the Ursa Minor Moving Group that would become a powerful force, the Zenith Imperium.
Their society would make full use of genetic engineering to create a version of humanity that seemed almost like a different species.
The Imperium would eventually re-establish contact with Earth and its colonies, but by then UENA no longer existed, replaced by AEGIS and the CIC. Considering their oath of loyalty to a dead government invalid, and the natural humans inferior, they went on a path of conquest against their former tormentors.
Eventually the Imperium would find its own exile problem with the rise of the Xenocross, a faction of genotypes that attempted to combine human and alien genetics, first to improve communication with the enigmatic Alien Nations, and later to dominate the known galaxy.
The Xenocross did not mesh well with the supposed perfected humanity doctrine of the Zenithians, and so the Xenocross were violently suppressed. Despite the Imperium’s willingness to commit genocide, some of the Xenocross escaped and regrouped, eventually forming their own Imperium to rival the Zenith. Eventually the Zenith were forced to ally with the Human Strategic Commonwealth and would become part of the foundation of the Imperium of Humankind.
Society
The Imperium began as an ad-hoc leadership system. Many of the Veltians had been among the most successful and wealthy businesspersons and generals, and the importance of genetic cloning to produce sufficient colonist workers for survival eventually led to a specialization of classes based on genetic foundation. As genetic differences were far more apparent in terms of talent and ability, a rather strange fusion of feudal political system and capitalist market economy began to develop in order to support the best genes.
The Cohort Genesis and Exodus series of genotypes forms the foundation of this class system. Classes range from Alpha to Omega, and are based on different levels and types of functionalities. Some are bred to excel at everything as paragons of human excellence, while others are mere servitors, and a few steps above a biobot.
While sex itself is not prohibited, there are severe restrictions on actual natural reproduction, and artificial birthing is preferred. Among the lower classes, parenthood is normally voluntary or professional. It is not uncommon for hundreds to have the same foster mother, and no biological parents. Upper classes in the feudal system are expected to raise their own children, or genetically engineered successors, though in practice they often hire professional nannies and tutors.
Regardless, children are often instilled with the belief that the Imperium is their family, others of the same genotype and especially clones being siblings, and others of different genotypes being cousins, since all DNA is approved by the Imperium.
The feudal system is not as caste like as it may at first seem. The Imperium is built on a meritocratic foundation, and any genotype can in theory be placed in any position if they are able to perform to the position’s requirements. However, in practice most genotypes are specialized from birth to prepare for specific occupations, so the chance of a Genotype Mu becoming a General is abysmally low. Most are taught to serve the Imperium in the manner in which they were made for anyway.
Individual fiefdoms have a surprising amount of freedom, and it is not unheard of for a baron to have a council of elected representatives. However, voting is rarely ever one person one vote, as different genotypes are considered to have differing capacities for judgment.
Longevity treatment is common, and especially among the upper class it is not unexpected to live for hundreds of years. As such the Imperium often appears to play a slow game in terms of politics and intrigue.
The justice system is often considered unduly harsh, as the death penalty can often be used at the discretion of any judge. In the context of a society in which crime is considered evidence that a particular being is defective and given that most citizens of any genotype are replaceable with clones, it makes a bit more sense. It also helps to realize that early colonial era justice had to be delivered in the context of extremely limited resources.
Military
The Imperial Interstellar Forces are often considered a bit of a cult of personality. Particularly brilliant Alphas become famous commanders, while infamous Beta war heroes are not unheard of. There is something of schizophrenic nature to the way the Imperium conducts its military, in the sense that while the commanders often play a long game, the soldiers on the ground are often thrown away enmass, owing to the cheapness of cloning and growing the average soldier.
Rapidly grown grunts are often nearly subhuman and used as cannon fodder. The elites on the other hand are carefully nurtured and used judiciously. Morale tends to be very high among the Imperium’s forces, in part because such is genetically selected. However, normal human forces are often much less likely to feel remorse killing a demi-human Imperial biomachine.
In general the Imperium’s military might is considered highly impressive despite a smaller starting population than its opponents. They are also known to be ruthless, considering normal humans to be inferior foes, and still resenting the history with Earth. Whether or not a captured population is incorporated as Epsilons or “removed from the genetic pool” is often at the whim of the Imperial commander. Human opponents will often fight much harder against such a foe.
Generally higher quality than Earth or the Colonials, the Imperium’s forces were a terrifying discovery when they first appeared to the AEGIS and CIC scouts. However, officers of the Imperium are also known for overconfidence, and prone to taking risks to achieve fame and glory.