Free The Imperium by PM Barnes

THE IMPERIUM
    A SHORT BY
    PM BARNES

    Published by PM Barnes at
Smashwords
Copyright© 2015 PM Barnes
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    W hen those that had
the means to, left Earth, all that remained were those who had been
struggling since long before technology had allowed for life on
other planets. As the rich made their way to New Eden, the people
of Earth suffered a catastrophic loss.
With all commerce ceased and governmental structure eroded, they
were in a battle for just their basic necessities.
Along with economic strife, they also had to deal with a loss of
faith. With the discovery of new planets, those on earth were
forced to face the fact that they were no longer on top and the
hard truth that they were not the only beings in the universe.
    The period that followed after the mass
exodus, was the darkest time that Earth had ever witnessed.
Chaos reigned and those who were left, did whatever they could to
survive.
    After some time of this, a beacon of light appeared in the form of
General Tollis.
    When the others had left earth he had stayed,
believing that he could assist in lifting his home planet back up
to its rightful place in the galaxy. He had eased humanity away
from the brink of disaster. He offered structure, joined nations
and brought back economic stability.
The Imperium was formed and he went about setting up a governmental
structure and creating a military force, which once again, gave the
people something to be proud of and aided in restoring hope.
Even with weapons that were not as advanced as their foes, they
still managed to be a formidable force and went about seizing other
planets and attracting allies to their cause.
Taking help from those who were willing to join efforts, they were
able to create a military that demanded recognition.
    With advanced logistical information being
provided by the Asatora Logicians, who hailed from the planet
Asatora, they were able to use their vast military forces to
orchestrate fierce battles against those whose technology was
superior to their own.
In addition to that, they commissioned the Rubicon free-riders, a
group of what many referred to as madman, who were capable of
getting the job done in situations where tactical strategy alone,
would not do. Filled with more guts than glory, the free-riders
were often called upon to do the missions that were thought to have
a low chance of survival and were outside of normal militarized
campaigns. While they were hard to control, they were also
incredibly effective.

    As earth made its way out of the darkness, it
could not be denied that its underbelly had been showing since back
before the advances that led to the exodus.
It was understood that there would always need to be entertainment
for the citizens and also a place in which to send the dregs of
society.
The Gladiator Slave Soldiers were a throwback to an earlier time.
The games represented an outlet that was sorely needed in a society
that still possessed remnants of its dark history. In addition to
that, it provided a place to put those that were captured during
battle, but had put up a fight that was worthy of more than just
death. It also operated as a second chance for soldiers who had
failed to gain
    citizenship through their service and a
placeholder for those who were not fit to circulate about the
general society. If a Gladiator fought with honor and distinction,
they could be lifted out of slavery and earn a spot in the Imperium
military.
    Above all, the Imperium believes in honor and
merit. Values that have been