abstract
| - The Valkyrie Edict is a Reydovan Imperial contingency plan created by Emperor Kiran Joshmaul, to be put into effect in the event of his death. His son, Prince Azrael - while officially declared the heir to Joshmaul's throne - has expressed his lack of interest in succeeding his father, instead continuing his studies of archaeology and the history of the "Predecessors" - the Gorak'nar, whose artifacts have been found on Reydovan worlds since 2305. Named for Operation_Walküre, a Nazi German contingency plan that would be issued in the event of Hitler's death, the Valkyrie Edict would present a radical reshuffle of the Reydovan government. The head of Imperial Security - presently General Artimus Devaneaux - would assume control as Regent Lord of the Reydovan Empire, and the armed forces would subdue any unrest following the sudden vacancy of the Imperial throne. The order was issued when Joshmaul was of the opinion that the Federation would be responsible for his assassination, and thus Article 4 of the edict is an order calling for war against the Federation. The Valkyrie Edict will be the lynchpin of an elaborate scheme planned by Joshmaul to ascertain the loyalties of the Empire's leadership - the nobility, the planetary governors, and the Imperial legislature. It would plunge the Empire into chaos, forcing people to choose sides: Those loyal to the Imperial Throne (led by Chancellor Joshua Underwood) and those who sought to overthrow him.
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