The Terran Empire
The first noticeable differences between the Federation timeline and the Terran Empire timeline occur in the 4th century AD. The point of convergence seems to concern the death of Crispus, Constantine I's eldest son. In the Federation timeline Constantine has Crispus killed to keep him from gaining too much power. In the TE timeline Constantine does not have Crispus killed. In the TE timeline the relationship between father and son seems, somehow, stronger. Instead of being killed by his father, Crispus is murdered by agents of Licinius in 322 AD. In response to his son's murder, Constantine declares war on Licinius. In 324 AD Constantine defeats Licinius for the final time at the Battle of Chrysopolis. Disregarding his sister (also Licinius' wife) Constantia's pleas for mercy, Constantine has Licinius killed.
After Crispus' death, Constantine becomes a more hardened ruler. In 324, immediately following the defeat of Licinius, Constantine founds the city of Constantinople on the site of Byzantium. In the years that follow Constantine creates drastic changes in the government of the Roman Empire. He creates new laws that dictate severe penalties for any and all types of government corruption. He passes laws that reintroduce the laws of primogeniture and names his son Constantius II as his successor. He calls the Councils of Nicaea to organize the Christian religion. During these councils Constantine makes himself the head of the Christian Church, thus making Christianity the state religion. Constantine reinstates the Praetorian Guard and gives them the sole responsibility of protecting the Imperial family.
Following Constantine's death in 337 AD his son, Constantius II, becomes the 55th emperor of the Roman Empire. Due to the efforts of Constantine, the Empire, for the first time since Diocletian, is firmly united under one emperor. Thanks to the unity of the empire and Constantius' control of the Church, Constantius is able to marshal enough force to invade Persia. In 354, after 14 years of continuing war, Constantius' legions defeat the armies of Persia. The defeat of the Persians brings new wealth and prosperity to the empire.
Constantine's progeny rule the Empire until Constantine IV is assassinated in 736 AD. After Constantine IV's death, Michael Donalson, one of Constantine IV's most trusted friends, claims the throne and begins the Donalson dynasty. Michael's son Malcolm is deposed by Nicholas of Corwyn in 822 and all of Malcolm's family, except for his youngest son, are killed. In 904 AD, Peter Donalson, heir to the Donalson dynasty, deposes Oliver of Corwyn to retake the throne. The Donalsons rule the Empire until 1168 AD when Christopher Donalson dies.
After the death of Christopher Donalson, Henry Plantagenet of England is crowned Emperor Henry I. Henry I moves the capitol of the Empire to London England, where it remains until 1861. After the death of Empress Victoria the first major war of succession, The Great Civil War, begins.
Most historians consider the throne to have moved to the United States towards the beginning of the Great Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln claimed the throne. Throughout the GCW the world saw more bloodshed than in any other period in its history. The GCW ended in 1961 with the ascension of John F. Kennedy to the throne. John's brother, Robert, succeeded him in 1974 after John was assassinated. After Bobby was killed in 1993 he was succeeded by his younger brother Theodore. The throne remained with the Kennedy line until 2047 AD.
In 2047 AD, David I claimed the throne. In 2059, with the establishment of the first Mars Colony, Emperor David I changed the name of the Empire from the Roman Empire to the Terran Empire.
The year is currently 2262 and Shuni is Emperor....
Background
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, the Terran Empire is the Mirror Universe counterpart of the United Federation of Planets, and differs from the Federation in aspects of philosophy and ethics. Where the Federation has strict rules protecting less-advanced societies, the Prime Order of the Empire is to allow no resistance to its wishes to go unpunished. Punishment on Imperial Starfleet vessels is administered by the use of hand-held agonizer or, for serious offenses, such as an unsuccessful assassination of a superior, the agony booth. Both of these devices work by direct stimulus of the brain's pain centers. Aliens are experimented on in painful ways as a matter of routine.
The uniforms and heraldry of the Empire reflect its very violent nature. Uniforms are more flamboyant, and always incorporate weapons — daggers and phasers.
The symbol of the Empire is a stylized Earth (Centred on the Americas) with a sword behind it, the hilt appearing to protrude from the North Pole and the point coming out behind the South Pole. Assassination of disobedient officers by their subordinates is encouraged as a means of maintaining discipline or career advancement for those who are successful. As such, high-ranking officers are often shown with bodyguards to counter such attempts. Starship commanders are seen keeping one, or even several, consorts from among the crew, although these relationships have tended to be brief. However, life in the Empire is not wholly corrupt, as characters from the Empire have been occasionally depicted with redeeming qualities, such as loyalty. For example, as the ISS Enterprise is being bombarded by Tholians, Captain Maximilian Forrest heroically stays behind in order to get his crew into lifeboats and safely off the ship.
Vulcans are depicted as transitioning from a second-class race of the Empire (as seen in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly") to becoming one of the more influential member-races — nearly as ruthless as Humans — as typified by the mirror Spock.
The Empire is stated to be unstable in the first episode in which it appears ("Mirror Mirror"), and the mirror-universe Spock estimates that it will be violently overthrown in the next few centuries. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Crossover", it is shown that the Empire fell to an alliance of Klingons and Cardassians, and Humans and Vulcans were enslaved. What happened to Earth or the planet Vulcan in this universe was left unexplored.
Posted by FSF Lowell At 3:20 PM
Government
Star Trek: Enterprise established that the Terran Empire is an absolute monarchy headed by an Emperor. In the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly", Hoshi Sato overthrows Jonathan Archer (who had been attempting to declare himself Emperor) and, using the firepower of the captured USS Defiant, installs herself as Empress. A sequel to this episode was planned, but the cancellation of the show prevented it from being made, thus the fate of Sato remains a mystery.
Subject states were required to pay a tribute called the imperial tithe.