Order of Merit

The Order of Merit was the lowest order of merit awarded by the Sovereign of the Golden Empire, customarily on the advice of the Council of Honors. It was awarded to civilians for "especially meritorious contribution to society by achievement in the arts, science, industry, education, or philanthropy". It ranked below the Order of Distinction.

Unlike the three senior orders, recipients of the Order of Merit were quite varied. Scientists, holofilm stars, distinguished educators, poets, authors, businessbeings, and leaders of charities were all recipients of the Order. Also unlike other orders, the Order of Merit was awarded in classes, not degrees. The medals for each class were identical, but each had a different color ribbon.
 * First Class (Red): "Awarded to those beings whose charitable and philanthropic contribuations improve the lives of other beings"
 * Second Class (Green): "Awarded to those beings whose achievements in the fields of science revolutionize the understanding of the natural galaxy or advance the condition of sentient beings"
 * Third Class (Purple): "Awarded to those beings whose achievements in the arts ennoble and inspire the spirits of their fellow sentients"
 * Fourth Class (Blue): "Awarded to those beings whose pursuit of educational excellence allows others to develop and excel"
 * Fifth Class (Yellow): "Awarded to those beings whose leadership of industry and commerce spread to all worlds the benefits of Royal civilization"

All recipients of the Order of Merit were addressed with the style "Sir" or "Lady". They were also entitled to, 1OM through 5OM for First through Fifth Class, respectively. Many (especially those receiving lower classes) preferred to simply use "OM", which was also considered correct.

Behind the scenes
While most orders of merit in the Empire are based on the, the details of the Order of Merit were inspired by the Japanese.