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Ethereal Demesnes

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The old Demesnes were always well-protected. We didn't need warships or battlestations to keep us safe from invasion back then; space itself prevented threats from reaching us.
—Arius Valdayn on the hyperspace barrier blocking entry to the Ethereal Demesnes

The Ethereal Demesnes, also known as the Old Ethereal Demesnes, Ethereal Space, the Ethereal Territories, the Greater Ethereal sector or simply as the Demesnes, was a region of space which directly intersected the edge of the hyperspace barrier separating the Unknown Regions from the greater galaxy.

As a result of its unique placement, the region suffered from the simultaneous blessing and curse of having the majority of its star systems separated from the greater galaxy due to nigh-unnavigable hyperspace routes, and the fact that of these routes, most formed and collapsed at random, and of the few that remained constant, only two were large enough for significant use, which were also the only routes considered conventionally navigable. However, this situation also made the Ethereal Demesnes a particularly valuable location to hold; these two hyperspace routes, linking up roughly mid-way through the Demesnes, allowed for travel between the Unknown Regions and the greater galaxy, via regularly-checked routes near inhabited planets equipped with shipyards, manufactories and various other facilities useful for all kinds of space travellers. Where Terminus was considered the primary entry/exit port between the Unknown Regions and the rest of the galaxy, the Demesnes were a mixture of a sort of go-between, resting and refueling stop, and large trading center.

In fact, a significant portion (though certainly far from a majority) of goods coming from the direction of the Unknown Regions originated within the Demesnes, and equally, a sizable amount of goods entering into that area from the greater galaxy went through the Demesnes. Within the Demesnes' political and astrographical borders, a sizable number of things were produced that simply could not be found elsewhere; from the Ebon Stone and Ebon Steel of Noctorem to the military and civilian starships of Luctanem to the Star Crystals of Aetherum and the many arts, crafts and artfully-crafted items of all the many various Demesnes, they certainly had little trouble marketing themselves in galactic trade, for the most part.

History[]

Cooperation[]

Their unique circumstances placed the peoples of the Demesnes in the desirable position of being able to fortify the entrances of both hyperlanes in and out of their space, and be quite secure without needing extensive fortification within the region. As a result, the Demesne Defense Forces were eventually established by treaty during the New Sith Wars and concurrent Republic Dark Age, remaining active through the Clone Wars. The Demesne Defense Forces were established as a result of rising fears of possible invasion by outside forces, a fear shared throughout the Demesnes even as the region's various Dark Age-era governments fought amongst themselves and which allowed for the Demesne Defense Forces to remain strictly neutral on the region's internal politics; they would not enter into internal wars, nor deploy within the region's borders, serving only to keep its frontiers from being crossed by invaders and pirates.

The Demesnes[]

The region's primary and official name, 'the Ethereal Demesnes', originates in the history of the Ethereal Empire proper. At one point in its history, after the Ethereal Emperor had departed the known galaxy for a time, the Empire became somewhat analogous to the real-world Holy Roman Empire and other feudal states, with its senate being effectively replaced by a diet of nobles from throughout the Empire. Countless Houses, great and small, each with all sorts of titles from Imperator, Emperor and Sovereign to Protector, Rector and Suffete.

Over time, the greatest and most powerful of all the Houses came to be the House of Valdayn, which came to accumulate the ruling titles of virtually every major system in the region's core sectors, though it was known through Arius Valdayn that, as of shortly after the rise of the Galactic Empire, there were "still a number of systems there my family never inherited or conquered". These were known to variously follow the central government, based on Luctanem at that time, or govern themselves, as the Adrexi, K'Sar and Nok'Van worlds did at that time (though this independence came to an end before the battle of Endor).

Peoples of the Demesnes[]

There were a number of peoples native to the worlds of the Ethereal Demesnes, however many were also transplanted from elsewhere in the galaxy and/or created through genetic experimentation. Initially, millennia before the Celestials of the Ethereal Family came to the Demesnes, the dying Ethereal species collected a number of Humans from around the galaxy, and, using their advanced sciences, transplanted a great deal of their genetic data and evolutionary progress onto them. These became the Ethereal Humans, who, after being found by the Celestials, became the main race of the Ethereal Empire and the Demesnes as a whole, coming to dominate most worlds within the region.

However, there were others; the Adrexi, the K'Sar, the Nok'Van, the Luncaris, the Keleans, the Xantians, the Hyrcans, the Vaderonians, the Sarvans, the Zokans and the Qyzora all originated within the Demesnes' borders. The last of the Eternals had also come to the Demesnes with their Ethereal comrades, however after building themselves a new homeworld, they withdrew from all galactic affairs and slowly died out. After unifying and spreading the Ethereal Humans, however, the Celestials (predominantly the Ethereal Family) quickly began repeating the process the Ethereals had done long before, using smaller populations of other higher-developed species from across the galaxy.

None of these ever became so widespread or populous as the Human Ethereals, however they did become significant minority populations on each world they were integrated with, including at least two new subraces of Twi'leks, the Ventorrans, Ilarzelans, Aliantins and Fesurons, the Trandoshan Ssojahumba, Ssk'eset and Lushrir, the Wookiee Ciirooks, Salahets, Chalarralas, Ketheffts, Liaekshiis, Chaalshors, and Kelyetshams (collectively called Ethereal Wookiees or "Aethiirouk"), the Togruta Shisosara and Lisartua, the Zabrak Kaz-Ouc, Tren-Shec and Ovranda, the Zeltron Askarazels and Revidans, the Arkanian Edessperera, the Mirialan Miriailuna and Tirantane, the Miraluka Aldiralika, the Umbaran Ebnarians (known similarly to the Umbarans as the "Duskfolk") and even the Sith Nwûlassi, Kûssassai and Kinqsassi.

Unified Leadership[]

In the pre-Republic era, referred to by many of the Demesnes' peoples as "antiquity" or the "old times", there was little if any central governance for the region. Initially, only the core Ethereal sector and surrounds were even fully, properly populated by significant, modern races, as a result of the Ethereals' actions. Over time, however, thanks to the Ethereal Family, most of the region came to be populated by advanced sentient beings. For some time, the Ethereal Family acted as, effectively, the only central leaders for the entire territory, end-to-end. In time, their rule diminished, and eventually faded away altogether.

In the ensuing power vacuum, the Demesnes began fighting amongst themselves more and more, in what began as mere feuding and trade disputes, but in time escalated to full-scale war, regularly-shifting alliances and political powerplays. In time, the most powerful of the Demesnes and their respective alliances came to be the Kingdom of Luctanem and their allies, and the Noctoren Imperium and its coalition. The two made war against each other so ferociously, it spread to their involvement elsewhere in the galaxy; Luctan Jedi and Sith would duel their Noctoren counterparts and would occasionally refuse to fight their fellows, even in the name of the wars between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire. Noctorens who became Mandalorians would start fueds with clans that had Luctan members, and vice versa. Luctans who worked for Kuat Drive Yards would actively compete against Noctorens who worked for Corellian Engineering Corporation.

On it went for generations, until finally, near the end of the New Sith Wars, there was a final, climactic split; the heir to House Valdayn, Jedi Lord Hyperius Valdayn, soon to become the King of Luctanem, defeated the Sith Lord Mystraea Attix of House Attix, the rightful heiress to be the next Imperator (Imperatrix, in her case) of Noctorem. After this battle, finally concluding their long rivalry, the two fell in love, and married after the war's end. Thus, House Attix split, with few holding onto the old ways, and the Noctoren Imperium now uniting with the Kingdom of Luctanem to bring virtually the entire Ethereal Demesnes under one government.

This continued for the ensuing millennium, however by the time of the Clone Wars, the region's centralized authority was somewhat less effective, a number of worlds effectively having returned to complete independence and self-governance. However, the heir to the thrones, Arius Valdayn, would come to reunify the Demesnes under his own leadership, and in time, restored the Ethereal Empire and willingly returned the entire Demesnes to unified government by consent and democractic elections.

Known Demesnes[]

Among the known Ethereal Demesnes, most of the core Demesnes (those with the most influence which were largely original founders) were among those of autocratic estates, at least initially. However, in time, the other three categories of Demesnes did eventually balance them out with core Demesnes of their own. There were, in fact, literally hundreds of Demesnes, possibly thousands by the time of the Ruusan Reformation, each of which was officially chartered and categorized within either one of the four major categories, or as "protectorates", "clients" and similar, or as "other", however only the exact number of one-hundred twenty were part of the imperial number, the system through which each was recognized in the Diet of the Demesnes, a sort of parliament or assembly of them all, and only those in the primary four categories could be among these.

These one-hundred twenty Demesnes represented the thirty most powerful, most independent, most significant Demesnes of each of the four categories, and all the others were subject to one or more of these and to the Demesnes as a whole. At times, each of these one-hundred twenty "main" Demesnes has interacted with the outside galaxy sufficiently that it is possible to establish a list of them all, along with their categories and imperial numbers. For example, the Kingdom of Luctanem, core Demesne of House Valdayn, would be marked on the list as A-1, meaning "Autocratic Demesne I", as it was both the first of the Autocratic Demesnes categorized as such and has long been the most powerful of that category.

Autocratic Demesnes[]

Democratic Demesnes[]

Theocratic Demesnes[]

Oligarchic Demesnes[]

Protectorate & Client Demesnes[]

  • The Triumvirate Republic of Arisvalesto was a union of the governments of three species, the Derz-a, the Felodar, and the P'Atren, formed on a planet they colonized together following the disappearance of the ancient Ethereal Empire, which they had been a part of. Following the rise of the Ethereal Demesnes in the Empire's place, the Republic became a client of the Diet.
  • The Indomitable Klastron State, which had previously been a part of the old Ethereal Empire but had become independent as a result of both the Klastron Uprising and the disappearance of the Empire. Originally organized so as to centralize Klastron affairs and guide them away from their previous piratical, raiding, marauding ways, the State became the Diet's first protectorate outside the Demesnes, technically lying within the Unknown Regions, albeit very near the hyperspace barrier surrounding Demesnes space.
  • Great Tesviir, also known as the Tesviir Empire, a medium-small Diet protectorate located in the Unknown Regions about which the Demesnes released little information to the galaxy at large and tended to keep fairly secret, generally viewed as being unadvanced and not very interesting.
  • The Narkhrotar Paramountcy, a protectorate located in the Unknown Regions of which only limited information was published due to semi-isolationist culture of the Narkhrotar species. Among the few public details of this protectorate were indications of its approximate location, as Ethereal Demesnes travel records indicated some of the side routes of the Ancient Demesnes Path involved moving through or near the Paramountcy's borders.
  • Eternal Kolkhis, one of the Ethereal Demesnes' more remote protectorates in the Unknown Regions, and one of the ancient Ethereal Empire's allies in the Continuation Wars against the Rakata. According to the Diet of the Ethereal Demesnes' trade reports, Kolkhisid major exports included information technology devices, starship components, and art focused on pottery and carvings, while their major imports included completed starships, rare minerals, and digital entertainment.
  • The Titanocracy of Danzi'im was a Demesnes client state created by Ethereal Human colonists who had become separated from the ancient Ethereal Empire and subsequently crafted their own state in the depths of the Unknown Regions, seeking to remain outside the eye of the Rakata for so long that only after reestablishing contact with the Ethereal Demesnes did they realize the Infinite Empire had fallen. Danzi'im was known to be led by a Council of Titans, which was made up of heavily bio-engineered individuals with extreme physiological enhancements.
  • The Independent Republic of Devryk, a minor Diet client state in the Outer Rim Territories located a short ways outside Demesnes space. Devryk also technically became a Galactic Republic member world, subsequently also forcibly subjugated by the Galactic Empire, but in both cases also remained subject to the Diet and, following the Empire's fall, chose to remain with the Demesnes rather than join the New Republic.
  • The National Assemblage of Aldirundine, a Diet client state in the Outer Rim Territories, one of the furthest away from the Demesnes' borders, notably inhabited by the vulpine humanoid Woltrime race. Aldirundine was one of the rare worlds which preferred alignment with the Demesnes over the Galactic Republic outright, officially stating their stance that the Diet of the Demesnes was less "corrupt" and "bureacratic" than the Galactic Senate of the Republic.
  • The Provincial Confederation of Garendon, a Diet client state in the Outer Rim located on the side of the Great Demesnes Road opposite Devryk. Garendon was the last significant remnant of what at one point was a significantly larger confederation of Outer Rim worlds near Demesnes borders protected by the Demesne Defense Forces and, more immediately, by a militarized religious order known as the Order of the Platinum Talons, set up by the Diet to ensure these planets' security and to introduce them to a deeper understanding of Demesnes culture.
  • The City-State Alliance of Ho'ovir, a Demesnes protectorate colony world in the Outer Rim Territories. Located a short ways beyond the Demesnes' bordering hyperspace barrier, it was nevertheless considered fairly remote, owing to the fact that actually reaching it necessitated travelling through one of the Gateway systems that it was distant from. As a result of its astrographically-removed position, it developed a somewhat divergent culture.
  • The League of Tordaire, a group of several protectorate worlds in the Outer Rim Territories which gathered together under one semi-federal government to enable more efficient governance and mutual aid, particularly in order to ensure safety against outside intrusion or invasion. According to Ethereal records, the League of Tordaire was a major source of starship fuel which they exported to the greater galaxy.
  • The Cosmocracy of Keleion was an Ethereal client state which governed just one star system in the Outer Rim Territories, and which was significantly reliant upon the support of both the Diet of the Ethereal Demesnes and the individual Demesnes themselves as, believing themselves unready to enter into the full galactic community, they willfully opted for their treaty with the Ethereal Demesnes to give the Ethereal side full responsibility for the Cosmocracy's diplomatic representation to the outside galaxy, and, furthermore, banned outsiders from entering their space without an Ethereal escort.
  • The Ancestral Transcendency, a Demesnes subject state which was under heavy protection of the Ethereal Demesnes, to such an extent that even the Ethereal Empire's military forces were regularly stationed in its defense following the Empire's restoration. The Transcendency was a government of Ethereal Humans (and, to a lesser extent, other races; particularly other artificially-created species) which, thousands of years before the Battle of Yavin, colonized a star system orbiting an extremely rare type of star- a Crystal Star, which, combined with Ethereal sciences and knowledge of the Force, was able to elevate the Ethereal aspects of Ethereal Human biology to incredible heights. The exact location of the Transcendency was kept a closely-guarded secret, and travel to it was heavily restricted.
  • The Magnatetry of Aurum, the protectorate Demesne of the Gilded Legionaries, made a Demesne after the Gilded Campaign, not located within the core territory of the Ethereal Demesnes as it was in fact in the opposite corner of the galaxy.
  • The Union of Western Expanse Territories, a collection of minor Demesnes colonies and garrisoned frontier territories in the Unknown Regions, which was known in the Ethereal Demesnes as the "Western Expanse", the "Expanse", or the "Western Galactic Expanse".
  • The Diet-Sponsored Protectorates, a grouping of territories similar to the Union of Western Expanse Territories however located in the Outer Rim Territories, primarily comprised of four key parts; the Diet Vassal Estates, the Diet Colonial Mandates, the Diet Holy Missions, and the Diet Client Republics.
  • The Plutonic Empire of Teoteaztlaes was a sort of "lost colony" of the classical Ethereal Empire, created as a project of the Ethereal Family intended to craft an edenic world in the Metoanthoac system. This project was left unfinished and depopulated as a result of the Ethereal-Rakata Continuation Wars, but, after rediscovery millennia later, was picked up and finished during the governance of Arius and Atheria Valdayn. The system was found to be rich in mineral resources, and, after completion of the ancient Celestial project there, also a significant source of rare and sought-after flora and fauna.

Other Demesnes[]

  • The Elysian City, technically a core Demesne but not belonging to anyone in particular nor to any of the chartered categories or imperial number.
  • Eternity, a relatively secret Demesne of the House of Valdayn, originally belonging to the Eternals, which was uninhabited by the time of their taking control, but which was later returned to Eternal and Eternal Human control after the resurrection of the Eternal race.
  • Arx Ultimium, also known as Ultima, personal Demesne of lady Atheria Valdayn, later transferred to be the Core Demesne of the Saintly Crusaders in the Hallowed Dominion.
  • A series of locations, primarily on moons and in major cities, which are technically considered a "core Demesne" of sorts under the secretive ownership of the Starsaber Project through the Starsaber Council.
  • Arx Occsecerum, also known as the "Hidden Fortress", one of the few shared Demesnes and also one of the only ones that doesn't appear on the official list(s), as it happens to be the Demesne of various secretive Ethereal organizations, including Ethereal Intelligence, known commonly as the "Stars' Eyes", the Ethereal Recordkeepers, responsible for running the Forbidden Library and Ancient Archives among others, and certain other organizations of less significance.
  • The Bibliographical Territory of Foron Aetheris was a colony and minor Oligarchic Demesne, not large enough to be part of the official imperial number, which was named after and founded for the memory of Elgar Finn, largely by formerly-Imperial immigrants to the frontiers of the Ethereal Demesnes. It was founded alongside its new capital city's most impressive structure, a massive library which also functioned as the planetary capitol building, the Elgar Finn State and Public Archive. Also of note was that Foron Aetheris acted as the Imperial Demesnes' functional executive capital.
  • The Fortress State of Arx Imperialis was, much like the Bibliographical Territory of Foron Aetheris, an important world of the Imperial Demesnes, functioning both as its functional legislative capital and as the one and only fortress world in the Ethereal Demesnes. Notably, Arx Imperialis was also the site of the Demesnes' embassies from the Imperial Remnant and, later, the Fel Empire, as well as the Empire of the Hand.
  • The Harmonious Republic of Arx Galactica was the political, economic, military, and social center of society for the immigrants of the Republic Demesnes, the counterpart of the Imperial Demesnes, with settlers coming primarily from the New Republic, Confederation, and, later, the Galactic Alliance. While not a particularly major Demesne in general, Arx Galactica was important as the center of settlement by Republic and Confederation immigrants, as well as the site of the embassies of a number of embassies, including those of the New Republic, Confederation, Galactic Alliance, and possibly others.
  • Kalenda Nokha, a new homeworld settled by and for the Kalendin race under protection of and as part of the Demesnes following the discovery of the Genesis-class Arkship Trinity, aboard which were a number of the previously thought-to-be extinct Kalendin.
  • The Legation Republic of Estiron was a joint Ethereal-Chiss colony, categorized in the Demesnes as a Democratic Demesne. After the colony developed sufficiently to become a non-voting member of the Diet, the Legation Republic was founded, with equal rights for Chiss and non-Chiss residents and with authority to act as the lawful government and state representative of all Chiss living in and around the region, though still technically subservient to both the Chiss Parliament and the Diet of the Ethereal Demesnes.
  • The Piratical Confederacy of Calt was a relatively minor Demesne centered on the planet Calt on the "far side" of the Solinia Nebula, near the hyperspace barrier which formed the natural border of the Ethereal Demesnes. It was technically a sort of pirate confederacy, but in general chose to abide by the laws of the Demesnes, usually only conducting illegal and illicit activities outside the region using the Calt system as their base.
  • The Sepulchral Realm of Nox Trifain was a Demesne of fairly minor astropolitical stature, located almost exclusively within the star system surrounding the planet Nox Trifain. In the Nox Trifain system, the Sepulchral Realm acted as a kind of "tomb world" kingdom, effectively a state built on a necropolis economy. Rumours long persisted it was the home of necromancers, however this was proven scientifically impossible.
  • The Manufactory Republic of Tom Vosk was a Demesne focused primarily on engineering and manufacturing, founded by a mix of the region's engineering guilds and unions at some point prior to the Cold War. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, some of the state's notable productions included hyperspace beacons and artificial intelligence-integrated exoskeletal personnel armor suits.
  • The Ancestral Republic of Xardiaem, a Demesne of some social significance owing to the fact it was the home of the Cult of the Ancestors and the Temple of the Ancients, two significant spiritual, historical, philosophical, and scientific organizations focused on, and functionally a continuation of, the ancient Ethereal practices of ancestor worship (though how much this consisted of actual religious worship was long debated), reincarnation, and development of genetic engineering, terraforming, and related scientific and technological ventures to expand the Ethereal presence in the galaxy, with the latter organization also focused on research into and propagation of the ancient Ethereals' supposed religion, worship of "the Ancients", the Ethereal equivalent of gods. Also notable was that this Demesne had support from and regularly interacted with and educated the children of the Ethereal noble Houses.
  • The Psychic State of Ilion, a Demesne known for its cooperation with the Ancient Republic of Archaiam to create so-called "Psionic Technology"; after several centuries of Progenitor and Progenitor Human assistance in educating and inducting the Ilionites in a scientific connection with the Force, Ilion proceeded on its own initiative with efforts to advance this technology, which was regarded as one of the galaxy's few true, reliable means for non-Force-sensitives to access the Force, and also allowed for natural Force-sensitives to access abilities they might not otherwise have. This knowledge did not spread widely due to two limiting factors: First, the science was demonstrably unable to function for all beings, and, while the Ilionites refined and improved its accessibility over the millennia, it was never universally successful, at least as far as they claimed. Second, the technology was deliberately limited to certain species; specifically, races carrying the genetic modifications seen across the Ethereal Demesnes, whom the Ilionites viewed as their only viable "clientele" for their unusual sciences.
  • The Fylkyrate of Ætrlyngborg was a Demesne of noted cultural and technological standing, though comparatively minor on the larger political stage of the region. Also known as the "Nine Realms", the "Ten Realms", the "Konungdom of the Ætrlyngs", or the "Ætrlyng Jarldoms", it was a system of a number of inhabited worlds which held a variety of ancient and unusual technologies, notably including automated industrial production systems, interplanetary instantaneous travel systems, and matter modification systems. The Demesne was also noted for being home to one of the most relatively unique subcultures of the region, the Ætrlyngs, whom operated as a simultaneously advanced, interstellar civilization capable of contributing to Demesnes spacefaring politics, and a classical, clan-based society of adventurers and explorers.
  • The Megalopolitan Federation of Arx Soliriaeum, a Demesne composed of several different star systems which were only accessible after a mixture of deliberate hyperspace lane construction and gradual fading of the hyperspace barrier permeating the entirety of the interior Ethereal Demesnes. The Megalopolitan Federation consisted near-exclusively of ancient and more modern megaprojects, with its capital of Arx Soliriaeum itself being a massive sphere with a terrestrial interior constructed around a star at an unknown time in pre-Republic history. Besides this, the Federation also included projects such as gargantuan planetary and lunar industrial plants, solar power generators of various forms, enormous farms in gas giant atmospheres, and titanic scientific, engineering, research, and computational facilities. More modern Ethereal historians, archaeologists, and archaeoscientists had yet to reach a satisfactory determination as to the origins of the original megaprojects, identifying markers of the ancient Ethereals, Kalendin, Eternals, Progenitors, and even the Celestials of the Ethereal Family, as well as markers they could not identify as any known species as of the Yuuzhan Vong War.
  • The Temple State of Praxeum was a Demesnes protectorate in the Unknown Regions, established over time by multiple successive lost groups of Jedi over the course of a number of centuries. This inspired rumors of a forgotten Jedi world, located deep in the Unknown Regions, eventually leading to one of the then-surviving Corellian Colonizer-class Praxeum ships retreating there with a number of Jedi Knights and Younglings following the ending of the Clone Wars. The Jedi colony on Praxeum- named for the fact the Jedi-associated word sounded similar to common Ethereal planet names- remained effectively a secret to most, including even those within the Ethereal Demesnes, until at least the Second Imperial Civil War. Some of the Unknown Regions Jedi based there were known to have involved themselves in the historical Ethereal-Jedi alliance, however, for the most part, the local sect of the Jedi Order kept largely to themselves. During the lengthy reign of Atheria Valdayn, they became modestly more active, but still were little-known by the greater galaxy.

Leftover Titles from the Ethereal Dominion[]

Long before the establishment of the Ethereal Demesnes in the galaxy, the ancient Ethereal race of another galaxy had a similar government structure, however virtually all of their titles were associated by what tradition and/or sub-culture they followed. While in much of the history of the Ethereal Humans in the galaxy their people were divided into groups such as the Astral Defenders of the Kingdom of Luctanem led by House Valdayn, their ancient ancestors would have numerous houses, titles and variations of each culture, such as the Astral Warriors of the Imperium of Zantarum, led by House Vansyrayn under House Valdayn. Eventually, this tradition began to be restored by the most recent incarnation of the Ethereal Empire, in efforts to restore their history and power of millennia past.

Expatriate Demesnes[]

A number of smaller Demesnes, particularly on the frontiers and in what were, at the time, newly-annexed systems became largely inhabited by, or in many cases founded by, non-natives of the Ethereal Demesnes. After the integration of the Hallowed Dominion, this became particularly significant, as there were more Mandalorians, more Hutts, more Togruta and a variety of others living in the Demesnes by this time than before, in significant numbers. But, most especially, the most significant of these Demesnes came to be those which organized for mutual benefit and solidarity as the Imperial Demesnes and the Republic Demesnes, the former concentrated largely in the Demesnes' northwestern frontiers, centered on the colony of Foron Aetheris with their legislature at the only Demesnes fortress world, Arx Imperialis, and the latter in the southeastern, centered and headquartered on the colony of Arx Galactica, the former made up largely of expats of the Imperial Remnant and Imperial warlord factions and their descendants and the latter of expats from the New Republic and its successors. This experienced another surge in the aftermath of the Second Galactic Civil War, as people from all sides wanting to escape the conflict and memories thereof sometimes decided to settle in the Demesnes, among them no small number coming from the Confederation, which was an Ethereal ally.

Organization Relative to the Galaxy[]

Entry/Exit[]

For the vast majority of its history, much of the internal astrography and makeup of the Ethereal Demesnes was deliberately kept secret from the outside galaxy, and those who regularly made contact with them on one side of the Unknown Regions' surrounding hyperspace disturbance would not necessarily know of those on the other end, nor would they necessarily know of the same worlds. In fact, a number of worlds within the Demesnes were only gradually discovered even by the region's inhabitants, hence the colonization of systems such as Xaneria as recently as 5 BBY in spite of the fact these worlds lay well within the barrier surrounding and sometimes within the Demesnes.

It is also believed the barrier's size and structure were at some point altered, as the Phantom Void sector, Eidolon Expanse sector, Outremer sector, Shadowy Frontier sector, Caldus sector and Larantine sector all contained systems by the time of the Invasion of Naboo which had not been within their borders at the time of the foundation of the Galactic Republic, though restructuring of sector borders also had something to do with this. However, for more evidence of this phenomenon, neither the Phantom Void or Eidolon Expanse sectors were originally located within the Ethereal Demesnes at all, though the Demesnes' government(s) "conveniently overlooked" this fact much of the time, particularly as regards galactic politics.

Another important detail worth noting was the manner in which the Demesnes kept their internal composition largely secret; for the most part, outsiders would only directly interact with them either on the worlds just outside the barrier, being Luncaris and Vaderon on the Outer Rim side and Caldus and Larantine on the Unknown Regions side, or through the orbital and (rarely) planetside trading and diplomatic stations and ports. Those entering or passing through the internal Demesnes through the Sidereal Passages which composed most Ethereal hyperlanes would either be transported on or guided by Ethereal ships for much of galactic history, though this began slowly changing during the Old Republic era.

Following the Republic Dark Age and Ruusan Reformation, this gradually faded out, so that by the time of the Clone Wars, both Republic and Confederacy intelligence forces had rough maps of the region, though following the war the latter's records of it were largely destroyed and the former's heavily classified and buried, leaving the situation for much of the Imperial Period effectively a return to the status quo.

Republic Organization[]

During the time in which the Ethereal Demesnes were something of an Allied Region, negotiating their way into more-or-less complete Republic membership slowly, they were initially represented in the Galactic Senate by a large delegation, each member selected by an individual Demesne it represented through means as varied as the Demesnes themselves. These delegates would then vote amongst themselves to select a representative to act as the Demesnes' collective, singular Galactic Senator. However, in time, it was decided this system simply did not work; the Demesnes by the time of the Invasion of Naboo included twenty sectors, and so, a singular Senator and accompanying delegates simply could not hope to adequately represent the entire Ethereal Demesnes nor get their voices heard equal to their proportion of the Republic's total population and industry. Thus, change was made, over time.

Eventually, at some point prior to the Republic Dark Age, the Demesnes agreed with the federal Republic government on a system by which each sector of the Demesnes could have its own Senatorial delegation and, thus, its own Senator. By the time of the Clone Wars, for example, the delegation of the core Ethereal sector was comprised of Senator Hyperius Kaldex of Luctanem, Representative Osyrus Dalzyr of Noctorem and Representative Hara Larcades of Arcuvium. The Demesnes' Senatorial delegates, much like the Demesnes themselves, did not always agree on the proper way forward. So, when Senator Kaldex began putting forward motions in the Galactic Senate to allow for the gradual, federally-encouraged and federally-instigated remilitarization of the Ethereal Demesnes and restart of their military-based industrial economy, not all the other Demesnes' delegations supported him, and which ones did sometimes varied.

Imperial Organization[]

Following the Declaration of a New Order, the Ethereal Demesnes transitioned from being one of the last Allied Regions to becoming an Imperial client state, of sorts. Much like their time in the Republic, under the governance of the Empire the Ethereal Demesnes were semi-integrated, semi-independent through the entire period. Thus, reflecting this, it was quickly established that fleet admiral Arius Valdayn held power within the Demesnes, recognized officially by some of the internal governments but only unofficially by the central Imperial government, for the reason that he was the heir to much of the region's inherited ruling titles through his father, Atlus Valdayn, who had died not long before the end of the Clone Wars.

However, also reflecting the odd administrative situation, it was decided that the region ought to have proper Imperial governance as well, but that a standard method of assigning a moff to every sector or two sectors and a grand moff to lead the region as though it were an oversector would simply be inefficient, thanks to the comparatively tightly-packed and unusually-structured and varied region's twenty-sector composition. So, rather than altering the structure of it, a unique hierarchy was established on Valdayn's recommendation and appeal made directly to the Emperor, who had been a mentor and "friend" to him since the early days of the Clone Wars. There would be five moffs, each governing four sectors regardless of internal Demesne overlap, as that was to be Valdayn's field rather than theirs. These moffs would have an order of seniority, with particular sectors assigned to each "rank", and the highest of these would be accorded the title of grand moff, leading the region as a whole on behalf of Imperial Center.

At the beginning of this system's implementation, circa 17 BBY, they were as follows;

However, this organization would prove impermanent, as while Valdayn got along fairly well with Thulesun, quickly became friends with Arven and was able to maintain cordiality with de Havilande and Soran, he and Holt Karvitan quickly found themselves butting heads, more and more strongly and frequently as the years went by. So, when Valdayn began subtly making moves to consolidate and expand his own power, both under direction of Palpatine and Armand Isard as part of the Circle of Fifteen and on his own, he knew he would have to resolve the situation. In time, he decided that Holt Karvitan could not be allowed to continue his leadership position within the Demesnes, but rather than try to find a way to get him reassigned, Valdayn arranged for his early death and, following outcry from his people and support from Arven and Thulesun and begrudging acceptance from de Havilande and Soran, Valdayn was named as acting leader of the entire Demesnes, ignoring the established moff seniority succession wherein Arven ought to have succeed Karvitan, de Havilande him, and so on until Thulesun would need a replacement. In time, this became permanent, as Valdayn was named a moff in his own right and, as head of Sector Group I, acted as a grand moff within the borders of the Ethereal Demesnes.

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