Source of Imperial personal

[jatay3]

Where do the Imperial personal come from? It is true a lot of them come from the various worlds. However that has some problems. Not so much for beureacrats. However what about military or scouts; it is theoretically possible that they will be told to fight against their homeworld for they cannot be sorted them out every time there is an intervention. Will unit loyalty, or patriotism be stronger? The Imperium cannot be sure.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons for those worlds governed directly by the Imperium. It provides a source of personal who can be counted on not to have devided loyalty. There may even be worlds that have generations old traditions of doing service for the Imperium.

 

[Ben W Bell]

Imperial personel come from all worlds of the Imperium. Anyway can join up from any world if they meet the basic criteria. I'd imagine that someone who joins up will be stationed well away from their home system, possibly far enough that they may never see their homeworld again.

People enlisting would take an oath to serve the Imperium and I'd imagine Imperial psychologists would be on hand to ensure that people of suspect loyalty do not get through. If they do end up against their homeworld at some time then they'd better do their duty properly or I'd imagine the consequences would be incredibly severe.

 

[Shiara]

They come from all worlds in fact. As regards loyalty, I rather regard it much like the Marines and Navy personnel in Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium books: They are loyal to the Fleet and to one another, to humaniti as a whole, rather than a single planet or system. There would, of course, always be some who wouldn't see it that way, but I suspect those sorts wouldn't last long in service. Either KIA or EAS. This is just how *I* deal with it IMTU.

That being said, we've seen enough scenarios on our own planet to know that people will fight against their home nation and people. So perhaps it isn't such a problem after all. OTOH, maybe they do as the Romans once did and raise regiments or what have you from a single system, then post them outsystem permanently. All have interesting aspects. Whatever works best for you I suppose.

Shiara

 

[eiladayn]

I would think that the personnel in the fighting military who were called upon to combat their own world would either treat it as if they are combating a rebel regime--OR in much the same manner that Robert E. Lee and his compatriots did in the U.S. Civil War and join their own people against the Imperium. Both reactions seem perfectly reasonable to me. Don't say I'd agree with either, just that its reasonable.

Pappy

 

[Ranger]

I see the Imperial forces as more like the armies of the Maximilian in the Italian Wars or the mercenary forces of the Thirty Years War. They volunteer becuase they want to get away from their homes. Joining the imperial foreces is a ticket to get off world and out of system.

The part of society that actually travels out of system is probably very small compared to the total population of the imperium, probably somewhere around 3 to 5% at the most. If you weren't born into the nobility, your only way in to the community of travellers is to join an imperial service.

Bottom line is that those who want into the travelling class probably have little loyalty to their home world in the first place. They join up because they want to get away in the first place.

Just my thoughts,

Rob