Empire Lords in the Times of Usurpation and Regency

Lord Alexey Dolgorukiy

The greater part of Empire Order members are descended from the families of military aristocracy of Polaris Empire and just they form the base of the Empire high command. However among them there are people, who rose to the highest command rank of the Empire having started as a private. The most outstanding of this not numerous group is Alexey Dolgorukiy.

Dolgorukiy was born on the planet Tzargrad located on the outer border of the Empire. For a long time, all planets of the outer border suffered from raids and attacks of the barbarians, which live beyond the Empire. A part of these barbarians is people, offspring of settlers from the old Earth, another part is renegades from the Empire itself and the third part is offspring of the “fruit” of genetic experiments of the Empire scientists, night-stalkers. So many natives of the outer border, who from their childhood were accustomed to carrying weapons, join the Empire army, mostly its landing troops.

Dolgorukiy started his military career as a commando in the ranks of the Empire army. He took part in his first battles almost 45 years before the beginning of the First Wave of Intrusion. As a soldier of the 12th light battalion of the 8th storm regiment, Dolgorukiy landed on Nightmare, the planet considered the unofficial capital of the outer border barbarians. In this battle he showed real heroism and at the critical moment of the combat, when his direct commander was killed, he took command and led his fellow-soldiers out of encirclement with minimal casualties. After this he received a so-called field promotion and was in command of his battalion till the end of the punitive expedition.

Then he made still more turbulent career. He graduated from Empire Military College and became one of few colonels who did not have a noble origin. During the First Wave of Intrusion he did not take part in battles on the Protectorate territory, but unexpectedly found himself an active participant of the revolt suppression inside the Empire itself. Taking occasion that the majority of the Empire loyal troops were at the seat of war, a group of higher nobility made an attempt of a military overturn. Several regiments located on Polaris Prime, the capital of the Empire, rose in revolt and moved to Emperor’s palace. In spite of the numerous body-guard, Emperor’s life appeared in danger. But as fate had willed, simultaneously with the beginning of the revolt the young Colonel Dolgorukiy with his regiment arrived on Polaris Prime for rearmament and reformation. The plotters did not know about this and lost him of their sight. As a result, the regiment of the young colonel played the decisive role in quelling the rebellion and Dolgorukiy received the ribbon of Empire Order and Emperor’s personal gratitude.