You are born into one of many Imperial houses. Choose an ancient name and a quality that your house is associated with (stubborn, wise, loyal). Roll for your house standing:

• 1-3: Your house is poor, without any planets under its control. Poor houses are often cared for by houses in higher standing, in exchange for favors.
• 4-5: Your house is up-and-coming, it can boast a home planet or moon. This makes it a compelling target for rival houses.
• 6: Your house is reputable and controls an entire system. Ever evolving Imperial politics present a challenge to your stagnant stewardship.

Regardless of your house, you are compelled to answer the call of the Empress.

Born into a dying overextended empire. War after war. Spoils of which fuel what they call the economy. Merchant guilds, pirates, corporations squabbling over the scraps. The most complex machine in the universe has reached its warranty. You might just die in service of it.

Your service to expand the glory of the Empire starts when you reach 18 years of age. Choose your career, or don't and take one debt and dishonour. If you enlist, roll d6: on a 1 you die, on a 6 you are promoted (up to three promotions). Then you can choose to leave service or spend more time on your career, rolling every 5 years.

• The most prestigious career is of course in the Imperial Navy (Ensign - Lieutenant - Captain - Admiral). Officers sacrifice themselves to liberate worlds in the name of the Empress.
• The Translation Office (Secretary - Attaché - Consul - Ambassador) handles communication with alien and non-Imperial polities. Delegates are often assassinated due to brewing political intrigue, or just pure revenge.
• Only the most desperate of nobles take on hellish Frontier World assignments (Scout - Planetographer - Terraformer - Warden). Out here, death from every kind of natural and unnatural disaster is as common as hydrogen.

If you die, the next of kin (sibling, cousin) follows in your steps.

A great downfall forces you to leave Imperial service. A death, a kind that calls for revenge. A debt, so crushing that no lawful earnings can pay for it. A disagreement, where you made a disastrous mistake. A deception, which you must unravel at any cost.

Armed with a history, a sword, a name, you must face the space between.