The space industry is expanding fast — and its value is set to triple in the next decade, from US$630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035. However, although the number of nations with space programmes is growing — with 77 space agencies worldwide — many others are excluded.

In particular, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), Indigenous Nations and communities and small states are missing from debates around space activities. Their concerns around how people operate in space, the environmental consequences, Indigenous rights, diverse views of cosmology and demands for political and scientific participation are typically dismissed.

Such marginalization has created tension between these communities and the astronomy and space sectors. For example, in Hawaii, Indigenous communities are opposing the construction of telescopes on the summit of Maunakea — a sacred site. And in 2024, people of the Navajo Nation contested a (failed) commercial attempt to send human remains to the Moon, an act that was deeply upsetting to them and many others1.

Lucas did a fine job of showing their evilness of the Evil Galactic Empire in the original movie, what with killing Luke's folks and Leia's whole planet, but Disney less so.

Indeed, some wags on the Internet argue that the Empire is the good guys.

STARQUEST is my homage to Lucas and rebuke to Disney, and my personal crusade (which all are welcome to join!) to restore pulp-style space action tales of derring-do to their long lost glory.

These fine film makers made no effort to show the causes of effects of what causes the rise and fall of Imperial forms of government. A pulp novel is a better vehicle for this.

In my version of what is substantially the same background, the Empire lasted centuries, continually grew more oppressive.

Let me list four reasons why:

1. The Science Police, following enlightened gun-control policies needed to keep dangerous weapons and technologies out of public hands, combatted bioweapons and high-tech plagues by imposing quarantines on planets annoying to the Imperial government.

Additionally, the Science Police wiped out worlds too popular or dangerous by stealthily introducing global epidemics.

The Scientist General in charge of this effort was named LORD PESTILENCE.

2. The Census for Economic Surveillance and Rectification left galaxy wide recessions, depressions and mass starvation events in its wake.

The Empire also protected and funded the Interstellar Crime Syndicate, a galactic black market run by gangland crimelords called the Secret Seven, in order to panic local systems into begging for Imperial Legions to replace local constables. The Chief of the Secret Seven was a masked mastermind called The Faceless Man.

The Faceless Man, in truth, was the Imperial Chancellor in charge of all such efforts at economic justice, and was called LORD FAMINE.

3. The Praetorian Guard ensured public peace and security, especially against shape-changers impersonating local planetary leaders, by having cyborg Terror-troops standing by to eliminate any planet that might prove a potential threat against Galactic stability.

A spindizzy-drive warmoon was able, by close passes to an inconvenient planet, within Roche's limit, triggering quakes and supervolcanoes vital tidal effects, destabilize its orbit to have it spiral in to its sun, or drift into interstellar space.

The Praetorian Guard was led by LORD WAR.

4. To ensure public mental health, the Curial Office of the Inquisition for Psychiatric Conformity and Correctness would examine public opinion for traces of superstitious beliefs.

Any curiosity about stories of psychic knights with special powers was illegal, as was belief in god or gods. The Inquisitors would desecrate and burn temples, and slaughter sacerdotes and shrine maidens.

Those "victims" of these "hoaxes" would be taken away for benevolent psychological re-education at a Voluntary Happiness Camp, and never be seen alive again, albeit certain letters would be sent to relatives back home expressing how happy they were, now that they were free of delusion. All the letters were worded the same.

The Grand Inquisitor was called LORD DEATH.

Together, the Scientist-General, the Faceless Man, Lord War and the Grand Inquisitor were called THE FOUR DARK OVERLORDS.

These were the four viceroys of despotic Emperor Mors, master of the mysterious mental powers of the Nocturnal Order, whose lovely daughter, Princess Vesper, sparked the Galactic rebellion.

So, the short answer is that, in the STARQUEST version of the Greatest Empire, those who believed the Imperial news services thought the Empire was the sole protection against all fashion of evils and disorders that would otherwise mar the public weal. It was illegal to disbelieve the news.