Monarchy of Latarra

Calen Harendotes ruled as Monarch until his death. Lady Ardahael served as Master of War, Absalom Black as Chancellor, and Lord Qiu Zhihao as Master of Finance. Lord Simeon Ardahael served as apostol to the Imperium. Captain Zelaz was first-among-equals of the Exalted captains loyal to the Monarch and one of the few who knew the Monarch's true identity as a variant of Kharn Sagara. The Monarchy's colors are black and gold, with the falcon in cloth of gold against black gabardine as its emblem.

The Grand Army of Latarra is divided into twelve fleets, each named for a standard month and commanded by a Commandant General. Three of the twelve are former Imperial officers -- Lorian, Gadkari, and Harred -- two are Norman (Jansen and Sen), and the rest are Extrasolarian. Camillus Elffire commands a division of the Grand Army. The Latarran forces include cephalophore AMP units that fight as flying cavalry. The Interfaced are the assault contingent chosen by Lorian.

The Latarran fleet holds its position in orbit during the battle over Vorgossos, waiting to see the outcome. Imperial Strategos Ohannes Douro proposes using Demiurge to destroy the Latarran fleet, arguing it is newly minted, openly Extrasolarian, and would not allow Imperial borders to be redrawn after the Cielcin war. Hadrian refuses.

Calen Harendotes establishes the Monarchy in the Veil of Marinus beyond Imperial control, assembling nearly half a million ships in the Latarra system. Imperial spies among the Extrasolarians monitor his movements, and an Extrasolarian transport departing Latarra is intercepted by Imperial scouts, its trajectory used to locate a hidden MINOS base in the unnamed binary system VA-91:35 DB-639. The Monarchy's existence is later revealed to have been engineered by Kharn Sagara from the beginning: Harendotes is a Sagara variant made to believe he is an independent ruler, and the New Order exists only to restore Sagara to Vorgossos.

The capital -- the White City, also called the Printed City -- is built from scratch using machine-manufactured limestone and dolomite around adamant and steel skeletons. The outer Maze district consists of grounded starships serving as foundations and power generators. At the center rises the Citadel, a ziggurat of adamant and steel still under construction. The royal quarter is called Facade.

The Monarchy ratifies a peace treaty with the Sollan Empire, becoming suzerain over several thousand worlds in the Norman territories -- the first Imperial territorial concession since the Jaddian Wars. The Emperor made an accord with Harendotes granting him lordship of all Norma in exchange for pledging his fleet and providing the means to track Cielcin telegraph transmissions.

Harendotes reveals to his soldiers that the Monarchy was designed to reclaim Vorgossos, promising eternal life -- 'the promise of Vorgossos' -- to those who serve him. The Grand Army carries out orders to leave none alive at Vorgossos. Harendotes told his followers he intended to use Vorgossos as an ark to carry his people to safety if Latarra should fail; this is a deception.

Harendotes is killed. Without the Monarch to anchor the coalition, the Latarran factions -- Exalted captains, Interfaced, tetrands, dryads, demihumans, Lords of Vorgossos, Mandari, Norman refugees, and ex-Imperials -- begin turning upon each other. Lorian warns that each faction seeks to claim the throne. A device manufactured by Sagara-Harendotes for monitoring Cielcin communications remains on Latarra.

Civil war appears to break out on Latarra following the Monarch's death.

Calen Harendotes (Monarch; variant of Kharn Sagara), Absalom Black (Chancellor), Lady Ardahael (Master of War), Lord Simeon Ardahael (apostol), Lord Qiu Zhihao (Master of Finance), Lorian (Commandant General), Gadkari (Commandant General), Harred (Commandant General), Jansen (Commandant General), Sen (Commandant General), Captain Zelaz (Exalted), Camillus Elffire (division commander)