Though the Order of The Light is undoubtedly the most feared and well-respected organization in the galaxy, it has a close competitor in the ranks of the Imperial Navy. Vast and powerful, the Navy and its legions of warriors stretch the rule of the Empire far beyond the more limited reach of the Guardians. Often intertwined, these two organizations are intended to be separate, though a long history of conflicts have driven them together in recent decades.

Not every planet agreed with the new Empire’s demands. While minor political concessions were made to sway planets like Vyxex and Riik to conform, the monarchy of Lurio refused outright. Having avoided the Sellonian War entirely and boasting a robust military and deep-seeded warrior culture, the Lurian king immediately withdrew from the Tallunian Agreements and boldly declared his independence.

Further tensions escalated into the bloody Lurian Wars for the next several years. Lurian warships strangled imperial supply lines in Khi’Hinnese, Arboran, and Koleon space, testing the mettle of the new navy. The results proved disappointing, prompting the Empire to accept Lurian independence but also depend more heavily on the Order of The Light for peacekeeping efforts.

When the conflicts had subsided in 425, the Gatrellian Reforms changed the military at its core. Army battalions were re-established as Imperial Legions, with more rigorous training programs for legionnaires. New weapons, uniforms, and armors were introduced, creating a streamlined and brutally efficient military machine. New warship designs were developed at the shipyards of Rho, slowly replacing the now-outdated vessels that had once served local systems.

As the new military developed, so too did its relationship with the Guardians. Effectively the rulers of the new order, the Guardians began to assert a more active role in the Imperial Navy after its failures in the Lurian Wars. The Bellati and Vindori were especially influential in this, though Empress Novana forbade them from assuming command outright. In her eyes, the Order and Navy should always act as two separate entities; each relying on the other but never dominating the other’s affairs. The Guardians oversaw the Gatrellian Reforms and their implementation but stopped short of commanding troops and issuing orders.

This relationship persisted through the so-called “Golden Age” of the early Empire. Generally, the Navy busied itself with securing the imperial borders and combatting piracy while the Guardians handled more delicate and tactful matters. Together, they effectively prevented all but the most minor conflicts between imperial worlds, and successfully held back the threats of planets like Lurio and the Rogue Sisters. Numerous occasions saw the cooperation of both groups, with Guardian prisms being sent into battle alongside Imperial Legionnaires. Though the Order did maintain a cadre of its own vessels, naval warships often ferried Guardian prisms into conflict zones. Though rivalries certainly existed – and were sometimes even promoted — they were never enough to create longstanding tension between the two organizations.

With the death of the Emperor Lucius II, this relationship would be changed dramatically. As the Dominari prepared for their rebellion, their most skilled Guardians manipulated millions of legionnaires and officers to join their cause. Within weeks, a sizeable portion of the Imperial Navy had fallen into complete obedience, with entire fleets rallying to the Dominari defense. When the Bellati likewise joined the fray, they seized a more direct military approach, replacing the most elite divisions with their own shock troops. A new flotilla of massive Rhonian warships – intended for deployment in the Distant Worlds – were finalized and commandeered by the Bellati outright. While the Dominari readied their loyal non-Radiant followers, the Bellati now crewed a state-of-the-art fleet all their own. Within months, half of the empire’s planets surrendered to Dominari manipulation and Bellati intimidation.

The remnants of the Imperial fleet quickly realized the strength of their new enemy and plotted a means of countering it. With the approval of the Emperor Decius, the Supreme Master of the Order, and the non-Radiant High Command, the Imperial Navy and Guardian Order fused themselves like never before. Guardian Knights and Masters soon took positions of authority on every capital ship, and began to command entire legions directly. Guardian Prisms – now composed of only four individuals – began to take to the battlefield en masse, often alongside hundreds of legionnaires. Despite initial protests by non-Radiant officers, the Guardians bolstered the Imperial Navy to unprecedented victories and eventually to success.

Following the Dominari defeat, great strides were taken to restore the independent relationship that had once existed between the Navy and the Guardian Order. The Bellati were forced to surrender their newfound fleet, turning the vessels over to non-Radiant command and crew. Guardian prisms were removed from the Navy’s regular responses and command was once more placed in non-Radiant hands. The famed Myssrynian Trials rooted out the most nefarious Radiant and non-Radiant war criminals, though nearly all of the rebel rank and file were granted amnesty to account for the effects of Dominari mind-bending.

Despite these recent difficulties, the Vindori Dynasty has attempted to maintain a closer connection between the Navy and the Order, hoping to prevent similar catastrophes from happening again. As the new dynasty struggles to assert its authority, both organizations stand at the ready.