Star Wars_ Edge of the Empire Rule Book

In 0 BBY, with the Declaration of Rebellion, Em-
peror Palpatine finally dissolved the Imperial Sen-
ate. In its place, a pyramidal structure of Moffs and
governors took the reigns of administrative leader-
ship, while the Emperor and his cadre of advisors
and bureaucrats handed out edicts and orders as
they chose. With that, the last remnants of the Re-
public vanished.
Those who wish to understand Imperial law should
know a few basic principles that Palpatine outlined in
his declaration.

• The Jedi are elitists with dangerous powers and a
  desire to dominate all sentient beings. They must be
  exterminated and never allowed to flourish again.


• Security and stability are of primary importance
  in the wake of the Separatist crisis and the terrible
  corruption at the heart of the once-great Republic.


• Safety and peace for all citizens requires a new
  constitution, a ruling body that serves the ma-
  jority, and a sovereign, enlightened ruler who re-
  mains in power for life.


• All beings should be ruled by one law, with
  one language.


• A strong military is needed to protect the rights
  and security of all citizens.


• All enemies of the Empire will be crushed and
  eliminated for the greater good.
  The essence of what the Imperial Charter promises is
  "Safety, security, justice, and peace." The cost of those
  qualities is a totalitarian regime with absolute power.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN THE EMPIRE

With the utter disaster that was the legal code of the Old

Republic, many feel the Justice group of COMPNOR's

Coalition for Progress actually lives up to its name and

its function. Palpatine's call for "one law" drives each

member's efforts, with the result being that most Core

Worlds and connected sectors now experience a legal

system uniformity not seen in many centuries.

Recently, there has apparently been a move to

incorporate the philosophy of "Imperial Infallibil-

ity" into the Empire's legal code. The majority of

the Justice group's membership—who attempt to

build a just code of law—resist introducing this

tenet into the legal foundation. Unfortunately,

the ISB has taken up the cause and is apparently

working to oust these resistant members in favor

of more pliable legal minds.

THE PROCURATOR OF JUSTICE

The Procurator exists at the top of the Imperial

criminal justice system and is responsible for pros-

ecuting cases involving highly placed political

criminals and even entire planets. This is one of

the people who serve the Emperor directly, report-

ing to no one else. In addition, the post is a highly

protected one, served anonymously. Only the Em-

peror may overturn an edict from the Procurator,

which is an unlikely occurrence.

THE IMPERIAL OFFICE OF

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS (IOCI)

The IOCI reports to the Justice group of COMPNOR

and serves as the Empire's central law enforcement

agency. It investigates and combats criminal activi-

ties affecting Imperial concerns, mostly including

multi-system criminal syndicates and similar organi-

zations. The IOCI also targets particularly nefarious

individuals who have committed crimes on multiple

planets or in Imperial space.

By necessity, with its jurisdiction spanning the

known galaxy, the IOCI frequently works in tandem

with other agencies and factions. This includes Impe-

rial Intelligence, the Imperial Military branches, and

local agencies. The IOCI also works with the ISB and

other COMPNOR agencies when called to do so.

However, the ISB is far more concerned with political

matters and threats, while the IOCI focuses on mat-

ters of criminal law and its enforcement.

Two types of elite operatives serve the IOCI, in ad-

dition to its regular officers and investigators. First are

the Sector Rangers, a body of talented and effective

law enforcement officers that has existed for centu-

ries through different governments. Traditionally apo-

litical, the Sector Rangers often provide the only real

source of law and order in the more distant regions of

space. They tend to operate in pairs or small teams,

commandeering resources and local police or militia

as needed. In the current Imperial era, the Sector

Rangers still serve and remain mainly independent,

though COMPNOR keeps a close watch on them.

Special Enforcement Officers (SEOs) are elite

agents recruited primarily from the Sector Rangers

and given broad authority and resources to deal

with the most dangerous criminals. Often working

undercover and in highly dangerous circumstanc-

es, SEOs overlook any number of minor offenses

in the pursuit of a greater threat. This cavalier at-

titude and willingness to work with almost anyone

to catch the perpetrators of truly heinous crimes

makes the Sector Rangers and SEOs popular with

the citizens at large, yet does little to endear them

to the ISB and other COMPNOR loyalists.

Sector Rangers and SEOs have a great deal of lati-

tude when pursuing justice. This includes the ability to

recruit civilians with special abilities to help with their

investigation. A competent team of fringers may find

themselves unexpectedly and temporarily deputized

by a Sector Ranger or SEO who has need of their spe-

cialized skill set.

LAW AND SOCIETY

EDGE OF THE EMPIRE