Below : Lemurian prototype with Tachyon drive  , a new kind of hyper light speed travel . This engine principle allowed a continuous flight through hyperspace , controlled and navigated , no more cumbersome jumps. The Empire only did find out about this progress in technology late , and never was this technique to be duplicated . It remains one of the mysteries of the Old Empire .

In the third millennium , from 2400 G.E. on , a crisis developed in the Maquis . During the weak reign of Emperor Arothrestes V , the former democratic basis of the Lemurian Maquis was undermined and finally abolished . Democratically or scientific minded  Tamraats, who opposed the changes and the plans of the Sequestor's were forced to flee the sector .

In the core of the Lemurian Maquis , the formerly democratically elected Sequestors established dictatorial powers and absolute military control . Unexplained until  today , a new generation of  Sequestors developed , or found , a technology that extended their life spans to almost eternity . In the year 2536 G.E. , a coup resulted in the takeover by this new generation of Sequestors , who  were known and referred to as " Padroni della  Isola " or , short , " PdI ", a name possibly deriving from the ancient language of " Latin " , an early scientific tongue of the " Roman Empire  ,  one of the earliest colonized planets . " Isola " obviously referred to the Galaxy , indicating that their hunger for power would know no borders .Within themselves they referred to each other as " Factor " , with a numerical index , a lower number indicating a higher rank  ,  keeping thus the Siwenna tradition , on the outside .

This revolutionary cabal consisted of :  Factor IVX : Cato  Orbon  / Factor XIII :Nifach - Levin  /  Factor XII : Andor Zentral  /  Factor XI : Agor - Frabur  /  Factor X : Merlan Notral  /  Factor IX : Sentar Borgha  /  Factor VIII : Milos - Corl  /  Factor VII : Regnal - Orton  /  Factor  VI : Toser - Ban  /  Factor  V : Nevis - Latan  /  Factor IV : Miras - Etrin  ( in charge of Lemuria III ) /  Factor :III : Proth Meyhet ( in charge of an unknown system ) /  Factor II :  Trinar Molat  ( in charge of the Tamanium )   .  The identity of Factor I was never discovered , he never appeared in public . Rumors said he had mysterious means to control his colleagues .

173 years later , 2709 G.E. , an internal rebellion against Factor I occurred. Sources indicate that Factors XIV to VIII tried to overthrow Factor I 's supremacy . Factors XIII  to VIII were found soon later dead of an unknown disease , the available clinical data suggesting a rapid aging process . The speculation soon started that the control of their longetivity must have indeed been under Factor I's control . Factor IVX , Cato Orbon vanished without a  trace .

In the aftermath , the military forces of the PdI were even more expanded .  New types of Battleships were constructed and produced , especially the new EMPIRE Class , 1500 m diameter giants .

The Empire could not afford to overlook these developments .