The Ackalian Empire lies to antispinward and "northward" of the Terran Empire. It contains many rich planets and several dozen intelligent species, all under the control of the Ackalians. Powerful and aggressive, the Ackalians have a carnivorous diet and territorial habits that keep their numbers low. As a result, the Ackalians spread themselves very thin in their empire, with virtually all adults of the species serving in the government or the military. Subject species conduct all economic activity, science, and new development in Ackalian space (under the watchful eyes of the Ackalians, of course!). Thanks to the oppressive nature of the Ackalian regime, rebellion remains an ever-present threat, so the Ackalians use extremely harsh measures to maintain the peace and keep their subjects under control.
The Ackalian Empress (the ruler and all other important government officials are always women) is theoretically an absolute monarch. In practice she must rule through a coalition of ambitious lesser warlords and commanders. The position is not hereditary; when an Empress shows signs of age or weakness, potential successors begin maneuvering for support, and a brief civil war settles the issue.
While other galactic states see the Ackalian succession as a symptom of societal weakness, the Ackalians themselves disagree - they believe the constant infighting keeps their culture and species strong. They conduct their foreign policy in much the same way, using subversion and assassination as routine tools. Advancement in Ackalian society is very Darwinian, requiring a combination of ability and ruthlessness. Thus, Ackalian leaders are usually highly competent individuals, without much mercy or sympathy for others.
Shairaka, the current Empress, maintains a policy of avoiding open conflict with the Terran Empire. She believes the Terrans will eventually fall before Ackalian might, but now is not the time.
Hemmed in by the Mon'dabi Federation, the Terran Empire, and the galactic core, she prefers to expand into former Malvan territories. In the meantime, border incidents between Terrans and Ackalians, and between the Ackalians and their hated enemies the Mon'dabi, occur with depressing regularity. While she's not willing to give up spying on other species, Shairaka fears one of these incidents could go too far and put her Empire in jeopardy.
Some of the Empress's rivals have seized on her "displays of weakness" to put out feelers about deposing and replacing her. Chief among these are Taakamra, a prominent starship commander in the Ackorsha, who openly refers to Shairaka as a weakling and a fool; and Ulshara, a distant relative of the Empress's who governs the important Tengali system.
The Ackalian military is a single unified service, known as the Ackorsha ("Victory Force"). The Ackalians make no distinction between space and surface forces, and for this reason most of their starships have the ability to enter atmospheres and make planetfall. The Ackorsha is big enough and powerful enough to pose a serious threat to the Terran military.
Ackalian military doctrine and social policy rests in part on the belief that any Ackalian is competent to fill any position in the Ackorsha - be it ground-pounding infantryman, combat medic, artillery officer, or commanding admiral. Although they usually fall short of this ideal, Ackalian soldiers' cross-training does give them a great deal of flexibility. On the other hand, the lack of specialization sometimes inhibits the Ackorsha's effectiveness.
Unlike most other institutions in Ackalian society, the Ackorsha (and to a lesser extent the Kairensha) offers an opportunity for males to advance and hold positions of responsibility and authority. While the topmost commanders are all females, males can rise to any other rank, and even give orders to lower-ranking females.
The fearsome Kairensha ("Scout Force") conducts diplomatic, exploration and intelligencegathering missions for the Ackalian government. Other galactic espionage agencies consider Kairensha agents tough, disciplined, clever, and willing to resort to the most vicious or ruthless practices to accomplish their goals. If necessary, a Kairensha officer will plant a bomb that destroys an entire ship to kill one passenger.
Kairensha ships explore new systems, spy on rival powers, and sometimes even conduct scientific research. Kairensha operatives are also skilled at political warfare and assassination, doing to rival states what Ackalian factions do to each other during succession crises. The TIC and TSS have captured more than a few Kairensha operatives in Terran space; they wage a constant shadow war with the Ackalian spies in the border sectors of both empires.
Xenophobic and suspicious, the Ackalians don't welcome outsiders into their space. Merchants who want to trade in Ackalian space journey to outposts established on the Empire's borders and conduct business there. From there an Ackalian trader takes the goods deeper into Ackalian space if necessary. Aliens caught entering or traveling in Ackalian space without permission (which is extraordinarily difficult to obtain) are summarily executed, often without even a chance to explain themselves.
For these reasons, information about Ackalian space is limited - but the Mon'dabi, Humans, and other species aren't entirely ignorant of places and events inside Ackalian borders. Besides Ackal itself (page 25), Ackalian space contains some important or interesting worlds, such as:
Located in a system only three light-years from Ackal itself, Damrath is an atmosphereless fortress planet dedicated to the defense of the Ackalian homeworld. In addition to its numerous ground-based planetary defense weapons, it has several powerful orbital military bases (as well as similar facilities elsewhere in the system). An entire Ackalian fleet makes its home in the Damrath system, ready to respond to any threats at a moment's notice. Any enemy seeking to assault Ackal must first pass by Damrath - a difficult task at best.
An Ackal-like world with only primitive native plant and animal life, Kardaghel was one of the Ackalians' first colony worlds. Today it has a population of 2 billion Ackalians, plus an equal number of slaves. It's a key manufacturing and scientific research center for the Ackalian Empire, with both groundside and orbital facilities. The Kardaghel Orbital Shipyards are a major Ackalian military asset.
The oceanic planet Lothan is home to the amphibious Naloth (page 25). Rumor has it the Naloth loathe the Ackalians, and would love to obtain their freedom somehow, but they have no forces able to take on the entire might of the Empire.
The Naloth live in Lothan's extensive coastal swamps. Since they have no use for the deep ocean or the dry continental interiors, the Ackalians have taken over those areas and established numerous facilities to exploit their natural resources.
The only inhabitable world in a system of nineteen planets, Valagar VII is cold and mountainous, with a relatively thin atmosphere. Ackalians who live there have hermetically sealed houses with independent air supplies, and wear breathing gear when they go outside. Despite these difficulties, Valagar VII is a popular vacation destination for Ackalians who enjoy mountain sports. Climbing Mount Thargelshain, the tallest mountain in the Empire and one of the tallest in the Galaxy on an inhabitable world, is regarded as one of the most significant accomplishments an Ackalian can achieve in his lifetime; dozens of Ackalians die every year while attempting to beat the record for the fastest ascent.