G. V. Virini

Giuseppe Vittorio Virini (born -39 A.I. / 2555 A.D., died 53 A.I. / 2647 A.D.), remembered by Imperium history as the First Emperor or as the Father of the Imperium, was the first member of the House of Virini to claim the mantle of Emperor as he united the hundreds of world colonized up to that point under the golden eagle banner of the Imperium.

Prior to his ascension to Emperor, Giuseppe was a successful military officer with the Terra Nova Guard, the elite militia that was but one of many such forces which defended the various star systems. Having started initially as a ground forces commander, he ultimately moved to commanding ships among the militia's squadrons.

Fabrini's claim to fame was his pivotal role in the establishment of the unified militias which stood against the Stegar during their attempted incursions into Human space. Known for being both blunt and highly intelligent, he garnered considerable support from the various planetary governments for his direct, no-nonsense style that helped him to earn a voice among the many worlds in spite of the complete lack of a central government. During the three-year Stegar-Human War, Fabrini climbed the ranks and eventually gained the rank of Allied Forces Supreme Commander, a post which would ultimately translate into the top-level military officer of the Imperium's own military forces.

At the age of thirty-seven, Fabrini led the unified militias against the Stegar at Montrose and was successful in breaking their offensive. While he was himself seriously injured, the surgeons were able to successfully repair his injuries, although he was required to have a cybernetic right arm, which he never exposed and wore a black gauntlet over his hand. With the Stegar broken and retreating back into their own territory, Allied forces pursued them to their borders and would ultimately maintain squadrons of warships along the Imperium-Stegar border for the next two centuries.

Banking on his reputation both as a successful military commander and as a voice of strength and reason, Giuseppe reached out to every Human world and invited them all to a summit on Terra Nova. His cunning use of tradition and heritage - every Human looks fondly to Terra Nova, the original "New Earth", no matter their homeworld - helped to garner the attendance of every system's own delegates for the Convention which ultimately gave rise to the Imperium.

Giuseppe would go on to reign as Emperor for fifty-three years, and is responsible for establishing many of the precedents and traditions which continue to shape and define the station and the significance of this powerful role. He also was responsible for the initial designs used to build the Imperial Palace and his wife's love for horticulture was behind the creation of the Imperium Gardens.