Government of the Solar Throne

The government of the Empire of the Solar Throne is headed by the occupant of the Solar Throne on the planet Mercury (see Earth's solar system in the Empire of the Solar Throne), who is called the Imperial Sovereign of the Solar Throne and First Citizen of the Empire. The ruler is a human clone genetically enhanced with superhuman strength and Einstein-like intellect, and produced from the genetic material of the previous Imperial Sovereign, and genetically-descended from Devlinus Stonerius, the founder and first ruler of the Empire. The ruler is aided by the Imperial Council of Advisors, mostly humans with a few A.I. machines and animal-human hybrids appointed by the current or previous Imperial Sovereign, and Council members can only be removed by two-thirds vote of the Council. The ruler may legislate by decree, though the Imperial Council of Advisors may veto or delay any decree. The local administration of the planet Mercury and Empire holdings on the planet Venus and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is in the hands of Imperial prefects (usually human) directly appointed by the Solar Throne, but Luna (Earth's moon) and Empire holdings outside Earth's solar system have local autonomy due to acessible-but-remote distances via the time-dilation drive on interstellar ships, though Imperial Couriers accompanied by the Empire's military or police forces regularly show up even on Luna and outside Earth's system in order to uphold the authority of the Solar Throne.