Samuel Messer

Samuel Messer VIII (*2678; +2715) was eighth Imperator of the United Empire of Earth. After the death of Illyana he was proclaimed Imperator in 2697 but was deposed by his cousin Astrid Messer in the same year. After an ongoing civil war for 4 years, Astrid was murdered in 2701 made Samuel the uncontested Imperator.

Life
Samuel Messer was the son of Illyana Messer, and brother of Galor Messer. His mother, Imperator Illyana Messer named him as her successor in 2679, age 1. He replaced his elder brother Galor who was expected to die soon due a chronic illness.

Illyana died of a sudden stroke in 2697. For reasons not known yet, her aunt Astrid Messer, grandaugther of Corsen Messer V seized power for her own. In the following struggle for the throne, Agents loyal to Illyana smuggled Samuel away from Earth before he could be assassinated. Astrid devoted much military resources to locating him, but ended up being assassinated by Samuel's agents in 2701, at which time Samuel ascended to become Imperator.

Reign
The appearing Vanduul threat in the "West" was largely overlooked by him and his regime. Vanduul raiders invaded Orion, Tiber, and Virgil. In 2712, a Vanduul clan defeated the UEE fleet, bombarded Orion III and harvested the entire system.

Notorious for his penchant for brutality, he was assassinated in 2715, stabbed to death in bed. His sickly older brother Galor Messer ascends to become Messer IX amidst much controversy and concern that he is in no condition to run the empire.

"The new Imperator took the Vanduul threat even less seriously and seemed to be much more interested in using his newfound power to torment an already subjugated population into further submission."