Tiberus Corvo
Tiberus Corvo was a major politican in the 26th Centrury
Early life
Tiberius Corvo was born in 2540 on Earth, the only child of General Lucius Corvo, a decorated Marine and senior political figure. Raised in a household steeped in military tradition and conservative values, he was groomed from an early age to follow his father’s path.
He attended the Cimber Military Academy in Dhaka City, graduating as valedictorian in 2563. He then studied military history at Cydonia College on Mars, where he balanced strong academic performance with an active social life. Corvo captained the rugby team and was known for his charisma, though he developed a reputation for partying and short-lived romances. Despite his notoriety, Corvo graduated in the top quarter of his class and was widely viewed as a natural leader, setting the stage for his military commission.
Military Career
Tiberius graduated from college in the top quarter and then transferred to the marine corps officer training academy in 2568. He proved to be an excellent student, buckling down and working hard
but also gaining a reputation as a leader among the young cadets. He graduated 4th in his year group and was commissioned in 2569 as a 2nd Lieutenant.
2nd Zzenddi War
In the early days of the 2nd Zzenddi War, Major Corvo was deployed to Al Ahily on his father’s staff. Tiberius took part in some of the early engagements with the Zzenddi and was wounded by a warform. He left the planet with his father’s staff and recuperated in a veterans hospital. Whilst on Al Ahily he was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant.
He considered taking a medical discharge from service but instead decided to stay on. He lobbied for and got a deployment to Lightning Point as a staff officer in the garrison where he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
With his father’s death, Tiberius was allowed compassionate leave and mustered out of service in 2580, at the rank of Major.
Politics
Governor of Earth
Following the death of his father, Tiberius Corvo confirmed his candidacy for the Governorship of Earth on the Valiant Party ticket. After a costly and bitter campaign, he was narrowly elected in 2580, defeating Social Democratic Party candidate Anya Divakar. His campaign emphasized reconstruction, social order, and a return to traditional Terran values.
UBI pause and reconstruction
Corvo’s signature legislative achievement came in 2585 with the temporary suspension of Universal Basic Income (UBI). Despite opposition from across the aisle, he successfully assembled a fragile coalition of Isolationist Party , Republican Centrist Party members, independents, and, in a surprise move, the Gurava delegation, to secure the vote. The measure passed narrowly and freed up billions of adjusted dollars for reconstruction.
The funding was directed toward a sweeping public-private infrastructure effort, primarily contracted to Hinterland Capek Projects, which completed Earth’s postwar reconstruction ahead of schedule by 2590. Corvo also introduced an executive Work Exchange Program, authorizing reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders who volunteered for labor on reconstruction projects. Over 25,000 inmates participated, saving the government an estimated 250 million adjusted dollars. The program survived a legal challenge brought by the civil rights group Activas, following a narrow court ruling in Corvo’s favor.
While some of the funds freed by the UBI pause were directed toward education and welfare, critics argued the impact was limited compared to UBI’s broader benefits. Opposition parties accused Corvo of prioritizing optics over equity.
Crime policy and asset seizures
In tandem with his economic agenda, Corvo spearheaded the Search and Seizure Program – War Profiteering Act (2581). The act targeted profiteers and criminals exploiting refugees in the postwar chaos, authorizing the seizure of illicit assets. Although the scope was limited, several hundred seizures were carried out, totaling approximately 100 million adjusted dollars in recovered value.
Party defection and political fallout
In 2585, Corvo attempted to push for a merger between the Valiant Party and the Isolationist Party, a move blocked by Senator Everett Inkerman. Nevertheless, Corvo formally defected, bringing his Forza Terra faction into the Isolationist fold, significantly altering the Republic’s political landscape.
Governance challenges and legal scrutiny
Corvo’s administration faced constant friction with the Diet of Earth, which convened multiple select committee hearings to investigate alleged mismanagement and overreach. The hearings became highly publicized and politically damaging, leading to several junior resignations.
After the Senate Oversight Committee investigated, it was revealed than an intervention from Senator Ostor Malouf (SDP) pressured the inquiries to be discreetly phased out—an act that later drew criticism during the 2590 campaign as a possible cover-up.
End of term and legacy
As his term drew to a close, Corvo reinstated the UBI program in 2589, fulfilling a campaign promise and softening public opposition. The move was praised by the SDP as a vindication of their platform and improved Corvo’s standing in the broader Republic.
In one of his final initiatives, Corvo met with separatist leaders in Mongolia in an effort to ease escalating tensions in the region, though the long-term results of the talks remained uncertain by the time he left office.
2590 Vice President Candidate
Corvo was nominated as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Isolationist Party in late 2589, joining the ticket of Senator Hayse Dutton. The campaign sought to unite conservative and nationalist factions across the Republic, with Dutton offering legislative experience and Corvo serving as the populist firebrand.
Tiberius Corvo’s aggressive rhetoric and staunch Federalist messaging made him a lightning rod for criticism. His campaign faced mounting controversy, including:
- A leaked audio recording from a private meeting with Mongolian separatists, in which Corvo appeared sympathetic to their cause, undermining his Federalist image.
- A leak from the Largo administration alleging Corvo had sought to use extra-legal resources to pursue individuals connected to the Sondeheim coup, sparking accusations of authoritarianism.
- The fallout of the Senate Oversight Committee investigation into the end of the Diet hearings.
- A highly publicized press statement from Princess Annastacia Valane (ONX), who accused Corvo of “reckless disregard for the rule of law” and revealed that the Republic Attorney General had refused to act on Corvo’s requests. Valane claimed Corvo had warned her that establishment parties would never allow an Onyx president, pressuring her to “strike a deal.”
The many controversies dealt blow after blow to the campaign. The candidate for Onyx, Governor Mina Carrero called Corvo “totally unfit for the highest office in the land,” and the Isolationist ticket was left scrambling to maintain support.
Amid escalating pressure, Corvo held a press conference in Dhaka City, announcing that while his name would remain on the ballot, he would not accept the office of Vice President if elected:
“Driven by patriotism and a determination to see justice done, I became a distraction from Senator Dutton’s vital message. Stepping aside is the best way to help the Republic unite behind him.”
This marked the first time in Republic history that a major candidate refused to accept office before an election had concluded. Though figures like Senator Pave Buxton and Attorney General Madeline Cruz were considered as emergency replacements, the campaign never fully recovered.
The Ashen Church
Ordination and Reformation of the faith
In 2595, following his withdrawal from political life, Tiberius Corvo was ordained as Father-General of the Ashen Cult. Under his leadership, the movement underwent sweeping reform, emerging as the Ashen Church of the Unconquerable Son. Corvo transformed the once-fringe faith into a structured religious institution with formal doctrine, ritual, and global reach.
Central to Corvo’s reformation were the Three Pillars of Faith:
• Temperance: Believers were called to live with humility, poverty, and moderation. The Church denounced excessive genetic modification, the cultivation of psionic powers, and cybernetic enhancement as violations of the natural human form and affronts to divine design.
• Diligence: The faithful were taught that labor was sacred, mirroring the toil of the Unconquerable Son. Corvo condemned fully automated luxury as spiritually corrosive, warning that dependence on AI and machine labor reduced humanity to a soulless state. Learning was encouraged, but only in service of a humanity that remained “spiritually intact.”
• Vigilance: Suspicion toward alien species and sentient AI was ingrained in the Church’s teachings. While ultimate judgment was left to the divine, many viewed non-human species as tests of humanity’s moral resolve. Creatures from the “outer dark,” such as the Zzenddi, were explicitly identified as enemies of the faith and agents of darkness.
These principles were united under a newly formalized Trinitarian doctrine, placing the Unconquerable Son—a divine embodiment of light, sacrifice, and victory—alongside the Almighty Father and Holy Spirit.
Liturgically, Father General Corvo introduced the Ashen Mass, performed at sunrise and sunset, incorporating rituals of fire and consecrated ash as symbols of sacrifice and purification. The Mass formalized worship around the Unconquerable Son, a divine figure representing victory over death and impurity, central to the Church’s newly codified Trinity.
While still a minority faith within the Terran Republic, the Ashen Church emerged as one of the most organized and culturally resonant religious institutions of its era. Its influence grew especially in conservative regions, frontier colonies, and among military and veteran communities.
First Light
In 2595, after years of fundraising and effort, Father General Corvo led the effort to settle the world of First Light. Two million Ashen Church worshippers, the vast majority from Earth, formed the first wave of settlers. Corvo described the colony as “a holy light in the darkness of space,” and envisioned it as a new Eden for those seeking to live in accordance with the Ashen Church’s three cardinal virtues.
A full mineral survey of the First Light system revealed that the planet and surrounding asteroid belt were rich in valuable resources. In response, House Moreland proposed a landmark deal—offering to build both the mining infrastructure and broader planetary infrastructure, as well as to run local hiring and training programs, in exchange for exclusive rights and a 20% contribution to a sovereign wealth fund. The structure of the agreement allowed First Light to bypass the rustic phase most colonies experience.
Due to the world's proximity with the Yakuza-ran world of Fort Carpenter, Father Corvo made a deal with House Sondeheim so that the Tyran army and navy would guarantee the small world's safety.
By 2600, the population had reached nearly two million, and the Republic formally admitted the colony as a member world.
Its government was a constitutional monarchy, led by the Corvo family under the hereditary title Baron of First Light, and advised by the Ashen Council, a legislative body of 56 elders drawn from across the planet. Under his direction, the colony adopted a constitution rooted in religious law, banning cybernetic augmentation, genetic tampering, and human cloning.
Later Years
While retaining his title as Father-General of the Ashen Church, Tiberius Corvo increasingly delegated administrative responsibilities to the Ashen Council. His focus shifted toward theological writing and diplomacy. His writings and weekly addresses remained widely circulated, and his personal approval remained high among both settlers and religious conservatives across the Republic.
As the Dhau War erupted in 2601 and escalated over the following years, Corvo increasingly framed the conflict in religious terms. In 2603, he delivered an impassioned address to the citizens of First Light, characterizing the Dhau as “wretched beasts” and casting the war as part of a larger spiritual conflict:
“This is not just a battle for the territorial integrity of the Republic, but part of our faith’s eternal struggle against the forces of darkness… it must have taken the intervention of Satan himself to imbue these poor wretched beasts with such premeditated malice.”
He pledged 8 billion adjusted dollars to fund new warship construction under the Naval Reserve Act, calling on First Light and like-minded worlds to contribute to the defense of the Republic. His remarks were met with enthusiastic support on First Light and among Ashen Church adherents—but ignited controversy across the Republic. Civil rights organizations and progressive senators accused Corvo of inciting racial hatred, particularly against Dhau citizens of the Republic. The Attorney General, Suresh Da Silva (GUR), launched a formal investigation, ultimately filing hate speech charges under federal statute.
The case, The Republic v Corvo, polarized the Republic. Conservative figures like Senator Lawler Cutbill (ISO) delivered blistering defenses of Corvo in the Senate, accusing the administration of prioritizing ideological censorship over victory in war. Unexpectedly, Princess Annastacia Valane (ONX) issued a statement defending Corvo on constitutional grounds, emphasizing the autonomy of planetary governors and warning of creeping federal overreach.
In 2604, Attorney General Da Silva personally traveled to First Light to meet with Corvo. The two reached a resolution: Corvo clarified that his remarks were directed at the Dhau Empire, not at Dhau citizens loyal to the Republic. The Department of Justice dropped all charges.
Though deeply divisive on the galactic stage, within First Light he was revered. By the mid-2600s, the colony had grown to over five million residents and was fully integrated into the Republic.
Assassination
By the mid-2600s, Father-General Tiberius Corvo had begun to rally support in his crusade against the Yakuza. In late 2605, Corvo’s residence received a sealed package containing the severed ring fingers of several Ashen missionaries. While no group formally claimed responsibility, intelligence pointed toward the Black Dragon Yakuza, whose growing presence in nearby systems had come into direct conflict with Corvo’s strict anti-crime and moral policies. The threat shocked First Light and solidified local support for his hardline stance.
Weeks later, while walking in the city gardens with his security detail, Corvo narrowly survived a second attempt on his life. A jogger threw a small object toward him—only for one of his bodyguards to knock it aside with an umbrella moments before it exploded. The assailant was killed during a pursuit.
The final known attempt before Corvo’s death occurred in early 2606, when a close-focus bomb was discovered aboard the RES Saint John, a Ramelles-class frigate docked for upgrades at a First Light shipyard. The explosive was found inside a cargo locker and was capable of destroying the entire vessel. Investigators were unable to trace how the device had been planted—there was no security footage, no logs breached.
Despite the escalating danger, Baron Corvo refused to alter his schedule or go into seclusion. He continued public appearances, sermons, and strategic meetings—choosing defiance over fear. On 16 May 2606, Tiberius Corvo was assassinated by a bomb planted in his private residence in First Landing, the capital of First Light. The explosion tore through the estate during a closed-door council meeting, killing him instantly along with several aides and guards. He was declared dead on arrival at the Lady of Sympathy Hospital.
The assassination triggered mourning across First Light and pockets of the wider Republic. The Office of the President issued a formal statement expressing condolences and condemning the “barbaric murder.” Vigils were held across Ashen Church congregations, and public memorials filled First Landing’s plazas and churches.
Newly sworn in as Baron of First Light and hereditary governor of the planet, his son Gaius gave this eulogy at his funeral:
"I knew this day would come, but I did not know it would arrive so soon…
My father, and the father of all who made First Light their home, has ascended into God’s kingdom. In his passing, we mourn not just the loss of a man, but the end of an era, the closing of a chapter written in courage, faith, and devotion to both God and mankind.
I have this week spoken with the Cardinals in Rome and across the republic: for recognition of his unwavering service to the faith, and his martyrdom at the hands of the Black Dragon, they have agreed to canonise my father.
From today, the city in which we stand, the capital of First Light shall be known as St Tiberius."
Within days, the Ashen Church canonised Corvo as St. Tiberius of First Light, establishing 16 May as the Day of Light’s Triumph, a feast day to commemorate his martyrdom. In honor of his sacrifice, the capital city of First Light—formerly First Landing—was officially renamed St. Tiberius.
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