Every true Star Trek fan knows what the "mirror universe" is: A parallel universe, an "evil twin" of the Star Trek realm... a world of conflict and intrigue, where cruelty reigns, conquest is the order of the day and no good deed goes unpunished.  In this dark world of tyranny instead of democracy, war instead of peace, invasion instead of exploration, life is a constant struggle as people, planets and races scheme and fight for dominance.  Starships operate like pirate ships, and underlings replace superiors by assassination.

Sounds depressing, right?

Wrong.  The so-called "mirror universe" is a lot of fun, and episodes dealing with the mirror universe are among the most popular.

In this realm, the Terran Empire once ruled the known galaxy, until the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance invaded and conquered.  After decades of enslavement, the Terrans rose up, starting a rebellion against the Alliance.  In our continuity, the resistance became a revolution, and the slaves won their freedom.  But as so often happens, history repeats itself, and a "new empire" now exists: The Imperial Union of Planets, the "mirror version" of the United Federation of Planets... simply known as "the Empire".

What is the appeal of the mirror universe?  It's honest.  Visceral.  It us do things with Star Trek and Trek-based characters which we can't do in that setting, by letting us explore our "dark sides"... a respite from the righteous, noble Federation, where we can give in to our primal selves, where we do not apologize for not being perfect, as Star Trek characters are supposed to be.  A dark reflection of Gene Roddenberry's utopian vision of the future, the mirror universe is an admission that we each have a dark side--that it's part of us and will not go away.  This is what makes the mirror universe so much fun, not only to watch but to play in.  And that is the purpose of this site: To provide an interactive outlet for the "dark side" of our psyches, in Star Trek terms.

New Empire is an email-based interactive fiction forum, what some call a "sim" (short for simulation), similar to RPGs (roleplaying games).  It's the year 2385 -- ten years since the last mirror universe episode (Deep Space Nine, "The Emperor's New Cloak").  The Empire is reborn, and Terrans once again maneuver to take their place as masters of the stars, while holding the enemies of the Empire at bay.  If you're a fan of the mirror universe, this is the place for you!  At present we're based aboard the imperial warship Arcadia (see the Join page for more details).  Because of the treacherous, dangerous nature of the mirror realm, this ship could be destroyed at any time.  (The ship is not our focus, but the characters.)  Join us!  Create an appropriate character and write your character interacting with others in the mirror universe.  Let your dark side out for a breath of blood-tainted air... if you dare!

To learn more about us and this site, follow the navigation menu at the top of the page.

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