General Would a Psion have to become a Spy in the Imperium?

[mike wightman]

Then, too, the Imperium governs trade between the stars and leaves worlds to govern themselves (as long as they don’t get in the way of TRADE). I would imagine that PSIONICS would be similar … a local matter (variable from world to world) until and unless you interfere with TRADE. Then the Imperium falls on you like a Marine Assault Division.

The Imperium grants home rule, it allows home rule, but make no mistake that that in itelf is a display of theri auhority and total control, it can take that away with the movement of a fleet (and sometime is).

As to psionics, every world in the Imperium received the same brainwashing, they all share the mindset. My quote came from The traveller Adventure. Those are the laws as found in library data.

 

[Ulsyus]

The nobility were affected by the psychohistory disaster too, why would they have pedophiles and nazis in their retinue? if referees want to downplay the revulsion Imperial citizens have for psionics then that is a feature of their ATU, but in the canonical OTU of yesteryear psions are hated, despised, reviled, lynched, beaten, deported, lobotomised, this is not for show, this is how Imperials think and feel about the matter.

Absolutely, that's the general-run attitude. But in a system that's not a liberal democracy, then success can be the arbiter of acceptable in the upper echelons, and what's illegal becomes a matter for who's in charge and when they care to apply it.

"Psionics (Legality). The practice of psionics is a first degree felony punishable by total forfeiture of all assets (including life and body). Failure to report a psionic individual to the authorities is a second-degree felony punishable by forfeiture of all financial assets."

I'm not disputing this at all, just the degree to which some nobles, corporations (maxi, mega, whichever size), and some government organisations see themselves accountable to those laws or whether they believe the juice is worth the squeeze in having the capability available to them.

Some nobles would avoid it…but plenty of real life “nobles” are ok working with nazis and pedophiles if it’s kept on the down low. (see Paperclip ..avoiding current events)

An unfortunate example.

And which is the degree of felony for murder, or terrorism?

And historically all governments have used them, when they have seen it necessary...

What one government may consider murder can be considered state sanctioned by the one that did it. If a state on Terra can send intelligence operatives to poison an ex-citizen in another country, murdering them, but consider them loyal soldiers when they return home, then there may be a template for this in the 3I.

The Imperium locks people up without trial, I don't think they worry about 21st century western liberal democracy suicidal empathy.

Precisely. If an arm of the 3I decides that breaking a law is necessary, they can likely either do it quietly, do it with deniability ("Ah, welcome PC crew. As your patron I have a delicate job to offer you..."), or seek dispensation from an appropriate authority to do so. That's not even counting the corporations that act as independent states unto themselves.

 

[FreeTrav]

Back in 2022 (September/October), I wrote an article about what I called "Low Psionics". The idea behind it was that you could have psionic characters that might not know they're psionic, and might not be seen as psionic by Those Who Watch Out For EEEEEEEEvul Psis - but the "cost" of that was that (a) you can't do the cinematic psi stuff, and (b) it's useful, but maybe not all that useful. A "Low Psion" might easily "slide under the radar" and lead a normal life in the Third Imperium. Whether they'd be raised to Intendant in the Zhodani Consulate, or remain Prole, was a question I never considered.