Could you add anything to your earlier post? It certainly is an interesting discussion.
I've reviewed MgT 2e Core Rule Book, Third Imperium, Solomani Front, and High Guard.
This is what I came up with.
Are the worlds of the Spinward Marches granted home rule provision more so than core worlds, or is the same level of autonomy common throughout the Imperium? Does any world really have autonomy?
It seems the answer is no. Core sector has just as much home rule provision as the Spinward Marches.
From Third Imperium:
A common misconception is that mercenaries are less common closer to the Imperial Core, which is far from the case pg 40, Third Imperium.
There is a great deal of conflict and strife in the Core pg 107, Third Imperium.
There are a lot of statements about worlds governing themselves, with no distinctions between Core and frontier sectors. I think the only worlds in the Imperium that have something close to real independence are the worlds of the Vegan Autonomous District.
If so why are Imperial nobles so much more common, if all they are doing is advising and or are acting as intermediaries with the subsector duke?
- Nobles serve as Imperial administrators, collecting taxes, interfacing with other Imperial agencies such as the navy and scouts, and making sure that the worlds of the Imperium abide by its laws pg 4, Third Imperium.
- The Imperial bureaucracy is present on most of its worlds, run by the nobility. Pg 4, Third Imperium.
- The peerage is responsible for the administration of the domains, sectors, subsectors, worlds and continents pg 87 Third Imperium
- The great noble families carry a responsibility of service to the Imperium and typically hold positions within the bureaucracy, diplomatic roles, judicial positions and business or military leadership roles. Pg 47, Third Imperium.
- The role of the noble is to maintain an aloof presence, be a caretaker for the Emperor but not one who interferes in the daily governance of worlds other than to ensure that the flow of trade is unimpeded and citizens do not violate Imperial law pg 49, Third Imperium.
- Nobles rent and tax the land under their purview but ultimately it still belongs to the Emperor and can be taken back at his whim. Pg 49 Third Imperium.
- Groups of knights from an order – or in some cases, the entire available membership – may be called upon from time-to-time by a baron or higher to accomplish a task in service to the Imperium pg 48, Third Imperium.
- The great noble families carry a responsibility of service to the Imperium and typically hold positions within the bureaucracy, diplomatic roles, judicial positions and business or military leadership roles. Pg 47 Third Imperium.
- Rival nobles are not permitted to declare war on one another, but they can and sometimes do manipulate the governments under their administrations into doing so pg 11, Third Imperium.
From the above references, it looks like nobles:
- Serve in the Imperial bureaucracy, intelligence agencies, and military,
- Manage and administrate their fiefs, if they have them.
- Watch for and act against violations of Imperial law,
- Raise, administrate, and probably lead huscarl / household forces,
- Engage in scheming and manipulation of planetary governments for their own designs.
- Serve as mediators and negotiators,
- Go on adventures in the service of higher nobles and the Imperium.
If local nobles can use the authority of the Emperor then how are local worlds anything but subservient to the whims of the local nobles?
Because Imperial law, custom, and tradition is for the nobles administering their fiefs to faff around and pretty much let the poors slaughter each other as long as taxes get paid, nobody violates Imperial law, and nobody interferes with trade. If any of those requirements are violated, then it's on full kits and sound board ships. A noble who gets involved in local laws and affairs and causes trouble stands a chance of getting reprimanded and losing his fief.
- The Imperium does not impede upon the laws of its worlds unless they conflict with Imperial law. Imperial law is mostly vague, allowing the Emperor to alter it depending on circumstances but some Imperial laws are immutable. Pg 4, Third Imperium.
- Their (huscarles) presence is also a not-so-subtle reminder to the citizens of the Imperium that should they fail to comply with Imperial law, the noble bureaucracy can be transformed into a tool of enforcement pg 32, Third Imperium.
- Bad behaviour among the peerage is not unknown and can result in the suspension or revocation of a noble patent by the Emperor or the Moot pg 45, Third Imperium. (apparently the Moot has the power to revoke noble patents now, another inconsistency since the Moot's only power is to dissolve the Imperium).
- The Huscarles were used to quell dissent among the worlds of the Marches pg 32, Third Imperium.
Which level of nobility - world noble, subsector duke, sector duke - can authorise the use of the Imperial military or direct the activities of Imperial Ministries? or are the Military and Ministries beholden to Capital and thus must wait years for instructions?
Huscarles, household lift infantry regiments, and household troops can be under the command of a fiefholding noble or a leader appointed by a noble house (probably a noble of that house).
- Huscarles are the private armies of the Imperial nobility. Pg 32, Third Imperium
- Powerful noble houses established personal bodyguard regiments, some of which were later converted into regular Imperial Army units. Pg 32, Third Imperium.
It appears that numbered subsector fleets are under the command of the subsector duke.
- Numbered fleets are also called subsector fleets. Subsectors are feudal subdivisions of Imperial sectors and subsector navies are to some degree instruments of the nobility that manage a given subsector pg 13, Third Imperium.
- Each subsector maintains its own fleet of ships, composed normally of cruisers, escorts, frigates and medium-sized ships. Subsector navies are primarily responsible for defence, patrol of the spaceways and safeguarding trade and commerce across the sector. In wartime, each subsector is required to put a fraction of its ships at the disposal of the Imperial Navy to act as reserves and reinforcements. Pg 3, High Guard.
And it looks like Imperial fleets have existing war plans that they can act on in the event of war without waiting for orders. The sector duke commands the sector fleets and would have the authority to use Imperial military power.
(generally a subsector duke becomes the) ...sector duke, dealing directly with the archduke and exercising executive authority over the senior echelons of the sector’s Imperial military and bureaucracy pg 18, Solomani Front.
...fleet elements would need no detailed orders, merely an authentication code and instructions to implement one of the existing plans pg 21, Solomani Front.
The only system that has made any sense to me is that of the subsector duke being in effect the local emperor, able to direct military and ministry resources, but the sector duke gets to write reports to Capital that can either confirm or criticise the decissions of the subsector duke.
I agree, but it seems more like the subsector duke controls the subsector numbered fleet, and the sector duke controls the named sector fleets. It's interesting. The subsector duke has a numbered subsector fleet, but then there are named Imperial sector fleets to make sure he doesn't get any ideas.
- Each subsector maintains its own fleet of ships, composed normally of cruisers, escorts, frigates and medium-sized ships. Subsector navies are primarily responsible for defence, patrol of the spaceways and safeguarding trade and commerce across the sector. pg 3, High Guard.
- Numbered fleets are also called subsector fleets. Subsectors are feudal subdivisions of Imperial sectors and subsector navies are to some degree instruments of the nobility that manage a given subsector pg 13, Third Imperium.
- The Imperial navy is the tool of diplomacy and conquest as needs dictate, the Emperor’s own sabre pg 2, High Guard.
- (generally a subsector duke becomes the) ...sector duke, dealing directly with the archduke and exercising executive authority over the senior echelons of the sector’s Imperial military and bureaucracy pg 18, Solomani Front.
I even think it is a good idea for the sector duke to maintain a healthy amount of competition if not hostility between subsector dukes so none of them can replace the sector duke.
Again, I agree, and Third Imperium mentions rivalries between dukes.
The sector duke can also countermand the orders of a subsector duke to the military or ministries (when they find out by which time it may be too late), but they better get the call right, as when the Emperor finally finds out what is going on there may be comeuppance.
I agree. Too bad the books I referenced didn't go into any specifics, so we can only speculate. It seems like there are three separate space forces operating.
- The named Imperial sector fleets, under the command of the IN chain of command and then the sector duke.
- The numbered subsector fleets, under the command of subsector dukes.
- Colonial or planetary fleets, which are under the control of planetary governments.
And it's Christmas Eve, so I'm going to finish this post.
Merry Christmas, Travellers!
The Autocratic Emperors with a centralized power source and standing army did not generally have this problem (weak autocrats had different problems 
).
