View source for Samuel Messer

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{{Infobox Character
| Name = Samuel Messer VIII
| Image = 
| Race = Human
| Gender = Male
| Role = Eighth [[Imperator]] of the [[UEE]]
| Faction = UEE
| Born = 2678
| Died = 2715
| Resting Place =
| Marital Status =
| Religion =
| Political Views = 
| Party = Messer Regime
| Occupation =
| Job Title = 
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| Office = Imperator
| Office Start = 2697 / 2701
| Office End = 2715
| Constituency= UEE
}}
'''Samuel Messer VIII''' (*2678; +2715) was eighth Imperator of the [[United Empire of Earth]].<ref>{{Cite RSI|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/RkZ9W2L2NB-samuel-messer-viii|text=Galactapedia: Samuel Messer VIII|accessdate=2022-05-14}}</ref><ref>According to the Galactapedia Samuel was ruler ''"from 2697 to 2715"'' and just ''"some historians date his rule from 2701",'' due to the 4 year war against Astrid Messer.</ref> 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.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite RSI|url=comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/15200-This-Day-In-History-The-First-Step-Back|text=This Day in History: The First Step Back|int=Comm-Link:This Day in History - The First Step Back}}</ref><ref>According To This Day in History, he was named successor of Illyana 2679. This date collides with the later written Galactapedia article, which claims he ascended to the throne in 2678.</ref> 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|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.<ref>{{Cite RSI|url=galactapedia/article/0KnA1D5nQM-astrid-messer-vii|text=Galactapedia: Astrid Messer VII}}</ref>

== Reign ==
The appearing [[Vanduul Skirmishes|Vanduul threat]] in the "West" was largely overlooked by him and his regime. Vanduul raiders invaded [[Orion]], [[Tiber system|Tiber]], and [[Virgil system|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.<ref>{{Cite RSI|url=galactapedia/article/VyvYAGKxAz-galor-messer-ix|text=Galactapedia: Galor Messer IX}}</ref> 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.

{{quote|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.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite RSI|url=comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/15200-This-Day-In-History-The-First-Step-Back|text=This Day in History: The First Step Back|int=Comm-Link:This Day in History - The First Step Back}}</ref>}}

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