Editing Nobledark Imperium Notes (section)

=== Inertialess Drives ===

They're back, the Necrons have them. However, inertialess drives are only found on the very large, capital ships. For example Nemesor Zandrekh, the Imperium's closest contact among the Necrons, has a grand total of one ship with an inertialess drive. Every other Necron ship has to hitch a ride on one of the capital ships or use the Dolmen Gates.

The Inertialess Drives were the cause of the First Wars of Secession, which were fought long before Szarekh's time. Although Necrontyr society placed a high value on loyalty and obedience, this value wasn't necessarily in abundance. The Necrontyr premium on loyalty was in part because you had a lot of rules-lawyering Starscreams plotting in the courts and actual loyalty, like the kind you see between Obyron and Zahndrekh, was highly treasured. Positive feedback loop. Because there was little to no contact with the throneworld, the Phaerons of the various colonies were all able to say they were ruling in the Silent King’s name when they were really just consolidating their own power base.

Even after leaving their homeworld, the Necrontyr had short lives, on par with the Tau, because the radiation of the star had been so bad that the entire species' genetic code was riddled with mutations and damaged genes and the species as a whole had been selected for growing up fast and reproducing fast before the cancer got you. The Necrontyr did have some form of life-extending drugs, but the nobility mostly extended their lives through stasis chambers, telescoping but watering down their natural lives, being defrosted mostly when it was decision making time. These stasis chambers looked like ancient Egyptian Sarcophagi because these were the Necrontyr and of course they would. This coupled with a tradition of inheriting names was used to convince the ignorant masses that they were a superior breed of Necrontyr more worthy to rule.

So when representatives of the actual Silent King showed up with shiny new inertialess drives, all of a sudden the orders they’re receiving from the throneworld are different from their actual desires. So they say "fuck that" and rebel.