Ael quickly gained a following, and mounted a campaign which placed her in the vacant office of Fvillha, but with the Senate split between her supporters and traditionalists, things soon boiled over into a full scale civil war, with the traditionalists fighting a losing battle against the supporters of a renewed government by mnhei'sahe.  Before the war was over, though, Ael herself condemned the struggle as a waste of the energies of the Empire.  Shortly afterwards, Ael and her loyal crew once again disappeared from the Empire.  Ael's condemnation gave the combatants pause in their struggle, and shortly after her disappearance an agreement was reached where the elderly Deihu Vasami tr'Joachim, a longtime moderate, would take on the mantle of Fvillha to manage a slow transition to a new order in the Empire.  The leader of the traditionalists, Enriov Telzar tr'Ralaren, and the leader of the reformers, Enriov Sh'ren tr'Vaebn, agreed to support tr'Joachim as a compromise candidate.  He ruled the Empire for a surprisingly long time, given his precarious position balanced between the supporters of the status quo and the proponents of change.  As time went on however, Enriov Telzar the leader of the traditionalists, began to suspect tr'Joachim of sympathies with the reformers, and when he was appointment to the high office of galae'Enriov he continued his support of the popular Senate reforms hostile to Empire elites, tr'Joachim quietly gave his tacit support to the reformers.  In response, Telzar began a program of civil disturbance culminating in an anti-Fvillha rally staged in Fvillha square.  The next day, tr'Joachim personally delivered a sword to Telzar, requesting his permanent resignation through honourable suicide.

Telzar rallied members of House Ralaren to his cause and attempted to mount an armed rebellion, beginning with an attempted assassination of tr'Vaebn and ending with the murder of tr'Joachim in his state office.  Popular sentiment no longer supported Telzar, however, and he was quickly captured and later committed suicide in his cell.  House Ralaren was disbanded, it's members escaping into exile or murdered in the streets.  After the death of tr'Joachim, the Senate met to elect a new Fvillha.  In an apparent reaction against the turmoil caused by the military leaders of the Empire, the Senate elected a ranking civilian government official, Rae'henaj tr'Rhelliael-thra'ein, to the office of Fvillha.  However, Rae'henaj had a difficult relationship with the military and he quickly tired of his leadership role.  Worn down by the strains of office, Rae'hanej took ill and died only half a year after becoming Fvillha.  With the death of Rae'henaj, the struggle started so many years ago by Ael finally came to an end when Sh'ren tr'Vaebn was overwhelmingly elected to the position of Fvillha by the Senate.  Rule by the dictates of honour and mnhei'sahe became the official policy of the Empire, and the Rihannsu moved forward with a new feeling of vitality and purpose.  Fvillha tr'Vaebn ruled the Empire for almost 50 years of his life.  Late in his life tragedy struck the Empire, when the Fvillha was accidentally killed in a hunting accident.  As the life drained from his body, the last words of the Fvillha were reported to be, "Honor, always."

The death of tr'Vaebn left a leadership void in the Empire, as the still vigourous Fvillha had not yet groomed a successor.  A  struggle of succession ensued as several Fvillhas gained and lost the position in a short period.  Katan tr'Joachim briefly won the post using his lineage from his uncle, the late Vasami tr'Joachim, to leverage several fragile voting alliances into place, but tragically he disappeared mysteriously on a deep space mission only one year into his rule.  Katan tr'Joachim was soon replaced by S'Tane t'Rhelliael-thra'ein, an experienced and tenacious legislator, who used the shear numbers of her powerful and influencial House to cement a commanding Senatorial coalition, backed by a powerful military.  Still, S'Tane had not succeeded in fully uniting the Empire under her rule, and dissent plagued her government.  A strong group led by Sienae tr'Rhelliael-thra'ein from within her own House drove her into isolation in a monastery in the mountains of ch'Havran.  In recent days, the Empire has been united under the strong military rule of S'Cryn tr'Knialmnae.  With the loyalty of the Fleet behind him, S'Cryn was able to appease the Senate and bring the Empire to heel under a harsh military authority.