The upper echelons of the Shi'ar Empire were the most complicated among the Three Great Empires. Looking at military authority alone, the Queen did not control all military power. She could mobilize roughly one-third of the Shi'ar Empire's forces and the Imperial Guard, while the nobles could mobilize the other two-thirds.
By that measure, the Queen seemed to be at a disadvantage. In reality, however, her Imperial Guard was composed entirely of Featherfolk. Their individual strength was tremendous, and there was no force on the entire capital planet capable of defeating them. They were loyal only to the Queen, so her position remained relatively secure.
But that did not mean the nobles lacked power. Because they could mobilize enough troops, the security and defense of more than half the Empire's territory fell upon them. Naturally, their control over their regions was extremely strong.
Moreover, those forces were not permanently bound to them. There were plenty of fence-sitters in the military, and the various military factions were hardly harmonious. Each had its own interests and demands, so troops could not simply be mobilized at will.
Among them, what the nobles valued most were the private troops of each family. These forces were actually quite small. A family might possess only one or two main warships, mainly used to settle local business and civilization disputes involving their family, as well as for ceremonial display.
These private fleets had been raised at enormous expense by the nobles. The Shi'ar Empire's warships were not mass-produced products; they had to undergo numerous enchantment rituals before they could suit the needs of their respective races. In that respect, they were rather similar to Asgardian warships.
That meant the manufacturing process was longer, required greater investment, and made subsequent maintenance more troublesome. At the same time, it