Irken Republic



During the second major story arc leading up to the events of Invader Dib, it is revealed that Gazlene will eventually become the empress consort of a reformed Irken Empire called the Irken Republic. She learns that she will be given the title "Empress of Irk," and ZIM will become Tallest ZIM alongside her.

Gazlene became empress consort at age 21, the same year she gave birth to Zagarius and Zazlena.

Although originally a dictatorial society (now a democratic society), Irk is headed by a hereditary constitutional monarchy, with the House of Membrane presiding over the High Court and legislative Royal Senate of Irk. Its monarchs have variously borne the titles "Tallest," "Queen," and "King." Traditionally, the heir of the Irken throne also serves in the High Council of Irk. Unlike consorts on Earth, who hold little to no power, he/she helped the monarch rule.

History of the Republic
Irk was reformed when Gazlene was 21 years old. When she and Tallest ZIM ascended the throne, the people of the Earth stopped aging, like the empress now did, and began to enjoy lifespans of around thousands upon trillions of years, due to the power of the Irk Crystal. The royal couple watched over the Earth from the Irken Imperial Palace. Sailor Vort, Sailor Blorch, Sailor Devastis, and Sailor Meekrob, as well as Skoodge, Tenn, Larb and Zee continued to guard ZIM when he became the Tallest.

There was peace for some time, but darkness grew again. Tallest ZIM and Empress Gazlene fought against the evil beings and suppressed them, but those who did not want to be cleansed left Irk. Irk and the Earth continued to prosper until the attack by Dib's Saturnian forces. In the battle, almost the entire planet Irk fell to the invaders, but the planet held up. The queen was badly injured in the battle, and subsequently could only appear as a holographic image. The sailor warriors and four Irkens continued to use their powers to guard the city, but the only power that could save the city was the Irk Crystal. Unfortunately, the only one who could use it, Tallest ZIM, was in a deep sleep, wrapped in crystal provided by his guardians after a direct attack from the enemy.

The enormous capital city formed the shape of a pentagon when seen from above. The locations which formed the points of that pentagon were known as Silicon Points. Various members of Dib's forces tried to take control of those points in the past on Irk and Earth in order to prevent the imperial city from existing in the future.

After a few centuries of marital bliss after she turned 21 and became Tallest Consort (Empress) of Irk, Gazlene and Zimaris had decided to attempt parenthood, despite the extreme difficulties posed by the disparate biologies of Humans and Irkens. With the help of some Irken physicians, who administered ovarian resequencing enzymes, it looked as if Gazlene would be able to conceive. In thanks, she visited the Irken ancestral temple and gave a prayer of good health to her soon-to-be-born smeets.

Empress Gazlene
Empress Gazlene's first appearance is at the end of Invader Dib. She is not actually in a physical form but a spiritual entity guarding the Irken Imperial Palace while her real body sleeps. During this time she helps to guide the Irk Senshi and her past self against the DIB Clan. It is then revealed to the Senshi that, after Gazlene turned 21 years old, she never aged due to the Irk Crystal's power.

The series shows Empress Gazlene only in the future as the mother of Zazlena and Zagarius and the empress of planet Irk. She also appears as a holographic/spiritual image when they first meet her, while her actual body sleeps in her bedchamber in the Palace. She can hold her own in battle. In the epilogue to Invader Dib, she was not initially referred to as Gazlene; only the "Queen of Irk" or "The Queen".

Tallest ZIM
After the Meekrob War, Zim traveled back to Irk to overthrow the previous Tallest and reform the Irken society. He had decided to take Gaz, his future empress, with him so she could live a better life than the one she already had on Earth. Upon ascension to the throne, many reforms were commenced under his and Gazlene's rule, such as the abolition of the thumb-cutting ceremony and the creation of the royal senate. His empress, over time, bore him seven smeets, after an unforeseen event caused the Irkens to be able to reproduce naturally once again after so many eons. He appointed Skoodge, Larb, Tenn and Zee to serve as his protectors upon his ascension.

In this capacity, he notably pursued peaceful relations between the Irken Republic and the United Conglomerate of Planets. He attended the Furon Conference allowing for successful negotiation of the Furon Accords, which eventually normalized relations between the two governments after years of hostility.

Zim's peace initiatives were met with open arms by the Conglomerate Council, but there were those on both sides who objected. A plot was forged between individuals associated with the Conglomerate. ZIM traveled to rendezvous with the MSS Magnus-A aboard his flagship, Massive and, along with his empress, his oldest children and two of his guardians, attended a formal dinner aboard the Magnus with Captain Spalding and his crew. While there, ZIM expressed his joy for Spalding and his crew who he termed "new friends and allies" and for peace between the Republic and the Conglomerate.

Planets

 * Irk
 * Foodcourtia
 * Rura Maxis
 * Blorch
 * Vort
 * Thousands, perhaps millions, more

Short Rundown
Peace was broken when evil beings attacked Irk. The enemy was ultimately defeated, and The Tallest and his empress offered to purify anyone who wished to stay. Those who refused left Irk.

Later, the descendants of those enemies launched an assault on Irk and the Imperial Palace. The Tallest was directly harmed during the ordeal but the republic city held up thanks to advanced force-field technology. The guardians of both the Tallest and empress combined their powers to protect the weakened ZIM, and to raise a barrier around the palace.

Although Empress Gazlene was also injured, her hologram was able to run the palace’s control room.

The only way to save Tallest ZIM was to find the future Irk Crystal. It and its twin, the Dark Crystal (used by the empress) mysteriously disappeared. From an aerial view, the city formed a pentagon.

With the two Irk Crystals, Gazlene (as the empress) and ZIM (as Tallest ZIM) destroyed the Dark Emperor. Planet Irk was restored to its original prominence.

The Irken Republic was born in the future. Humans stopped aging because of the Irk Crystals. The four guardians of ZIM and the four guardians of Gazlene, as well as the palace guards, guarded both the palace and the imperial family.

Tallest ZIM and Empress Gazlene are the rulers of Irk but the people in some senses govern themselves through the democratic process now too; they have senators that are determined by election.

Additionally, Gazlene may share the throne with her husband (consorts generally have no power unless its vested to her by her husband), but she definitely has a say in decisions. Also, the couple basically acts as protectors, keeping everyone safe from harm while the Irk Crystal lengthens the universe's denizens' lifespans and keeps away sickness and things like famine and natural disasters.

So therefore, the people of Irk have their own voice now, with the added bonus of having their empress as a fellow decision-maker.