Simok Aratap is a character from Isaac Asimov's Empire series.
Amout Simok[]
Simok Aratap held the position of Commissioner for the Tyranni Empire on Rhodia, making him the supreme Tyranni authority on that world. He was a small man, slightly bowlegged, with narrow eyes and the stocky build characteristic of his homeworld, Tyrann. He was a second-generation descendant of the Tyranni conquerors who had left their arid planet to dominate the populous worlds of the Nebular Kingdoms.
His father had commanded a squadron of small, fast ships that defeated the larger Titan-class vessels of the Nebular Regions through tactics of speed and coordination. Aratap inherited this legacy of conquest but operated in an era of occupation, where his duties involved administration and tax collection rather than active warfare.
As Commissioner, he commanded ten armed cruisers and a garrison. He was a methodical and perceptive interrogator, demonstrated when he confronted Biron Farrill. Aratap calmly presented evidence, including letters and receipts under the name Biron Farrill, to dismantle the prisoner's alias of Biron Malaine of Earth. He maintained control through calculated shows of force, such as personally arming himself with blasters to quell a potential mutiny among Rhodian conspirators, with Tyranni guards ready at the doors.
Aratap supervised the confinement of Biron Farrill, Artemisia oth Hinriad, and Gillbret oth Hinriad. He accompanied them on their subsequent journey off-world, keeping them under surveillance in an effort to uncover the location of the rumored Rebellion World and to confirm the extent of the conspiracy against the Tyranni Empire. His actions throughout these events were characterized by a calm, efficient, and unwavering enforcement of Tyranni policy.
Appearances[]