Galactic Union

Galactic Union
Flag
File:Talin Galaxy political map.png
Galactic Capital	Aciorus
Other languages	Basic
Type	Galactic organization
Membership	10,000+ member systems
Leaders
• The Premier	Harom Sinis
Establishment
• Old Union	9800 BHT -
• New Union	800 AHT -
Population
• 1500 AHT estimate	800,000,000,000+
Currency	Union Credits

The Galactic Union, also known simply as The Union, is a democratic federal union spread across light-years of space in the Talin Galaxy. Old Union is the term affixed to the pre-modern Union that existed until 800 AHT.

The Old Union was founded in approximately 9800 BHT, with its origins being a loose alliance between Galactic Center and Core systems. The Union came into conflict with the Zatroth Alliance in the Core War (2390 BHT), with the Union annexing the center of the galaxy around Solymus and establishing Aciorus as the capital. Following the Runia War (722 BHT) and the defeat of the Iilviri Ascendancy, the Galactic Union federalized, consolidated its military, and instituted democratic referendums in all member star systems. The Union encountered the Human Expansion in 67 BHT, and signed the Human Admission Treaty in the year 0 following the destruction of the human homeworld. The Human Expansion merged with the Galactic Union in 800 AHT.

The Galactic Assembly governs the Union under the Galactic Constitution, and is comprised thousands of delegates representing the Union's member worlds. The Premier is the title of the head of the Union, elected from ranks of the Assembly to lead the government on Aciorus. The Galactic Union and it star systems share sovereignty, and span a multiplicity of worlds from the Core to the Outer Band, uniting a variety of sentient species, human and alien alike, under one banner.

History

Foundation

The original Galactic Union, referred since 800 AHT as the Old Union, was founded in the Core in 9800 BHT. The original alliance was almost solely economic, though some security agreements were made between individual systems. Some of the founding systems included Aciorus, Haivis, Nimia, Numyke, Sulmiulara, and Ucarro. By 9100 BHT, the Dandirilian Monarchies joined the Union and doubled its territory. For roughly 6,800 years, the Union gradually expanded throughout the Core region, with the general establishment of its administration based on diplomacy and cooperation between individual systems rather than a centralized government. At one time, Aciorus's fellow city world of Haivis rivaled it as the Union's cosmopolitan center, holding a population in the hundreds of billions. A notable portion of those citizens were part of major merchant and noble families. However, Aciorus ultimately outpaced Haivis in industrial growth.

Consolidation of Galactic Center

In 2390 BHT the Zatroth Alliance, which occupied most of the Galactic Center around Solymus, came into conflict with the Union. Due to the fact that the Old Union declared slavery illegal and expected other civilizations of the galaxy to comply, it took an aggressive stance against the Zatroth's slavery practices. Zatroth refused to comply and attacked Haivis, forcing both the Old Union to intervene. In a multi-year war called the Core War, the Old Union ultimately came out victorious, forcing out the practice of slavery in the Galactic Center and Core, and annexing the center of the Galaxy. With the capitulation of Zatroth, the centering of administration in Aciorus, and the addition of Ocharia to the Union, the Galactic Center had been consolidated.

Expansion

By 1400 BHT, the Galactic Union had expanded to encompass the whole of the Core Region and began expanding into the Inner Band. The admission of the Venrolla Ascendancy in 955 BHT brought tens of thousands of systems in the 'north' of the Inner Band into the Union. In the 'south' of the Band, however, Union efforts to create diplomatic ties with isolated systems were complicated by the expansive Iilviri Ascendancy. The Ascendancy were anarchistic marauders who had access to mysterious overspace routes that defied conventional overspace logic and allowed them to travel through overspace in ways no one else could and take seemingly impossible routes no one else could take. Though they originally focused on performing raiding operations throughout the galaxy's independent systems, the Ascendancy emerged as a significant threat to the Galactic Union and led them to conduct a series of anti-piracy operations against the Ascendancy. These operations resulted in the Ascendancy beginning an all-out assault on the Union, kick-starting the Runia War in 741 BHT.

The Runia War was particularly brutal, with thousands of systems ravaged by the Ascendancy's use of superweapons. Additionally, the unconsolidated nature of the Union's military meant initial campaigns to fend off the Ascendancy were chaotically managed and often faltered. The war ended in 722 BHT with the capture of Iilviri and its territory, widely expanding the Union's territory. Iilviri was placed under military occupation by the Union, which it remained under until 422 AHT. Recognizing the disastrous consequences of decentralized military command, the Galactic Union consolidated its military following the conflict. Further, the Hundred Administration Systems recognized the dissatisfaction throughout the Union with the governance of the Union at large, and moved to federalize and instituted democratic referendums in all member star systems. The establishment of the Galactic Constitution and Galactic Assembly was the introduction of democracy in the Union.

In 67 BHT, after decades of scientific observation of each other, the Union diplomatically encountered the Human Expansion for the first time. The Union established trade ties with the relatively primitive Human Expansion, exchanging technology and sciences critical to maintaining the human race and their interstellar civilization. In 3 BHT, Iearth was decimated in an Overspace disaster, causing the Human Expansion great political and cultural turmoil. Three years later, the Human Expansion signed the Human Admission Treaty, granting the human colonies and its refugees protectorate status in the Union. This also marked the Galactic calendar dating system and the Year 0. The Expansion Restoration was a 13 year period after the Human Admission Treaty where the Galactic Union assisted in maintaining order of the Human Expansion and, in some cases, would conduct military campaigns against human warlords attempting to occupy areas of weak political control.

Great Peace

In 800 AHT, with the diaspora of humans throughout the galaxy creating significant cultural influence, the Galactic Union and Human Expansion agreed to merge their governments. This marked the beginning of the "New Union". Finally, with peace restored to the Union, the prosperous period ushered in over two thousand years of stability in an epoch known as the Great Peace. In 1021 AHT, the 'eastern' boundaries of the Union were finalized with the admission of the Ronnillon Confederation, and aside from small collective admissions throughout the next two millennia, the boundaries of the Union have generally remained the same since.

The Great Peace signified the most stable period in the Union's history, reaching the pinnacle of its power, with its influence spreading to even the farthest and less settled regions of the galaxy. The Union's expansion kicked off the Great Overspace Rush to find and map any yet to be discovered overspace routes, with Union Routefinders working directly for the government as Exploration Teams in the greatly unexplored and wild Tampina Arm and Kibos Arm. Private groups got involved in the hunt for new overspace routes as well, with corporations both taking advantage of the rush and claiming systems rich in resources outside of direct Union control.

Beyond the mission to open up new overspace lanes by discovering and charting them, Routefinders were ordered to explore, help those they found, and, in what was a major part of their mission, establish a functioning communications network across the Outer Band and Arms. While creating the network, Routefinder teams often worked alongside comms teams in order to get in contact with the Union at large while out in the Arms. However, the Routefinders needed to establish the network one node at a time. While the Routefinders knew the long-term effort would one day result in communications being as fast in the Outer Band and Arms as it was in the Core, it would take generations. Nevertheless, Routefinders were instilled with the drive of noble effort that would change lives for the better.

By 1455 AHT, the Galactic Union pursued galactic-wide outreach efforts of cultural integration. To showcase support for all species in its borders, the governmental motto became "We are all the Union." The Union began to take steps to curb its habit of indulging in bureaucracy when it needed to be instead taking action; even though the issue remained in a lesser form, the Union took great steps in advancing beyond it. The Union engaged in peacekeeping operations on planets suffering from civil wars, and conducted humanitarian aid missions to aid worlds suffering from famine, outbreaks, and natural disasters. Concurrent to its outreach program, the Union was in the midst of an era where all voices were listened to, creating governance from consensus and a society of culture, inclusion, and ambition. Although the Outer Band was hard to navigate and dangerous to live in, many poor settlers traveled to the region, leaving the overpopulated Core and Inner Band in pursuit of new lives. These dreams for better lives were supported by the Union, which—although imperfect like all governments—encouraged the hopes of its citizens.

As time went by the Union continued to stand firm, becoming increasingly powerful. However, many of the bureaucrats and delegates that ran the government continued to work for their own profit rather than the common good. Greed, corruption and internal strife slowly began to degrade the public perception of the government. The Core and Inner Band, revitalized from the destructive conflicts of the past and ravenous for new resources to exploit, embarked on an aggressive colonization policy, exploring, mapping, and settling untouched planets within the Outer Systems, striking deals with or simply overrunning the indigenous populations that stood in their path. Adventurous pioneers found themselves granted permission by Aciorus to settle new territories and establish trading colonies to feed the Core with the goods and raw materials for its continual self-enrichment. Many new systems, finding themselves lacking the funds to mine, process, and ship their products to market, were forced to secure high-interest loans from corporations. Many systems, eager to benefit from the opportunities offered by charting overspace lanes through their system, sought to influence the Galactic Assembly to put themselves on the galactic map.

During the Great Peace, Human culture such as fashion, art, drama and literature saw receptive audiences across the galaxy. Seeking to impress visitors from the Core, many worlds sought to build lavish mansions that imitated the architectural style of the Inner Core.

Despite the Great Peace, many outlying worlds lacking the protection of a federal military found themselves continually harassed by numerous pirates and criminal organizations, further ingraining the long-held view that those from the galaxy's outlying settlements lacked cultural refinement and basic civility.

Current era

A deep-rooted distrust grew over the centuries since 2700 AHT between the galaxy's outer fringes and the cosmopolitan Core, with those in the hinterlands gradually coming to believe themselves the victims of social and economic injustices. As a result of the perceived inability of the Planetary Peace Corps in protecting outlying territories, who were often withheld in intervening after many far-flung worlds refused to provide the Core with profitable deals, the Outer Band world of Sunnoth—one of the most politically, culturally and economically developed worlds—formed the Mining Federation in 2768 AHT for the protection and economic control of their sector. A faction emerged in the Galactic Assembly with hopes of re-conscripting a permanently-standing military as the Outer Band continued to fall victim to pirate and syndicate influence, increasing corporate interests from the Core, with the monolithic Mining Federation expanding its reach by utilizing loopholes in existing free-trade legislation.

In 2801 AHT, the Union Defense Forces were reestablished as a permanent standing military for the Galactic Union.

In 2970 AHT, Ellvic Hinstone became the first human to be elected Premier of the Galactic Union.

Member systems

See also: List of planets in the Talin Galaxy

All political entities in the Galactic Union are fully sovereign, and thereby share in the privileges and obligations that come with being part of the Union. Corporations and guilds were also allowed to join the Union, who all sent democratically elected representatives on behalf of their governments or trade groups from across the galaxy, to the Galactic Assembly. Each delegate has one vote.

Organization

The institutions of the Galactic Union consist of the Office of the Premier, the Galactic Assembly, and the Judiciary.

Government

Executive power is vested in the Premier of the Galactic Union, although this office is largely powerless and hampered by bureaucratic procedure. Nevertheless, the Premier had the authority to issue executive orders summoning the Assembly to an emergency session.

The Galactic Assembly on Aciorus

The Galactic Assembly serves as the unicameral main body of the legislative branch, but has immense power over the entire Galactic Union. The capital of the Union, which contains the most political power and wealth, is Aciorus.

Each member world or system chooses a Delegate to represent them in the Galactic Assembly. Member worlds and systems maintain their governments and societies as long as it does not defy any central and core Union laws. There are a wide variety of different local governments along the political spectrum: from monarchies to republics to hive-like communes.

The Judiciary is an umbrella department over the Union courts, including the Supreme Court, the highest court of law in the Union.

Political divisions

All political entities in the Galactic Union are fully sovereign, and thereby share in the privileges and obligations that came with being part of the Union. Corporations and guilds are also allowed to join the Union, who all send democratically elected representatives on behalf of their governments or trade groups from across the galaxy, to the Galactic Assembly.

Defense

Union Defense Forces

See: Union Defense Forces

The Union Defense Forces are the military forces of the Galactic Union, consisting of the Union Defense Navy and Union Defense Army. The Premier of the Galactic Union is the commander-in-chief of the Defense Forces. Union Intelligence served as the Defense Forces' intelligence-gathering and covert operations branch. Forms of a unified military in the Galactic Union existed from 9800-1000 BHT, but these were largely voluntary and controlled independently by planetary systems. The military wasn't consolidated under a jointly-controlled administration until 722 BHT with the outbreak of the Runia War forcing the Galactic Union to strengthen their command operations.

The Union Defense Forces personnel consist of both conscripts and volunteers from planets throughout the Union. Planetary governments are not required to pledge forces to the military, but many do out of loyalty and pride. Any species can join the military, though depending on the species some are enlisted to roles specific to their species' abilities. The Army is divided into Sector Armies, corps, legions, regiments, battalions, and so on. The Navy possesses an array of military warships—in particular, the Ahiri-class battle cruisers and Niana-class assault ships. They also possess varying forms of starfighters such as the ATO-210 and VIT-150.