Komarr
Komarr | |
|---|---|
Viceroyalty | |
 Flag | |
 Komarr (vivid yellow) position within the Empire of Barrayar (light yewllow). | |
| Country | Barrayar |
| Established as Viceroyalty | 2901 |
| Founded by | Ezar Vorbarra |
| Government | |
| • Imperial Representative | Aral Alexander Graceev |
Komarr is a key planet in the Galactic Nexus, and part of the Barrayaran Imperium and one that occupy an extremely valuable location: the intersection of twelve major wormholes, with six "useful" ones in nearby space, one to Barrayar, one to Sergyar and then to Escobar, one to Pol and then to the Hegen Hub, one to Rho Ceta of the Cetagandan Empire, one to Tau Ceti and one to Yllria. There were also some wormholes that led to no known useful destination. Komarr therefore is a major hub and an intersection of two of the galaxy's major wormhole routes. The fourth planet in orbit around the star Sol Komarr, Komarr has no natural satellites. An arid world with cold weather and poor oxygen, Komarr features two large polar caps and an equator marked by deserts; available land is dominated by domed cities, themselves filled with warehouses, cargo holding facilities, commerce exchanges, and other trade-related structures. Komarr's capital of Solstice and its Government Complex are the seat of power on the planet, with the hundreds of Komarran Houses—the influential families that ran the planet's trade corporations — represented the citizens in Komarr's oligarchic government.
As a result of its location along the galaxy's major wormhole routes, Komarr is a major commerce hub that was firstly settled around the early XXVI century (around 500 years before the ascension of Emperor Serg Vorbarra). Komarr's economic importance made it a frequent target of conquests or at least foreign interest.
Description
The fourth planet in orbit around the star Sol Komarr, Komarr IV is called simply Komarr. A terrestrial world with a cold and arid climate and no moons, Komarr occupied an extremely valuable location. Komarr's northern and southern poles are marked by large ice caps, and the rest of the planet was dominated by a chain of icy deserts. The planet had a rotational period of 19 standard hours and an orbital period of 342 standard days, and a diamter of 11,242 kilometers.
A number of space stations orbit the planet. A dry and relatively young planet, Komarr features a large number of mountain ranges, and most of the planet's volcanoes were dormant by the time of the settling. The planet's weather was largely icy and cold. Most of the planet's settlements are located in valleys and canyon between the two ice caps and the equatorial regions, though the planet's spaceports and storage facilities were primarily built atop flattened mountains. Komarr's original colonists precipitated many water-rich asteroids in order to create small lakes over the course of some generations. Climate change is the main concern on Komarr, being actively pursued as part of the general terraforming plan.
History
Komarr was discovered in the early years of XXVI century as the hub of several wormhole routes. In the very first stages of the Komarran history, only limited facilities were built on the planetary surface, while most of the early population resided in orbital stations. The situation evolved, requiring a ground-based population; in order to achieve the sufficient amount of liquid water, early native colonists diverted some comets and caused them to perform low-impact crashes; this produced the large crater lakes in the Southern Hemisphere.
In the subsequent years and decades, a trade oligachy developed, and the largest trade families and conglomerates rose to Nexus-wide fame. Interstellar trade, and therefore also shipping, was on the rise, and Komarrans rode the wave. The development of artificial gravity further enhanced interstellar trade, and made Komarr a major shipping hub. Tariffs and dues were high, and local shipping industry grew vast and powerful. At the turn of the XXIX century, the Golden Voyage of Marat Galen was an extremely successful trading voyage for Komarran traders. It returned 100 to 1 for investors, and founded at least other two oligarchic clans.
Surface life, due to the oxygen scarcity, was confined into increasingly large domed cities, while a massive terraforming project was almost immediately launched. In 2534 the Komarran soletta was built, in order to reflect sunlight onto the planetary surface, heating up the world. The soletta became the symbol of the Komarrans' hope for a better future; at the start of the Komarran Invasion, Admiral Vorkosigan captured the soletta, and the psychological effect on the population of Komarr was great; years later many people spoke of the time they learned of the event.
Between mid-XXVI and early XXVII centuries, the the voting-share system was developed and by 2611 the proprietor government was fully established. The first oligarchic Planetary Representative, elected by the Komarran Council, was Peter Bearen. During these years complex and often informal governance mechianisms were rapidly developed, and still heavily influence the Komarran associate life.
Komarran conquest
The conquest of Komarr by Barrayar marked the end of the independence for Komarr and the beginning of the interplanetary era of the Barrayaran Imperium. The conquest itself was relatively bloodless, with little loss of life on both sides except for the Solstice Massacre where the ruling Komarran Counsellors were brutally executed. The Komarran Conquest was largely fuelled by fear of the Cetagandan Empire which decades earlier had ruled the Barrayaran home world and also for revenge against the Komarrans for permitting it.
Solstice Massacre
The Solstice Massacre was a war crime that took place during the later phases of Barrayaran conquest of the planet Komarr. The two hundred Komarran Counsellors that made up Komarr's legislature surrendered on terms to Admiral Aral Vorkosigan and were held in a gymnasium in the Komarran capital of Solstice. On the orders of Vorkosigan's Political Officer, the Komarrans were shot by Barrayaran security forces. In response, Vorkosigan personally killed with his own hands. Admiral Vorkosigan was tried for treason for this murder, and eventually demoted to Captain. The incident earned Aral Vorkosigan the name "Butcher of Komarr", and was one of the reasons behind the later Komarr Revolt. Many Komarrans believed that the political officer was ordered by Vorkosigan to commit the massacre, then was killed so Vorkosigan could shift blame to the dead officer. Vorkosigan and others suspected the Council of Ministers of giving the political officer instructions to neutralize the leaders of Komarr, to make the populace easier to control. The Massacre martyred the dead, leading to political unrest for decades, including the Komarr Revolt.
Barrayaran Civil Administration - Komarr
The creation of a civil administration for Komarr was established immediately after the final conquest of the planet and the formal surrender of the independent Komarran government. The Barrayaran Civil Administration - Komarr (also known as CivAd) substituted the short-lived Provisional Military Occupation Authority, and it was strongly supported by Regent Aral Vorkosigan. The Civil Administration was formally abolished in 2918, being replaced by the vice-regal system headed by the Imperial Counsellor (later Imperial Representative).
The Civil Administration had to run all regional civilian matters, for the wellbeing and for the sake of local population, and with the purpose of providing and operating the public services, considering the need to maintain a proper governance, security and public order. While all the civil branches came under the control of the Civil Administration and did not have to officially report to the military, in practice, the Civil Administration was subordinate to the military and the Imperial Security. At the managerial and intermediate levels, personnel was Barrayaran. The Imperial Security was also deeply involved behind the scenes.
The Civil Administration was practically a "counterpart" of the Interior Ministry, and operated with its 19 District Coordination Offices (DCO), operating through Komarr. The Civil Administration was responsible for all administrative aspects of the local population. Among other things, it was responsible for travel permits and work permits.
Since the beginning, he military's role exceeded those granted to the establishing decree, and extended to appointments, licenses and permits, and quasi-legislative powers. The Civil Administration was used as a front to dispense patronage among the occupied population. Political factions deemed inclined to open revolt were outlawed by the military.
Despite the often oppressive and heavy-handed rule of the Civil Administration, many aspects of Komarran society emerged or grew considerably during the 18-year period of CivAd rule. These included rapid growth, the further expansion of commerce, and forms of mass culture which became widespread for the first time. Industrial development also took place, although primarily for the purposes of weakining merchant elites rather than to benefit the Komarrans themselves.
Komarran Revolt
In 2904 the Komarran Revolt erupted: it was a conflict between Barrayar and conquered Komarran people secretly supported by Cetagandans, that lasted roughly two years in its official forms, ending in 2906 in its harshest episodes, although terrorist activity occurred both before and well after the official Revolt. Despite the harshness of the Revolt, Regent Lord Vorkosigan maintained Barrayaran Civil Administration - Komarr in order to not further putting in jeopardy the integration scheme.
Late years
A number of Komarrans managed to reach high rank in the Imperial military as part of the Komarr integration scheme, and Emperor Gregor married Dr Laisa Toscane, an heiress of a major Komarran oligarch family. Nevertheless, the very highest levels of government of Komarr were filled more by Barrayarans than by Komarrans and, although in a very reduced extent, still are today.
Economy
Komarran economy is based upon trade, both by their own fleets and by charging tariffs to ships that pass through Komarran space. Komarran trade is run for its vast majority by large and powerful family-based corporations, usually able to generate vast income for investors and proprietors alike. Reinvestment of this income centres on sending out trade fleets; these are generally sent on 5-12 month long trade runs to many areas throughout the galaxy, often returning with very large profits. Komarr's economy is dominated by the oligarch families, who generally own large trade fleets; companies not controlled by oligarchs exist, but have to seek out a living in the few insterstices left by the big Komarran family firms.
Alongside trade and shipping, Komarran economy has a significant shipbuilding industry, which provides spacecraft across the Hagen Hub region, and a services industry, which encompasses almost all of the Nexus free from enimity limits. Also high-technology industrial sectors are greatly developed, being an essential component of nearly all Komarran economic segments.
Population
Due to the environmental constraints, which still force inhabitants to live in closed and insulated cities, Komarran population is significantly lower than the limit the wealth alone may put. This population limit was a key factor in determining the Barrayaran willingness to invade and conquer Komarr. The planet has many large domed metropolis-sized cities, the largest ones being Solstice, Serifosa, Olbia, Equinox, and Green Park. Despite the foreigners' commonplaces, the domed cities are not circular, but rather were composed of thousands of interconnected structures of all shapes. About two dozen of the domes were large enough to have spaceports.
Komarran cities are primarily filled with spaceports, trade markets, financial markets, industrial centers, and warehouses. Komarr's capital, Solstice, lies on the largest plateau near the Venyer Mountains, and it is home to the Government Complex: it is the centre of Komarr's commercial interests and the seat of government. The Senate Council Hall features a number of expansive floors, thousands of offices, gardens, and shipping centers, in addition to a private spaceport: while the rest of Komarr was largely devoted to handling cargo, Solstice is responsible for directing the commerce. The city of Oradin is home to an A-class spaceport, making it far more strategically valuable than the large city of Treepons, which is located to the west and lacks a suitable spaceport.
Demographics
The Census and Statistics Bureau estimates Komarr's population at 657,371,500 in 3003. The majority (78 per cent) is Komarran. The remaining twelve per cent are non-ethnic Komarrans, primarily Barrayarans. Headline population density of about 6,800 people/km2 does not reflect true densities since only 6.9% of land is residential, the residential average population density calculates closer to a highly cramped 100,000/km2.
The predominant language is Komarran, a variety of Nexus English. It is spoken by 90.6 per cent of the population, 76 per cent as a first language. Over half the population (63.2 per cent) speaks at least a Barrayaran language.
Income inequality has risen in the last three decades. Although median household income steadily increased during the decade to 3000, the wage gap remains high.
Domed cities
The main feature of Komarr is the Domed metropolis-sized cities phenomenon where resides the 98% of the Komarran population. Cities are far apart from each other, and outside them there is nothing but some research stations and Komarr Terraforming Project advanced laboratories.
Komarran cities are covered by large, transparent domes in order to retain all breathable and warm air to allow people to breathe, exploiting the fact that a dome is essentially a giant greenhouse, trapping solar radiation and heating the environment. Komarran domed cities, especially the oldest ones, have a very composite structure; oldest sections tend to resemble space arcologies, with corridors of a single building instead of separate street-linked buildings covered by a dome; middling areas are characterized with less technologically ambitious domes, while the newest sections have street-linked buildings under vast, soaring, transparent domes that mimick the open sky.
Being a controlled environment, a domed city features some constant features regardless the individual city: alongside the traditional horizontal subdivisions between better and worse boroughs, more often than not a social subdivision emerges between upper and lower levels of the domed environments.
In many cases, homes and businesses for the wealthy, powerful, and politically connected are located mainly on the top of skyscrapres and on the ground of richest boroughs. High-floor residencies are ferried by private speeder or air taxi from one tower to the next. Exclusive places of entartainment overlook the city, next to the arcologies.
On the ground-level of the city in the shadows of skyscrapers teem the planet's blue collar working population, with many living in the various housing blocks of the surface structures in relative comfort. Below the housing blocks and surface levels it is the so-called underworld, a term used to describe both the levels underneath the surface and criminal population. The "underworld" is home to people too poor to move upward or are hiding from the attentions of the authorities.
Society
Komarr's society is focused almost entirely around interstellar commerce and related services, with the hundreds of Komarran Houses controlling the planetary economy and political environment. On Komarr, politics are a means to advance one's interests in the commercial world, and commerce a way to advance in politics, as the government system is based on the possess of planetary corporation's shares. The planet was ruled by an oligarchic democracy before the Conquest; nowadays the Imperial power allows a degree of self-rule. Representatives of each great Komarran family meet daily in the central Komarran Council Hall in Solstice, where they make public policy and coaxed the economy in desired directions. The Houses, which are connected by thousands of intricate alliances and factions, are all organized by family and by family-owned corporations: the union among Family and Corporation makes the House. Family corporations Kallea, Toscane, Venyer and Okeefe are among the more successful and influential Houses on Komarr.
With a population of approximately 500 million, the planet's primary language was Galactic Basic Standard. The popular Komarran folkhero is one who fearlessly trail-blazes as a spacefaring merchant, and Marat Galen became a legendary figure in Komarran society for doing just that with his Golden Voyage which returned 100 to 1 for investors, and founded at least two oligarchic clans. Many major megacorporations maintain their offices on Komarr, particularly in the capital of Solstice. The architecture of Komarran cities is functional and stark as befitted a culture based on commerce, as well as the crude necessity to stay under the domes. As a result of its position, Komarr is home to many shipping companies and also had a thriving criminal underworld and black market.
Komarr was born as a semi-democracy: the early Komarran colonists set up a reward system. In addition to an inalienable vote, the then-colony awarded additional votes and to those taking on the work and risk of creating more living space. Nowadays, being a corporation, governance was, and still is, exercised by share-owners and their vote is proportioned to their amount of share; however, being also a planetary community, all Komarran citizens (including Barrayar-born people legally resident) have at least one voting share, inalienable by law, while additional shares can be purchased on a secondary market. These "extra votes" are inheritable and trade-able. The plutocratic oligarchies control the government by clan possession of these extra votes. In order to avoid the degeneration of a private corporation owning the planetary corporation, voting shares cannot be held outright by corporations-they have to be in the hands of individuals.
Komarran oligarchs, although being actually in charge of planetary affairs, are not an individual social class formally designated, due to the fact that "Oligarch" is anyone who controls more than their single personal share. "Real" oligarchs control all the shares of a wealthy Komarran family, even thousands or more. Regardless of the *actual* value of the shares, the psychological value in shares has a relevant role in the consensus construction (single (or few)-share Komarrans are set up to identify themselves strongly with owners of huge funds) and in the decision-making, although the latter social function has been greatly reduced since the Barrayaran conquest. Typically, a planetary-level oligarch detains from a thousand to five thousand planetary voting shares.
The ownership of shares is not only designed to have the right to vote, but also to enjoy profits (and suffer losses) of government-owned undertakings.
In order to thwart attempted chicanery with its voting system, voting shares can't be held outright by legal persons, but they have to be in the hands of individuals, with tested systems for proxies.
Merchant Oligarchy
The Komarran oligarchy constitutes the upper layer of Komarran society and, during tge independent era, was recognised as one of the three social bodies in which Komarr society, along with its lesser citizens and foreigners, was subdivided. The title of Oligarch, though not formalised by any law, has been (and still is) a recognition longed for since earliest times.
The basic foundation of belonging to the oligarchy is the exclusive possession of the economic power and therefore of the political power through the possession of Komarran Corporation's voting shares in large numbers. The Komarran oligarchy builds its power on the wealth of businesses with the Nexus at the heart of the entire economy. This stimulates this social class to a remarkable dynamism. The Oligarchs thus serve themselves and the state as merchants, ambassadors, public officials and in any other form of civil and military organisation of the state.
Each Oligarch, as well as every Komarran in general, had, at least in theoretical theoretical, the same chances of access to any public office. Within the mercantile oligarchy there is the principle of the formal equality of every Komarran. The reality however is quite different, and subtle hierarchies exist between the various signs.
Nexus-faring traders and society
Over the decades and centuries, the Komarran oligarchy, as social class, has entrenched itself in complex financial and indirect-trading activities. This (partial) shift also interested the wider Komarran society, and on modern days spacefaring trading or directly-related occupations are no longer a sort of social duty. Nonetheless, the classic shipping/trading activity through the Nexus remained a core business, widely practised. Such Nexus traders progressively managed to build a distinctive social type of their own. This social type spilled over the occupational category long time ago, and nowadays functions as one of the reference points of the wider Komarran society. A sort of mixture therefore happened: while Komarran leaders and oligarchs progressively moved on other economic fields, the iconic "trader" followed them, with the result of having "traders" even in shipyard industry. However, the spacefaring trade still remains the living heart of this social type.
Whatever the background of any given Nexus trader, he or she will be possessed of a quite exceptional drive to succeed and to prosper. These people keep a special pride to stand "above" not only the common folk, but even the rich who do not dare to sail through the stars. Many spaceborne traders are "rogues" of the worst moral order, and all, given their occupation, are by force able to bluff their way. A respectable trader, and on Komarr the trader is almost by definition respectable, can look to turn every possible situation to his/her own personal advantage. All great Nexus-level merchants are said to be psychopathic to a greater or lesser degree in order to sustain the significant mental stress of an existence spent away from one's own home. Sometimes a Nexus merchant surrenders himself entirely to his inner darkness, dispensing his own personal brand of justice and retribution as he penetrate unknown regions. More generally, extravagant merchants are quite the norm, and their living quarters on ships are often luxurious and lavishly decorated. The conjunction between hard-labour ethics and a definitive taste for luxury has become typical of the Komarran society since earliest days.
Despite the Barrayaran official rhetoric, a Komarran trader is likely consumed by the quest for riches, gained shrewdly negotiated contracts. A deeply-rooted pride, and carefully inculcated education, impose to Komarran traders willing to be remembered to seek to establish the most lucrative of trading contracts, ensuring that the other party benefits from the deal, but not nearly so much as he does.
Because the relative insecurity of the Nexus, under a mask if amiability a keen mind and a skilled tactician (and sometimes fighter) breathe, despite the now ordinary Barrayaran military escorts provided by the Imperial Service. Furthermore, no trader would be so foolish as to neglect the defence of his assets; he will as such take great steps to protect his investments against competitors and pirates and maintain the very best personal guards. Although every respectable trader is by force capable to stand a naval combat, a thick red line exists between a daring and ruthless trader and a buccaneer, the latter one being among the most hated (and most violently prosecuted) categories on Komarr.
Government
The planet of Komarr has a centralised government body presided by the Imperial Representative, performing the same functions of the Barrayaran Viceroy. Emperor Serg Vorbarra has introduced, in continuity with his predecessor's latest policies and reforms, a partial association of the Komarran oligarchy to the conduct of planetary affairs, while the legislative power related to the government of the single domes is entrusted to the Komarran local share-holders as how was before the Barrayaran conquest, although under the local Imperial Representative's surveillance and supervision. Both in central and in peripheral bodies, governance is shared between local share-owners assembly and local Imperial representative, variously styled. The former makes and prepares laws and legislative acts, the latter decides whether approve them and provide executions, as well as emergency legislation.
Therefore Komarran government formally has a dual nature: for Imperial interests it is a Viceroyalty, while for local matters is organised as a planetary corporation, which owns the whole planet. Voting shares are owned by Komarran citizens: at least a single share is granted by law, extra-shares could be purchased and brought. The owner of 67% of Komarran Corporation is the Barrayaran Empire, personified by the Emperor, which delegates his Imperial Representative to govern the Komarran Corp. The Barrayaran legal system allocates certain powers to the Komarran Corporation.
Imperial Representative
The Imperial Representative is the deputy and delegate of the Emperor and of his Government in order to govern the planet and the star system of Komarr. The Imperial Representative is also the chief executive of the Komarran Board: he may approve or veto bills passed by the Komarran Council in matters regarding self-government sphere. Imperial Representative can appoint his ministers of Komarran Board and dismiss them. The Imperial Representative is the head of the devolved government of Komarr and the Office of the Imperial Representative is the de facto central authority on Komarr: formulation and development of governmental policy was primarily the role of the central or local bureaucracy. He is accountable to the Emperor and, from a political point of view, to the Council of Counts.
The Imperial Representative is the Viceroy of Komarr and head of the Komarran Board. The Imperial Representative chairs the Board and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Komarran policy. As representative of the source of justice within the Barrayaran borders, he is also the chief of the whole Komarran judiciary, as well as the chief of the whole local security forces. In his capacity of Viceroy, the Imperial Representative can require the Imperial Service assistance, although he is not directly in charge of armed forces and of Imperial Security.
The Imperial Representative is appointed by the Emperor with the consent of the Council of Counts. Members of the Board as well as the Komarran law officers, are de facto appointed by the Imperial Representative: however, highest officials are unofficially proposed by the Komarran Council, officially and formally proposed by the Imperial Representative and approved and appointed by the Emperor. Aral Alexander Graceev is the current Imperial Representative; he resides in the Imperial Government Building, Solstice, Solstice Sector.
The Imperial Representative is the chief representative of the Emperor of Barrayar and is the head of the government of Komarr as both a Viceroyalty and a Komarran law-based planetary corporation.
According to the Basic Annexation Law, the Imperial Representative wields supreme executive, legislative, and judicial power. In particular, he exercises the following powers and functions:
- He leads the government of the star system, being responsible for the implementation of Imperial law and of Komarran local laws, and nominates and reports to the Government of the Empire for appointment the local governors and chiefs of central departments and all holders of public office in accordance with legal procedures. Similarly, he decides, in the light of security and vital public interests, whether government officials or other personnel in charge of government affairs should testify or give evidence before the Komarran Council or its committees;
- He decides on government policies and issues executive orders, appoints and removes judges of the courts at all levels in accordance with legal procedures;
- He approves or rejects sign bills passed by the Komarran Council and to promulgate Komarran local laws, approves or rejects budgets passed by the Komarran Council and reportd the budgets and final accounts to the Government of the Empire for the record; similarly, he approves the introduction of motions regarding revenues or expenditure to the Komarran Council;
- He conducts, on behalf of both the Komarran Corporation and the Viceroyalty of Komarr, external affairs and other affairs as authorised by the Government of the Empire;
- He pardons persons convicted of criminal offences or commute their penalties and handles petitions and complaints.
Komarran Board
Ministries, departments and agencies of Komarr govern their assigned areas within each Viceroyalty. Ministries, departments and agencies are headed by their ministers (or otherwise styled). Ministries, departments and agencies are responsible for status and development of their respective sector and execution of state plans as well as solution of other tasks that those sectors face. Ministries, departments and agencies of Komarr (i.e. of the Viceroyalty) are categorised in Imperial-Planetary and Planetary only. Planetary-only ministries, departments and agencies are administered by the Imperial Representative and by the Board of the Komarran Viceroyalty, while Imperial-Planetary ministries, departments and agencies have double subordination to the Komarran government as well as to their respective Ministries and other similar bodies of the Government of the Empire.
The Komarran Board is the executive body of the Komarran Corporation: it serves as planetary government. The Board is responsible in Komarr for all issues that are reserved to the Komarran Corporation; such devolved matters include health, education, justice and policing, rural affairs, economic development and transport. Furthermore, the Board is responsible for execution of Komarr-related policies of the Government of the Empire. The Board is composed of nine Departments: General Affairs, Internal Affairs, Justice and Public Order, Industry, Trade, Terraforming and Agriculture, Communications, Finance, Education. Each Department is further subdivided into Secretariats, Divisions and Bureaus.
The Komarran Board elects and removes the officers of the Komarran Corporation and oversees the human, financial, environmental and technical operations. Directors are not considered to be employees of the Komarran Corp. per se, although they do receive compensation. The highest-level executives in the Komarran Board have titles beginning with "Chief". Formally known as the Director of the General Affairs Department, the Chief of General Affairs is the primary policy executor on Komarr, and the second most powerful individual in the Planetary Government.
Secretaries are in charge for Komarran Corp. Secretariats and they deal with major day-to-day activities of the administration functions and managers management. Those of Secretary is a middle management and not an executive level position reporting to the Board; generally, Secretaries hold specific executive powers delegated to them with and by authority of the Komarran Board and the Imperial Representative.
Komarran Council
The Komarran Council is the 200-seat ruling council of the planet Komarr. After long preliminary phases, the Council was fully re-established in 2989 as premise to the policy of devolution of local powers to Komarr. Traditionally, the wealthiest families purchase seats in Komarr's ruling council, permitting family members to serve as Komarran Councillors.
Nowadays, even under the Komarran Integration Scheme, the Komarran Council, which acts as Komarran legislature, has limited but effective powers, enjoying of the Cooperation procedure: the Council of Counts could reject the proposed law by the Komarran Senate by adopting a resolution with a qualified majority of 40 votes (out of 60 in total). The Cooperation procedure is permitted only on relatively restricted areas regarding the custom duties, some areas of the Komarran monetary policy and Komarran share-voting procedures and rules, within strict limitations dictated by the Emperor. However, in entirely internal matters, where general interests of the Empire are not involved, Komarran Council can legislate with the sole consent of Imperial Representative.
The Komarran Council is chaired by Chancellor General, who is elected by the Councillors, and has also the important function of supervise most of Komarran Board branches: he can, therefore, summon branch chief requesting clarifications and explanations, but nor he neither the Council can issue punishments.
The Council Commission of Inquiry is the body responsible for the preventive evaluation and analysis of the issues to be submitted to the Council. The Commission consists of nine members elected by the Council itself among the former Councillors.
Komarran Planetary Court
The Komarran Planetary Court is the highest court on Komarr for what regards Komarran Law. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over Sector courts and Dome court cases, both civil and criminal, with the exception of interventions of the Supreme Court of Empire, which are rather sporadic, of the Imperial Representative on behalf of the Emperor or of the Emperor himself. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices who are nominated by the Emperor and confirmed by the Council of Counts. Once appointed, Justices have 10 years tenure unless they resign, retire, or are removed after impeachment.
Within the Komarran Planetary Court the specialised merchant section is named "Supreme Committee of Merchants" and receives appeals from the subordinated "Committee of Merchants", which are system-wide bodies; beyond the Supreme Committee of Merchants, there are other Sections, both civil and criminal: five Criminal Sections and five Civil (non-Merchant) Sections.
Sectors
The planet is divided into twenty equal-sized Sectors, with responsibilities for regional government, headed by the Imperial Sector Representative. The Sectoral assembly is composed of 40 to 60 elected representatives of share-owners. Each Sector has a capital domed city, which gives its name to the whole Sector. Each Sector has at least a domed city; many also have several smaller domes for terraforming work. Sectors are the main local framework for affairs exceeding Dome-level competences: since the Sector Governments run their own internal affairs, they have control over a part of local tax money, run their local Sector Court of Appeals and provide a significant quota of local public services.
Sector Imperial Representative
The Sector Imperial Representative is the deputy of the planetary-level Imperial Representative. He is in charge of representing Imperial interests, of providing execution to both Imperial and planetary policies and acts, and to bills passed by the local Sector Assembly, unless the latter ones are judged of being capable of harming Imperial interests. In order to execute laws and acts, the Representative presides the Sector Executive Commission.
The Sector Imperial Representative resides in the local Sector Consulate Building.
Sectoral Police Services
All Sectors operate sector-wide police forces. They may are called "Police Service - SECTOR NAME" (e.g. "Police Service - Solstice Sector"). Sector police are a police body unique to each Sector, having sector-wide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and criminal investigations. In general, they perform functions outside the jurisdiction of the Dome Security Office, such as overseeing the security of the Sector capitol complex, protecting the Imperial Sector Representative and local officials, training new officers for local Dome police forces, providing technological and scientific support services, and helping to coordinate multi-jurisdictional task force activity.
Sector Assembly
The Sector Assembly is the legislative body of the sectoral government. Differently from Komarran Council, it is composed of elected representatives of share-owners, and not of direct seat purchasers: however, Sector Assemblies are elected according each's voting power and there is no equality. It has a general competence over sector matters, such as administration, health services, terraforming specifications (within the planetary framework), security regulations and inter-dome services.
The Assembly is elected according to a electoral systems with single-member legislative districts: usually an average Dome has 3 to 8 representatives.
Domed cities
Due the inhospitable environment, all the Komarran population is closed within domed metropolis-sized cities. These cities are sprawling urban communities covered by massive arcologies which keep citizens protect from the oxygen-poor atmosphere. Cities are far apart from each other, and outside them there is nothing but some research stations and Komarr Terraforming Project advanced laboratories: therefore the City is the very basic unit within Komarran polity and all basic services are carried out on a City basis.
Since cities are the very basic level of essential services provision, Dome Government retains the most part of taxes which are not to be turned to the Imperial Government.
The executive–assembly government system is the form of local government adopted for the Komarran domed cities. Characterized by having a governor who is appointed by the Emperor, the executive–assembly consists of an executive branch, a governor and a unicameral council as the legislative branch. The appointed governor is given almost total administrative authority and a clear, wide range of political independence, with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads without council approval and little, or no public input. The governor prepares and administers the city budget. The governor is appointed to a five-year term and is responsible for the administration of city government.
The City Assembly is a unicameral body consisting of 30 to 60 members, each elected by local shareholders, normally for five-year terms.
In each Dome the "Commission for Peace" is a criminal court in charge of settling minor acts of violence, while the "Judges of the Undesidered Ones" deal with major criminal cases.
Executive branch
The executive branch consists of the Imperial City Representative-and-Governor and two to five Borough Lieutenant Governors. The heads of city departments are appointed by the Governor. The Governor also appoints several Deputy Governors to head major offices within the executive branch of the city government. Deputy Governors report directly to the Governor.
The City Imperial Representative-and-Governor is responsible for all city services, police and fire protection, enforcement of all within the city, and administration of public property and most public agencies. The Governor is appointed by the Emperor for a five-year term.
Each recognized borough within the city is headed by a Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor's powers are limited. They generally serve as ceremonial leaders who advocate for their boroughs on key issues. Lieutenant Governors advise the Governor on issues relating to each borough, comment on all land use items in their borough, advocate borough needs in the annual municipal budget process, administer a small discretionary budget for projects within each borough, appoint Community Boards, and chair the Borough Boards.
Dome Assembly
Legislative power in domed cities is vested in the Dome Assemblies. Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor, who may sign them into law or veto them if bills are judged of being capable of harming Imperial interests. The Assembly is a unicameral body consisting of 30 to 60 Assembly members. Assembly members are elected every five years.
Assemblies have several committees with oversight of various functions of city government. Each Assembly member sits on at least three standing, select or subcommittees. The Speaker of the Assembly is ex officio members of every committee.