United Federation

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One of many Organizations
The United Federation
United Through Ideals
Type of Organization
Interstellar Government
Presence
Most Star Systems
Main Focus
Government Rule
Technology Level
Advanced

The United Federation is a young alliance of planets that have agreed to exist semi-autonomously under a single central hybrid government, sharing the ideals of liberty, equality, and rights for all. It is one of the larger known interstellar powers in known space, having encompassed over 3000 light years and having 50 member worlds that have willingly joined the union. The number of member worlds is currently rising with allies of the Federation working to improve relations in order to join her numbers. Her exploratory, scientific, diplomatic, and defense functions are carried out by her Star Fleet with emphasis on exploration. The Capital of the United Federation is located on the founding member planet of Gaia in the castle city of Bonta.

History

Humble Beginnings

The United Federation was initially just called the Federation-Alliance of Gaia and was founded in 2253 when the last few nations of Gaia joined the international governing body known locally as the United Nations of Gaia (Similar to the United Nations of Earth). Looking to the stars for expansion, The newly formed Federation of Gaia begun their star fleet projects, creating pre-FTL vessels that slowly helped expand the borders of the planet in its star system. After the first FTL-capable ship was invented, interest in scientific studies and space travel skyrocketed and resulted in the advances of technology, medicine, agriculture, and other scientific fields. The genetics field, however, would test the nation's cultural ideals, morals, and beliefs.

Genetic Revolution

Genetics Modification picked up in 2295 after more interest in the field was generated by a doctor who figured out an effective method to Gene Therapy, allowing for Gene Modding at a slightly older age than what it was previously. These new discoveries especially gathered interest in the colonies who were looking for effective ways to survive the harshness of the starry frontier. (WIP)

The Eugenics Civil War

The Federation Civil War, is a conflict that started in 2327 and ended in 2330. It tested the ideals and morality of the Federation, specifically the citizens of Gaia. It was waged between the Federation-Alliance of Gaia and her colonies, ending with the intervention of the Confederation of the United Species which was composed of neutral factions. The main motivating factor that ignited the war was the change in social structures after Gene Modding became popular in the colonies and some highly social-focused states on Gaia, that more gifted individuals started to appear and replaced less capable individuals in their field. A new form of racism began to emerge on both sides with gene modded individuals becoming more arrogant and excessively aggressive about their roles in society, something that was later discovered to be a side effect of certain types of gene modding that was subsequently banned after the war. The loss of life and racial discrimination seen during this war was so atrocious that more than two-thirds of all military officers from both belligerents were found guilty and sentenced to live out their lives on penal colonies or publicly executed by firing squad. Enlisted soldiers found guilty were given 15 to life sentences. It is said that during this war that the principals of the United Federation were created.

Establishing the United Federation Government

The foundation for the United Federation started with the Confederation of the United Species and it was not exactly united at first. Countries were more like members of an alliance with varying interests and no real obligations aside from defense. It was expected that a reunited Gaia sphere would not truly come to be until later in the 2340s due to unrest. This includes the space-faring aliens who were observing the conflict with interest, hoping for an impressive and good outcome in the moral sense.

The Confederation

The end of the war saw the rise of the Confederation of United Species, neutral planets and colonies who intervened in the civil war and effectively ending both the warring pro-colonist faction and the Federation-Alliance governments. While in a sense united by ideals, the Confederation was anything but a unified government. Because of how the central government was set up, members were all sovereign and therefore their own countries, giving their own legislation the right to make up their own laws and regulations that clashes with their neighbors. Taxing another member's trade was especially a problem in the confederation as it began to severely affect the economy's stability. The Confederate government could not remedy this because, by law, they needed the approval of four-fifths of the sovereign members to ratify a treaty, a process that was slow and, in the end, useless because the central government could not enforce them anyway due to their limited powers over sovereign members. Becoming increasingly frustrated with the situation, the government of Gaia, along with members in the Koi sector, held a referendum on whether or not to hold an assembly to establish a federation once again. The more politically powerful members of the Confederation objected to the Koi sector's referendum, insinuating that Gaia wanted to re-establish the old aggressive Federation-Alliance. However, the referendum proceeded and passed in a landslide, prompting the Confederation to hold an emergency session on the matter.

The Serena Congress

An emergency session, later called the Serena Congress, was held in Confederate member planet Serena with the initial intent of condemning the Koi Sector. There, members with more to lose from losing the Koi sector repeated their grievances about the ghost of the Federation-Alliance returning. However, Representative Scylla Clyne replied in a scathing retort, listing all the problems the current administration structure have and calling the Confederation "nothing more than a rift-raft of 20 governments all pretending to be one unified sovereign nation. Its prefix is befitting what we currently are, a con that cannot get anything done!" While drawing the ire of the larger members who tried to shout her down, smaller members sided with the Gaian representative and demanded they let her speak. Unable to stop the Koi Sector from continuing with their assembly and with other sectors emboldened by Representative Clyne's speech and threatening to pull out of the Confederation all together, pro-confederate members were forced to concede and hold their own referendums for forming a proper federation. In April of 2338, a vote for a federation to be formed passed with a clear majority and Gaia was chosen to host The Federation Assembly.

The Federation Assembly

The Federation Assembly was composed of three meetings of the same delegations from all 20 members. The First Assembly was formed in Bonta, Gaia one month after the Serena Congress referendum passed and worked first on the goals that were to be accomplished for future assembly meetings. Goals including how the government should be formed, how to check the powers of the government so it doesn't run wild, how to elect the offices of government, and what the government pledges to do. The Second Assembly dealt with planning the structure of the government and the election process as well as how to empower but limit the government so it doesn't have the power to systematically cause the carnage that happened during the Eugenics War. The Third Assembly, with everything laid out by the Second Assembly, wrote the Federation Charter and the Constitution that was to be ratified by all planet members who attended The Federation Assembly. It included the duties of the government, what rights it fundamentally grants to citizens and could not suppress, and where each power a government would have gone.

Sovereignty

One issue to be tackled was the question of a planet's sovereignty. While most, if not all, the delegates wanted to unite under a single banner, there was a reluctance to give up sovereignty out of pride or principle. However, a delegate from the outer regions pointed out that in exchange for all the member's sovereignty, by law or obligation the central government would have to settle deputes between members or lose legitimacy. In this way, the central government protects state rights to fair trade and deals. Another delegate also pointed out that feelings of individual sovereignty amount to wanting to stay a confederate state, as not submitting to the central government is tantamount to not wanting to be a part of the federation they were working to create. In the end, all the delegates agreed that giving up their sovereignty did not necessarily mean giving up their autonomy. In fact, during the Second and Third Assemblies, it was agreed that members would be working semi-autonomously, having many freedoms but while also being checked by the central government so they don't violate another member's rights.

The Monarch: Odd One Out

Another issue that arose was the issue of military power. Because the previous federation's commander-in-chief had so much control over the military, it was thought that this allowed military power and abuses to grow unchecked. The solution that was put forth was two-fold. The first part was to have the legislation, in the form of a committee, and executive branch both be involved in the policy-making process and oversight of the military. The second part was to rewrite the role of Gaia's monarch, who at the time was more of a figurehead than a leader in the government. Lady Athura, Gaia's monarch, had an extensive military knowledge and had broken away from Gaia during the Eugenics War to support the confederation which gave her a lot of popular support. Thanks to this, opinions about adding a monarchy branch to the government to maintain control of the military during the Second Assembly was positive. This popular support eventually led to the Federation Assembly weaving the Monarch around the branches by the time The Third Assembly came about.

Government

The Government of the United Federation is a hybrid government that is based on the previous government before the Eugenics War that now includes a more active Monarchy branch. A loose description of this government system would be "Constitutional Monarchy," though it isn't accurate to the definition. Another way to look at the government system is a semi-presidential state although the system also is not accurate to the definition.

Monarchy

The Monarch represents the unity of the Federation as the Head of State, often working with numerous advisors from the elected government to ensure that they represent the will and good of the people on the Galactic stage to the best of their ability. As such, they are often involved in the diplomatic process. While also described as the head of Judiciary, instead of directly getting involved with the judicial process the Monarch appoints a judge to represent the Royal Court. The Monarchy does not oversee the Legislature but can offer an opinion on matters that are brought up in Legislation. They also do not interfere with the elected Executive, working with them like a Secretary of State instead of their superior. Because the United Federation is structured like a representative republic with a collection of states, colonies, etc, The monarch's role does not oversee to the day-to-day operations of the government. The Monarch is also expected to have some military knowledge and ideally, have military experience in order to properly give input on military matters. The Monarch is essentially the Commander-in-Chief for the military, giving the final approval on operations after properly discussing it with their council and their Executive Branch counterpart. The Monarch's powers as commander in chief are checked by their Executive branch counterpart in that they must gain the signature of the Executive on an order they themselves have written first, as a sign of approval and proper review, before adding their own signature to the order. The Monarch also cannot declare war themselves, they must ask permission from the Legislation to wage war against another foreign power. They also cannot raise taxes to fund the military, a responsibility that only the Legislation has. The Legislation also has the ability to remove the Monarch should the Monarch abuse their position. Aside from the above, the Monarch works on ceremonies and celebrations.

Line of Succession

Ideally, the next monarch would be an heir that is confirmed to be able to sit on the throne by Legislation and would remain in the role indefinitely until they abdicate, is voted down in a public no-confidence referendum due to an elder age or because they are grossly incompetent. The no-confidence vote must first be presented to the Legislation and must surpass a margin of 60% of first the elected body and then the total population of the United Federation to avoid excuses and abuse of the system. If the Monarch has no heir, it is expected that they pick one before they pass away. Additionally, even if the previous Monarch is voted down, the heir can still succeed them if the Legislation had already confirmed that they can sit on the throne. To date, there has only been one sitting Monarch during the existence of the United Federation, Lady Arthura. Her heir is Constie.

The Nobility

While a nobility exists within different member planets including Gaia, their status does not automatically grant them special positions in the federal government. Only an election by the people or a vote in legislation can grant them federal government positions and allow them to properly represent the United Federation. They can't even usurp the throne by any means other than confirmation by the Legislation. This means even a relative cannot automatically take the throne if a sitting Monarch were removed and had no heir. If anything, their status only grants them a title that holds little sway.

Judiciary

The Judiciary of the United Federation handles the interpretation of the laws laid out by the legislation including the intentions of the laws set forth. The Judiciary does not write the law, they only interpret and enforce the law. Though the general public sees the Judiciary as a place where the truth is found, it is more accurate to describe the process as a fact-finding system. Most cases are tried in front of a judge who determines the outcome of a trial. However, depending on the case and the planet member trying the case, a jury might be impaneled to determine the verdict. For large cases, a Federation Grand Jury must be impaneled to determine whether a criminal prosecution is viable enough to continue while a Special Jury is impaneled for judging war crimes. The Judiciary also has a system that decides who oversees Military Court Cases to discourage a separation of Civilian and Military culture. Of course, judges chosen for Military Court Cases study military law in addition to civilian law.

The Two Branches of the Courts

Due to the nature of the United Federation's structure, the Judiciary is split into two main branches, Nation State (or simply state) and Federal. A Nation State Judiciary would handle local laws set forth by the governing body of a planet member of the Federation. Local laws would typically not override Federal law but it unavoidably happens on occasion. Local laws would typically reflect the cultural values of the planet they belong to. The structure of the Nation-State Judiciary starts from District, local Appeals, sector appeals, regional appeals, to Supreme Court. There would be variations of this structure depending on the planet member. The Federal Judiciary would handle all Federation and Military laws that apply to all planet members of the United Federation. They usually do not interfere on a local state level unless a case has details pertaining to Federal law. In addition, the Monarchy would appoint a judge to represent them in the highest court a case can be appealed to, the Royal Court. The appointed judge is expected to nominate two or three other judges to advise them on cases that reach the Royal Court. The structure of the Federal Judiciary starts from District, local Appeals, sector appeals, regional appeals, Supreme Court, to Royal Court. Unlike the Nation State court system, the Federal Court System does not deviate from this structure.

Federation Law

The Fundamental Principles of the United Federation are written in two documents:

• The Federation Charter states the goals, duties, and rights of planet members of the United Federation. It was Ratified in 2355 when the United Federation became an official government body. The Charter also lays out the requirements of membership in the United Federation and outlines the structure of the governing body including the role of the Monarch.
• The Federation Constitution lists all the universal rights and guarantees given to an individual citizen. These rights and guarantees include the right to an attorney, the right remain silent, the rights of an artist, and the right of free speech (but is not guaranteed protection from the consequences of that speech, eg being removed from duties, positions, banned from areas, etc. should the speech be reasonably argued as hate or otherwise problematic and contrary to overall beliefs of the post.) It is specifically noted that no one has the right to carry an energy or kinetic gun (or anything similar) without proving that they are responsible enough to carry and are mentally and physically able to use a weapon. This test of responsibility is administered by the Law Enforcement AI, YUI, and is administered at least monthly and at most annually depending on the member planet.

Additionally, The Federation Judicial Code handles guidelines and regulations of issues tried in court cases.

Executive

The Executive Branch is responsible for the day-to-day operations of government. This branch is headed up by the Prime Minister (Or President, depending on the preference of title name by the elected individual. Prime Minister is the default title.) They, along with the Monarch, determines the foreign policy of the United Federation and is responsible for checking the Monarch when it comes to military affairs by discussing plans and orders with them and deciding whether to sign the order or not. The Prime Minister is also responsible for managing government budgets after they are determined by the Legislation, sign bills into law, and oversee a cabinet of Federation Executives that assist in day-to-day operations. The Prime Minister also nominates judges for the Federal Supreme Court. To date, there have been three leaders that fit the description as Head of Government for the United Federation. Chairman Beaufort during the Eugenics War, President Scylla Clyne, and current President Athena Risu.

Legislation

The Federation Senate is a unicameral legislative body with elected representatives from each member world. It holds the power to create, amend, and ratify Federation Law. The Senate also holds influence in the Federation Military and policies both domestic and foreign. They have the ability to hold special tribunals and investigations into matters that threaten the Federation as a whole. They also submit proposals for who can run for the Head of Government and determines if the Monarch or Head of Government is fit for duty. The Senate also has the power of the purse, meaning they have control over the budget. Additionally, they determine if the heir to the throne is worthy to wear the crown given to a Head of State. The Senate Building is located on Gaia in the capital city of Etria, Gallia.

Elections, Terms, and Limits

There are no term limits set for the Prime Minister so they can run for office for as long as they want or until the Legislation deems them unfit. However, this doesn't mean a term lasts forever. Every 5 Gaian Years(The Gaian calendar has roughly 6 more days on the calendar than on Earth,) there is a general election to determine who can be the next Prime Minister. The votes cast for elections are directly from the citizens as opposed to being sent to an electorate and because of how large the United Federation is, planet members are required to set aside a day to allow for voting. Voting is a right granted by the Federation and any party or planet attempting to change district lines, regional lines, voting laws, etc. in order to sway a vote is considered a prosecutable offense.

Membership

By law, the United Federation is required to recognize legitimate claims of sovereignty and independence from the United Federation. However, during the making of the Federation Charter, concerns by loyalists were raised including free and careless secession from the Federation without regard for the other members and how secession would affect them. As the Federation Assembly continued, it was eventually agreed that the process of secession must meet certain requirements and proven to have been met in a court of law in the form of a lawsuit in federal court. These requirements were slowly made to be more difficult to prove over the years due to loyalist legislation.

Demographics

The United Federation makes up most of the known galaxy's demi-humanoid population. Most, if not all, demi-humanoid species have originated in United Federation space though they may not have initially been a part of the Federation.

Exploration, Defense, Law Enforcement

The United Federation maintains a number of agencies that are involved mainly in Exploration and Defense. Law Enforcement varies between member worlds and their regions but is universally overseen by the government all the same. All defensive measures are overseen by the Monarch and Prime Minister. The most notable of these agencies is the Deep-Space Exploration and Defense Service, Starfleet.

Starfleet

Starfleet was originally founded during the early years of the Federation-Alliance when Gaia started sending warp-capable ships out to expand their borders and political influence. It is a deep-space exploration and defense service maintained now by the United Federation. Before, Starfleet was a small organization that would only handle scientific and diplomatic endeavors while members of the Federation-Alliance handled their own fleets and contributed a fraction of their military power to a larger combined fleet. That changed after the Eugenics Civil War when all fleets were folded into Starfleet and their mandate changed significantly. The principal functions of Starfleet are the advancement of knowledge about the galaxy, scientific advancement, and more important than ever: the defense of the Federation. Because of their role in deep-space including contact with new cultures and sentient species, Starfleet Officers acted as official representatives of the Federation, playing a significant role in diplomacy. Starfleet also handles most "airforce" related operations during planetary conflicts.

The UFGA

Note: This is a placeholder name. If someone has a suggestion for the name of the Army, let me know. -Joan

The United Federation Grand Army was founded after the end of the Eugenics Civil War. It is the unified military organization that handles most ground/planetary operations that Starfleet cannot or was not mandated handle. While separate from Starfleet, members of the UFGA are often asked to serve on-board Starfleet and Maritime Navy ships for training in order to ensure cohesion and keep the three organizations from feeling like strangers to each other. Out of the three, the UFGA are the better equipped to deal with ground combat. Before the Grand Army, members of the Federation-Alliance would maintain their own armies and contribute a fraction of their military power to the Alliance army.

Federation Maritime Navy

The Federation Maritime Navy is the Federation's Military organization dedicated to ensuring the security and exploration of the oceans of member worlds. Because Starfleet has roots in Naval traditions, both the Maritime Navy and Starfleet get along and work together greatly. The Maritime Navy handles sea operations and will often assist Grand Army units operating on coastlines. They also have their own brand of air forces to engage in aerial combat and airstrikes. In cases of planetary blockades, the Maritime Navy is expected to work with Grand Army units in defense of their positions.

Law Enforcement

Due to the vastness of space, Law Enforcement is handled largely by Starfleet Security who is overseen by the Federation Security Council. Formerly, Security was directed by a computerized AI system but after revelations of criminal bio-engineering and admittance of criminals into the system's intelligence, the system was immediately shut down by a combination of civil unrest and Legislative oversight, and replaced with a system known as YUI which forces law enforcement to do their own investigative work by only giving them an involved person's identification. Starfleet Security Officers have access to Law Enforcement ground vehicles, starfighters, and even small starships for the more dangerous or far-reaching investigations. The most notable side arm Starfleet Security Officers use is the MW-1 Dominator which is linked to a mobile command unit who determines what level of force is used, similar to the KHI-98a Protector which is alert level compliant to a facility's security codes. In cases of increased force being allowed, officers choose whether to exercise lethal force or remain engaged in a non-lethal capacity. In some cases, a team of two or more officers would designate one or more members of their team to be the lethal carrier while the others attempt a non-lethal takedown.

Genetics and Clones

More recently, with genetic modification becoming less and less a taboo in the general population once more, a project to create clones of high performing soldiers was created. This project raises these clones as individuals, avoiding molding their personalities to be exact copies of their originals. Their skills and specializations follow suit, varying from special operations to combat professionals. To avoid clashing personalities between non-Clones and Clones, training in cohesion and classes based on the lessons from the Eugenics War are conducted. Legislation limits the number of Clones that can be active at a time due to the time-consuming process it takes for specialized training and the general support required to keep the clones integrated. This limit also takes into account logistics as the Federation can only economically support a large number of personnel at a time. The number rarely goes down but the UFGA policy is to never actually go near the limit so there is a margin between the ceiling and the number of active serving clones.