Solar Union
 Flag
 Emblem
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Anthem: Ode to the Common Man | |
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| Capital | Hokkaido City, Earth |
| Official languages | English, French, Inuktitut, Japanese, Norwegian Russian |
| Demonym(s) | Humans |
| Government | Federal parliamentary democracy |
| Adéle Leclerc | |
| Olympia Edwards (UEB) | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Establishment | |
| 25 April 2207 | |
• Inauguration of Parliament | 10 January 2208 |
| Population | |
• 2420 estimate | 393,880,000,000 |
The Solar Union (French: Union Solaire; Inuktitut: ᐅᓪᓗᕆᐊᖅ ᑕᐱᕇᑦ, ulluriaq tapiriit; Japanese: ソーラーユニオン, Sōrāyunion; Norwegian: Solarnegiunionen; Russian: солнечный союз, solnechnyy soyuz) is a sovereign interstellar polity spanning a portion of the rim of the Lamprosea galaxy. The Solar Union is the representative polity of a majority of Humans in the galaxy, with an estimated population of 393 billion people as of 2420. Composed of a total of 19 member planets with about 8,820 lightyears between the two most distant from each other, the Solar Union is the third most expansive known polity in the galaxy.
The capital planet of the Solar Union is the Human homeworld of Earth. Home to the Union's Parliament, the offices of the Chancellor, and approximately 47.5 billion inhabitants, Earth is the Solar Union's most significant cultural, economic, political, and population center. As with all fellow members of the Interstellar Peace Organization, the Solar Union is considered a free and individualistic society, with significant civil and political rights protections for its citizens.
The Solar Union as it exists today was preceded by the United Earth Federation. The UEF was founded by a coalition of surviving nation-states on Earth in the aftermath of the Third World War, which devastated the planet and nearly caused the collapse of its biosphere. With the assistance of the Magnoculan Sacred Consensus, the Humans of the UEF managed to rehabilitate it's planet's atmosphere and enter a golden age of outer space exploration and expansion. After the establishment of the first Human extrasolar colonies of Nausica and Zenobia, a movement pressing for political transformation into a sovereignty capable of representing more possible colonies emerged within the UEF. In response, representatives from the three Human-inhabited planets met on the colony of Nausica in April 2207, where the Treaty of Nausica was signed and the Solar Union formally established.
In the century after it's establishment, the Solar Union underwent a period of massive expansion and technological progress. The rapid pace of its expansion strained its relations with the Magnoculan and Nattetor governments, and the disastrous first contact with the Candentian Confederacy led to the outbreak of the Solar Union's first interstellar conflict in 2239. After the Treaty of Mu Arae ended this conflict in 2243, the government of the Solar Union adopted the Kobayashi Protocol in an effort to ease tensions with its neighbors, vowing to never again instigate an interstellar conflict and placing tighter restrictions on civilian-led colonization. Only eight years later, the Solar Union entered into the Second Cornuutian War alongside the Sacred Consensus in 2251 in defense of the Nattetor Harmonious Worlds. After the defeat of the Cornuutian invasion force in 2256, the Solar Union spearheaded the Pact of Menjet, which established the Interstellar Peace Organization in hopes of avoiding further conflict.
After another half century of peaceful expansion and domestic growth, the Solar Union faced its first alien invasion in the Obscuran Invasion of 2308. Although the combined forces of the IPO managed to expel the invaders, no successful contact was ever made with the Obscuran leadership, and diplomatic efforts with them have only been met with failure. Since the invasion, however, the Solar Navy has become the second largest space navy in the IPO, with defensive capabilities that have prevented any other alien sovereignty from violating proximate IPO space. The peace which the Solar Union has enjoyed since the invasion has also allow for a period of prolonged internal development, cementing the Solar Union's status as an eminent galactic power in the modern day.
Astrography
The entirety of Solar Union space lies within 20° and 74° on the Galactic Plane. The polity is spans portions of three galactic arms: the Araene arm, the Eridanese arm, and the Draconese arm. Comprised of an area of 71.567 million square lightyears, the Solar Union holds approximately 10.12% of the galaxy's total area. There are an estimated 3.5 billion total stars within the Solar Union's territory, although only an insignificant fraction of these stars even have small space stations. The majority of stars within Solar Union space are red dwarfs with no planetary systems. Although there are an estimated 500 million planets in Solar Union space, only 19 of these planetary bodies had the requisite conditions to colonize or atmospherically regenerate to a colonizable state. The Union's two colonies most distant from each other, Curio in the 47 Scorpii system and Vilocana in the 45 Draconis system, have an approximate distance of 8,821 lightyears. At maximum recommended warp speed, it would take approximately one year and two months to travel the distance between them.
Union space contains a number of unique astrographic features. One of the most prominent is the presence of Gargantua, a sentient black hole located at the edge of the Union-Candentian border in the Old Rim Sector. The Union also possesses some of the most confirmed black holes for its size relative to the galaxy as a whole, at more than 89,000 total black holes counted of an estimated galactic total of 600,000. Furthermore, the Old Rim Dust Cloud is the only place in the galaxy where natural Bioelectrostimulants have been found.
Stellar distance chart
All measurements involve the distance of that system's primary star from Sol and use the maximum recommended speed of Warp 7.5.
| System | Distance (ly) | Non-stop travel time (months) |
|---|---|---|
| 63 Cygni | 1039.8 | 1.664 |
| φ Orionis | 998.0 | 1.597 |
| δ Orionis | 1761.0 | 2.817 |
| μ Cephei | 2000.0 | 3.200 |
| γ Cygni | 2932.5 | 4.692 |
| μ Sagittarii | 2925.8 | 4.681 |
| σ Cassiopeiae | 4931.3 | 6.623 |
| κ Cassiopeiae | 4614.0 | 7.386 |
| 120 Herculis | 4628.1 | 7.405 |
| Callum's Star | 6712.9 | 10.74 |
| D Draconis | 6843.0 | 10.949 |
| 45 Draconis | 6404.1 | 10.246 |
| α Camelopardalis | 5705.8 | 9.129 |
| 39 Scorpii | 6233.8 | 9.974 |
| 47 Scorpii | 7123.8 | 11.398 |
| ξ Sagittarii | 5457.3 | 8.732 |
| 64 Sagittarii | 6581.4 | 10.530 |
History
Third World War and Post-war
The Third World War was a brief conflict in the middle of the 21st century CE. The intense destruction caused by the conflict and the heavy use of nuclear weapons caused a nuclear winter which devastated the Earth's ecosystems and its Human habitability. In the aftermath of the war, the severe weakening of the Earth's ozone layer allowed destructive levels of ultraviolet radiation to compound with the effects of the weapons-caused nuclear fallout. The tropics and subtropics suffered the worst effects. World-wide estimates of radiation-related Human fatalities reached into the billions, as large swaths of the Earth's surface became uninhabitable and even hostile to life. In regions with stable ecologies, societal breakdown was widespread. Only a handful of nation-states managed to sustain public order; among them were Australia, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.
In North America, the region of the former United States broke up into a number of military cliques which all claimed to be the legitimate successor of the collapsed federal government. In Asia, a vast influx of migrants from the devastated South and Southeast Asian regions overwhelmed the already-unstable Chinese government, causing it to also break into a number of ethnically-based warlord cliques which engaged in extremely violent methods of warfare. Both the Canadian and Russian borders of these respective hotbeds of instability were secured, however, with extensive military deployment and the creation of refugee resettlement areas. Finland, Norway, and Sweden also allowed a number of refugees from the other side of the Baltic Sea before enforcing a policy of hard deterrence. Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, and Japan fared the best, with relatively few refugees and particularly stable civil societies.
Despite being able to secure a momentary sense of order, a number of massive challenges were encountered by the surviving states. Food, water, and other necessities were in extremely limited supply, and the industrial capacity of many of these nations to produce such items was almost nonexistent. In order to better coordinate a response to the global situation, the nation-states of Canada, Japan, and Russia began cooperating with one another in hopes of achieving mutual success. Japan had been able to preserve an extensive industrial production network, while Canada and Russia each possessed significant natural resources and a secure distribution network. The Arctic Security Organization was formally established on 19 April 2083, and it's efforts proved highly successful in achieving domestic socioeconomic stability.
Federation and First contact
The ASO was expanded to include Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland in the 2090s after the success of its reconstruction scheme became a widely known phenomenon. The remaining instability along its frontier regions, however, became a larger issue as the rate of people trying to migrate into the stable ASO-held areas increased dramatically. In order to prevent a collapse of internal stability, Midlatitude Reconstruction and Resettlement Scheme was initiated in 2098. MRRS would create safe-zones in the areas of China, Europe, and North America which straddled the ASO frontier, with the goal of gradually expanding those safe-zones and creating self-sufficient colonies. Although initially met with some hostility from the military cliques in control of the designated safe-zone areas, these cliques were quickly pacified by the better-equipped and better-numbered ASO forces. The first safe-zones were officially established in 2099, concentrated in Korea, Northern China, North-Central Europe, and Northeastern America.
On 28 July 2102, the nation-states composing the ASO agreed to further the integration of common administrative structures. Many political leaders felt that the continuation of the MRRS and eventual resettlement of the entire Earth offered a chance for world wars to be eradicated through the peaceful union of all Human society. Negotiations for Treaty of Reykjavik were completed later that year, and on 10 October 2102, the Treaty was ratified by the collective members of the ASO, forming the United Earth Federation. Reykjavik was selected as the seat of the UEF's Chancellery, while Sapporo was selected as the seat of the Federation's Parliament. The new body formed the expressed interest of fostering more vigorous scientific research in hopes of preventing the emergence of a technological dark age, while at the same time orienting its socioeconomic development strategy towards stability and sustainability.
The United Earth Space Exploration Commission was established on 19 March 2103 with several goals: the creation of a fully reusable launch system, the study of life in outer space colonial habitats (in Earth orbit and on the Moon and Mars), the study of an expedient method of outer space propulsion, and the study of the possibility of harvesting and processing of outer space mineral resources for use on Earth and its colonies. In line with these goals, several research stations were built in Earth orbit and on the Moon, and the very first permanent Human exo-planetary colony was established on Mars in 2122. UESEC also created the first mineral extraction and refinement network for Asteroid mining in the Asteroid Belt, giving Earth access to a valuable, immeasurable supply of many elements and chemical compounds. On 9 May 2124, the UESEC astronaut Erika Hansen activated Humanity's first experimental neg-mass engine, accelerating her vessel to just beyond the speed of light. In light of this breakthrough, Magnoculans of the Sacred Consensus based on their Luna research station made peaceful first contact with Humanity.
Rehabilitation and early expansion
Union and later expansion
Invasion
Pax Solaris
Politics
The Solar Union is a parliamentary republic with a federal system. The Union government serves as the national governing body of the polity, while the individual planets retain a degree of autonomy in their internal affairs. The Treaty of Nausica serves as a form of constitutional document which outlines the specific rights and privileges held by the Union and planetary governments, as well as the civil rights of all citizens within the Union. This system of government is based on a combination of the federated governments which previously composed the United Earth Federation, namely, those of Canada, Japan, and the Russian Federation.
Government
The Chancellor serves as the head of state of the Union and the nominal leader of the executive branch. Officially, the Chancellor holds the power to dissolve and assemble Parliament, appoint the leaders of the Cabinet Ministries, veto legislative bills, and act in the capacity of commander-in-chief of the Solar Navy. In reality, the Chancellor acts as a figurehead, with their powers of state severely limited by precedent and addenda to the Treaty of Nausica. Nonetheless, the Chancellor operates in a central capacity as the chief diplomat and representative of Humanity in the galaxy. The Chancellor is elected by a national popular vote held every ten years.
The Prime Minister is the head of government of the Union. Elected from within Parliament, the Prime Minister advises the Chancellor on appointment of Cabinet Ministry positions, essentially serving as the chief officer in the executive branch of government. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the largest bloc or coalition of blocs within Parliament, indirectly commanding both the executive and legislative process.
Parliament is the unicameral legislature of the Solar Union, responsible for the tabling of legislative bills, the ratification of treaties with alien polities, the declaration of war, and the power of impeachment for any executive officer. Members of Parliament are elected by a combination of party-list proportional representation and planet-wide votes on the individual member worlds of the Union. As Parliament is assembled and dissolved at the will of the Chancellor, there is no legal requirement for how long a session may last, though precedent has held that a Parliament has never served for more than five years at a time.
Political divisions
The Solar Union is composed of 19 member planets spread among 4 sectors. These two divisions serve in distinct roles, with member planets representing single planetary bodies and sector governments representing a unified collective of extra-planetary habitats. Member planets have a certain degree of autonomy in the administration of internal public services. Special guarantees in the Treaty of Nausica permit member planets to exercise near-complete control over the areas of economic development, education, emergency services, healthcare, justice, local infrastructure, and planetary elections. The sector governments are much less autonomous, as they administer the extra-planetary habitats and space stations within a given region of space. Sectors are subject to direct regulation by the Union government, with the sector's governments serving a principally intermediary role between the Union government and the individual station administrations.
List of planets
| Seal | Planet | System | Sector | Population (est.) | Date of Accession | Primary language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Earth | Sol | Core | 40.5 billion | 25 April 2207 | Various |
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Mars | Sol | Core | 8.3 billion | 10 October 2336 | Various |
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Nausica | Ebisu | Core | 33.5 billion | 25 April 2207 | Japanese, English |
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Zenobia | Auxo | Core | 30.9 billion | 25 April 2207 | French, Russian, English |
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Bellemonde | Pele | Core | 27.7 billion | 28 May 2211 | French, English |
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Mariposa | Kerana | Core | 25.2 billion | 11 June 2297 | Spanish, English |
| File:Seal of the Union Planet of Indran.svg | Indran | Garuda | Core | 15.1 billion | 19 January 2298 | Indonesian, Malay |
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Yomi | Hotei | Core | 9.1 billion | 5 June 2337 | Japanese, Chinese |
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Calypso | Pothos | Old Rim | 32.4 billion | 22 February 2221 | English |
| File:Seal of the Union Planet of Uhlanga.svg | Uhlanga | Utixo | Old Rim | 19.2 billion | 10 March 2298 | Zulu, Xhosa, English |
List of sectors
| Sector | Capital station | # of Stations | Total population |
|---|
Defense
The Solar Navy serves as the sole standing armed force in the Solar Union, singularly charged with the defense of all Union territory. The vast size of the Solar Union and its frontier with two non-IPO galactic polities have resulted in the Solar Navy becoming the second largest military in the Interstellar Peace Organization. The Solar Navy is divided into five fleets and six special service corps. The First, Second, and Third Fleets are all stationed along the Union-Obscuran frontier, while the Fourth Fleet has its home port at Gliese 777, on the Candentian border. The Fifth Fleet is the only Solar Navy Fleet to maintain a permanent presence in allied space, and it is currently based in the Agarian Kepler 4773 system near the Cornuutian border. Each Fleet is composed of a number of specialized starships which can vary greatly in role. Each Fleet also possesses a number of special service corps members relative to the number of special service ships in that Fleet. These special service corps perform a variety of roles not directly related to the maintenance and operation of the starships themselves; they are the Pilot Corps, the Marines, the Nuer-Ops Corps, the Intelligence Corps, the Medical Corps, and the Science Corps. Additionally, some Navy service members are not permanently stationed in any one of these Fleets, as Navy operations extend to certain space station habitats and planetary installations.
Economy
The Economy of the Solar Union is a post-scarcity economy with a highly advanced manufacturing stream requiring very little direct human labor. High-energy matter creation techniques facilitated by Negative mass technology allow for the creation of nearly every stable chemical element on the periodic table, while precision realignment systems permit chemical elements to be rearranged into simple design patterns at a molecular level. Robotic assembly plants in the same location as these matter creation facilities then process these simple materials into a variety of substances, including most consumer and industrial commodities. At the level of pure production, most industrial manufacturing is automated, with individual Humans typically serving in an administrative, repair-oriented, and distributive capacity, organized by the Solar Union Industrial Bureau.
While minerals are capable of being materialized and assembled mostly autonomously, agriculture remains one of the employment-necessary fields in the Solar Union's economy. Although large-scale farming is capable of some level of automation, restrictions on advanced artificially intelligent robots mean that Human beings are required to operate some agricultural equipment, oversee the health and productivity of harvests, and the planetary distribution of produce. This is organized by the Solar Union Agricultural Bureau, which its further divided among the various planetary governments of the Union.
Finally, the Solar Union Infrastructure Bureau is responsible for the continued development and maintenance of all buildings and infrastructure systems throughout the Solar Union, and like the Agricultural Bureau, it is a wholly decentralized operation which is administered on a planetary basis.
Relative to the population size of the Solar Union, necessitated employment by the Industrial, Agricultural, and Infrastructure Bureaus represents less than 0.02% of the Solar Union's total population, some 78.6 million people in total. All employment in these Bureaus is entirely voluntary.
Infrastructure
Each planet is responsible for the administration of its own Office of the Solar Union Infrastructure Bureau, which administer planetary infrastructure grids. Energy production across the Solar Union varies depending on the needs of the local facilities. Due to the extreme distances between inhabited planets and stations, there is virtually no connectivity between production grids outside the planets or stations themselves. Enhanced mass fusion serves as the primary method of energy production throughout the Solar Union, serving approximately 99% of the Solar Union's reported energy needs. Space stations and star ships also use fusion energy production facilities, although typically on a much smaller scale than cumulative planetary networks. The remaining energy production techniques utilize the renewable resources of natural environments, and these are used only in semi-developed colonial zones which have yet to be connected to any planetary energy networks.