The Federation
(From Encyclopedia Galactica)
The Federation is a relatively new independent force in Sirius, created from the Corporate Federation after uniting most of the House Corporations into a single faction. The Federation now tries to gain status as a fifth House in Sirius, due to its ever increasing economical, but also military strength.
History
The Federation’s formation began in 828 AS, when Ageira Technologies, a corporation specialized in research of secrets of the hyperspace, suggested an agreement between them, Deep Space Engineering, Interspace Commerce and Planetform, all corporations based in House Liberty at that time, to cooperate towards common goal and not to interfere with each other’s actions. The pact was a success, all four involved corporations began to prosper and expand faster than ever before.
Between 831 and 843 AS, more and more corporations joined the newly formed alliance, known as the Corporate Federation. One by one, they were invited by Ageira Technologies based on strict economic criteria and technological level. The Corporate Federation was unified based on ideals of equality, free trade and independence. In 843 AS, last two corporations, Samura Industries and Kishiro Technologies, joined the Corporate Federation under the condition they would remain separated as the Saki group.
The Corporate Federation gained economical, political, but also military strength, powered by new technologies, abundant amounts of resources and capital. It didn’t take Ageira, the former leader of the Corporate Federation, to realize their power was beginning to be comparable to one of the Houses. In 851 AS the Corporate Federation declared independence of any Houses and became an individual political subject. The SaKu group was forced to break up under military threats.
But even that wasn’t enough. Four years later, in 855 AS, the Corporate Federation declared political autonomy and demanded to be recognized as a new state in Sirius. Because of their ever growing strength, and control of most of the market, all four major Houses accepted the Corporate Federation and started formal diplomatic relationships with the newly-formed state.
Not even a year later, in November 855 AS, the Corporate Federation undergone a major change – a series of revolutions on the highest places overthrown the previous, open-minded government and replaced it with much stricter form, bordering on dictatorship. (See section “Political Structure” for details)
A new era of nationalization of all industries and planned economy began, and the Federation reformed under the hands of its first leader, L. I. Rimladiv, first chairman of the Supreme Council. Many were unsatisfied with this change, but the political system was kept, sometimes even by using of force. The name was also changed to The Federation, to further reflect its independence, because there were already new corporations forming within the Federation.
Until 869 AS, four different people changed off as First Chairmen, the highest political position in the Federation. Another major change took place in the 869 AS elections, when, for the first time, a hypercomputer was for the first time selected as one of the candidates. Its rival, G. Lakihim, was elected at first, but all the seven hypercomputers in the Supreme Council vetoed that decision. Therefore, since August 869 AS, the Federation is ruled by the hypercomputer codenamed Unit Alpha-11.
Political Structure
The Federation is governed by a hierarchy of Councils, each representing one branch of society, forming together the Supreme Council. Each of the seven Councils – Mining, Harvesting, Research, Shipping, Engineering, Manufacturing and Military, is represented in the Supreme Council by two human delegates who are elected form the Council’s members, and one hypercomputer. The Supreme Council is led by its First Chairman, who is elected every five years from its members.
Every Council is functioning as a separate ‘faction’, and has the rights to decide over matters affecting only that council. More important decisions are first handed over to the Supreme Council and then they are decided by the First Chairman with the help of other Supreme Council Members. Additionally, any hypercomputer in the Supreme Council has the right to veto any decision based on its logical analysis. If at least five of them veto, the decision is generally changed, although that’s not a written rule. In any case, the First Chairman has the final word over anything that is to be decided.
The Councils control everything in the Federation – its economy, trade, research and relations towards other factions. Benefits for the Federation take precedence over benefits for its individual members. The common citizens have almost no way to decide, all the changes are dictated by the government. The Councils support that idea based on the fact that seven (actually eight at the moment) hypercomputers are always watching over all the matters and their combined logical analysis could never do anything that would harm the Federation’s advancement.
The government has undergone a significant change in 869 AS, when a hypercomputer codenamed Unit Alpha-11 was elected as the First Chairman. For the first time, this position is not filled by a human, but by a machine.
Research and Technology
The Federation’s research is controlled by the Research Council, which assigns all funding to different projects according to the Federation’s current needs. The Federation’s research specializes mainly in three different traits – robotics, hyperspace and defensive systems.
Robotics has always had a major influence in the Federation – automated workforce means more people are available to fulfill more difficult tasks – management, control, or operating complicated vessels such as large haulers or battleships. Robots never need to sleep or eat, always work with hundred percent precision and never complain about their tasks, therefore they are excellent for many different tasks, such as mining or heavy constructions.
Research of the hyperspace was always one of the top priorities for the former Ageira Technologies, and still has a great importance in the Federation. The secrets of the hyperspace and all devices used to manipulate it are closely guarded and kept secret, known only by several highest Research Council members. Traveling through the hyperspace using Jump Holes and Jump Gates, and the newly invented hyerdrives, allows the Federation transports to reach distant areas quickly, and their warships to enter and leave combat at glance.
The interest in defense originates from the Corporate Federation era. The scientists have long ago decided that the best way to protect transports hauling huge amounts of cargo, which made the most of the Corporate Federation’s profits, was to build massive, heavily armed, although slower ships, that can hold long enough for the transports to escape. This strategy proved to be especially effective, even in large battles, where the Federation’s majestic capital ships stand almost unharmed for the whole course of action, while their powerful fighters decimate their foes.
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