Fiction:Stellar Union

"A glorious empire isolated from all the others, no wonder it has such a unique criminal history."

- Tarena Maana

The Stellar Union is an interspecies federal parliamentary republic located in the Milky Way Galaxy. As a small empire, the Stellar Union lacks colonies in any other major galaxy, but it does retain a large amount of power in star systems close by. Famed by nearby empires as a place where dreams can come true, the Stellar Union is a good three thousand light-years away from another major civilization.

History
"No individual enters history without choosing their own destiny."

-Hajehenca Cahujei

Formation Era (100 BUE-1,000 UE)
The Stellar Union can traces its origins back to 100 BUE (Before Union Era), with the meeting of the Fenggehan Interstellar Republic and the State of the Ciamith. Relationships between the two empires were tense, mostly due to the abundance of resources between the empires and their relative proximity to each other. This tension would then escalate into the Slow War, one of the longest wars in the Stellar Union's history, mostly because of the lack of wormhole technology.

The Slow War
The Slow War started out with a Fenggeha invasion of the Ciamith colony world of Eddon. The Fenggeha fleet, after arriving, quickly lay siege to the defenseless world. Prepared for a large battle, the Fenggeha did not expect the Ciamith colony to surrender without a fight. However, the Ciamith, prior to surrendering, transmitted a coded message warning the Ciamith government of future invasions and describing how the Fenggeha had made a declaration of war.

When word of the attack reached Jehpran, the Ejhencala was furious. He quickly called for an emergency meeting of his advisor council. He ordered that all Ciamith warships be prepared to attack the Fenggehan military base of Wucra, and that all colonies be equipped with the newest antiaircraft weaponry. Meanwhile, the Fenggehan fleet moved on to attack nearby Ciamith colony of Aviai, home to small portion of the Ciamith fleet. With the Ciamith fleet on the move, Aviai was left with weak defenses.

As both fleets moved to their destinations, both the Ejhencala and the Fenggeha President analyzed their each other's territory for future targets, with the President aiming to conquer territory and the Ejhencala looking to end the war quickly. As the days passed, the Ejhencala prepared a new, secret fleet to attack the Fenggeha capital world and bring an end to the war. With the creation of the fleet completed, the Ejhencala issued the order to send the fleet to attack Iyescene.

While the secret Ciamith warships were heading toward Iyescene, the Fenggeha fleet arrived over Aviai, and issued a threat to the local populace. When the natives opened fire upon the lead Fenggeha cruiser, the rest of the Fenggeha fleet bombarded the local city and military base of Hijea. The ensuing battle lasted for a few days, before the besieged world surrendered. After this, the Ciamith fleet arrived at Wucra, and immediately fired upon the dormant spaceships, completely destroying the Fenggeha ships. With no military left to defend the world, the Fenggeha surrendered, and delivered a message to the President about the battle.

With Aviai under their control, the Fenggeha prepared to attack Jehpran, the Ciamith capital, using the remaining fleet. Months passed as the ships moved throughout space, and eventually the Fenggeha fleet arrived in the Jehoran system. The President was just about to order the fleet to bomb the world when the Ciamith fleet, which had been waiting in the far corners of the Iyese system, began to attack Iyescene. After receiving no word of approval or denial, the Fenggeha commander ordered his fleet to attack Jehpran. The battles lasted for many days until both fleets were annihilated. With the war in a stalemate, the Ciamith called for peace, which was eagerly agreed upon with the Fenggeha. Many years later, the Ciamith, fearing for the future of life, offered to create an organized empire in order to preserve peace in the region. Negotiations between the Fenggeha and Ciamith began soon after, and with the signing of the agreement, the Stellar Union was born.

Much of the following centuries was spent slowly expanding the Stellar Union and helping to calm domestic tensions. It was during this period that the Aa'griaa joined the Union. However, in 959 UE, the Alliance of Yuapur, which was an ancient Beyur empire, attacked the Stellar Union. This long series of wars was devastating on the Stellar Union being remembered as the longest and second deadliest of them all.

Government
"You cannot live with or without a government."

- Prince Thyrae Yrdirsi

The Stellar Union is a parliamentary republic whose governing body is known as the Embassy and whose seat of government is located on the capital planet of Iyescene. The Embassy is a council of representatives, known as delegates, from each member species' nation-state, which is then run by a Supreme Marshall. The Embassy has control over most legislative and executive powers in the Stellar Union.

The Supreme Marshall
In the Stellar Union, most executive power is wielded by the Supreme Marshall. These powers include the ability to formally declare war, maintaining the Embassy, vetoing decisions made by the Embassy, appoint a council of assistants, and formally issuing peace. The Supreme Marshall is elected by the delegates of the Embassy every five years, for a maximum of two terms, and can be voted out of office by the Embassy in the same manner. In the event that the Supreme Marshall dies in office or resigns, a temporary, one term leader, called an Executive, is appointed to replace the vacant Supreme Marshall until a formal election can be held. The Executive has all the powers that the Supreme Marshall has, excluding the ability to appoint assistants.

The Embassy
While the Supreme Marshall has executive power in the Stellar Union, the Embassy has legislative power. The Embassy, being a council of elected delegates, holds elections every five years, exactly two years prior to Supreme Marshall elections. These elections allow for the common population to vote for the two representatives that their nation-state is permitted to have, resulting in the Embassy's sixteen members. These delegates are allowed a maximum of three terms consecutively, but can be forbidden from running by their associated nation-state. Delegates have the power to make laws and decisions for the good of the Stellar Union, regulate trade amongst its member nation-states and between itself and other empires, issue taxes, propose a declaration of war to the Supreme Marshall, propose a peace treaty to the Supreme Marshall, and impeach the Supreme Marshall.

The Judicial System
While not a true part of the Stellar Union's government, the judicial system plays a crucial role in maintaining the Stellar Union. Headed by the High Council, the judicial system of the Stellar Union regulates disputes between member nation-states, clarifies the law in trials, and can repeal laws that are deemed "unconstitutional". However, most trials are headed by minor State Courts and the bigger, more important cases are headed by the High Council. The High Council is run by a group of seven judges, and the judges are appointed by the Embassy to serve twenty year long terms.

States
To make the running of the government easier, the Stellar Union is divided into eight minor regions known as States. These states retain a large amount of self-autonomy and are allowed to make state laws, elect or appoint a state leader (in any way), and determine the extent of their support in a war. The eight States are the Aa'griaa State, the Beyura State, the Ciamith State, the Dhyra State, the Fenggeha State, the Leguulshá State, the Servinii State, and the Yshaena State.

Culture
"Culture is what distinguishes life from AI."

-Hajanan Jequill

Religion
In the Stellar Union, religion is a fundamental part of society. Most citizens follow at least one religion, with many choosing to follow the tenets of multiple religions. These religions are usually unique to a species, but the most popular religion is the belief in the Aa'griaa pantheon, but many more choose to live by the Dhyra Tenets of Prosperity. Some less common religions include isolated monotheistic and atheistic beliefs.

Fashion & Cuisine
Even though the Stellar Union has a wide variety of cultural diversity, the popular culture remains almost identical throughout it. Fashion trends, popular foods, and art styles all help keep the unique cultures united. The current fashion of the Stellar Union includes classic, elegant, and natural styles in the upper class, and more synthetic, utilitarian designs for the middle and lower classes. These differences in style are also evident in the kinds of food that are eaten. Many upper class individuals enjoy rich, flavorful delicacies such as grilled shellfishes and wines. The lower class usually eats simple, fried foods. The middle class usually eats a combination of both types of cuisine.

Language
Because of the Stellar Union's diversity, many languages are spoken. This resulted in the utilization of Changi, the traditional Fenggeha language, as a lingua franca. Throughout the Stellar Union, the majority of signs, music, and literature is written in Changi, but most citizens of the Stellar Union are bilingual, speaking both Changi and their native tongue.

Music
With so many cultures thriving in the Stellar Union, many types of music exist. This makes music very popular amongst the Stellar Union's citizens. Some types of music include the traditional Aa'griaa string orchestras and Ciamith choirs. Others are electronic synth and lyrical songs with an instrumental base.

Crime
The Stellar Union, like any other empire, has some amount of criminal activity. This criminal activity, however, has decreased in recent years due to the hiring of more police officers and the legalization of minor narcotics. Nevertheless, other crimes like animal trafficking and smuggling exist. There is also a moderately sized mafia in the Stellar Union's outer colonies.

Species
The Stellar Union is home to many species, but the eight most common are the Aa'griaa, the Beyur, the Ciamith, the Dhyra, the Fenggeha, the Leguulshá, the Servinii, and the Yshaena. These species each control a state and can elect delegates to the Embassy. Out of these eight, the most common species is the Fenggeha, with the Ciamith and the Aa'griaa being second and third most common.

Technology
"I don't believe in common sense, but I do believe in knowledge."

-Dhokh Enhyra

The Stellar Union is a technologically advanced empire, when compared with other empires of a similar age and relative isolation. The Union is well known for its immense biotech industry and bio weaponry. Much of this innovation comes from the scholars in Iyescene's School of the Sciences. Architectural designs and new machines are also created in the School.

Nowadays, most technological advancements involve creating newer and more convenient ways to travel as well as creating sturdier and larger space stations to house the ever growing population. Some current technology includes wormhole drives, which allow for semi-instant travel between star systems, and Gigacylinders, which are large Orion cylinders that serve a variety of purposes for citizens of the Stellar Union.

Biotechnology is another large field of technological advancements. With the Ciamith and the Dhyra being adamant about using biological technology instead of mechanical technology, the Stellar Union gives large amounts of money to the Ciamith's research facilities to develop new biological technology to help the Stellar Union, whether it be new weapons, new food sources, or a new terraforming agent.

Military
"War is the only thing that even compares to politics in its disgrace."

-Lorr Traa'a

The Stellar Union has a moderately sized military composed mostly of volunteers, robots, and drafted individuals in times of need. The military's main function is to defend the Stellar Union from external threats and to quell riots.

Infantry
The Stellar Union's infantry is composed of a variety of individuals, but the three separate Leagues of the military are armed with different weaponry. The three Leagues are the High League, which is the league that the generals and commanders are in, the Middle League, which is where all the common soldiers and starship crew members are, and the Low League, which is the league with all the robotic drones and biomechanical soldiers are in. Each of these leagues are filled with a variety of species, but the majority of peacetime members of the military are Servinii, mostly due to the warlike culture of the Servinii. The military of the Stellar Union is armed with various weapons, including plasma cannons, laser rifles, plasma shields, grenades, and even nuclear and antimatter bombs.

Spacecraft
The Stellar Union's military also has a large navy, with a large collection of ships that are each designed by the eight states as militia vehicles, and one other design meant to be the official ship of the Stellar Union's Navy. The Navy's vehicles are each a part of four different classes. These classes are the Cruiser Class, which is made of mega sized starships designed to move ships, resources, and infantry to other planets. Another class is the Fighter Class, which is the class full of speedy, close-range ships that are designed to disable enemy Cruiser's weapons. There is the Drone Class, which is made of unmanned robot fighters that are built to fend off enemy Fighters. Lastly, there is the Explorer Class, which are heavily supplied and heavily defended ships meant to house a minimal crew, and help the Stellar Union discover new worlds to colonize.

Territory
"Territory is the essence of an empire."

-Uulehá Acyán

The Stellar Union has a decent amount of territory, but its size pales in comparison with other empires. The Stellar Union is quite expansive, and is always willing to admit new colony worlds and other species as new states. However, there is a long application process, and the process is often slow due to the high percentage of votes in the Embassy required for admittance.

Other Astronomical Formations
The Stellar Union's territory also includes other astronomical phenomena, such as nebulae, neutron stars, and black holes. Each of these natural formations are used for specific reasons by the Stellar Union, whether it be to open a close range wormhole or to mine for materials essential in the Stellar Union's economy and infrastructure.

Allies
"The bonds between our empires shall remain forever."

Liked
"Your kindess is much appreciated. We hope to return the favor."

Neutral
"We know your business here, mabye we could become friends?"

Disliked
"We don't need you here. Please help us keep the peace by staying away from us"

Enemies
"You will be destroyed for your wrongdoings.."