Terra Union

Terra Union
HOMEWORLD:	Erdeschlösser
ORGANIZATION:	Terran Council
RISK FACTOR:	MEDIUM
CURRENT STATE:	EMERGENCY MILITARY ADVISORY
Specialty:	Civil Law, Staunch Military Prowess, Terraforming, Beacon of Democracy
"Forever Standing, Forever Lasting"

Origin of the Terran Union

In the years leading up to the collapse of the human homeworld, many nations still attempted to endure the storm. One was the European Union, a federalized republic formed after the disastrous Third World War to protect the Mediterranean. The European Union was one of the few remaining liberal democracies on Earth, staving off corporate influence and built toward peace rather than war. It was among the first to contact the Vox in the titular first contact incident, and was right behind the United States and the Russian Republic when space became commercialized in 2065. The European Union held great academic accomplishments such as the Enclasser Warp Drive, the First Practical Combat Mech, and, alongside the South African Union and the United States, formed the first habitable colony in the year 2100: Mars

Unfortunately, the European Union would meet its fate in the nuclear fire that was the Fourth World War. The Union’s Capital of Brussels would be consumed in a spectacular nuclear blaze, much like its neighbors. Those smart or lucky enough to leave before the eruption would settle in the Outer Orbital Regime of the Sol System and abandon the prospect of a united Europe. By the 24th century, much of the Sol system was colonized and independent. Earth was a bitter reminder to many who lived in the outer system; until the reemergence of the Earth Governments.

The Terran Expulsion

The UCSH, and the other surviving governments made their goals of re-assimilation very apparent to the outer colonies as they launched a great aero-force en masse to retake what was once the pride of their predecessors. Some independent planets, fearing a return to the old status quo, formed a pact to thwart the Corporate Governments' ambitions. The radical NeoSov Commune of Mars led the Pact, bolstered by support from their liberal corporate government; they resisted all attempts at peaceful annexation. On May 14th, 2334, UCSH ships made their first push into orbit around Mars, initiating the Battle of Red Mountain and, with it, the Martian Rebellion. While the Martians had the home-field advantage, they were no match for the UCSH mercenaries and World Prosperity Spheres Shin’yu squadrons. On the third day of the battle, the UCSH had battered the Commune Aero-Force and achieved total orbital superiority. While the Commune had hoped to keep momentum on the ground, the UCSH had no interest in a long war, deciding instead to test a new strategy that was only hypothetical at the time. The leader of the UCSH, Nanotrasen, would give the order to indiscriminately bomb the southern half of the Martian surface with phoron bombs, showcasing the company's dominance. The campaign immediately vaporized 90 million, and the survivors wouldn't last long with their crippled workforce. The UCSH and World Prosperity Spheres had all proven that the traditional way of fighting had long since passed its prime; whoever held the UCSH's technology would never falter before an opponent with greater morale or ideals.

It didn’t take long for the fires of Mars to burn out, and the ground campaign, spearheaded by the UCSH, sealed the future of all who opposed the new order. The remaining rulers on Mars soon fell in line, and by 2337, the entire system had transitioned toward complete corporate control. While much of the Inner System submitted, many outside the Inner Belt saw the writing on the wall and looked elsewhere for refuge. Led by the esteemed Europan Statesman Juhana Mäkinen, colonists from the remaining democratic nations, such as the Jovian League, the Neptunian Confederation, and the Plutonian Republic, fled to extra-solar systems. The UCSH, still young and naïve, struggled to administrate the vast planet they had won, and had very little time to catch up to Mäkinen before it was too late. The total number who left is unknown, but it was large enough to cause those left behind to stagnate and bend the knee. When the UCSH realized it, they saw it as a victory: a great expulsion of their enemies.

Formation of the Core Systems and Proclamation

Those who had fled quickly made their way to Tau Ceti, a system that the German Colonists established during the first space age. When the European Union fell around a Century ago, the system worked towards total self-reliance and self-defence. The system kept in contact with Kepler Belters and quickly learned of the looming threat of annexation. By the time the fleet arrived at Tau Ceti, it was called Cetiburghow, in memory of the decisive victory against Vox raiders who had terrorized both it and Alpha Centauri long ago. The Prime Minister, Ewald Volkhard, welcomed them in with open arms. Now carrying a diverse set of spacers from across human space and backed by a matching military, the two groups met to pave the way for a new nation. In 2339, the Cetian Government proclaimed itself the Terran Union and made Tau Ceti-e the capital world, christening it Erdeschlösser.

The Terran Union sought to establish a free nation, reviving the old European Union model. It established a deliberative body of representatives, corporate leaders, and station owners known as the Terran Council. Slowly but surely, the Terran Union would envelop the systems surrounding it, and by 2350 it would establish an official charter and system core: Cetiburghow (Tau Ceti), Proxima Kentarus (Alpha Centauri), Ran’s steed (Epsilon Eridani), and the Inner Systems of Speculoo (TRAPPIST-1) and Leonis (Wolf 359) by 2363.

Colonial Efforts

By 2403, when the Terran Union had established a colony on Kepler-442, the growing pains began to set in. While many had initially enjoyed the protection and freedom the Terran Union offered, it slowly became clear it wasn’t entirely altruistic. The Space Charter required a planet to be under a period of “transitional authority” before it could become a full member of the Council; during this time, Terran Companies could freely extract what they pleased. Many had also begun to notice the UCSH, once shunned in the Terran Proclamation but now allowed marginal trade rights because some Terran Companies had joined it. The Terran Union’s charitable image would be further tarnished when Wayfinder Corp made contact with a familiar insectoid people at Kepler-62 in 2462. Given the Terran Union’s history with the Vox Raiders, the Wayfinders exercised great caution against Mothman. Unable to understand the Mothic tongue, communication broke down quickly as they entered orbit. Seeing that the Mothman possessed massive generation ships, the Terran Union quickly reinforced the system and methodically set up a blockade around the planet. The colonists, being of a peaceful disposition, were easily kicked out of the system by the Terran Union’s superior fighting force. This would become known as the first of many Pacification’s of the Spiral Arm. While some were slightly disheartened by the events, they were far from the ugliest interaction the Terran Union had with extraterrestrials; that would come 50 years later.

The Decapoids were first discovered in the Alkesh system in 2513; many believed the Terran Union would prevail and learn from the past, but that wasn't the case. Even with highly sophisticated translators, it was an incredible challenge: they spoke through smell and “chittered” concepts all at once, rather than in drawn-out speech. Still, through abduction and indoctrination, the Terran Union communicated with the Alkeshian leaders. The Decapoids were a fledgling civilization stuck in the first space age, one that humanity had passed half a millennium ago. This fact had put off uplifting the species until visits to the planet's toxic surface had shown up with something spectacular: abundant, “stable” isotopes of supermatter. Realizing the world's value, the Terran Union and UCSH quickly drew up a deal to terraform the planet in exchange for 50% of material rights. Many Decapoids reluctantly rejected the offer, as terraforming would make life on their homeworld uncomfortable. The Terran Union Disagreed. Soon an altercation formed, and a radical group of Decapoids rammed their vessel into the inactive and toothless Terraforming platform “Amantius”, critically damaging its forward hull and sending it into a slow defensive maneuver backward. Enraged by the incident, the Terran Union ordered the Alkesh nations to surrender immediately. Many resisted, but few could withstand the might of Terra Union; the weak Lagomorph aero-force was routed, and the Union gained orbital superiority. Those left on the planet heard the thunder of drop pods as Combat Mechs and the Astro-Kommando, led by Lower Cmdr. Arhman Mcdunman, alongside specially hired UCSH mercenaries, to earn mining rights. The War was as grueling as it was swift; the planet cracked and was rendered for mining rights in 2515. The Decapoids that remained were forced to leave in refitted ships the UCSH and Nanotrasen gave them as a settlement. While not surprising in hindsight, the Decapoids entered the stars bitterly, awaiting the day they could strike back. This mantra of revenge would fire up when they came into contact with the Mothic Governments; it would spark a series of conflicts on the galactic stage generations later between the human, insectoid, and moghean governments, known simply as the Great Nomad Wars.

The Destruction of Alkesh would bring the Terran Union to a point of no return, and many saw it falling into moral bankruptcy. By 2520, only five years later, the colonies on the fringes, tired of mixed corporate and military rule, began to protest. Panicking, the Terran Council gave the military authority over the Colonial Administrations to find a solution quickly. The Solution was the brutal, grueling pacification of anyone who attempted to rebel. Those who protested and were against the Colonial rule- extraterrestrials, insurgents, separatists, and workers' communes were either killed or imprisoned. Those who were unfortunate enough to be considered too dangerous to release were sentenced to psychological solitary: the use of chemicals or stasis to entrap prisoners within their minds for thousands upon thousands of years. Effectively rotting anyone who didn’t have luxurious mind-blockers or psionic abilities. Even with these inhumane methods, it failed to completely stop insurrections. Notably, Invidia-III and Sadira became home to The Tiger Cooperative and the Sunna Core, respectively. Independence movements came and went over the next 200 years of decline, each slowly untying the Terran Union's already crippled democracy. The most recent was the destruction of the “Free Commonwealth of Cargal” in 2756, when the insurgent government detonated a planet-cracking device that destroyed much of the policing fleet. The event has caused the now Chief Adrm. Arhman Mcdunman to declare martial law and suspend the Terran Council.

Government

The Terran Government is under a “temporary” military provisional stratocracy known as the Emergency Advisory. Yet the suspended Council still governs the core systems day to day, ludicrous spending, artsy mech projects, sword dueling with said mechs, and other affluent ways to waste time. Much of the governing within the core has been handed off to AI supercomputer advisors or competent but pacified IPCs who do menial clerical work. Many within the core enjoy a plethora of stimulants to keep them happy at all times, while the upper-class funds strange, technologically overengineered art projects and regales itself with a new Terran renaissance. Those outside the Core and Inner systems don't share the same freedoms or attitudes, with many miserably slogging through day-to-day life under the watchful eye of the Coloniale, the Trans-system Department of Colonial Administration. Those on the fringes share the same fate, without the protection or civil liberties the Terran Union offers, with pirates and the military equally likely to capture them.

The Terran Union Space Charter

• Every uninhabited planet found and deemed credible as possible for habitation by the Wayfinder Corp shall be terraformed to ensure the security of the prospecting market.
• Every unidentified alien encountered in the claimed territory of Terra Union should be assumed hostile.
• All Colonies can be designated as mining worlds, and the Terran Union reserves the full mining rights but must pay back for any inconvenience caused.
• A planet must enter a period of development before being accepted as a member of the Terran Council; the length of time a colony must develop before being admitted is decided on a case-to-case basis, but cannot exceed 250 years.
• All inhabitants of a colony that is admitted into the Terran Council automatically gain citizenship, barring extreme circumstances.

The Terran Union gives liberties to all its citizens, supposedly protected wherever you go

• The right to vote at any level of government in the civil system, and the right to be in office.
• The right to serve within all branches of the Military, and the right to be called for service in times of emergency.
• The right to general services: education, Implants, hospital services, and emergency services.
• The right to deny tracking implants and be off surveillance for one hour per week.
• The right to engage in business with Nanotrasen or any other corporate entity outside of the Terran Union.
• A Citizen may be a human who is born within Terra Union, has spilled blood or served 5 years in the military, or has completed a residency with exceptional appraisal.
• Those who are not human, but show extraordinary capabilities, service, and residence may rarely obtain the status of a Terran Familiar. They cannot vote or hold office, but are allowed everything else for the most part.

  Notable Council Members

  Name	Summary
  Chief Adrm. Arhman Mcdunman	The Highest-Ranking Officer within the Astro-Komando, and the most powerful member within the Emergency Advisory. Representing the Areo-Force. They are the de jure leader of the entire Terran Union. Being 386 years old, his wisdom and experience have allowed him to meticulously safeguard his position from all fronts. He is referred to as the Admiral of the Stars by those under him.
  SCOM. Mariano Killdun	Supreme Commander of the entire Terran Union, and the "liaison" between the Upper Council and the Emergency Advisory. Known not to take any of the council's actual demands seriously unless they involve external defense or bolstering his side of the military: the ground forces.
  Magnus	The absolute synthetic intelligence that "advises" the Trans-system Department of Justice; it "holds" a seat on the Court-Superior, a court mostly made up of the engineers and memetic technicians that keep the AI optimized. It also has access to the Terran cleric domain, the house center of all IPCs (and some organics) pacified (scrapped and digitally uploaded) to serve as state clerks. Regardless of this power, the department, like most of the council, is little more than a rubber stamp for the Advisory.
  Tiziano Juan Pablo	Prime Councilor of the Upper Council, the council itself being little more than a revolving door for generals and civilians to gain nominal titles as a reward for exceptional service. This has led Innies to mockingly call it the "Pension Council" or "Terran Retirement Home". The Lower Council is self-regulated by AI assistants, so local members don't think much about their position.