Ectanus Command

The Ectanus Command is a breakaway UNSC Remnant state in the Outer Colonies. Formed in 2560, it disobeyed the directives of the United Earth Government in withdrawing all forces to the Inner Colonies in the aftermath of the Created Crisis, and openly ignored the 2651 Hartmann Plan's creation. As such, they operate independently from UEG command structure, however receive covert support in operations from both the United Nations Space Command and Office of Naval Intelligence. They have aligned themselves with the Commonwealth of New South Wales, a previously UEG-aligned protectorate that has become one of the Outer Colonies' stronger and more expeditionary regional powers. As a founding member of the Glasslands Defence Initiative, it assists in projecting the GDI's power and influence across the Outer Colonies.
== History ==
As the Created Crisis began in 2558, many sectors and systems of the United Earth Government found themselves isolated and alone in the wake of the devastating Guardian attacks. As such, it was considered ideal among many loyal UEG colonies that housed a significant UNSC presence to lay low, and slowly garner a capability to fight back when the Created would be at their weakest. One of these sectors was the Ectanus Sector, which lay on the border of the Inner and Outer Colonies. Originally centered around the Ectanus 45 System and the planet Chi Rho, the Created Crisis cut off the Outer Colony systems from the UNSC stronghold world, and many other Inner Colony planets. 
This caused the sector to divide, with the Outer Colonies' sector becoming the Ectanus Ring Command. Administered from the UNSC-governed military world of Gateway, the sector would grow to encompass twelve UNSC Outer Colony systems, containing 154 million people and many UNSC assets. Most notable of these was the UNSC 17th Fleet, which was in the Gateway System undergoing a refueling and replenishment operation in-system when the Created Crisis occurred. Due to their usual fleet base of Chi Rho becoming a crucial lynchpin in the Created's control of the Inner Colonies, the 17th Fleet had no hope of liberating the planet.
After two years of hiding and slowly but surely building strength, the Created collapsed with Cortana's death. Whilst pockets of Created still controlled several systems, by and large their reign had ended. With that, Gateway Command expected to rejoin the new, burgeoning UEG, however that was not to be. With the Created Crisis came the weakening of the UEG and UNSC to a state in which they couldn't effectively govern the Outer Colonies. As such, they began to concentrate all of their forces within the Inner Colonies. The 17th Fleet would be recalled to Chi Rho, however mechanical failures on several ships and the political maneuvering of Gateway's governor/military commander, Admiral George Hyde, meant that they would still be in the Gateway System when the 2561 Hartmann Plan was revealed and passed.
The Hartmann Plan was a piece of legislation proposed by UEG Representative Council member Angus Hartmann, which planned to withdraw the borders of the UEG to the Inner Colonies' leaving the Outer Colonies to fend for themselves. Fiercely opposed by the UNSC's overall commander Terrence Hood, upon voting the Hartmann Plan was passed through the UEGRC, 490 votes to 245. Upon learning of this, UNSC FLEETCOM dispatched a message to several UNSC stronghold worlds informing them of the decision, and alerting them to possible courses of action.
On Gateway, there was quite an uproar over the withdrawal, which wasn't entirely unfounded. However, the UEG quickly stepped in to ensure the civilians living in the bubble centered around Gateway that they weren't being abandoned, but rather given independence. The UNSC would guarantee continued, albeit indirect support to the new government on Gateway, in securing their borders, expanding the nation, and equipping its varied and as of-then unorganised military. 
This would become the status quo between the rest of the UEG and the Ectanus Command, as the now-entitled 'Hood Policy' is in full force, with not only Ectanus but also the Commonwealth of New South Wales and the Federation of Lanua. Due to this, Ectanus has become more powerful with the influx of UNSC equipment and supplies, allowing them to expand further into ex-UNSC territory and cooperate with other friendly powers in the region. In 2563, this cooperation would culminate in the signing of the Treaty of Cilicia and the Gateway Declaration, which would create the Glasslands Defence Initiative. 
This pact would ensure Ectanus involvement in not only the New Zanzibar Front, but also the Mamore Crisis, the Commune of Kropotkin's Red-Black Cultural Revolution, and even coming to blows with the Free Systems Pact in all manner of trade and spheres of influence. As the war-hawks of the GDI, they often disagree with the Commonwealth and Lanua's more-reserved approach to dealing with the FSP. As of 2568, the Ectanus Command is one of the many major powers in the UEG's ex-Outer Colonies. Governing a total of twenty three systems and 527 million people, it is a force to be reckoned with, with its seemingly-unending UNSC support and capable, experienced military. 
== Government ==
The administration of the Ectanus Command is that of a military junta. Whilst the domestic affairs of the nation itself are actually managed by the democratically-elected Gateway Territorial Parliament (made up of five representatives from each world in the nation), the foreign and military actions of the Ectanus Command are made by the UNSC Military Council, formed around the command staff of what was the UEG's Joint Military Executive Council, and the 17th Fleet's Senior Military Command. Led by Admiral George Hyde, the nominally-authoritarian government is quite lenient in its allowance of the Gateway Territorial Parliament to have an increasing say in the governance and direction of foreign affairs.
Admiral Hyde himself was the former commander of the Ectanus Command when it was a part of the UNSC, before the Created Crisis. As the leader of the independent Ectanus Command, he has displayed an impressive level of administrative skill, managing Ectanus' war effort in the Nexus War against the Wasteland Domain (a Banished fiefdom) with the Commonwealth of New South Wales' "Commonwealth Defence Organisation". Successfully orchestrating the combined effort that saw the Wasteland Domain's (and by extension Banished's) naval superiority in The Glasslands completely destroyed by the Ectanus-Commonwealth fleet, he was instrumental in the signing of the Treaty of Cilicia in 2568, formalising an end to the conventional conflict and making official the Ectanus Command's alliance with the Commonwealth.
== Territory ==
=== Gateway Core ===
The Gateway Core is the name given to the first three systems that were a part of the Ectanus Command, cooperating with each other during the Created Crisis to secure a free, democratic UNSC-governed nation. The Gateway, Lambda Ectanus and Ottawa Systems are the main core of the Ectanus Command, with 233 million citizens and a huge military presence. In these systems are six planets (Gateway, New Brisbane, Sapphire Cove, Lambda Ectanus III, New Ottawa and Haida Gwaii), with Gateway as the capital of the nation, and New Ottawa serving as the judicial and financial capital.
=== Inner Ectanus Ring ===
The Inner Ectanus Ring consists of eight systems, with a population total of 229 million people. The Inner Ring is governed from the planet of New Palermo, which was become the military capital of the Ectanus Command. Housing numerous shipyard facilities and drydocks, it is also a major recruiting world and industrial planet. The Inner Ring was the first expansion of the Ectanus Command, which began in the aftermath of the Hartmann Plan and the Created's collapse. The systems (New Palermo, Franconia, Psi Ectanus, Epsilon Ectanus, Theta Ectanus, Healy, Siracusa, and Ródos) contain fourteen habitable planets and moons. 
=== Outer Ectanus Ring ===
The Outer Ectanus Ring was an expansion in response to the outbreak of the Nexus War, and the Wasteland Domain's attack on an Ectanus outpost world. As the Ectanus Command joined the wider conflict, it sent out expeditions to bring in independent worlds into the fold to protect them, and expand their influence. Containing thirteen systems, eighteen worlds and 105 million people, it's more sparsely populated than the Inner Ring and Gateway Core. The economy of this region is mostly funded by military investment and mining, although several world have become a hub for tourism, and are expanding at an impressive rate. Namely, the Alpha Orionis and Daytona Systems have been growing financially and population-wise. 
== Military ==
Main article: Ectanus Military ForcesThe Ectanus Command's military is made up of UNSC formed within Ectanus Command's territory, or those that retreated from isolated worlds to the new structure offered by the EMF. This has been quite a sticking point between the two organisations, causing a divide as the UNSC still continues to fund and assist remnants of its organisation in the Outer Colonies. As such, the Ectanus Command has quite a large force of serving UNSC personnel. Most of the equipment used by the breakaway nation is standard UNSC materiel, however as of late small numbers of smallarms and vehicles produced by the Commonwealth have come into Ectanus Force use. The military has been engaged in several conflicts, such as local counter-insurgency operations against Insurrectionist groups, and large-scale military campaigns against Covenant remnants, the Banished, and independent rebel-aligned nations.
The main military force of the Ectanus Command is under the command of General Amy Hideyori, encompassing all ground and atmospheric assets. Her mandate contains a total of 13.2 million personnel, not including the entirely-separate Planetary Defence Force, which contributes to the Ectanus Command's defence of the Outer Core. The naval portion of the military is made up of 293 warships, separated into several different fleets and flotillas under the command Ectanus NAVCOM and Admiral Edgar Wilson. 
The Ectanus Command's defence industry has burgeoned in recent years, as per investment from the Territorial Parliament and funds funneled into the breakaway republic by the UNSC. As such, Gateway has become an industrial hub, capable of manufacturing capital ships and bulk freighters, whilst the surface facilities can produce anything from smallarms and uniforms to main battle tanks, space fighters and heavy recovery vehicles. There also exists a Commonwealth industrial presence in the nation, with the worlds of New Palermo and Lambda Ectanus III facilitating large factories from Sentinel Systems, Evelyn Arms and Federation Industries. 
== Relations ==
=== United Earth Government ===
=== United Nations Space Command ===
=== Commonwealth of New South Wales ===
=== The Banished ===
=== Swords of Sanghelios ===
=== Federation of Lanua ===