Talarian Union

The Talarian Union is the primary state of the Q'Mau species, found immediately rimward of the Verdan Federation just outside the Vernarca Nebula. They are generally cordial with their neighbors, and have avoided direct conflict with other nations since the Tyran War despite remaining a member of the Yazera Pact.
== History ==
Unusual for mono-species nations such as this, the Talarian Union was not unified until long after the Q'Mau achieved warp travel. It was formed by the Talarian Acts of Union, a set of treaties which unified the states of the Alliance of Ishasi, the Arafel Congressional Republic, and the colonies at Chachin. The new Talarian Union promised to unify the Q'Mau at peace in the face of external threats like the often-belligerent Varbudian Union, which was expanding in Talar's direction at the time. 
The first Autarch, Sesinerra, was notably more warlike than many of her successors. The Varbudian Union and the other neighboring states tended to be too busy intimidating each other to focus on an all-out conflict with Talar. Luckily for everyone in the Union except her family, Sesinerra died in childbirth before she could goad the Varbudians or Verna into war, leaving her clan to raise her newborn triplets and leaving her nation at peace with its neighbors.
Sesinerra's successors were much better than her at the arts of peace, deftly guiding the newborn nation in the chaotic ocean of of interstellar politics. Unfortunately, affairs within the Union were not so nice. All but one of the next four Autarchs were assassinated by a variety of extremist factions who disliked the way they were steering the Union and often believed in xenophobic ideas of Q'Mau supremacy. After this, it became a running joke in society that the position of Autarch was somehow cursed, although the lack of evidence for an actual curse made this mostly ineffective in actual politics. The next three leaving without fanfare after medium-length terms dispelled the notion. 
In 1 BC, the states coreward of the Talarian Union coalesced into the Verdan Federation. This mostly removed the potential threat of the expanding Varbudian colonies by making it more difficult for that particular faction to start anything, but if anything was started it would have the full weight of the new Federation behind it. Luckily for everyone, both the Union and the Federation were assisting in the rebellions of the Tyran Empire, side-by-side with their old rivals. After the end of the war, the Union offered assistance to the newly independent nations.
During the time of peace following the war, the Talarian Union's culture changed little, with conservative leaders retaining power for much of that time. But with the Falacian Dominion's withdrawl from the Yazera Pact in 79 and the beginning of the Falacian Cold War, this external pressure on the nation's foreign policy decisions spread to the rest of society, causing progressive factions to gain favor among the general population. The brief but incredibly violent and brutal War of the Broken Bow fought after the discovery of the Szalana Wormhole intensified this, and today male Q'Mau are beginning to attain some measure of equality. 
== Government ==
The Talarian Union functions as an anocracy, loosely defined as part democracy and part dictatorship. The Union is led by an Autarch, which is elected by the Council of Worlds which is elected by the constituents of each member. The Union, while it allows opposition politics, means to redress grievances are incomplete as free speech and assembly are not enshrined in the constitution as rights. 
== Society & Culture ==
The Talarian political structure is a fairly rigid matriarchy, with male Q'Mau generally only trusted in the trades of violence like the Talarian military. Outside of that sphere, men are as a rule culturally, if not explicitly on a legal level, subordinate to women. Conflict plays an important role in Q'Mau culture, and behaviors found in soldiers are strongly encouraged in males. There has only ever been one male Autarch of the Talarian Union, by the name of Ansirranna, and he ironically presided over the most peaceful time in the Union's history.
=== Foreign Relations ===
As of the modern day, the Talarian Union has cordial relations with most of its neighbors. It was a founding member of the Yazera Pact during the Tyran War, and its forces helped the alliance defeat the Tyran Empire and liberate much of its conquered territories. It was generally more reticent to assist the population of the former empire after the Athos Supernova. a position agreed with by the Falacian Dominion. Of course, after the Krask Hegemony, and later the Republic of Avor and United Earen seceded from the Dominion, it quickly recognized them, which had a hand in the Dominion's departure from the Yazera Pact.
The Taum System is currently a point of contention with the Kaegan Anocracy, an intensely xenophobic nation rimward of the Union and the Federation. The Yazera Pact has promised to aid the Union if outright conflict breaks out over the region. 
== Astrography ==
The Talarian Union is a relatively small, but very densely packed nation, centered around the bright Talar System immediately rimward of the Verdan Federation. Also of note are the Merrilor and Koinon Systems, as well as Alera Asenis, which was once a point of dispute between the Union and the expanding Varbudian colonies before the founding of the Federation. 
=== Neighboring Powers ===
The Talarian Union has a fairly long border with the Verdan Federation towards the galactic core, which it has fairly good relations with. Towards the rim, there is the Kaegan Anocracy, an intensely xenophobic nation which has almost came to blows with the Union over disputes in the Taum System.
=== Capital ===
Mev'Dar, a small ocean moon, is the capital of the Talarian Union and homeworld of the Q'Mau. It can be found in the Talar System in a high orbit around the gas giant Ishasi, and its orbit is positively filled with habitation structures sometimes dating back to before the age of the Talarian Empire. The oceans of Mev'Dar have been inhabited by civilization for millennia, with great floating cities springing up and spreading across the waves over the centuries. Mev'Dar, beyond its geopolitical significance, is physically unique due to the presence of the submoon, Kiley, a rare occurrence that manifests when a moon exists in a stable orbit around another lunar body. 
=== Major Worlds ===
 	 	 	
 	Mev'Dar 	Chachin 	Arafel
 	 	 	
Location 	Talar System/Ishasi	Talar System	Koinon System
 	 	 	
 	 	 	
Population 	6.25 trillion 	7.3 trillion	5.6 trillion
 	 	 	
 	 	 	
Unique Attributes:	 	 	
Category:Minmus' Articles
Category:Great Powers
Category:Civilizations
Category:History