Glasslands Defence Initiative

The Glasslands Defence Initiative is a defensive military alliance made up of several nations located in the Outer Colonies. Founded in 2563 to provide mutual assistance in case of conflict for member states, the GDI was formed at the behest of three of the Outer Colonies' largest regional powers: the Commonwealth of New South Wales, the Ectanus Command, and the Federation of Lanua. With a combined military command structure and its headquarters at Ectanus' capital planet of Gateway, the GDI poses a serious threat towards any aggressive behaviour from Covenant remnant groups, the numerous rebel organisations such as the United Rebel Front, and the newly-formed Free Systems Pact, led by the Theban Commonwealth.
== History ==
The leadup to the founding of the GDI was mired in conflict. The New Zanzibar Front, a conflict that drew in both the Ectanus Command and Lanua into the war fought between the Commonwealth and the Kropotkin-backed rebels on New Zanzibar, was reaching new heights. The Commonwealth was stretched thin, with its army and navy attempting to garrison and expand the borders of the Commonwealth whilst also waging a protracted counter-insurgency on New Zanzibar. Whilst improving relations with both Lanua and Ectanus was helping, no real change would occur until April 2563. 
Meeting in April, the Commonwealth, Ectanus and Lanua would meet at the Commonwealth's new territory of Cilicia, for joint defence talks. These meetings would culminate in the signing of the Treaty of Cilicia, which would lay the groundwork for the conference on Gateway held in August of the same year. 
The concerns born from potential conflict with the FSP and the Theban Commonwealth would lead to the Gateway Conference being organised, where delegations from the Commonwealth, Ectanus, Lanua and the New Zanzibar Freedom Front would meet to discuss military and economic partnerships. After a week-long meeting, the four nations' leaders would announce in a joint press conference the Glasslands Defence Initiative, a defensive military alliance organised around protecting democratic nations in the Outer Colonies. The three major nations would form the alliance itself, with the New Zanzibar Exiles granted Observer status due to their situation. Signed into existence on the 11th of August 2563, the GDI would send shockwaves throughout the Outer Colonies. However, the location most keenly-affected by the news was the FSP and Thebes.
Whilst having a strained yet cordial relationship with the Commonwealth, Thebes was not prepared for the news of the GDI's foundation. Other more zealous and aggressive members of the FSP, such as the Commune of Kropotkin, decried the creation as imperialism and colonial expansion, given both Ectanus' and the Commonwealth's history of aggressive expansion into the Outer Colonies. In response, the GDI released a formal declaration offering the chance of membership to all other nations wishing to do so. The two system-states of the Free State of Malik and the Autonomous Republic of Skye would submit membership applications, with the two nations joining the alliance in February 2564. Their acceptance would be followed the application of the Dakar Union a week later, which was accepted into the GDI in July.
== Structure ==
With five member states fully operational within the GDI, and a total manpower count of almost 38 million active personnel, the GDI is one of the largest military alliances in the Outer Colonies. Whilst each member maintains their military as an independent force, units from across the GDI are often integrated into unified commands. The alliance's chief command centre, at the New Stockholm Command Zone on Gateway, contains officers from each branch of the five national militaries. Led by the GDI Secretary General, the command staff in peacetime has authority over the GDI Peacekeeping Force (a multinational force of units contributed by each nation to assist in nation-building and peacekeeping) and GDI-wide exercises, however in wartime has the ability to act as the complete authority on troop dispositions and operations committed to by the GDI.
The GDI also maintains control over smaller organisational commands across the GDI's territory. On the planet of Pine Gap, the Forerunner Nexus World run by the New South Wales Military Authority, all military forces on and surrounding the planet are commanded by the GDI's Unified Forerunner Command (UFC), and made up of a combined Commonwealth-Ectanus-Lanuan force. Other multi-national commands, such as the Preston Cole Research Facility and the elusive Alpha Librae Facility, are also run by the GDI.
== Membership ==
=== Full Members ===
* Commonwealth of New South Wales (Founding member)
* Ectanus Command (Founding member)
* Federation of Lanua (Founding member)
* Free State of Malik (Joined 2564)
* Autonomous Republic of Skye (Joined 2564)
* Dakar Union (Joined 2564)
=== Observer States ===
* New Zanzibar Government-in-Exile (Joined 2563)
* Unified Earth Government (Joined 2564)
* Republic of Valhalla (Joined 2566)