United Colonies of Mankind

The United Colonies of Mankind (UCM) is the human multi-planet federation founded in the wake of the Scourge invasion.

## History

### Foundation

The UCM's origins began with the coming of the Scourge. Though the Cradle Worlds and Earth itself were conquered all but immediately, the various colony worlds of humanity remained somehow unharmed. It is unclear if the Scourge knew of their locations, or if they simply chose to focus on the biggest prizes that humanity could offer; in either case however, the colonies found themselves as the only safe havens for fleeing humans. Faced with the looming threat of the Scourge following the refugee ships, colonial governors chose to reconfigure their foldspace nodes, preventing further humans from reaching safety, but cutting themselves off from the invaders as well.

In the early stages of the aftermath, the United Colonies of Mankind was formed as a multi-planet federation to help coordinate the rebuilding effort. Under its leadership, the colonies were built up from frontier worlds into sprawling civilisations - a task made easier by exploiting the vast material wealth of the colonies to their full. The looming threat of a Scourge invasion also encouraged the nascent superstate to become strongly militaristic

### Reconquest

After 160 years of development, the UCM has finally deemed the time right to take the fight to the Scourge. Early reconnaissance revealed that the majority of the Cradle Worlds' industries were still intact, and that - impossibly - there were still free humans living on the surface, somehow surviving against all odds. As a result, the High Council decided against a war of annihilation - humanity would not be the master of smoldering ruins. Instead, the war against the Scourge would be one of liberation, and was hence named the Reconquest.

Beginning on June 6th, 2670, the UCM launched the Reconquest, with their first offensive targeting the Cradle World of Eden Prime. In the three years that followed, the UCM have managed to reclaim two Cradle Worlds in their entirety, as well as launching a full-scale assault on Earth itself.

## Colonies

Though there are officially hundreds of worlds in the UCM, the majority of these colonies are nothing more than barren rocks upon which tiny outposts or mining facilities were built. A relatively small number of these planets are of central importance to the UCM and house the vast majority of its people, with the grandest of these being known as the Big Dozen. This dozen includes the capital world of Aurum, as well as the major industrial centers of Cuprum, Titania, and Ferrum; the bread baskets of Maganum and Aluminia; and the shipyard of Niccolum.

Though untouched for the majority of the UCM's existence, the colonies have recently come under attack by the Scourge, who seem to be striking opportunistically at whatever worlds they can find. It is unclear how the Scourge broke the UCM's foldspace node codes, but the prevailing theory from UCM analysts lays the blame at the feet of the Shaltari.

## Government and Politics

The UCM, broadly speaking, has two levels of government. The first of these is planetary, with each colony world being reasonably free to govern its own affairs. An elected assembly decides on the laws, practices, and institutions of the world it governs, and is chaired by a planetary governor.

The second level of government includes the UCM as a whole, and is currently based on Aurum. The majority of this assembly consists of the UCM Senate, with the number of senators per planet varying depending on population. Each planet sends at least one representative, who is generally chosen by the planetary council. The Senate ratifies and coordinates decisions that affect the UCM as a whole.

Major decisions are normally proposed by the UCM High Council, whose members are chosen from planets with populations of over 500 million. Many major industrialists and/or powerful businessmen hold honorary seats on the council as well, where they serve in an advisory capacity. While serving, members maintain their existing titles and gain the rank of High Councillor. Every eight years, the Council elects a President from among its ranks, with the current incumbent being President Helena Bellaque. Unlike the rest of the Council, whomever sits as president relinquishes all other existing positions to focus solely on the task of guiding humanity.

## Military

Despite its democratic underpinnings, the UCM is essentially a military state - many senior army and fleet offices automatically come with Senate seats, and the heads of the UCMA and UCMF hold permanent seats on the High Council. Military service is seen as paramount for the survival of mankind, and over 4.5% of the population has been mobilised - a higher percentage than any other time in history.

Most UCM citizens live austere and often harsh lives, with their labor serving as the lifeblood of the Reconquest. Though most have accepted this as a necessary evil to stave off the threat of the Scourge, the recent wave of conscription levied by the High Council has led to protests on Aurum.

### UCMA

The United Colonial Army, or UCMA, has the largest manpower reserves of any UCM armed branch, though comparative fewer material resources. The bulk of its fighting soldiers are concentrated in the Colonial Legions, each of which numbers around a million fighting men and women. Each Legion is typically drawn from a single world, with more populous colonies raising multiple Legions.

The Legions are supported by the Colonial Armoured Corps (CAC), which include all ground vehicle crews and support staff, as well as the Colonial Tank Battalions, and by the Army Air and Space Corps (AASC), which includes all dropships and gunship crews. The AASC in particular works closely with the UCMF, as they are the interface between the ground troops and ships in orbit.

The UCMA is commanded by Army Headquarters (AHQ), which is possibly the most influential military body in the UCM. Currently, AHQ is headed by Supreme Marshal Zachiev, who also maintains a permanent seat on the UCM High Council. AHQ also includes Army Intelligence, as well as the Military Science Division.

### UCMF

The United Colonies of Mankind Fleet, or UCMF, is the second largest UCM military body in manpower, though it has greater material resources than any other branch - indeed, shipbuilding is the single biggest drain on the UCM's resources. As starships are central to the success of the Reconquest, the UCM has deemed that there is no such thing as "too many ships" in this war, ensuring that the various shipyards are constantly in production. Most of these are built from the UCM colony of Niccolum, which also doubles as the location for Fleet Command due to the staggering scope of its orbital facilities.

The fleet itself consists of thousands of ships, ranging from the smallest lighter to the largest dreadnought. As of early 2672, the UCMF's roster included over 3500 vessels of frigate tonnage, over 900 cruisers, 86 battleships, 9 dreadnoughts, and 5 supercarriers, in addition to the support craft and supply haulers necessary to maintain such a force. A typical UCM frigate will have a crew of between 200 and 300 souls, a cruiser around 600, and a battleship frequently over a thousand. These estimates do not factor in launch compliment (such as ground troops or strike craft pilots), which means the destruction of even a single ship results in a catastrophic loss of life.