Terran Commonwealth

**Military/scientific/exploratory**

United Nations Space Command

The Terran Commonwealth is the central government of humanity and is responsible for the administration of Earth and its colonies throughout a portion of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. It encompasses the Terran Armed Forced (TAF), the Orion Congress, and other government-affiliated organisations like the Terran National Intelligence Agency (TNIA), the Colonial Administration Authority (CAA), and the Coalition of Corporations (COC). They also host a secretive organisation known as "Section 42", known unofficially by its members as the Black Fortress, an organisation designed specifically to investigate the mysterious phenomena called "magic".

## History

### **Origins**

Prior to its supranational formation in 2103, human society had fallen into complete anarchy as the remaining world governments attempted to repair the damages they had inflicted during World War III. However, the end of the war marked a pivotal moment in human history as humanity sought to claim the stars as their own. A joint operation was launched by various nations to colonise the other planets in the solar system as a way to ensure that—if Earth falls into anarchy—humanity will continue to live on. By the dawn of the 22nd century, humanity had successfully colonised Mars, Venus, and other extraterrestrial bodies.

However, just when humanity had begun to unify under a common goal, tensions begin to rise between Earth and its colonies which ultimately culminated in the Interplanetary Wars. Two terrorist groups emerged during this period: The neo-communist Koslovics and neo-fascist Frieudians. Countless lives were lost as the United Nations attempted to eliminate the terrorists, but by 2142, the remaining members of both factions were forced to capitulate. A treaty was signed on Mars that saw the surrender of all Koslovic and Frieudian forces to the United Nations. Additionally, it also states that the United Nations is to be reorganised into the Terran Commonwealth. This treaty was dubbed the Treaty of Mars.

### **Domus Diaspora**

After the unification of Sol under the Commonwealth, humanity experienced a boom in scientific advances in every field imaginable. New technologies were produced: Terran life-expectancy increased threefold, all known diseases were cured, and new weapons of war were developed so as to maintain the loyalty of Earth's colonies. However, one of the most important technological discoveries in human history was the invention of the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine in 2205, allowing humanity to travel to distant stars via slipstream. Hundreds of ships were launched to the inky depths of space as Terrans expanded throughout a significant portion of the Orion Arm.

By the end of the 24th century, Terrans had colonised a total of a thousand worlds.

### **Present**

The Terran Commonwealth, despite its pride over its utopian ideals, is in a peculiar state. There has never been a time in Terran history as peaceful as the Domus period, but one does not need to be a scientist to observe the flaws practiced by the Terran government. Its overemphasis on expansion means that neither central government and the CAA have the means to fully monitor the situation on all of their colonies. The colonies located in the outskirts of the Commonwealth's borders, referred to as the Outer Worlds, are often riddled with poverty, famine, and disease. Due to the lack of a strong military presence in the sector, most outer world governments have adapted the usage of a personal, planetary armed force. On some worlds, military service is considered to be the highest form of achievement a citizen can get. A main source of tension between the Commonwealth and the various outer world governments is the former's clear bias towards the core worlds. These worlds are densely populated and rely heavily on resources exported by the outer colonies.

## Government

The Terran Commonwealth functions as a representative democracy. It is headed by the President of the Commonwealth. Nevertheless, the President cannot operate without the assistance of their cabinet who help the president oversee the day-to-day functions of the Commonwealth. This is the executive branch—one of three governmental branches that maintain Earth's grip over its colonies. The second branch is the Orion Congress, which serves as the Commonwealth's legislative branch. Laws are born and killed in this branch. Essentially, they hold more power than the President does in his own branch. If the President wishes to pass a law, he must have it go through congress, wherein they will decide whether to implement the law or not. Finally, there is the Tribunal—the judicial branch of the Commonwealth.

These three branches work harmoniously with one another so that their Commonwealth can continue to persist.

### **Political Parties**

#### *Core Party*

The Core Party believes that a more conservative approach should be taken when running the Commonwealth. They advocate for tighter controls over the outer rim colonies and the complete eradication of all insurgent activities in the Commonwealth. They also believe that the Commonwealth economy should have fewer controls as they believe that it could offer the outer colonies an incentive to better themselves so that they may rip the benefits of a laissez-faire economy. Additionally, they also believe that worker unions have no place in the Commonwealth and that they should be abolished. Furthermore, they also believe that the military should take a more active role in the affairs of the government since the UNSC has proven itself to be the single most unifying entity in the Commonwealth, second to the role of the Presidency.

* *Conservative.*
* *Tighter controls over the outer rim.*
* *Laissez-faire economy.*
* *Greater authority for the TAF.*
* *Heightened military presence.*
* *Anti-insurgents.*
* *Anti-communist.*

#### *Labour Party*

The Labour Party takes a more liberal stance on how they believe they should run the government. They advocate for further decentralisation so that the outer colonies can act semi-autonomously under the direct supervision of the Commonwealth. This, in turn, will improve the Commonwealth's reputation in the outer rim as the people would no longer see them as a domineering force that permeated their everyday lives. Furthermore, they also believe in regulating the market—in particular towards large corporations like SinoViet Heavy Industries—by implementing new policies that would empower the worker. They also wish to permit the formation of worker unions in companies. In addition, while they condone the actions of the Insurrectionist movements, members of the labour party also believe in the importance of having an open-mind towards new ideas. Finally, they also believe that the TAF's power should be significantly reduced as the military branch has shown itself to be a potential rival to the government.

* *Progressive.*
* *Loose control over the outer rim.*
* *Regulated economy.*
* *Less authority for the UNSC.*
* *Decreased military presence.*
* *Anti-insurgents.*
* *Open to the ideals of socialism.*

## Territory

The Commonwealth is a massive astropolitical entity, consisting of more than a thousand worlds, whilst maintaining a domain that spans 3,000 lightyears across. The Commonwealth is divided into four sectors, though the use of sectors means very little in the grander scale of things. Instead, the Commonwealth is divided into twenty states, with each state being represented in the Orion Congress by a representative. One state is typically 150 lightyears across, but the size does vary.

There are a total of twenty states in the Commonwealth. Details are listed down below:

## Military

The Terran Commonwealth cannot function accordingly without the assistance of its military. The United Nations Space Command (UNSC) has served the Terran Commonwealth since its foundation and, as such, it is considered to be a government branch. In times of crisis, like the Insurrectionist Wars, the President of the Terran Commonwealth can pass an emergency bill which states that the UNSC can have access to all Commonwealth assets until the crisis is declared over by the President.

The UNSC is divided into four distinct branches. This decision was made centuries ago during the Domus Diaspora so as to promote the concept of decentralisation throughout the UNSC military. The branches are as follow: the UNSC Navy (UNN), the UNSC Armed Forces (UNAF), the UNSC Special Forces Contingent (UNSFC), and the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI).