Llamanian Republic

The seal of the Llamanian Republic, depicting the Avatar of Lla.

The **Llamanian Republic** (**LR**), commonly known as **The Republic**, is a faction formed in 3018 in the wake of the Guilo Coup and the reformation of the Llamanian Empire. Unlike its predecessor, the Republic is focused on preservation and asylum, following the word of Lla in an altruistic light instead of a destructive one. It was founded by Llamanians and remains their primary faction of residence. It has no capital planet, and instead stations itself on the Llamanian Mothership. It is governed by Llaray Terrels.

## Overview

The Llamanian Republic stands out among other Lacteal factions through its incorporation of democratic practices. As the Milky Way’s ‘underdog’ faction, the Republic invests considerable resources into catering to the needs of each race in their jurisdiction. This is a strategic move to garner public support, a necessary endeavor as the Republic’s only competitors are gargantuan factions like the Galactic Union and ADE.

The Republic is predominantly focused on research and military development, of which they are the leading sole organization. The Llamanian Vanguard, an R&D-type division, and the Llamanian Armada, an army-type division, are two of the largest active directorates in the galaxy, accounting for nearly 30% of recognized scientific innovations since its inception. Perhaps the biggest strength of these divisions is how closely they work with one another; developments in one division are shared directly with the other, causing the Vanguard and the Armada to harmonize in a way unparalleled by other factions. The Vanguard benefits from the Armada’s advanced weapons, spacecraft, and communication systems; meanwhile, medical breakthroughs and scientific discoveries benefit the Armada.

The Republic is often criticized for leaving remnants of authoritarian structure. Many of the systems laid out by the Empire were either kept or merely adapted after the Coup. Despite this, the LR presents much clearer means of democracy than its competitors. In contrast to the GU’s elite council-based structure and the ADE’s lack thereof, the Llamanian Republic hosts representatives from every race and self-proclaimed population, although the influence of these representatives are a matter of debate. In any case, the Republic’s strong central government allows for decisive action and quick policy implementation.

The social developments of the Republic are particularly prominent with the Republic’s effort to preserve history, notably the ancient relations between Llamanians and Squoatlings. The LR maintains a few dozen “habitat islands”, which are large spacecrafts designed to nurture an endangered species whose home planet has been destroyed. The preservation efforts of the Republic extend so far that an entire compendium of historical data, dubbed the Llamanian Chronicle, is internally maintained. It is considered the largest single archive in the galaxy. Additionally, the Llamanian Republic has taken great strides to promote cultural exchange within its jurisdiction. While the majority of the population is made up of Llamanians (nearly 60%), the Republic seeks to integrate other species into its society, as well.

The Order of the Avatar of Lla is the state church of the Llamanian Republic, and it plays an integral role in Llamanian culture and governance. The church is led by the Llaman, the head priest who is considered to be the spiritual leader of the Llamanian people. The Llaman is responsible for interpreting the teachings of the church and providing guidance to the faithful. The influential history of the church on Llamanians means it still has considerable effect on Republic affairs. However, the Order does not have broad control over the Republic as it did over the Empire. The Order also promotes education and enlightenment, with many of its monasteries serving as centers of learning and scholarship.

## Structure

* High Command
	+ President of the Llamanian Republic
		- Deputy President
		- Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs
		- Cabinet Secretary for Defense
		- Cabinet Secretary for Commerce and Industry
	+ Supreme Commander, Llamanian Armada
		- Vice Admiral of Logistics
		- Vice Admiral of Strategy
		- Rear Admiral of Personnel Management
	+ Research Director, Llamanian Vanguard
		- Head of Biomedical Research
		- Head of Computing
		- Head of Quantum Engineering
	+ Cardinal Archivist, Llamanian Chronicle
		- Lead Archivist
		- Lead Verifier
		- Cataloger
	+ Llaman, the Order of the Avatar of Lla
		- High Cardinal
		- Master of Ceremonies
		- High Theologian
	+ Minister of Internal Affairs
		- Director of Law Enforcement
		- Director of Public Safety
		- Director of Immigration and Naturalization

The Llamanian Republic is a stable and well-organized government with a hierarchical structure that emphasizes loyalty and dedication to the state. At the top of the hierarchy is the Llamanian High Command, which serves as the ultimate authority in all matters of state. The Command acts as the Republic’s executive, making the final decision on legislature and other matters of government.

The High Command is composed of several high-ranking Llamanian officials, including the Supreme Commander, the Chief Scientist, and the Minister of Internal Affairs. The Supreme Commander is responsible for overseeing the Llamanian Armada and ensuring the Republic's military readiness. The Chief Scientist leads the Llamanian Vanguard, and is responsible for driving scientific innovations. The Cardinal Archivist supervises the Llamanian Chronicle. The Llaman is, of course, the head of the Republic state church, and is the figurehead and spiritual leader of Llamanian religion. Finally, the Minister of Internal Affairs oversees the Republic's internal affairs and is responsible for maintaining law and order.

In addition, in order to maintain a sense of democratic legitimacy, the Republic allows one representative per nation per species under Llamanian jurisdiction to have a direct channel to the High Command. These representatives are chosen by their respective nations or species, and are responsible for conveying the needs and desires of their people to the government.

To facilitate this system, the Republic maintains a vast network of communication channels, which allow representatives to communicate with the High Command no matter where they are in the galaxy. In addition, the Republic provides resources and support to help representatives carry out their duties effectively, including specialized training programs, access to the latest technological innovations, and dedicated staff to assist with logistics and administration. Regardless of how they are chosen, however, all representatives are held to high standards of professionalism and accountability, and are subject to regular review and evaluation.

## History

A unified government for the Llamanian race has its origins as early as the first millennium. Due to the zealous nature of Llamanian culture and religion, soon after becoming a spacefaring species, their influence and authority grew rapidly. The early Llamanian government formed peace treaties with many species, notably the Squoatling race of Vortox-56. In 2548 GUY, the Llamanian Empire was officially established with military power as the primary focus. The Empire pushed its goals with determination, often resorting to violent means to achieve them.

In 3009 GUY, the Llaman declared war against the Squoatlings, ultimately resulting in the Purgation of Vortox and the extinction of the Squoatling race. The brutal nature of this attack led to doubts being sown into the minds of many Llamanians, who questioned the Empire's rapid legislative changes and its balance within the Galactic Union. These concerns ultimately culminated in the Guilo Coup in late 3017 GUY. The Llamanian Empire was dissolved in 3018 and was succeeded by the Llamanian Republic.

The Llamanian Republic spent its infancy establishing democratic governance across its full reach, attempting to build bridges where they had been burned. Llaray Terrels, a former diplomat, was elected to be the Llaman. However, the Llamancy had a reputation for being a dictatorial role, and Terrels wanted to avoid this connotation. As a result, “Llaman” simply became an honorary title for the high priest.

With a new altruistic-leaning government in place, Terrels’ first goal was to right the Empire’s wrongs. He quickly sent out the order to track down the last known Squoatling, Emmett Tawfeek, in an attempt to facilitate peace between them. The newly-named Preservation Project put the de-extinction of the Squoatling race as its top priority, and as such, began to seek out Tawfeek relentlessly. Due to his past violent encounters with the Llamanian Empire, this outreach was mistaken as hostility, and after Tawfeek’s crew attacked the Llamanian Mothership in 3020 GUY, he went into hiding.

In late 3020 GUY, the Llamanian Armada launched an undercover intelligence operation to give them the upper hand against the GU. This operation, codenamed “Operation Final Pummel,” involved using the Vortox Pummelers, a group of world-class bounty hunters, as a strike team against the GU’s RSJENO intelligence base. On 10-22, 3020 GUY, the Republic successfully seized control of the base, kickstarting the Llamanian War.

The war between the Republic and the Galactic Union put a considerable strain on the Republic’s resources. On the GU’s side, it was mostly a war of attrition. Due to the massive scale of the Union, and its unseen control by the Blacks, the Llamanian war effort was mostly futile. However, in early 3024, rumors spread about a powerful “artifact” within Republic jurisdiction, and the Armada was quick to take advantage. In Semester 5, the Armada began sending out applications for a special operation to recover the artifact, codenamed “Operation Event Horizon.” Under the direction of Commander Llashii, the Event Horizon crew managed to secure the artifact.

The semesters following the success of Event Horizon was no short of hectic. The Republic’s R&D division worked ceaselessly to develop a strategic use for the artifact, and through their findings they discovered a way to resurrect individuals that had recently deceased—in the Armada’s case, soldiers. The sheer power of these findings made quick work of the relatively few armies the GU had assigned to handle Republic attacks.

In late 3024, the Galactic Union and the Llamanian Republic signed a peace treaty. The Republic’s land jurisdiction, which was significantly larger than their pre-war claim, was officially recognized by both the Galactic Union and the ADE, making the Llamanian Republic an official faction.