The Planetary Union

## Planetary Union

The largest and oldest galactic government, the **Planetary Union** seeks to establish its idealistic beliefs on every inhabited world. This is mostly done through peaceful coercion through sharing of trade routes, security, and open borders. The Union prides itself on democratic ideals and peaceful solutions. However, to detractors, the Union represents executive overreach, believing they seek to gentrify cultures across Andromeda. The Union's progressive laws, such as the acceptance of Human refugees, draws more criticism, enough for planets to secede and form the System of Independent Alien Planets. Despite lauding peace, the Union is not inexperienced in warfare, supporting the large-scale Sector Ranger Corps and Sector Infiltration Corps and having fought in numerous galactic wars. Even with fragile relations with outer sector planets and other galactic governments, the Union still has sizable support across the galaxy.

## Ideals

The Planetary Union is primarily a representative democracy, with the members of the legislative branch chosen directly by each appropriate member. The Union upholds democratic values and principles, ensuring that member planets have a voice in decision-making processes. It values representation and participation, allowing citizens and member planets to elect their representatives and contribute to the governance of the Union.

The Planetary Union strives to promote unity and cooperation among member planets, fostering a sense of shared purpose and collective progress. The Planetary Union prioritizes peaceful resolutions to conflicts, aiming to avoid violence and promote diplomatic negotiations. The Planetary Union demonstrates a commitment to humanitarian causes and provides support to member planets in times of need. It coordinates humanitarian efforts, disaster relief, and assistance programs to ensure the well-being and safety of individuals and communities across the Union. The Union aims to promote equal opportunities, access to resources, and the protection of basic rights for all individuals, regardless of their species, origin, or background.

The Planetary Union fosters progress and advancement in various aspects of society, including science, technology, education, and culture. It encourages innovation, research, and the sharing of knowledge to enhance the well-being and development of member planets. The Union celebrates and values the cultural diversity of its member planets, recognizing the richness and uniqueness of each civilization. It promotes cultural exchange, understanding, and respect, fostering a sense of appreciation for different traditions, languages, arts, and customs.

In practice, many of these values are not fully executed by the Union, with sections of the government prone to abuse or individualism. Corruption is also a common issue, especially with the growth of technological corporations. Many of these ideals, even when executed by the Union, may falter in quality or range.

## Structure

The primary government of the Planetary Union is a representative democracy. Member planets are expected to abide by Union legislation, along with contributions to government programs and funds. In return, the planet receives representation within the highest government levels, has open trade with other member planets, and receives benefits from Union programs such as mutual defense clauses or humanitarian support. These benefits and the comparatively low requirements make the Union popular among most planets. Citizens of the Union receive these same social programs, paid through taxation, and also gain representation through the process of voting. Each planet and species elect their respective representative, with the minister positions voted on by the lower councils. The Planetary Union government is based within the Government District of Exumasphere.

#### Executive Branch

The Ministers of the Union form the highest branch of the government. They are selected and promoted representatives who have served within the lower branches. The Ministers are responsible for overseeing specific sectors of the Union's federal facilities and addressing specialized issues. The Prime Minister, elected by Union citizens from a pool of candidates, leads the Ministers of the Union and holds a unique position of authority. The other ministerial positions, such as the Minister of Economics, Minister of Culture, Minister of Military, Minister of Science, and Minister of Expansion, are filled by the remaining candidates who did not become the Prime Minister, each selected by the Prime Minister. This is done to promote cross party collaborations between each minister; candidates not selected can elect to return to their prior positions or retire.

Each minister leads a team of experts, advisors, and administrators who assist in executing their respective responsibilities. They collaborate with the Planetary Parliament and the Council of Species to develop policies, propose legislation, and implement programs that align with the overall vision and values of the Planetary Union. Positions below the minister help administer the chosen policies across the Union: deputy ministers work closely with the minister in overseeing specific aspects of their assigned sector, undersecretaries are appointed by ministers to oversee smaller departments within a sector. To assist the minister and his deputy ministers, each branch also employs advisory boards and policy analysts, composed of leading experts from across the Union.

#### Legislative Branch

The legislative branch is formed of two representative bodies: the Planetary Parliament and the Council of Species. Despite the Ministers of the Union being the highest branch, they are effectively controlled by the other two branches. These two branches design and sign bills into law, through a lengthy legislative process. The Ministers enforce these laws within federal facilities through their designated staff.

###### The Planetary Parliament

The Planetary Parliament serves as the legislative body of the Union. It is composed of two representatives from each member world, ensuring that every member planet has an equal say in the decision-making process. Additionally, allied but non-member worlds also gain two generic representatives. Members of the Planetary Parliament propose, debate, and vote on bills and resolutions that shape the policies, laws, and regulations of the Union. They represent the interests and concerns of their respective planets, working collectively to address interstellar challenges, promote cooperation, and protect the rights of member planets and their citizens.

The Planetary Parliament also provides oversight onto the actions of the Ministers of the Union, ensuring that their decisions and policies align with the democratic principles and values of the Union. They can hold ministers accountable through inquiries, investigations, and votes of no confidence if deemed necessary. The Parliament acts as a forum for member planets to voice their perspectives, concerns, and proposals. They engage in debates, negotiations, and consensus-building to reach decisions that best serve the collective interests of the Union.

###### The Council of Species

The Council of Species represents the interests and concerns of various sentient species within the Union. It is composed of one representative from each formally recognized species, including those species primarily opposed to the Union but recognized as sapient by the government. The Council of Species focuses on addressing issues that pertain specifically to interspecies relations, cooperation, and understanding. They work to ensure that the rights and needs of all sentient species within the Union are respected, protected, and given due consideration in policymaking.

Representatives in the Council of Species bring their unique knowledge, expertise, and perspectives from their respective species to the forefront. They contribute to discussions and decision-making processes on matters that require specialized understanding, such as cultural practices, biological diversity, and species-specific concerns. The Council of Species serves as advocates for the rights, welfare, and equal treatment of all sentient species within the Union. They contribute to the formulation of policies that promote inclusivity, respect for diversity, and the preservation of unique species' characteristics and habitats.

##### Judicial Branch

The Union lacks a dedicated judicial branch of government. While the ministers do have some ways of enforcing law, primarily through the Sector Ranger Corps, sentencing and trials are left to each member world. As such, the rights granted to those arrested and the quality of judicial services ranges heavily. The Union still has an unofficial court system, through the SRC Home Guard. Crime related to the overall functioning of the Union is often delegated to the SRC, which remains connected through the office of the Minister of Military. The Union still offers a significant prison system, offering its usage to each member world; similarly, the prison system is managed by the SRC.

#### Military

###### Sector Ranger Corps

The Sector Ranger Corps (SRC) is the main military force of the Planetary Union, responsible for the defense and security of the Union and its member planets.

The SRC is divided into five main branches. These include the SRC Army, which handles ground forces; the SRC Air and Space Force, responsible for air and space operations; the SRC Marines, a versatile force capable of operating in various environments; the SRC Home Guard, focused on planetary defense and law enforcement; and the elite SRC Rangers, highly skilled commando units. Each branch of the SRC largely operates autonomously, although effective operations often require collaboration among them.

The SRC relies primarily on volunteers to fill its ranks. During times of peace, the size and scope of the branches other than the Home Guard and Rangers are reduced. In times of war, the SRC can expand massively through drafts initiated by the Minister of Military. SRC members are paid through taxes collected from Union civilians. The SRC accepts all recognized species, accommodating their needs and abilities. Less capable species may be assigned to support roles such as transportation or supply.

The SRC is under the control of the Minister of Military, who works closely with the Grand General of the Planetary Union and other generals of the SRC. The Minister of Military oversees the overall operations of the SRC, while the Grand General and other generals have authority during times of war. Major offensives require approval from the War Conference Committee and sometimes the Planetary Parliament and the Council of Species.

The SRC is primarily based on Exumasphere, with smaller bases and outposts located throughout the Andromeda galaxy. Each member planet of the Planetary Union has at least one large-scale SRC base. The Rangers have their own secluded outposts on populated worlds. The SRC also maintains subsects of the Planetary Union Yards and storage facilities on Vhose. Mobile space stations belonging to the SRC Air and Space Force and the SRC Home Guard can be found near major space ports and jump gate arrays. SRC presence can also be found in territories belonging to other governments, providing assistance to local military or law enforcement groups.

The Sector Ranger Corps plays a crucial role in the defense and security of the Planetary Union, ensuring the protection of its member planets and upholding the principles of peace and stability within the galaxy.

###### Sector Infiltration Corps

The Sector Infiltration Corps (SIC) acts as the primary intelligence division of the Planetary Union. Initially apart of the Sector Ranger Corps, the SIC was separated and expanded during the years of expansion by the Union. Though smaller than the SRC, the SIC still commands considerable presence and power within the Union, controlling a majority of the government's internal security and monitoring. During times of peace, the SIC handles local affairs, managing relations between Union member planets, and limiting criminal presence. During times of war, the SIC takes up a more offensive role, serving to counter espionage efforts from enemies and conducting their own espionage through infiltration and reconnaissance. They also act as a limited judicial and security force, tracking high profile criminals on the federal level and assisting the SRC Home Guard in conducting security raids, arrests, and general security measures at Union affiliated facilities.

While the SIC does not have access to as many resources as the SRC, they technically have priority in the field. In actuality, the two divisions work together heavily and fluidly: an SIC agent often has access to their small contingent of SRC members. The SIC works separately from military matters, working separately from any ministerial branch, though collaborating heavily with the Minister of Military, the Minister of Economics, and for higher profile matters, the Prime Minister.