Algan Republic

The Algan Republic was the first alien nation encountered by the GTU, and the two would become fierce rivals in their first centuries in the stars. A unique form of direct democracy, it was named after its founder, Algan Parvanu, a great statesman and diplomat who was instrumental in uniting the disparate nations of Nimerium, the homeworld of the Polenian species. They emerged as a major force in the galactic north following their discovery of an abandoned Tyrum corvette in their home system in the year 2097 CE. As a member of the Beneficial Compact, the Algan Republic could call on a much larger military force than it could support on its own. In the late 23rd century the Republic annexed Skiron, homeworld of the United Clans of Skiron. After the Terran-Compact War, the Republic was completely replaced by the Union of Nimerium as a loyal Terran Protectorate.

## History

### First Contact with humanity

In early 2208, the TSU Discovery, under the command of future High Marshal Lee Martin, was surveying the Rym star system as part of the GTU's initiative to map the hyperlane network within the Orion Arm and evaluate star systems therein for potential research and mining operations. On the 22nd of March, Martin reported that his crew had positively identified an alien vessel exiting hyperspace due galactic east from Rym. This was humanity's first encounter with a spacefaring intelligence after the First Contact War over a century earlier. While many aboard the Discovery insisted either upon fleeing or attempting some sort of offensive action, Martin executed his standing orders to survey the system and continued following April Protocol to the letter, transmitting universal mathematical and physical constants while gathering substantial data on the craft's composition and capabilities.

When orders arrived from Earth to vacate the system if any threat was detected, Martin reaffirmed that the ship was no more capable of attacking him as he was it. When compared with intel gathered during the War, the vessel bore no resemblance to anything in Terran records beyond the distinct signature of a hyperdrive. Because of this, they were given the official designation "Xray Alpha Two," though officials began to informally refer to them as "Alpha Menace." Aside from its deflector array and basic hull reinforcements, it was completely unsuited to combat. Regardless, the Terran Home Fleet was deployed from Sirius to supplement the Discovery. During the intervening travel time, the National Council debated their first move. Terran warships were just outside of firing range when they received orders to stand down and instead tail the vessel. This early precedent of neutral action would define Union foreign policy for the remainder of its history.

The Republic was the first to breach the language barrier, transmitting a basic greeting in several human languages from their First Speaker on March 2nd, 2209. Although they now had the means of responding in a Polenian language, Natasha Fox gave the GTU's greeting in the same human languages they'd been greeted with, along with dozens of others. Modified scanning methods tuned to Algan hyperspace transmissions revealed they were commensurate to the GTU in size and economic potential, but had a society based around the pursuit of scientific knowledge which had already earned them various technological advantages over the Union.

### Trivia

* The Algan Republic was one of the player submitted empires submitted to a contest held by the Templin Institute.
* Because the Algan was populated mainly by a plantoid race, the GTU gained a long runnning distrust of plantoid races.