Galactic Coalition

The emblem of the Coalition

Overview

The Galactic Coalition, colloquially known as the Coalition, is well known as the very first human space empire and was the major galactic representative of humanity before the Succession War. Their home system is the Solar System, or Sol for short. The Coalition began as a unification of the many different governments of Earth, but lost a majority of their exoplanet colonies as a result of a stalemate with the Federatsiya Feniksa, having had no choice but to sign a temporary truce after the destructive conflict.

General

Capital: Earth, New York City

Leader: Secretary-General Cormac Reade

Demonym: Solarian, Coalitionist

Official Language(s): None

Population: 93.4 billion

The Succession War

The Galactic Coalition was an agreement borne out of necessity. Much like the Outer Space Treaty from 1967, humanity's constant technological advances forced the governments of Earth to grapple with the fact that space exploration and the colonization of planets in the Sol system was now within their reach. For many, being a signatory to the proposed Coalition Act would insulate them from the dangerous prospects of attacks from outer space, and would allow smaller nations to benefit from the larger economies and resources that the world powers had.

By this time, humans had begun to colonize Mars and construct space stations and shipyards. A humanity-focused galactic government was seen as the best possible course of action and eventually, though not without much consternation, the Coalition Act was ratified, uniting Earthen governments under the banner of the Galactic Coalition. With the combined research power of hundreds of thousands of talented scientists, engineers, and researchers, humanity collectively turned its attention towards what lie beyond the local Sol cluster.

Eventually, the biggest breakthrough for the Coalition came in the form of the discovery of Phantom Energy Fuel, otherwise known as W-1. This allowed ships to travel at speeds Faster than Light, finally allowing humanity to explore beyond the boundaries of their home cluster at a reasonable pace, without being incredibly expensive. With resources on Earth dwindling and the future of the human race looking bleak, the Coalition undertook aggressive expansion in an effort to hastily colonize as many habitable exoplanets as they could, thanks to their burgeoning empire being as hungry as ever for raw resources.

However, the Coalition struggled to provide for these colonies. They had expanded too fast and too aggressively to be able to properly equip and supply all of their holdings. It didn't help that for many colonists, Earth felt so very far and away and so very out of touch with their needs. Inevitably, discontent with the Coalition's lack of support and the meddling of rebel cells incited a catastrophic conflict that resulted in the Coalition fracturing in two, giving rise to a new sovereign entity: The Federation.

Post War

As a result of the deployment of the Federation's super-weapon, the FFS Fialetivvy, the Coalition suffered heavy casualties. The weapon misfired, inflicting losses on both powers - but the losses the Coalition felt were twofold. Many of their military officers and servicemen had mutinied and joined the rebellion, leaving its once powerful navy fractured and understaffed. Multiple ships were damaged and required repairs or retrofits, but the Coalition had also had to give up several of its colonial holdings to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Federation, depriving them of vital resources for rebuilding.

The Coalition government was not naive; they knew that the Federation would use this fragile truce to rebuild and prepare for another conflict. The two galactic powers engaged in a dangerous spy game, sneaking their agents through the demilitarized zone in an attempt to one-up the other. While Earth had been mostly stripped of its vital resources, some colonies remained in Coalition hands. Equally, the much more lax open trade agreements the Coalition had signed with other galactic powers brought them cheap materials to begin rebuilding their fleets and strengthen their hold on what territory remained.

For many citizens, the Federation is a sore topic. They are viewed as illegitimate rebels, and there are strong opinions about re-incorporating the Federation under the rightful government. Most Coalition citizens do not consider the Federation to be a legitimate entity - more of a rebellious state that must be brought back in line. This patriotism pervades many levels of Coalition society, though neither power is in a state to resume hostilities. Thus, tensions remain as high as ever, and the inevitability of another clashing of the titans is obvious to the galaxy at large.

Demographics

As the premier government of humanity, it stands to reason the majority of their population consists of humans. However, the Coalition has maintained open borders with their galactic allies for a long period of time, allowing alien species to easily integrate into Coalition society without much fanfare. Long-standing Earthen culture has shifted and changed over the centuries, with holdings such as Mars having their own distinct values and culture from Earth itself.

Many consider the Coalition to be a liberal entity. While some humans may harbor anti-xeno sentiments, the vast majority of Coalition citizens are not particularly bothered by them. In contrast to the more conservative, strict views of the Federation, qualities such as intelligence and creativity are emphasized. This, however, does have its drawbacks; pseudo-intellectualism is an obvious problem amidst the upper echelon of Coalition society, and to the unbiased onlooker, the average Federation employee does appear to be more motivated to work hard than a Coalition colonist. If you ask one yourself, though, they'll tell you the key is to work smarter, not harder.

Politics

The Galactic Coalition is a representative democracy which consists of elected representatives from the major blocs on Earth, as well as the remaining major colonial sectors. Referendums are held in every country or colony as necessary, appointing delegates to the Galactic Assembly. These delegates, in turn, elevate an individual to the office of the Secretary-General of the Galactic Coalition. This process ensures equal representation and does not preclude aliens from election, so long as they are citizens of the Coalition.

Generally, supporters of more liberal policies like free markets or social safety nets tend to make up the majority and as a result government policy and filings reflect this. Any new bills or changes to existing laws, however, must be written to adhere to the Concord. This document was created and ratified after the founding of several of humanity's first colonies, reasserting the basic sentient rights that all residents within the Coalition's borders are entitled to.

As a result of the Succession War, the Coalition does not have open trade or open borders with the Federation. However, they do permit passage into the White Belt administrative zone, allowing trade and people to move as freely as necessary. However, much like the Federation, there is significant irritation in the General Assembly at a perceived lack of security on the part of the White Belt, who they feel allow spies and dissidents to enter their territory far too easily.

Military

The Coalition's military is mainly comprised of their Intergalactic Fleet and associated Marine Corps Division. At one time, the Coalition was known to have the largest navy in the universe, but after the losses inflicted as a result of the Succession War and the loss of many of their veteran officers to the rebellion, it is a shadow of its former self. Slowly, though, the Intergalactic Fleet has been recovering. After all, it stands as the greatest deterrent against Federation aggression, and the Coalition has sunk thousands of hours and plenty of men into rebuilding their navy with the end goal to restore it to its pre-War prestige.

As a subdivision of their Intergalactic Fleet, the Coalition employs the usage of the Local Fleets for domestic patrols, anti-piracy measures, tracking illegal trafficking or detaining and impounding unlicensed Federation vessels. The Local Fleets act as police forces within the borders of the systems they are assigned to, and generally consists of lighter vessels than the Intergalactic Fleet, designed primarily for prisoner transport or ship-to-ship combat instead of open military warfare. These vessels are lightly armored and carry a smaller contingent of EVA-capable officers who are empowered by local governments to effectively police their assigned systems.

Economics

The Galactic Coalition is the largest economic superpower in the known universe; their rapid consumption of resources necessitated aggressive expansion, giving them more territory than most other alien powers. The Coalition had great luck and success in surveying and colonizing profitable worlds, enabling the exporting of heavy metals, food, minerals, and other valuable commodities. The War, however, severely dampened the momentum of the Coalition's expansion, forcing it to focus inward for the time being. That said, many of the colonies left in Coalition space are still rich with resources, supplementing the need to continue stripping Earth for what little it had left to give.

Unlike the Federation, free trade and an open market are core tenants of the Coalition's economic policies and society at large; it needs to both import and export a large amount of resources, and savvy businessmen turned politicians play the Galactic Market like a fiddle, ensuring a strong flow of money into the government's coffers. Many smaller entities have come to rely on the Coalition as a trading partner, thereby shackling their economy to the Coalition's. This would make any aggression on their part a self-destructive maneuver, as to lose trade with the Coalition would be to destroy their only source of supplies and income.