Rokhandan Directorate

The emblem of the Rokhandian Directorate

Overview

The Rokhandian Directorate is a galactic empire with technological capabilities far beyond what humans have achieved thus far. The Directorate is known as one of the oldest and most technologically advanced societies in the galaxy, far surpassing other races in their ability to harness W-1 and in their researching of the Rifts. However, because of their intense focus on the sciences and their slow expansion speed, the Directorate is dwarfed in size by the much larger Coalition and Federation. Nevertheless, the Rokhandian Directorate is well respected by other galactic entities, and though their territory may not be as expansive as other empires, they more than make up for it with their advanced military.

General

Capital: The Protogen Arcology, Fen

Leader: Director Eris Qadir

Demonym: Fenian

Official Language(s): Rokhandian

Population: 42.1 billion

Galactic History

The Rokhandian home world of Fen is an arid, dry planet, covered in expansive savannas and rocky mesas. While not as overbearingly hot as other desert worlds, the lack of massive bodies of surface water meant that very few species ultimately survived during the planet's formative years. The Rokhandians were an intrepid race, able to quickly grasp new technology with ease. An early development in irrigation and well construction helped them thrive on their dry home-world, and it was through these advances in technology that a culture focused around curiosity and intelligence sprouted. A certain level of pride came from being seen as forward thinking, and if your accomplishments directly helped your tribe, you were showered with gifts and attention. Tribe elders were typically the most experienced researchers or scientists, and their pushing helped continuously nudge the species towards the lofty goal of higher learning.

Over time, when these tribes became too populous to continue their nomadic lifestyle they settled down, leading to the rise of large cities. Tribe elders convened councils to discuss issues that their entire species faced; these meetings were the precursor to modern day Rokhandian society, where the political structure is heavily reliant on large think tank corporations and science divisions oversee the day-to-day lives of typical Rokhandians. Education became a State-run investment, ensuring that budding chemists, biologists, and researchers from all over the planet would receive the best schooling the Rokhandians could successfully muster. As a result of the harsher conditions of Fen and their early history, the Rokhandians went through great effort to see that the State provided for these young scientists in the hope that they would, in turn, apply their intelligence for the betterment of their entire species.

The Directorate was the first galactic empire to come into contact with the Galactic Coalition. At that time in their history, neither species had encountered an alien civilization before. It was through Rokhandian ingenuity that the development of a universal translator helped them communicate with humanity and eventually become a galactic standard. Almost all universal translators in use in the modern era are derived from this prototype, showing just how prevalent Rokhandian technology is outside of their territory.

Demographics

A majority of the empire's population unsurprisingly consists of Rokhandians, but there are quite a few human immigrants that are native to the region. Some human lineages can be traced back to the First Contact era. The Directorate maintains an open immigration policy and is widely known for its high standards of living. Everyday life in the Directorate is much different than some might be used to, owing to the advanced technology designed expressly to make home life as easy as possible. As such, it is an attractive destination for tourists and immigrants; equally, the Directorate's openness led to many bits of human culture to root themselves in Rokhandian life. Everything from sushi to blue jeans were imported and experimented with, much to the amusement of some humans.

There are, of course, smaller communities of other aliens, and they are typically not treated any different from normal Rokhandians. The Directorate, by nature, is as forward thinking as possible and always keeps the best interest of the Rokhandian species in mind. Integration with other galactic entities is not antithetical to this goal, as their curiosity in what other species have to offer them far outweighs any perceived risks.

Politics

The Directorate is a government structure comprised of an elected ruling class of scientists and bureaucrats. The typical citizen does not vote, however; this privilege is instead afforded to many of the large think tank corporations that exist on Fen and in the surrounding space. These scientists are trusted to cast their votes with the empire's overall longevity in mind. Anyone can technically qualify as a nominee, though most individuals lifted to the rank of Councilor are wizened, storied researchers; the more accomplishments, peer reviewed papers or technological contributions you are famous for, the easier it is to win that nomination. Each sector of Fen and its colonies sends an individual to the Council, and the Council in turn elects a Director to oversee all facets of government and research. The two are irrevocably entwined.

During the Succession War, the Directorate chose to remain as neutral as possible, to both equally avoid conflict and not anger their largest trading partner by potentially choosing the 'wrong' side. Ultimately, though, when the Federation deployed their super-weapon and its misfiring lead to catastrophic consequences, the Council was realistically left with no choice but to ally with the Coalition. The fear of the Federation's irresponsible use of such destructive technology prompted this choice, and the Coalition benefits greatly from its scientific-minded neighbor.

The rest of the galaxy at large maintains cordial diplomacy with the Directorate. Rokhandian scientists are well respected by their peers and the openness of Rokhandian society means that they willingly tribute to the efforts of other species, though obviously ties with the Federation are practically non-existent. This means that most galactic empires allied with the Federation are given the cold shoulder by the Directorate for fear of any research making its way back to the Commander and his science teams.

Military

As one of the first spacefaring species, many would assume the Rokhandians maintain a large fleet. This is, however, not the case. While the Coalition and the Federation might have a larger military contingent, the ships of the Directorate are much more advanced, equipped with electronic warfare suites and EMP-based weaponry far beyond what other races have developed. As a result, the focus of the Directorate's navy is quality over quantity. Officially known as the Expeditionary Fleet, many vessels are deployed into the unknown regions to survey and research what lies beyond established space. Most of the current galactic map was put together thanks to the Expeditionary Fleet's surveying teams.

Pirates typically avoid Directorate space for a number of reasons. Their ships are faster, stronger, and just about more responsive than what the typical rag-tag group of raiders can put together, and the nastiness of the viruses that the Expeditionary Fleet's electronic warfare systems can deploy practically render hostile vessels disabled in blinding speed. However, the small number of ships that are left to guard Rokhandian space do sometimes let one or two slip by, and captains who can return without a scratch from Directorate space are hailed in the criminal underworld.

Economics

The Directorate is a leading entity in weapons research, biomedical developments, and engineering. Their economy is built mostly around exporting of their technology, providing other empires with expensive but very reliable machinery or equipment they can use for a multitude of purposes. Money earned through trade is appropriated for civil upkeep and research grants that are awarded to prestigious laboratories, which in turn create more useful technology that the Directorate can sell for a profit. Many prosthesis, for example, are designed and built on Fen. They are more expensive than other brands but are well known for their reliability, responsiveness and for being easily modifiable.

An abundance of heavy metals on Fen provide the Directorate with a large quantity of ore, and advancements in hydroponics have made it easier to be as self-sufficient as possible. The Directorate almost maintains several colonies in their territory that equally help supply raw materials for everyday use. However, for a vast majority of materials they cannot obtain, the Directorate relies on the Coalition. They trade frequently, with shipments passing hands almost daily.