Alliance Politics
The Alliance is a multicameral representative democracy: citizens elect delegates to roles within legislative committees, which govern on key issues. These committees are myriad and varied, ruling on everything from environmental protections to import tariffs. If you need a legislative body to render judgement or offer advice on any given topic, it almost certainly already exists.
The interlocking complexity of these committees results in a certain amount of red tape, but building redundancy and the need to co-operate and consult into the system helps to prevent any one body or single person from enriching or empowering themselves at the expense of others.
The Alliance Convention
High-level executive decisions are made by the Alliance Convention, which consists of a rotating chamber of representatives chosen from across the Alliance. Each planet and each species is represented by an independent three person team – per the Alliance’s constitution, this makes ”one to lead, one to guide, and one to learn”. Separating species from their planets of origin allows species with no homeworld – such as the Anthroids – to still have a voice at the Alliance’s highest level, and also enables newer colonies to take stances independently from their homeworlds.
Each planet maintains its own political structure and much of its own autonomy, but agrees to take action in line with the Alliance’s overall goals. A planet that does not abide by the Alliance’s core principles will not remain a member for long.
Crime and prevention
The Alliance’s overarching bureaucracy allows for a robust legal system. The emphasis of all legal remedies is threefold: to prevent crimes of desperation, to fairly negotiate grievances, and protect the lives and livelihoods of citizens.
Use of illegal equipment, medicines, and cybernetics is handled with a focus on rehabilitation and mitigation of use for those affected, rather than incarceration. The Alliance doesn’t see owning illegal or unregulated goods as a crime per se, but restrictions on the creation and sale of certain materials are strictly enforced. Some planets opt to have stricter regulations than others, according to their own cultural preferences and social needs.
The Alliance has no death penalty at any time for any reason, and none of its members are permitted to engage in capital punishment or extrajudicial execution.
Relations between Alliance planets
On the official level, interplanetary relations within the Alliance are equitable and cordial. Many safety levers exist to ensure no one planet can dominate economically or culturally, and that anyone from any planet can move through the Alliance freely – although there are issues with some planets maintaining control of their citizen’s movements via de facto means such as financial coercion (as in the case of citizens not being able to afford transportation, or resettlement, away from a planet).
There are six planets within the Alliance that are considered particularly notable as contributors to the Alliance as a whole, and as sponsors of the Ardent Initiative. These are: the diplomatic hub of Earth, the research base Geostation Kessler, the industrial powerhouse of Marzion IX, the frontier project of Sultonia, and the experimental playground of Viront Z85.
For more information on these notable planets, click here.
Rivalries and diplomatic disputes between planets are frequent, but mediated by committee. The Alliance works hard to address all complaints, especially where they pertain to territories or economic activity, long before they escalate into genuine grievances.
Relations with other galactic powers
Species and political organisations outside of the Alliance are treated with careful diplomacy – the Alliance aims to put its best foot forward, so as to encourage new allies and bring them into its sphere of influence. Secession from the Alliance is almost unheard of.
The Alliance has identified four critical threats within the galaxy from rival groups or entities that pose a credible threat to the safety and sovereignty of Alliance citizens. These have been given internal codenames, which assist in grouping related incidents together and add a layer of coded protection on its documents.
In no particular order, these threats are codenamed THRONE, SHADOW, MOSAIC and CIRCUS.
There are other local threats, presenting a risk to the Alliance on a planetary or system-wide scale. These will be detailed as they become relevant to the AES Ardent.
For more information on the threats the Ardent may face, see Threats.
