Terran Federation

The Federated Terran Republic of Juxta Sagittaria (commonly referred to as the Terran Federation or Terra) is a federal republic in Juxta Sagittaria. It is bordered by the Ikamo Federation to the trail, and the Vilousian Republic to the forth-nigh. It exercises juristiction in a region of roughly half of Juxta Sagittaria, with scattered presence in the Perseus Arm. Its capital is Geneva, on Earth.

Formally established in the waning years of the Solstice War as a successor to the much more loosely organised Terran Union, the Terran Federation maintains itself as a federal parliamentary democracy, governed by elected officials in the Sagittaria Parliament and the Office of the Executors.

The Terran Federation has a population of nearly 20.5 billion people, rivaling that of the Ikamo Federation. About 15.7 billion live on Earth. The Terran Federation is home to most of Sagittaria’s terran population, while also including a mix of citizens of foreign descent, of which most are ikamo.

Etymology

The word “terra” originates in the classical Terran language Latin, meaning “Earth” or referring to a goddess of the Earth, more commonly known as Gaea. With its adoption into English, the term is now used in reference to the Terran state.

A common misstep, much with the terms “Ikamo” and “Vilousian”, is forgoing the distinction between the term “Terran” (proper noun, capitalised) and “terran” (common noun). The former used to refer to the political entity of the Terran Federation whereas the latter referring to the descendant species of Earth. For example, a sergal with Terran Federation citizenship may describe themselves as a “Terran vilousian”.

History

The roots of the Terran Federation were likely formed by the end of millennium 11. With the various Terran states on Earth growing more and more internationalised, and with the value of war as a means for economic gain diminishing greatly, various alliances and multi-national organisations were formed. Most commonly cited as the predecessor to the Terran Federation is the United Nation, commonly known as the UN, an international organisation with the aim of international development between its member nations. Other notable examples include the European Union, an alliance between the various European nations to promote international free trade on the continent as a method to end the continent’s history of violent conflict, as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a military alliance between North American and various European states.

Following the Summer War, the UN was dissolved due to its implication for the Terran Drought of 119 as well as general mismanagement of responding to Terran climate change, and was replaced with the Terran Union.

The introduction of the Quantum drive after the First Exchage led to massive expansion of the Terran Union, spearheaded mostly by private corporations, aiming to distance themselves from the influence of economic regulations. In 368, the abolishment of many of the Terran Union’s political parties from parliament led to mass revolting, marking the beginning of the Solstice War, and with little control or recognition, the Terran Union dissolved.

War ended in 608 with the signing of Terran Accord. Shortly thereafter, in 610, the modern Terran Federation was incorporated with its capital based in Geneva.

In 663, Terran surveyors first observed Vilousian civilisation on Tal. After second contact in 689, the Terran Federation assisted with the integration of Vilousian society with the wider galaxy.

Government

The Terran Federation is a democratic republic. Legislative power is wielded by the Sagittaria Parliament, with each of the 745 members representing an electoral district. Executive power is wielded by the Office of the Executors, also democratically elected, but with votes pooled from across Terra.

The Terran Federation maintains close ties with the Ikamo Federation, and has been since first contact. Both nations currently run programmes to integrate the Vilousian Republic into galactic society, as well as providing support to local forces of the ongoing Vilousian War.

Administrative divisions

As a federated state, Terran government distributes duties across its various levels of government. The Terran Federation is divided into quarters, which serve as electoral districts, which are then subdivided into prefectures, which may then be subdivided further.

Democracy

Terran elections are generally held with a single transferable vote system. Under this system, candidates for a district can be ranked by voters, allowing them to vote for less popular candidates while still affording them to select safe options should their favourite candidates not win. Excess votes are also distributed to voters’ second choices, allowing for much more proportional representation within an electoral district.

Terran representation is described as “liquid”, where a member of the public may vote on parliament issues directly or delegate their vote to different representatives in their district.

Law

Statutary law is defined in a collection of legal codes defined in the Hexacodex; The Terran Accord, the first code in the Hexacodex, serves as the supreme constitutional document for the Terran Federation. The Supreme Court of The Terran Federation is the highest court power in the Terran Federation, presiding over three other lower levels of judicial court. The Terran Supreme reserves the power to strike down laws or acts from parliament.

Military

The Terran Armed Forces are split into two branches: The Shock Armies, which is the active serving branch of the military, and the Militias, reserved for defensive purposes.

Aside from national defense, the Terran military also serves an unstated second duty as a way for Terrans to gain life experience and travel the galaxy, as well as forming connections with others during their military career. These enlists do not often stay upon completion of full combat training, although many enlist in the Terra Militia after leaving service.