Nation/Aldia

United Colonies of Aldia Unitum Colonias de Aldia
Motto: "United We Stand."
Anthem: A Brand New Day
Aldia's sphere of influence within the Carina Nebula
Region		Facebook Nations
Capital		New Batavia
Largest		Jindabyne
Official languages		Aldian Standard, English
Recognised regional languages		Lesser Aldian, Polystralian Standard, Katasian, Greetonese, Simplified Sanmite
Traditional Languages		Traditional Sanmite, Gothic Aldian, High Polystralian, Old Gretonese
Ethnic groups (2020)		Human 65% Non-Human 35%
Demonym		Aldian
Government		Unitary Presidential Social Democratic Republic
-	President	Irene Reinalda
-	Vice President	Edia Estara
-	Political & Morale Commander	Victor Geller
Legislature		Colonial Parliament
-	Upper house	Colonial Senate
-	Lower house	Colonial Assembly
Formation
-	Charter of the Aldian Cooperative	April 10th, 1445
-	Declaration of the United Colonies	June 1st, 1619
Population
-	2020 estimate	8.264 billion
GDP (nominal)		2018 estimate
-	Total	cR787 Trillion (16,021)
-	Per capita	cR186,685 (6,673)
HDI (2017)		0.919 very high
Currency		Colonial Credit (cR)
Date format		DD/MM/YYYY
Drives on the		left
Internet TLD		.ali

Aldia, officially the United Colonies of Aldia, is an Interstellar Social Democratic Republic comprised of the home planet Aldia in the Aldian System, twenty colonies in six star systems and dozens of outposts established on seven other star systems. The Aldian system is located approximately 10,000 Light Years away from Sol and its territories are found within the confines of the Carina Nebula. The humans of Aldia were the descendants of prehistoric humans of Earth, this was supported by the lack of fossil records of modern and ancients humans in Aldia. It has always been speculated that the ancestors of Aldians were taken by an unknown alien species from Earth and resettled on Aldia around 130,000 years ago for unknown reasons. Regardless, these early prehistorical 'Aldians' followed a similar but fast-tracked evolutionary path as their Earthling cousins did. An example was that by the 15th century, Aldians had a technological level equal to that of Earth in the 21st century.

The United Colonies were formed in the aftermath of a decade long interplanetary war in the late 16th century century between the nations of Aldia and various rebel factions that demanded their independence from Aldia. At the time Aldia had one colony world and the war took place on both Aldia and its first colony. The war ended after the rebels were defeated in the Second Battle of the Maginot Line where rebel leaders signed a peace treaty with Aldia. The interplanetary war united the nations of Aldia and reaffirmed Aldia's continued rule over its colonies. The United Colonies is governed by a Triumvirate: the President and Vice President who are the directors of domestic and foreign policy. The third member of the Triumvirate is the Political & Morale Commander, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. The President & Colonial Parliament may give general goals and policies to the military, but it is up to the military to decide how best to execute these orders. The military is not permitted to carry out orders that are outside from the ones given by the President & parliament.

The unified military arm of Aldia is the Colonial Self-Defense Forces (CSDF) and is maintained by a significant military budget. The CSDF is administered by the Colonial Military Administration (CMA) while the Political & Morale Commander serves as the commander-in-chief of the CSDF. The CSDF is technologically sophisticated and maintains a high number of active personnel, a compulsory 80-day military training regime is in force for all citizens at the age of 18. Due to its distance from Sol and any other nearby governments, Aldia has maintained a policy of isolationism and non-intervention in international affairs although it does have cordial and friendly relations with nations of the Facebook Nations region. Due to its remote location, many refugees across the galaxy has attempted to reach the United Colonies to seek asylum.

Humans comprise a great majority of the Aldian population (amounting up to 65% of the total population) with a fair number of non-humans (35% of the population). As a consequence, humans are also the most politically dominant species in the country. The human population itself is comprised of thousands of other ethnic groups which led to the establishment of the United Colonies's motto "Unity in Diversity". This reflects the nation's ethnic and species diversity.

History

Pre-industrial Aldia

Approximately 130,000 years ago prehistoric humans from Earth were brought to Aldia by unknown extra-terrestrials. For reasons unknown these aliens simply left the humans on Aldia to survive on their own, without any clear objective. Thus they followed the normal evolutionary pathway as the humans of Earth did. At first the humans were only found on the continent of Alda, but they gradually expanded throughout the entire planet. By 120,000BC, humans have colonized the entire planet. Tribal hunter-gatherer societies formed in the early years of settlement until the Neolithic Revolution which allowed humans to use plants to systematically produce edible food-energy. This eventually allowed the development of the complex first city-state societies that frequently warred with each other.

With the capability to produce a stable and reliable amount of food the human population exploded and began to expand beyond its first settlements which allowed them to colonize the entire planet. As these explorer tribes settled new land and continents they established new civilizations as well. A major difference between the humans of Earth and Aldia was that while Earth-humans plunged into the Dark Age, a period of time when technology regressed, the humans of Aldia did not experience a Dark Age. This allowed technological advancements to continue and overtake that of Earthlings. By the 13th century, Aldians experienced the Industrial Revolution. In the 14th century, Aldia entered the atomic age, 15th century; the space age and finally in the 16th century; Aldia became a space-faring civilization.

War of the Three Powers

Polystralian and Gao forces engaged in combat.

Sanmite forces invading the capital of Gao.

The War of the Three Powers was a period of total war between three factions of Aldia that took place from November 1437 until September 1444. The War of the Three Powers was the first global conflict that engulfed the planet and resulted in the deaths of 100 million Aldians. The war also marked the first time nuclear weapons were used on a limited scale, with at least five cities being destroyed by a nuclear weapon. The war was a conflict between three warring factions; the Polystralian Commonwealth and its allies, the expansionist Gao Empire and the communist People's Republic of Sanmite. Each faction fought for ideological reasons, however the real motive behind the conflict was to gain access to new resources.

Polystralia controlled the largest reserves of both renewable and non-renewable resources such as geothermal, coal, oil, gas, timber and many others. Citizens of the Allies also enjoyed higher standards of living compared to the other two factions which created resentment among the other Aldians. This was utilized by Gao and Sanmite to garner support to invade the Allies. Gao and Sanmite formed an alliance and invaded Polystralia's allies. Within the first four months Gao and Sanmite were able to conquer nearly all of Polystralia's allies and began preparations to invade the Polystralian mainland. The war brought forth a new type of warfare; Urban Warfare with armies clashing within cities resulting in fierce close quarter combat.

The War of the Three Powers was also the first true mechanized warfare with all factions maximizing the use of armored vehicles, tanks and armored personnel carriers. Gao had developed a profound and flexible combat doctrine for its armored divisions that allowed the Coalition to gain an upperhand in tank warfare. Gao relied upon a combination of both tanks, mechanized infantry, mobile artillery and air support in their tactics and strategies. While Gao specialized in armored warfare, Polystralia and the PAC relied upon a system of combined static point-defense bunkers and mobile ground units that were able to fend off even the combined arms warfare of Gao. Sanmite at the time had the most technologically advanced air force with three fleets of "Aerial Cruisers" that were able to deploy fighters or UCAVs of their own. To counter the invaders, Polystralia deployed the Skynet air defense system comprised of a series of large towers that fired chemical-lasers to shoot down incoming aircaft, and on occasion, ground and naval targets. The system was supplemented with thousands of AA, Flak and SAM batteries spread throughout the Polystralian frontline. The deployment of Skynet led to a stalemate that lasted from February 1438 until January 1441.

As the stalemate went on, a war of attrition began as the war sapped the economies and morale of the citizens of all factions involved. The Socialist Republic of Sanmite and her client states, began to grew bitter towards the tactics employed by Gao, its ally in attacking Polystralia. As casualties mount there were talks among Sanmite's leadership to offer a separate peace with Polystralia. The Gao Empire heard of these rumors and sent assassins to eliminate Sanmite's pro-peace government leaders and replace them with pro-war puppets of Gao. The assassination was attempted on December 1440 which occurred concurrently with Gao invading Sanmite and its satellite states. Sanmite's armed forces were caught off guard by Gao's betrayal and a quarter of Sanmite's territories were occupied within the first four days of the newly opened frontline. Already plagued with internal dissent from the peoples it had subjugated, Sanmite's military collapsed and was forced into a full retreat into the southern most corners of its territories. However, the Gao Empire had failed to take into account the fierce winter that awaited them in Sanmite's territories. Not long after their short-lived victory, Gao forces were forced to retreat, unable to cope with the deadly winter weather. Taking the initiative: Sanmite offered a deal to its rebelling territories and satellite states: assist Sanmite in driving away Gao, and they shall be granted their independence from Sanmite. Sanmite also made a peace deal with Polystralian Forces, agreeing to cease all hostilities against them to work together against Gao.

In the time of the stalemate Polystralia had secretly developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) equipped with Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), a technology that no other nations possessed and could counter. Nuclear weapons had been developed prior to the beginning of the war. By May 1443 the technology was ready to be used for battle and Polystralia made the most of it. Since 1441 the Allied Forces and Sanmite had began a long and costly invasion of the Gao Empire, the latter refusing calls by the two formers to surrender. In order to force Gao to capitulate, Allied Forces launched ICBMs equipped with nuclear MIRVs that targeted five of the largest cities in the Gao Empire. With the bulk of their armed forces decimated and their inability to develop counter measures against such attacks, the Gao Empire surrendered unconditionally on September 1444. Following their surrender the Gao Empire was dissolved and its member states given full independence. The war completely reshaped the political landscape of Aldia. Two superpowers: Gao and Sanmite were stripped of their superpower status while Polystralia gained superpower status. Meanwhile, the allies of Polystralia grew bitter towards Polystralia as they felt they had been abandoned during the conflict. These nations formed the Pan Anean Coalition, a military alliance of the Anean nations to counter Polystralia's newfound superpower status. The Pan Anean Coalition quickly established itself as a rival superpower of Polystralia.

The Space Age

Nadia (Nadezhda), the first permanent human settlement on Apollo. Established by the People's Republic of Sanmite.

Growing potatoes became a key step towards permanent colonization of Sram.

The "An Unexpected Journey" ferried USTA astronauts to and from Sram.

Dome cities located in Utopia Planitia on Sram.

Following the end of the War of the Three Powers, the Aldian Cooperative, an international governmental organization was established to foster international cooperation between the nations of Aldia. The Aldian Cooperative is also the precursor of the modern United Colonies of Aldia. With the world at peace, the issue of resource degradation was brought to the attention of the international community. Overpopulation also became a key issue as it was estimated the planet would not be able to sustain the growing human population beyond the year 1900. The former nations of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, as well as Sanmite, recognized that the primary motivation of the previous conflict was resource shortages. With the risks clearly outlined and recognized, the Aldian Cooperative urged the nations of Aldia to begin manned missions to potential habitable planets within the Aldian system. In 1450 Polystralia became the first nation to successfully land a human on Aldia's moon; Apollo. Sanmite followed suit by establishing the first permanent habitat for human habitation on Apollo in 1456. This sparked the first space race between the two superpowers. Sanmite accomplished another milestone by successfully having a colony of 500,000 colonists on Apollo. By 1470 Polystralia followed suit by establishing a mining colonies on Apollo to extract Helium 3.

At this point in time, the nations of Aldia had the technology to send manned missions to its nearest habitable planet in the Aldian system; Sram. Sram is 215 million kilometers away from Aldia and research from probes sent confirmed that its environmental conditions such as its atmosphere composition, gravity (Aldia has 1g, Sram has 0.5g) and length of day is similar to that of Aldia. One year in Aldia is 365 days, the same as Earth's, whereas one year on Sram was 1 year and 380 days. Aldia had a 26-hour day and Sram had a 24 hour day. Aldia had a diameter of 12,453 kilometers and Sram had a diameter of 9,450 kilomters. With the terraforming technology available in the early 16th century, it would take up to century to fully transform an Aldia-sized planet. Sram was a dessert planet, but early probes detected signs that it was rich with rare minerals and metals.

On February 1501 the People's Republic of Sanmite successfully landed three Cosmonauts on Sram initiating a Second Space Race between Sanmite and Polystralia, albeit a short lived one. Sram's Cosmonauts were stayed on Sram for a period of one year and six months. Upon their return to Aldia they experienced little bone and calcium loss. The success of Sanmite's Cosmonauts proved that it is possible to send humans through the hazards of interplanetary space and live on Sram. On April 1506, Polystralia began a series of missions to test the suitability of Sram for colonization. These were known as the Lazarus Missions, a total of twelve Lazarus Missions were launched between 1506 and 1511. Each Lazarus Mission involved the establishment of a temporary colony in various locations that had been proposed for permanent colonization. Polystralia's Astronauts grew a variety of crops such as potatoes, wheat and rice throughout their stay on Sram. The crops were grown using soil samples from Sram and fertilized under lab conditions. These first crops proved that the soil on Sram had the capability to support plant life, albeit if grown under ideal conditions.

In 1513, embracing a spirit of cooperation and peace Polystralia and Sanmite, along with various other Aldian nations formed the United Science & Technology Administration (USTA), officially ending the Second Space Race. This organization contributed immensely to the quality of space engineering, exploration and colonization. The USTA also created the first spaceship capable of interplanetary travel, it was christened as the TSA An Unexpected Journey. By 1517 the USTA began pre-supply missions to Sram and by 1525 the first permanent colonists landed and established the first permanent habitat on Sram, effectively colonizing Sram. These early permanent habitats were a mix of prefabricated buildings and underground dwellings that were dug out. With the abundance of minerals and metals, the colony quickly became the new industrial and economic hub of the nations of Aldia.

Within the next fifty years, additional permanent habitats and mine sites were established which led to the rapid colonization of Sram. By 1570 Sram had been colonized by six hundred thousand Aldians, a new generation of permanent habitats; the dome cities, large communities encased within a glassd domes that isolated its residents from the harsh environment of Sram. Residents of the dome cities were able to roam freely within the confines of their individual cities. Travel outside their cities are possible with the use of pressure suits provided by the sponsor nations of each habitat. While the USTA pioneered the colonization of Sram and the development of the dome cities, individual members of the USTA and non-USTA members have also "sponsored" the colonization of Sram. Approximately a third of all permanent habitats of Sram from 1525 until 1580 were constructed by the TSA. The remainder were sponsored by individual governments or organizations.

In 1573 the USTA constructed the first atmospheric processors to eventually terraform Sram's atmosphere to be breathable for humans, allowing newer colonies to be built without being isolated from the outside environment. Sram's terraforming process would be completed in 1649. Despite the success of Sram's colonization, the USTA realized that the colonization of even the nearest planets Aldia by using sub-light engines was inefficient and extremely time consuming. If the nations of Aldia were to expand beyond the Aldian System, they would have to develop a faster and more efficient method of travel. Within the next sixty years the USTA, under the mandate and support of the nations of the Aldian Cooperative, colonized the moons of Aldia's outer-planets. These colonies were smaller in size than Sram due to the distance it took to reach the moons and asteroids. These early colonies provided reasonable living conditions and where ever these colonies were formed, new jobs would be found, further encouraging more people to immigrate to the colonies.

The Interplanetary War

The establishment of the Aldian Cooperative and the success of the United Science & Technology Administration a radical shift in the balance of political power from divided National Governments, to the global Aldian Cooperative. This change of the world's balance of power was the result of the need of a unified effort of colonization. No one or two nations can bear the economic, political and social costs of colonization alone. Across the world, National Governments suddenly lost their individual regional authority, with their militaries gradually incorporated under a multinational military task force under the authority of the Cooperative. Some national governments refused to surrender their sovereignty to the Cooperative on the basis that nations should be free to choose whether they wish to support the costly colonization missions as not all nations benefited from colonization.

The colonial sponsorship initiative, a program promoted by the USTA to encourage national governments and non-governmental organizations to establish colonies on Sram and the Noel Asteroids, had been under heavy criticism from colonists and citizens of Aldia alike. The Initiative had brought forward an age of corporate colonialism as these corporations soon discovered that they were able to escape from many of the Cooperative's regulations, taxation and laws that strangled profits. Corporations immediately moved their assets off-planet to the colonies. These Corporate Colonies also became a haven of many illegal financial activities and transactions such as money laundering, tax evasion and corporate espionage. To reduce corporate influence in the colonies, the Cooperative and the TSA prepared to enact new laws and regulations that would extend their authority to beyond Aldia. These corporations refused to abide to the Cooperative's measures and began preparations for independence from Aldia, to finally be free from the Cooperative's authority. The Cooperative suddenly found themselves to be pitted against two fronts: national governments who resisted integration, and corporations that threatened to take control over its colonies.

Many of these financial, and trade entities were megacorporations who had not only financial power, but also military power. Many megacorporations maintained their own private military companies (PMCs) to police their colonial assets. Cooperative law stipulates that while megacorporations may maintain private military companies, they are restricted from the development, deployment, use and trade of nuclear weapons. Even with restrictions, the capability of these PMCs rivaled, and in some cases, outclassed those of some national governments. These megacorporations plotted with disgruntled governments to dismantle the cooperative, and for the independence of the colonies. They did so by spreading subversive messages and propaganda to its colonists and workers, that the Aldian Cooperative intended to use the new economic, financial and tax regulations to nationalize the companies and shut down colonies sponsored by corporations. Populations were galvanized into action against the Cooperative and the TSA, setting the ground work for a new war.

On March 1578 the permanent habitat of Freeport on Sram seemingly overthrew the corporate administrator of the colony and reorganized as the Hassen Federation. The regime was supported and supplied by Apex Industries, a large conglomerate with a substantial arms manufacturing subsidiary and quickly gained control of two thirds of all colonies on Sram. Three days later the Union of Dama Republics, secretly sponsored and supported by Treyland Group was proclaimed and took over five of Aldia's asteroid colonies that orbited the gas giant Noel. The rebel factions demanded not only their independence from Aldia, but to also remove the Cooperative from power and seizing control of Aldia itself. Both Hassen and Dama possessed considerable military equipment ranging from sophisticated small arms, to large capital warships that rivaled those utilized by the Aldian Cooperative. Both Apex Industries and the Treyland Group stated that their colonies have rebelled against them and requested for assistance from the Cooperative to suppress the rebellion. The Cooperative responded by sending Multinational Task Forces (MTFs) to suppress the uprisings. The MTFs were military expeditionary forces comprised of the combined armies of Cooperative member states. The war was long and brutal which resulted in the deaths of more than 340 million people. Fighting against Dama in the asteroids were particularly fierce as both factions were forced to engage in close quarter combat for more than a year.

While initially caught off guard by the uprisings, the Cooperative was able to quickly reorganize themselves and began to slowly retake their occupied colonies. Battles on Sram saw the first deployments of the MTF Marine Corps, a predecessor of the modern Colonial Marine Corps. Colossal ship-to-ship battles were fought in orbit of the gas giant Noel. Ships of the Dama Republics replied primarily upon rockets and missiles, however the Cooperative had developed Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, essentially ship-sized linear guns outfitted on their ships. This advantage allowed Cooperative ships to easily overwhelm opposition forces in space, however both sides were forced to engage in close quarters combat in the asteroid colonies in order to liberate them. The war went on at a steady pace with the Cooperative being able to slowly reclaim the rebel colonies. By 1590 it was projected that under current conditions the war would be over within a year or two. The war had forced the Cooperative to send the bulk of its armed forces to the colonies.

On September 1592 a third faction, the Union of the Independent Nations (UIN), a coalition of various countries and corporations on Aldia most of whom were not members of the Aldian Cooperative and were opposed to its increasing influence on global politics, launched a surprise attack against the Cooperative, opening a new front. Supplied with state-of-the-art weapons from Apex Industries and the Treyland Group, the UIN had enough military assets on Aldia and beyond to challenge the Cooperative's remaining armed forces, the majority of which had been sent to fight in Sram and the asteroids of Noel. This new home front brought devastating consequences to Aldia's environment. Large areas of land were rendered uninhabitable as the UIN initiated a scorched Earth policy, attempting to drive the Cooperative to the northern lands of the planet. Intelligence obtained by the Cooperative revealed that Apex and Treyland colluded with the UIN, and that they organized for the Hassen Federation and the Union of Dama Republics to seize power in order to lure the MTFs away from Aldia, leaving it vulnerable to attack from within. A large number of the MTF garrisons that remained on Aldia were wiped out or surrendered to the UIN within the first week of the new attack.

The UIN had hoped to quickly subdue the Cooperative on Aldia in order to force the Cooperative to surrender and stand down its armed forces who had sent a sizable number of reinforcements to Aldia. In preparation for an all-out assault from space by rebel forces, the Cooperative had developed and deployed in secret an array of orbital kinetic weapons that were stationed in geosynchronous orbit around Aldia. These weapon platforms were developed by Polystralia and Sanmite as weapons of last resort in the event of an assault by rebel spaceships. With most of their forces tied down on Sram and Noel, the Cooperative turned the satellites to target their own planet. On December 1592 Operation Skyfall was initiated, large scale kinetic strikes were launched against UIN strongholds, bases and cities. The first salvo incapacitated the UIN military leadership and brought their advances to a halt. The second salvo destroyed key infrastructure facilities such as electricity, water mains, dams and roads across UIN territories which had dire consequences for the civilian population of the UIN. More than 10 million people died during the kinetic strikes, followed with an additional 60 million deaths over the next six months caused by the outbreak of diseases, rioting and looting in the aftermath of Operation Skyfall. With the UIN advances on Aldia halted, the Cooperative were able to continue to repel the rebellion in the colonies.

By January 1593 UIN armed forces had been largely destroyed and only a few remaining holdouts remain in cities. The large number of civilian casualties and their inability to launch any counter-measures against the Cooperative's orbital weapons forced the UIN to surrender on July 1593. A year later, on May 1594 the military and civilian leadership of the Dama Republics were overthrown. The colonists of the asteroids having grown tired from the authoritarian regime and daily food shortages caused by the blockade of trade routes by Cooperative warships. The Hassen Federation was not defeated until March 1595 during which its leader detonated a nuclear bomb in a dome city to prevent it from being liberated by the Cooperative. The act killed 6,000 MTF soldiers, and more than 400,000 colonists. With the civilian population already under intense pressure from a war of attrition, conscription, resource shortages and disease and famine, the leaders of Hassen were ousted and the interim government approached the Cooperative to surrender unconditionally. On April 1595 the Treaty of Noel was signed. The treaty explicitly stated the end of rebellious elements within the Aldian Cooperative, echoing the view of the Cooperative that it did not recognize the rebels as sovereign powers.

Reconstruction Era

In the aftermath of the Interplanetary War, hundreds and millions of people were displaced on both Aldia and throughout the colonies. The industrial capacity of the nations of the Aldian Cooperative and the rebels were decimated as key industrial cities were destroyed or looted. The status of the territories that rebelled and its residents were also key issues that needed to be addressed. The Cooperative responded by garrisoning a large number of military personnel in former rebel territories and placing them under martial law throughout the entire Reconstruction Era which lasted from 1596 until 1601. Former nations and colonies that rebelled against the Aldian Cooperative became known as Quarantine Zones, with political freedom and freedom of movement of its residents being severely limited. Martial Law enabled the nations of the Cooperative to expedite reconstruction efforts with basic infrastructure such as utilities (water, gas and electricity), the road and rail network and communication facilities to be restored by September 1596, only five months after the official end of the war.

Thousands of space habitats were constructed either around Aldia's and Sram's orbits, or in deep space. Refugees who fled to escape the war were resettled in these space habitats. These space habitats eventually became specialists in growing space-based crops which allowed the habitats to become exporters and quickly develop. By 1607, approximately twenty one million refugees had been resettled in space habitats around the Aldian System. The war also brought about the downfall of the private sector with the Cooperative nationalizing most of Corporations that supported the rebellion. It was not until the early 20th century when the government began to privatize industries, and even then they were under the watchful eye of numerous government regulatory agencies and departments.

Declaration of the United Colonies

By the end of the Interplanetary War the Aldian Cooperative was left as the sole de-facto superpower and governing body of Aldia and her colonies. In spite of this though, the Cooperative was never meant to be a global governing body. Its original purpose was to foster international cooperation amongst the nations of Aldia and its colonies and to act as a mediator in times of conflict. By 1610 reconstruction had largely been concluded and the nations of Aldia and her colonies entered a new era of peace and prosperity. The two superpowers of Aldia; the Polystralian Commonwealth and the People's Republic of Sanmite, with the support of nearly half of all the nations and colonies of Aldia proposed to the remaining members of the Cooperative that a permanent world government be established to replace the Aldian Cooperative. After several years of debate and negotiation, on June 1st 1619, the nations of Aldia signed and ratified the Charter of the United Colonies of Aldia, a document which laid out the constitution of the newly declared United Colonies and officially establishing it as the world government of Aldia and her colonies.

Interstellar Age

A latest generation Starbase, Port Stanley. It serves as both a shipyard, outpost and space habitat for 8 million civilians These technological marvels highlight this period of economic & scientific progress.

By 1830 Sram had been fully terraformed, allowing cities to break expand from the confines of their domes.

The formation of the United Colonies ushered a period of peace, economic & technological progress previously unseen in the history of Aldia. The most important invention; the Slipspace drive, was created in 1644 by scientists from the well-established United Science & Technology Administration. The Slipspace drive allows ships to travel Faster-Than-Light (FTL). This was the dream that the TSA had since its formation, now they had the means to quickly travel through space and establish colonies beyond the Aldian system. Colonization of outer space with a propulsion system that traveled slower than light (sub-light engines) was impractical. New colony ships were assembled and outfitted with Slipspace drives whereas older models were retrofitted with Slipspace drives.

These older ships would become scouts of colonization efforts as they would travel with a small crew on board to asses the habitability of a potential planet to be colonized. By the 17th century, atmospheric processors had greatly improved but it still cannot terraform inhospitable planets. Planets whose characteristics are or near habitable were the planets chosen for terraforming and colonization, a total of twenty five years is required to terraform an Aldia-sized planet. These processors would push a planets atmosphere composition to a state where humans are able to breathe the atmosphere without the use of a pressure suit. As the terraforming process was underway, the colony ships were constructed and by the time the terraforming process was near completion the colony ships would have been ready to disembark and begin their journey. By the time the planet had been completely terraformed the colony ships would arrive and begin the process of colonization.

With the creation of the slipspace drive and improved atmospheric processors, Aldia was able to rapidly expand its territories; quickly colonizing three star systems. A variety of colony types also rose such as fertile agriculture worlds and mineral-rich industrial worlds. Colonies who had exhausted their natural resources but was able to evolve from an industrial to a post-industrial economy became the new economic hub of Aldia. Prosperity, Sram and Tribute, three of the United Colonies oldest and most successful colonies became the economic, industrial and cultural hubs respectively whereas Aldia continued to remain as the United Colonies's political center. By 1890 the United Colonies had established nine extra-solar colonies on three different star systems. At the time, the United Colonies had a total collective population of 244 million humans.

During this period of time the United Colonies also came into contact with the larger interstellar community, some were technologically advanced while others had barely progressed beyond a Tier-7 Pre-Industrial civilization. Furthermore a large number of planets within the United Colonies territories were home to Tier-7 Pre-Industrial civilizations. Initially the United Colonies attempted to initiate first contact with these primitive civilizations, however the results varied widely. While some embraced and welcomed Aldia, others rejected it and became hostile towards the United Colonies. Research also showed that first contact with primitive civilizations will greatly impact that particular culture's history and its destiny. It was also feared that corporations would take advantage of these primitive societies and exploit their natural resources, or at worst, subjugate the indigenous population. It was from these initial first contacts in the 19th century that the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Protocol (the UP3) was signed into law. The UP3 expressly forbids contact with alien civilizations, within the territories and jurisdiction of the United Colonies, that have yet to develop an indigenous launch capability. As a result, planets that have been identified as homes of primitive civilizations were placed under quarantine with a 20 AU exclusion zone imposed upon it. Some star systems are entirely quarantined by the United Colonies as a result of the UP3. No activity by the United Colonies, or visitors in the United Colonies may take place in these exclusion zones. Spacecraft however may travel through these exclusion zones when in transit in slipspace. As these primitive cultures successfully develop launch capability, the UP3 dictates that it is at the discretion of the United Colonies (under the advise of the TSA) to initiate first contact. Some of these newly developed cultures have opted to join the United Colonies as a member state, or have remained independent but maintained friendly and cordial relations with the United Colonies. In a few rare cases, these newly developed cultures have (and continued) to wage war against Aldia.

The Unsung War

In the 18th century Aldia endured a period of economic stagnation. As a result the inner colonies unanimously agreed to halt all trade with the outer colonies which resulted in the economic and social collapse of the outer colonies. Anti-Aldian sentiment festered and grew throughout this period of economic stagnation which was further fueled by the halt of all trade. Furthermore none of the outer colonies were represented in the Colonial Parliament which created friction between the central government and the outer colonies. However even with the halt of trade, the economies of the inner colonies did not improve and continued a steady decline albeit at a reduced rate. In response to what is perceived as being abandoned by Aldia, the outer colonies began to secretly militarize themselves, utilizing the now abandoned arms factories and manufacturing facilities. Not all outer colonies began an armament campaign. Eight out of the ten outer colonies formed a loose coalition known as the Independent Systems Alliance. The goal of the ISA was to completely sever ties of the member worlds of the ISA from the United Colonies. This period of build up lasted from 1850-1870. Meanwhile the inner colonies and Aldia continued to implement measures to improve the economy of the United Colonies. Between March 1872 until May of the same year an unknown group of starfighters attacked and captured cargo ships in the inner colonies. Initially believed to be pirates, the United Colonies did not escalate its alert level and instead increased security protocols to protect their freighters. However on June of 1872, the unknown raiding party was captured in a trap, interrogation revealed that the pilots of the unknown starfighters belonged to the ISA, revealing its existence. The sitting President of the United Colonies called for the peaceful disbandment of the ISA, promising to end the economic embargo imposed upon the outer colonies. The ISA refused to do so and series of border skirmishes took place between elements of the Colonial Navy and the ISA. These skirmishes occurred when warships of the Colonial Navy were refused entry into ISA-controlled airspace.

On December 1872 the ISA launched a massive invasion of the United Colonies, attacking the fringe inner colonies with massive fleets of warships. Assault Carriers were utilized by the ISA to launch ground invasions of planets. In response the CSDF deployed the entire might of the Colonial Navy, Army and Marine Corps to combat the ISA. While the ISA had a much larger number of personnel they were poorly trained and their equipment on general were sub-standard when compared to the CSDF. The CSDF had far fewer personnel, approximately a third of the numbers compared to the ISA, however their technology was far beyond the capabilities of the ISA. The ISA's invasion was repelled and their forces driven back to ISA territories. Once again President of the United Colonies called for peace talks to be held in order to resolve the conflict peacefully which the ISA leadership accepted. The Vice President, and many members of the Colonial Parliament opposed this as they believed the only way to pacify the outer colonies was by a show of military force, a view that the President overruled. During this period of time the CSDF was still placed under civilian control. A peace summit was to be held on January 1873 however when the President was enroute to attend the peace talks at a neutral location her entourage was attacked by what seemed to be ISA starfighters. Although the President was eventually rescued the Vice President reported that the President had fallen into a coma due to his injuries, delegating all tasks and responsibilities to the Vice President. From this point onwards the United Colonies was led by a pro-war government comprised of the Vice President and the Colonial Parliament. During this period of time the position of Political & Morale Commander was yet to be established. On February 1873 the pro-war government authorized the occupation of ISA-held colonies, citing the attempted assassination of the President as justification that the ISA could not be bargained with through peace talks. The ISA had also seemingly installed a pro-war government, replacing the previous view of the Prime Minister of the ISA where peace talks were ideal.

Over the eight months the CSDF had occupied five out of the eight colonies that had established the ISA, suppressing freedom of movement and freedom of speech in an attempt to curtail anti-Aldian propaganda. Sometime on October 1873, following a tip-off from the Office of Naval Intelligence a rogue group of special forces personnel from the Colonial Marine Corps and Colonial Army raided a CSDF P.O.W facility on Prosperity, an inner colony and rescued the President of the United Colonies. The P.O.W facility was maintained and guarded by a Private Military Company contracted by the government. The President's rescue was kept a secret as she began to consolidate her forces. These rogue group of special forces personnel took the President to the leaders of the 8th Fleet of the Colonial Navy, one of the largest and well established fleets of the Colonial Navy. The President informed to the leaders of the 8th Fleet that the Vice President as well as members of Parliament conspired to utilize this war as a chance to completely remove autonomy in the outer colonies and allow the re-privatization of certain corporations who would exploit the outer colonies for its untapped natural resources. They informed the public and military that the President had been incapacitated in order to maintain the loyalty of the CSDF. The President however was kept as a prisoner to use her credentials to gain authorization to certain aspects of the military. The 8th Fleet pledged its loyalty to the President and fled from its naval base, retaining a majority of its ships that had remained loyal to the President. The pro-war government ordered the Colonial Navy to hunt down for the rogue fleet but to no avail, branding the 8th Fleet as traitors.

Several weeks later on October, the Office of Naval Intelligence informed the 8th Fleet that the Prime Minister of the ISA had also disappeared and that the ISA was run by pro-war government officials. The Prime Minister of the ISA was rescued by elements of the 8th Fleet. On November 1873 the 8th Fleet was tracked by an ISA armada. The Prime Minister of the ISA pleaded to his ships to stand down and grant the 8th Fleet passage back to UCA territory. The flagship of the ISA armada refused to do so and ordered his ships to fire upon the 8th Fleet. The ISA Potemkin, a cruiser from the ISA armada refused to do so and pleaded for the flagship to stand down and support the Prime Minister. The ISA Flagship instead fired upon the Potemkin, killing its entire crew. This sparked a chain of defections among the ISA armada, approximately a quarter of the ISA armada defected and joined the 8th Fleet. The subsequent naval engagement became one of the largest naval engagement in the history of Aldia which involved over eighty ships from both sides. The engagement drew the attention of a nearby Aldian Fleet on patrol, the fleet had listened in on the conversation between the 8th Fleet and the ISA armada. When the Aldian Fleet commander decided to support the 8th Fleet and destroyed the remainder of the ISA armada that did not support the Prime Minister. The President's Fleet would become known as the Combined Fleet, a fleet that had no ties with the pro-war government currently in command in Aldia. The Combined Fleet arrived on Aldia on March 1873, the President and Prime Minister immediately descended towards the capital escorted with a battalion of Colonial Marines. The Vice President and the remainder of the pro-war government officials were arrested, a majority of the military threw in their support behind the President when it was revealed how the President had been captured by the Vice-President. A joint statement by the President and the prime Minister of the ISA officially ended the war and laid the foundation of the modern United Colonies. The outer colonies were granted representation in the Colonial Parliament while a third executive position; the Political & Morale Commander was created. This was to ensure that the power of the military would not be abused for political means and ensure a balance of power between the civilian government and military.

Government & Politics

All citizens of Aldia and her colonies are born free & equal in dignity and rights. - Article 1 of the Declaration of the United Colonies of Aldia

The United Colonies is a formal union of independently governed worlds, however, Aldia is in a privileged position over the colonies in both Parliament and elections. This privilege is seen in the substantially higher number of seats Aldia is given in parliament, a third of all seats are assigned to Aldia in both the lower and upper houses, allowing Aldian politicians to easily pass resolutions in favor of Aldia and block those deemed unfavorable. This has been a source of resentment between Aldia and the outer colonies. As a unitary state power is concentrated in the central government who has the final word in every domestic issues. The central government on Aldia may unilaterally increase or decrease the powers that has been delegated to the colonies. There are four distinct levels of government. At the highest is the executive body that is led by the Triumvirate: the President, the Vice President and the Political and Morale Commander. To assist the executive body a council of ministers advises the Triumvirate. The second level is the legislative body and is made of the Colonial Parliament, a bicameral legislature. On the third level sits the Colonial government who is responsible for administering and governing all colonies of the United Colonies. The fourth and final level of government is the Judiciary who is responsible for maintaining and enforcing law & order. The President & Vice-President are elected directly by the people with a single-non transferable vote system while members of the Colonial Parliament uses a system of proportional representation. The President, Vice-President & Legislature are allowed to serve a maximum of two-consecutive ten year terms. Voting is compulsory in Aldia and those who fail to attend the polls are fined a substantial amount of money.

Executive

Victor Geller, current Political & Morale Commander of the United Colonies

The Executive body is led by the Triumvirate comprised of the President, Vice President and the Political & Morale Commander. The president of Aldia is the head of state, head of government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the director of domestic governance, policy-making, and foreign affairs. The President may then delegate any type of task to the Vice President. The president also chooses a council of ministers who is required to not be affiliated with any political parties. The final position of the Triumvirate is the Political & Morale Commander who also serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Additionally, should the entire presidential line of succession becomes incapacitated, or by approval of the Colonial Senate, the Political & Morale Commander would assume the duties of the President and become the acting-head of government & state and establish an emergency military government until such a time when general elections can be held to restore a civilian government. The President & Colonial Parliament may outline general goals and objectives to the military but all execution is left to the hands of the military.

Unlike the President and Vice President who are directly elected by citizens, the Political & Morale Commander is appointed by the President from among members of CSDF High Command, the highest operational command of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. After a candidate has been chosen, he or she must be vetted and confirmed by the Colonial Senate. The purpose of this confirmation is to establish a legal and binding "blessing" that the civilian government authorizes and recognizes the legality of when the CSDF becomes an emergency military government should the need arise. This is to prevent allegations and accusations of a coup d'tat either from domestic or foreign opponents. The purpose of the Triumvirate and separation of military control from civilians is to eliminate the politicization of the military as was the case during the Unsung War. The Political & Morale Commander also shows the extent of the military's influence over the civilian government. The population has become increasingly militarized since the 1900s due to a series of conflicts between the United Colonies and aliens throughout its territories. A conflict that has continued to date.

Legislative

See Main Article: Parliament of the United Colonies

The Colonial Parliament houses the central legislature of Aldia, all legislative decision making on the national level takes place in the Colonial Parliament. The Colonial Assembly is the lower house and proposes legislation to the upper house to be approved and ratified and monitors the executive body of the nation. A total of 520 seats can be obtained in Parliament, each colony has been assigned a total of 18 seats whereas Aldia is assigned 130 seats. The remaining 30 seats are allocated to the Colonial Administration Authority who represents those who live on Space Habitats. The upper house is comprised of 97 seats. Each colony may appoint 4 members whereas Aldia may appoint 10 senators. The CAA has 7 representatives appointed as Senators. The Senate is vested with significant powers as it has the capacity to either pass or block legislation put forward by the President and the Colonial Assembly. The power of impeachment also rests with the Colonial Senate. In both the Colonial Senate & Assembly, both government and opposition must secure half of the votes available in their respective houses in order to pass a legislative bill.

Three major political parties dominate politics in Aldia, followed with five minor parties. The three major parties are: the progressive Aldian Labor Party (ALP), the environmentally conscious Aldian Greens (AG) and the conservative Coalition. The Coalition is an association of three parties; the Nationals, Liberals and Republicans. There are five minor parties, the largest of which has attained a total of five seats in the Colonial Assembly, and two in the Colonial Senate. These five parties are; the nationalist & militaristic Greater Aldia party, the left-wing Socialist Party of Aldia, the ultra-conservative & anti-immigration Family First party, the isolationist Lone Nation party and the Green Brigade, a radical environmentalist party.

Colonial

The Colonial Administration Authority is a government body responsible for pioneering and maintaining the nation's colonization programs. The Colonial Administration Authority also advises the Colonial Parliament and Executive body in the governance and administration of the colonies and its Extra-Solar Territories. Each colony enjoys some degree of autonomy where the colonies are able to regulate most of their internal affairs. A colony is headed by a Premier who is the de facto head of the executive body of a colony and perform the same function as the President does on a colonial level. A planetary Colonial Parliament forms the legislative body of a colony. To distinguish between the central Colonial Parliament and an individual colony's parliament is that the name of the colony is mentioned as an additional title (Eg; the Colonial Parliament of Prosperity), whereas the central parliament is simply referred to as the Colonial Parliament.

Judicial

Most civil disputes are heard in local Colonial Courts and appeals are heard before a High Colonial Court. The High Court of the United Colonies is the country's highest court, and hears final cessation appeals and conducts case reviews. The Colonial Constitutional Court hears matters in regards to the legality of laws, general elections and the scope of the authority of state institutions. Since the invention of cryo-technology Aldia has ceased the practice of capital punishment and replaced it with an indefinite sentence in a cryo-prison. Those condemned are confined forever in cryostasis until they have served their sentence (or forever if they are sentenced for eternity, a time period made possible with cryo-tech).

Administrative Divisions

"Why do we bother keeping colonies within the United Colonies fold? Because CAA budget and logistics established those colonies. Because the CSDF defended them from pirates and other internal and external threats. And because they're Aldians. In a hostile galaxy, you are either with us, or against us." - Orlanda Petroika, Vice Admiral and Director of the Office of Naval intelligence

Starmap of the United Colonies.

The United Colonies territories encompasses seven star systems (one home system and six colonized star systems), seven additional star systems within the United Colonies' sphere of influence, twenty established colonies, thousands of space habitats, six Special Administrative Sectors and five mining colonies and the home planet of Aldia herself. Old and established colonies are often reclassified as Protectorates under the UCA, this distinction is given to colonies that has contributed immensely to the growth and prosperity of the United Colonies. A Protectorate has a higher degree of autonomy than a colony. Each Protectorate and colony has its own bicameral parliament and maintains residual legislative functions including those over schools, local colonial courts, public roads and transport, utilities and local government. Space habitats are independent city-states that are governed directly by the Colonial Administration Authority. They are represented in the Colonial Parliament by the CAA. Extra-Solar territories are territories that are not considered as colonies but fall under the jurisdiction of the United Colonies and by extension, the Colonial Administration Authority. Extra-Solar territories are generally military outposts on asteroids or remote mining colonies. They do not have any degree of self governance and are directly administered by the United Colonies. Extra-Solar Territories with military outposts are governed by the highest-ranking military personnel stationed, in most cases a Brigadier General. Those that are not military outposts are governed by an appointed Administrator from the Colonial Administration Authority.

Special Administrative Sector

Special Administrative Sectors (SAS) are territories within the United Colonies that exercise a high degree of autonomy with little or not interference from the government of the United Colonies. The legal basis of Special Administrative Sectors is provided in Article 41 of the Constitution of the United Colonies of Aldia. Article 41 reads: the state may establish Special Administrative Sectors when necessary. All laws and powers to be delegated shall be determined by both the state and the provisional government of the candidate Special Administrative Sector on a case-by-case basis. Under this policy SASs continue to possess their own system of government, separate citizenship, monetary system, police force, legal system, national sports team, separate customs policy, education system and a substantial amount of freedom to engage in external affairs with other countries with no interference from the United Colonies. The United Colonies is only responsible for an SASs' defense and foreign relations. Citizens of SASs are citizens of both their SAS of origin and a citizen of the United Colonies. In turn, citizens of the United Colonies who were not born from, or whose parents were not of a descent from an SAS, are all considered as permanent residents of all SASs. Due to their high degree of autonomy an SAS may not send delegates to vote in the Parliament of the United Colonies, they may however send observers to voice their opinions and concerns. Special Administration Sectors were codified into the Constitution of the United Colonies in anticipation of the integration of alien governments who wish to join the United Colonies. Extensive research on the integration of alien cultures all concluded that the annexation of established alien governments would gradually lead to an all out rebellion against the government of the United Colonies who would be seen as outright conquers and imperialists. The papers recommended that these alien civilizations be allowed to maintain their previous way of life, uninterrupted by the United Colonies in all areas except national defense and foreign relations. There are currently six Special Administrative Sectors in the United Colonies.

Below is a list of known Colonies, Special Administrative Sectors, Extra-Solar Territories and Space Habitats. The latter mostly forming loose confederacies and associations among themselves for better governance.

Economy

Aldia's economy is currently valued at 809 trillion Colonial Credits and has maintained a mixed economy where both the private and government sectors play important roles. Before the 20th century the economy, state-owned enterprises dominated a majority of Aldia's economy, a result of the Interplanetary War where the government nationalized large numbers of corporations as a result of private corporations that attempted to incite colonial secession. Since the beginning of the 20th century the government has taken steps to re-privatize industries and has gradually allowed the private sector to return. However certain goods and services which are considered as either public-goods/services (eg: water, power, healthcare) or strategic in nature (arms-manufacturing, IT services) are still managed by a state-owned enterprise or extensively regulated. A number of government regulatory agencies administers and regulates the economy of the United Colonies. The Interstellar Commerce Commission (ICC) is the largest government body that monitor and administer all economic activity within the United Colonies. The ICC is further divided into several departments that focus on specific areas of the economy such as the Department of Commercial Shipping (DCS) that maintains the Merchant Navy of the United Colonies.

The Aldian Monetary Administration (AMA) is the central bank of the United Colonies and is the second oldest agency of the United Colonies, having been formed since the time of the Aldian Cooperative. The AMA manages the currency, money supply & interest rates of the United Colonies. It no longer oversee the commercial banking or financial services sector, as those functions have been transferred to the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FSA is an independent and autonomous government agency responsible for monitoring, supervising and auditing the financial services & commercial banking sector. All firms that operates in the financial sector, both domestic and foreign, must be registered and approved by the FSA before they are permitted to begin operations within the United Colonies. The FSA conducts both scheduled and unscheduled audits of all firms in the financial services sector. While the ICC is the largest government body, the FSA is arguably one of the most powerful due to its autonomous nature, free from interference from all levels of government as the FSA is ultimately responsible to the public. Trade in the United Colonies is divided into two distinct areas. Raw minerals and other natural resources are mined and extracted from the outer colonies and transported to the inner colonies where they are refined for both the domestic and export market. The mining, agricultural, manufacturing and resource extraction industries generally operate in the outer colonies due to cheaper operation costs, exporting the resources they extracted to the inner colonies to be refined. Meanwhile, the education, financial, tourism and information technology sectors are mostly centered around the inner colonies.

State-Owned Enterprises

See Main Article: Thermae Holdings

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has always held a key role in the economy of the United Colonies, these are companies that are owned by the government through its shares. State-Owned Enterprises are usually given either monopoly rights or certain advantages in the market in the provision of certain goods and services that are deemed to be strategic in nature (infrastructure, banking arms manufacturing, communications), merit & demerit goods/services (water, electricity, healthcare, transportation legalized drugs, alcohol) and natural resources. Like the private sector, all SOEs must abide by all laws, regulations and practices as set forth by the Interstellar Commerce Commission and the Financial Services Authority. The purpose of having SOEs maintain market control over certain goods & services is to protect by public and government interests in those sectors. The Interplanetary War demonstrated that lack of control over certain sectors of the economy would allow private corporations to obtain quasi-governmental aspects. The Interplanetary War highlighted the control and power of these mega-corporations where they held political control over certain colonies and countries.

Thermae Holdings Private Limited (often abbreviated as Thermae) is the largest and primary holding company of all State-Owned Enterprises in the United Colonies. It is owned by the Government of the United Colonies and was established on February 3rd 1621. It is an active shareholder and investor, managing the portfolios of all SOEs in Aldia as well as hundreds of more private companies. Its investments are guided by three key themes: ensure accessibility & affordability of all public goods and services, reduce income inequality and growing lower-income populations. Thermae Holdings maintains control over all SOEs on behalf of the Government of the United Colonies through either absolute or majority ownership of an SOE's shares. Thermae has also obtained shares of many private companies whose vision and goal fit with Thermae's three guiding policies. Thermae only possess partial ownership of these private companies.

Science & Technology

The Arms and Information Technology has been the two largest manufacturing industries in the United Colonies. Most if not all of the weaponry ranging from small arms to capital warships utilized by law enforcement and the military in Aldia are produced domestically. The United Colonies were able to invent its own indigenous Faster-Than-Light (FTL) engine known as the Slipspace Drive without interference from another space-faring civilization. The Slipspace Drive has often been seen as the most important invention in Colonial history. The Slipspace Engine was developed by scientists from the United Science & Technology Administration, the chief scientific research & space exploration body of the United Colonies. Without the Slipspace Drive, human civilization on Aldia would not have been able to colonize extra-solar planetary bodies and remain confined to the Aldian system. Colonial scientists in the Transcontinental Space Agency also invented the Pathway, an interstellar communications network that delivers information across interstellar distances for both military and civilian personnel. The types of information sent varies as simple and small as an email, to as large and data-consuming as a real-time holographic projection. The information can be sent, received and downloaded in real time whether or not the person accessing Waypoint is in transit in Slipspace, real-space or the furthest planet in the outer colony. Pathway is also the public broadcaster of the United Colonies, providing up-to-date news around the United Colonies. Pathway is provided by a number of private telecommunication firms but it is maintained, regulated and administered by the Colonial Communications Authority (CCA).

The United Science & Technology Administration continues to serve as the primary civilian space exploration and engineering agency of the United Colonies, as it did since the formation of the Aldian Cooperative although its role has since expanded to public research & development of science as well. The USTA is the oldest and most respected government agency in the United Colonies, having been formed since 1513, two hundred years before the United Colonies was established. The USTA continues to pioneer the nation's space exploration and colonization programs, however it no longer regulates and administers the colonies that it established. The USTA also regulates, conducts and monitors the scientific research & development and innovation programs of the United Colonies. Those functions have been relegated to the Colonial Administration Authority. The USTA has submitted a proposal to the Colonial Government for a project to extract resources from a planet without having to establish a surface mine. Instead the USTA would literally crack a planet open and extract the resources directly from the planet's core. If successful and approved it is expected that planet cracking would be able to save costs of up to billions of Colonial Credits from mining operations.

Transportation

Space travel is predominant throughout the United Colonies, with thousands of flight paths for both civilian and military spaceships traveling through real space and the alternate realm of Slipspace. The Directorate General of Transportation is the government agency responsible for coordinating, regulating and intergrating the nations transportation network. This includes both public and private use of transportation. The capability to efficiently transport both people and goods to and from the inner and outer colonies is a critical factor in maintaining the unity and economy of the United Colonies. The Directorate is assisted by several smaller agencies within the Directorate. A network of shuttles and large transport craft ferry people from one colony to another at regular intervals operated by both the government and private firms. Maglev networks are fairly common on the surface of colonized planets to transport citizens from one city to another. Trams, monorails and Mass-Rapid-Transit systems are commonly found in all cities of the United Colonies for travel within a city and to its suburbs. An extensive road network continues to be used by both private cars and busses. A network of Space Elevators ferry people and goods from the surface of a planet to geosynchronous orbit where they transit onto a shuttle or transport for interplanetary or interstellar travel. These space elevators are found on most planets of the United Colonies, eliminating the cost of launch systems to escape the gravity of a planet. Conventional chemical-rocket launch systems has almost been rendered obsolete due to the invention and use of space elevators although they continue to see limited use by the military and some planets in the outer colonies. Traditional ocean liners and ferries continue to serve passengers to cross seas and navigate rivers and lakes found on all colonies.

Demographics

Currently, the United Colonies has a total population of 4.389 billion citizens, a nation wide census is conducted and updated once every five years. A majority of the population, 70%, live in the inner colonies whereas the remaining 30% reside in the newly established outer colonies. Approximately 65% of the population are humans, the remaining 35% are non-humans. As of 2018 the average total fertility rate was 2.2 children per woman, this high fertility rate has been a contributing factor to the high growth rate of the population.

Species Groups

Historically, humans were brought to Aldia from Earth by an unknown alien species and settled on Aldia. It has been hypothesized that the purpose of the aliens was to "seed" habitable planets and to spread life throughout the galaxy. The origin of this "Curator" alien species has been a major source of scientific curiosity. Since its formation, the United Science & Technology Administration has made the discovery and identification of this "Curator" alien species as one of its official mandates. Being the founding species of the United Colonies, humans are the most dominant species in the nation. A large number of alien species joined the United Colonies after first contact was made or became citizens through the nation's refugee program. Currently there are more than twenty alien species who are citizens or hold permanent residency of the United Colonies, a majority of them reside in Special Administrative Sectors within the United Colonies, whereas the remainder reside on Aldia as well as the inner & outer colonies, having successfully integrated with Aldian culture.

Foreign Relations & Military

Aldia will not attack another nation, will not allow another nation to attack them, and will not intervene in the conflicts of other nations. - Prime directive of the Diplomatic Corps.

Aldia has maintained a policy of political non-intervention and isolationism. It is not a member of the World Assembly although Aldia does contain some elements of international law into its own constitution and law. Since the disappearance of the Laptev region the United Colonies has isolated itself even more from the international community, Aldians also rarely conduct travels away from Aldia controlled space. The Foreign Affairs & Trade Administration (FATA) is the government department responsible for spearheading the country's foreign policies. The Diplomatic Corps is the FATA's collective body of accredited diplomats and heads of mission.

Colonial Self Defense Forces

Ships of the Colonial Navy

Main article: Colonial Self-Defense Forces

The Colonial Self Defense Forces (CSDF) is Aldia's unified military body and consists of the Colonial Navy, Colonial Army, Colonial Air Force, Colonial Marine Corps and the Colonial Coastal Defense Force. The Speial Warfare Division (SpecWarDiv) houses all of Aldia's special forces units. The Colonial Self Defense Forces is administered by the Colonial Military Administration (CMA). and supported by a substantial domestic arms manufacturing industry. The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) serves as the primary intelligence gathering and covert operations body of the United Colonies. ONI is headed by a director, usually a Rear Admiral from the Colonial Navy and reports is granted a seat in the CSDF High Command (HIGHCOM), the CSDF's highest operational command. The Political & Morale Commander of the United Colonies is the commander-in-chief of the CSDF. The CSDF utilizes both projectile and energy-based weapons in their armament. Energy shielding is equipped on all ships of the Colonial Navy and some personnel. Passive defense technologies include the Neutron Jammer (N-Jammer), the N-Jammer Canceller and EMP shielding. The CSDF is capable of rapid deployment in space, sea, air and land thanks to a series of strategic logistical emplacements, allowing Joint Strike Forces and Marine Expeditionary Forces to operate independently without external support for a period of 60 days.

The Homefront Initiative is a compulsory 80-day military training program is in force for all citizens, both male and female, who have reached the age of 18 and conscription is provided by law. The CSDF however has been able to maintain above than average personnel without resorting to conscription. Graduates of the Homefront Initiative are given the choice to either continue to remain in the CSDF and pursue a professional military career either as an enlisted, non-commissioned or commissioned officer. Or they may return to civilian life. Approximately a third of all graduates choose to pursue a professional military career whereas the remainder returns to civilian life. Most of those that return to civilian life would later on join the Colonial Guard and serve part-time. Due to the vastness of space the CSDF only places "token garrisons" on every planet under jurisdiction of the United Colonies. These garrisons, along with the Colonial Guard, would become the first line of defense of all planets and installations of the United Colonies. Should the need arise reinforcements can be sent in under a little as 48 hours to the outermost colony.

Colonial Guard

The Colonial Guard is a an organized militia force and is considered as part of the reserve components of the CSDF. Its members serve part time in the Colonial Guard and hold full-time civilian jobs as well. In peace time each Colonial Guard unit is placed under the direct authority of a colony's highest executive body, and may be used during times of national emergencies. In times of war the Colonial Guard forms the first line of defense of a colony and the United Colonies. It is common practice to have elements of a Colonial Guard deployed alongside CSDF personnel in combat zones, however they mostly serve on defense-based role and not offensive. It is comprised of two branches: the Army Colonial Guard and the Naval Colonial Guard. Training is provided by CSDF personnel, however equipment quality and quantity varies between one colony and another. Funding for a Colonial Guard unit is the responsibility of the local Colonial Government.

Law Enforcement & Internal Security

JADE Officers & a Drone patrol the streets of an outer colony city.

The Eye, one of the many C&C centers of the Bureau of Anticipatory Security.

The Judiciary Authority, Detainment & Enforcement (JADE) is the primary law enforcement organization of the United Colonies. The role of the JADE is to enforce Aldian criminal law, investigate common criminal cases, manages the prison system and to protect central government and Aldian interests from crime in Aldia and overseas. The JADE falls under the umbrella of the Colonial Affairs & Trade Authority (CATA) and is one of the most powerful state institution. The CATA itself is the Aldian equivalent of a Ministry of Internal Affairs. While the Foreign Affairs & Trade Authority (FATA) spearheads foreign policy, the CATA is responsible for domestic policy. The JADE has a surveillance network stationed in almost every public space such as but is not limited too: security cameras, drones of various types and listening posts. The JADE provides community policing in the Aldian Capital Territory, and the inner and outer colonies. A large decentralized network of colonial police units augments the strength of the JADE.

Bureau of Anticipatory Security

The Bureau of Anticipatory Security (BAS) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United Colonies and operates under the auspices of both the Department of Justice, Equality & Public Order and the Office of the Attorney-General. The Bureau of Anticipatory Security also serves as a secondary law enforcement agency of the United Colonies. While JADE is responsible for responding to day-to-day crimes, the Bureau responds to high-level crimes such as human and non-human trafficking, the illegal drug trade, cyber crimes, fight public corruption, kidnapping, significant violent crime and to protect the civil rights of all citizens of the United Colonies. To do so the BAS makes use of the JADE's surveillance network as well its own extensive suite of surveillance capabilities namely real-time satellite tracking and tactical assets. The difference between the surveillance network utilized by the JADE and the BAS is that the JADE is authorized to only utilize terrestrial infrastructure whereas the BAS may operate non-terrestrial installations and infrastructure.

In contemporary times the BAS has been focused primarily on the area of colonial insurgency and the threat of incursions from Alien species who have yet to break through pre-industrial age societies. While public support for secession movements is at an all time low, secessionist advocacy groups have continued to lobby local colonial governments to break away from the United Colonies. Some mega-corporations with strong ties with the outer-colonies such as Syntax Corp, Agri Group and Helsman Industries are under close surveillance by the Bureau as they are suspected to have provided funding for secessionist groups. The primary motivation for the megacorporations to support the independence of the outer colonies to be free from the economic & financial regulations of the United Colonies. Lessons learned from the Interplanetary War included the regulation and oversight of the private sector, with key regulation and taxation laws which are aimed to prevent private corporations from obtaining quasi-governmental powers. This includes the restriction of maintaining private security contractors by private corporations.