Commonwealth of Orion

The Commonwealth of Orion is a behind the scenes faction. They care about peace and stability more then anything else.

What is the Commonwealth of Orion?

The Commonwealth of Orion (Commonwealth) is a large xenophobic government spanning much of the (admittedly little) known galaxy in a constant state of expansion, domination, and innovation.

Origin of the Commonwealth of Orion

The United Nations was the precursor to the Commonwealth of Orion.. In response to the formation of the United Soviet Republic, and their leaving of the United Nations in 2056, the UN centralized into the Commonwealth. This led to the beginning of what Space Historians dubbed: the Second Cold War. After the USR’s defeat in 2345 during the Great Systems War, the Commonwealth was the sole dominant known power. They used that power to continually expand, discover, and conquer new systems based on Bluespace Jump-Drive technology.

Timeline of the Commonwealth of Orion

• 1945- Formation of the United Nations
• 1985- Due to massive internal strife, the USSR is absorbed into the People’s Republic of China becoming the People Republic. This led to the permanent United Nations Security Council seat previously held by the USSR switching to the nation of India.
• 2000- Bluespace technology is discovered in a collaboration between prominent scientists from Western Europe and the United States.
• 2005- The first colony ship, The Atlantic, is launched into space, containing people from primarily Western Nations. Various corporations received massive business subsidies in exchange for manufacturing inexpensive colony ships.
• 2007- The People’s Republic launched their first colony ship: The Liberator. However, they have fallen behind the Western Powers who have launched four such ships already. This leads to the Great Space Race, where both nations attempt to colonize valuable systems first.
• 2055- India collapses due to communist revolutionaries and joins the People’s Republic. India’s UN security council seat goes to Brazil, a western power.
• 2056- The People's Republic and its allies leave the UN, due to the lack of say in it forming the United Soviet Republic spanning 42 star systems and 53 planets and habitats. The USR is the dominant power outclassing every other power.
• 2057- The United Nations reforms into the Commonwealth of Orion to combat the United Soviet Republic, spanning 64 star systems and 84 planets and habitats. Thus begins the Second Cold War. Orion is the galactic sector Earth and the majority of human held systems resides.
• 2060- Nanotrasen creates handheld laser gun technology, selling multitudes of laser products to the Commonwealth. Nanotrasen enters a Golden Age.
• 2062- The Commonwealth, with their laser weaponry advantage, declares war on the United Soviet Republic. The war, which was supposed to last two years, entered into a stalemate, despite the collapse of all United Soviet Republic’s holdings on Earth.
• 2082- The war rages with the USR encountering the first alien species, the Zaqara, and forcing them to fight for the USR. The Zaqara was a primitive yet robust species. This event leads to strong xenophobic sentiments across the Commonwealth.
• 2345- The Commonwealth finishes off the last bastion of the United Soviet Republic on the Zaqaran homeworld of Zaq. Zaq is destroyed through the utilization of asteroid redirection. The remnants of the USR flee into unknown space, becoming known as the Interstellar Soviet Union. With the end of the war, the Commonwealth resumed its aggressive expansion across space.
• 2430- One thousand systems have been colonized, but still no more species have been encountered.
• 2480- Nanotrasen, Donk Co., Waffle Co., and various other companies sign a treaty with the Commonwealth allowing one to sell their soul and self to a company. This deal leads to a massive backlash across the Commonwealth with various systems seceding from the Commonwealth notably New Quebec.
• 2520- The Syndicate is founded in opposition to Nanotrasen’s dominance in funding the Commonwealth's subjugation of the seceding systems. This begins the Company Cold War. From this point on, the Commonwealth is in a state of trying to ensure the companies do not fight overtly or harm anyone who has not sold their soul.
• 2521- Discovery of the Unathi who are a second class species across Human Space, with few companies willingly employing them asides from Nanotrasen.
• 2523- Discovery of the Mothmen, who also experience species bias, but their leadership's clever diplomacy result in a higher standing than other xeno species.
• 2550- A new resource called Plasma is discovered in the system of Xamor on a planet dubbed “Lavaland”. Plasma is discovered in adjacent systems as well. Plasma Men are discovered and Nanotrasen begins to employ them for menial or dangerous roles.
• 2555- Nanotrasen is permitted to build a Space Station above Lavaland sparking intense backlash from the Syndicate. Nanotrassen got this permission due to massive bribes to many Commonwealth officials. Neutral Commonwealth officials quickly start attempts to allow the Syndicate their own space station but are slowed by NT bribed officials.
• 2556- Present day. The Commonwealth is attempting to allow the Syndicate a Lavaland station before the Cold War between NT and the Syndicate goes hot, while also having to focus on the reconquest of rebelling systems.

Government of the Commonwealth of Orion

The Commonwealth of Orion is technically a democratic republic, with each system having a say in the direction of the nation. However, this is rarely the case. The Senate has grown too large to pass many actions, leading to the majority of the power resting on the President of the Commonwealth. The President leads for five years at a time and passes most orders through executive action. However, each president for the last 300 years has been under the thumb of a secretive shadow cabal, who manipulates every president through threats, family hostages, and bribes. This cabal consists primarily of rich political elites from Earth. Little is known of this cabal, other than that the NT and Syndicate both have sway in their efforts.

Notable Planets of the Commonwealth

Earth

Earth is the old capital of the Commonwealth of Orion, located in the system of Sol. During the Great Systems War, the capital was moved to the more strategic and central location of Orion Prime. In the modern day, Earth serves as one of the largest population and cultural centers of the commonwealth. Though the beauty Earth once knew is mostly gone, limited to a few National Nature Preserves. Earth is still seen as the great home of all humans. Many people of the commonwealth, will take at least one trip to Earth in their lifetimes.

Orion Prime

Orion Prime is the modern capital of the Commonwealth of Orion, located in the system of Betelgeuse. The planet of Orion Prime is renowned across the Commonwealth for being the home of the main bureaucratic centers for the Commonwealth. Along with this, Orion Prime was one of the first planets colonized by Human colonists in 2022. Orion Prime was a warm world with vast oceans and large archipelagos, affectionately called the planet of 10,000 Islands. In the current day, many of these oceans have been drained, and the world houses a population of sixty billion. This planet is one of the most important across Commonwealth space.

New America

New America is the shipbuilding building capital of the Commonwealth. The drydocks and shipyards at New America are unmatched across the galaxy. Located in the system of Alpha Centauri, New America was the first planet settled by the old United States of America. New America was originally a mining world, rich in ore. These ores are all gone now, with New America transforming itself into a shipbuilding world. A unique aspect of this world is its ring. An orbital Elysium surrounds this moonless world, and it is nearly all dedicated to shipbuilding for the Commonwealth. The company owning all these shipyards is the National Commonwealth Shipbuilding Firm. The National Commonwealth Shipbuilding Firm is a nationalized company, independent from Syndicate or Nanotrasen influence. In the modern day, New America is a vastly populated planet, full of warehouses, shipyards, and ore refinement factories.

Overview of the Commonwealth in Current Day

The Commonwealth is a nation of constant expansion, believing in the ideas of human superiority. Currently, they are at their largest on paper, consisting of 2,342 systems and many more worlds. However, approximately 200 worlds are in revolt, and corruption is rampant in the outskirts of human colonized space. The Syndicate and Nanotrasen are both keys to the Commonwealth’s success, due to funding various necessities of normal citizens' lives, and the Commonwealth industry. The Commonwealth of Orion are doing their best to keep the Syndicate and Nanotrasen appeased in these trying times.