United Stellar Confederacy

The United Stellar Confederacy is an alliance of inhabited worlds centered around and lead from Earth. It is one of the dominant factions within the Starlaunch setting.

History
While first contact with alien species dates back to the end of the Reign of Fire in 921 PC, it wasn't until sometime after 1830 PC that jump drive technology became available, supplanting the previously limited access to jump gates and portals. Human exploration of space was swift and intense, with numerous worlds charted and species contacted within the first century. Trouble began to arise however as the human ambitions in space extended beyond merely visiting worlds, and they began to establish permanent colonies in distant systems.

The solution to a long and painful period of shifting alliances and borders was the establishment of a formal, permanent bond of mutual defense and economic cooperation. The USC was founded in 2245 PC, incorporating the mongru, mhen tep, and human empires, along with several eldrynn colonial holdings. Humans, comprising the bulk of the alliance, were chosen to lead.

While initially founded to be an inclusive diplomatic union, the USC did not stay one for long. From the period of 2377 to 2565 PC, the USC was a de facto human empire, with several systems and even some species forcibly annexed. This was seen at the time as a necessary response to the rising threat of the Urk Empire, though in truth it was used to justify military action against systems and species many light years removed from the front. Dissenting voices were ignored or actively silenced. While this sem-official "humans first" stance has ended, the effects are still felt far and wide, and the USC is still culturally very human.

Organization
USC headquarters are located in Atlantis on Earth. It is ruled by a President, currently Cholo M'bek, who is elected for a term of 6 solar years. No nonhuman has ever been elected to this post.

The President is supported and advised by a Ruling Council made up of representatives of all major species and colonial holdings, which form the legislative branch of the USC. Notably, many species and planets are deemed minor and excluded from the council, such as the sharpheen. Excluded members have no confederate-wide voting rights but are still considered citizens.

While the President and Ruling Council are the supreme authority within the confederacy, member worlds may enjoy a great deal of autonomy. As a general rule a confederate world must respect the rights of all confederate citizens and adhere to some basic universal statutes, but are otherwise permitted to govern as they see fit. This is not always true, however, and some worlds may be ruled by a USC garrison force until the local populace is "ready" for a seat on the council.