Solar Worlds
Notice:
All images in this story are taken from Google Images and or Pinterest, I do not have the copyright use for these images and if so desired, I shall happily remove them should the rightful owners ask.
I wish to make clear however that I do not make any stories from my short stories, though I may one day try and publish properly though this is not definite.
The Sol System:
The Home system for humanity, the Sol System comprised of all planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids etc within its set boundaries, throughout its history the human race has been fascinated with the celestial bodies around their home world. For thousands of years it was thought that the balls in the sky that shone at night were gods and spirits and many cultures transcribed various amounts of information of the night sky and the divine beings connected to them.
Eventually humanity would learn the truth of space and the scientific understanding of it began thoroughly, so much so that an entire field of study was created with the singular focus being the stars. In honour of their home world however as well as their ancestors, many of the stars in the sky as well as the planets that orbited the sun were given names that aligned them to Earth and its varying cultures.
The Planets were named after gods and goddesses in honour of their almost divine nature of being so far away but close enough to see. Constellations were given more human like names that linked what they gave an imagined image of such as Ares, Taurus, Leo etc.
The Space Race of the 20th Century
It wouldn't be until the 20th century of properly recorded history that humanity took a greater interest in the idea of going beyond its own planet. At first everything was focused around the imagination of it all, the idea of going to the moon and perhaps even further still to other planets and what could be found there. Some imagined some worlds to be like Earth, beautiful and full of life, with rivers and lakes, other people created entire novels of what was called science fiction, imaging the idea of a spaceman going to another world and finding an entire race of people living there.
Slowly however such ideas were dashed to the pages of fiction as technology arose to the point that finally objects could be sent far beyond the stratosphere, eventually a race began for glory and prestige, between two powerful nations, The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. These two nations embattled each other for political dominance over planet Earth for decades and one of their "Battlegrounds" was the race to go into outer space.
At first it appeared that it would be the Soviet Union that would win this race, as they were the nation to gain the first achievements, from the first man in space, the first "satellite" known as "Sputnik". But in the end the victory of the Space Race went to the United States who achieved the success of being the first to land a man on humanities closest celestial body, their moon and not just once but a number of successful missions.
However following these victories, interest in the moon rapidly went away as did the idea of space exploration, both nations began to focus more on other areas and soon all of humanity seemed to have given up on anything to do with the wider solar system. Only with robotic machines did they continued their efforts to achieve a greater scientific understanding of the wider universe and even then such efforts were limited.
The Crisis of the 21st Century:
Things rapidly changed during the latter half of the 21st Century, this was mostly due to the growing limitation of natural resources, centuries of extraction and limited interest in long term sustainability led to a break down of natural ecosystems and some parts of the planet rapidly began to change. The growing need for resources by the different major powers meant that there was a constant struggle for influence and access to resources in relatively unstable nations, such as on the African Continent and different parts of Asia and South America.
Internal strife and political instability became weapons for foreign powers to manipulate those nations that had resources greatly desired by others, some were committed clandestinely, from behind the scenes, other instances of influence being used came more openly, by one major launching attacks against a smaller nation to remove an unfriendly government or influence policy decisions. All so that major powers could gain access and control to natural resources such as minerals, oil, natural gas etc.
Eventually however the needs got greater and greater as the world began to eat its way through every possible resource, soon oil became so expensive that it became reserved for critical use. Further down the line energy production ground to a slow decline as the fuel sources began to become more depleted, countless countries began to work towards a desperate effort to alter their energy supply towards natural and so called "Green Energies", in the form of solar panels, wind turbines and geo-thermal energy, sources that were renewable and replenishable.
But it was not enough, soon the worlds economy took a downwards spiral as efforts came too late, the world was on the brink of a Third World War as Nuclear nations began to turn their weapons of mass destruction towards one another.
Humanity was on the brink and Earth was bleeding to death.
The United Space Accords and the Unified Space Initiative:
What saved humanity was a last ditch effort by a select few in the United Nations who recognised that a global conflict would be the nail in the coffin for the planet, so efforts were put into effect to try and end the conflict before it truly began.
A proposal was put forward to refocus the various nations of the world skywards, as it had been proven already that the different planets and asteroids of the solar system had an abundance of raw materials and resources that could provide humanity a life line and start repairing the fractured ecosystems of the planet. After months of discussion the members of the United Nations Security Council began the formulation of new International body, the United Space Accords were signed which brought together all the major space agencies of planet Earth.
So NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Agency], ROSCOSMOS [Russian Federal Space Agency], CNSA [Chinese national Space Agency], ESA [European Space Agency], JAXA [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency], ISRO [Indian Space Research Organisation] and CSA [Canadian Space Agency] all came together to form the Unified Space Initiative or U.S.I. This global spanning effort allowed for the cooperation of various fields of science and engineering, with each signatory promising to share resources, materials, manpower and expertise to the effort of saving humanity from extinction and restoring planet earth.
Each member was also required to ensure that the conflicts of the past over resources would no longer occur on planet earth, nations were to be respected and internal political matters could not be manipulated for the benefit of other powers. In effect for the first time in history mankind was technically at peace.
The early years of the U.S.I were focused on exploration and identification, numerous rockets were sent to the moon, Mars and other nearby celestial bodies, with the focus being on the locating of natural resources that could provide support to Earth. At first concentrations were placed upon the moon, where it was known that a number of natural resources were already present, notably frozen H2o as well as the means of supporting the growing energy crisis, through the harvesting and usage of Helium 3.
The first missions to the Moon were focused on foundation, not for colonisation but for resource extraction and energy transference. Sites such as Shackleton and Copernicus were founded to serve as hubs for mining efforts and energy production, with just a few months of combined effort, the moon was beginning to send back to Earth all manner of resources, from magnetite, to Helium 3, lithium, lanthanum, titanium and other vital resources that helped ease the difficulties on Earth.
The Colonisation of the Solar System:
The successes of the Lunar efforts led to a greater thrust of progress to do more, the U.S.I began making plans for a longer and more permanent presence on the moon, seeing it as a stepping stone. Among the leading efforts was "Project Leap Frog", the plan detailed the establishment of a permanent settlement and colonisation effort on the moon and using the moon as a forward base to push further out into the wider solar system.
The plan detailed that the moons lesser gravity and abundance of resources meant that it would cost significantly less for a rocket to be launched and go to another planet with the main goal being Mars, which was considered the best option of interplanetary colonisation. After considerable efforts, by the beginning of the 2130s, the United Nations formally declared that the Moon was no longer a separate entity but instead was officially colonised as the colonisation efforts had been so successful, whilst in the past, the colonial efforts were reliant on resupply from Earth, notably in food, by this point the Moon had hydroponics and other facilities that produced viable crops, enough to feed the population properly with almost no support from Earth.
This allowed the U.S.I to begin making preparations for its planned missions to other celestial bodies, notably Mars and even Venus. With the resources of the moon, it allowed rapid construction of a series of missions which resulted in the first habitat being established on Mars properly in 2139 and soon this was expanded on into a complete U.S.I colonial outpost, in honour of its location, the settlement was given the name Olympus Mons after the highest mountain on Mars.
Within a few years, Olympus Mons was joined by dozens of new outposts, however these were more private efforts, whilst Olympus was a U.S.I outpost focused around long term colonisation efforts on Mars, these other sites were established by private industries with the focus being resource extraction for profit. At first this was seen as beneficiary for all parties, as Earth continued to receive resources that were needed to continue its efforts in stabilising the planet and the U.S.I could focus on colonisation efforts.
As Mars started to take shape as a viable home for humanity, efforts began to spread further afield, plans were put forward for Venus, Mercury, the moons of Jupiter, Saturn even as far as Pluto and Charon. These successes and the advancement of technologies thanks to the efforts of the U.S.I led to the different nations that signed the United Space Accords and members of the Unified Space Initiative to come together once again to create for the first time ever a single unified "One Earth Government". The United Nations was reformed into a more singular overarching government, with all member nations properly signing the Alliance as well as the promises involved.
The United Nations would not overturn the individual governments but rather would serve as humanities singular government on the level of the Solar System, so each nation continued to be sovereign states but the U.N council would vote and implement policies and laws that effected humanity as a whole across both Earth and the wider solar system. It was granted its own Navy and Army, known as the Earth Defence Force and United Nations Navy respectfully, with the express purpose of these services to be defence and security of Earth and the different colonies, each Colonies civil governance came under the United Nations Colonial Administration.
But as is usually the case with humanity, celestial storm clouds were gathering on the horizon and the needs of Earth were soon questioned by those born on other worlds.
Growth of Discontent:
By 2189 the sol system had shrunk quite considerably, as colonisation efforts had blossomed immensely, Mars now had entire cities built into the rock beneath the surface or within huge protective domes, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn had been colonised for years, where facilities produced all kinds of resources as well as special hydroponics and aeroponics.
Even Earth itself was changing, the resources from the Intersolar colonies enabled the planet to start healing, technology had blossomed and through it enabled the careful recovery of ecosystems, the atmosphere, global warming was reversed, Earth was becoming a green planet once again. However the influx of resources continued, which caused a growing sense of mistrust and disgruntled ideas, by this point there had been entire generations that had been born and raised on these other celestial bodies and many didn't really regard Earth as home, rather many peoples started to refer to themselves by the planet or moon of their birth.
For example on the Earths own moon, where the colonists referred to themselves as Lunarites and the moon itself as Lunar, these people began to become more and more distant to Earth and not just because of distance, but rather the recognition in some that the Moons resources were not being used for the benefit of the colony but rather for Earth. Many Lunarites believed that to Earth, the moon was just simply a resource factory and energy provider and that it cared little for the effort the colony put into the production of Fusion energy and the remarkable M.P.T network which allowed the transmission of energy from the moon to Earth.
A movement on the Moon known as the Lunarite Separatists movement believed that the colony should receive payment from Earth for the use of the M.P.T and that each and every colonist should be given a dividend of this payment. Soon they began to pressure the Lunar Council of the U.S.I for Earth to grant more and more autonomy and self governance for the Lunar colony.
The Mars colony was in a similar situation, the people here began regarding themselves as Martians first and since the colony was growing rapidly both in the size of the settlements, cities and of course population, there were calls that Mars should be granted some element of self autonomy. One of the biggest arguments was the simple fact that Mars provided a huge amounts of ore and resources to Earth and some were stating that those resources should be going to Mars or at the least the colony should be properly compensated for the work to procure and then send off these resources.
Then there are the colonies even further, such as those on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, these colonies were similar to other celestial colonies, they felt that Earth was not an effective form of governance for them, what with it being so far off. Many felt that the Earth bound governments couldn't lead them properly as they knew nothing of how they lived, of how the moons were very different, if they didn't know any of this.
Then how could they be expected to give good and understandable decisions in regards of policy making.
Overtime the growing tension led to the formation of Political factions that all sought similar goals, autonomy from the Governing bodies of Earth, in the early efforts, these groups desired the usage of the political process of achieving more and more autonomy with the handing of their own affairs step by step.
The Intersolar Wars of Independence:
The incident that kicked off the conflicts between the Celestial bodies and the United Nations began on Mars, where private industry had overstepped, a particular conglomerate from Earth was discovered to have treated their workers with harsh acts. The miners of the Ultor corporation were forced to work in harsh conditions within the mines, many died in mining accidents, others succumbed to the basic living conditions and lack of medical aid which brought about an outbreak of a terrible fever that took the lives of countless workers.
The miners rose up against the Company, the rebellion was successful to an extent, the miners were only victorious thanks to the intervention of the United Nations sending a strong force of soldiers and ships to restore order. During the process they uncovered the deliberate actions of the Ultor Corporation, an inquiry was launched and Ultor was deemed guilty of various crimes, the company was forced to give up their mining operations on Mars as well as in other parts of the system.
However the company was still ever present in other forms, for the miners who had risen in rebellion against Ultor as well as many people on Mars, this was an insult and a fragrant disregard to justice and law. Soon an insurgency began on Mars, under the banner of the Red Faction, a movement of militants that sought to drive Earth from Mars and establish a totally independent Martian nation, in response the United Nations dispatched reinforcements to try and put an end to the insurgency before it grew too big.
But word of the Red Faction and their rebellion kickstarted similar movements in other parts of the Solar System, notably those further from the Sun. On the Moon a group called the Orbital Watch, a militant group took control of several sites and made clear their desire to bring about "Lunars" independence. Further off, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn also started to face violence and aggression against the United Nations Colonial Administration.
Within just a year, the Solar System was caught in a war unlike any other, the United Nations Interstellar Navy was spread thin trying to contain the different factions. But such efforts were limited, for instance on Mars, the Red Faction began to take control of populated sectors, on the moon the Orbital Watch garnered more and more support from the population to the point that there were strikes in the Fusion reactor threatening the M.P.T link to Earth. Further out the moons of Jupiter and Saturn were quickly overtaken as the local independent factions managed to obtain a number of small ships that meant that they could harass the U.N in space itself as well as on the moons.
For a number of years, the conflict brewed with the United Nations broken by indecision on how to combat these independence movements, some desired reconciliation, the desire to bring about peace and recognition of independence for the colonies on the promise that the resources flow once again. Others were more adamant and determined, seeking to send more soldiers and more ships to put down the rebellions across system.
Things changed in 2196, when the Red Faction launched a major offensive across most of Mars, the guerrilla fighters and insurgents came out into the open and began fighting in open warfare against the E.D.F forces. Similar events soon started to occur in other colonies, the Jupiter Moon and those on Saturn were practically under the control of the Separatists, only the colonies of Venus and Mercury remain loyal to the United Nations, but it was becoming clear that Earth was losing control of its Solar colonies. Worse still with resources being restricted due to most of the materials coming from colonies like Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, the U.N Navy soon found itself running low of materials, then there was the political angle, the population on Earth were rapidly turning against the conflicts in the stars, they wanted an end to the constant fighting and the deaths of their loved ones.
The final straw came in the spring of 2198 when the Red Faction on Mars officially declared the creation of a new government on the planet, the Martian Commonwealth. This was followed by mutinies across the U.N Navy, crews and ships from the colonies began defecting and joining the different Independents movements. A number joined Mars, becoming the Red Faction Navy, others joined the Jupiter and Saturn Movements, even some civilian vessels joined these new independent navies, being refitted into improvised warships.
Since the only ace in the hole that the United Nations had was its Navy, despite the clear power of its navy, they were now more vulnerable as the rebels began striking at convoys moving between worlds. Soon there were open engagements in orbit of Mars, as the stretched thing U.N Navy was forced out of Martian orbit and had to retreat to a naval base over the Martian moon of Phobos.
Threats were made, with some declaring that the U.N should authorise the use of nuclear or more powerful weapons against Insurgent strongholds to regain the initiative and turn the tables against the enemy. However this was turned down in favour of another plan, a second fleet of warships, made of the U.N reserves carrying fresh battalions of E.D.F soldiers were dispatched to Mars whilst a second smaller force was dispatched to the Moon.
The intention was to solidify a hold on the Moon and Mars consecutively and slowly start pushing back, however just as the fleet for Mars was beginning its journey, the Martian Commonwealth sent a message on an open frequency, it was calling on all sides to put aside their weapons and begin talks for a renewed peace.
Humanity together, the signing of the Intersolar Treaty:
The end of the wars came about when political pressure finally forced the governments of the Earth to come to the negotiating table, a conference was held on the moon in the autumn of 2198, where representatives from all the different factions came to discuss terms for peace in the Solar System. At the Conference were ambassadors from the United Nations, the Orbital Watch, the Red Faction as well as the Jupiter and Saturn independence movements and dignitaries from Pluto and Charon who were asked to be the neutral party.
Tension was high during the early days, as the conflict was still ongoing in different parts of the solar system, even the moon itself was still technically in a state of warfare, as the Orbital Watch continued to fight against the United Nations in other regions. Though for diplomatic reasons, the location of the Conference was deemed neutral ground where no military forces were permitted, for the sake of safety and security.
The Independence groups demanded recognition for their worlds as totally independent states from Earth, but recognised that their economies were still linked to Earth and vice versa Earth was still very much reliant on the supply of ore coming from the other celestial bodies in the system. Talks went back and forth and the conflict continued to rage in other parts of the solar system, fears were that the conference would break down completely and the fighting would intensify. However hopes came when a representative from the Pluto and Charon Colonies put forward the idea of political and legal secession from the United Nations via planetary referendums, meaning each colony in the planetary or moon based colony would hold a referendum for their population to vote on whether or not they desired independence.
This was deemed acceptable by the other representatives who all agreed that every colony would host free and fair referendums by the following year and the outcomes of said referendums would be the deciding moment in regards of the future. Until the fulfilment of the Referendums and their outcomes a truce would be put into effect calling an end to all fighting across the solar system.
The colonies of the moon went first, who had volunteered to be the host of conference, volunteered to be the host for the counts, so referendum votes would come to the moon and there they would be counted, for security, those performing the count would not be told which planet or moon they were working on, so there would be no interference from the counters as they had no way of knowing who they were counting for. Slowly within just a few months the referendums were organised and the counts delivered under the strictest security, as per the agreement, the votes were not properly marked to an individual colony, only the dignitaries and the heads of state knew which belonged to what colony.
Finally in the summer of 2199 the votes were counted, validated and the results were announced by an system wide declaration hosted on the Moon with all dignitaries and representatives present. Each colonial representative announced the results of their respective colony.
In order of planets from the sun
The Mercury colony formally voted against independence, so did the Venus colony.
For the Colony of Earths Moon, the vote was a clear majority in favour of independence.
The people of Mars voted in favour of independence from the United Nations.
The Moons of Jupiter voted in favour of Independence as did the colonies around Saturn.
Finally the colonies furthest out on Pluto and Charon voted in favour of independence from the United Nations.
The announcements were followed by a wave of celebrations across the solar system as those colonies that desired independence were officially recognised as independent states as per the agreement that allowed the Referendums to go ahead. And upholding the terms, the United Nations formally accepted the referendums and declared that from that point on the colonies of Lunar, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and Charon were now recognised independent states and officially relinquished political and governing authority over them all.
In the days that followed the declaration, formal peace treaties were signed properly ending the Intersolar Wars of Independence these were soon followed up by trade agreements between the various colonies. All of which ended with all of the new governments in the solar system signing the Intersolar Treaty, which detailed the proper territories of the different planets as well as the establishment of diplomatic ties.
For the United Nations a considerable amount of change began following the signing of the treaty, recognising that its direct control led to the growth of independence movements in its colonies. The U.N formally decided to make a change in its colonial administration, plans were put into effect where colonies would have localised government once they reached a level of self sustainability. The idea being that by allowing the colonies to have a level of self autonomy but still have links to Earth then the risk of future conflicts is greatly reduced.
Finally to enable greater viable and economic trade, the treaty called for the creation of a single trade currency, whilst each nation was permitted its own individual form of currency. Some were concerned that trade would be hampered by the rate of inflation or the worth of each individual currency, so the treaty put together the creation of the Inter Solar Credit, a form of currency that would be accepted in each and every nation, with it replacing the gold standard when it came to the worth of a more localised currency
In order of proximity to the Sun
For instance, the United Nations, the Directorate of Mercury and the Venusian Protectorate are bound together as an allied collective with their main rivals being the Pact between Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. In total there are six formally recognised celestial governments within the Sol System that are truly independent of the United Nations, the other colonies are still legally under the protection and governing authority of Earth.
The Directorate of Mercury:
Status: U.N Protectorate
Capital: Solaris
Law Enforcement: Mercurian Civil Autority
Military: N/A
Currency: U.N Credit - Intersolar Credit
The closest planetary colony to the sun and among the most difficult to establish due to its proximity, Mercury took a considerable effort by the U.S.I to properly colonise, various pieces of technology had to be created and implemented to even make it remotely possible. Due to the extreme heat and hazardous solar radiation, the first stage was the boring into the underground of the planet by machines, to reach a relatively safe depth where the worst of the temperature and radiation would be alleviated.
For the entire longevity of its existence Mercury has been very much been reliant on support and aid from other colonies and especially Earth for more than just its security. The colonies of Mercury are focused in two alternate locations the first is at the planets poles in deep craters where large dome structure provide protection and have access to sources of frozen h2o, the other is deep underground accessible by long extinct larva tubes.
Mercury is very much tied to its mineral wealth as tests have proven that the planet has an abundance of various metals with one of the biggest being Iron, this single metal is in such high quantities that during the early years of the colonisation effort, communications were difficult until new forms were created to make it easier. Technically speaking the colony of Mercury is a self governing authority, it elects a Director every two Earth years to serve as a kind of Administrator of the colony and oversee the colonies various needs and issues during their tenure. But there are strict rules for election of an Director, for example to be allegeable for election, a candidate must be a resident of the colony and been one for more than five years.
But Mercury is still under the overall authority of Earth, it cannot for instance make its own diplomatic agreements or trade deals, all is done by the United Nations on behalf of them. Whilst some might be upset about this, the Mercurians as they call themselves are actually comfortable with this system, they know that they have their own self governing authority which even if it has to accept the overall authority of Earth, it is still a system they make for themselves.
During the Intersolar Wars of Independence, Mercury was actually at peace, as none of the population in the colony desired independence, rather they were more in favour of self government over independence as everyone knew that Mercury needs the help of Earth which is considerably closer than worlds that desired independence. So rather than fight, they politically and peacefully pushed the United Nations to hear their requests not their demands and made no threats of violence or aggression. Following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty, Mercury was heard was given an element of self autonomy, as the planet had been overseen by a Colonial Administration Director for years by this point, the officer was maintained however the colonists would now be the ones to decide who will be their governing authority.
Economically Mercury is still very much tied to continued connections with Earth, who to this very day remains the main buyer of Mercurian ores and materials. As well as this Mercury is making strides towards the advancements of technologies and sciences with the focus being to create new means for the colony to expand upon the their existing structures with the hope of making life much easier and far safer for the Mercurians.
The Venusian Protectorate:
Status: U.N Protectorate
Capital: Cloud City
Law Enforcement: Venusian Police Service
Military: N/A
Currency: U.N Credit - Intersolar Credit
The colonisation of Venus was just as hard as any other colony within the Sol System if not more, because of the extremes of Venus itself, it took considerable work to establish a viable first stage settlement on the planet. In fact like Mercury and some other Intersolar colonies, new technologies were required to make it even remotely possible to establish the first settlement.Due to the extremes on the planets actual surface, it was deemed far too dangerous to establish a civil settlement on the actual surface of Venus, despite the different resources that were of worth to Earth and the other colonies. Instead the actual colonies are situated at higher elevations as far from the surface as possible, some refer to the colonies of Venus as in the Clouds or above them, which is partly true. The settlements and city that make up the colony on Venus are mostly built at high elevation due to these locations being more habitable and safe for the residence, the atmosphere is relatively more safe, meaning less of the extreme gases, the temperatures more viable.
Though this doesn't mean that the colony is entirely focused at elevation like high up in the clouds, there are some stations and outposts upon the actual planets surface, at ground level. These stations are more secured and require a considerable amount of effort to maintain when compared to the colonies up higher. Being built at lower elevation means two major issues for those who live and work there, breathable air has to be constantly observed and maintained, temperatures within has to be artificially kept at safe levels, those who work outside have to constantly maintain a liquid coolant within their suits whilst they worked.
These lower stations are all mostly mining facilities as well as research station, places where work is undertaken to extract various resources that drive the colonies economy. Resources like copious amounts of iron, aluminium, titanium, sulfer, the large quantity of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere allows for the production of raw carbon, nitrogen and other resources are found and are extracted on Venus.
During the Intersolar Wars of Independence, Venus remained partly loyal to the United Nations but declared neutrality in the conflict, because like Mercury, the Venusians were very much tied to their exports to the other colonies for their economy and required Terran aid in maintaining the various facilities that make up the colony. Though there were desires for greater self autonomy, the people of Venus chose to remain neutral, but kept political ties to Earth.
When the wars ended, Venus held a referendum like all other colonies but voted to remain with Earth, yet following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty, the United Nations began working to establish more self autonomy for the colonies that had remained with them. In the case of Venus, a Protectorate was founded by the population, as Venus was and still is very reliant on Earth for its protection and security. The structure of the government was carefully established with a ministry and Prime Minister serving as the governing authority, the position of Prime Minister is elective with elections held every Five Earth Years.
the Prime Minister then chooses individuals to serve in their cabinet, with each position being responsible for a certain element of the Colony. For example, the Minister of Education, Minister of Healthcare, Minister of Resource, Minister of the Economy and so on.
The United Nations:
Status: Major Solar Power
Capital: Geneva
Law Enforcement: National
Military: U.N Marines, U.N Navy
Currency: U.N Credit - Intersolar Credit
The governing authority of Earth and its Allies, the United Nations which following the crisis of the 21st Century grew to become more than just a peace keeping organisation. As humanity began to expand into the Solar System, the leading nations of the European Federation, United States, Russia, China, Japan, Canada and India came together and formed the United Space Initiative to save humanity from the crisis and restore Earths varied ecosystems.
To be clear, the members of the United Nations are still sovereign nations, they all still possess their own respective governments and laws, the United Nations is the overall governing authority of Earth and its colonies. Rather than each nation being responsible for their own space agencies, the United Nations oversees the United Space Initiative which is by its own name a unification of the different space agencies from across the planet.
Its purpose is to act as the governing authority for the Intersolar colonies within the Sol system as well as managing the different areas of focus to ensure the continuation of success within said colonies. Later the United Nations as a whole became the authority beyond the boundaries of Earth, so much so that anything to do with space is not bound to any one nations authority, but by the United Nations. The structure is similar to that of the past, each nation has a representative to speak for them in the U.N Assembly, the main core is the security council which comprises the seven founding members of the U.S.I as well as three randomised nations which is changed yearly.
Above them is the Secretary General who serves as the executive authority for the United Nations, meaning it is their responsibility to ensure that the decisions of the council are upheld and followed through. The position is elective and clear rules are set in place by the U.N charter, where the post must be elected every 4 years and a candidate cannot hold the post for more than two terms for the duration of their lives.
As declared in the reformation, the United Nations would be granted its own military force one that is not bound to any of the member nations. The Earth Defence Force replaced the old U.N Peacekeepers, serving as both an armed force but also security, protecting Earth, its colonies and so on on the ground, whilst the U.N Navy would be something entirely new. For unlike the nations of Earth which were not permitted to have their own Intersolar navies, the U.N was and is the only power on Earth permitted to have armed vessels in space, in fact the U.N has a dedicated fleet of warships, ranging from corvettes, cruisers and even 3 battleships.
Following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty in which Earth had to acknowledge the independence of several colonies, the United Nations has remained as the leading governing authority over Earth. But it recognised the need for reform, seeing that the growth of Intersolar colonies and planetary cultures, the U.N undertook referendums to grant those colonies that had remained with Earth, a form of self governance. The plan was accepted by the United Nations assembly and self governance was granted to Mercury and Venus, as the Secretary General of the time declared, "self governance and autonomy eliminates the threat of extremism and radicalism within those colonies and had we implemented it sooner then perhaps we would not have suffered a war in the solar system".
Earth as a whole however is still very reliant on imports of materials and resources from its Intersolar colonies both the planets of Mercury and Venus but also the various asteroid colonies that the U.N has established within the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Some regard Earth as self centred, simply because it is so reliant on the resources coming in from other celestial bodies, in fact the few things that Earth can provide for itself are food, water, air and industry, everything else must be brought in from colonies and independent planets.
The Earth Defence Force:
Role: Peace Keeping and Military
Headquarters: U.N Department of Defence - Geneva - Earth
Founded following the success of the Lunar Colonies and the interest in further efforts into the Solar System, the E.D.F was an agreement by the members of the United Nations for the singular goal of protecting Earth and its colonies going forward. Its original purpose was to be a peacekeeping force on Earth and the colonies specifically in places that a committee believed it was needed.
So much so that when the first Martian Colony began to grow, the U.N dispatched a small contingent of E.D.F troops to establish a presence and ensure the security of the colony. Later bases were built across populated Mars, then further out with E.D.F personnel guarding U.N mining stations, ports and navy bases in the Belt and further still into the outer colonies of Jupiter and Saturn.
By that time, the E.D.F had become the principle military on Earth and the official military of the United Nations, from a force of a few hundred into the tens if not hundreds of thousands of active personnel. The majority were stationed on one of three primary celestial bodies, Earth obviously, the Moon guarding the Helium 3 extraction, the Fusion reactors and the MPT Transmitter, then on Mars which was the largest colonial effort in the Solar System and was key to continued efforts further out.
This however meant that the E.D.F was stretched when the Intersolar Wars of Independence began, originally E.D.F command believed that they could contain the situation and bring a swift end to the conflict. However as the conflict spread to encompass nearly the entire solar system, their resources were stretched further trying to fight multiple independents movements at once, plus despite the advancements in technology, the E.D.F faced similar problems and difficulties as the militaries on Earth had faced against Guerrilla Warfare methods.
Eventually they were spread so thin that it couldn't effectively push back against the insurgents and could only conduct defensive operations or counter the offences of the insurgents. This eventually led to the most embarrassing time of the E.D.Fs history, they began to lose Mars, in a series of battles, the E.D.F began to lose ground against the Red Faction and eventually the entire planet was taken by the Faction, tens of thousands of E.D.F soldiers were forced to surrender and became prisoners of war, vast amounts of equipment and materials were also lost. Which meant that the E.D.F was forced to stretch its already weakened capabilities to the literal breaking point.
Today the E.D.F has been reformed considerably following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty, it has been restructured from just a peacekeeping force into a dedicated military structure, whereas in the past the E.D.F were not granted heavy weapons and heavy vehicles like tanks as they were deemed unsuited for a peacekeeping force. This was changed because in the past, the U.N did not have any real challenges in the solar system, politically speaking, now though they had several independent solar nations to contend with.
So the Earth Defence Force became the U.N military branch with the new purpose of serving to protect Earth and its colonies from any threat be they criminal or foreign nations.
The Force is divided into four branches, two for the primary duties, security and military. The Former is comprised of E.D.F Peacekeepers these are troops that are sent to protect key locations for the U.N as well as being dispatched to places where additional help in maintaining law and order is required or humanitarian aid is required. They are not soldiers in the full sense of the word, they are not sent to combat zones but are trained to the same standards as the marines.
Then there is the E.D.F Colonial Security, who are units stationed in Earths Colonies, at least partly, they serve to protect Asteroid Colonies and U.N Embassies across the Solar System. The E.D.F Marines are the primary military force for the U.N, with equipment and training to make them effective soldiers both in Zero G and on the ground, they are made up of ground troops, armoured vehicles such as A.P.Cs and Tanks. The Elite branch of the E.D.F is filled by the Special Combat and Recon unit or S.C.A.Rs, these are comprised of elite soldiers, the best of the best from the other three branches of the E.D.F, they receive considerably more training, the best equipment because they are expected to undertake the most dangerous missions as well as the most secret, those that require secrecy and stealth over power and might.
The United Nations Navy:
Role: Protection of Earth and Colonies
Headquarters: U.N.N Department of the Navy - Geneva Earth
Originally there was little interest in the creation of an Solar Navy by the governments of Earth, such an idea was deemed to costly due to limited resources that could be used for more important areas of focus. However this changed as the Earth stabilised, resources flowed and the nations of the U.N began to notice the growing reports of smuggling between the colonies and Earth.
So the U.N were authorised a small number of warships, these vessels were small meant only to escort and patrol along the shipping lanes, conduct random boarding for inspections etc. But as the colonies grew in size and the wider solar system was settled, the need for a larger fleet grew with it, so the U.N Navy was expanded to include cruisers and destroyers. One of the reasons for this was the growing number of ships that were crossing the Solar System between the colonies.
One of the reasons was concerns of criminal elements taking advantage of the ships moving to and from different locations across the Solar System and may start either smuggling or worse conduct acts of piracy, so the nations of the U.N wanted a deterrent. Something to make any would be pirate from trying anything on the vessels travelling through space. This meant that for much of the early years of the U.N Navies existence, it mostly conducted training exercises, undertook patrols, random boarding and inspections of vessels, escorted ships of importance and nothing else.
This rapidly changed when the Intersolar Wars of Independence began to erupt, the U.N Navy now had a critical role in transporting materials, munitions, supplies and reinforcements between the different Colonies, protecting shipyards and other facilities in space and so on. But there were concerns among certain individuals chief among them the Secretary of the Navy, who were concerned the U.N Navy did not have any experience in combat, it had not had to fight anything more than the random pirate or band of smugglers in space and even then such was not equivalent to a true war.
But the U.N members believed that such was likely to never happen as the Insurgent movements did not have any navies for themselves and so the need for the Navy to be kept at the ready was almost none existent and if anything, the Navy was more a force to intimidate the insurgents. Such individuals were eventually forced to step down from office when mutinies occurred on a number of vessels as the crews defected to the independence movements as well as several independent shipping vessels began to side with the independents.
The inequities of the U.N Navy were shown when the fleet was forced to abandon several positions across the Solar System, notably the Direct Orbit of Mars, the rings of Saturn and the Moons of Jupiter. Following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty and the recognition of new independent solar nations, the U.N began to react and rapidly began conducting changes to the Navy, ships were refitted, repurposed, old variants were decommissioned, new classes were brought in and crews more thoroughly trained.
Today the U.N Navy is made up of a collection of varying designs from different nations, some are new designs and constructs, whilst others are older designs that have been retrofitted and repurposed.
The Corvette roles are held by the Sapphire Class and the Robins Class, the former is an old design from the early years of the U.N Navy and the latter being newer built after the Intersolar Treaty. These vessels are designed and built to escort and protect other ships, they have concentrated PDCs and despite having torpedo tubes they are limited in their capabilities. The job of taking on larger vessels primarily comes to the Lei Fen class frigate and Vadim Class destroyer, which are larger, more heavily armed and armoured ships. Both of these vessels have more heavy armaments, more PDCs, more torpedo tubes, more powerful and destructive torpedo's and missiles.
The latter the Vadim Class even have a single Railgun on their bows for additional power against enemy vessels, like the corvettes, the Lei Fen was an early model that had been upgraded and refitted, whilst the Vadim was built following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty.
But the true powerhouse of the U. Navy is the Hammond Class Dreadnought, the most powerful of all U.N built ships. The Hammond Class is the flag ship of the U.N fleets, with reinforced armour plating and fierce armaments, along its hull at different points are a total of 50 PDCs, it has 15 torpedo tubes, 5 fore, 4 aft and the rest along the length of the hull, 3 on either side. But the real power comes to the 2 large railguns that the ship has on its hull and even a advanced magnetic accelerator cannon or MAC, allowing the Hammond Class to take on large vessels with ease.
The United States of Lunar:
Status: Independent Solar State
Capital: Copernicus
Law Enforcement: Lunar Metropolitan Police Service
Military: Orbital Watch
Currency: Lunar Dollar - Intersolar Credit
Lunar was the first real effort to colonise the solar system, the reason was clear and simple, the Moon was the closest body to Earth itself and possessed quantities of resources greatly needed to sustain the planet in the immediate term.
The first elements on Lunar were focused around exploration and identification of colonisation sites, the need was clear, if any effort was to be successful, then there was the need for quantities of ice which would be used in both oxygen and water production, both key things for the survival of a colony. When these were identified, the first wave was planned and launched, Copernicus station was founded as a hub for the colony, a point where everything could be focused.
For months the crews of the first wave worked hard with limited resources, the colony had to become as self sufficient as possible as quickly as possible, due to the simple reason that despite Earth being so close, there were limitations on what Earth could provide for the first wave due to resource shortages. So a considerable amount of the Lunar colony is actual constructed from materials harvested and mined from the moon itself, but the key resource that was greatly desired was Helium 3 which was and still is a crucial component in Nuclear Fusion energy production.
At the time of the first wave, an energy crisis was striking Earth hard and there was a desperate need for a viable long term means of providing energy to the planet. With a considerable amount of effort, the Lunar colony focused around Copernicus station eventually created the MPT [microwave power transmitter] network, where instead of harvesting and then shipping Helium 3 back to Earth, the materials would be used at Power Stations on the Moon itself with the energy output being "Transmitted" back to Earth through this revolutionary technology.
For years, the Lunar Colonies flourished and not just from the MPT network nor just the metals and other resources on the surface and beneath it. Due to the moons lesser gravity, it became a hub for transit in the early years before the creation of new engine systems for space faring vessels. Meaning the amount of fuel to reach orbit was significantly less on the moon, allowing vessels to venture further out with more payloads and supplies.
So the Moon became the launching point for Earths colonisation efforts into the rest of the Solar System. However overtime, the colonists on the Moon started to regard themselves less tied to Earth, the moon by this point was mostly self sufficient, it grew its own crops, harvested materials for construction and other works, the population was growing and prosperous, but authority was still focused on Earth, decisions for the colony were made by individuals that had never set foot on the moon and the colonists were taking notice.
Eventually thing began to turn, when word spread that Mars was in open rebellion against the United Nations, with the intent of becoming a totally independent state, many on the moon came together to form their own movement. The Orbital Watch was the military arm of this movement, with the ultimate goal being the complete independence of the Lunar Colonies from the Earth. Their arguments were that the Earth and its nations were reliant on the resources from the moon and were tied to the MPT energy source that the colonists worked and maintained, but that they never received fair compensation for their efforts.
The fact that most of the different Lunar settlements were broken up across the entire moon itself and was only connected either by monorails, rovers or shuttle transport, meant that the Orbital Watch was able to take control over a number of locations and defend them with relative ease. For most of the conflict this was the case, but when all parties agreed to a diplomatic conference to try and end the fighting, the Orbital Watch offered Copernicus Station which was the defacto Lunar capital as neutral ground for the conference.
When the Lunar colonies held their referendum it was unanimous, the Lunar Colonies voted undeniably in favour of independence from Earth. From this the United States of Lunar was formed, similar in construct to the United States of America, the moon was divided into states, with each state having its own local governor, state senate but political authority for the moon as a whole was held by the Lunar Senate which is made up of fifty representatives from across the colony and above them is the President.
By law and constitution, both the State and Lunar Senate representatives are to be voted into their position every four years, same as in the case with the position of President, with restrictions by constitutional law making it clear that no one person can hold the position for more than two terms in the course of their lives.
Economically Lunar is very much tied to two main exports, the moons mineral wealth and above all the MPT energy transfer to Earth, where the energy produced by a large fusion reactor is transmitted to Copernicus and then up to the Pearson station, a space station that is connected to Copernicus via a space elevator. Then from the Pearson station the energy is transmitted to Earth, as part of the treaty between the U.N and the U.S.L, the nations of Earth are required to pay the U.S.L for the energy being transmitted.
This payment is known on Lunar as the Lunar Permanent Fund Dividend, which is divided up into three, the first goes to the maintenance and upkeep of the fusion reactors, the MPT connections to Copernicus, the space elevator, Pearson station and the main transmitter. The second goes to the state, meaning emergency services, construction, repairs, expansion, the final third of the Dividend goes to the residence themselves, every permanent resident of the U.S.L are given a portion of the states income from the MPT and other exports. Though there are rules, one must have been a resident from either birth or has been for over a year, intend to stay a resident and will have their application to the Dividend revoked if they are convicted of a crime, lie upon their application or leaving for a set period of time without actionable cause.
The Orbital Watch, which originally served as a militant force fighting for Lunar Independence was reformed following independence, it now serves as both a military force defending the Colony and manning it small navy, but also as a peace-keeping and law enforcement service. Compared to the original Watch, it has become a formal military force with dedicated command structure, proper training and standardised equipment, though it remains relatively small, in fact the Orbital Watch is the smallest military force in the system.
Diplomatically, the United States of Lunar are very much in favour of continued peace within the system, in fact despite the animosity in the past between Lunar and Earth, the two are now on good standing thanks to continued diplomatic efforts and trade between them. And not just with Earth but with all of the other nations within the Solar System, as Lunar is very reliant on trade for its economy.
The Orbital Watch:
Role: Protection of the U.S.L
Headquarters: Orbital Command - Copernicus
Compared to the military forces and navies of the other Celestial Nations in the Solar System, the Orbital Watch is incredibly small and limited in scope and capabilities.
Originally the Orbital Watch was a Moon based security force, one created by the Lunar Colonies themselves to serve as a force meant to protect the colonists and everything else that the Lunar Council felt was not requiring an E.D.F security detail. Places like residential, the Helium 3 extraction sites, the mineral mining sites etc.
During the Intersolar wars of Independence, the Orbital Watch shifted dramatically, it turned from a lunar security force into a militant insurgent group, for most of the war for Lunar Independence, they stuck to guerrilla warfare tactics, primarily aimed at the E.D.F forces stationed on the moon. These were mostly small acts at first, scattered shootings, arson attacks, but it gradually increased to raids against E.D.F outposts on the moons surface, attacks against the Helium 3 Extractors, sabotage of the monorail systems.
Eventually after a period of time, the Orbital Watch was sizeable and armed well enough to launch true attacks, aimed at driving E.D.F forces from certain locations, mostly those stations and locations that were on the outskirts. Then as proof of their movements strength and support, the Orbital Watch even managed to take Copernicus which was the defacto capital of the Colony.
Following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty and the recognition of the Moons independence from the Earth based governments, the Orbital Watch again restructured itself, this time back into a Security force meant to serve and protect the moon and its colonists. When compared to those of the other nations, the Orbital Watch is not large in any scope, its ground forces are roughly a few thousand scattered across the surface of the moon, garrisoning stations, protecting key infrastructure.
And the Orbital Watch Naval Section is similar in scope, whilst other Solar Nations have established proper naval structures in one form or another, the Orbital Watch are limited in that they have no larger vessels beyond small corvettes and miniscule cruisers. Even these are restricted to where they operate, most are concentrated around the Moon and Pearson station where the MPT transmitter is located, whilst those that aren't escort vessels to the belt and back where the Lunar States have a few mining stations.
The United States of Lunar have made clear that the Orbital Watch is not like the militaries of other nations, it exists not to fight but to protect and preserve, it was not built to fight other nations far away from the moon, it exists only to protect the U.S.L from any aggression.
The Martian Commonwealth:
Status: Major Solar Power
Capital: Olympus
Law Enforcement: Red Faction Civil Service
Military: Red Faction - Martian Commonwealth Navy
Currency: Martian Credit - Intersolar Credit
Mars was the first major colonisation effort with the long term goal being not just resource extraction but full colonisation, with the hope of building entire cities and perhaps even further, with far off hope that perhaps one day, Mars could be terraformed.
The early years of colonisation were all focused underground, within larva tubes and large caverns beneath the surface, safe from the dust storms and radiation. Those settlements that were built on the surface were all focused within solid domes which protected those with from the storms, the radiation and other hazards. These different settlements were connected via underground transport tubes with monorails and trains moving between the different locations across the colony.
Despite the long term goals of the Martian Colony, the early efforts were focused like Lunar, the extraction of resources mostly in the form of metal ores which were used in construction but also shipped back to Earth, as at the time Earth was still desperate for ores to support the rebuilding and restoration efforts. This meant a great amount of interest for Mars on the side of Private businesses, one the largest was the Ultor Corporation, which set up mining facilities on Mars with the intent on "getting in on the Martian Gold Rush".
Overtime development efforts led the creation of a true Martian colony, with entire cities being successfully constructed on the planet, though this eventually led to the growth of a distinct Martian culture, slowly people on Mars started to see themselves as different from Earth especially as generations were born and raised on the Red Planet. In the 2180s a milestone was reached as a Terraforming initiative on Mars proclaimed the first breakthrough, the establishment of a viable atmosphere on Mars.
This meant that for the first time, Martians could safely breath the air, though dust storms were still present, they were no longer as severe as those in the past, Mars was becoming more and more of a home. Not longer after the Red Faction Rebellion began within the Ultor Mining complex, where miners who had grown tired of the hard labour and abuse that their pay masters were forcing upon them. The Rebellion became a full fledged insurgency across most of Mars, with Red Faction insurgents launching a guerrilla war against the United Nations Colonial Administration on Mars.
For years the Red Faction an effect and well supported insurrection against the Earth based governments which they declared cared little for the Martian people, desiring only to take the resources from the planet to serve Earth alone. Over the course of the Martian Revolution, the Red Faction successfully drove the E.D.F from various Sectors on Mars, among which were some of the most desired mines and industrial facilities.
Eventually this changed when the Red Faction went on the offensive in open battle, this proved to the entire population of Mars that their planet could fight back and gain its independence. Later when Mars was offered a place at the peace conference, the Red Faction sent their representatives to speak for their goals, when the offer was made, Mars hosted a referendum to decide on whether or not the planet would become a totally independent, the vote was unanimous, Mars was formally to become an independent planet. In fact by the time that the idea of Referendums was accepted at the conference on Lunar, the Red Faction had driven the E.D.F from Mars almost entirely.
After the signing of the Intersolar Treaty, Mars reformed itself into a Democratic system of government, with the intent of being a Commonwealth for its populace. Mars today has a Commonwealth Parliament, Prime Minister and Supreme Court, with the first two being completely elected by a majority vote by the entire eligible population of the planet and its two moons. And in the years following the signing of peace and reformation of government, Mars has grown into a powerhouse that can challenge Earth in all forms, Economics, science, technology and of course Military.
The Red Faction has become the official military force for Mars and its Commonwealth, the impromptu militia and insurgents were reformed and reorganised into a proper military, today there are two branches, the Red Faction proper which serves as the Martian Army and the Martian Commonwealth Navy, which consists of a flotilla of varying warships.
Today the Martian Commonwealth is the prime challenger to Earths dominance in the Solar System, it has the industrial capabilities, the population, the resources and of course the military might to match and perhaps even out compete Earth.
The Red Faction:
Role: Peace Keeping - Military Defence
Headquarters: Red Faction Command - Olympus - Tharsis
The Origins of the Red Faction are hard to identify as the group was not properly recognised before its initial revolt against the U.N Colonial Administration on Mars. Its thought that it originated among the miners and industrial workers in the Ultor Mining complexes, hence the significance of the defiant hand with either a pickaxe or hammer being the official emblem.
The First Red Faction started as an underground among the Ultor mining complexes and then into a full blown uprising, which fought the Ultor security forces and then the U.N. Though this Uprising ended with the ousting of Ultor from Mars, the Red Faction moved on becoming the militant wing for Martian Independence. The Red Faction reorganised itself into an insurgency, a force of volunteers fighting a Guerrilla War against the U.N on Mars, originally this was the only option for the Red Faction as they lacked the weaponry, numbers and training of the E.D.F.
They fought a prolonged campaign of Guerrilla Warfare, launching raids against E.D.F outposts and bases, sabotaging military infrastructure, ambushing convoys, stealing shipments of supplies and more. At first they were contained to the outlying settlements but eventually even the largest cities on Mars started experiencing Red Faction activity as well as rapid increase in popular support. Eventually thanks to the growing support from the Martian populace, the Red Faction began to properly organise itself, rather than being a rag tag militia using improvised and varied pieces of gear, it soon started to properly arm its soldiers and give them some element of training.
This in conjunction with the E.D.F being stretched thin trying to fight multiple independence movements across the solar system allowed the Red Faction to come out into the open. In a series of co-ordinated strikes and attacks, the E.D.F were driven from several sectors on Mars, among them were some of the most populated, Parker, Dust, Oasis and the Badlands were all liberated by the Red Faction and a conventional war began.
Thankfully further bloodshed was limited as all parties came together and signed the Intersolar Treaty and Mars like all other colonies hosted a referendum among the populace to determine whether or not they desired independence. Following the recognition of Martian Independence, the Red Faction was reorganised once again, this time into two distinct branches, Military and Civil Service, the latter became the law enforcement body of the Martian Commonwealth.
Today the Red Faction is a strong and capable military force in the solar system, it has millions of active servicemembers and reservists. As well as this it is said that the Red Faction is among the most advanced military force in the system when it comes to technology, Red Faction soldiers possess equipment and weapons that far outmatch those of the E.D.F and other Solar Militaries.
They are well armed, well trained and above all that the Red Faction are known for their commitment to uphold their duty to Defend Mars and the freedom it had earned.
Like other professional militaries, the Red Faction is well built and structured, in its early years, the Red Faction was an improvised militia using a variety of different pieces of equipment and whatever weapons were useable in their fight, hence why they relied on fighting a Guerrilla War over a conventional at least at first. But when they started to become more organised, they standardised into a formal militia with some form of training, though they were still not as well established or well armed as the E.D.F they were still capable.
Today however the Red Faction has long moved on from its insurgent roots, they are well organised, with two distinct military branches, the Red Faction Marines are the primary force for the Red Faction. They serve as the main garrison force for Mars as well as its Asteroid Mining colonies, but like Earth, the Red Faction has a dedicated force of Elite soldier. The Special Operations Force is the elite of the elite among the Red Faction, with a methodical and extreme selection process, where only 1 out of every fifty candidates meet the expectations.
But for those that are allowed in, can be expected to go through even more, for the S.O.F of the Red Faction are expected to undertake different missions in the name of Mars. Often the S.O.F undertake missions that are so secret that if any awards are to be given, they are conducted in "closed door ceremonies", meaning only a select few are allowed.
The Martian Commonwealth Navy:
Role: Orbital defence and protection of Mars
Headquarters: Mars Admiralty - Olympus - Tharsis
Founded following the signing of the Intersolar Treaty and the recognition of Martian Independence, the Martian Commonwealth Navy or just the Martian Navy serves a similar role as the U.N Navy for Earth, defending Mars, its moons as well as the different asteroid colonies that Mars has established since.
Originally the M.C.N was a mix of different ships most of which were formerly ships of the U.N Navy that had defected to Mars during the latter days of the Martian Revolution. These ships were older models of warships but were refitted and retrofitted to improve them over time, however eventually as Mars began to take shape, the M.C.N began a complete change of direction as the navy replaced the older ships with more modern vessels that could go toe to toe with the other nations notably Earth.
In total the M.C.N is made up of three major fleets, the Red Fleet, which is responsible with the defence of the home front, the Red Fleet serves to protect Mars itself as well as the moons of Phobos and Deimos. The Phobon Fleet Serves as supporting fleet being moved to where ever it is needed, finally is the Deimon Fleet which serves to guard Martian asteroid mining stations and colonies within the Asteroid Belt.
Thanks to the efforts of the Shipyards, the Martian Commonwealth Navy is respected and feared for its capabilities as well as its capabilities. Overall there are five distinct ship classes within the M.C.N, each a greater improvement upon the previous.
The Belva Class Corvette was among the first in a new line of Martian Commonwealth Naval vessel. Specific for escort duties and protection of larger vessels, it has a number of PDCs along the outer sections of its hull that enable it to counter enemy torpedo launches, but it also has its own torpedo tubes, 6 in total at the fore. But unlike the U.N Navy corvettes, the Belva Class has not only decoy and counter Torpedo's, but it also had armour piercing in its armoury enabling it to aid in fights against larger ships.
Next in the line is the Isidis Planitia class frigates or just Isidis class, adaptable vessels, with a variety of weapon systems but are small enough to maintain effective manoeuvrability. These vessels are larger escort vessels but ones that can shift from patrolling duties to combat roles. Often the Isidis class is used in conjunction with Belva class corvettes or larger vessels. They are more heavily armed than the Belva class, possessing more PDCs as well as more torpedo tubes, having a total of 9 tubes, three along the starboard side, three along the port and the final three being fitted fore. These tubes can launch a variety of different torpedo types, from armour piercing to high explosive and thermite plasma enabling it to join larger vessels in more combat zones.
Next is the Noctis Labyrinthus class Destroyer or just the Labyrinthus class, is a slightly older class of vessel for the M.C.N having been in service since the founding of the Commonwealth. But in its years of service, the Labyrinthus class has served with recognised ability, it is strong, sturdy, well armed with 36 PDCs across its hull and 6 torpedo tubes that are connected to automated loading mechanisms. It was designed and built during the early years of Martian Independence when there was a need for a vessel that could fill the direct combat role for the M.C.N.
The Marineris class Cruiser is a newer design similar in respect to the Belva class, the Marineris is a more sleek and refined design structure. With Martian engineering the Cruiser is a strong ship with strong armour plating and heavy armaments, there are a number of PDCs covering the hull providing protection and close combat capabilities. These are backed up by 16 torpedo tubes 12 of them fore and an additional four along the port and starboard hulls, but the power of the Marineris is the two Rail guns it possesses on its hull, powerful cannons that enable the cruiser to challenge large vessels.
Finally the pinnacle of the Martian Navy is the Olympus Class Dreadnought, the most powerful ship in the Martian Navy and a powerhouse of military strength. These vessels are heavily armoured and extremely well armed, as with all vessels the Olympus class possesses numerous PDCs across its exterior hull for protection and close quarters engagements. But the real power of the Olympus class comes with its heavier armaments, it has more torpedo tubes than any other naval vessel in the Martian Navy, it has a total of 22 tubes, 14 at the fore, 7 on either side with the final 8 being divided, three on either side of the hulls length and the final two fitted at the aft sections of the ship, meant to serve as Stern chasers.
Yet the greatest power of the Olympus comes with its most powerful weapon systems, the Olympus class possesses four powerful railguns two on the upper and two on the lower. And beyond even them, the Olympus possesses a single large Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, making it more than capable of taking on all kinds of ships with ease. These great Dreadnoughts serve as the flagships of the Martian Navy and its fleets, with each fleet possessing at least one Dreadnought, though the Home Fleet possesses four.
The Alliance of the Asteroid Belt:
Capital: Ceres
Law Enforcement: N/A
Military: N/A
Currency: Inter Solar Credit
The vast resources of the Asteroid Belt has been greatly desired for centuries following the understanding of what metals and other materials could be found within the rocks that circled our sun. But to reach them was deemed impossible for so long, mostly due to the distance between Earth and the Belt and the time it would take for any vessel to travel to and from them, making any effort meaningless. Success only really came with the advancement of engine propulsion which allowed vessels to move faster across the solar system and be able to mover more freely.
As Planetary Colonies were established on the Moon and then on Mars, eyes began to turn once again to the Belt and its resources, with the U.N seeing it as a means of ending the resource deprivation that had crippled the Earths economies. At first the efforts were focused around simple extraction, a ship would go to the belt latch onto an asteroid, miners would work the rock for metals and then the ship would return. But as colonies were built on the Moons of Jupiter and Saturn, interest peaked, as these new colonies would need resources to help get them going.
So the U.N began working on the creation of asteroid colonies with the intent being long term resource extraction, the focus was around the Dwarf Planet of Ceres, which was deemed a viable location for a centralised colony from which mining efforts could be focused and work out from.
Technically speaking the Alliance of the Asteroid Belt is not really a nation, but rather a mismatch of asteroid colonies that are controlled by different Solar Nations. Since the Asteroid based colonies were either colonised by the U.N and then were lost to the independence movements like the Red Faction, the Jupiteran and the Saturns or were established by the newer Solar Nations. It has meant that the Asteroid belt has become a mix of controlled territories.
To prevent any kind of tension, discord or dispute over the belt and its resources, all nations agreed during the discussions of the Intersolar Treaty that the Asteroid Belt would be neutral territory. Meaning no Solar nation could claim the belt as a whole to be theirs, whilst individual mining stations could be deemed sovereign territory of one nation or another. But as a whole, the Alliance of the Asteroid Belt is overseen by a committee, comprising of delegates from each of the Solar Nations in the System, these delegates are in effect the government of the Asteroid belt, working to maintain the peace of the Alliance and ensure that all nations get a fair share of the resources within the asteroids and that the colonists within the belt have a voice in the running of the belt and its colonies.
The Committee is held on Ceres which is the defacto capital of the Belt, since it is the largest colony within the belt itself and remains the largest port of call within the belt as a whole. It is made up of Six representatives from the independent Solar Nations, who are given the role by their respective governments, but these six are also joined by six delegates elected by the citizens who live within the Asteroid Belt and these six are to represent the colonists within the belt and speak on behalf of specific matters.
For example the committee if drawn on paper would look like this:
You have the individual delegates from Solar Nations, then the different officials who oversee certain important aspects of life in the Asteroid Belt. The Mining Administrator oversee all mining operations and ensures that safety protocols are being upheld and that those working at the different Mining stations across the entire belt are not being mistreated or are lacking necessities like food, water and air.
The Healthcare Administrator, performs the obvious function of overseeing all matters in regards of medical personnel and medical needs of the populace, the Port Authority Administrator is in charge of the port of Ceres, ensuring that ships can come and go safely. The Chief Judge of the Alliance oversees all matters in regards of law within the Asteroid Belt as agreed upon by the Committee, they speak not only for the law but also for the police officers who enforce the laws.
The Life Support Administrator is in charge of making sure that Ceres and other inhabited locations across the Asteroid Belt are looked after in terms of Water and breathable air, it is there job to ensure that the people living and working within Ceres and the Asteroid Belt can breath and drink water. Finally there is the elected Mayor of Ceres who sits as the head of the Committee and is bound to govern the people of the colony as well as speak for them in the committee.
This however does not mean that the Belt is peaceful as many within the Belt desire for the Alliance to be a totally independent sovereignty within the system rather than a collective for the planetary nations. This is brought on further as more people are born in the belt and desire to be their own people rather than a protectorate of one nation or another.
The Jupiteran Federation:
Status: Independent Solar Nation
Capital: Ganymede
Law Enforcement: Federal Investigation Bureau
Military: Jupiter Navy
Currency: Jupiteran Dollar - Intersolar Credit
Jupiter has a number of Moons in its orbit, though the planet itself couldn't support a colony or any kind of such effort, the Moons could. Following the success of Mars and the resources coming from the Belt, the Moons of Jupiter were seen as another frontier, a frontier for humanity to start working towards and call a new home.
It was difficult at first, as the moons were considerably different from Mars and due to the distance from Earth, required considerable and extreme levels of effort and work to make the first stage of colonisation a success. The first focus was on the moon of Ganymede which was deemed the best option for the first stage of colonisation efforts around Jupiter. Eventually as Ganymede began to take shape, stage 2 began with establishing of colonies on some of the other moons of Jupiter.
For years these colonies were very reliant on each other for support as those with greater industry could provide the refined materials for those that lacked them, the same can be said of those with greater access to raw minerals and resources. But Ganymede was always considered the capital of the Jupiter Colonies, as it was by far the largest, most populated and had the Jupiter sectors largest port for ships.
When the Intersolar Wars of Independence erupted, Jupiter was among those that had decided to turn against Earth and the U.N, the different colonies around Jupiter came together and formed a united front against the Earth based governments. Since there were a number of colonies around Jupiter maintaining order was very difficult for the U.N troops that were sent to restore order, as whenever they secured on location it meant weakening their hold on another.
Eventually before things got too bad, the conference on Lunar occurred and referendums agreed upon, as a whole the Moons of Jupiter unanimously voted to become an independent state within the Solar System, the Jupiteran Federation was born. The political structure of the Federation was done with understanding of each individual colony, the Federation as a whole was structured around a Federation Assembly with a speaker of the Assembly standing as the head of the government, all positions are elected by majority vote by the populace, every three Earth years the Assembly is elected and each five year term ends with the election of a new Speaker of the Assembly.
Economically, The Federation is a link between the inner and outer colonies, as ships from Saturn, Pluto and Charon all pass through the ports of Jupiter before heading through the Belt to Mars and Earth. Beyond this the Federation is known for its well established Bio-Farms, where various crops are grown in carefully built facilities, all producing edible plants which are both sold domestically but also exported to other colonies.
The Jupiter Navy:
Role: Defence of Federation
Headquarters: Jupiter High Command - Ganymede
Compared to the navies of the inner planets, the Jupiter Navy appears to be outdated at first glance, which is mostly true. The Jupiter Navies origins comes from the Jupiter War for Independence, where most of the conflict was confined to the different moons as well as the space around Jupiter itself. With Insurgent vessels launching raids against U.N shipping and supply vessels that moved between the Jupiter colonies.
But it still performs the same service and duty as the other navies of the different nations across the System, it serves to protect the Federation and patrol its territories, escort vessels as they travel and guard the Asteroid mining stations that the Federation operates within the Belt. The Navy is comprised of two Fleets, the Home Fleet which serves to protect the Federation, usually stationed in orbit over the moons of Jupiter. The Outer Fleet which moves around serving as an expeditionary fleet, protecting the Asteroid stations that the federation has and so on.
The Jupiter Navy is primarily comprised of three class of ships, all of them are converted vessels from the days before the Intersolar Treaty and the recognition of Jupiter's independence. This is mostly due to the fact that the first iteration of the Jupiter Navy was made up of improvised vessels that had been converted into warships during its war for independence, others were ships that defected to the Jupiter movement during the latter stages of the conflict.
For instance the Io class Corvette is based on a design originally meant to serve as a light freighter, with heavy loading capacity for transporting different forms of cargo back and forth either between the different Jupiter Colonies or to other planets. But this was put aside when Jupiter became independent, the Federation recognised the possibilities of the Io Class and converted it into a corvette classification of vessel, it serves now to escort larger vessels and provide additional protection. It possesses a number of PDCs at different points giving them a complete 360 degree field of relative protection from incoming torpedo's.
As well as that it possesses four Torpedo tubes at the fore, these are connected to automated reload systems that replaced the original designs cargo holds. These tubes are capable of firing, decoys, counter torpedo's as well as high explosive.
The Europa Class is more a purpose built vessel by the Federation, it is in fact the only naval vessel that the Jupiter Federation created itself to serve as a combat vessel. Being a more sleek design structure, built to support the other ship classes in the navy, it possesses a variety of different weapon systems, it has PDCs at different points for protection as well as close quarter combat. This is in support of its 12 Torpedo tubes that are with 8 at the front and 5 aft, these tubes can launch a variety of armaments, from armour piercing, high explosive and thermite plasma.
Finally is the signature vessel of the Jupiter Navy, the Ganymede class cruiser is a repurposed class of vessel, a relic of the U.N navy from before the independence of the different colonies in the solar system. Originally this type of vessel had been built by the U.N to serve as a Naval Cruiser, one could be in space over long period. At the heart of the vessel is a constantly turning structure meant to provide gravity for the crew quarters and mess hall, so the crew on board the vessel can experience gravity when not on duty.
The class stayed on for years, even into the Intersolar Wars of Independence. Despite originally planned to be mothballed and decommissioned, a number were kept on and most ended up defecting to the Jupiter Independents during the latter days of the war. Today the Ganymede class remains in service for the Jupiter Navy, but has been constantly upgraded, refitted and retro serviced to improve upon its systems and armaments, though the framework is practically the same. This is due to its simplicity, meaning that the Federation can maintain them and replace ships easier as the Ganymede doesn't require special shipyards to repair or build them.
Ganymede class Cruisers are still well armed however, they have 46 PDCs across the different exterior hull providing protection and close quarter combat capabilities. These back up the 9 torpedo tubes at the bow of the vessel which fire high explosive, thermite plasma alongside standard missiles and even are capable of launching Nuclear warheads, in addition to these, the Ganymede Class cruisers possess two railguns which are mounted onto the rotationary hulls allowing them to be fired at varied angles and trajectories.
The Confederated Colonies of Saturn:
Status: Independent Solar Nation
Capital: Titan
Law Enforcement: Confederate Police Service
Military: Confederate Navy
Currency: Saturn Credit - Intersolar Credit
But a major draw was Titan, the moon of Saturn that was as close to Earth far back in prehistory than any other celestial body in the system. This meant that unlike other celestial bodies there was an element of protection from solar radiation, but there was still much risk involved. Titan was the initial focus due to its possibilities, but it still required a considerable effort for colonisation to be deemed a success, dome cities had to be built, air filters to make breathable air accessible for the population and much more.
Eventually Titan became a home for humanity in proximity to Saturn and it became the unofficial capital of the other colonies on the other moons. Similar in respects to the other Solar Colonies, those around Saturn started to view themselves as separate from Earth, mostly due to the distance between them and the supposed little interest in Saturnites. This led to a growing movement among the Saturn Colonies to manage more of their own affairs, which came to a head when the Intersolar Wars of Independence began.
Though initially Saturn was not among those that started the fighting, the Colonies here soon turned and began to rise up against the U.N colonial administration. It started small, as the populace of the Colonies lacked efficient means of resisting, but as time went on, the Free Saturn Movement began to grow into a credible threat for the U.N. Especially as this expansion included a small fleet of raiding ships that harassed U.N vessels around Saturn and prevented shipments of materials particularly water from being brought to the inner worlds.
When the Peace Conference on Lunar was held, the Saturn Colonies had come together to form a single faction, just like the moons of Jupiter had done, calling themselves the Confederated Colonies of Saturn. They demanded formal and immediate independence for their Confederacy and proper recognition not just by Earth but the other planets at the conference. When the proposal for independence referendums was put forward, the Confederate representatives agreed and later that year they were held on all of the Saturn Colonies.
By a majority vote, the colonists of the Saturn moons voted in favour of independence from the United Nations and the U.N Colonial Administration. In the weeks that followed, the Confederacy began to work to build a true government for their new independent nation, it was decided to respect the different Colonies and grant localised governance with the Confederate Senate being the authority of the Confederacy as a whole. Each colony would have two elected representatives to speak on their behalf in the Senate and elections would be held every 4 Earth years, above them would be the Saturn President, who would serve as the Executive branch of the nation and would be elected every 5 years.
Today the Confederate Colonies of Saturn have remained together and in fact have become closer, the trade in resources notably Ice has become a key stone in the Economy for the Confederacy. Diplomatically the Confederate Colonies of Saturn hold close ties with the Jupiteran Federation and the Martian Commonwealth, with the trio having shared trade connections between each other directly but also among their mining operations in other parts of the System.
Confederate Navy:
Role: Defence of Saturn and Confederate Colonies
Headquarters: Confederate Command - Titan
If one assesses the U.N and Martian Navies as organised, structured and established with dedicated ships and the Jupiter Navy as capable despite its reuse of older design models. The Confederate Navy for Saturn is beyond even them, this because that the Confederate Navy is very basic and is in truth made up almost entirely of retrofitted and repurposed ships that were originally meant for civilian use.
The Confederate Navies origins can be found during the latter days of the Intersolar Wars of Independence when the Saturn colonial independents began to turn cargo and freight ships into improvised warships to take on the U.N in orbit. Most of these actions were focused at blockading Saturn and its moons, denying ships from transporting materials and resources from the sector or into it.
Later when the Confederated Colonies of Saturn were formally recognised as an independent solar nation, it was decided to maintain its naval strength as the primary form of defence. However the limitations of the Navy were clear, since most of the ships in the Saturn Navy are still retrofitted civilian craft with additional armour plating and weapons mounted onto them.
But like all navies in the Solar System, the Confederate Navy serves to protect Saturn and its moons from hostility as well as escort important ships on their travels. Whilst their ships are indeed retrofitted and improvised from civilian craft, they are still considered capable warships, capable of dealing with criminal elements like pirates and smugglers, but most see them as inadequate against dedicated warships.
For example the Escort Corvette role in the Saturn Navy is held by the Shepard Class, formerly a light freighter which was previously a type of vessel that would have shuttled small amounts of goods, resources and materials back and forth. But for the Confederate Navy, it is sturdy, heavily built and capable, having been built to manoeuvre easily compared to larger freighters. The Shepard Class was refitted with armour plating, a number of PDCs across the hull, with the storage sectors having been converted to serve as armouries for munitions.
Then there is the Orion class freighter, which was originally an ice hauler, a vessel that served to harvest ice from the rings of Saturn as well as other parts of the known Solar System beyond the asteroid belt and then transporting it to wherever it was needed. Those used by the Confederate Navy are retrofitted to the point that they can be classed as a adequate cruiser, armour plating was fitted to the hull, the engine systems were upgraded, armaments were embedded to the structure, numerous PDCs for CQB and protection as well as 9 Torpedo tubes at the bow.
Another refitted vessel is the Expanse Class Hauler, which previously had served as a heavy duty freighter, which was used to transport large amounts of cargo over the "expanse" of space between the inner and outer colonies of the solar system. As the Confederated Colonies began to take shape, the Expanse Class were used to serve as a heavy duty warship, the hull was upgraded with armour plating for protection, 72 PDCs were fitted, 12 torpedo tubes and even two powerful rail guns. In all despite its previous use for cargo transport, the Expanse Class as it is today is akin to an improvised battleship.
Finally there is the Tethys Class Cruiser, the only real warship for the Saturn Navy, whilst all the other ships in the navy are retrofitted civilian vessels, the Tethys is a truly dedicated warship, it is also the most recent class of vessel that the Saturn Navy has put into use. Whilst not as impressive as vessels used by other solar nations, the Tethys class is a capable warship, its sleek design allows for its 42 PDCs to provide a complete 360 degree arch of fire and in support it possesses 13 Torpedo tubes, 19 fore and 4 aft. The Tethys serves as both a literal warship but also a symbol for the Confederated Colonies, as it is intended to serve as the beginning of a new line of ships for its navy.
The Independent States of Pluto and Charon:
Status: Independent Solar Nation
Capital: Charon Hub
Law Enforcement: I.S Police Service
Military: I.S Defence Force
Currency: Intersolar Credit
It was for this reason that the colonies on Pluto and Charon as well as the stations on the other moons of Pluto are mostly science based. But over time the colonies were expanded to make them more and more self sufficient, eventually the colony included not just the scientists and researchers but support staff, people manning the various other aspects of the colonies infrastructure and of course entire families were beginning to take shape. This led to the proper reorganisation of the colonies on Pluto and Charon, no longer were they just classified as research and science stations on the fringes of the solar system but true colonies.
The Pluto and Charon colonies were credited in a variety of discoveries and advancements in technology that enable the other colonies to become more successful. Technologies such as more advanced solar power systems enabling for better energy collection and conversion, food production, recycling systems that made it possible to reuse air and water and so much more.
When the Intersolar Wars of Independence started to erupt across the system, Pluto and Charon remained relatively peaceful, mostly because the people of the two didn't really have a great interest in resistance or rebellion, rather they were contented to continue their research. Though this didn't mean that they were not against the idea of independence, many of the scientists and researchers were limited in what they wanted to undertake as nearly everything was conducted on the authorisation and prioritisation of the U.N. Basically it wasn't the scientists that chose what they focused on rather the U.N that decided what was important.
Later as the conflicts began to escalate, the leadership of Pluto and Charon decided to step in, they agreed to take part in a diplomatic conference to try and end the fighting before it got to horrific levels. They were the ones that proposed the idea of planetary referendums where the population could decided whether or not they desired independence, the idea was accepted and like all of the other colonies in the system, Pluto and Charon undertook their own referendum.
The colonies voted in favour of independence and were granted it, though rather than each being separate, they chose to stay together, becoming the Independent States of Pluto and Charon. Their system of government is elective, where every 3 Earth Years, the citizens of both colonies elected a single Consuls, these two individuals are to work together for the good of the states and serve as the executive authority for the I.S. Beneath them are a council of Representatives all of them elected by the population, 13 in total that serve as the legislative power.
Today the Independent States of Pluto and Charon are very peaceful, they do not really involve themselves in the affairs of what they call the "Inner planets". Their sole focus is outwards towards the wider galaxy, one can even say that their entire nation is focused to understanding the wider galaxy as well as advancing to the point that humanity may travel to distant stars.
The I.S Self Defence Force:
Role: Defence of the Independent States
Headquarters: S.D.F Central - Pluto Central
To say that the Independent States of Pluto and Charon have a military is a bit of a misleading statement, because in truth the I.S do not have a formal military service. Instead they have a Self Defence Force, which by its very name is focused entirely on defence, plus when one remembers that the I.S was founded by scientists, researchers, engineers etc, there was little real interest in a formal military.
So instead the Consuls and Council decided to have a Self Defence Force, a military force that would serve exclusively to protect the Independent States and the ships that were in proximity, but this Self Defence Force very rarely leaves the actual proximity to Pluto and Charon. When a ship from the I.S.S.D.F leaves it usually is because it is serving an escort or part of an escort for scientific and research vessels or ships transporting emissaries, diplomat and or ambassadors to the "Inner Planets".
The I.S.S.D.F is made up of three branches, local defence force, which is akin to a military service, they protect the I.S from hostilities, serve as security aboard warships, serve to protect dignitaries and embassies etc. Then there is the Science Defence units, these are more well armed soldiers that serve to guard scientific and research stations that the I.S has established within the Solar System, since science and discovery are key cultural aspects of the I.S, the nation wishes to ensure their safety and security.
Finally there is the Orbital Defence Fleet, this is made up exclusively for the defence of the I.S and escorting vessels from the nation be they civilian or government. The fleet is made up entirely of a single class of warship, what the I.S call the Pegasus Class, this single vessel is well built by the engineers and scientists of the I.S. Sleek in design and despite not really being that big, is properly built and established to serve its varied role, it possesses 13 torpedo tubes, 10 fore and 3 aft, 28 PDCs and even two miniature railguns.
Due to the limitations in terms of population when compared to the "Inner Planets", the Pegasus Class was purpose built to be functional with a limited crew, thanks to carefully interconnected computer system that enables for careful functionality and back up. So for instance if one system fails that another system can be used in conjunction to take over its role until the problem can be fixed. In fact when compared to the ships of a similar size within the "Inner planets" the Pegasus Class has only a crew of 100. Which when compared to small cruisers of similar size further in the solar system having crews of 3-400.
The reason for their limited navy comes from two reasons, the first is due to location, Pluto and Charon are at the very edge of the solar system, far from any other Planetary government, so there is little interest. Second is more localised as the Nation is focused on the science and technology needed for humanity to be able to travel to other star systems and when that time comes, the nation intends to dedicate itself to the pursuit of sending humans to other parts of the galaxy.
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