Altak Union

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The Altak Union is the current government of Earth and it's colonies. It is a government build almost entirely on corporate capitolism, with the old democracies, monarchies and socialist republics of old having been long since replaced by megacorporations.

It is based on Mars in the star system Sol in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way.

Government

The Altak Union is essentially a corporate dictatorship. While united under the Altak flag, the Union is ruled by seven megacorporations, each with their own territories and holdings; with a small council of one person from each company (not necessarily the CEO) forming a small parliament that controls the entire empire.

Each Megacorporation is actually made up of thousands of smaller companies, from industries to law firms to private schools and security firms. (nearly) All property is owned by one of the companies and then leased to the citizens; and civil police (and military) duties is also handled by sub-corporations. Competition between corporations keeps prices low, however, as one of the few laws of the Altak Union's constitution states that a corporation can't block it's competitor's products being sold in their territory.

The entire Union is, effectively, divided up by the eight corporations, forming eight smaller kingdoms that unite under one banner when the need arises. Territory is bought and sold between the companies, and while military takeovers are not actually stated to be illegal, well, there used to be eight corporations.

The current capitol is on Mars, with Earth having been since declared a memorial. The current Chancelor is Arthur Miller.

Military

The Atrak Union has one of the most unlikely organised militaries in the galaxy. Each corporation is obligated to contribute a predefined amount of ships, personnel, weapons, ammo and other supplies based on how many planets it has. These individual fleets are then compiled into three large fleets, controlled by admirals elected by the Council (however, the council can ovveride an admiral's orders at any time). Instead of three branches of Army, Navy and Air Force; the Union's military is lumped into the Navy. Navy ships have the designation 'ESS Ship Name', in honour of the Union's homeworld.

Finances

The Union does in fact have a unified currency (the AU Credit), as well as a central bank (the CUB, located on Mars), although most of the corporations have their own currencies (that are valued higher than the credit, but are only accepted by the corporation that makes them). Paper bills and coins have been abolished, with money now stored on data cards.

History

In 2055, thermonuclear war broke out between the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and the United States. The United States, finally coming out of a near-five-decade long financial collapse, 'lost' (lost is in inverted commas because it was utterly destroyed, and the UAE was only somewhat turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland). This sparked more wars, ending in a most of the americas being turned into craters, and a somewhat scathed EU. Said EU, having spent mot of it's money on the war, was overthrown by angry europeans who didn't like their government-funded everything going away.

Taking advantage of the situation, the eight largest corporations (and one holdover pre-war union in northeastern Europe) began taking over; and, although there was some resistance by die-hard hippies, the movement was largely favoured by survivors, as the corporations were the only entities that could keep the rad-crazed gunmen off the streets. Eventually, out of both their own interests, as well as to more thouroghly re-establish humanity, the corporations began banding together, eventually forming the actual Altrak Union.

The nine corporations, although they were technically united, stayed largely seperate, each funding it's own programs to reclaim formerly radioactive wasteland and make it habitable; each forming their own proper governments, cities, industries, law systems, space programs, etc.

However, a certain bunch of assholes from Sweden, Norway, Finland and a few other countries didn't particularly like things getting back to normal, so they up and left, with the territory being claimed by Atax Securities, Inc (formerly Apple Computer). With the exodus, the number of governmental entities left shrank to nine.

By 2550, the Altrak Union had expanded to 24 different systems, with Sol as the one system in the union that wasn't owned by anyone. Technology has advanced leaps and bounds, and the average standard of living has gone from 'gee-I-hope-I-don't-get-eaten-tomorrow', to 'HA! Those pre-war idiots had crappy lives!'

In 2575, a corporation that shall not be named attempted to take over one another company's systems. It was annihilated by the rest of the Union within five days.

Corporations

Atax (Ay-tax) Securities, Inc (formerly Apple Computer, Inc.): The previous controlled of Europe, and owner of five systems.

Yamasaki (Yah-Mah-Sak-Ee) Limited (formerly a bunch of Korean companies): The previous controller of the habitable regions of northern Asia, and controller of four systems.

Redmond Corp. (formerly Microsoft): The previous controller of what was left of North America. Controller of only one system.

Hajal (Hah-jall) Inc. (Formerly Samsung and ASUS): Previous controller of miraculously unnuked Southeast Asia, most notably Singapore. Controls six systems.

Cytek (Sigh-tech) (Origins unknown): A company somehow formed after the war. Controlls four systems.

Unekko (You-neck-co): Formerly almost every insurance company on the planet. Used to control what was left of Africa, now controls four systems.

Navy

First Fleet:

Under command of admiral Norman Rockwell, immediate inferiors are Samuel Marx and Richard McPherson.

Ship Count: Five interceptors, 32 frigates, 24 destroyers, 15 cruisers, 7 battlecruisers, 2 battleships, two carriers, one dreadnought, two planetary bombardment vessels, and three command ships. Flagship is the Titan ESS Do You Feel Lucky.

Crew Count is Estimated at 20 000; affilated to the Altak Union.

Second Fleet:

Under command of admiral Steven Keyes, immediate inferiors are Robert Wagner and Rachel Toralen.

Ship Count: Five interceptors, 25 frigates, 30 destroyers, 12 cruisers, 3 battlecruisers, 1 battleship, one carrier, two planetary bombardment vessels and two command ships. Flagship is the Dreadnought ESS Leviathan.

Crew count is estimated at 15 000; affiliated with the Altak Union.

Third Fleet:

Under command of admiral Joseph Amarr, immediate inferiors are Claire Ott and Jason Soss.

Ship Count:

Three interceptors, 25 frigates, 27 destroyers, 7 cruisers, 4 battlecruisers, 1 battleship, 1 carrier, one planetary bombardment vessel and three command ships. Flagship is the dreadnought ESS Marathon.

Crew count is estimated at 16 000; affiliated with the Altak Union.

Other

There are 35 Asssault Ships, twenty cruisers, thirty destroyers, two battlecruisers, one dreadnought and two fighter-less carriers in reserve that can be drawn on, fully or partially, at any time by any fleet; so long as the fleet in question returns the same number of ships after the mission in which the reerve ships were needed. These ships also act as an emergency evac/response fleet if an emergency breaks out on a planet and can only be solved through naval interference.