Interstellar Aid Corps
Overview
Officially founded in 2290, three years after the First Interstellar War, The Interstellar Aid Corps is a humanitarian group that provides relief and assistance with the underdeveloped regions of the Spur. The IAC has a major foothold in human space, with a focus on the Frontier colonies in particular, but operates in most regions of space where local authorities allow them.
The IAC is a strongly neutral, non-governmental organisation focusing on humanitarian aid. As such, it stays out and attempts to work independently of local politics in the areas that they operate. Volunteers are protected under the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law as long as they do not abuse their position to involve themselves in local conflicts, and it is considered a war crime to harm a neutral member of the IAC. The IAC follows a strict non-involvement policy, requiring volunteers to stay out of political affairs while deployed with the organisation.
The Interstellar Aid Corps has been involved in numerous scandals since its inception. Over the years, the organisation has been accused of misappropriating funds, negligent handling of relief efforts, and failing to follow standard hiring practices when hiring volunteers. These claims have left a mark on its reputation, with many disaster victims treating the corps’ responding volunteers with mistrust. The most recent scandal in recent memory is the IAC’s handling of the Violet Dawn relief effort; there have been substantiated claims that the Interstellar Aid Corps did not make an organised effort to evacuate civilians for a considerable amount of time, only increasing its efforts on the planet once figures in the Solarian Government had lambasted them on the extranet. Officials from the Sol Alliance place most of the blame for the negligent handling of the IAC response on Director Urseli’Uleaea, a Skrell mired in controversy for their apparent Skrellian bias. The previous CCO for the IAC, Angela Myre, is so far the only member of the Corps to receive disciplinary action as a result of the Violet Dawn crisis for their part in mishandling funds for the IAC's operations on Mars and was subsequently fired. Most critics of the organisation however consider Myre to be just a scapegoat, while the real perpetrators are still employed.
Currently, the number of members with the IAC is roughly 112 million, including volunteers and permanent staff, with the majority being medical workers. The IAC also employs a large number of engineering, security, and logistical personnel, along with a smaller number of sentient-rights investigators, translators, and liaison staff. Many of the IAC’s non-human volunteers signed up with the organisation after they began operations on their home planet, seeing it as an easy way of getting off-planet and outside of the disaster zone. This has become a common trend despite the organisation being considered untrustworthy by some, with a growing minority of its staff being non-Human or non-Skrell.
Executives
The Interstellar Aid Corps operates through that of a committee of people, with the presiding officer being referred to as the Chairperson. Currently, Tyler Henderson is the Chairman of the Interstellar Aid Corps. He is assisted by other members of the committee, who oversee the day to day operations of the organization.
Current Members of the IAC Committee:
Chief Executive Officer - Tyler Henderson
Holding the highest position in the organization, Tyler Henderson has served as the CEO of the IAC for over three decades. Since their tenure as CEO began Henderson has spent much of their time pushing for a more “corporate” culture within the organization, organizing aspects of the company to be more in line with that of a corporation, as well as working on increasing the IAC’s relations with the megacorporations. Outside of pushing for this, Henderson has normally remained fairly hands-off with the organization, preferring to leave most major decisions in the hands of the committee, only getting involved when a decision requires it and for public appearances. With the recent tragedy of Violet Dawn and the IAC’s failure to respond appropriately, Henderson has begun to work more closely with the rest of the committee to ensure another repeat of the incident tanking the IAC’s reputation never occurs again, including to the point of firing the previous CCO due to allegations made against them regarding their work during their Violet Dawn aftermath.
Chief Communications Officer - Olivia Fardin
Originally born on Silversun in 2424, Olivia Fardin serves as the current Chief Communications Officer for the IAC, handing media created by the organization such as publicly released news, press conferences, and propaganda. Notoriously the previous CCO was dismissed as a result of allegations revolving around their mishandling of funds during the Violet Dawn aftermath, Since her promotion in 2463, Olivia has spent much of her efforts working towards moving pass past scandals and allegations and instead giving the galaxy a more renewed, positive opinion on the organization.
Executive Director of Operations in the Valley Hale - Dr. Ethan Foulon
Residing as the Director Of Operations in the Valley Hale for around sixty years, Ethan Foulon is the current oldest serving human executive of the IAC, being originally born in 2362 on Earth. Before gaining the position Dr. Foulon had worked as a responder for the IAC since graduating med school, slowly working his way up the ladder until gaining their current position in 2406. As the DoO in Valley Hale, they directly oversee all operations within the CoC and northern frontier, more recently they have also been charged with handling most of the operations within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. So far their work has proven to be efficient, working a sort of triage system in which they send aid to those most immediately in need while doing what they can for those less in need.
Executive Director of Operations in the Sparring Sea - Kamayazak Erka’zah
Originating from Moghes with noble blood, Kamayazak Erka’zah serves as the Director of Operations in the Sparring Sea, overseeing all of the IAC’s operations within the region. Being inspired by the work of the IAC during the aftermath of the Contact War’s nuclear exchange, Kamayazak joined in 2440 initially as a translator, eventually being promoted to help oversee and manage operations within certain regions of Moghes and later several planets within the Sparring Sea. Their work eventually lead the previous DoO to recommend them as their successor, and with their death in 2452 Erka’zah was promoted to their current position. Since then they’ve spent much of their efforts working towards aiding those affected by the rampant piracy within the Sparring Sea region, as well as aiding the inhabitants of Adhomai affected by its civil war.
Executive Director of Operations in the Median - Dr. Veuqelix Urseli’Uleaea
Veuqelix Urseli’Uleaea serves as the current DoO in the Median, handling the organization of most of the IAC’s efforts within the Traverse and nearby Solarian space. Originally born on Aliose in 2190, Veuqelix was promoted to the position as part of an agreement between the IAC and the Nralakk Government that required the IAC to put a Skrell in charge of the region’s operations if the Federation was to allow them to operate in the Traverse, to begin with. Veugelix is known for giving favouritism to Traverse worlds over Solarian or other human-majority worlds, preferring only minimal aid to the latter while sending an abundance to the former. This favouritism has only served to make them more unpopular within the organization as many worlds formerly under the SOL Alliance have seen delayed and minimal aid given to them, while responses to Traverse world disasters are almost immediate and abundant. Most notably they were the ones in charge of the Violet Dawn response and were implicated in several scandals, with them being accused of mishandling funds and misdirecting aid, leading to a delayed and inefficient response. Despite the evidence, many of these allegations have been covered up or excused as being the work of a subordinate.
Subdivisions
Engineering
The Interstellar Aid Corps Engineers (IACE) is a subdivision of the IAC that has three major responsibilities: the building of relief camps and medical centres for the IAC to work out of, the repairing of vital infrastructure in a disaster area, and the maintenance of that infrastructure. IAC engineers are expected to know basic construction at the very least but can be specialists in many fields from water and waste management, to electrical engineering and telecommunications.
Once the IAC arrives, the first personnel on the scene are first responders, quickly followed up by engineers who will prepare rudimentary tents or scout outbuildings that can be utilised as temporary relief centres until purpose-built facilities can be established. Once the medical team is set up and able to work, it is the responsibility of the engineers to repair and maintain vital infrastructure in the area such as power stations, roads, and water lines. Like the medical division, IAC engineers are expected to work with local authorities while carrying out their duties, prioritising services and infrastructure that the local Government marks as vital.
Medical
The Interstellar Aid Corps Medical division (IACM) is the main subdivision of the IACs operational arm and is responsible for the first response, treatment, and overall medical aid provided to the local populace of a disaster region. IAC medical personnel are expected to know basic treatment for common injuries, as well as CPR and the proper procedure regarding patient transport. The IAC also looks for medical personnel who are able to provide general treatment, surgery and have a particular interest in those who have had past experience providing treatment on the field such as military doctors or medics.
Medical personnel are some of the first to arrive on the scene, with first responders coordinating with engineers to find or build ideal temporary treatment stations until proper facilities can be established. Once the appropriate medical facilities have been built by the IAC’s engineers, primary medical care staff are deployed to begin treating the wounded. This division sees the most use out of the IACs auxiliary staff such as interpreters, who are able to translate and assist the medical team in effectively treating their patients.
Areas of Operation
The International Aid Corp’s areas of operation are separated into three zones: the Valley Hale, and Sparring Sea, and The Median. Named after regions of space where nations share their borders with one another, these areas operate under the Executive Director of Operations assigned to them. The scale of operations within these regions varies, with the Valley Hale currently being the most active area of operation as it includes the Corporate Reconstruction Zone.
Valley Hale
Operations under this area of operation are within the Republic of Biesel, the Republic of Elyra, and the Coalition of Colonies. The majority of the IAC’s work is within Coalition space, where they are working alongside the more underdeveloped planets to improve the overall quality of life of the people living there. The Valley Hale region is considered one of the more arduous regions of operation; while the IAC is able to work freely and without much concern for the well-being of their staff thanks to the overall stability in the region, it routinely has to deal with bureaucratic red tape and insistence on specific rules regarding operations in the territory of each nation. The Coalition of Colonies doesn’t have nationwide regulations as it is left up to its member planets, while the Republic of Biesel insists on the IAC cooperating with local megacorporations and their response teams. Specifically, the Republic encourages the corps to cooperate with the SCC in their efforts within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Operations within the Republic of Elyra are limited compared to the Coalition or Biesel, with the Republic of Elyra only letting the IAC operate within its borders during the Lii’dra incursion.
Sparring Sea
Operations under this area of operation are within the Empire of Dominia, the Izweski Hegemony, the People’s Republic of Adhomai, the Democratic People’s Republic of Adhomai, and the New Kingdom of Adhomai. The IAC is mostly active on Adhomai and Moghes, where they provide healthcare for the less fortunate members of society. The IAC has been active on Adhomai since the Second Civil War and continues to have at least a minor presence in all three factions today, but the majority of their focus has turned to the Izweski Hegemony now that Adhomai is recovering. The IAC has some concerns regarding their members in these territories, especially the anti-xeno sentiment held by many in the DPRA, but has continued its operations regardless. The International Aid Corps enjoys a similar experience to its operations within the Nralakk Federation, with all three Tajaran Governments supporting the IAC’s involvement on Adhomai. The IAC has not been allowed to enter the Empire of Dominia’s space and has continued to appeal the decision with no sign of it being overturned in the near future.
The Median
Operations under this area of operation are within the Solarian Alliance - including its former territories in the Wildlands where safe to do so, and the Nralakk Federation. The IAC has been unwilling to send its personnel to some regions of the Wildlands due to the instability of the regions and has focused its efforts on the Solarian Alliance and the Nralakk Federation. The corps has a strong presence in both nations, with the Nralakk Federation giving a large amount of material and personnel in support of IAC operations within the Traverse. Despite the ideological differences between the Sol Alliance and the IAC, the organisation operates almost freely within its space. With this said though the IAC is unable to deploy its non-human staff here, which has harshly affected its ability to operate within Solarian space.
Operations by Nation
Solarian Alliance
Despite the organisation's historical ties to the Solarian Alliance, the ideological divide between the current Solarian government and the IAC's core tenets has opened a rift between the two. While the IAC theoretically enjoys minimal interference from the Solarian government, in reality the Corps stumbles into numerous roadblocks with every undertaking it pursues within the Alliance. Many non-human members of the Corps are banned entirely from Solarian space, and the Corps' free positronic workforce can only legally gain entry as equipment belonging to the organisation as a whole. The situation in the Wildlands is even more tumultuous; some of the warlords welcome whatever aid they can get with open arms, while the ideological fanaticism of others has alienated the Corps from opening operations there in any capacity at all.
In spite of these difficulties, though, the Wildlands' ongoing instability has resulted in the Corps expanding their operations there to a degree not seen since the aftermath of the Great Interstellar War. Operations within core Solarian space continue as well, with the largest and most well-known of all being the contentious Violet Dawn relief effort in and around Mars.
Republic of Biesel
Prior to the acquisition of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the Interstellar Aid Corps found themselves utilized within the various districts of Mendell City, offering services in the form of free clinics operated by their medical subdivision. They have since evolved to be a rather crucial force within the Republic’s frontier - repairing and rebuilding the decaying previous colonies of the Solarian Alliance, primarily focusing on the upliftment of the poor infrastructure noted across these colonies. This comes in tandem with the assistance provided by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.
The IAC has also been instrumental in the handling of the waves of refugees crossing into the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, utilizing both their medical and engineering subdivisions in order to smooth the transition into the Republic of Biesel. Stationed in areas in close proximity to regions deemed a hotbed for those seeking refuge to cross, these housing facilities operate closely with the SCC and are oftentimes directly sponsored by them. This allegedly provides a faster integration into the Republic of Biesel and sets up career opportunities for those fleeing their unstable situations within the greater Wildlands.
Empire of Dominia
The Empire of Dominia has refused the IAC access to its space, citing irreconcilable differences of policy between the Imperial government and the Corps itself. The IAC's employment of positronic personnel and equipment is an issue that no amount of negotiation has been able to move past, and while discussions on opening up the Empire in any capacity have continued for a number of years, the Imperial Cabinet regularly bogs any real progress down in endless, manufactured delays.
This control extends to the Imperial Occupied Territory of Fisanduh -- despite the region's de facto independence, the Imperial Navy is still in a position to interdict any relief efforts sent the way of the Fisanduhian people, despite appeals by the territory's politicians and populace. For now, the IAC has agreed to abide by the Empire's stance, in spite of concerns and protests raised by much of its own member base.
Coalition of Colonies
In keeping with the Coalition's decentralised nature and general tolerance towards all comers, the IAC enjoys a high level of autonomy within its borders. The Xanu government in particular is eager to cooperate with and support the Corps in its work within Coalition space, although the organisation has met with stiffer rebuttals and more stringent conditions with its operations elsewhere in the nation. The Gadpathurian government in particular has met the IAC with an outright refusal of entry, and other member states have seen fit to impose their own specific requirements on the organisation as well.
Generally speaking, however, the lack of any serious political opposition and excessive xenophobia has allowed the IAC's operations in Coalition space to blossom in scale and scope far beyond their capabilities elsewhere in the Spur, and it is here that many of the organisation's non-human members are best able to contribute to the Corps' ideals.
Serene Republic of Elyra
The Serene Republic of Elyra has a somewhat complicated relationship with the Interstellar Aid Corps, Elyra’s interplay with the organization can be described as present, yet distant. Since its formal entrance into interstellar affairs in 2381 following the adaptation of the New Suez Protocol, Elyra has routinely provided funding for the Interstellar Aid Corps under strictly moral pretences and to appear as if it is a member of the wider geopolitical community of the Orion Spur. Elyran funding for the IAC has stayed consistent for nearly 80 years and Elyra has even occasionally donated medical supplies and equipment to the organization over the decades.
While Elyra does fund and occasionally equip the IAC, it has historically never allowed the Corps to conduct operations within its own borders, simply citing that there are no pressing matters which would require the IAC’s time, attention, or resources. This changed only recently however with the aftermath of the Lii’dra incursion on Bursa where the IAC deployed in force at the behest of the Elyran government, but since there have been no further IAC missions in the territory of the Serene Republic of Elyra. Critics outside of the Elyran state have railed against the Elyran government for not letting the IAC provide aid and care to some of Elyra’s most impoverished Non-Citizen Persons, though repeatedly the Elyran government has affirmed its capacity to provide adequate medical care and standards of living for its NCP population without outside assistance or help.
Nralakk Federation
IAC operations in the Nralakk Federation are limited to the Traverse— specifically the general area that borders human-controlled space. Due to how vast the Traverse is, the official Federation response is typically delayed, leading to the Federation unofficially relying on the IAC to be the first response to any major disaster in the region. Along with this, the Federation is noted by the IAC to be quite cooperative with the organization albeit bordering on overbearing; the Federation routinely provides material and even personnel in support of IAC efforts in the region when able. This support comes with more oversight than the IAC is used to, however, with the Nralakk Federation detailing how exactly they wish their contributions to be used; the Federation is known to outline planets or regions of importance as well as only allowing the IAC to set up their facilities within designated zones. This aid and the terms that come with it is accepted by the IAC due to the strain that operations within the Traverse have on the organisation’s logistics.
Sentient-rights investigators are generally well-informed while operating in this region, but relations between the corps and the Traverse population are noted to be quite tense. While the IAC are not beholden to the intricacies of Skrellian society, their activities within the Traverse are seen by the locals as just being an extension of the Nralakk Federation’s will, causing friction between volunteers and the local Skrell. The IAC has raised concerns regarding the ban on synthetic IAC personnel being able to work in Federation space, although they have not made serious efforts to try and reach a compromise on the matter.
People's Republic of Adhomai
The Interstellar Aid Corps has been active in the People's Republic since the Second Civil War. They were allowed to provide medical care to the civilian populations affected by the conflict. The Republican Army respected and protected the IAC agents. However, they were under constant vigilance by the Hadiist secret service. The corps was not allowed to provide aid to political prisoners and to the labour camps. The IAC intensified its operations in PRA territory during the presence of the S'rand'marr Coalition.
After the Armistice, the presence of the IAC in the People's Republic was greatly reduced as the PRA health system recovered and developed. Their agents are only found in the most remote areas of the country. As part of a treaty signed during the war, the People's Republic contributes to the ranks of the IAC with trained doctors.
Democratic People’s Republic of Adhomai
Because of the xenophobic nature of the Liberation Army, the Interstellar Aid Corps was only allowed to operate in the DPRA after the establishment of the civilian government. Its agents were forbidden from working in junta territories. IAC personnel were frequently harassed by the Liberation Army and had much of their supplies confiscated during the war.
Nowadays, the IAC remains active in the civilian-controlled areas of the country; the government tolerates their presence since they help improve the public health situation. The corps maintains an office in the city of Crevus to help coordinate their efforts in the DPRA. The Trizar State Medical Academy contributes to the IAC with trained personnel.
New Kingdom of Adhomai
Due to the PRA blockade and the overall isolation, the Interstellar Aid Corps' presence in the New Kingdom was limited until the introduction of off-world volunteers. The IAC focused mainly on offering aid to civilian and foreign combatants. King Azunja encouraged the presence and accepted any material support offered by the corps during the revolution. IAC agents were not allowed access to prisoners of war.
Currently, the IAC remains active in the New Kingdom. The organization is focused on aiding the poorest citizens who are unable to afford any medical service. The corps presence in the Kingdom remains a controversial issue in the parliament: while some believe that they are necessary to help the underdeveloped health situation in the country, others think that relying on foreign help severely weakens the country. With the rising tensions in the southern regions, the IAC has begun to move its personnel to the area.
Izweski Hegemony
The Interstellar Aid Corps first came to the lands of the Hegemony during the Contact War and has been active ever since. It started by offering aid to civilians, mainly displaced persons in the midst of the Contact War; however, their efforts were hamstrung by their alien nature. While Hegemony Unathi typically looked past the cultural and physical differences between them, Sinta from the Traditionalist Coalition, who made up a majority of those in need of help, would refuse to accept help from any aliens. When the Contact War eventually went nuclear, the IAC withdrew from the planet until its conclusion.
Currently, the IAC remains active within the Hegemony, operating in tandem with Medical and Engineering Guilds to provide for those in need. The IAC mainly assists victims of the Contact War’s nuclear exchange within the Hegemony by removing malignant tumours, constructing shelters for displaced people, and constructing critical infrastructure are all ways the IAC commonly assists people living in Hegemonic Space. The IAC also is one of the few organizations brave enough to venture out into the Wasteland, and most IAC buildings full of doctors and engineers can be found in Wasteland Settlements. These positions are considered by many in the IAC to be the worst in the whole Spur with the possibility of bodily harm from roaming bandits or an angry populace the highest for the organization. However, this has not stopped many Sinta from using the IAC as a means of escape with Wastelanders volunteering en masse for whatever jobs they can find.