The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria

The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria

Standing as a beacon of interstellar cooperation and unity amidst the vast expanse of the Spur and its political system, the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria represents a collaborative effort to foster mutual prosperity and security; at its core lies a commitment to diplomatic dialogue, economic integration and collective defense, aimed at ensuring stability and progress for all member entities. It is governed by the Grand Assembly of the Commonwealth — essentially a Parliament of which there exists seats for either the respective leader, or leaders of the member states, or someone appointed on their behalf to represent them. Generally, matters of mutual concern are addressed, usually dealt with by vigorous debate — of which are chronicled and ultimately released to the public. It has ancillary functions to serve as a platform for trade and commerce, in which there exists an exchange of goods, services and ideas among member states — mostly to drive technological innovation, which in turn grants economic growth, an aim of the Commonwealth to catch up to “other entities within the Spur” — in conjunction with the Commonwealth Naval Authority, or the “C.N.A.” which though primarily built up the Consortium, has seen additions and changes to its defensive posturing by the Union of Gla’orr since their introduction as a member state — in particular, the handling of non-Hieroaetherian craft entering Titan’s Rapture. The Commonwealth ultimately also seeks to modernize the Commonwealth Naval Authority; liaison with its member states and facilitate a united space colonization effort, in spite of the differences between them all.

Constitutive Act of the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria

We, the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria (COH): 

1. The Chairman of the Consortium of Hieroaetheria

2. The Ecclesiarchs of the Eternal Republic of the Ekane 

3. The Paragon of the Union of Gla’orr 

INSPIRED by the noble ideals which guided the founders of our Organisation and generations of Pan-Hieroaetherians in their determination to promote unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Hieroaetheria and Hieroaetherian States; 

CONSIDERING the principles and objectives stated in the Charter of the Organisation of Hieroaetherian Unity and the Treaty establishing the Hieroaetherian Economic Community; 

RECALLING the heroic struggles waged by our peoples and our states for political independence, sentient dignity and economic emancipation; 

DETERMINED to take up the multifaceted challenges that confront Hieroaetheria and peoples in light of the social, economic and political changes taking place in the Orion Spur; 

GUIDED by our common vision of a united and strong Hieroaetheria and by the need to build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among our peoples; 

FURTHER DETERMINED to take all necessary measures to strengthen our common institutions and provide them with the necessary powers and resources to enable them to discharge their respective mandates effectively;

RECALLING the Declaration that we adopted at the Third Extraordinary Session of our Grand Assembly in Epigenia, the Consortium of Hieroaetheira, on 31.5.2445, in which we decided to establish the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria, in conformity with the ultimate objectives of the Charter of the Organisation of Hieroaetherian Unity and the Treaty establishing the Hieroaetherian Economic Community; 

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:  

[...]

[...]

Article 3 

Objectives

The objectives of the Commonwealth shall be to: 

(a) Achieve greater unity and solidarity between the Hieroaetherian states and the peoples of Hieroaetheria;

(b) Defend the Sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States; 

(c) Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of Hieroaetheria; 

(d) Promote and defend Hieroaetherian common positions of issues of interest to Hieroaetheria and its peoples; 

(e) Encourage interstellar cooperation, taking due account of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law; 

(f) Promote peace, security and stability across Hieroaetheria and its States;  

(g) Establish the necessary conditions which enable Hieroaetheria to play its rightful role in the interstellar economy. 

Article 4 

Principles 

The Commonwealth shall function in accordance with the following principles: 

(a) Sovereign equality and interdependence among Member States of the Commonwealth; 

(b) Respect of borders existing on achievement of joining the Commonwealth; 

(c) Participation of Hieroaetherian peoples in the activities of the Commonwealth; 

(d) Establishment of a common defence policy for Hieroaetheria and its States, through such appropriate means as may be decided upon by the Grand Assembly; 

(e) Prohibition of the use of force or threat to use force among Member States of the Commonwealth; 

(f) Non-interference by any Member State in the internal affairs of another; 

(g) The right of the Commonwealth to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the Grand Assembly in respect of circumstances; 

(h) Peaceful co-existence of Member States and their right to live in peace and security; 

(i) The right of Member States to request intervention from the Commonwealth in order to restore peace and security; 

(j) Promotion of self-reliance within the framework of the Commonwealth; 

(k) The right to expand a Member State’s existing territory, based on a simple majority within the Grand Assembly. 

[...]

[...] 

Article 32 

Admission to Membership

1. Any Hieroaetherian State may, at any time after the entry into force of this Act, notify the Grand Assembly of its intention to accede to this Act and to be admitted as a member of the Commonwealth. 

2. The State wishing to join the Commonwealth must agree to uphold this Act’s objectives and principles.

3. The Grand Assembly shall, upon receipt of such notification shall transmit copies to all Member States. Admission shall be decided by a simple majority of the Grand Assembly. The decision of the Member States will then communicate the decision to the State. 

[...]

[...]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, WE have adopted this Act. Done at Epigenia, Consortium of Hieroaetheria, this 15th day of July, 2446.

Grand Assembly of the Commonwealth

Serving as the central, deliberate body within the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria, where its member states are represented either by their respective leaders or a person appointed with authority to represent the member state, gather to address matters of mutual concern and chart the course of collective action; located within Nral’daaq or Epigenia, as a result of the Consortium’s founding of the Commonwealth, the Grand Assembly is a grandiose hall designated to accommodate delegates from various factions — even prior to their acceptance as a member state, with both cultural and religious themes incorporated within the building — which the Consortium sought to incorporate to reflect the inclusive and egalitarian ethos it wished to continue.

Meetings of the Grand Assembly are convened periodically to discuss a wide range of topics, including diplomatic relations, economic policies, security arrangements and matters of interstellar governance — however, the Grand Assembly does not act as an enforcing body, merely one that develops supposed guidelines for its member states, at least besides any actions the Commonwealth wishes to take with the Commonwealth Naval Authority. Each member state is given the ability to represent themselves and their interests and viewpoints of their respective constituents.

Debates within the Grand Assembly are characterized by lively discussion and negotiation, as delegates seek to find consensus and common ground on issues of importance to the Commonwealth. Decisions are typically reached through a process of consensus-building, with each faction having a voice in the final outcome. It also serves as a forum for fostering dialogue and understanding among member factions, providing an opportunity for diplomatic engagement and relationship-building. Through dialogue and collaboration, the Grand Assembly seeks to strengthen the bonds of cooperation and solidarity that underpin the Commonwealth's shared vision for the future. However, merging is unheard of if not taboo amongst delegates — where to do such would reveal information not privy to other factions, and possibly lead to tense diplomatic relations, if not worse — the Commonwealth’s Constitution even outlines to do so is not necessarily not allowed, but against the interest of Hieroaetheria; which most attribute to the fact a merging may yield a Gestalt which is favourable to a particular member state as opposed to the entirety of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth Naval Authority

Founded shortly after the establishment of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Naval Authority answers to no one but the decisions agreed to on by the Grand Assembly— however, it largely operates with some degree of autonomy in part due to the guidelines set forth by the Grand Assembly. There is not restrictions on who may join, merely that they be citizens of one of the member states of the Commonwealth — resulting in both non-Dionae and Dionae oftentimes seen working together on any objectives for the Authority; despite calls against the allowance of non-Dionae with in the ranks by both the Eternal Republic of the Ekane and the Union of Gla’orr. Predominately, they maintain patrols across the Commonwealth’s territory, stretching roughly between four to five light years in any given direction from Hieroaetheria; with only the Consortium having successfully established any off-world presence so far.

They regularly conduct training exercises with attaches from the Nralakk Federation, mostly as a result of the agreement between the Consortium and the former. This has somewhat affected relations with the Eternal Republic of the Ekane and the Union of Gla’orr, citing the necessity to train the Commonwealth Naval Authority on their own, and not providing an alien entity with specifications as to its capabilities and strategies — which has resulted in a minor compromise of sorts between the member states. Successful lobbying by the Eternal Republic and the Union had resulted in a somewhat tightly controlled border; spacecraft that enter the Commonwealth’s territory are mandated to report all details of their operations to the Commonwealth Naval Authority Control — a large space station in orbit of Hieroaetheria, but with smaller outposts across any inhabited regions of their territories — and do so until they depart. In addition, majority are required to submit to any further investigation by the Commonwealth provided there exists probably cause, an easily attainable piece of information thanks to the structure of the Commonwealth — most citing “possible foreign contamination” when conducting “random” searches, essentially framing the search as a method to ensure health and sanitation procedures have been adhered, whilst looking for any incriminating material. The majority of the spacecraft that comprise the Commonwealth Naval Authority were constructed by the Consortium, with only recently the introduction of Unitary designs making their way into the fold — with discussions as to the possible development of technological innovation from Skrell, Dionae and Megacorporate minds within the shadows making their way into the rumour mill.

It operates similarly to other naval forces within the Spur; there exist ranks and a hierarchy, both of which must be followed or a person can risk expulsion from their duties. However, the notable caveat is that it is led by a Vice-Admiral, who answers only to the Grand Assembly — a Dionae agreed upon by each member state as proving to be uniquely objective in their reasoning and seeks only to fulfil their benefit to the entirety of the Commonwealth — Where Cataclysmic Energy Transverses into Celestial Life or merely Vice-Admiral Cataclysmic Energy, as referred to respectfully by many. They have been behind many appointments to leadership positions within the Commonwealth Naval Authority, cultivating a space of objective reasoning to ensure that the Authority seeks only to benefit the Commonwealth — neither one individual member state nor outside entity such as the megacorporations that dominate the Orion Spur.

The presence of the now-defunct state of the fascist Solarian Restoration Front pushed for a rapid response from the Commonwealth Naval Authority; despite having middling abilities towards the beginning of 2460 – the collapse of the Solarian Alliance brought about a significantly different political climate; furthermore, entities which were not “warm” with the greater Spur, nevermind the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria. Though Titan’s Rapture was largely unaffected by these happenings, the frontier of the Commonwealth’s territory frequently experienced skirmishes with the Solarian Restoration Front. Between 2460 CE and 2465 CE, the Commonwealth Naval Authority had increased their numbers by almost triple thanks to the contributions of both the Consortium and the Union; allowing them to somewhat successfully deal with minor conflicts, with tactics used to either deter or avoid greater battles with the Solarian Restoration Front.

The Titan's Progeny, a Cetus Rootsong Relay

A result of several years of deliberation within and action by the Grand Assembly, a project to harvest and conglomerate thousands of nymphs from across Hieroaetheria's major states in order to form a Cetus – known as The Sacred Echoes of a Titan's Bonded Progeny – saw fruition in June 2466. Composed of an equal amount of Consortium, Ekanian, Gla'orr and small member state nymphs, the fourth Cetus to reside within the Spur is wholly loyal to the Grand Assembly and, installed in orbit to act as a giant Rootsong Broadcaster, commits all of its energy towards dispersing news from the Assembly and Hieroaetheria's nations into the Voidic Rootsong Network for receiving by diona throughout the Spur. Reaching far and wide, the Rootsong transmitted by Bonded Progeny reaches Xanu Prime, in the opposite direction encompasses Federation space, and just about glances Moghes, not quite reaching Dominia, Adhomai or any significant region of the Spur's frontier; it is heard as a dim whisper to any dionae in the void that is within it's reach.

To source material to broadcast, Bonded Progeny will regularly have Cyclops gestalts split off and transported around Titan's Rapture and other Commonwealth-controlled systems via ferries so they may conduct journalistic duties, usually on Hieroaetheria or any of the nation's colonies, but occasionally elsewhere in the Spur where dionae – especially Hieroaetherians – are known to reside. Upon collecting enough material, the Cyclops remerges with the Cetus, allowing its stories to be accessed by the Cetus for broadcast. In addition to sourcing broadcast material, it is also the duty of other split-off Cyclopses to transcribe the Rootsong transmissions of the Cetus to make them accessible to dionae – and other's interested – on planets with an atmosphere which the Voidic Rootsong Network does not penetrate, composing the news in more conventional website or holopaper articles in Basic or Nral'Malic.

Due to the size of the Cetus and the sheer amount of news it transmits, Rootsong broadcasts often occur every ten minutes and containing multiple stories at once. Quantity over quality takes reign, with only several transmissions in a day recounting significant events on Hieroaetheria or Assembly decisions, the remainder being inconsequential news such as small-town gossip overheard by a Cyclops journalist, fauna migration patterns in an uninhabited part of Hieroaetheria or single-event occurences of crime. However, hidden beneath the mundane are transmissions unrelated to the news: quiet calls to dionae across the Spur to flock to Hieroaetheria, obsessive utterances related to the Eternal's Trifecta, and conflicting messages to either accept or reject the influence of the Spur's other alien species.

Cyclops split-off for the purpose of gathering material only to later remerge with the Cetus are known as the Eyes of the Cetus, or just Eyes, and often have a multitude of eye structures as part of their form. Those split-off for the purpose of documenting the Cetus' broadcasts into articles for terrestrial dionae and those too distant to are known as Scribes of the Cetus, or just Scribes, and often have multiple arm-like structures with well-manipulatable finger-like tendrils for maximum words-per-minute counts when simultaneously writing multiple articles. Gestalts split-off from Bonded Progeny are often composed of an even split of nymphs from each member state, endeavouring to be unbiased to events that occur on Hieroaetheria and any of the Commonwealth's colonies, however with increasing age, it is not unusual for internal debates among nymphs to see a gestalt begin to express slight bias towards the winning nymph's home nation. Such Cyclopses that lose their objectivity are often recalled to the Cetus early for reabsorption if identified by the Commonwealth. These Cyclops have a deeply engrained sense of subservience towards other Hieroaetherian dionae, both due to their often very young ages and their lifesake being to document and serve the Commonwealth and it's citzenry.

The largest and most reputable web-based media outlet for Bonded Progeny's transmissions is The Hieroaetherian Herald, known for it's rigid journalistic integrity. Sponsored by the Commonwealth and active since the launch of the Cetus' broadcasting operations, thousands of web articles are transcribed and uploaded a day by split-off journalists, with points and seniority ascribed to journalists by the number of transmissions they have transcribed and their overall objectivity rating. Entirely playful, split-off journalists compete to see whom can net the most article scores in a month of working.

Interstellar Relations

Nralakk Federation

Overall, it can be said that the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria and the Nralakk Federation have an amicable relationship, most of which is derived from its friendship with the Consortium. Prior to the introduction of the Eternal Republic of the Ekane and the Union of Gla’orr to the Commonwealth, the Consortium had negotiated what is now known as Rapture’s Treaty – an important agreement which sought to be binding on future member states and includes a defensive pact between the Commonwealth and the Federation, and several other provisions which allow for the Federation and Commonwealth to engage in training practices concerning the Commonwealth Naval Authority, and ultimately freedom of migration across the Commonwealth without the necessity for a tourist visa; however, this largely has been rejected by the Eternal Republic of the Ekane, and the Union of Gla’orr, which has had a minor impact on the greater relationship between the Commonwealth and the Federation. However, the Consortium maintains this agreement, allowing those from the Nralakk Federation to enjoy its cities and territories; notably the only faction to do so on Hieroaetheria. There is a Commonwealth Embassy located on Qerrbalak, and a Federation Embassy in Nral’daaq or Epigenia.

Solarian Alliance

Prior to the Solarian Collapse, the relationship between the Solarian Alliance and the Commonwealth was largely just diplomatic. There had been no agreements between one another, and their relationship mostly derived from the shared friendship both entities had with the Nralakk Federation. The Solarian Collapse brought a significant change to the political climate of the Spur, and with it a radical change to the relationship between the Solarian Alliance and the Commonwealth. Though neutral to the Second Solarian Invasion of the Republic of Biesel, the Commonwealth ultimately chose to distance itself from the Solarian Alliance – a decision exacerbated by the skirmishes occuring on its borders from the Solarian Restoration Front. On the cusp of a re-united Solarian Alliance, the Grand Assembly has a decision to make in regards to whether they maintain the current direction of diplomacy, or seek a new path.

Republic of Biesel

The Commonweallth and the Republic of Biesel can be regarded as having a rather warm relationship with one another, mostly thanks to the presence of Megacorporations within the Commonwealth – in particular the Consortium, similarly to the Nralakk Federation, has fostered a sense of trust and co-operation between the respective factions. Though the Union of Gla’orr largely ignores the Republic of Biesel’s diplomatic attempts at an attempt to remain impartial and neutral within the Orion Spur, the Commonwealth has slowly been confirming their allegiance to the Republic of Biesel through minor engagements such as trade discussions and laxing of migration controls; though most attribute it to the doings of the Megacorporations, others view the Omnivirate’s presence in the faction as a significant contributor as to the silence of the Eternal Republic of the Ekane – largely voting to abstrain from any action for or against the Republic of Biesel. Both the Commonwealth and the Republic of Biesel have agreed to host embassies within their nations, with the Commonwealth Embassy located in District One of Mendell City, and a Biesellite Embassy located in Nral’daaq or Epigenia.

Covenant of Xrim

Being the only other nation of Dionae in the Orion Spur, the relationship between the Covenant of Xrim and the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria is essentially an alliance, though one unique to the two. Despite the Covenant largely being considered a vassal of the Nralakk Federation, with the latter representing them in interstellar affairs, both the Commonwealth and the Covenant have agreed to an unofficial pact of friendship – remarkably agreed upon by every member state within the Commonwealth. It is not unheard of for the Triumvirate to travel to Titan’s Rapture and engage in diplomatic discussions with the entirety of the Commonwealth, and even holding individual talks with the member states. Though the Consortium and the Union of Gla’orr are considered friendly entities to the Covenant, the Eternal Republic of the Ekane and the Covenant have the strongest relationship – most owing it to the religious ideology of the two. Though the Covenant of Xrim does not technically have the authority to operate an embassy, the Nralakk Federation has agreed to allow for a portion of its embass in Nral’daaq or Epigenia to be used by the Covenant to continue relations with Hieroaetheria. There are discussions between the Covenant, Federation and Commonwealth to establish a secondary embassy on Xrim.

The Omnivirate

The Omnivirate, though not exactly an entity with any discernable borders in which it governs, has a unique relationship with the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria. Owing to their status as the religious authority of the Eternal, they have been granted wide-ranging benefits within the Commonwealth and its territories; in particular, they are among the only individuals who need not adhere to certain restrictions, they may freely travel across the member states and the greater Commonwealth – and have done so frequently, oftentimes engaging with the political authorities of the Consortium, Eternal Republic and the Union. However the recent announcement of their intention to expand their authority outside of the Eternal Gardens may create a sense of tension amongst the Commonwealth’s member states, especially in regard to their recent intervention within the Covenant of Xrim. Time will only tell whether their decision shall have either a significant or insignificant impact on the Commonwealth and their current direction within the Orion Spur.