Aldottorai Republic
You don't get it, do you? The Aldottorai Republic- they're smart. Too damn smart, if you get my meaning. The Great Colonial War wrecked every Terran power and shattered the oldest and richest colonies. But the Aldottorai played it smart- they waited until after the war dragged on for years. Then they swooped right in, rich and eager to prove themselves. And they pulled it off, the bastards. They forced an end to the war on their terms. And the whole of the frontier along the Diskward Marches thinks they're the heroes now. Champions of the colonized and the oppressed, liberators. The frontier thinks they're big damn heroes and now you want to call their bluff? Show them they're the bad guys here and get their former allies to rally around the rebellious colonies who helped the Republic save the galaxy? You're nuts.Rich, powerful, and ambitious, the Aldottorai Republic is the newest power player on the interstellar stage, although many of its neighbors are also racing for that coveted position. Not as rich or powerful as Terra, nor as densely populated, it still has surpassed all of its regional neighbors along the edge of the Marches and, following the Great Colonial War, is the only one entirely intact and untouched. Claiming themselves to be the future of the human species, they have bullied, rallied, and bribed many of the colonial systems into recognizing their influence. However, that power and prestige have come from their heavily exploited colonies and outright annexation of weaker neighbors. For all their claims of being champions of liberty, democracy, and self-determination, many are beginning to question if they are not just another set of imperialists under a new face.
Structure
| Executive Branch | First Minister | Ministerial Cabinet | System Governors |
| Legislative Branch | House of Electors | House of Senators | System Councils |
| Judicial Branch | High Court | System Courts | Commune Courts |
Culture
- Stellar Humanism: One of the main foundations of Aldottorai culture is stellar humanism, giving them an optimistic and ambitious perspective on humanity's role in the galaxy. They firmly believe humans are the only life in the galaxy and that the galaxy is theirs for the taking.
- Aldottorai Nationalism: Except for the Ship Clans, the Aldottorai were among the first to establish their national and ethnic identity entirely independent of their original settler identities. That has given them a strong sense of pride and a feeling that they are setting the groundwork for the future of humanity. They hold a very high opinion of themselves compared to their neighbors.
- Individualism: Despite the highly centralized government and authority, the Aldottorai are strong believers in individualism and personal autonomy. While the highest ranks of government are technically closed to the vast majority of the public, ministerial positions are open to anyone and often held by so-called commoners. Nor is there technically anything preventing the poorest citizen from achieving wealth and power.
- Innovation: Despite being rich in raw materials, the Aldott Sector was not materially rich initially, leading to numerous shortages and a lack of essential materials. That fostered a can-do and improvisational attitude that permeated the entire culture and positioned the Republic to take a leading edge in technology.
- The Common Good: In a peculiar hybridization of the various conflicting values that developed, the individualism and innovativeness of the Aldottorai were forged and focused through the lens of service to the common good. However, in this case, the common good is viewed entirely in terms of the Aldottorai Republic rather than humanity as a whole or as a regional interstellar community.
- No Second Place: Competition is seen not as a negative or something that can be counterproductive. Instead, it is seen as a way of gradually improving society, its constituent groups, and the individuals who make it up. Competition is encouraged at all levels of society and viewed as a moral virtue to ensure the best of the best rise to the top and are kept constantly on their toes. Most contests are viewed as zero-sum games with no possibility for intermediary results beyond a single winner and the rest of the losers.
Public Agenda
The Resolution on the Formation of the Aldottorai Government, which passed unaminously
- Above all, the role of government is to ensure the security, prosperity, and wellbeing of the citiziens of Aldott now, and in perpetuity.
- This is best propagated through a strong, centralized, and indepdendent elected government, free of external influence or interests that may place their interests above that of the nation.
- As such, this document now establishes the Aldottorai Republic to puruse the goals of security, prosperity, and well-being.
- Moreover, the Aldottorai Republic is recognized as being a sign of the validity of the philosophy known as Stellar Humanism.
- As Stellar Humanism is essential for the growth of the human species, so is the existence of the Aldottorai Republic.
- Poised on the edge of human settled space, it is the moral and political imperative of the Aldottorai Republic to take an active and leading role in the furtherance of human growth into the frontier.
At the core of the Aldottorai Republic lies the belief that they are the heralds of a new age for human expansion into space. In this new era, the settled systems will eclipse and surpass Terra as the major drivers of commerce, culture, and growth in the human species, which has been labelled as Stellar Humanism. While not originally from Aldott, the idea took deep root in Aldottorai society following the creation of the Republic and the general development of the Aldottorai national identity.
The Aldottorai Republic openly embraces the concepts of Stellar Humanism within its purpose of government.
History
As part of the second wave of interstellar colonization, the Aldottorai Republic was always a bit of a gamble due to its relatively frigid climate, despite the estimates of rich natural inorganic resources. With most of the large governments wary of the extra cost and challenes, it was colonized by a combination of Scandinavian, Siberian, and Canadian governments and combines. Despite a highly profitable mining industry, the colony suffered for the century and a half, until Bjorn Alfsdottir launched a bloodless coup.
The operations of the Aldott System Colonial Government were always hampered by the distance between the Aldott system and Terra, as well as sometimes conflicting interests between the primary stakeholders. Bjorn Alfsdottir, a recent immigrant to the colony, recognized this as both a liability and an opportunity. Rallying the other wealthy industrialists and, breaking from the old labor vs capitalist rivalry, the workers to go on a planet-wide strike. Aided by the local garrison, who were as disillusioned with Terran rule as the rest of the world, they forced the Terran rulers to grant significant autonomy to the colony. Bjorn spearheaded the formation of the Aldottorai Republic as a dependency with significant internal autonomy. Recognizing the continued existence of conflicting interests within the various ethnic communities, he pushed for a unitary state and began a long campaign of creating an Aldottorai identity.
Bjorn became the First Minister of the Republic and began a vigorous reform campaign. He overhauled the legal code as well as the economic, commercial, and immigration systems for efficiency and clarity. However, he was assassinated shortly into his second term of office, preventing him from fulfilling his entire vision. His murder, however, shored up his legacy as a hero and martyr for the cause of the rapidly burgeoning Aldottorai nationalism movement.
Bjorn's successors to the First Minister post were less successful than he, but were able to capitalize on his legacy to finish securing the existence of the Republic and providing it with a powerful foundation. The system rapidly developed its commercial and economic base to become one of the powerhouses of the frontier. Surrounded by other colonies still ruled by their Terran founders, the Aldottorai positioned themselves as a true success story and backed the demands of their neighbors against the Terran stakeholders, even developing a fairly strong navy that could contest with most colonial forces from Terra. As a result, the Aldottorai Republic even began annexing neighboring colonies through political verve and military force. They claimed it was to grant them the same autonomy and standard of living experienced by those within the Republic and that they acted only in response to requests from the inhabitants. It was during this time frame that the ambitious Aldottorai Republic began to purchase the rights to the systems within the Kais Sector, which were nearing readiness for colonization. Their Terran overlords and stakeholders were thrilled with this development as their own income skyrocketed from the rapid growth of the Aldottorai Republic and they expected their shares of the Kais Colonies to increase that even further. Investors flocked both to the Terran overlords and the Aldottorai Republic and made it one of the wealthiest entities in human-inhabited space.
Over the successive decades and administrations, the Aldottorai Republic formed the Colonial Union amongst its still-separate neighbors on the frontier. It was credited as the most successful multi-colony political entity up until that time. While not recognied as legitimate by the Terran governments, it granted the Aldottorai Republic a virtual hegemony over it and its neighboring sectors. The Terran governments and stakeholders protested and attempted to disband it, but they were never able to muster the political and military will to forcibly dissolve the Colonial Union, especilly after the Aldottorai Republic began establishing its own colonies. Despite their Terran stakeholder protests, the Aldottorai Republic rejected the idea that Terran entities should have any role to play or profit from the Kais Colonial Sector which were rapidly growing as more and more people moved to the frontier.
These issues were brought to the fore by the Great Colonial War. While predominantly initiated by the Terran colonies within and immediately closest to the Terran home system, the Colonial Union played a significant role in growing the conflict. The Alfsdottirs continued to believe in Bjorn's vision of a truly independent Aldottorai Republic and they easily persuaded the rest of the Republic to support the rebellious systems and pushed the Colonial Union to join. Given that the Aldottorai Republican Guard outmatched the rest of the Colonial Union together, there was little contest and the rest of the Union found themselves suborned under the Republic and quickly annexed in the name of wartime exigencies. This secured the entire sector as part of the Aldottorai Republic and heavy fighting closer to Terra prevented both the Terran governments and the other rebel colonies from getting involved.
That more or less guaranteed the result of the war. While the Aldottorai Republic was slow to become heavily involved in the fighting, which dragged the war out for more than a decade, they were able to turn the tide of the war when they sent expeditionary forces to bolster their allies and overwhelm the exhausted Terran powers. The war ended with the Aldottorai Republic as the only true superpower on the frontier. Enriched by their annexations and confident in their prowess, they turned to securing the now-independent colonies in their immediate area. With these colonies mired in instability from the sudden severance of Terran control and often with massive financial obligations to the Republic, they posed little challenge to the Republican Guard, which had grown exponentially during the Great Colonial War.
Following the Great Colonial War, the Aldottorai Republic experienced what some called a second golden age. The Kais Colonies were bolstered by people displaced during the war and the destruction of much of the Terran system's economic strength made many systems look to the Aldottorai Republic instead. This newfound prosperity led to unprecedented stability along that section of the Diskward Marches, which the Republic used to justify their expansionist policies and operations. That began to fray as their own colonies and annexed subjects began to agitate for independence, based on the Aldottorai's own arguments and reasons for joining the Great Colonial War. The Republic, however, decried this movement as a result of Terran provacateurs out for revenge and to restablish Terran hegemony. That gave them the grounds for further militarization and increased security, but failed to prevent the eventual outbreak of the Kais Independence War and the eventual secession of the entire Kais Sector.
Despite being weakened by the Kais Independence War, the Aldottorai Republic remains one of the most powerful polities along the edge of the Diskward Marches, creating a secondary point of political power to rival the resurgent Terran governments.
The operations of the Aldott System Colonial Government were always hampered by the distance between the Aldott system and Terra, as well as sometimes conflicting interests between the primary stakeholders. Bjorn Alfsdottir, a recent immigrant to the colony, recognized this as both a liability and an opportunity. Rallying the other wealthy industrialists and, breaking from the old labor vs capitalist rivalry, the workers to go on a planet-wide strike. Aided by the local garrison, who were as disillusioned with Terran rule as the rest of the world, they forced the Terran rulers to grant significant autonomy to the colony. Bjorn spearheaded the formation of the Aldottorai Republic as a dependency with significant internal autonomy. Recognizing the continued existence of conflicting interests within the various ethnic communities, he pushed for a unitary state and began a long campaign of creating an Aldottorai identity.
Bjorn became the First Minister of the Republic and began a vigorous reform campaign. He overhauled the legal code as well as the economic, commercial, and immigration systems for efficiency and clarity. However, he was assassinated shortly into his second term of office, preventing him from fulfilling his entire vision. His murder, however, shored up his legacy as a hero and martyr for the cause of the rapidly burgeoning Aldottorai nationalism movement.
Bjorn's successors to the First Minister post were less successful than he, but were able to capitalize on his legacy to finish securing the existence of the Republic and providing it with a powerful foundation. The system rapidly developed its commercial and economic base to become one of the powerhouses of the frontier. Surrounded by other colonies still ruled by their Terran founders, the Aldottorai positioned themselves as a true success story and backed the demands of their neighbors against the Terran stakeholders, even developing a fairly strong navy that could contest with most colonial forces from Terra. As a result, the Aldottorai Republic even began annexing neighboring colonies through political verve and military force. They claimed it was to grant them the same autonomy and standard of living experienced by those within the Republic and that they acted only in response to requests from the inhabitants. It was during this time frame that the ambitious Aldottorai Republic began to purchase the rights to the systems within the Kais Sector, which were nearing readiness for colonization. Their Terran overlords and stakeholders were thrilled with this development as their own income skyrocketed from the rapid growth of the Aldottorai Republic and they expected their shares of the Kais Colonies to increase that even further. Investors flocked both to the Terran overlords and the Aldottorai Republic and made it one of the wealthiest entities in human-inhabited space.
Over the successive decades and administrations, the Aldottorai Republic formed the Colonial Union amongst its still-separate neighbors on the frontier. It was credited as the most successful multi-colony political entity up until that time. While not recognied as legitimate by the Terran governments, it granted the Aldottorai Republic a virtual hegemony over it and its neighboring sectors. The Terran governments and stakeholders protested and attempted to disband it, but they were never able to muster the political and military will to forcibly dissolve the Colonial Union, especilly after the Aldottorai Republic began establishing its own colonies. Despite their Terran stakeholder protests, the Aldottorai Republic rejected the idea that Terran entities should have any role to play or profit from the Kais Colonial Sector which were rapidly growing as more and more people moved to the frontier.
These issues were brought to the fore by the Great Colonial War. While predominantly initiated by the Terran colonies within and immediately closest to the Terran home system, the Colonial Union played a significant role in growing the conflict. The Alfsdottirs continued to believe in Bjorn's vision of a truly independent Aldottorai Republic and they easily persuaded the rest of the Republic to support the rebellious systems and pushed the Colonial Union to join. Given that the Aldottorai Republican Guard outmatched the rest of the Colonial Union together, there was little contest and the rest of the Union found themselves suborned under the Republic and quickly annexed in the name of wartime exigencies. This secured the entire sector as part of the Aldottorai Republic and heavy fighting closer to Terra prevented both the Terran governments and the other rebel colonies from getting involved.
That more or less guaranteed the result of the war. While the Aldottorai Republic was slow to become heavily involved in the fighting, which dragged the war out for more than a decade, they were able to turn the tide of the war when they sent expeditionary forces to bolster their allies and overwhelm the exhausted Terran powers. The war ended with the Aldottorai Republic as the only true superpower on the frontier. Enriched by their annexations and confident in their prowess, they turned to securing the now-independent colonies in their immediate area. With these colonies mired in instability from the sudden severance of Terran control and often with massive financial obligations to the Republic, they posed little challenge to the Republican Guard, which had grown exponentially during the Great Colonial War.
Following the Great Colonial War, the Aldottorai Republic experienced what some called a second golden age. The Kais Colonies were bolstered by people displaced during the war and the destruction of much of the Terran system's economic strength made many systems look to the Aldottorai Republic instead. This newfound prosperity led to unprecedented stability along that section of the Diskward Marches, which the Republic used to justify their expansionist policies and operations. That began to fray as their own colonies and annexed subjects began to agitate for independence, based on the Aldottorai's own arguments and reasons for joining the Great Colonial War. The Republic, however, decried this movement as a result of Terran provacateurs out for revenge and to restablish Terran hegemony. That gave them the grounds for further militarization and increased security, but failed to prevent the eventual outbreak of the Kais Independence War and the eventual secession of the entire Kais Sector.
Despite being weakened by the Kais Independence War, the Aldottorai Republic remains one of the most powerful polities along the edge of the Diskward Marches, creating a secondary point of political power to rival the resurgent Terran governments.
Territories
Aldott Sector
The heart of the Republic and the entirety of what is considered the true republic, as opposed to its colonial holdings. This sector was not originally called the Aldott Sector but was renamed as the Republic secured the region and merged it with its national identity. Consisting of three dozen star systems, the beating heart is Aldott itself, followed by its nearest neighbors, the earliest territorial acquisitions of the Republic. However, all systems within the Aldott Sector are considered full and equal members of the Republic, with all rights and privileges.Kais Colonial Sector
Diskwards of the Aldott Sector, the Kais Sector's settlement rights were purchased by the Aldottorai Republic early in its existence and have been some of the main drivers behind Aldottorai policy ever since. Much less densely charted than the Aldott Sector, the Kais Sector only holds about two-dozen star systems.Despite both being referred to as sectors, they are in fact system-clusters, as per Geographical Organization of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Religion
Officially a member of The Coalition of Terran-Based Religions, the Aldottorai Republic has no state religion and freely welcomes all religions within its borders. As such, while Stellar Humanism is the predominant philosophy, religious distribution is spread between the major Terran religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, along with the many smaller faiths that do not belong to the Coalition.
Interestingly, a local syncretic religion has also developed on Aldott that combines ancestor veneration with Christianity and the traditional religions of the Siberian peoples who helped settle the system. They are relatively small, however, and have not yet developed an organized structure or practice. Anthropologists and scholars of comparative religion are eagerly watching to see what will happen, however.
Interestingly, a local syncretic religion has also developed on Aldott that combines ancestor veneration with Christianity and the traditional religions of the Siberian peoples who helped settle the system. They are relatively small, however, and have not yet developed an organized structure or practice. Anthropologists and scholars of comparative religion are eagerly watching to see what will happen, however.
Agriculture & Industry
Too cold for traditional agriculture, most of Aldottorai's agricultural sector is devoted to greenhouse farming of vegetables, hardy livestock, and cold-weather grains. Not a particularly large part of the Aldottorai economy, they have to import warmer and more temperate crops. They grow enough to sustain themselves, as all colonies must by necessity, but there is a very small surplus that does pose a danger should anything happen to the greenhouse agricultural system.
The bulk of the Republic's economy comes from its mining industry and manufacturing. As a fairly dense planet, Aldott has rich deposits of metals and stones, but fewer deposits of petroleum, meaning they have invested heavily in their ore extraction and processing industries to help fund oil imports. Iron and coal mines are among the most prevalent industries, followed quickly by the foundries that turn those into steel and manufactured goods.
While still a burgeoning industry, space-based mining is rapidly becoming the next big business. Still in the early stages of technological development, there is already rich potential for easily accessible ores that can be extracted for far less than mining from on a planet, as well as far more rapidly. In the interests of the armed forces, they can also mine the ore in space quicker and without being discovered by other intellgience forces.
The bulk of the Republic's economy comes from its mining industry and manufacturing. As a fairly dense planet, Aldott has rich deposits of metals and stones, but fewer deposits of petroleum, meaning they have invested heavily in their ore extraction and processing industries to help fund oil imports. Iron and coal mines are among the most prevalent industries, followed quickly by the foundries that turn those into steel and manufactured goods.
While still a burgeoning industry, space-based mining is rapidly becoming the next big business. Still in the early stages of technological development, there is already rich potential for easily accessible ores that can be extracted for far less than mining from on a planet, as well as far more rapidly. In the interests of the armed forces, they can also mine the ore in space quicker and without being discovered by other intellgience forces.
Trade & Transport
While the heart of the Aldottorai economy is its industry, their trade has catapulted them to their current level of wealth. Strategically positioned along the Diskward Marches, the Republic is able to profit from all commercial movement through its space to the Marches themselves, as well as its trade from the Kais Colonial Sector. The Republic's industrial magnates are able to cheaply purchase raw materials from both the Republic and its colonies and then sell them to the ongoing colonization projects on the frontier as well as back toward Terra for cheaper than it costs to order from Terra or the other, older colonies.
The primary mover of the Republic's trade is accomplished through the use of the Aldottorai Colonial Trading Company, which holds a virtual monopoly over the trade in the Republic colonies and preferential treatment within the Republic itself. The other source are the Aldottorai great shipping families, who primarily operate on the rich and stable trade routes back toward Terra rather than the frontier. As far as growing their economy, the great shipping families and industrial combines are the ones responsible for funneling wealth from other nations, including the Terran nations, into the Aldottorai Republic.
The primary mover of the Republic's trade is accomplished through the use of the Aldottorai Colonial Trading Company, which holds a virtual monopoly over the trade in the Republic colonies and preferential treatment within the Republic itself. The other source are the Aldottorai great shipping families, who primarily operate on the rich and stable trade routes back toward Terra rather than the frontier. As far as growing their economy, the great shipping families and industrial combines are the ones responsible for funneling wealth from other nations, including the Terran nations, into the Aldottorai Republic.
Carpe Stellarum
Founding Date
2005
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Capital
Alternative Names
the Republic, Aldottsor
Predecessor Organization
Formation Type
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Demonym
Aldottorai
Leader
Leader Title
Founders
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Democracy, Presidential
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Aldottorai Dollar: The Aldottorai Dollar is the official currency of the Republic and is minted from a combination of iron, copper, and yttrium in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollars, along with paper money in larger denominations.
Company Scrip: Not an officially recognized form of currency in the Republic, scrip from the Aldottorai Colonial Trading Company is still widely present and used. It has a poor exchange rate to begin with and an even worse one within the Republic, but it still maintains some use, especially for those who have only recently arrived to the Republic from the Kais colonial sector.
Company Scrip: Not an officially recognized form of currency in the Republic, scrip from the Aldottorai Colonial Trading Company is still widely present and used. It has a poor exchange rate to begin with and an even worse one within the Republic, but it still maintains some use, especially for those who have only recently arrived to the Republic from the Kais colonial sector.
Legislative Body
The Great Meet
The only legislature for the Republic, the Great Meet is divided into the House of Electors and House of Senators. System Councils technically exist and are elected by their respective constituents, but the election commission responsible for holding those elections is appointed by the Great Meet. Furthermore, despite being a legislative body, the Great Meet lacks the ability to pass and execute laws on their own. In many ways, the Great Meet is more an advisory body to the First Minister.House of Electors
Technically, the higher of the two legislative bodies, the Electors are not themselves elected. They are inherited positions based on direct descent from the original colonists of Aldott. Any family member may hold the Elector title and they can even alternate, with the Elector position being held by the family rather than an individual. The Electors instead elect the First Minister and Chief of the Meet. Of the two houses, resolutions passed by the Electors have more power and sway, just given the amount of wealth and social power present within its body.House of Senators
Unlike the House of Electors, senators are genuinely elected by their constituents. The number of senators per system is dictated by the proportion of the Republic's population within a star system. Since the Aldott system has the largest population, it has the largest number of senators, ensuring that Aldott itself is always the most powerful in any discussion. People from other systems within the Republic are only eligible for the House of Senators unless they happen to be descended from the Aldott settlers. Regarding power, the House of Senators can only issue recommendations to the House of Electors, and none of their resolutions are law or even precedent-setting.System Councils
System Councils are a relic from the days before the formal establishment of the Aldottorai Republic but based on the original Aldottorai Colonial Charter, which remains the foundation of all further legal documentation, even though it has mostly been superseded. Councillors are elected by the various districts within the star system and were initially meant to be the main legislative body of the colony. However, with the formation of the Republic, these were relegated to advisory, if not outright ceremonial, roles. They hold no power or authority and cannot compel the System Governors. Additionally, the Systems Election Commissioners are appointed by the Great Meet, meaning that all candidates have to meet the approval of the Republic.
Executive Body
First Minister
The First Minister is both the head of state and the head of government, with wide-reaching powers and very few checks or balances, save that of the Ministerial Cabinet. The House of Electors elects First Ministers for as long as the Electors retain their confidence in the First Minister. In many ways, that is essentially a career-long post unless some horrific scandal or gross incompetence proves otherwise.The First Minister is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Aldottorai Armed Forces and Aldottorai Intelligence Agency, with no legislative or judicial oversight.
Ministerial Cabinet
Cabinet Ministers are appointed by the First Minister, usually from among the Electors, but there are no restrictions on their origin or qualifications. Some First Ministers prefer political supporters or family members, while others rely strictly on merit. The ministers oversee the actual function of the government- with each minister overseeing an executive department and running it on behalf of the First Minister. They serve at the will of the First Minister and can be fired at any point or for any reason.System Governors
Appointed by the First Minister and confirmed by the Great Meet, system governors are the sole and final authorities in their respective star systems. While not in command of military or intelligence forces, they can have militias and private military forces to bolster support and law enforcement. They also act as the highest judge within each star system, outranking even the judges themselves. Unlike Cabinet Ministers, system governors hold their position for life and they cannot be removed save for treason or other high crimes against the Republic.
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Comments