Nowak Federation
The Nowak Federation is a union of several planets in the Umira heliosphere, governed by the Nowa Council, which is located on the planet of Cevaron. The Council was formerly known as the Nowa Syndicate, a criminal organization that participated in piracy, bribery, extortion, and smuggling across Umira until it staged a coup against the Rigoval Dynasty, the previous ruling power in the system. The Council signed articles of confederation with the two remaining factions in Umira, the Gowu Family and Broken Star Alliance, formally bringing them under their control.
The Nowak Federation has been described by political commentator Onar Kasta as a “kleptocracy par excellence”, with members of the Council using their positions to enrich themselves and their underlings. Although the Federation has outlawed taxes, the Council has become among the wealthiest in the Bagrada array, primarily due to the Federation’s policy of extorting its neighbors and raiding nearby heliospheres, regardless of pre-existing treaties or trade agreements.
This blatant disregard for law and sovereignty is shared by its rank-and-file zeo units, who are known for setting up ‘toll booths’ at slip points to extort travelers, despite the Federation officially endorsing unrestricted travel through its territories. Indeed, Nowak Federation military forces resemble pirates rather than organized soldiers, especially since their pay structure incentivizes them to capture equipment, ships, and cargo from “hostile actors” and “provocateurs”, which are solely defined as all non-members of the Federation who are not “white-listed” by the Nowa Council. Becoming “white-listed” entails a heavy fee, as well as regular payments to ensure the white-list status does not lapse.
