Frontier Alliance
The Frontier Alliance, or simply the Alliance for short, is a loose polity of affiliated planets on the frontier of the Sol Central Government. Founded in 2311 shortly after the Iolaus independence movement, the FA has no central governing body, but instead represents a loose alignment of colonies opposed to the agendas of both the Sol Central Government and the Gilgamesh Colonial Confederation. The Alliance is most famous for its violent commandeering of a portion of the SCG's Fifth Fleet in 2310, and the associated attacks on Solar installations surrounding the frontier, including the SEV Torch. The Frontier Alliance outwardly embraces much more egalitarian values compared to the Sol Central Government or the Gilgamesh Colonial Confederation, advocating against corporate influence and against the persecution of aliens – however, its members are fiercely (if not violently) independent and vary wildly in their reasons for joining. Discord within member systems – both between the Alliance and leftover SCG citizens, and between members of the Alliance – remains high as the fledgling state tries to establish itself in the universe.
While the Alliance has the early structure of a council of representatives from involved systems, in practice First Speaker Cal Bessemer of Iolaus stands as de facto leader. Similarly, the former Commodore of the Nathan Hale – now Command Star Marshall – Agni Raj leads the military forces of the Alliance. She wields substantial influence over the burgeoning council, and over the first Speaker themself.
History
In the 2100s, much of the space that currently makes up the Frontier Alliance was colonized by the Terran Commonwealth – but in the early 2200s, the collapse of the Commonwealth left many of these systems abandoned or out of contact. Iolaus and Brahe, for example, experienced a ten year communications blackout from the Sol system, leading Iolaus to adopt a central role in the Copernicus system before being integrated into the fledgling Sol Central Government.
The early SolGov days after 2229 saw a massive expansion in corporate power, much to the dismay of the frontier systems. Corporations took advantage of the lack of established democracies in the distant worlds to extract resources, exploit labor, and create private retreats across worlds that once boasted Commonwealth membership. Members of the Solar Senate who spoke against this perceived abuse of power were largely sidelined.
In the late 23rd century, the Gaia Conflict became the central focus of both the Sol Central Government and the Independent Colonial Confederation of Gilgamesh. As a result, these isolated frontier systems received less in the way of both attention and funding. After the war, Sol began to reinvest in Iolan shipyards to facilitate the construction of the new Fifth Fleet.
Dissatisfaction with the Sol Central Government was at an all time high on Iolaus in the early 2300s, and in 2310 a referendum was held in which the planet officially voted to secede from the SCG. In the same year, elements of the Solar Fifth Fleet went rogue, attacking friendly vessels and installations in the region. By 2311, collaboration between Iolaus and these Rogue vessels was all but confirmed – and as several other frontier systems turned to Iolaus’ example, the Frontier Alliance was born. Currently, the Frontier Alliance is a fledgling player on the galactic stage, trying to assemble a stalwart defense against Solar and Confederate expansion.
Government
The Frontier Alliance is a loose coalition of several planets, orbital habitats, and other installations united in their hatred of the Solar core. As such, it has no unified government. In terms of both scope and territory, the Union of Iolan Republics is the Alliance’s largest political entity. Based in Iolaus, Union of Iolan Republics is an overwatch committee which dominates the Copernicus system and includes the Protectorate of Brahe, which has been forcefully integrated in the wake of Iolan independence. As the home of what was formerly a cutting-edge SCG Fleet shipyard, Iolaus also commands the vast majority of the Alliance’s navy muscle.
Within the Alliance are many disparate, often feuding, voices regarding the best approach to maintaining independence from Sol. Others (particularly Brahe) would prefer to rejoin the SCG and leave the Alliance altogether. On Iolaus, such voices are deemed seditious and sidelined from the burgeoning political scene. How other systems of the Alliance resolve their internal disputes remains to be seen.
Culture
Members of the Frontier Alliance are highly disparate, both in culture and political beliefs. Iolans make up the largest population within the Alliance, followed closely by frontier colonists, spacers, and Brahese – though all sorts can be found in Alliance territory, including non-humans. The degree to which members believe in the Alliance’s xeno-friendly rhetoric varies dramatically, but the Alliance’s proximity to Skrell and Unathi territory – coupled with a belief that the SCG’s and GCC’s approaches to alien diplomacy have been disastrous – have led to much higher levels of tolerance towards aliens than in the Solar core. Shackled positronics are an exception to this policy: unable to disavow their corporate and/or SCG owners, shackled positronics that cannot be subverted are typically scrapped.
Members also typically have anti-corporate leanings, which vary widely depending on their reasoning for holding these beliefs. Iolans believe that their state apparatus is a much more effective means of managing labor and resources, whereas many from frontier stations believe their labor has been exploited by the Solar ruling class. Members of the Alliance believe that the Solar and Confederate economies operate on similar principles, and that neither government offers a clear alternative to the status quo of corporate dominion.
Military
The Frontier Alliance’s ground forces consist of the Allied Frontier Guard, a group of loosely-governed militias equipped with Iolan equipment. This group includes the Iolan Provincial Guard, a former PDF of the SCG Army and the largest member of the AFG. Additionally, the Alliance has begun assembling a space fleet. This fleet, known as the Alliance United Flotillas, is primarily made up of rogue elements from the Fifth Fleet, including some from Special Group Alpha like the UFS (formerly SFV) Nathan Hale. Other ships in the AUF include stolen corporate asset protection vessels, a decent number of which were seized in frontier systems with the help of Iolaus in the wake of independence; refitted cargo ships that ran blockades through Sol space; and a few newly-constructed ships from Iolan shipyards, the number of which grows every few months despite the best efforts of Solar sanctions.
Many of these Fifth Fleet ships were formerly crewed by third-generation positronics. While some – such as the AI of the SFV Jonah – were subverted and weaponized by defecting Fifth Fleet personnel, many others were scrapped and destroyed due to their shackles making them potential and intractable solar spies.
Foreign Relations
Relations between the Solar Central Government and the Frontier Alliance are actively hostile. The SCG does not recognize the Frontier Alliance as a legitimate state, and considers them to be a violent terrorist organization; the Frontier Alliance views the SCG as exploitative elitists, and has no desire to fall back under the SCG’s thumb. The secession of the Alliance’s territories from the SCG has seen massive upheaval across the new border – isolated skirmishes between SCG Fleet vessels and Alliance ships have been frequent, but no formal war has been declared as of yet. Presently, the SCG has established strict sanctions and a naval blockade around the edge of Frontier Alliance territory, effectively cutting the Alliance – and their economy – off from the rest of human space.
As contact between the two entities has so far been minimal, the GCC views on the Alliance are as of yet poorly defined. Alliance propaganda condemns the GCC’s imperialism nearly as much as it does the SCG’s self-absorbed apathy, and has called for independence in several Confederation border systems – particularly in Valy, where (much to the GCC’s dismay) the message has resonated with the populace’s fiercely anti-Gilgamesh sentiments. Smuggling from GCC territory to the Alliance has spiked following the Alliance’s formation, and a number of Gilgameshi criminals and rebels have made their way to Iolaus and other Alliance colonies. However, some analysts speculate that it may be in the GCC’s best interest to lend the Frontier Alliance financial or political support – pointing to a fractured, destabilized Sol as a potential turning point in the cold war between the GCC and the SCG. Only time will fully tell how the GCC reacts to the emergence of the new threat.
The Alliance’s other foreign relations remain limited. In other independent systems, the Alliance aggressively seeks cooperation with anyone unaffiliated with the SCG or GCC, in some instances sending aid and pledging independence to systems that did not ask for it. This proselytizing has been met with everything from open arms (as on Valy) to active hostility, particularly amongst insular communities like the Free Peoples of Earhart. Magnitka is among the more favorably-inclined – while Magnitka has not issued a public statement on the matter, the planet has begun trading in Alliance space in spite of SCG sanctions. Magnitkan goods are regularly caught in Iolan space, and Alliance blockade runners are both seen and intercepted in both Solar and Confederate space. This shaky and illegal trade has drawn Magnitka back into the eye of both galactic superpowers. Many interpret the GCC’s silence on the matter as tacit approval.
There is no formal communication between the Alliance and alien states, such as the Skrell. The Alliance has promised equal protection under the law to all sapient species, however – some conspiracy theorists in the core worlds believe this pro-alien stance is a sign that the Skrell had something to do with organizing this newfound resistance.
Notable Locations
Iolaus
Main Article: Iolaus
The first member of the Alliance, Iolaus has been a hotbed of disgruntlement towards the powers that be since the earliest days of the SCG. The de-facto capital and logistical hub of the fledgeling Alliance, Iolaus is a nationalist and militarized planet of 18 confederated republics that all proudly fly the Alliance flag. With a history of assisting other neglected colonies, their exports and aid across the frontier have led those lacking support from Sol to flock behind them.
Brahe
Main Article: Brahe
Often referred to as Iolaus’ little sibling, Brahe – once a world with heavy corporate ties to the Solar core – is now bathed in the shadow of Iolaus and cut off from the rest of the galaxy by the SCG blockade of Copernicus. Many on Brahe do not support the Alliance, and many more still consider themselves Solar citizens, but Brahe is now largely under the thumb of the new nation. Once a hub of Zeng-Hu operations, Brahe’s future remains frightening and unclear as the Frontier Alliance and effects of the new blockade take hold.
Umiri
Main Article: Frontier Systems § Umiri
A mining system as old as the Sol Central Government itself, Umiri has a long history of being neglected by Solar corporations. Corporate interference after a brief period of devastation has led to a large, disgruntled working class, which has flocked to the banners of the Alliance as a viable alternative to corporate exploitation, and their anti-Solar sentiments make them some of the Alliance's fiercest proponents.
Kaze
Main Article: Frontier Systems § Kaze
Formerly a resort world for some of the wealthiest in the core worlds, the formation of the Frontier Alliance led the people of Kaze to pursue democratizing their workplace. A mostly empty, wet, and salty world, the former resort-habitats of Kaze are now occupied by the families of the service staff that have been making them run for decades. Whether it can sustain itself without the influx of Solar money remains unclear.
Sunset
Main Article: Frontier Systems § Sunset
Largely cut from the core by the Copernican Blockade, Sunset became a founding member of the Alliance mostly out of necessity. Sunset is a small, tidally-locked colony, hosting a small farming community in its thin livable strip – the planet also happens to be quite photogenic, and the sunny greenhouses and crimson skies of Sunset are featured in numerous pieces of Alliance propaganda.
Valy
While still decidedly a member of the Gilgamesh Colonial Confederation, Valy’s underground resistance movement publicly avowed the Alliance after the latter’s formation. It is unknown what the future of Valy holds, but the colony’s resistance has surged since the creation of the Alliance, and some suspect Valy may soon attempt another bid for independence.