Furscape MUCK

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//(Note: This page is less concerned with the history of the Coalition, and instead is intended to focus on its existence as a political entity.  The actual history of Annyrion and its colonies can be found [[History of Annyrion|here]].  Anyone wishing to create a character whose paygrade is above E2 must be approved by staff. - Hagalaz)//

====== Location ======
The Annyrion Colonist - Eisshari Coalition, or Coalition, is a political alliance comprising of the cites and regions located on Inaria continent on [[Annyrion]], including Annyrion City and the adjoining Eisshari fortress-city of Eissharikatan, Kamikatan, Port Annakis, the Kamiyama Mountains, and the Perception Mountains historical preserve.  The Coalition also holds claim to the minor planet Cyrinius, as well as a number of microgravity manufacturing installations situated at the Annyrion-Thinora L4 and L5 points.

====== Government ======
The Coalition is a constitutional republic and representative democracy, in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law.  The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the Coalition Charter, which serves as their supreme legal document.

There are three branches of government, functioning in either legislative, judicial, or executive capacities.

The Council is the legislative branch of the Coalition. Elected to serve three year terms, with no formal term limits, councilors represent the interests of the recoms who elected them.

The Supreme Court is the highest level of the judiciary in the Coalition, serving as the final arbiter of disputes originating at local and provincial levels.  It also determines the constitutionality of laws passed by the Council.  The justices serve lifetime appointments, subject to nomination by the Chancellor and vetting by the Council.

The Chancellor is the simple-majority-elected leader of the Coalition and serves as the civilian commander-in-chief of the Coalition's aerospace defense force and Peacekeepers.  He is responsible for enforcing laws passed by the Council, and for nominating individuals to lead the various departments of the Coalition bureaucracy, such as the Minister of Intelligence and the three senior members of the Ministry of Defense who serve as the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
 
====== Society and Customs ======
Annyrion's northern continent was originally populated entirely by colonists (assuming, of course, one ignores the indigenous species) and their can-do, "we'll make this work" attitude is still present today.  For instance, when an elevator is down for maintenance, locals shrug their shoulders and take the stairs, even offering to assist those who may not be able to make the climb themselves.  While they embrace technology and all of its benefits, they are certainly capable of functioning without it, and have been since the colonization began decades ago.
 
Tourists visiting Annyrion for the first time may be surprised at the unusual blend of people - businessmen in three-piece suits, spacers taking a break downside after a cargo run, farmers, technicians, and shopkeepers - and how well they interact, regardless of occupation.  Everyone in Inaria is believed to have something to contribute to society, and those who aren't contributing or haven't yet contributed generally find themselves being nudged in what the locals believe to be the "right direction".  Unemployment is practically unheard of, and someone who lacks work is assumed to have not looked for it.  Robots are generally seen as placeholders for missing flesh-and-blood workers, not as replacements (except in a few critical industries where it safer to use robots).
 
Inaria is proud of its pioneering spirit, and that pride shows during the local celebrations such as "Landing" and "Founder's Day", where it is still possible to encounter citizens who directly knew someone who was part of the original colonization effort.  A large number of homes across the continent have incorporated into their structures the old shipping containers that provided shelter during the initial colonization efforts (and are still capable of operating "off the grid" for extended periods of time in the event of disaster), and many are featured during guided tours during celebrations as "living museums".
 
Firearms were part of the original colonization effort, and are still considered to be tools first and weapons second, especially given that only a fraction of the planet's surface has been tamed and is considered "safe".  While it is permissible to openly carry pistols and certain forms of rifles in public - and people will rarely even raise an eyebrow at it - it is generally considered "good manners" to not brandish them, or to openly carry in certain establishments (hospitals, churches, schools, for instance).  In the few instances where carrying a weapon is strictly forbidden, guarded lockers are available (required by law, in fact) for secure storage and retrieval.
 
====== Alliances ======
   *[[Oceania]] - Treaties of mutual defense, extradition, and letters of diplomatic recognition. 
   *253 [[Mathilde]] (New Philadelphia) - Treaties of mutual defense, extradition, and letters of diplomatic recognition. 
   *[[Mars]] - Letters of diplomatic recognition. 
   *[[Luna]] Colony - Treaties of mutual defense and letters of diplomatic recognition. 
   *[[Lopanga Confederacy]] - Treaties of planetary defense and letters of diplomatic recognition (the fact that Lopanga Confederacy employs known pirates, "reformed" or not, as key members of their space navy renders a mutual extradition treaty unlikely at this time).
   *[[Space Defense Force]] - Joint Operations agreement, with regards to matters external to planet Annyrion and any other territories controlled by the Coalition.
 
====== Ministry of Defense ======
The Coalition's Ministry of Defense is made up of two divisions, Peacekeeper Division and Fleet Division.  As uniformed services representing the Coalition, their rank structures have been simplified, with similar insignia for similar paygrades across all the branches.
 
For purposes of //joint forces// operations, rank structures are equivalent.  The rank insignia worn by all uniformed members of the MoD has been purposely designed to allow anyone from any branch to look and immediately know who the senior person in a situation is. 
 
One O4-grade officer from each branch is nominated by the Chancellor and vetted by the Council to serve as the three O5-grade Joint Chiefs of Staff, the senior member becoming its Chairman.
  
The Coalition also sports one of Known Space's largest all-volunteer militias.  In times of crisis, they are used to augment the Peacekeepers, turning them into a force capable of defending the Coalition's interests on the ground.  As a militia, their use is generally limited to territories managed by the Coalition (even during the "Annyrion Civil War", they were only used to augment the Peacekeepers along the southern coastline of Inaria).  Members conduct annual refresher training at staggered intervals throughout the year, and are encouraged to participate in monthly sessions, as well (members are compensated for their time during both).  Militia members are typically issued a battle rifle, ammunition, and other equipment in a secure storage module to be kept at home - this equipment is subject to random audits, is only authorized for use in a declared emergency, and is generally only intended to allow members to reach staging areas, where they will receive any other required equipment.
 
Inarian building codes require construction of hardened blast shelters in all major buildings to protect against bombing.  The larger shelters contain medical care and command and control stations, and altogether, the estimated capacity is around 114% of the population.  The government and most businesses tend to locate critical computer information systems, communications systems, and emergency power generating equipment in their shelters as well, as they theoretically offer some defense against electromagnetic pulse weapons.
 
//(Note: Switzerland is an example of a small country that operates in a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Switzerland#Shelters_and_fortifications|similar]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Switzerland#Equipment|manner]]. - Hagalaz)//
 
===== Peacekeeper Division =====
The Peacekeepers are the primary internal security branch of the Coalition, providing an unusually broad range of services including the following:
  * Local-level law enforcement
  * Search and rescue operations
  * Customs and border protection

The elite "Emergency Services Unit" may be tasked with the above, but are usually reserved for:
  * Hostage negotiation and rescue
  * Capture of high-value targets
  * Other uses of special weapons and tactics

The Peacekeepers serve under the leadership of the Peacekeeper Commissioner, an O-5 officer nominated by the Chancellor and vetted by the Council. The Commandant is selected from the various O4-grade Peacekeeper personnel, and serves at the leisure of the Chancellor as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
 
For jurisdictional purposes, the Coalition's territories are split into four main provinces, which are split up into 'precincts', as detailed below:
  * Capital Region
    * Annyrion City 
    * Eastside (East of Baraduin River)
    * Eissharikatan Flying Squad (handles offenses by non-Eisshari occurring within Eissharikatan).
    * Annyrion City Spaceport
  * Kamiyama Mountains Province
    * Kamikatan
    * Lake Bernain and the Eastern peaks
    * Mrrkatan and Glacier Pass
  * Perception Mountains (The largest province, primarily patrolled from the air due to its sheer size)
  * Southern Coast Province
    * Coastal Crossing
    * Eden Resort
    * City of Port Annakis
    * The Boardwalk and Moana Lagoon
    * Port Annakis Harbour
    * West Annakis, including Tempest Lagoon
    * Annakian Highlands
 
On a historical note, the Peacekeepers are considered the "senior" service in the Coalition, pre-dating the actual founding of the Coalition itself.  This seniority is purely honorary, and is, for example, used for determining precedent for branch flags flown during ceremonies and order of precedence for medals and ribbons awarded, in the event that awards have been bestowed from multiple branches.

Peacekeeper Division's rank structure is as follows:

^Grade ^Rank   ^Insignia ^
|E1 |Constable |One chevron, point-up, with crossed pistols. |
|E2 |Sergeant |Two chevrons, as above. |
|E3 |Sergeant First Class (one per precinct) |Three chevrons, as above. |
|E4 |Master Sergeant (One per province) |Three chevrons, with rocker and diamond. |
|E5 |Sergeant Major* |Three chevrons, with rocker and five-pointed star. |
| | | |
|W1 |Detective |Hollow diamond, with crossed pistols. |
| | | |
|O1 |Lieutenant |Single silver pip, with centered blue embossed dot. |
|O2 |Major (precinct-level) |Two silver pips, as above. |
|O3 |Colonel (province-level) |Three silver pips, as above. |
|O4 |General |Four silver pips, as above. |
|O5 |Commissioner* (Chief of service) |Five silver pips, as above. |
 
//*The Peacekeeper Commissioner is a cabinet-level position, and is considered equivalent to the other O5-grade member serving on the MoD Joint Chiefs of Staff.  The rank of Sergeant Major is unique, and is a single person who serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the Commissioner.//

===== Fleet Division =====
The Coalition's aerospace defense forces, also referred to as 'Fleet Division', have two sub-branches, the Navy and the Marines. 
 
The Navy is tasked with defense of Thinora System and its planets.  It operates a number of spacecraft, from simple transatmospheric pinnaces up to the //Shogun-class// space dominance vehicle.  
 
The Marines are responsible for interface operations, maintaining ship-based personnel trained in visit/board/search/seizure operations and combat insertion from orbit to surface.  
 
Fleet Division can trace its roots back to the First Common Muster, when hastily-armed civilian ships banded together to defend the colony's interests from piracy and the threat of forced tribute paid to Sol System.
 
Persons seeking to join Fleet Division are screened prior to accession for the 'spacer' microgravity tolerance gene modification.  Anyone not possessing this particular genemod is required to adhere to a strict exercise regimen when in a microgravity environment to prevent physical degradation, and will probably not be permanently assigned to a starship, unless that ship has a spin habitat or some other means of providing continuous artificial gravity.
 
Fleet Division's rank structures are as follows:

^Grade ^Navy  ^Marines  ^Insignia ^
|E1 |Apprentice |Private |One chevron, point down, with speciality mark. |
|E2 |Petty Officer |Sergeant |Two chevrons, as above. |
|E3 |Chief Petty Officer |Gunnery Sergeant |Three chevrons, as above. |
|E4 |Senior CPO (one per command) |Master Sergeant (one per command) |Three chevrons, with rocker and diamond. |
|E5 |Master CPO* |Sergeant Major* |Three chevrons, with rocker and five-pointed star. |
| | | | |
|W1 |Chief Warrant Officer |Chief Warrant Officer |Hollow diamond, with specialty mark inside. |
| | | | |
|O1 |Ensign |Lieutenant |One gold pip (navy - blue embossed center; marines - red embossed center). |
|O2 |Lieutenant Commander |Major |Two gold pips, as above. |
|O3 |Commander |Colonel |Three gold pips, as above. |
|O4 |Admiral |General | Four gold pips, as above. |
|O5 |Fleet Commander (Chief of Staff) | Field Commander (Chief of Staff) |Five gold pips, as above. |

//Note that there is no rank of "Captain".  "Captain" is an honorific title, used to address anyone ranked lower than Admiral, who is in command of an individual ship, space station, or other installation.//
 
//*The ranks of Master Chief Petty Officer and Sergeant Major are unique to their respective branches of service, each a single person who serves as the senior enlisted advisor to his respective Chief of Staff.//

-----
 
//Article: [[coalition spaceship examples|Spacecraft of the Coalition]].//

====== Ministry of Intelligence ======
The Ministry of Intelligence is the primary information-gathering branch of the Coalition.  For pay purposes, they have an equivalent pay scale identical to the Peacekeeper and Armed Forces scales, but no formal rank names.  //CE1-CE5, CW1, and CO1-CO5// are the equivalent paygrades to the military //E1-E5, W1, and O1-O5// grades in the military.  It will be the rare occasion that a Ministry operative of //any// grade will reveal himself to anyone, and break cover, for the purposes of "pulling rank".  

The Minster of Intelligence is the Ministry's CO5-grade official, is nominated by the Chancellor and vetted by the Council, and serves at the Chancellor's leisure.  For seniority purposes, he is the equivalent of the Peacekeeper Commandant and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

[ ACCESS DENIED. INSUFFICIENT PERMISSIONS ]