Factions

Medialia: Most of the planet is uninhabited, with the human settlement holding a relatively small area of the main continent. Medialia is a young colony, but its government is already reaching a more advanced form. Due to the small size and low population density, it is easy for the young and idealistic to rise high in government service. Medialia is controlled by a Senate made up of twenty-one Senators, elected by each of the twenty-one districts. Each district has its own Council, usually with three to five members, and cities and outposts have mayors. On the outskirts of the colony, justice tends to be swift and rough; only in the largest cities of Medialia is it more civilized. Medialia, being a small colony, is often overlooked by those more powerful, enabling the colony to live in peace while wars are waged in the space around it. The planet remains neutral in all conflicts, partly to maintain its independence and partly due to its lack of space capabilities; the only space facilities under the Medialian government's control are a few weather satellites and an old-model space station, which is controlled remotely. Currently, a representative from Earth is trying to negotiate an alliance, but is meeting with resistance, both from supporters of Medialia's continued independence and rebel sympathizers.

Terran Federation: The Federation is a large network of tightly allied planets, all ruled over by the central Federation government on Earth. As the Federation grew, so too did the bureaucracy needed to support it, and the taxes needed to support the bureaucracy. Eventually, membership in the Federation grew to be a large financial burden on both planetary governments and private citizens. Some rich businessmen founded independent colonies like Medialia in order to escape excessively high taxes. The Federation's government is based on the old three-branch system first pioneered by the United States of America before the discovery of temporal flux, and holders of office in the federal government are elected by popular vote. However, the elected lawmakers can do little to truly affect Federation policy; the huge bureaucracy tends to hold progress on policy changes at a standstill. Many of the planets in the Federation lobbied for lower taxes, and ultimately frustration at the lack of progress combined with the rise to power on some planets of radical Separatists (a political party working for the separation of their home planet from the rest of the Federation) led to the beginning of the rebellion.

Revolutionary Forces: The planets which rebelled against the Terran Federation quickly banded together in order to prevent the Federation from picking them off one by one. Held together by a common cause and by necessity, they have only a small central government that almost wholly concerns itself with military matters. The planets are free to govern themselves, as long as they give a certain percentage of their resources to the revolutionary effort. However, three distinct factions have formed within the Revolutionary Forces, led by the planets Sothera, Caranas, and Kiridea.

Sothera: The largest of the three factions, Sothera wants the war to end in a treaty with the Federation that would force Earth to treat the rebel planets as its equals. This is the most lenient of the factions. Currently, Sothera controls the central government, and is working to create a more stable hierarchy.

Caranas: This faction wants rebel forces to conquer Earth itself and put an end to what people have termed "Terran tyranny." Some members would like to create a fairer version of the Federation, while the majority would prefer that each planet be totally independent.

Kiridea: The smallest faction, almost a fringe group. Kiridea wants total independence of the planets, and destruction of Earth in order to dissuade any planet from trying to rule over another. Given a choice, Kiridea would ally itself with Caranas, but as of yet it has not, preferring to try to push its own aganda as long as possible.