Interstellar Relations
While the 2400s may be increasingly dominated by megacorporations, the art of statecraft and the relationship between nations remains as relevant as ever. Below are summaries of the relations between the interstellar powers of humanity, their attitudes towards notable alien powers, and their relationships towards the Spur's megacorporations.
The Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations
Republic of Biesel
Officially, the Solarian Alliance views the Republic of Biesel as a rogue breakaway state and held very limited formal relations with it prior to the Solarian Collapse of 2462. Presently the Solarian government maintains no formal ties with the Republic of Biesel, and has called for the Republic to cease its “illegal occupation” of the former Solarian territories now under the umbrella of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Relations between the Republic and Alliance have never been worse, and show no signs of improving in the near future. The Alliance and Republic are currently engaged in a proxy war over the control of the Southern Wildlands, a zone currently divided between three ex-Solarian statelets.
Eridani Corporate Federation
The Solarian Alliance formally regards the Eridani Corporate Federation as a special administrative zone with a limited degree of autonomy, notably regarding the activities of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. The Alliance represents the ECF diplomatically, and the ECF maintains no formal ties to other nations beyond the Alliance itself.
Coalition of Colonies
The Alliance and Coalition have a mutual animosity stretching back to the Interstellar War between the two powers, which saw large swaths of the Coalition – such as Gadpathur and Xanu Prime – devastated by fighting. Relations were further soured by the defection of Konyang to the Coalition during the Solarian Collapse, which the Alliance views as illegal. The Alliance claims that Konyang is Solarian territory illegally occupied by the Coalition. The Coalition and Alliance are currently engaged in a proxy war over the control of the Northern Wildlands, a zone currently divided between three ex-Solarian statelets.
Republic of Elyra
Old hatreds over the Elyran Revolution were often smothered by the realpolitik of Elyra’s status as the only net exporter of phoron aside from the Republic of Biesel, and the Alliance was long been a major net importer of Elyran phoron prior to 2462. The ongoing phoron shortage, and Elyra’s tightening of exports, have since greatly soured Elyran-Solarian relations, and both powers currently regard one another with immense suspicion.
Empire of Dominia
The Solarian Alliance does not maintain formal diplomatic ties with the Empire of Dominia, having long viewed the Empire as too far away from the Alliance to be of much interest. This disinterest extends to the Empire’s breakaway province on Moroz, Fisanduh.
Nralakk Federation
The Alliance and Federation have long been aligned to one another as both military and economic powers, and cooperation has remained steady even following the Solarian Collapse of 2463. It is in their mutual interests to ensure that they are both functional, if not perfectly healthy, interstellar powers.
Izweski Hegemony
The Alliance maintains a small diplomatic mission to the Izweski Hegemony, but places little importance upon the Hegemony beyond its since-discontinued joint projects on Ouerea with the Nralakk Federation. A former Solarian diplomat to the Hegemony stated that it “[...] is simply too backwards to enter the greater Spur,” currently, and the Solarian Collapse of 2462 has seen almost all of the Alliance’s diplomatic staff on Moghes return to Sol.
People's Republic of Adhomai
The People’s Republic of Adhomai is the only nation state on Adhomai that the Solarian government formally recognizes. However, the Alliance’s history of tajara bans and the recent Solarian Collapse in 2462 have caused the Alliance’s diplomatic mission on Adhomai to become a mere skeleton of its former self. The Alliance’s foreign intelligence service has long been suspected of interference on Adhomai, and was partially responsible for training the secret police of the modern PRA.
Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai
The Alliance does not recognize the Democratic People’s Republic of Adhomai, and instead refers to it as a “rogue breakaway state” of the People’s Republic of Adhomai. DPRA-flagged ships entering Solarian space are often detained and seized by the Solarian Navy in acts of apparent revenge for terrorist attacks rumored to be connected to the DPRA.
New Kingdom of Adhomai
The Solarian Alliance does not recognize the New Kingdom of Adhomai, and has no formal relations with it.
NanoTrasen Corporation
The Alliance’s relationship with the NanoTrasen Corporation is highly antagonistic, with many viewing the Corporation as the main reason for the Republic of Biesel’s secession from the Alliance. Following the expansion of NT’s client state – the Republic of Biesel – after the Solarian Collapse of 2462, the Alliance formed the Solarian Corporate Authority for the express purpose of punishing corporations involved with the SCC. NanoTrasen received the brunt of the SCA’s attention, with the corporation losing all of its Solarian assets to nationalization efforts.
Hephaestus Industries
Despite efforts by the SCA to nationalize many of its assets, particularly those on New Hai Phong, Hephaestus Industries has managed to retain much of its assets in the Alliance, even if its relationship with it has never been rockier. To many on both sides – both corporate and government – their opposite is a necessary evil for both to continue functioning. When – or perhaps if – this paradigm will shift remains to be seen.
Idris Incorporated
Having paid off its “compensation fee” to the SCA, Idris Incorporated managed to maintain much of the goodwill it has long held in Alliance territories outside of Silverun’s Originals. Thanks to the megacorporations foresight, which some in the SCC would call cowardice, its good relationship with the Alliance seems set in stone for the immediate future. After all, what interstellar power is able to function without a robust financial sector?
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
Long viewed as an “essential” corporation for the functioning of the modern Alliance by its government, Zeng-Hu managed to avoid much of the SCA’s scorn by paying a “compensation fee” to the Alliance for its ongoing involvement with the SCC. The vast majority of the megacorporation’s assets in Solarian territory remain untouched – for now.
Einstein Engines
While the megacorporations aside from it were convinced by NanoTrasen to go along with its SCC, Einstein Engines stuck beside the Alliance through its darkest days in 2462. While many in the Alliance are wary of the influence the Spur’s single largest megacorporation holds over their government, many others praise the megacorporation’s unfailing support of the Alliance. Only time will tell where the influence Einstein holds takes it, but it and the Alliance seem conjoined for the foreseeable future.
Zavodskoi Interstellar
Relations between the Solarian government and Zavodski Interstellar have recently taken a turn for the worse due to nationalization efforts by the SCA. Despite the souring of their public relations, Zavodskoi and the Solarian military have continued to maintain a friendly relationship that has been built upon decades of government contracts for the megacorporation and numerous kickbacks intended to keep comparable technology out of the hands of the Coalition of Colonies and Republic of Biesel, the Alliance’s two major interstellar rivals. How long the Alliance military – particularly its Navy – will be able to keep this act up for remains to be seen.
The Empire of Dominia
Republic of Biesel
The Empire maintains cordial relations with the Republic, which it views as a natural economic ally against the Serene Republic of Elyra and Coalition of Colonies. Thanks to the influence Zavodskoi Interstellar holds over the young Republic, it seems that this cooperation will likely continue for the immediate future.
Sol Alliance
The Solarian Alliance and Empire of Dominia have no formal diplomatic relations, both due to distance and the disinterest both parties hold towards one another. The Empire is far more concerned with its immediate neighbors, the Coalition and Serene Republic, than it is with the post-Collapse husk of the Sol Alliance.
Coalition of Colonies
The Empire has long viewed the Coalition as a rival power, and relations between the two nations are quite poor. The Empire has declared an embargo on the Coalition for some time, and their navies are often involved in border skirmishes in the uncolonized frontier between the two nations.
Republic of Elyra
The Serene Republic is the Empire’s major rival in the Sparring Sea, and the two nations have long been at one another’s throats. With the Republic increasingly militarizing itself, many within the Imperial court now clamor for the Empire to pour even more funding into its colonial conquests to ensure it is able to keep pace.
Nralakk Federation
The Empire maintains a small diplomatic mission in the Federation, but has few dealings with it beyond formalities. Occasionally, Federation and Dominian scientists will hold conferences together in Biesel, and these conferences almost inevitably turn to the topic of how best to control, detect, and eliminate synthetic threats.
Izweski Hegemony
While occasionally allies of convenience, relations between the Empire and Hegemony have stressfully worsened over the 2460s. The Hegemony’s lack of internal stability has long been of concern to the Empire, which generally views the Hegemony as a junior partner. Recently, it seems that the Empire may leave its counterpart behind to align itself more permanently with Biesel and Zavodskoi.
People's Republic of Adhomai
The Empire regards the PRA as an illegitimate breakaway state of the New Kingdom of Adhomai, and does not have any formal relations with it.
Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai
The Empire regards the DPRA as an illegitimate breakaway state of the New Kingdom of Adhomai, and does not have any formal relations with it.
New Kingdom of Adhomai
The Empire recognizes the New Kingdom as the rightful government of Adhomai, but holds a patronizing attitude towards it. While the Empire is a vast land of many systems and worlds, the Kingdom can barely control half of a continent. To the Empire, they are clearly in need of guidance.
NanoTrasen Corporation
Dominia and NanoTrasen have little in the way of formal relations, but generally view one another positively. NT remains mostly uninvolved in the Dominian market, officially due to the lack of domestic demand for phoron in the Empire. Unofficially, many suspect that NT has stayed distant from the Dominian market as a concession to Zavodskoi Interstellar.
Hephaestus Industries
Hephaestus does not operate in the Empire, having long given up any potential profits to be made to Zavodskoi.
Idris Incorporated
Idris maintains a small but noticeable presence in the Imperial Core, where it is most notably seen working with House Caladius. Many Primaries view Idris quite well due to the luxuries it brings, and some servants of Imperial households work for Idris abroad as a gesture of goodwill — and as a method of gaining broader experiences.
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals does not operate in the Empire.
Einstein Engines
Einstein Engines does not operate in the Empire, with its operations having never reached this far into the galactic south.
Zavodskoi Interstellar
Zavodskoi Interstellar is deeply involved in the Empire of Dominia due to the Empire’s thriving — and large — military-industrial sector. Many Dominians work for Zavodskoi, and the Emperor himself is said to have entertained its CEO on several major Imperial holidays.
The Serene Republic of Elyra
Republic of Biesel
Following Biesel’s recent expansion, and the creation of the controversial Corporate Reconstruction Zone, relations between the two republics have cooled significantly. Biesel’s economic closeness to the Empire of Dominia has become another point of contention, and the further opening of a rift between the two republics seems likely as the phoron crisis worsens.
Sol Alliance
The ongoing phoron shortage, and Elyra’s tightening of exports, have since greatly soured Elyran-Solarian relations, and both powers currently regard one another with immense suspicion. Despite this Elyra maintains warm relations with Earth, and Elyrans often visit the blue planet for religious or cultural purposes.
Coalition of Colonies
With both the Coalition and Serene Republic having the same regional rival, the Empire of Dominia, it is only natural that the two powers would become closely aligned. Despite their military cooperation, there remains a great deal of controversy between the two nations regarding Elyra’s treatment of its Non-Citizen Persons.
Empire of Dominia
The Serene Republic has long viewed the Empire as its major regional rival, and much of its recent militarization effort is designed at dissuading its neighbor from engaging in open warfare. For the time being, an awkward peace in which neither side is willing to suffer the losses it will have to take in order to “win” is the norm.
Nralakk Federation
The Nralakk Federation and Elyra have maintained a positive and cooperative relationship between themselves since the Lii’dra Incusion, in which the Federation gave the Serene Republic aid.
Izweski Hegemony
The Serene Republic holds no formal relations with the Hegemony beyond an embargo of all its goods, and a refusal to sell it any products. Skirmishes between Elyra and the Hegemony may be a thing of the past, but the relationship between the two powers remains very poor.
People's Republic of Adhomai
The Serene Republic cares little for the nations of Adhomai, and is instead far more concerned with its human neighbors: the Empire of Dominia and the Coalition of Colonies, in addition to the ever-growing threat of Biesel to its north.
Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai
The Serene Republic cares little for the nations of Adhomai, and is instead far more concerned with its human neighbors: the Empire of Dominia and the Coalition of Colonies, in addition to the ever-growing threat of Biesel to its north.
New Kingdom of Adhomai
The Serene Republic cares little for the nations of Adhomai, and is instead far more concerned with its human neighbors: the Empire of Dominia and the Coalition of Colonies, in addition to the ever-growing threat of Biesel to its north.
NanoTrasen Corporation
Despite its best efforts, NanoTrasen’s foothold in Elyra remains very small. The megacorporation is primarily present on New Suez, and is not readily found in other planets of the Republic.
Hephaestus Industries
Hephaestus has a very limited presence in Elyra, and is only really present on New Suez.
Idris Incorporated
Despite its limited presence in the Serene Republic, Idris has carved out a successful niche for itself on New Suez. Many Elyrans, though generally distrustful of megacorporations, have come to view its tourism-facing side relatively positively.
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
Zeng-Hu, like most megacorporations, has a limited presence in Elyra. Aside from New Suez it is most present on Aemaq, where it has operated a research facility with varying degrees of success.
Einstein Engines
Einstein Engines only has a limited presence in Elyra, and is mostly found on New Suez.
Zavodskoi Interstellar
Zavodskoi has a small presence in Elyra, and only really operates on New Suez. Its most notable contribution to Elyra’s economy is supplying the weaponry and equipment that many participants in the phoron bulletin use.
The Coalition of Colonies
Republic of Biesel
In the aftermath of the Second Solarian Invasion of Biesel and the following Solarian Collapse, relations between the Coalition and Republic seemed to be set to dramatically improve. Yet non-economic relations have steadily declined due to the Republic’s conduct within the controversial Corporate Reconstruction Zone, with some Coalition members also taking issue with the Republic's recent expansion. Many in the Coalition, particularly the United Syndicates of Himeo and Gadpathur, now view the Republic as an expansionist threat on their border with an inordinate amount of control over the Orion Spur’s economy. With their mutual enemy, the Sol Alliance, defeated for now, the former allies seem fated to drift further apart.
Sol Alliance
The Coalition and Alliance have a mutual animosity stretching back to the Interstellar War between the two powers, which saw large swaths of the Coalition – such as Gadpathur and Xanu Prime – devastated by fighting. They are both currently engaged in a proxy war over the control of the Northern Wildlands, a zone currently divided between three ex-Solarian statelets. Gadpathur and the United Syndicates of Himeo have been exceptionally supportive of this proxy war, which they view as a front against both Sol and Biesel.
Republic of Elyra
The Coalition and Serene Republic are united by their mutual enemy: the Empire of Dominia. Many in the Coalition decry the Serene Republic’s treatment of its Non-Citizen Persons, many of which originate in the Coalition, but the Coalition can do little about this treatment beyond protest from its embassy. For now, the alliance of convenience holds – even if it must be built upon the back of Elyra’s need for migrant labor.
Empire of Dominia
The Coalition and Empire are not at war, yet, but have incredibly poor relations. The Coalition officially embargoes the Empire and has long been involved in skirmishes with it along the Coalition’s southern border. Many Ma’zals eventually find refuge in the Coalition, assuming they are not first caught up in the Serene Republic’s economy and become Non-Citizen Persons.
Nralakk Federation
The Coalition maintains an embassy with the Federation, but does little else with it due to the immense distance between the two nations.
Izweski Hegemony
The Coalition maintains no diplomatic relationship with the Hegemony, and currently embargos it in an attempt to diplomatically isolate what it sees as a potential regional threat. The embargoing of Vysokan foodstuffs in particular is a key aspect of the Coalition’s policy to economically cripple the Hegemony, as Moghes has long had food production issues since the end of the Contact War.
People's Republic of Adhomai
The Coalition maintains limited relations with all the powers of Adhomai, but does not place a high priority upon the planet. To most in the Coalition, the nations of Adhomai are simply too minor to be of importance.
Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai
The Coalition maintains limited relations with all the powers of Adhomai, but does not place a high priority upon the planet. To most in the Coalition, the nations of Adhomai are simply too minor to be of importance.
New Kingdom of Adhomai
The Coalition maintains limited relations with all the powers of Adhomai, but does not place a high priority upon the planet. To most in the Coalition, the nations of Adhomai are simply too minor to be of importance.
NanoTrasen Corporation
NanoTrasen has a limited presence in the Coalition, only really operating facilities on Xanu Prime. To many in the Coalition, NT and Biesel are essentially the same entity.
Hephaestus Industries
The Coalition has a mixed view of Hephaestus. To some, the megacorporation is a valuable source of engineering products and skilled personnel for large-scale projects. For others, such as Himeo, it is the source of many of the Coalition’s woes, and is best left out of the Coalition.
Idris Incorporated
Idris has a limited presence in the Coalition, and generally only operates in and around Xanu Prime. It has become quite popular on Xanu, but has struggled to expand into the broader Coalition due to the ongoing phoron crisis.
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
The Coalition has a generally positive view of Zeng-Hu thanks to the keiretsu’s lifesaving medical treatments and its general lack of controversial connections to Dominia or the Solarian military. The most friendly Coalition member is undoubtedly the Republic of Assunzione, which has a heavy Zeng-Hu presence.
Einstein Engines
With the notable exception of Konyang, Einstein is rarely seen in the Coalition due to its status as a the megacorporation most clearly tied to the Solarian Alliance. What Einstein facilities can still be found in the Coalition have often been abandoned by the megacorp, and taken over by local populations.
Zavodskoi Interstellar
Zavodskoi has a more negative reputation in the Coalition than many of its counterparts due to its close connections to the Sol Alliance and Empire of Dominia. While this has not stopped it from doing business in the Coalition, it has most certainly limited it — many planets either outright refuse it the right to operate locally or place heavy limits on it.