Systems Alliance
The Systems Alliance is the representative body of Earth and all human colonies in Citadel space. Backed by Earth's most powerful nations, the Alliance has become humanity's military, exploratory, and economic spearhead. While the Alliance is relatively new to the galactic community, it has already made a name for itself, gaining humans an embassy on the Presidium. The Alliance is governed by a parliament based at Arcturus Station, which also serves as the Alliance's capital.
History
In 2148, a mining team on Mars made perhaps humanity's greatest discovery. After investigating the "Bermuda Triangle-like" reputation of the southern pole, the team unearthed the subterranean ruins of an ancient alien research station, revealing incontrovertible proof of the existence of alien life. Humanity was no longer alone in the universe.
The impact was profound in all areas of human culture, but nowhere more so than religion. New beliefs sprang up overnight such as the Interventionary Evolutionists, who zealously proclaimed the discovery as proof that all human history had been directed and controlled by alien forces. Even established religions struggled to explain extraterrestrial life. Some tried to incorporate this new-found knowledge into their dogma, some remained silent, while a few tried to stubbornly deny the evidence found on Mars. The news of the discovery dominated the media and raised questions not only about the existence and purpose of humanity, but questions about the aliens themselves. Foremost, were they still out there? While these questions had served to fracture most religions they had a unifying effect in politics. Rather than nations fighting each other over their differences, it was now "us vs. them" and the foundations of a united human front were laid.
Within a year of the discovery, Earth's largest and most powerful nation-states pooled their resources, and officially drafted and signed the Systems Alliance's charter. The United North American States, Chinese People's Federation, the Oceanian Commonwealth, the European Union, the Eurasian Federation, the Canton Republic, the Federal Republic of Brazil, and the United Kingdom were and continue to be the top signatories and member states of the Systems Alliance. Shortly thereafter, a conglomerated polity called the Union of Incorporated Nations grew from the decommissioning of the United Nations and is comprised of nations that were not part of the original Alliance charter, or were not powerful enough to have their own contributions to the charter. The same year, 2149, the Alliance discovered the Sol system's mass relay orbiting Pluto, previously thought to be a moon, Charon. The Charon Relay propelled them into space and the reach of humanity grew quickly.
The Alliance began a rapid campaign of expansion, establishing numerous colonies and constructing a large fleet, even though it had yet to encounter another species. Maintaining this expansion policy, the Alliance activated all the mass relays it could find to seek out new resources and possible colonies. But despite this success, the Systems Alliance was not considered a serious political body, as it was considered to lack the authority of individual nations.
Eight years later, humanity made first contact with another alien species and everything changed. A scout fleet consisting of three frigates and two cargo vessels, trying to activate a mass relay, encountered a turian patrol fleet. Activating a dormant mass relay without knowing where it led had been declared illegal by the Council, though the humans did not know this. Only one of the human ships made it back to Shanxi colony, which was subsequently discovered by the turians and invaded. While individual governments remained unsure on what action should be taken, the Alliance took control and attacked the turians.
The resulting First Contact War was relatively short and bloodless, lasting only months and costing 623 human lives (with a slightly higher number of turian casualties at 705). The Citadel Council, headed by the asari Councilor Tevos, intervened and negotiated a peace. With the discovery of the Citadel and the greater community, humanity leapt onto the galactic stage. The Alliance received a surge of popularity, which gave it the necessary political credibility to establish its own Parliament, and speak for humanity as a whole.
Since then, the Alliance has continued its expansion, with the resource wealth of a dozen settled colonies and hundreds of industrial outposts flowing back to Earth. This expansion brought the Alliance into conflict with the batarians as both species rushed to settle the Skyllian Verge, while maintaining a careful truce with the turians. The Alliance has also been granted an embassy on the Citadel, and recently, a seat on the Citadel Council. This has been a source of some concern to several other species. Humans have expanded rapidly from Earth in a very short period of time, becoming swiftly integrated into Citadel society and the galactic economy. They have become less ethnically diverse in the twenty-second century, due to a more multicultural society and greater unity between nations. Improved medical advances and gene therapy have led to longer, healthier lifespans; the average human can now expect to live to around 150. Most humans retain their native tongue, but learn alien languages or trade pidgin for the sake of convenience or as a gesture of unity.
One of the lasting consequences of the First Contact War was the interruption of a period of relative peace in the galaxy. Fairly or unfairly, humans are often thought of as aggressors, and are sometimes portrayed as a disruptive influence by non-human media. At the same time, other races recognize humans as an adaptable, intelligent and militarily capable race.
Demography and Population
The Alliance is largely made up of humans, though a small fraction of other races dwell within its borders. Typically, these aliens are asari, krogan, and salarians, as they are levo-amino acid based lifeforms like humans. As of late, a small number of batarians have begun to settle in Alliance territories.
"Per Aspera, Ad Astra"
Founding Date
2149 CE
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
The Alliance
Demonym
Alliance
Government System
Democracy, Parliamentary
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Galactic Credit
Legislative Body
Alliance Parliament
Judicial Body
Alliance Courts
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Organization Vehicles
Comments