Terran Confederation

I am the heart of the Confederation.
A servant of peace …
A deliverer of freedom …
A guardian of worlds …
As I pave the road to victory
I shall not fear the enemy
For he cannot conquer justice.
As I light the righteous fire of peace
I shall hold life sacred
For it is my duty to rise against evil.
In my comrades I do trust
For we are one anothers’ eyes.
Even in the face of death
We wear our rank in faith
That justice will right all wrongs.

-Terran Confederation Oath of Service

Confederation Government

The Terran Confederation is a democratic republic organized on the federal system. It consists of approximately seven hundred (mainly) human populated systems spread over four thousand light years as of 2657. The structure of the Confederation's government is set in the Articles of Confederation, the signing of which is celebrated on the 235th day of each year as Confederation Day.

Administratively, the Confederation is divided into eight sectors (Avalon, Gemini, Hawking, Sol, Vega, Argent, Epsilon and Enigma) each with a local government under a Sector Governor. These sectors are further subdivided into quadrants, which form the basic electoral unit for the Great Assembly

A directly-elected president serves as Head of State, Chief Executive, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. The legislative branch, known officially as the Great Assembly, is based in Washington, D.C. on Earth, across the mall from the old Congress building of the United States. Its members are referred to as senators, and are directly elected by the population of each quadrant. The leader of the majority party in the Assembly is referred to as the 'Assembly Master'. Due to the events of war, the Judiciary branch has seen many of its functions taken over by the Admiralty Courts throughout the Confederation; however, civilian courts at lower levels of government still operate.

Military Discipline

After more than twenty years of conflict, military discipline in the Terran Confederation has taken on a rather unique character. As a rule, matters of law have become more rigidly enforced (with summary courts martial handling many such affairs), while matters of protocol are often ignored.

Given the constant need for skilled combat personnel, many commanders have proven willing to overlook minor transgressions, and are extremely reluctant to relieve a skilled individual of duty. When relief does happen, it is usually for a condition which renders the individual combat ineffective, or a danger to himself or other, rather than for disciplinary reasons.

Ranks

The TCSF has a system of ranks that resembles the USAF, this is a succinct description of the most commonly seen ranks with some context. Note that the Maximum Command Size has implications on the type of missions each rank can command.

Rank Expectation Maximum Command Size Insignia Annual Salary Range (excluding hazard pay)
2nd Lieutenant Don't die 0 second-lieutenant.png 30k-45k
1st Lieutenant Don't let your wingman die 1 first-lieutenant.png 35k-55k
Captain Tactical awareness 3 captain.png 40k- 65k
Major Strategic awareness 7 major.png 50k- 80k
Lt Colonel Strategic planning 15 lieutenant-colonel.png 55k - 90k
Colonel Long Term Strategies 31 colonel.png 75k-110k

Note: A person of a lower rank can display the expectations of a higher rank, a member with a higher rank does not display their expectations regularly, they may be demoted.