Orion Union Navy

The Union Navy is the space-going branch of the Orion Union government. They act in control of all ships above a given armament - stated armament, at least, and even this was not always the case - as a professional, career service. In exchange for their control of starships, they place a high priority on carrying out contracts for research, resource exploitation, secure/fast transport, and sometimes in subterfuge on behalf of the Orion hypercorps.

The recent history of the Union Navy is rather mixed, with bright points, but also many dark. Even today the hooks of the hypercorps sit deep and uneasy in the navy. Many recall various failures, or even outright collaborations from the navy during the civil war. There are plenty on Duaba who are yet to forgive the navy for the photon torpedo bombardment of the southern continent. However, the Union Navy is working hard with Starfleet, the Federation, and their own government to wash away the old ways.

Slave to the Hypercorps
It was not long ago that the Orion Union was a pit of patronage, corruption, private empire-building, and general unprofessionalism. Its readiness if someone had actually gone to war with the Orion Union was almost negligible. Part of this was due to the inherited nature of the Union, which still retained a considerable amount of personnel and equipment from before the revolution that freed much of the modern population. Because of this, the government in the lead-up to the civil war invested considerable effort to do their best to weed out hypercorps influence and Orion Syndicate influence, especially the latter.

The Civil War
The Orion Union's performance during the Civil War was very uneven. Some units, especially the Aerocommandos, performed admirably. Others were thinly disguised Syndicate forces that proved difficult to purge. However, the efforts of the Union government bore fruit early on, if not purging disloyal personnel in all instances, then at least identifying those assets which could be trusted. These became an important part of the fleet that supported blockade and landing operations, like the ones launched on Duaba and Celos.

Growing Professionalism
After the collapse of the Orion Syndicate as an existential threat to the Orion Union, following the signing of the Treaty of Celos, the Union Navy was left at a crossroads. Many of the hypercorps and Syndicate executives who once upon a time had pulled the strings behind the scene were no more; companies dissolved or nationalised, Shodars dead or imprisoned. With the rapidly growing integration with the United Federation of Planets, culminating in a full ratification of membership, the opportunities to bring in new levels of trustworthiness and professionalism flowed in. Promising officer cadets were sent to Starfleet Academy for polishing, resulting in a new backbone of careerists with the right attitude. All officers and ratings undertook new oaths given to the constitution of the Union, rather than to any leader. Although various hypercorps continued to wield influence, those with the most destructive intentions had been defanged.

Active Ship Classes

 * Embpor Orbitals Exploratory Battleship capital ship
 * Onaya Reliable Intercept Orbiter, New light cruiser
 * Nelhiar Savings & Loans Enforcer light combat/diplomatic cruiser
 * Holena Vigilante heavy cruiser
 * Molhane Patrol Escort diplomatic courier/patrol ship
 * Mekpali Light Escort generalist frigate
 * Centaur-B
 * Kepler

Current Ships
{| class="sortable wikitable" !Name !Class !Registry !Commissioned !Status
 * OUS Felicity Xanothos
 * Embpor Orbitals Exploratory Battleship
 * NCC-4305
 * 2319.Q1
 * Active
 * OUS Darkfist Hunter
 * Holena Vigilante
 * NCC-4301
 * Active
 * OUS Nelhiar's Honor
 * Nelhiar Savings & Loans Enforcer
 * NCC-4302
 * Active
 * OUS Nelhiar's Pride
 * Nelhiar Savings & Loans Enforcer
 * NCC-4306
 * 2320.Q1
 * Active
 * Nelhiar Savings & Loans Enforcer
 * NCC-4307
 * 2322.Q2
 * Active
 * OUS Bradia
 * Onaya Reliable Intercept Orbiter, New
 * NCC-4303
 * Active
 * Onaya Reliable Intercept Orbiter, New
 * NCC-4304
 * Active
 * Constitution-B
 * NCC-1742
 * Transferred 2324.Q1
 * Active
 * Mekpali
 * NCC-4201
 * Active
 * Mekpali
 * NCC-4202
 * Active
 * Mekpali
 * NCC-4203
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4204
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4205
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4206
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4207
 * Active
 * OUS Gessir
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4208
 * 2314.Q2
 * Active
 * OUS Burdina
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4209
 * 2318.Q1
 * Active
 * OUS Dasrut
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4210
 * 2318.Q1
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4211
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4212
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4213
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4214
 * Active
 * OUS Bokura
 * Kepler
 * NCC-4112
 * 2324.Q3
 * Active
 * OUS Allaston
 * Kepler
 * NCC-4117
 * 2325.Q2
 * Active
 * -|}
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4208
 * 2314.Q2
 * Active
 * OUS Burdina
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4209
 * 2318.Q1
 * Active
 * OUS Dasrut
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4210
 * 2318.Q1
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4211
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4212
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4213
 * Active
 * Molhane Patrol Escort
 * NCC-4214
 * Active
 * OUS Bokura
 * Kepler
 * NCC-4112
 * 2324.Q3
 * Active
 * OUS Allaston
 * Kepler
 * NCC-4117
 * 2325.Q2
 * Active
 * -|}
 * NCC-4214
 * Active
 * OUS Bokura
 * Kepler
 * NCC-4112
 * 2324.Q3
 * Active
 * OUS Allaston
 * Kepler
 * NCC-4117
 * 2325.Q2
 * Active
 * -|}
 * 2325.Q2
 * Active
 * -|}

Officers
Once upon a time to become an officer required a substantial Commission Fee, one which was levied at the end of the training camp. To compound this, there was often a separate "Stamp Duty" charged by the senior staff of the school for processing the Commission. As a result, a number of viable officers never joined, or worse joined and finished the academy, but could then not afford the commission fee and duty. One of the first reforms of the new Orion Union post-revolution was to kill off this tradition. Salaries were increased somewhat to compensate, but it still led to resentment in some quarters. Thankfully, despite some officers leaving, the supply of potential officers who completed training but did not pay the Commission Fee provided quality replacements.

Today, the training is free, requiring only a rather arduous aptitude test. If you pass the test, you gain access to the school and an automatic government scholarship. In exchange, you owe a minimum of six years service to the Union Navy. Further, the Union Navy puts considerable work into staff retention, especially among officers, so by the time this six years is up, most officers are inclined to stay in for the long haul.

Ratings
Not more than a hundred years ago, ratings on Orion starships were indentured servants, especially on those ships owned by hypercorps. They were used for everything rote and repetitive, but in the long run these ratings turned in apathetic work in a very dangerous environment. It is believed that much of the reputation for legendary unreliability of Orion Union starships traces back to these days.

The reforms instituted by the new Orion Union immediately mandated that the Navy was to switch to professionally trained ratings. This led to a very arduous transition period, but in the end it went a very long way to keep the extremely finicky and fine-tuned Orion starships running. With the clean break from the old system, the ratings that were brought in tended to be far more loyal to the Union than the old one, and far more resilient to attempts at corruption. This further increased when the Union Justice ministry effectively dismantled and rebuilt the Navy JAG from the keel up.

Aerocommandos
Part of the Union Space Forces, the Fleet Aerocommandos are a Corps-sized force used for dangerous, integrated orbit-to-surface operations, often deployed behind enemy lines or in unsecured combat zones. They are a highly independent unit, steeped in traditions that date back before Egyptians were building pyramids and filled with esprit de corps that cannot be easily shaken.

The Aerocommandos played a very large and influential role in the Orion Civil War. Unlike the Planetary Forces, whose use in domestic operations is dubious, the Fleet Aerocommandos fit into a convenient loophole that allows them to be used in domestic and foreign operations - that loophole being that under the original constitution it was not thought the Space Forces would have any sort of organic landing force. These two factors mean they are occasionally used in support of or in place of UCSS units in counter-Syndicate operations, particularly ones where local UCSS and police units are not seen as trustworthy, or where incredibly heavy resistance is expected.

Organisationally, the Aerocommandos are formed as a series of battalions. In some form, the battalions are often more of an administrative body, in that they will maintain three line companies, and of those one will be deployed space-side at any given time, with additional attachments as required. During large operations, ad-hoc task forces, brigades, and even divisions are often formed. This flexibility is carefully practiced, and the Aerocommandos are trained from their first days in the receiving barracks to handle this.

Due to their service in many operations alongside Federation, Caitian, and Amarki units during the Orion Civil War, the Aerocommandos are both more and more widely respected in the wider Federation than the starship-operating parts of the Union Navy; a curious reversal of the norm for member forces. Successful operations against the Eternal Empire and the Hishmeri in concert with Starfleet have only reinforced this, and the Aerocommandos are usually Starfleet's first choice for Federalized infantry forces when such are needed.

Major Worlds

 * Alukk
 * Broken Chains
 * Celos
 * Duaba
 * Akola

Colonies

 * Bradia
 * Freedom
 * New Rigel
 * Nor'Orion
 * Qinal
 * Yavacia
 * Xav
 * Jagrava
 * Amepa III
 * Shirjat
 * Hamilton
 * Yavacia

Shipyards
[1x2000kt, 1x1000kt, 2x815kt] [1x1000kt, 2x600kt] [1x1000kt, 1x600kt] [2x815kt] [2x600kt]
 * Union Fleet Yards, Alukk
 * Celos Duranium Works, Celos
 * Akola Orbital Industry, Akola
 * Redspire Fleet Yards, Broken Chains
 * Indi Adamo & Daughters Yards
 * Colhane & Gennet Yards

Infrastructure
The infrastructure supporting starship construction is spread very broadly throughout Orion Union space. However, it is not quite as resilient against sabotage as may be imagined. While there is great duplication of component construction, they are largely built according to the of the six major architectural firms, resulting in entirely new supply chains employing proprietary systems to build proprietary components.

State of Emergency Assets
The Orion Union has one of the largest varieties of emergency assets available for call-up of any Federation member. Indeed, of any nation its size. However, activating and maintaining in service these assets is also far more expensive and arduous a task than it is for other space-going powers.