Outer Space Alliance

The government of the fun- and fashion-loving Ikeigenites, the OSA is their face in interstellar space and coordinates space activity. It also oversees, with only some success, the activities of a large corporate exploratory fleet. A lack of true oversight and misplaced trust lead to the Coreward Border War.

History
Ikeigenoi used to be home to another dominant species, known as the Lost-Akei by the residents of Ikeigenoi. The species went extinct 140,000 years ago due to their own actions that caused rapid warming of the planet, flooding of their major cities, and global famine and disease. They were possibly eliminated by a hostile species while dealing with this ecological catastrophe.

The three species that would become Ikeigenites had their evolution either accelerated or engineered, their intelligence rapidly rising in a relatively short timespan. The uplift theory remains controversial, in part because if the Lost-Akei were intelligent enough to uplift three species, they likely could have averted ecological collapse. The intervention of an unknown third species remains a possibility.

Approximately 2,000 years ago, at the dawn of Ikeigenite civilization, the planet went through a minor cold period, and ice briefly returned. The Kwuida, Jelloms and Taddo lived in peace during this time. However, the cold period ended roughly four centuries ago, partly due to the lingering effects of the Lost-Akei on the environment, but largely spurred by Ikeigenite industrialization. The resulting seawater rise and tainting of freshwater sources eventually led to a desperate struggle for land and survival. Tensions rose between the two largest states, one primarily Taddo and the other primarily Kwuida. Attempts to create a mutually beneficial agreement and land-sharing program between all nations ended when the Kwuida attacked the Taddo over withheld water shipments. The subsequent conflict is known as the Great Territory War. It was devastating, adding death and destruction to the overwhelming issues of climate change. In the end, the Kwuida won the war, although they hardly considered it a triumph. Resources that could have been used to save communities and lives on both sides had been wasted on tools of battle, the Taddo in particular investing heavily in power-hungry mechanized war machines. The Kwuida imprisoned the Taddo war leaders, opened their borders to what Taddo refugees wished to join them, and declared status quo ante bellum. Post-war, the Taddo state split into several smaller factions, with friendly relations with Kwuida and neutral Jellom states. However, a highly militarized Taddo group in the heart of their former territory launched a military coup, seizing control of several underground colonies -- a necessity as much of their former territory was now flooded. This new group would call itself the Taddo Shogunate and isolated access to the outside world.

The Kwuida, non-isolationist Taddo, and the largely neutral Jelloms formed the Pan-Ikeigenoi Preservation Coalition, headquartered in the cosmopolitan center of Muupolis. A neutral Jellom port, Muupolis had became the home to millions of Kwuida and Taddo refugees during the Great Territory War, and was seen as a shining beacon for the future of the planet. In unison the PIPC began outer space exploration and environmental reclamation through the Preservation Coalition Space Bureau. Throughout this time period, conflict between the PIPC and the Taddo Shogunate was sporadic, and often resolved through covert action.

The PIPC began the transition to a world government just before their discovery of warp drive. The ability to rapidly travel to other planets in the Wumei system spurred the further development of the PCSB, who sought resources to help shore up preservation plans for their failing world. However, they largely contracted out the exploration and exploitation of systems beyond the Wumei system to private enterprises, a state of affairs that has continued to this day.

Major Species
The OSA is made up of Kwuida, Taddo, and Jelloms. The former two are humanoids with tentacle-like hair and no internal bone structure, giving them the ability to scale walls, squeeze through small spaces and limited shape-shifting abilities. They also secrete a substance known as muuyo, which they can use to either improve their own mobility or paralyze others. As they share many characteristics, the Kwuida and Taddo are classified collectively as muuyozoi. They are very different from Jelloms, who are more like classical jellyfish or octopus, and are more technical minded. They lack the shape-shifting abilities and muuyo production of the Muuyozoi, and have less mobile and more frail bodies.

Collectively, all three species are known as Ikeigenites, after the homeworld.

Space Organization and Military
Before the founding of the OSA, the Preservation Coalition Space Bureau handled all space exploration and defense duties of the PIPC. The Akaikan Commonwealth declined founding their own space bureau after the founding of the OSA, preferring to support the PCSB. It has remained the primary arm of the OSA government in space since.

The OSA does not maintain a large standing military, having known peace on the homeworld for almost two hundred years. On the homeworld, the Observation Agency monitors the activities of the Taddo Shogunate, and occasionally performs covert operations to deter or nullify Taddo aggression. By far the largest OSA military presence is on Ioji, where it can respond quickly to situations in the colonies.

Preservation Coalition Space Bureau (PCSB)
The space arm of the OSA, the PCSB (known to insiders as simply 'The Bureau') handles all of the OSA's military grade starships and conducts defense, exploration, and research missions. Their ships tend to look like large examples of sealife, with swooping, hydrodynamic lines and fins. The PSCB only sends cruisers and capital ships on exploration missions beyond Wumei and Ioji, similar to Federation Lone Ranger doctrine. Vessels were to be concentrated to protect major population centers and assist with reconstruction efforts. As a result, the harsh costs of space exploration were contracted out to eager Ikeigenites who formed private ventures and went into the stars.

Corporate Assets
There are three major exploratory corporations operating in the OSA: Gumco, Cool Planets Inc, and FRESHploration Ltd. The trio owns an entire shipyard on Ika, and produces ships independently of government targets. However, the by all appearances the exploration companies have fulfilled their contracts, securing a steady stream of research data, rare materials, and mineral claims. Their research cruisers and yachts also keep an eye open for possible threats on the far fringes of OSA space, and turn up new and interesting things out there.

Corporate 'yachts' are well-known to be armed, a precaution allowed by a reluctant Deca Council to enable Corporate assets to defend themselves from piracy. Ironically, they appear to have realized these weapons can be turned to pirate activities as well as deter them.

Location and Major Worlds
The OSA is located almost entirely in sector D4, just coreward of Ked Peddah space. The capital and homeworld is located in the Wumei system, on the planet Ikeigenoi. Another major world in the system is the industrial planet of Akaikan, a red-hued world that the OSA is attempting to make habitable. They have a third major world in the Ioji system, on Ioji III. This is the OSA's one developed colony outside Wumei.

Government and Politics
The OSA is a a supranational union of two governments in the Wumei system: The Akaikan Commonwealth, and the Pan-Ikeigenoi Preservation Coalition, joined now by the Ioji Administration. While these governments retain broad domestic powers, they founded the OSA to oversee Ikeigenoi’s restoration, develop the Wumei system, arbitrate on issues, and ensure the devastating wars that occurred on Ikeigenoi would never find a twin in the stars.

The OSA Deca Council is the executive of the OSA, and is a 10-member body that is voted on by the OSA Collective, a 1000-member body elected directly by the population of the OSA. The head of the Council is currently Commissioner Blue Elagyi, a Kwuida. The political class of the OSA is an eclectic mix of Beya-War champions, major music and fashion stars, small business owners and the occasional lawyer - sometimes a politician or civil servant will embody all of these categories. OSA society is merito- and democratic at all levels, from local mayoral elections, to elections of the assemblies of the major planets, to the election of the OSA Collective.

Law prevents elections from being Muuyo Fests, as this would disadvantage the Jelloms; the Muuyo Fest fought over this exact issue was one of the most contentious in history. However, it is a fact that some level of Beya-War skill is seen as a prerequisite to being elected. While Jellom candidates can’t participate directly, they can earn favor by outfitting their proxy-team with ‘fresh’ weapons or fashion. Thus, while the political culture is strongly meritocratic and based on real-world achievement, these achievements tend to be primarily related to Beya-Wars, and to some extent musical and business accomplishments.

Major Substates
The Outer Space Alliance, as the name implies, is an alliance of three major governments. In practice is it a highly centralized federation rather that a looser defense pact or economic organization, with two of the constituent members gaining greater autonomy from the Pan-Iekigenoi Preservation Coalition peacefully.

Pan-Ikeigenoi Preservation Coalition (PIPC)
The PIPC was founded in the city of Jellom city of Muupolis after the devastating Great Territory War accelerated environmental damage on Ikeigenoi, with the express purpose of preventing another war and total environmental collapse. Highly cosmopolitan, all Ikeigenites are represented in its population and is a near-planetary government, with only the Taddo Shogunate a stubborn holdout against unity. The PIPC founded the Observation Agency to monitor potential aggressive actions from the Shogunate, and engage in covert action to prevent war where necessary.

The principal aim of the PIPC in the last 200 years has been to use the benefits of space exploration to return the planet to the jewel it once was. Global temperatures have finally begun to stabilize and drop, rivers have run clean, and oceans are becoming cooler and less toxic. All of this has required geoengineering on an epic scale, and the moving of vast amounts of industry into orbit.

The PIPC founded the Preservation Coalition Space Bureau (PCSB) to explore the Wumei system and search for resources to help the homeworld. Control of the PIPC and Observation Agency was turned over to the OSA with its founding.

Akaikan Commonwealth
Founded by hardy colonists, Akaikan is a barren, desert world with a thin atmosphere and freezing temperatures. It was seen as perfect location to move industry off of Ikeigenoi, as its atmosphere needed thickening as part of terraforming anyways. The colonists founded the Akaikan Commonwealth to manage their affairs. Under their careful administration Akaikan grew into a critical infrastructure and industrial hub, fed by raw resources gathered from gas giants and asteroids.

In time, a distinct culture grew on Akaikan, and the Commonwealth became increasingly self-ruling. Tensions between the Akaikan Commonwealth and the PIPC over the flow of materials and goods to the homeworld lead to the founding of the OSA, to arbitrate further disputes and place all armed ships into one jointly administered organization.

Ioji Administration
Ioji is the OSA's only mature colony outside of Wumei, a verdant class-M planet with large oceans. The presence of a colony on Ioji is of considerable controversy in the OSA, as some believe that it serves as a distraction from repairing the homeworld, or that citizens will abandon Ikeigenoi for other planets.

The Administration was founded by the OSA to oversee the development of the planet and conduct research that could help restore Ikeigenoi. In time, the population has grown large enough that Ioji is considered an equal member of the OSA in its own right, and the Administration has been given the same broad self-rule that is enjoyed by the PIPC and Commonwealth. Its citizens tend to desire more expansion than the average Ikeigenite, and it as proven to be a large source of recruits to both the PSCB and private exploration outfits. Its most famous resident is Red Torina, who captained the Manta Maria.

Ioji hopes to eventually develop its own shipyard, but residents are concerned about bringing heavy industry to an otherwise pristine world.

Foreign Relations
The OSA generally follows a multilateral approach, with a strong emphasis on teamwork. They have worked hard in recent years to form stronger bonds with the Honiani, the Bolians, the Felis, and the Ked Peddah. They are particularly inclined to the United Federation of Planets, which emphasizes working together for the betterment of all. Among Federation members the Muuyozoi are particularly drawn to Yan-Ros and Andorians; while the Jelloms tend to favor the Vulcans and Humans. All of them favor the Rigellians (who have a recognizable economy) and the Caitians (who have soft fur and cute ears), in addition to the Honiani, historically regional partners.

That being said, the OSA has seen conflict in the past. They have been raided by some houses of the Arcadian Empire, have suffered piracy from the Breen, or Moy residing in the Deadly Islands, and have come under attack by less scrupulous Bolian and Felis free traders. They also believe that they have been attacked by the Orion Syndicate at its height in the early 2270s, and deep-raiding Yrillians before the Honiani locked down the space they used to raid the OSA. Of all the powers, they retain the most hostility for the Arcadians, even before the current war. However, such tensions were very low-level, the OSA tending to give other species and states the benefit of the doubt, believing that good always wins out.

Culture
The culture of the OSA is similar in many regards to that in the Federation. It is often highly communal, with Kwuida, Taddo, and Jellom all preferring public places and having large groups of supportive friends -- indeed, good teamwork is a value instilled in OSA citizens from their birth. Central to the OSA is the idea of teamwork and trust. Muuyozoi are a particularly competitive species, and participate in the most popular sport on the planet in droves: Beya-War fights. These four-on-four nonlethal events see Muuyozoi rush to cover territory in arenas with their team’s gel, and coat enemies in it to the point of incapacitation. Once a player has been incapacitated, they are beamed back to a start point and quickly revived, allowing intense, short, full-contact battle to take place. While non-lethal and in effect a highly developed form of paintball, the martial undertones cannot be ignored, particularly as the sport was based on the warfare seen in the Great Territory War. Beya-War arenas are frequently public spaces that are temporarily converted to host matches. These include gyms, art galleries, parks, and even construction sites and pressurized shipyards. .

So important to the culture of the Muuyozoi is the Beya-War that matters of great public debate are often settled by special Beya-War events known as Muuyo Fest, the winning side often enshrined as law or a matter of fact. While an element of popular voting is involved, based on how many people join one side or the other of the debate, the largest weighting to declare one side the victor is the win ratio between the two teams. Individual leagues often host Muuyo Fests over relatively trivial things like if one type of food is better than another, or over which musical act is cooler, but Muuyo Fests of great importance that involve the whole populace, similar to referendums in other polities, occur with some regularity. The overall winner is immediately enshrined as law, except in a few rare circumstances. In some cases, particularly contentious Muuyo Fests can be fought multiple times, with a one-year gap between.

Beyond the Beya-War, all members of the OSA believe in strong personal expression, most often through fashion. A major industry in Ikeigenoi, Kwuida in particular compete to see who is most ‘fresh’ with their fashion. Trends are impossible to predict and follow, and freshness often comes down to a highly evocative personal style rather than following a particular fad. This ties into Beya-Wars as well, with fashion often being designed to function just as well in competition while retaining style, and brands getting major boost of use by notable Beya-War participants.

Finally, music and musical culture is another major feature of OSA culture. Musical stars frequently announce arena openings and commentate on Beya-War matches, and attracting a notable musical act is seen as the first step in establishing a new Beya-War league. Particularly famous acts will often act as advocates alongside politicians and academics in Muuyo Fest.

Jellom do not have the same biological traits as Muuyozoi, and so do not participate in Beya-Wars. However, they are industrious and engage in other athletic activities, and are seen as a moderating influence on the often short-sighted and fiery Muuyozoi. They are major leaders in industry, and it was Jellom architects and engineers who are lauded with saving the planet while the Taddo and Kwuida fought the Great Territory War. Jellom culture prides craftsmenship and community, and they can often be seen in public spaces touching objects to get a better feel for their construction. Jelloms communicate largely through pheromones released through touch and light pulses and struggle with verbal communication, and thus better communicate with their own species. This has lead to some level of cultural isolation from the Muuyozoi, although advancements in automated translation of Jellom non-verbal cues has led to improvements in this regard.

Of the Muuyozoi, Taddo still retain military overtones to their culture. While not as extreme as say of the Klingon Empire, they still have school uniforms, their gelfight teams tend to coordinate more closely in what they wear, and it is the Taddo who lead efforts to better-arm PCSB vessels. Kwuida are seen as more in-the-moment improvisors with an occasionally dangerous spark of curiosity, and a Kwuida team often has very little coordination in look aside from chosen color. Subsequently, the uniforms of the PCSB are at once too eclectic for the Taddo and too restricting for the Kwuida, who often personalize the mandatory uniform jacket with different headwear and shoes.

Corporations
The idea of the 'megacorporation' is a new one to Ikeigenoi. Ikeigenites pride themselves on an economy built around auteurs and small business-people. Fashion is drafted by design brands, and then sent to factories owned cooperatively by several design firms to produce the final product. The closest thing to large corporations were the various beya-war leagues, who would often own factories that produced beya-war markers in order to produce a standardized product, and then would allow smaller companies to bid for redesigns of the base product. Any other major heavy industry, such as spaceship yards, is owned by the government.

However, that changed when the government made the decision to begin contracting out space exploration. The undertaking was vast and new; and it is also possible ideas about corporate governance and expansion had come to Ikeigenoi from Orion space. In any case, the Government assumed that the exploration companies would operate much like the small-business economy of the homeworld.

Instead, the exploration companies have winnowed down to three: Gumco, Cool Planets Inc, and FRESHploration Ltd. The OSA seems somewhat unaware of the danger of such concentration of capital and power. They expect the Corporations to be easy to police and trustworthy, believing something like the Orion Syndicate 'couldn't happen here.'

Economy and Major Facilities
The OSA economy remains market-based to some degree, even with a guaranteed standard of living. In general the Muuyozoi focus on more 'boutique' business ventures, often forming fashion and weapons design firms for use in Beya-War, or musical acts. While Jellom do participate and run several small businesses, their communal mindset has them work on larger projects, as part of large cooperatives. Jellom are often the archtects and builders of large but environmentally-friendly factories, which the smaller firms then rent to produce the goods they have designed. Similarly they design, construct, and help operate the large malls that smaller firms rely on, and the public projects that keep all Ikeigenites content and safe.

Sutajon Shipyards
Located on and above Muupolis on Ikeigenoi, this is some of the heaviest industry still extant on the planet. Processes that cause atmospheric pollution are either heavily filtered or have been moved into space. Berths are occasionally loaned out to private ventures that may require more sophistication or are larger than the Ikageriza yards. Additionally, the ground-based portion of the yard also still constructs seagoing vessels, primarily large research vessels and cruise ships.

Ikageriza Industrial Yards
Located in orbit and on the surface of Ikeigenoi's smaller moon, Ika, the well-developed Ikageriza fuel depot, industrial zone and attendant yards are the result of years of government development and effort to encourage private companies to move heavy industry offworld. Ikageriza is largely where logistical ships and non-government spacecraft are developed and built, and is well positioned just at the edge of Ikeigenoi’s sphere of influence.

Port Sabai
Port Sabai is technically the name for the surface-based industrial and logistical hub on Akaikan, with the orbital component being the Sabai Assembly Yards. But Ikeigenites use Port Sabai to refer to both, as both facilities are quite literally linked by a space elevator. The heaviest industry in the system operates in Port Sabai, feeding the needs of the largest shipyard in the OSA. The strategic importance of the site lead to the construction of Gado Station, a moon of Akaikan converted to a starbase that provides protection to an entire hemisphere.

Beya-War organizers are still trying to figure out how to have a match on the surface of Gado and in the Assembly Yards themselves. Unfortunately, muuyo quickly evaporates in vacuum.