The Federated Colonies

"""The Colonies are united now,""And united they shall remain!""Our Unity in Diversity,""May it lead to the peace of the galaxy!""May there forever reign in the Colonies,""Unity and Equality,""The Freedom of the People!""~Excerpt from the anthem of the Federated Colonies"The Federated Colonies (CS.: Die Föderierte Kolonien), also known by their old name, the Colonial Federation(CS: Der Koloniale Bund), officially the Colonial Federal State(CS: Der Koloniale Bundesstaat), also the Colonial Federal Republic( CS: Die Koloniale Bundesrepublik), colloquially the Colonies(CS: die Kolonien), as they are known for short, are a federal parliamentary republic, composed of around 800 million worlds that have ratified the Federal Articles of Colonization, mainly centered in the Milky Way, with the capital on the word of Xalion. The Federated Colonies were created in the chaos of the Secession Wars, when the original 1 million worlds ratified the Articles that marked their secession from the Terran controlled Human Colonial Alliance. While a large part of their population is human, the Federated Colonies are one of the most racially diverse states of the known universe. Throughout their history, the Colonies have gained their reputation as one of the most liberal and democratic states, and also as one of the most militarized. Even if the Federated Colonies have experienced a decline in the last century, plagued by problems like rebellions, extremism, xenophobia, corruption, and a general exhaustion of their institutions, they are still a beacon of light and hope in this dark universe, and remain one of the strongest economical powers in the known universe, with a high standard of living for all their citizens, and one of the main military powers of the galaxy. Even to this day, the Colonials are fighting for the sacred ideals of their ancestors. 'Unity. Freedom. Equality.'

Etymology
The term "the Colonies", alternatively known as "die Kolonien" in Colonial Standard, or "les Colonies", "las Colonias", or "vot Kolonii" in some of the languages of the Old Earth, has been firstly used back during the First Jump, the creation of the first colonies of the nations of Earth in and around the Sol System, to describe those very colonies. The term gained an official meaning after the ratification of the Union Act of 1970, and the Confirmation Act which was signed in 1989 after the Unification Wars, when it was directly used to refer to the colonies of all nations of Earth, and later, to the colonies of the UGE. But after the Second and the Third Jumps, and the following Continuous Jump, which led to the human race expanding all across the Milky Way and the Andromeda, and to the creation of countless colonies, the term started to be used only to refer to those second rank and later colonies, which hadn't been colonized by Earth itself, but by the very colonies of Earth, which came to be known as "first rank" colonies, and are most often considered to be Terran in their nature.

With the creation the Human Colonial Alliance, the term retained its meaning, but with the fall of the HCA and the Long Night which paralyzed the Milky Way, from the perspective of Earth and the Sol System, the term of "the Colonies" started to be used for all of the colonies they no longer had under their control, so for most of the human inhabited planets of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. Once the FTL Point Drive was invented, and the First Secession War started, the name changed its meaning. Soon, all secessionist systems and worlds across the galaxies, whether they were human or alien, became to be known by that name, with the name of Colonial being applied to all rebels, no matter of their origin. And with the victory of the secessionists, the name was officially adopted with the ratification of the Articles of Colonization, and the creation of the Federated Colonies as a state.

Today, the term "the Colonies" is used to describe all the systems and worlds under the control of the Federation, and with the decline of the Earth, and the contacts the Federation has been having with other galaxies, the term is often used to refer to most of the systems inhabited by the humans and their allied races, while in the eyes of foreign nations, like the Keltaken Empire, the term has become synonymous with the human race as a whole.

History
Main Article- the History of the Federated Colonies"'The Colonies were born out of the cruelest of atrocities, through the sheer feelings of hate and rebellion of the oppressed against their oppressors.'~The Colonial Records" The Federated Colonies have one of the bloodiest and most chaotic history among all the nations in the known universe. Born during the chaotic years that marked the end of the Long Night, carrying the dreams of unity, freedom, and equality of many human and alien systems and worlds that came together to face a common enemy, Earth, the Federated Colonies had a really violent past. In their five centuries of history, the Colonies have continuously been at war, expanding and protecting their three ideals, despite all the efforts of the Colonies to face the fate and build a lasting peace. The Federated Colonies have come to represent the history of most of the human and alien nations which broke away from the influence of the Old Earth. Times of despair and times of victory have marked their long history, which have all led to the present state of the Federation.

Government
Main Article- the Government of the Federated Colonies"'Unity, Freedom, and Equality'~ the motto of the Federation"The Federated Colonies are a federal parliamentary republic, made up of three branches that follow the principle of the Separation of Powers(C.S.: die Gewaltenteilung), divided between multiple Constitutional Organs and Positions (C.S.: Verfassungsorgane und Verfassungspositionen), which derive their powers from the Constitution of the Federated Colonies, the Articles of Colonization (C.S: Die Artikel der Kolonisation).

The Executive Branch(C.S.: die Executive) is represented by The Hegemon of the Colonies (C.S.: der Hegemon der Kolonien), and the Federal Cabinet of the Colonies, or the Federal Government of the Colonies (C.S.: Bundeskabinett der Kolonien or Bundesregierung der Kolonien), the Legislative Branch (C.S.: die Legislative) is represented by the Federal Council (C.S.: der Bundesrat) and the Federal Diet (C.S.: der Bundestag), and the Judicial Branch (C.S.: die Judikative) is independent and represented by the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the Federal, on both a federal and a national level.

Civilian
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Military
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Military
"'For the defense of the Federation, for the freedom of the Fatherland!'""'United, we shall defend!'~ mottoes of the Colonial Armed Forces"The Colonial Armed Forces( Die Koloniale Streitkräfte), commonly known as the Bundeswehr ( CS:  [ˈbʊndəsˌveːɐ̯], the Federal Defense) are the unified armed forces of the Federated Colonies, with their administration and procurement authorities. The states of the Federated Colonies are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Articles of Colonization state that military matters fall into the sole responsibility of the Federal Institutions. The Colonial Armed Forces are some of the most technologically advanced, largest, and most powerful armed forces in the known universe, fighting the wars of the Federated Colonies ever since their creation in 2650 after the Human Standard Calendar. The Colonial Armed Forces are also renowned for their strict discipline and high training, which makes them a force that's able to take on numerical superior enemies like the Keltakens and the Invaders. Even so, the Colonial Armed Forces are unfortunately affected by many problems, including corruption, a lot of useless bureaucracy, and many difficulties in managing armed forces that are so racially diverse. The massive military losses experienced in the last time in the Second Great War against the Invaders isn't exactly helping either, even if the Hegemon is planning major military changes.

The Colonial Armed Forces are divided into two main categories, Star Forces(Sternkräfte), and Planetary Forces(Planetenkräfte), each with their subdivisions. All the Armed Forces fall under the command of the High Command of the Armed Forces( Oberkommando der Streitkräfte), which on its own, is subordinated to the Central High Command of all Armed Forces of the Federated Colonies(CHCAFFC)/Zentraloberkommando aller Streitkräfte der Föderierte Kolonien(Z.O.K.S.F.K.), commonly referred with names like Central(Zentral), the Central High Command(der Zentraloberokommando), or C.H.C.(Z.O.K.)

The Colonial Star Forces
"'For freedom, we'll rule the stars!'"The Colonial Star Forces(Die Koloniale Sternkräfte) are one of the two main branches of the Colonial Armed Forces. Divided into the Colonial War Fleet( Die Koloniale Kriegsflotte), and the Colonial Star Guards(  Die Koloniale Stern Garde),  they are under the command of '''the High Command of the Star Forces(Oberkommando der Sternkräfte, OKS). T'''he Colonial Star Forces have the mission to fight and win the battles and wars of the Federated Colonies in space.

The Colonial War Fleet
"With courage, through the stars!"

The Colonial War Fleet(C.S.: Die Koloniale Kriegsflotte), often known by its simple Colonial Standard name, the Kriegsflotte, literally the War Fleet is the main space fighting force of the Federated Colonies.

The Colonial Planetary Forces
The Colonial Planetary Forces(Die Koloniale Planetenkräfte), are one of the two main branches of the Colonial Armed Forces. Divided into the Colonial Army(Der Koloniale Herr), the Colonial Navy(Die Koloniale Marine), the Colonial Air Force(Der Koloniale Luftwaffe) and the Colonial Orbital Force(Die Koloniale Orbitenkräfte), they are under the command of the High Command of the Planetary Forces(Oberkommando der Planetenkräfte, OKP).The Colonial Planetary Forces have the mission to fight and win the battles and wars of the Federated Colonies on any type of planet.

SPEKO
"'Any mission, anytime, anywhere.' - unofficial motto of the SPEKO units."The Special Command Units of the Colonial Armed Forces (C.S.:Das Spezialkommando-Einheiten der Kolonialstreitkräfte), commonly known as SPEKO (abbreviation, CS: Spezialkommando, literally Special Command), are the elite military formations of the Federated Colonies, and their main special operations force, subordinated to the Special High Command(CS: Spezialoberkommando), the division of the Central High Command used to supervise the special operations of the Colonial Armed Forces.

Considered to be even more of an elite forces than the Colonial Space Guards, the SPEKO units take care of the operations and situations that can't be handled by the normal units of the Colonial Armed Forces. All SPEKO members are recruited from the other branches of the Colonial Armed Forces, and are the best trained units of the Colonial military, being able to fight anywhere, at anytime, against anyone.

In accordance with the Colonial laws, everything about the SPEKO is held in high secrecy, including their numbers, equipment, and true purpose. Through the Special High Command, the SPEKO units are subordinated directly to the Hegemon of the Colonies, so it can only be assumed that he is the only person who knows all the details about the SPEKO.

Although it has never been confirmed, it's assumed that the SPEKO have taken part in many of the most important battles and operations of the Colonial Armed Forces, and are probably often used as a last resort.

Freikorps
The Colonial Volunteer Corps (CS: Das Koloniale Freiwilligenkorps), most often known by their shortened name in Colonial Standard, Freikorps, literally, the Free Corps, is a volunteer based military organization directly under the command of the Hegemon and of the Central High Command of the Armed Forces, but separated from the rest of the Colonial Armed Forces. Often considered to be a militia type of organization, the Freikorps is called upon in situations when the regular armed forces can not handle the problem on their own. Originally though, the Freikorps were the first military organization of the Federated Colonies, preceding the even creation of the Federation itself through its direct predecessor, the First Volunteer Corps (C.S.: Das Erste Freiwilligenkorps), which was created in 2645 H.S.C. on the planet of Terra Nova by various groups of rebels and secessionists supported by the Republic of Terra Nova, in the street fights fought against the attacking troops of the Human Colonial Alliance which had come to reclaim the planet. Through their resistance, the First Freikorps sparked the rebellion in Terra Nova, which would engulf half of the galaxy once the Freikorps defeated the 55th Human Colonial Fleet in the Battle of Kiela. The Freikorps was the first officially recognized military organization of the Federated Colonies after their creation in 2650 H.S.C., and together with the newly created Colonial War Fleet(C.S.: Die Koloniale Kriegsflotte), the Freikorps fought and won the First Secession War for the young Federation.

With the end of the First Secession War, the Freikorps was retired into the role it plays today, that of a force to be called only in times of need and desperation. The Freikorps is formed by volunteers, so, with the compulsory military service of the Federated Colonies, those volunteers are either to young to have been called upon in the regular military forces, or old veterans called back on duty, making the military capacity of the volunteers to be much lower than that of the regular forces, and despite the harsh training the volunteers receive, as the Freikorps often lacks the same kind of advanced materiel the military forces receive, and those volunteers often have no sort of actual battle experience at all, or in the case of the veterans, no recent battle experience, its military power is still often too small for regular front missions, hence why their reputation as a militia force.

The Freikorps units are mostly used as reserves, or in cases where no other regular military units are able to intervene, but mostly, their objective are missions in friendly territory behind the front, like peacekeeping and helping the police, or in other situations which require volunteers. In the case of an enemy breakthrough, the Freikorps is often used for guerrilla warfare, an objective they can often do perfectly.

The Freikorps can be called upon by the Hegemon, and ever since their original creation, they were called in full numbers only a couple of times, during the most dangerous moments in the history of the Colonies, as during the Second Secession War. But in the last decades, they have been called multiple times, during both Intergalactic Wars, during the Interim Wars, and more recently, at the beginning of the Second Great War. The Freikorps has proved its use in all these instances, and especially during the Interim Wars, where led by the chosen Hegemon. Julius Kingsley, the Freikorps brought the victory to the loyalist side against the military junta of the Circle(C.S.: Der Kreis).

Despite being a volunteer militia corps, and being often considered inferior to the regular military, the Freikorps is one of the best known Colonial military organizations, and the one with the longest history. As a volunteer force, all of its members have joined on their own free will, and that's why they often have an even higher morale and fanaticism than the regular units, making them an enemy worthy to be faced on the battlefield.

Morale and Discipline
"'Who'll survive and who will die? That's up to the Kriegsglück to decide...'~Colonial military saying."Due the Federated Colonies having been continuously at war for the entirety of their existence, due to many external and internal factors, their culture is really martial.The Armed Forces are really popular among the citizens of the Federation, and in most of the worlds of the Colonies, serving in the Federal military is perceived as a honor and a duty. The members of the military are in general perceived well by the population, with many of them being considered heroes and used in propaganda."'We shall fight and die, for the Colonies we have sworn to protect!'~ Colonial military saying."Despite the many defeats of the last decades, the Colonial Armed Forces remain with an high morale. The Colonial soldiers trust their officers, and have faith in their equipment and ships. The Colonials strongly believe that their armed forces are some of the most advanced armed forces in the universe, and that they are able to defeat any of their enemies. Fighting for the Colonies and the freedom, unity, equality and the rights of their citizens are considered to be an ideal by many of the members of the Armed Forces. Although not necessarily fanatic, they believe in what they are fighting for, and are ready to die fighting, for the Colonies they have sworn to protect. This mentality often led to the Colonial soldiers doing heroic acts during their battles, like when they evacuated the planet of Drathia with unimaginable losses in order to save the Drathian people from extinction at the hands of the Keltakens, protecting civilian ships until death, or blowing up their damaged ships to slow the enemies.

The Colonial soldiers are also known to be in general rather indifferent to the danger of death in battle. While that doesn't mean that they are suicidal, they are ready to die at any time, and will do anything it needs to be done while fighting for their ideals. The Colonial soldiers, especially the veterans, usually think that the fate of a man in battle is decided by the Kriegsglück, the fortunes of war. A Colonial soldiers has to do his best, and put his fate in the hands of the Kriegsglück.

The Colonial soldiers are also known to be extremely loyal to the Colonies, with armed rebellions or acts of disobedience being extremely rare. Even with the political instability of the Colonies, and the many secessions of the last decades, the Colonial Armed Forces have remained loyal to Federal Government and its ideals, with any dissidents among the armed forces usually doing that due to a different view on the way those ideals should be protected. Most Colonial soldiers are a true example of the Nibelungentreue ( a compound noun, literally "Nibelung loyalty", expressing the concept of absolute, unquestioning, excessive and potentially disastrous loyalty to a cause or person. Derived from what seems to be an ancient myth on Earth)."'What lies upon us is not the joy of life, not even love, the true one, but only duty. It is that, which is specifically Colonial.'""'Discipline is the soul of any army. It strengthens our souls, transforms us into steel, and makes the impossible possible.'"The Colonial Armed Forces are also universally renowned for their discipline, and strong sense of duty. Ever since the creation of the Federation and its armed forces, discipline and obedience were the main values of the Colonial soldiers, values which have also swept through the civilian population. Following the rules of the Military Index, believing in his Cause, trusting his officers, that is the Colonial soldier. Their discipline has become almost legendary, and that, together with their training,makes the Colonial Armed Forces really strong, even at the level of individual soldiers.

Belligerence Level
The Belligerence Level of the Federated Colonies is a 6. While the Colonies are by no means as aggressive and imperialist as other nations in the known universe, for the common good, sometimes, the Colonies have to pursue expansionist or revanchist policies. Even if they are not overly aggressive through, the Colonies are extremely militaristic, having continuously been in a pseudo state of war ever since they creation. The Colonies are also well known for their readiness to stand up in arms when their allies are attacked, when treaties with them are broken, or when their principles are being threatened, just as they have shown in the Battle of Drathia.

Intelligence Level
The Intelligence Level of the Colonies is 8.5. While mostly formed by organics, and limited by that, the Colonies are the home of many different races, and this very diversity leads to the existence of many bright minds in the Colonies, both humans and alien, the genetically modified Genome users also contributing. Every Colonial citizen benefits from a high access to information, technology, news, arts, and to higher education, and until now, the bright minds of the Colonies have contributed in many fields. Known for their militarism, the Colonies have also given birth to some of the best strategists, tacticians, and military officers of the known universe, especially their Hegemons, who are usually regarded as if not the best strategists of the human race, at the very least, the best strategists of the Colonies.

Technology Level
The Technology Level of the Colonies is a 9. While humanity in general has declined from a technological point of view as compared to how it was before the Long Night, the Colonies, especially in the last centuries, have managed to recover a lot of the lost knowledge, and to invent even more, placing the Colonies in line with the most technologically advanced nations in the known universe. The main technology types of the Colonies are focused on military technology, genetics, biology, cybernetics, FTL travel and energy. The Civilian Technology, although not as developed as the military one, still gives the Colonial citizens a fairly safe and advanced type of life, compared to many other nations in the known universe.

Power Level
The Power Level of the Colonies is a 4.5. Even if they have lost their possessions in the Andromeda, their influence there and in other galaxies still qualify the Colonies as an intergalactic power, and that combined with the fact that they are the largest and strongest power of the Milky Way makes them one of the overall most powerful nations in the known universe. Unfortunately, their very ideals of freedom, equality, and unity, combined with their weakness as a federation formed by many nations, usually limits their strength, leading to the major military defeats of the last decades.