Commonwealth of Systems

The Commonwealth of Systems (CoS) is an assembly of planetary governments. They rule over interstellar commerce and military affairs, as well as a few overarching laws while letting the systems have somewhat of their own autonomy in government type and local laws.

History
The Commonwealth of Systems began as the Quintuple Alliance, a defense and trade agreement between five planets: Tuath, Rytus, Baruun, Kanan, and Anasia. Originally a trade agreement, the governments agreed to pool their military resources together in order to combat a growing pirate threat, and reports of the Rim Horde, a nomadic group of spacefarers that move from planet to planet, using up all its resources and enslaving the people, only to leave them with a dead, hollow world.

Together, they built up a military force that drove the Horde back to the rim. However, Anasia was left devastated as it was the site the final, decisive battle. So the five planets signed the Concordat of Anasia, bringing their governments closer together under a Commonwealth. Together, they rebuilt Anasia as the capital of their government, and it became a bustling metropolitan center.

The Commonwealth spread their influence, bringing more sectors into the fold. Their biggest achievement was bringing Adelaar into the system after intensive negotiations with then King Vorst Kual, providing the Commonwealth with a steady source of Quintine.

Galactic Assembly
The center of the CoS is the Galactic Assembly. This 687 member legislature represents every system in the Commonwealth. Each sector sends a number of Assembly Members (AM) according to their population, in whatever way their government chooses to appoint them. Some choose by executive appointment, some choose democratically.

The leader of the Assembly is called the Chancellor, who has some executive privileges, including calling special sessions relating to constitutional or military tribunals.

Local Autonomy vs Commonwealth Supremacy
The Galactic Assembly has the jurisdiction over interstellar commerce, yet each planet has the ability to conduct whatever economic system they desire in their own sector. Some planets are decidedly socialist, while some are more capitalist in nature. Each planet is also allowed a small defense force for peacekeeping and sector enforcement, but the Commonwealth is in charge of the only true military for all the members.

Each sector is also governed differently. Some planets, like Pasuoli are governed by an old oligarchical council of the Five Families, planets like Adelaar are governed by monarchy, but the majority of planets are governed by a representative democracy in some fashion.

Institutions
A major benefit to being a member of the Commonwealth of Systems is access to their institutions. Commonwealth officials will come to the planet and either introduce the institution or conform existing ones to Commonwealth standards. These institutions are

Galactic Health Bureau - A universal health coverage that offers the best medical care you can get.

Commonwealth Universities - Colleges that conform to a galactic teaching standard which is recognized by every planet in the system, other planetary colleges run the risk of not being accredited elsewhere.

Institute of Justice - A court system that ranges from the smallest municipal court all the way to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth.