Far and away one of the most bizarre worlds in the entire Spur, Assunzione is largely defined by its relationship to its mysteriously extinguished star. The inhabitants of the planet have since reshaped it into a shining light, both metaphorically and literally, through an emphasis on the sciences as well as the newfound Luceist faith. Many of the most renowned explorers and researchers come from the radiant domes of Assunzione, and the Commonwealth is more than willing to put up with their eccentricities if it means getting a leg up, especially when it comes to figuring out the nature of the neighbouring Void.
| Capital: | Treaty Station Espero |
| Motto: | Freedom is in the hands of every individual |
| Founded: | 2363 |
| Type: | Treaty-Enforced Democracy |
| Leader: | Adjudicator Eleanor Lux |
| Languages: | Freespeak, Sol Common, Tradeband |
Often shortened to either The Commonwealth or The CIS, the Commonwealth of Independent Systems is a series of loose military alliances, mutual economic ties and rough treatices that approximately create an entity that could be described as a state. Lacking in formal government, the Commonwealth is something of a refuge for wayfaring groups, frontier planets and the general outcasts of the Orion Spur. Forged in revolutionary sentiment, the Commonwealth met little resistance to its creation, instead finding that its greatest external threat was not the floundering United Nations Interstellar Protectorate, but the expanding and predatory reach of the Serene Republic of Elyra. The CIS is modernly formed on the ethos of total freedom, mutual protection and economic growth, more akin to a militarised trade bloc than a serious axis of power.
Population, Planets and Groups
Which planets are actually standing members of the Commonwealth is something of a debated question, especially amongst political scholars. The loose requirements to enter the trade bloc as well as the informal nature of the mutual defence agreement means that there are many small planets, asteroid-based space stations and even entirely uprooted nomad fleets that could technically be considered members. That being said, the rough requirement for everybody concerned outside of political theory is "everyone who is in the CIS, and who lives in the area in question, agrees", leaving a small membership of major planets.
Not all of the Commonwealth's most influential players tie themselves to the planetbound life. The Scarabs are a flotilla of ships left forever wandering, its inhabitants changed physically as well as culturally. The centuries of travel have been difficult, but have led to the formation of a society that could not be formed anywhere but the depths of interstellar space. Conservation and collectivism are vital to the survival of the fleet and have only been reinforced through generations of what the most cynical would consider superstitions. Reestablishing contact with the Spur earlier this century and joining up with the Commonwealth have done little to change the fleet, but it remains to be seen how long that will remain true.
TBD
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