This is a bit of plot background information I wrote up to go on my campaign's website (currently in progress) and I thought that it would be nice to get some opinions.
GTVA Political Database (last updated: December 15, 2368)
Procyon Confederal Autonomy - a brief overviewSince the Shivan Sathanas juggernaut fleet created a violent subspace disturbance around Capella and caused the star to collapse, the GTVA was occupied with rebuilding its damaged military force and the few funds available were mostly delegated to military spending. Although nothing was officially stated and no evidence existed, the people all felt that yet another encounter with the Shivans at some point in the future would be imminent, and that it was well to be prepared. The side effect of this was that tax rates rose sharply due to the need for additional credits, and government spending on welfare programs was almost reduced to nil. Although many political leaders were opposed to the focus on the galactic navy, Khonsu II's numerous statements about a powerful militia being "essential to our very existence as an interstellar society", for which he was a strong supporter of, prevented their efforts from gaining much momentum. The economic gap between the upper and lower classes of citizens only widened over time and poverty rates skyrocketed to extreme levels; the life of the average GTVA citizen was more tumultuous than ever before. The Beta Aquilae central government could not have solved problems on this scale even if it had tried.
In the outer rim systems such as Procyon and the nearby Adhara, contemporary GTVA society could be seen at its worst, with soaring crime rates and constant political assassinations. The regional Procyon government, although a subsidiary of the GTVA, was also thought to be heading for corruption at the time, with several of the richer class trying to grab power through nefarious means. The Procyon Confederal Autonomy was officially announced to the public by Hiruk Dasmar, the then-elected leader of the local government, as the supreme authority in the system on June 23. (see more about Dasmar below) The local government of Adhara and the 6th Battle Group vowed allegiance to the PCA only two days after its formation and Adhara effectively fell to the Autonomy as well.
The emblem of the PCA, the five-sided blue star, is supposed to symbolize independence from the GTVA and the importance of absolute civil equality. As Dasmar, who came up with the logo, put it, "We see in it the importance of the common man in comparison to the central government, as the brightest areas lie near the edges of the figure. One side of each of the five black triangular shapes points toward another triangle, which symbolizes the close unity which brings us together. As we continue to observe the star, we see that its edges point outward. We are surrounded by the evil oppression of the GTVA, but as the star indicates, our military force will be prepared to fight off these despots in every direction. Terrans and Vasudans of the Procyon Confederal Autonomy, with this star to guide us and our unalterable wills, we shall soon stand invincible!" Unfortunately, the "common man" is quite content with letting Dasmar run the whole system, and Dasmar is simply using the misfortunes of the people to turn their emotions towards hatred of the GTVA.
The PCA regime is run as a one-party quasi-communist congress by 80 elected Representatives of the People (40 of each species) and is presided over by the Supreme Admiral (Dasmar), although many of the members are Dasmar's personal friends and basically have the same political views as he does. In the PCA system, large-scale corporations are nonexistent; all industrial and commercial production is run directly by the government. Every citizen receives free education and medical care, and everyone is given the same salary, which is enough to live comfortably on, as long as they have a job and generally support the PCA. This system might have something to its credit, but as the old history of Earth has shown, it does not work in practice, and in any case, complete secession from the alliance by force is the highest form of treason.
Dasmar has said that "The PCA has one objective. One goal. One purpose for existence. It is the complete liberation of the GTVA-held systems and their people from decades of tyrannical rule, and the upholding of the rights to life of the average man throughout the galaxy." The Autonomy has enough of a military force to stage an attack on our units in that area, especially after the losses of the NTF rebellion and the second conflict with the Shivans weakened our forces in Epsilon Pegasi. Dasmar's ideas and anti-Alliance sentiments have quickly been spreading to other GTVA systems like wildfire (particularly Epsilon Pegasi) and a full assault on the PCA sometime in the future seems evident. Although the GTVA will have become just the "legion of butchers" Dasmar once described us as, we are left with no other option but if we are to ensure the best possible for our citizens as a whole.
GTVA Personnel Database (last updated: October 27, 2368)
Hiruk S. Dasmar - Biographical/historical information:Hiruk Dasmar was born on August 14, 2311, in the capital city of Procyon VI, at that time a newly-formed Vasudan colony. After completing the local education program, he joined the Vasudan navy at the age of 20 and fought for the VPE for four years in the Terran-Vasudan war. He proved to be a skilled interceptor pilot during the Great War shortly thereafter and was responsible for the deaths of a number of Shivans. After the destruction of the SD Lucifer, he spent two years with the intelligence division of Vasudan Tactical Command, flying deep into Shivan territory for reconnaissance objectives. With the formation of the GTVA in 2345, he was reassigned to the 6th Vasudan Battle Group in Adhara. Over the years, he advanced through the ranks quite quickly and at the age of 42, he became one of the youngest fleet admirals ever to serve the Alliance. The 6th was placed under his command after the previous admiral retired, and at the time he appeared to be heading for a very bright future.
At the age of 53, he left his position in the GTVA and went into local politics in his home system of Procyon. He was not particularly successful in gaining publicity until an event occurred that increased his popularity exponentially, and many historians say that this was what led Dasmar to become a household word in Procyon. There was a failed assassination attempt on Dasmar in 2364, when he was attacked by two of his armed Vasudan guards while composing a letter in his office. He single-handedly killed both by beating them with nearby objects before others arrived, which showed that he still retained all of the vigor from his days as a fighter pilot. The motives of the assailants or the man behind them was never discovered, although it is safe to assume that the assault was directed by one of Dasmar's many political rivals. After this occurrence, he moved on to become the presidential head of the Procyon government with a nearly unanimous popular vote, taking orders only from the Vasudan emperor himself.
Dasmar formed the PCA in 2368 alongside several other prominent politicians, and due to his enormous political influence, he had no trouble getting the entire 11th Terran Fleet and almost all of the system's populace under his control. During his frequent public speeches, Dasmar is almost a textbook example of the true demagogue - the large masses are so emotionally moved by his with his eloquent oratory that they are ready to abide by his will in any way. He mostly speaks of high moral ideals such as "the inherent right of every Terran and Vasudan to a prosperous life" and the PCA's general mission. The speeches are in one of the commonly-spoken Vasudan languages, although language translator units (now sold under a number of different brands) allow Terrans to understand him very clearly as well.
Dasmar currently serves as both a military and a political leader of the PCA. Although his official title is "Supreme Admiral," his followers refer to him as simply as the "The Leader."
