Nova Compact
The Nova Compact is a confederation of star systems in planets in the West Bridge. Founded by the Navigator’s Chosen to ally the systems first liberated from the Silence, the Compact holds a venerable place in the history of modern Elyrion as the oldest interstellar polity in colonized space. With many of the galaxy’s most populous and powerful systems represented in its ranks, and with space straddling a stable region of the Nova Bridge containing junctions with its most important tributaries, the Nova Compact is both a political and economic powerhouse and a potent symbol of the potential of post-Silence development.
Governance
The Nova Compact is governed by a congress of delegations from each world signatory to the Compact from which the organization derives its name. In order for a new world to be considered signatory to the Compact, its terms must be ratified by that world’s relevant authorities, and a vote of acceptance must pass Congress by a 2/3rds margin.
Delegations receive a number of votes proportional to their world’s population, though the maximum size of delegation permitted within the Congress’ chambers at any one time is limited to 5 individuals due to the limited space aboard Academa Station where Congress meets. How the votes of a given delegation are apportioned in congressional sessions is left up to their planetary government - some worlds are represented by a single delegate controlling all associated votes, others send a larger numbers of delegates representing geographic, or other constituencies. Some systems with special relations with the Compact such as Illyria send delegations to Congress but lack voting privileges. Most actions of Congress are passed with a simple majority vote, although some major actions such as declarations of war and legislation significantly impacting local and planetary governance or affairs require a 2/3rds margin. Congress also appoints by majority vote the chief officers of non-elected bodies created by the Compact, including the Compact Judiciary and the Novar Unit Conference on Currency Issuance and Rates and Reserve Levels, the Compact's monetary authority, and the Compact Levies and Revenue Service.
An Executive Council, made up of special delegations separate from the primary representatives (and limited to 3 individuals) from the two most prominent and powerful worlds (High Steelforge and Port Auren) and three other planets are elected to 10 year terms by a general vote of congress and maintain various privileges and powers in congressional proceedings. These include veto of Congressional bills and resolutions (requiring agreement of 2 or more members), the calling of emergency sessions of the chamber (requiring agreement of 4 or more members), and the power to suspend the voting privileges of delegations (requiring unanimous agreement of the Council and a majority vote of systems from the sector of the world in question). Many tasks relating to the ongoing maintenance of Compact regulations are also left to the Executive Council to determine, such as the setting of tariff rates and the issuing of directives related to the enforcement of existing regulation.
The Nova Compact functions much like a conventional federal state, albeit with limited central power. Citizens of worlds in the Nova Compact are generally free to live and work anywhere within the pact’s space. The Novar Unit, the currency of the alliance, is universally accepted within its borders, though there is no prohibition on local currencies. While the laws of the Compact are generally in force on all of its signatory worlds, their enforcement and related prosecution is generally left to local and planetary governments. The Compact maintains a very disputes.
Much of the Compact’s funding comes from tributes paid by each signatory world on an annual basis. These tributes can come in the form of capital or military strength (signatory worlds are permitted to maintain their own standing fleets and planetary corps, though these may be levied by the Compact in times of war). While individual worlds provide crew, liaison officers and admiralty are recruited and assigned by the Compact directly. The Compact conducts foreign relations with many polities, but does not prohibit member worlds from maintaining relations with other worlds and powers.
