The Obsidian Union is the Galactic Nation that stands for true Freedom as opposed to the sham government of the Galactic Alliance and their Jedi puppetmasters.
History :
Early Period
The Union began existence as a secret alliance between a handful of planetary governments dissatisfied with the Galactic Alliance (hereafter refered to as the 'GA') and the New Sith Order. During this time the Union built up its strength in secret, preparing to declare independence from the GA; weapons were builts, plans were made, armies were raised and allies were secured. For a short period, the Union was in vassalage to the Ni'novian Ascendancy but this changed after the Ascendancy fell at the end of the Third Sith Schism. Though the Third Schism taxed the Union's resources, it was in the aftermath of this conflict that it openly declared its independence from the GA.
Foundation
With the New Sith Order finally emancipated from the Ni'Novian Ascendancy, Darth Xaos, the Dark Lord of the Sith and leader of the Unionist conspiracy, declared that it was time for the Union to openly declare its existence. The GA replied to the declaration by decrying the Union as an illegal insurrection and warning that any who fought for it would be arrested. This haughty dismissal ultimately galvanized the population of the fledgling Union in their repulsion of the GA's immediate, violent reply.
During this time the Union was organized differently than it is today. The federal government was a theocracy wherein the Dark Lord shared power with his Sith Council. The Dark Lord proposed new legislature and it was ultimately ratified or refused by a vote of the Council. Addionally, the military was organized in a more monolithic fashion with both planetary garrisons and federal forces being part of the Union Defense Force, which was headed by Darth Unrivaled. The planetary governments of this period, however, were run in an identical manner and had a similar relationship with the federal level of government. This early form was rife with corruption as the Sith Council was divided into factions that were more concerned with advancing their interests than fighting for the cause of the Union as a whole.
Reformation
With the destruction of the Sith'ar and the end of the Union Civil War, Dark Lord Xaos sought to refocus the Union's energies back on the GA, however, the uncovering of another treasonous conspiracy forced the Union to turn inward once more. Darth Byss, whom Darth Xaos had suspected of treachery even prior to the Civil War, was discovered to be organizing a rebellion against the rightful rule of Dark Lord Xaos. Fortunately, this treason was caught in its early phases by Lady Vidia and was crushed. This led to the total destruction of House Kratos as none of Byss' House remained loyal. With a Fifth Schism averted before it had begun, Dark Lord Xaos decided that both the New Sith Order and the Union were in need of reform. After nearly a month of introspection and consultation with his closest advisors, Darth Xaos transformed the New Sith Order into the New Sith Brotherhood, founded the Galactic Liberation Party and reorganized the Union's federal government and military into their current incarnations.
Recent History
The Galactic Alliance Defense Force (hereafter refered to as the GADF), emboldened by rumors that Consul Xaos had been assassinated by a group called the Seven Kings, sent a fleet to attack Yaxon VI. The Union defenders, led by then Military Executor Darth Venom, staved off the GADF fleet. Within in an hour of the victory, Xaos appeared on a live holofeed from New Bethrezen, dispelling all rumors of his death. It is still remembered with humiliation by the GADF. The Battle of Yaxon VI, combined with the defection of GADF wunderkind Kana Kuran and a succesful Union-backed revolt on Dantooine, served to presage the Union lightning-advance known as the Snowfall Campaign.
The Battle of Yavin IV served as the opening to the Snowfall Campaign. Though strategically unimportant, Yavin IV’s significance as the one-time base of the Alliance to Restore the Republic combined with the presence of the Jedi Praxeum, served to make the battle a major spiritual victory for the Union. The Jedi Council, gravely shaken by the loss of the Praxeum and the Enclave on Dantooine, sent a newly-revived Order of the Silver Jedi to assassinate key members of the Galactic Liberation Party. The fanatical Silver Jedi, however, were ultimately slain by the New Sith Brotherhood.
From this point in the Campaign on, conflicts intensified exponentially. The Battle of Dac proved to even the most dismisive amongst the GA's inner circle that the Union was a serious threat to their oppression. Supported by the Union, a resurgent Quarren Isolation League took control of Dac and forced a mass emigration of all Mon Calamari from the planet. The Union hailed it as a victory of the oppressed over their oppressors, the GA decried it as an atrocity, all called it the point of no return.
The penultimate stage of the Snowfall Campaign came with the secession of Hutt Space from the GA to the Union. Unwilling to sacrifice the income produced by the Hutts, the GA sent a large fleet, led by Supreme Commander Cha Niathal herself, to Teth, from where they were to spread across Hutt Space and crush the revolt. However, a Union fleet was waiting to defend Teth and, despite having one-third the numbers of its GADF opponents, it defeated the invaders utterly and claimed the life of Cha Niathal. Darth Marda earned much acclaim for his command of this battle. However, the greatest shock was yet to come.
Roughly a week after the Battle of Teth, the GADF sent all available forces to Sullust in response to intelligence that the Union planed to attack there next. This intelligence ultimately proved to be a plant and the ingenious feint distracted the GADF from the Union’s true target. With Coruscant defended only by a small planetary garrison, a Union strike force commenced a raid against the very heart of the GA. Known as Operation Snowfall, which gave the Snowfall Campaign its name, the raid left both the GADF Headquarters and the Jedi Temple in ruins and sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy. In addition to the more notorious battles, large numbers of Union-backed revolts occurred during the Snowfall Campaign. At the end of the Campaign, the Obsidian Union controlled twice as many planets as it did before the Campaign began.
Most recently, the Chiss Ascendancy has joined the Union. The Galactic Alliance's reaction has displayed their usual, tyranical methods, utilizing such despicable elements as suicide bombings of important Ascendancy buildings. This conflict was left unresolved after the Dark Lord Xaos was assassinated shortly after at the hands of the Jedi Grandmaster Luke Skywalker thus rendering the New Sith Brotherhood and Obsidian Union leaderless several top secret letters were found a few weeks later informing of Lady Vidia's attempt of a coup against him and a list of heresies one of which many of the sith council noticed co-incided with her current behavior. Little did she know that the former Dark knew of her plans and set in motion a chain of events that would cultimate in her eventual removal. She shall soon come to her fate.
Government
The Union is a federation and its member planets maintain the form of government their people find most desireable. Some planets (such as Korriban), however, are specially administrated zones and are run directly by the federal government. Federal law is set by the Consul and, to a lesser extent, the Galactic Liberation Party Congress and supercedes planetary law when the two conflict. The Galactic Liberation Party is the only legal political party in the Union.
Consul -
The Consul is the absolute ruler of the Union and serves a life-long term. Consul is the only permanent Federal position, all others exist only by decree of the Consul. In addition to being supreme executive and legislator, the Consul is a symbol of the Union and its foremost spiritual leader. The former Consul was Darth Xaos. This position is still being decided upon.
Galactic Liberation Party Congress -
The Galactic Liberation Party Congress serves as the federal government's secondary legislative authority. Its primary task is to pass legislature that governs the interactions between Union member-planets. Additonlly, the Congress serves as a forum for the airing of grievances between Union planets. Each planet in the Union has a Representative on the Congress; each of these Representatives has a single vote and may introduce legislature on which the Congress votes. In addition to the Representatives, the Congress also includes the Chair of the Galactic Liberation Party (see below). The Chair votes only in instances of a tie but also possesses the power of veto and officiates meetings of the Congress, deciding who gets to speak and when. The Congress cannot pass a law that contradicts an existing Consular law and the Consul may overturn their rulings and legislation.
Chair of the Galactic Liberation Party -
The Chair of the Galactic Liberation Party directs the GLP’s internal affairs. In addition to the duties that task implies (heading the Party Congress as described above, managing the Party bureaucracy, etc.) the Chair often functions as a Vice-Consul, serving as the Consul’s stand-in when he is unable to be present. Naturally, as the head of the Union’s only legal party, the Chair has significant pull within the federal government. Darth Marda was the former Chair of the GLP. This position is still being decided upon.
Archons -
The chief executives of the Union's planetary governments are collectively refered to as Archons but few individual executives use 'Archon' as their offical title, opting instead for titles traditionally associated with their planet's leader. The nature of an Archon's power varies from planet to planet, some are absolute rulers whilst others share power.
Overseer -
The Overseer serves as the Consul's general secretary, performing whatever functions the Consul deems necessary. Usually these tasks involve managing important federal projects. When on assignment from the Consul, the Overseer acts with the Consul's supreme authority. The former Overseer was Darth Azeroth. This position is still being decided upon.
Scourge -
When an important member of the Union is found guilty of treason, and it is believed he has enough clout to organize a rebellion, the special law enforcer known as the Scourge is dispatched to deal with them. This office's title is derived from the fact that its holder is meant to scourge the Union of treachery. The Scourge is the foremost law enforcer in the entire Union and may call on planetary law enforcement agencies and the Military Police for aid. The former Scourge was Darth Azeroth. This position is still being decided upon.
Society and Culture
The federal government maintains strict control over all cultural institutions within Union Space, which are used as instruments of elightenment to bring about the vision of a Society of Revolutionaries who fight against GA oppression. One of the more important aspects of this struggle against GA social brainwashing is the Aesthetic Protection Act, a piece of legislation that bans what is described in the bill as “Socially Nihilistic Art”. This term is used to describe all forms of abstract and modern art which were created by the Jedi as a means of making the peoples of the galaxy submissive through existential despair. As a result of this legislation, almost all artistic expression in the Union is neo-classical in form and nationalist in subject matter. The Union uses culture to spread the truth that the GLP and the New Sith Brotherhood are the liberators of the Galaxy and that democracy is a sham to add a false sense of legitimacy to oppressive governments. The Union also uses cultural milleus to champion the cause of the downtrodden and disenfranchised. Citizens of the Union are strongly encouraged to actively participate in society and in the Galactic Liberation Movement across the galaxy. The Union's architectural aesthetics tend to focus on sharp angles and grim majesty, primarily to draw a contrast to the GA's decadent architectural styles.
See also: Sith Operas, Union Popular Religion
Economy
The Union's economy is complex due to the great deal of variation, both in population and terrain, of its member planets. However, since the majority of Unionist planets are located in the Outer Rim, mining, farming and other raw resource economies are predominant. This is far from universal, however, as evidenced by Arkania, which recieves most of its income from scientific advances and factory production.
The economic structure of the Union is difficult to classify, lying somewhere in between capitalism and socialism. Though all businesses and means of production are privately owned, they are licensed according to a central economic plan formulated by the Consul. The primary reason for this system is not, as the casual observer might think, economic theory but, rather, to prevent the formation of corporations with the power to influence politics.
Military
After the end of the Union Civil War, the old Union Defense Force was reorganized and the Union's military was divided into Federal and Planetary branches. Though the Federal Military is commanded by a High Marshal and each Planetary Garrison has its own hierarchy, they are not totally independent of each other as are both are under the authority of the Military Executor. The former Military Executor was Darth Marda. This position is still being decided upom.
Federal Military -
The Federal Military is deployed to liberate planets not currently a part of the Union and to provide additonal military support to those Planetary Garrisons that require it. The ultimate authority within the Federal Military is the High Marshal, a position currently held by no-one. The Federal Military is further divided into the Terrestrial Forces and the Stellar Navy. This position is still being decided upon.
Terrestrial Forces -
The Terrestrial Forces are those divisions of the Federal Military that fight in planetside battles. The highest officer in the Terrestrial Forces is the Supreme Commander. At present, this title belongs to Darth Lucifer.
See also: Hierarchy of the Terrestrial Forces, Divisions of the Terrestrial Forces
Stellar Navy -
The Stellar Navy consists of those soldiers who man the Federal Military's starships. The Stellar Navy is commanded by the Grand Admiral. Currently the Grand Admiral is Darth Exolus.
See also: Hierarchy of the Stellar Navy
Planetary Garrisons -
The Planetary Garrisons are each independent of one another as well as the Federal Military. Their purpose is to defend their planet from invasion, however, they usually call for aid from the Federal Military when dealing with truly significant invasions. Each Planetary Garrison has a unique hierarchy.
Union Exposure of GA Tyranny
The Union constantly seeks to reveal the GA as the tyrants that they are; what follows is a list of the most important things the galaxy must be told about the GA:
The GA’s supposed democracy is a sham meant to protect the real rulers: the Jedi.
The GA supports social and economic inequality. The most visable of which was mistreatment of the Quarren by the pro-GA Mon Calamari prior to the Liberation of Dac.
The Jedi Order is responsible for terrible religious persecution and will do anything to enforce its dogma on the galaxy. The Sith-Jedi conflict began when the Jedi first sought to snuff out all views of the Force that did not match theirs.
The GA seeks to destroy the cultures of its member planets and replace them with a galaxy-wide culture designed to make the peoples of the galaxy submissive.
The Galactic Empire was prepared for the Yuuzhan Vong invasion; the Jedi sacrificed the lives of trillions so they could be the dominant force in the galaxy.
Corruption is rampant in all GA institutions.
GA Slander Against the Union
The GA, fearing the wrath of the people, have constantly sought to slander the Union. What follows is a list of those lies most frequently spoken by GA toadies. Be forewarned that these deceptions are as offensive as they are dishonest:
The Union amounts to little more than a cult of personality for a megalomanical demagogue.
The Union is guilty of espousing gross historical inaccuracies to further their quest for power.
The Sith have committed horrible atrocities throughout history.
The Union excessively curbs freedom of expression.
The Union has granted innumerable pirates sanctuary.
Current Member Planets
Almania
Ambria
Arkania
Ashas Ree
Athiss
Codian Moon
Ch’hodos
Crustai
Csilla
Dantooine
Da Soocha
Da Soocha V
Elom
Felucia
Ganath
Iridonia
Jaguda
Kalsunor
Khar Delba
Khar Shian
Kintan
Klatooine
Korriz
Krayiss II
Lianna
Mobus
Mystus VII
Nal Hutta
Nar Shaddaa
Nar Hekka
Nar Kreeta
Nimban
Nyrvona
Ord Radama
Pesfavri
Rakata/Lehon
Rhelg
Riileb
Runaway Prince
Sakiya
Sarvchi
Sivvi
Sleheyron
Sriluur
Syvris
Tenupe
Teth
Tiss'sharl
Thrago
Rhigar
Thule
Toydaria
Trandosha
Troiken
Umbara
Vaal
Varl
Vaynai
Vjun
Vodran
Vontor
Yashuvhu
Ylesia
Current Union Specially Administrated Planets
These are planets that are controlled directly by the federal government and do not have planetary governments.
Dromund Kaas
Iego
Korriban
New Bethrezen
Yavin IV
Yaxon VI
Ziost
Planets Currently Under Union Protection
At present no planets held by the Union have populations so heavily brainwashed by the GA that they aren't to be trusted with self-governance. However, as the War of Galactic Liberation continues, it is inevitable that some Union-occupied planets will have to be temporarily denied full membership until their populations are reeducated.
