Serene Republics

History
The Serene Republics were a diplomatic alliance amongst the most powerful nations on planet Home, the cradle of humanity. It was composed of over a hundred member states, but in reality it was governed by four nations. The Copti, Bas, Tyraphi and Maketal. Due to several issues on Home the Serene Republics pushed towards achieving space flight and space habitability. The rapidly deteriorating soil of Home forced the massive undertaking. Over the span of 150 years the humans of home first entered space, and by the end with the successful construction of the Bartel Drive, the first faster than light drive.

It was considered one of the greatest human achievements. So influential that the calendar changed. Years from that point was dated before and after FTL. The first two hundred years of the expansion exceeded every expectation.

Within the first nine years the first planet, Haelus was settled. Several other worlds were settled over the course of the next few decades with minimal terraforming needed to provide a suitable atmosphere. By 88, five sectorates had been formed. Four of whom bore the name of the major powers of the Serene Republics. Copti, Bas, Tyraph and Maketal. The fifth, Nacaius was collaboratively controlled by the Serene Republic. And was meant to be the seat of galactic government. Nacai specifically. Which formally became the galactic seat of government in 93. Nacai Station in orbit of Nacai, housed the Serene Council. The borders of the sectorates would change wildly in the centuries to come.

Expansion efforts exploded in 107. The Bartel drive was revolutionized, which was one of the driving forces of the Autonomy Act. Encouraging smaller nations and private initiatives to strike out on their own. Several reasons drove the Autonomy Act. Civil unrest grew within certain factions, and it was taken as an opportunity to either grant freedom or autonomy to said factions. Which one way or the other would at least be partially dependant on the Serene Republics for trade and supplies for the first few decades.

The most notable factions to leave Serene space were the Bruigh people of Carrow and Ocklay, which became an empire in its own right between 164 and 224. Until it was eventually annexed back into the republics due to a civil war. The other notable faction is the Dar people. Which left as a loosely organized “tribe”. It split into three different Dars. The Dar’Abbah, Dar’Qacha and the Dar’Cazar. All three would be problematic for the Serene Republics. Most notably the Dar’Cazar. Who eventually shed parts of Dari tradition and became the Arcazari. Arcazari elements would eventually bring about the end of the Serene Republics.

Several factors played into the downfall of the Serene Republics. Settled space was far and wide, and ruling it effectively became problematic. Especially after the annexation of Carrow and Ocklay. Numerous colonies were abandoned. A rise in piracy. Bureaucracy was wildly ineffective and long travel times slowed down response times. After much deliberation, governmental control was reformed. Giving each founding member state of the Serene Republics more direct rule over their assigned territories. In an attempt to improve centralized rule.

In reality it failed as a form of governance, but saved by strong private enterprise.

But also a source of their demise. Whole systems and even sectorates were kept afloat by wealthy corporations, and with each passing year grew more and more powerful. Reducing Serene influence gradually.

Schism and Dissolution
In 312, FTL travel was forever changed by an Arcazari corporation, AgnaCorp. With the construction and privatization of the Tazari Gateway Network. Improving travel speeds by factors thought unimaginable. Their influence became so influential, by 318, the corporation was offered a seat on the Serene Council. The only corporation.

Only six years later the Serene Republics began to fragment. The Trai system, belonging to Maketal, ceded from the republic, only to offer vassalage to AgnaCorp. As the system faced a crippling recession and was effectively bankrupt. AgnaCorp, as the owner of 70% of the accumulated debt forfeited a large portion of the debt. The Maketal leadership became enraged, and attempted to regain control of the system via diplomatic channels. All of which failed. Eventually they attempted to take it back by force.

Their mistake was to attack the Tarazi gateways, which sparked the Gateway War, as the Maketali refused to listen to the other ruling member states (except for Copti), all of whom heavily relied on the Network, attacked Maketal on behalf of AgnaCorp. The Dar tribes also joined the fight, committing atrocities in Copti, some of whom are still remembered today. The war began in 323 and ended in 324. A short war, but long enough for the republics to lose control of many territories, negatively impact their own economies, and making them ever more dependent on corporations like AgnaCorp.

In the next two years, three other systems seceded from their republics to join AgnaCorp. The third annexation, Bahadur triggered the executive of AgnaCorp, Ciprian Agnazari to secede from the republics with the full backing of Arcazar. Proclaimed himself emperor and founded the Agnazari Empire. This action was not popular in the Serene Council, but accepted. The following decades the Serene Republics became ever more powerless to stop systems from ceding and joining the new empire.

It formally ended in 351. When the popular vote in Old Nacai decided to join the empire.

The construction of New Nacai, an elaborate ringworld expected to take a century to build was announced, intended to be the new seat of galactic government.

By that time, the lion share of Serene territories had fallen under the sway of the Agnazari Empire. The Serene Council was dissolved by the empire, to be replaced by the Serene Directorate, a larger, more effective parliament meant to be the hub of decentralized rule.

All Serene member states were offered a seat, and all of whom accepted, some grudgingly.