Backstory
(might also be fun to check those links above)
It is 2142. Approximately a century ago, powerful politicians on earth began to realize that space-based technology posed an existential threat to human survival. Mass driver networks were growing as space mining operations began, and missile technology had advanced to the point where even a small satellite could kill hundreds of millions. As tensions grew between nations, it became apparent that power would have to be consolidated somehow...but how? Humanity has grappled with that question for more than a hundred years. In the 2060s, 2070s, and 2080s, control over the worldwide network of power plants, automated farms, and light rail systems (collectively known as the "lasting peace infrastructure") was given by unanimous vote of the united nations to a single "director" named Ivanova Kuzmin, who effectively ruled the planet and presided over human expansion into neighboring systems. Kuzmin's legacy is still extremely controversial, the best that can be said is that no worldwide atrocities of previous administrations occurred during her reign: no world wars, no mass genocides, and only minor space battles for dominance of mining moons.
By 2090, Kuzmin put into place a system for electing and dismissing officials that controlled both "Lasting Peace" and a growing space navy. The difficulty was that many did not perceive the government she put in place as "legitimate" and even fewer saw it as independent, most simply saw it as an extension of her wishes, or a political arm of the massive NATO-RUSSO military industrial complex. For 2 decades, attempts were made by select politicians to either dismantle this government or institute it as the sovereign ruler of all humanity. Most of these elections were decided in favor of NATO-RUSSO apparatchiks, but the government itself slowly became weaker and less popular, while other nations began building rival space navies to compete with the "united Nations of Earth's". NATO-RUSSO's last real political power ended with the election of 2114, when both candidates attempted to distance themselves from Kuzmin's legacy, the eventual leader, Philipe almanza Coronado, was chosen primarily because of his party's focus on planetary independence from Terran nation-states, and decreased central control. In 2123, a worldwide UN joint decision legitimized a plan initially put forward by historian and social planner Leopoldo Franca, to officially liberate all offworld colonies, disband all national space navies, and create a single, overwhelmingly powerful star armada under the control of a "council" of 8 admirals and a single executive "concordant". Proponents believed this would preserve planetary sovereignty (planets are difficult to control from space without a "total war" position that would be massively unpopular) while destroying the potential for interplanetary war. Opponents believed this option would inevitably lead to a space-based military dictatorship.
Since 2128, Concordant leopoldo franca has not touched planetary soil, controlling an armada of more than 100 ships from orbit or the depths of terran space. The "Twelve worlds" of humanity largely grow and prosper without interference. Planetary trade is booming, and political intrigues have been kept at bay by three hostile races in neighboring systems: the "Autonomous clan remnant," the remainder of the last legion of a robotic warlord that controlled this arm of the galaxy 100,000 years ago, the "Elders,' a race of primitive spaceborn lifeforms native to the yawning gap between the galaxies, and the "Enlightened Lords" of ophiuchi, a snakelike aquatic race ruled by three super-intelligent "lords" of an unknown nature (likely some sort of racial hive mind or AI).
April, 2142
Franca is not going to be around forever. While comparatively young by the standards of others on his council, the Concordant is in his late 50s, and not in the best of health. He's studied enough history to know that the best way to prevent factional struggle after his death or retirement is to appoint a "co-regent" of some kind: a clear successor who will slowly assume the reigns of power, so he will have to act within the next few years. Technically, the decision of who will be the next concordant is made upon Franca's retirement by the 8 member "concordance council" after consultation with the military commands of various planets, and the concordant himself, but Franca knows that the right candidate can rise to power with his endorsement alone. Franca has the right successor in mind, but has not named him yet...only a handful of secretaries and advisers, and the council itself, know he intends to do this soon.
Franca has recently declared that he will not renew the comission of any admiral or duke over the age of 75, a decision that is defensible as a matter of health or state security, but is more likely an attempt to clear out the last remnants of national loyalists from his council. dukes Shah and Tikhomirov had strong ties to the Governments of Al'Riyadh and NATO-RUSSO, respectively. They, along with one lesser admiral, are gone.In their place are a handful of aspiring officers fresh from the battle lines of Alpha Centauri and Kuiper 75. One, explorer and interplanetary hero Taylor Storey, has recently been dispatched to lead the fourth fleet into direct battle with the lords of ophiuchi, in a unanticipated strike that will either kill him and his relatively small fleet, or decisively end the decades-long struggle between these two superpowers. Many insiders believe that Franca simply ordered this attack in order to instigate an interstellar crisis that would force the Concordant Council to rally around him.
This battle is ongoing, all the while, Franca's command armada speeds toward the mountainous world of Montecello, in order to rendezvous with the second fleet, currently the most powerful and spaceworthy starfleet. Here, he will finalize official plans for the defense of humanity, should the Enlightened Lords counterattack. Insiders believe he will also announce his future retirement, and eventual successor, sometime during that same meeting. Of course, he might not get a chance...
