I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything, let alone part of the JDR work, in fact I can't seem to find the previous posts, because of this I am going to post it as it exists now, in it's entirety.
Code:
A Brief History of the Jaeger Democratic Republic
The Founding
The Jaeger Democratic Republic is the result of a great experiment started in 2117 A.D. by a group of Geneticists led by Maximillian Hanse Jaeger III MD PhD. The goal of the experiment was simple, a new, better humanity. However/ as with many simple goals the road to it’s fruition has been a long one. Genetic work on humans beyond simple corrections of genetic disease had long been outlawed on earth by the time Professor Jaeger was born, and the few rogue scientists who had worked in this field previously were all hated figures in history’s annals. The results of these early experiments were often abortive life forms, terrible to behold even under the eyes of a detached scientific mind. This however did not stop secret super soldier programs from coming into life in governments over the years.
In 2110, Professor Jaeger and his Colleagues were transferred quietly out system to begin work on just such a Project for the Terran Alliance. The simple cover was that of scientists working to further humanities knowledge at the first scientific outpost outside the Sol system. Only Professor Jaeger knew of the true goal of the group’s genetic work there, though all knew they were working to create a new humanity. Pride and intelligence blinded his co-workers to the thinly veiled cover of the program. Work progressed rapidly, but as had occurred many times before the experiments went terribly awry. The botched results were destroyed, these horrific abominations now only a rumored footnote in the current time. In 2112 however the first successful artificially Evolved Human was created. This child of human genius was immediately claimed by the Terran Alliance Military, and destroyed in a brutal battery of testing. The team and its equipment were disbanded and taken back home to disperse, none of them knowing the full truth. This optimistic plan by the TA black project authorities however backfired.
Jaeger and his colleagues continued to communicate and brought new members into the fold. Slowly they gathered funding, both monetary and political, to continue their work. Hoping against hope that they could collect enough influence to Get a small isolated patch of land somewhere to hide their vision of the future till it was too late to stop it. Three years they did this, and through their personal rights to scientific advancements amassed a fortune to buy their way into history. Then the Commercial Jumpship appeared, and the time was right.
The Funds of this core of Scientists and adventurers came together and bought a new vessel to carry them far away from the prying eyes of the Alliance. They loaded it heavily with everything they would need, from plants and animals to scientific apparatus. The Journey would be a long one. They had resolved to make as many jumps as they could before their drive gave out. Their Vessel, named the RMS Titanic with an eye to irony, held out well and only gave out after they had cleared 500 Light years out from what would later become the Federated Suns. Luck was not with them though, as there were no habitable worlds in this system, which they dubbed Hell’s Reach. The fifth planet from the star had a moderately breathable atmosphere, and having no other options they settled there.
Early efforts were focused totally on survival. It took them a year to set up their underground city. The remains of their massive Jumpship were converted into an orbital yard and science facility within the second year. Soon after Terra-forming efforts began and the scientists began to create their new humanity. The Terra-Forming was conducted methodically and relentlessly using Gene-engineered Life forms brought from earth, a technique still used today by the JDR for creating new livable worlds.
At first, the continued experiments failed. Their skills had gotten rusty in their efforts to merely survive. Then the breakthrough came again and in 2120, the first Neo-Human was born on the Eve of the New Year. This new breed of man was born fully-grown to the physical age of 18 and programmed with the knowledge of a person of the same age. The Neo-Human stood taller and stronger than its creators, but was still basically human. That was the key problem with the previous experimental Human improvements. The projects were just too ambitious and tried to create something more than human, instead of simply perfecting the human form. Soon after the Neo-Human race was mass-produced and put to the task humanity had long suffered under, Life.
Neo Humanity and the JDR
Initially all was well in the new society. Humans, both new and old, worked together to create a better life than the one that history had given them before. The new society drove forward into its home system. Rapidly all three of the other marginally habitable worlds were colonized and terra forming began. By early 2151 the rapid biological conversion of these worlds was complete and conversion of the two moons of the Gas Giant Hell’s Reach Seven was proceeding well. However all this progress was not without a special price. The Gene-Engineered bacteria created for the Terra-forming processes had mutated. This mutation wiped out the higher Terra-forming organisms and many of the staff at the Development stations. Worse, the mutated bacterium seemed to be 100% lethal to normal humans. Before containment could be made the bacteria were transported across most of the system, only the orbital yard complex above Hell’s Reach 5 was left uncontaminated. The original human population dwindled after this point, only a handful of scientists surviving aboard the Orbital complex. Unable to reach their children on the worlds below in any way other than Electronic Transmission, The last fading remnants of humanity consigned themselves to their fate and began the great work of leaving behind all their accumulated knowledge to their children. By 2160, the last of the Homosapiens in Hell’s Reach were dead.
The fledgling Neo-Human society found itself with only the teachings of their creators, the history books, and their own limited life experience to guide them. Between 2160 and 2161, half the Neo-Human population was wiped out in a struggle for power over the fate of their race. On one side stood the fatalists, creatures driven by the belief that they too should die, that the experiment had failed. May history curse the man that brought religion to the new race for it almost destroyed it. On the other were the survivors, the builders, and the people who had been longest alive and were wiser than their peers. 15 million Neo-Humans died in this brief war. The weaker faction wiped out to the last man woman and child. 10 million Neo-Humans remained. The Victors stood upon the ashes of their ruined cities and industries and saw before them exactly what their creators had fled. Never again was their only thought. From the ashes, they rose stronger though. By some miracle, not all of the factories and schools were destroyed. More importantly, the Great Archive that their creators had built to stand the test of ages remained intact.
The Archive was opened, and the eldest of the remaining Neo-Humans were chosen to enter and use its teachings to guide the fate of their race. Meanwhile the rest began the task of rebuilding their devastated home. A further year passed, the Elders emerged from their studies tired and worn by the long debate. The New era would begin simply, just as it had 376 years before, with the famous words, “We the People.” The last action of this temporary governing body was to give this New Government a name, The Jaeger Democratic Republic, in honor of the driving force behind their creation. One of History’s great Ironies is that Maximillian Hanse Jaeger III, a man borne into and raised to believe in a Marxist Leninist Philosophy, would spawn the last Bastion of The Republican Ideals of the United States of America.
Everyone reading this is already familiar with the historically significant system of Government created in the United States so we will not detail it in this section. We will however point out the differences between the JDR and the Old United States System. All votes directly affect the outcome of elections. The Electoral College system was done away with so that the people’s will could be accurately reflected, instead of decided for them by a handful of people.
On this solid footing the JDR rebuilt. All military weapons were destroyed and laws passed to prevent the building of more, the Orbital Complex was reclaimed, and the space lanes slowly reopened. The advanced learning they had not been able to gain in the prior short years became the most important property of the race. Through Science and the arts, they found their salvation. More importantly, they also found Peace. By 2200 the JDR had grown to fill it’s world’s with a population of 1 trillion beings born through Natural and artificial methods. A new age was about to dawn on the JDR as the population stretched the resources of the Hell’s Reach system.
The Calm Before the Storm
In 2203, the JDR had stretched its home system to the limits. Hell’s reach would soon become an uninhabitable wasteland if the pressure were not released within the generation. The yards over Hell’s Reach 5 were brought to operation and a small Jumpship produced. The one hundred thousand ton science vessel JSS Mayflower was launched one year later to begin a survey of all systems within one jump. In the mean time, the JDR began Building Colony Ships and Space Stations to relieve pressure on their strained worlds and prepare for the completion of the eight-system survey.
The eight nearby systems were found to be no more habitable than Hell’s Reach was when it was settled. This however would not be an obstacle for the JDR’s colonization efforts thanks to the powerful Terra-forming tools left in their hands by their long passed creators. The Eight Massive colony Ships departed Hell’s Reach and began the effort to tame their environments. The JSS Columbus, JSS Magellan, JSS Einstein, JSS Kearny, JSS Fuchida, and JSS Amerigo soon joined the JSS Mayflower in the Fleet Science arm, and a massive survey of all star Systems within 200 light years began. This was the Age of exploration for the JDR. New frontiers Scientific and Astronomical were crossed almost every day. The burgeoning power hidden from mankind flexed its impressive physical and mental might and by 2400, the survey and three waves of colonization were complete. No less than 171 star Systems were in the blanket of the JDR, and all were connected by a new technology, the Hyper Pulse Generator.
2400 was not a year of celebration though. For the first time in 160 years, Neo Humans met Humanity again. The humans in questions were refugees that arrived in a blasted and beaten Jumpship carrying a cluster of what they called “Dropships”. With these terrified survivors came news of the fate of mankind, and news that the Plague had not yet lost it’s potency, Within a week the five thousand humans aboard the refugee ships were all dead. The news from Home was dire, war was now a thing of every day life, the Terran Alliance was dead, and Personal Freedoms were at a premium. This combined with the still potent Plague, forged new policies in the JDR. The first was a radical Xenophobia, the Plague would not be allowed to spread, none of the JDR Populace would ever be allowed contact with the rest of humanity till it could be eradicated. The second was the Construction of an early warning system to allow the JDR time to prepare for encroachments on its territory. The third change directed colonization away from the Inner Sphere to reduce the chance of another meeting. The Fourth and most drastic policy change would be the beginning of a Military for the protection of the JDR and anyone who might seek to invade. The JDR formed four branches; the National Guard, which would Garrison each world with people from that world and be the responsibility of the local government, the Marine Corps, which would be the mobile army of the JDR, the Logistics Core, which provided support for all military operations and all colonization efforts, and finally the Navy was formed, to provide transport and Support for the Marine Corps. It must be said though that at this point the JDR Military was weak, far more so than one might think given it’s massive size at the time. This was due to the simple fact that the JDR had no military experience or knowledge other than what the History archives told them.
Colonization proceeded after this brief encounter with the past. New technologies and ideas were built off the knowledge gained from the material left by the refugees. Life was good for all intents, but the JDR was uncomfortable with its newfound Martial heritage. By 2750, the JDR had finished several more colonization missions, bringing the size of the JDR to 285 inhabited systems with 570 inhabited worlds. However, in truth most were mere outposts. The JDR stopped its colonization missions at this point and all the Colony ships were given over to the navy to form the core of the fleet after conversion to military use. The Artificial birthing process was also discontinued at this time in order to allow genetic diversity of the Neo-Human population to increase. They say that history is an excellent teacher, and that those that do not learn from it are doomed to repeat it. The JDR had forgotten a very important lesson.
The Taint of Amaris
In 2780, a signal rippled through the early warning network. A lone ship was approaching the JDR, the vessel was unlike any that had ever been seen in Neo-Human Space, it was a True Warship, and the JDR had no Idea what was about to hit them. It jumped into the JDR System of New Hope where it was met by the combined might of half the Navy and Marine Corps. It swatted them like flies and burned hard for the capital world of the system New Hope 4 where it unleashed another new menace the JDR had no defense against. The Battlemech had arrived in the JDR. The National Guard Units stationed there fought valiantly to halt the invaders. The effort was in vain though and the invaders had wiped them out to a man before three days had passed.
It was then that the Invaders made themselves known. They were troops belonging to some man named Amaris, and they demanded the immediate surrender of the JDR. Neo-Humanity it seems was not about to quit the field yet and the populace of New Hope 4 rose up and attacked the invaders, miraculously they drove them back to their Dropships which then lifted for space. The thought that it was a miracle was short lived though. The Warship turned it’s weapons on New Hope 4, and before the day was out, the world was made into a hell not unlike that which it had been before the JDR had claimed it, and every man woman and child there had been killed. The JDR had no idea what to do in response to such an attack. The government was stunned, the people were terrified, and the military geared itself up to make the invaders pay dearly for what they had done.
The Amaris Troops were led to believe that the JDR was only those few worlds of the New Hope system. They fell for the ruse. After all the worlds of this system were as rich as any in the League and were more than enough to satisfy their own degenerate needs. The Plague it seemed had finally spent itself in the intervening years, salvation would not come from their one time menace. Volunteers were asked for and the crews of the great ships that once brought life and peace to hundreds of hostile worlds all answered the call. They would take these people of Amaris or die trying. The eight Great ships slipped their moorings in Hell’s reach after 2 years of Preparation. The One million men and women aboard had said their final goodbyes to their family. They Jumped out system and continued making their way to New Hope. There the battle was joined on September 5, 2782 and in the space of a mere 8 hours, all eight ships had been destroyed. The One million Men and women had died, and the Invader’s warship was destroyed. The People of the New hope system rose up and destroyed their overlords in a fit of vengeance so savage that the history books record it only as the Day of Blood. The JDR had seen its baptism by fire and found itself up to the challenge. The price of victory was high though, an entire world lost, three hundred eighty one Million dead, and a wound that stripped the innocence of a race and would never heal.
Today New Hope 4 is much the same as it was then, a blasted and cratered rock. No one lives on its surface save for the caretakers of the Monument. The Monument was built to remind the people of the JDR of what they had lost, and why they had lost it. The massive stone Edifice rises from a mountaintop near the ruins of the capital city of the New Hope system. Its great Black Marble walls and towers bear the names of all the innocents who lost their lives. In the Middle of this sanctuary, a great white Obelisk raises one thousand feet into the War blackened sky. The names of the One Million volunteers are emblazoned upon its surface in letters that seem to burn with fire. At it’s peak stands a Beacon that can be seen from space. Inside the monument a museum that tells the tale of the war is kept. Every man and woman in the JDR has visited this site. It is a sort of holy Ground for a people who have no religions. There is another Monument to this darkest chapter of Neo-Humanity. It drifts in the Asteroid belt of New Hope. The Warship and the eight Colony ships that spent themselves dearly to destroy it drift eternally in a dance of death. Few visit this monument save the families of the People who died there, and the Flagship of the JDR Fleet, which lays a wreath and pays honors there every year on the day of the battle.
Sidebar, Hunters Jaegers, The First War
Immediately after the destruction of the Amaris troops the JDR was stunned. No one had expected the battle to be quite so costly, and the intelligence arm of the JDRF was blamed for the fiasco. In truth, of course it was no more their fault than it was anyone else’s. The isolationist bent that had driven the JDR for so long had simply bit back. The Entire intelligence core was wiped out; its employment terminated, and its highly trained and skilled people replaced with fresh meat. Hindsight is 20/20 and the JDR has long regretted this foolish and emotional decision.
The result of this crackdown was what some might have called a reconnaissance in force. Later the vast majority would say it was the most idiotic thing the JDR ever did. As the clans would do later, the JDR would send a fake mercenary unit to the Inner Sphere to conduct covert and overt reconnaissance against this perceived threat. Some of the best and brightest minds of the JDRF were tied into this venture, and with utmost speed were launched into the heart of the First Succession war, and some of the bloodiest fighting mankind would ever see. With limited supplies, they appeared on the scene and managed through some quirk of fate to meet up with and contract to, the only true power remaining in the Sphere, Comstar.
Through careful manipulation and combat victories, the JDRF Officer in Command Marcus Hunter played Comstar and the great houses for information. In this way, the JDR learned much more of what had passed than the limited views of Refugees and subhuman Amaris Scum. The stories of the SLDF and its Heroes filled the people of the JDR with a sense of relief. It let them know that they were not the only sane people left in the galaxy. The JDRF reconnaissance unit “Hunter’s Jaegers” operated extensively during the First Succession War under the skillful command of Marcus and his family. Their successes garnered them much respect, and wealth that would have made King Midas Blush. Perhaps this is why in 2819 they did not return to JDR space when recalled. However, at the time the failed jump signature at the rendezvous with the JDRN Conqueror merely made the JDR believe it had lost its greatest heroes since the Battle of New Hope.
In truth the JDRN Conestoga, the Jumpship assigned to the Hunter’s Jaegers operation did in fact fail in its Jump. Fortunately at the time, it had only been carrying half the unit’s strength. Colonel Hunter, in the intervening years had built up the unit from a mere reinforced company to a sizeable fighting force, formidable by anyone’s standards. However, he relied too heavily on outside jump transport to rapidly bring his entire unit home to the better life of the JDR. As such, the first wave was a small part of the original command unit and most of the unit’s dependents. This tragedy would haunt the unit eternally, and destroyed their ability to return home. Until the JRDF opened more proper and well planned, covert ops at the end of the third succession war the Unit’s fate remained that of “Missing, presumed Dead.”
The Construction of a Military Machine
The JDRF
The Jaeger Democratic Republic Forces is the name for the Combined military of the JDR, it is also the name for the Central Command structure of the JDR Military, and the designation used for units operating under the Military intelligence Group. The Central Command of the JDRF is in a secreted star system that is off all the commercially available star maps of the JDR. Its location is known only to a few of the Navy and Marine Corp Elite and the Military oversight committee. Communications are maintained through a series of hidden automated HPG Relays. The secret is so well kept that almost every member of the Navy or Marine Corp will visit at some point, and many members of the National Guard will visit it to take part in the Olympics held every year, but none of them have been able to pinpoint its location.
The Military Intelligence Group is a Unit that is outside the normal command structure and answerable only to the High Command and JDR Ruling Body. This unit has very little list strength, but can draw on any unit in the JDRF to supplement its forces. This unlisted strength allows for a great deal of flexibility, allowing units to be tailor made for the mission. Hunter’s Jaegers were such a unit, Specifically the 23rd Kaiser Reach VI Dragoons National Guard Regiment. This also means that every member of every JDRF Unit is trained as a Covert Operations specialist in addition to their primary MOS. This makes the JDRF an extremely well balanced fighting force, capable of undertaking a variety of missions with little or no prep time.
The JDRNG
The JDRF National Guard branch is at once potentially the most and least powerful branch of the JDRF. The purpose of the National Guard is to provide first line Defense for the individual planets and systems of the JDR. Each planet is required to raise a single combined arms regiment in accordance to JDRF standard structure. In addition, each planet is required to raise a crew for a system patrol craft, which is nominally a part of the Guard Central Command of the system, but is actually under the immediate command of the Navy. The Standard recruitment method for Guard Soldiers is by draft, though volunteers are accepted.
The Single Crew and Regiment Devotion is the minimum requirement under JRDF Law, however most planets contribute far larger forces to the Guard’s strength. Most worlds actually field two or even three Regiments and support a rotating Crew for two system patrol craft. This is what makes the JDRNG such a potentially powerful combat formation. Unfortunately, the Majority of Jump Capable Warships are limited to use by the Navy, this limits the range of the units to their own systems. However, in time of war any JDR Merchant vessel may be commandeered to provide transport.
The Logistical Corps supplies all units in the JDRF. Supplies provided include everything from the socks on a trooper’s feet, to the Dropships that are assigned to the regiment, to the Large System Patrol Monitors for the Crew raised by the world. All JRDNG Units use the same standardized gear as the Navy and Marine Corp to decrease the complexity of the Logistics Core Network. This commonality of equipment also allows soldiers in the limited term Drafted Guard regiments to effectively integrate into the all Volunteer Units that make up the remainder of the JRDF.
The National Guard also acts as the training ground from which many of the best and most experienced JDRF Officers come from. The practical experience gained from working in the field has proven to be superior in many ways to the formal officer schooling that is also available. As such, skilled Guard personnel tend to be offered commissions and Officer Training if they choose to join up with the normal military units. Through this system, the JDRF Officer Corp maintains a high level of experience.
The JDRN
If the National Guard is the first line of defense, then the Navy is the armored fist that comes up to break the offensive. The Navy is the pride of the JDRF, tracing its roots back to the noble ships that ripped the heart out of the Amaris force that invaded the JDR. Today he Navy is the largest of the massive arms of the JDRF juggernaught. Thousands of ships and many millions of men and women stand at the ready to answer the next invasion with unfathomable force and then take the fight back to the enemy.
The average JDRN fleet package consists of a fleet carrier, 2 battleships, 4 battle cruisers, 8 cruisers, 16 light cruisers, 32 destroyers, 64 frigates, a mobile yard ship, and at least 2 hospital ships, as well as a pair of long-range surveillance vessels. Most fleets vary considerably from this basic model, Task Force 72, the JDRN Flag fleet, for instance has 1,600 warships on its roster in 10 subdivisions. While task force 72 is by far the largest fleet formation in the JDRN, the 24 major fleets all exceed the basic model in size significantly.
Such an impressive armada is neither inexpensive, nor is it easy to coordinate. The Logistical Core dedicates fully half of its resources to the maintenance and construction of the navy. As part of this effort, almost every system in the JDR is home to a fleet yard. This vast infrastructure of yards makes the navy support structure almost invulnerable to an effective attack. On top of this is the redundant Navy Quartermaster Corps, that maintains it’s own much more limited depots and yards at remote locations, further hardening the support structure.
The JDRM
If the Navy is the armored fist, then the Marine Corps is the brilliant sword that cuts out the heart of the enemy. Technically a part of the navy, the marines actually have a separate command structure and act, for the most part, independently of navy high command. The Marines are the second largest, and the youngest part of the JDRF. Before the formation of the Corps the National Guard units were stationed as part of the fleet formations. Unfortunately, this was a less than satisfactory solution due to the sometimes less than professional nature of the draftee guardsmen.
The marines are organized on much the same lines as the National Guard, and as previously stated share, common equipment sets. The commonality of the two not only allows easier transitions as previously stated, but also makes it far easier for guard and marine units to coordinate with each other. This, combined with the fact that most of the officer corps is made up of former guard members allows the marines to operate more effectively with local units and to connect to them better in order to inspire the undefeatable marine esprit de corps in the guardsmen.
The marines being the youngest of the services are not quite as well supported as they could be. The massive support infrastructure of the navy and guard units makes that of the marines seem extremely lackluster. This is however highly deceptive, as again the commonality of gear means that the marines can draw their gear from their supply chain or either of the others available as needs indicate.
The Logistical Corps
While not truly a service unto itself, the logistical corps is as much an army as any of the three main branches. The Corps keeps the troops of every branch equipped, fed, and informed as they take the fight to the enemy. It takes an army to support an army though, and as such the corps own support structure is as massive and robust as that of the units they supply.
Technically the logistical corps is not a combat unit. However, it is also not unarmed. The corps military muscle is the equal of the marines, perhaps even stronger due to the simple fact that it holds the keys to the supply truck. Unfortunately, the corps overall potential combat effect is reduced by the simple fact that they are not trained for combat. Because of this corps units are only to be called into front line duty in the most dire of circumstances.
The Logistics Corps has another duty assigned to it the support of colonization and exploration. This group provides the entire support structure for the JDR’s exploratory efforts. The so called, “Explorer Corps,” is made up of an extremely strong and versatile group of individuals who savor the challenge of the unknown. Unlike the regular corps units the explorers receive combat training, and make up a sort of elite Special Forces unit with a host of odd skills for their very odd job. Unfortunately, the same qualities that make them excellent explorers make these people difficult to control. As such, explorer units are not generally counted on combat rosters.
The JDRMIG
The Military intelligence group is the smallest of the JDR’s military arms, but its influence far outstrips its physical limitations. Little information is available about the internal structure or processes of the organization outside the high command and oversight committee. It is known that the MIG can commandeer units from the other branches if needs be, and then use them to wage a black war. The MIG is also known to have become far more effective since the days of the late Hunter’s Jaeger’s probe, and it is now believed to be the equal of any similar group in history. However, limited interaction with outside powers makes it impossible to judge this belief.
Several domestic operations are accredited to the soldiers of MIG. These all were rapid strikes to remove important people from their positions. Of course this is all supposition since in every case the cause of death was natural, but of some highly rare or odd form.
Like all black groups, MIG is the center of a cavalcade of conspiracy theories. These range from the aforementioned “assassinations” which may well be in fact their work, to the usual alien cover-ups and what not that are patently absurd. This is especially true since the JDR has in fact made contact with another, moderately intelligent alien species, which unfortunately later succumbed to a virus carried by the exploratory team.
JDR Military Philosophy
The JDR Military is structured around an immense defense in depth scheme. Every planet is garrisoned by a skilled militia unit with what is effectively a warship for backup. Hardened base facilities are concealed at several points on every planet in such a way as to make identification and elimination of the targets nearly impossible. To add to the consternation of an attacker multiple orbital defense batteries are located planet side. Usually these are fully automated and located in remote areas making them difficult to detect until they open fire. Any invasion movement will also face the impressive challenge of disabling a communications network that at a bare minimum has four HPG systems in it’s composition. Due to this, news of an attack is almost guaranteed to spread rapidly and reinforcements will soon arrive. Supporting all this is the gargantuan infrastructure of the logistics corps and its fleet, making siege a thoroughly pointless option for an attacker.
All of this is assuming of course that the invading force gets past the early warning network successfully. This would be a feat of such epic proportions though that it is almost impossible. Usually within days of entering the defense cordon of early warning stations an invading force will be intercepted by one or more fleets and destroyed or taken to immigration facilities under escort.
Despite the defensive focus, the JDRF is a potent offensive force. The same fleets that can rapidly respond to border incursions are also well trained in taking the fight to the enemy. A typical offensive operation will consist of at least two fleets so that the major jump points of a system can be thoroughly blockaded, and a chain of Logistics Corps support units that make them almost impossible to dislodge once in place. After that a rapid series of pinpoint strikes against defensive installations are made by light cruisers, followed rapidly with pinpoint combat drops and heavy aerospace support. After the initial units are inserted heavy units come down en masse and secure any important objectives not destroyed thus far. Finally, cleanup proceeds, one way or the other all resistance is removed, and all evidence that could trace back to the JDR is removed before the fleets leave the area. What is left behind is a world blasted and cratered, devoid of all records and intelligent life, only mute ruins standing testament to the rapid and overwhelming force that passed. The people of a conquered world are relocated on the far side of the JDR and eventually integrated into society. This type of strike has played out twice successfully in real combat, and countless times in training exercises.
These offensive operations are not intended for gaining territory, but keeping the secret of the JDR safe. In theory, the same basic plan of attack will work in a conquest-oriented attack, but the JDR sees no need for that. Conquest and imperialist goals are looked down upon by the people of the JDR. The simple fact of the matter is that there is an infinite amount of room and resources available. The people of the JDR see no need to fight over anything that is not already theirs when there is so much that does not have to be fought for.
Life in the JDR
The average citizen of the JDR enjoys a standard of living the likes of which have not been seen before by humanity. The people of the JDR enjoy a host of freedoms unparalleled in the inner sphere, there is no unemployment, almost no crime, and the differences between the wealthy and the poor are almost nonexistent. The people of the JDR live in gleaming Archology cities of glassteel and ferrocrete surrounded by seemingly endless pristine wilderness.
Healthcare in the JDR is unequalled in human controlled space. Extensive use of advanced genetic manipulation and cloning technology has wiped out all hereditary disease and defects. Active nanomachine systems patrol the internal labyrinths of the citizenry’s bodies supplementing and greatly increasing the effectiveness of the body’s own systems. When damaged by violent action a citizen can expect a full recovery unless they are instantly killed. The average citizen can reasonably expect to live to a happy and healthy 250 years. Some live even longer, the current record is held by Colonel William Sterling of Perseii XVII at the ripe old age of 306 and counting. Such are the miracles of the advanced medicine of the JDR.
Wealth in the JDR is largely a non-issue. Everyone has their basic needs taken care of regardless of their job or station. Everyone has a home, good food, entertainment, and transportation. The wealthy of the JDR enjoy luxuries beyond those of the poor of course, but thanks to strict government controls the difference between the two is nowhere near as much as in the inner sphere. This relative equality in wealth is one of the reasons why crime is such a limited factor in JDR society.
The average citizen lives in a decent sized 2,000 square foot home. The design of the structure is modular, so almost any imaginable configuration is possible. Even if the home is on the inside wall of a space colony it always has a fantastic view thanks to windows that can project any number of scenes. As stated before, all basic needs are provided for in the house, though as with the modular design of the house, a near infinite amount of variations on appliances and furniture are available. Security systems are built into the very structure of the house and the items in it, making theft almost impossible to get away with. This is another reason why crime is such a low factor in the JDR.
Parklands, both of the traditional and the wilderness variety are available at all JDR cities. These are open to the public free of charge. All manner of entertainment is available inside and outside the cities thanks to a host of government and private facilities. Almost anything you could want can be had in the JDR for a reasonable amount of universal credits.
Crime is, as previously mentioned, almost a non-issue. Unfortunately it appears that no matter how good the crime prevention technology, police, or laws, there will always be a criminal element in society. The police of the JDR are highly trained, well equipped, and as often as not former members of the military. This combination of training and experience makes for a highly effective anti-criminal unit, and provides an excellent crime deterrent. There are never any unsolved cases in the JDR thanks to the pervasive anti-criminal technologies and this highly trained police force.
All citizens who are not convicted criminals can run for public office in the JDR, and thanks to term limits many do so successfully. This makes the government of the JDR very dynamic and keeps it in touch with the needs of the people. This also has an interesting effect on the crime rate, lowering it due to the fact that participation in the government process is much more universal.
Law in the JDR is swift, efficient, and brutally effective. Criminals are tried by a jury of their peers and almost always convicted thanks to weight of evidence. Punishments are tailor made to the crime, based loosely on the ancient precedents of Hamurabi and Solomon. People who lose limbs or are marked in some way as punishment for their crime are denied treatment to replace or remove said marks unless they prove themselves worthy of it. Because of this what few criminals there are can be easily spotted and almost never repeat their offense. Murder is almost unheard of in the JDR. The punishment for this crime is defined as “The Living Death.” The offender is implanted with a device concealed in the abdominal cavity that takes over their body. It acts as the controlling force from then on allowing the body to remain a productive part of society, while the mind is trapped in a prison with the most inescapable of walls. Needless to say, the offender eventually goes mad. No one notices or cares though due to the heinous nature of the crime and because the device is by then the true controlling entity. The body will go on to live a long and productive life, while the mind dies a billion deaths inside, hence “The Living Death.”
The JDR Government
The government of the JDR, established by the JDR Constitution, is a federal republic of over 1,000 planets, and many insular areas. The basic laws of the JDR are set down in major federal legislation, such as the JDR Code. The federal government consists of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The federal legal system is based on statutory law, while most planetary and territorial law is based on old United States Law. The JDR recognizes the rights of other nations and their courts, but does not necessarily respect or abide by any of their rulings or laws.
Article I of the Constitution grants all legislative powers of the federal government to the Congress, which is divided into two chambers, a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of two members from each planet as provided by the Constitution. Membership in the House is based on each planet's population, and its size is therefore not specified in the Constitution. Members of the House and Senate are elected by majority votes in equal distribution districts.
Article II of the Constitution establishes the Executive branch of Government. The President is the chief of state and commander-in-chief of the military. The office of president of the JDR is one of the most powerful offices of its kind in the galaxy. The president, the Constitution says, must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." To carry out this responsibility, he presides over the executive branch of the federal government, a vast organization numbering in the hundreds of millions of people, including all active-duty military personnel. In addition, the president has important legislative and judicial powers. Within the executive branch itself, the president has broad powers to manage national affairs and the workings of the federal government.
The day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws is in the hands of the various executive departments, created by Congress to deal with specific areas of national and international affairs. The heads of the 15 departments, chosen by the president and approved by the Senate, form a council of advisers generally known as the president's "Cabinet." In addition to departments, there is a number of staff organizations grouped into the Executive Office of the President. These include the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. There are also a number of independent agencies.
Article III of the Constitution states the basis for the federal court system: "The judicial power of the Jaeger Democratic Republic shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish." The federal judiciary consists of the Supreme Court of the JDR, whose thirteen justices are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and various "lower" or "inferior courts," among which are the JDR courts of appeals and the JDR district courts.
In general, matters that lie entirely within planetary borders are the exclusive concern of planetary governments. These include internal communications; regulations relating to property, industry, business, and public utilities; the planetary criminal code; and working conditions on the planet. Within this context, the federal government requires that planetary governments must be republican in form and that they adopt no laws that contradict or violate the federal Constitution or the laws and treaties of the JDR. There are, of course, many areas of overlap between planetary and federal jurisdictions. But where the federal government exercises such responsibility in the planets, programs are usually adopted on the basis of cooperation between the two levels of government, rather than as an imposition from above.
Like the national government, planetary governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial; these are roughly equivalent in function and scope to their national counterparts. The chief executive of a planet is the governor, elected by popular vote.On most planets the governor serves a four-year term. All planets have a bicameral legislature, with the upper house usually called the Senate and the lower house called the House of Representatives, the House of Delegates, or the General Assembly. To confuse matters further, some planets refer to the entire planetary legislature as the "General Assembly", with two houses therein. On most planets, senators serve four-year terms, and members of the lower house serve two-year terms.
The constitutions of the various planets differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution, including a statement of the rights of the people and a plan for organizing the government. On such matters as the operation of businesses, banks, public utilities, and charitable institutions, planetary constitutions are often more detailed and explicit than the federal one. Each planetary constitution, however, provides that the final authority belongs to the people, and sets certain standards and principles as the foundation of government.
Government below the planetary level varies widely in the JDR, but still abides by the national constitution and laws. Some parts mimic the national or state level like a clone, others verge on anarchism. All however have proven stable and acceptable to the communities that create them.
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