Interstellar Federation of Free States

History
The Interstellar Federation of Free States was formed from the United Vaalna Empire and the Arshtan Kingdom, both global governments of the planets Orlin and Vaal in the Ikara system. In the year 1954, the Sokana and the Draian made first contact shortly after both of them achieved space travel, the two races were able to live in peace with eachother, migrating to eachother's planets, sharing technology, and the resources of their solar system. In the year 2054, 100 years after first contact, they formed the Interstellar Federation of Free States, a government system designed to keep the peace and ensure equality between the two races. They began expanding outwards from Ikara, colonizing many worlds in the systems surrounding their home system, then, in the year 2062, they encountered another intelligent race, the Vantash. Trade was opened between the Vantash and the Federation, and for effects and purposes, the Vantash became a part of the IFFS until they officially joined in 2107. Since then, the Federation has grown substantially, both territorially and militarily. In recent history, the Ith took refuge within the Federation after their home and most of their race were wiped out by the Zealots.

Sokana
Average Lifespan: 134 years.

One of the two founding races of the Federation, the Sokana are the proudest and most violent of the three races in the Federation, they are also the most numerous. The Sokana have a humanoid shape with an average height of 7 ft 9 in. They have two sets of arms with the second set a few inches below the first. The first pair of arms is slightly longer then the second pair and is usually stronger. A Sokana has 6 fingers on each hand and finger nails that form a claw shape. The skin of a Sokana is very leathery and is covered with a thin layer of hair, it is usually brown with a grayish tint. The Sokana usually have thick strong legs that give them most of their height. The average neck length of a Sokana is 3.5 inches and it is usually very thick. A Sokana's head is very large and is very round, the back of the head has a hard skull and is usually covered by hair that extends down to the shoulders. The top of the head is usually bald but some Sukana have hair on it. The Ears of the Sokana are very pointed and are pressed close against the skull. The Sokana have small sharp eyes that come in almost any color, they do not have any hair on their faces. The Sokana also have small noses and very pointed chins with hollow cheeks and thin mouths.

Draian
Average Lifespan: 176 years.

The Second of the two founding races of the Federation, the Draian are the engineers and craftsmen, their works have no equal throughout the Federation. The Draian have a humanoid shape with an average height of 5 foot 2 inches, but what they lack in height, they make up for in brawn. Most Draian are strongly built with arms that are slightly longer then their legs, their torsos are usually quite wide at the shoulders, and their backbone is usually bent with a slight curve that gives the Draian a rather hunched over appearance. The feet of the Draian are usually quite large with 3 large toes and 1 smaller one, their hands are also large with 3 fingers and a thumb. The skin of the Draian is quite leathery, but it also tends to have a very pale appearance. The head of the Draian is quite large with 2 ram-like horns coming out of the skull and curving backwards, though the base of the horns are usually covered by thick hair that covers most of the head, the Draian have 4 eyes, set in pairs, one above the other, on either side of their face, their noses are mere slits and their mouths tend to be quite large.

Vantash
Average Lifespan: 236 years.

The Vantash are the least numerous race of the Federation, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in brains. The Vantash are the longest lived of any of the member races of the Federation, and they also have telekenetic abilities, they are the scientists and the thinkers of the Federation. The Vantash have a basic humanoid shape with an average height of 6 foot 3 inches. Their skin is very leathery, similar to that of a crocodile on Earth, and it usually comes in dark shades of green and blue. The Vantash tend to have a very light build, and can be very bony, they also have a long tail that usually reaches the floor. The head of the Vantash is quite large, especially at the cranium, but it doesn't have a single hair on it. The Vantash have 3 eyes, one in the center of its forehead forming a triangular shape with the other 2 eyes, these can vary in color from yellow to red, its nose is usually quite small, though there are some Vantash with large noses, their ears are equally small, though they do have pointed tips. They also have only 3 fingers on each hand and 3 toes on each foot. Most Vantash have an ESPER level of 5 with partiality being directed more towards telepathic ability then telekinetic abilities, but they are both reasonably common. A few Vantash have an ESPER level of 6, but they are very rare, and the ones with this higher level of ESPER tend to hide their more advanced level of ESPER from others because many cults among the Vantash tend to try to kidnap those with a higher level of ESPER in an attempt to discover how they reached that higher level. There have been scattered reports of Vantash with both telepathic and telekinetic abilities, but they have been few and far between over the centuries, and none have ever been confirmed.

Ith
Average Lifespan: 93 years.

The most recent race to join the Federation, the Ith were forced to flee their home when the Zealots invaded with a force that could not be stopped. During the invasion, all but 48,000 Ith were killed, those that remained took refuge with the IFFS, and while they are few in number, they are determined to have their race return to the stars along side the Federation. The Ith are very similar to humans in their appearance, in fact, if you were to see one from a distance you would probably mistake him for a Terran. However, as you get closer you would begin to notice subtle differences, first off, the proportions of the Ith are slightly different, the lower body of the Ith are larger than a humans due to the stronger gravity on their homeworld. Another difference is that the Ith have only 4 fingers and 4 toes on each hand/foot, additionally, the eyes are perhaps the most unique part of the Ith, the color of their eyes reflects their emotions, normally the eyes are a dull grey color, but as as they become increasingly agitated or emotional their eyes turn golden. Another difference is that their skin is dotted with small blue dots.

Language
There are 3 main languages recognized by the Interstellar Federation of Free States: Sharis, the main language of the Sokana; Trairsh, the main language of the Draian; and Yarntish, the main language of the Vantash. All 3 of these languages are spoken by all 3 races throughout the federation, but the official language of the IFFS was once the second most commonly spoken language among the Draian before they formed the IFFS with the Sokana, Trairish, but it is most commonly referred to as Federation Common.

Population
As of the last census taken within the Interstellar Federation of Free States in the year 2162, the total population of Sokana, Draian, and Vantash was at a total of 37,238,972,125 people. The average population growth rate is 2.1% per/year.

Sokana Population: 15,614,832,665

Draian Population: 12,451,499,027

Vantash Population: 9,954,620,462

Ith Population: 48,371

Economy
The Economy of the Federation is a free market economy with nearly all of the industries and commercial services controlled by the private sector. The government regulates a few of these industries to ensure that they are not used for the wrong purpose, such as the arms and starship industries, but for the most part, private companies are able to make their own choices. The Official Currency of the Federation is the Federation Credit, and while a few other kinds of currency are used in remote areas of the Federation, the Credit is the primary source of currency (1 IFFS Credit = 2.3 USD) Currently, inflation and unemployment are rather low, and overall, the economy is experiencing an economic boom.

System of Government
The Federation's government is a constitutional democratic-republic based around the Federation Constitution, the founding document of the Interstellar Federation of Free States, which is also the supreme law of the land. The national government is a Federal system that is divided into 3 branches that oversee national decisions and defense while local governments are in charge of local issues. Most of the members of government are elected by the citizens of the Federation, with a few exceptions.

Federation  Constitution
The Federation Constitution was drafted in 2054 by the Draian and Sokana when the IFFS was first established, and it is considered the supreme law of the land by all courts within the Federation. The first 5 Articles of the Constitution are devoted to outlining the frame of the government and it's responsibilities and powers, the next 4 Articles protect the freedoms and rights of the citizens of the Federation, no matter what the race, and the last 2 Articles provide for the amending of the Constitution. So far there have been 17 amendments that had been added to the constitution, the most notable being changes to allow other races to join the IFFS, additional civil rights and freedoms, and the prohibition of alcohol except for medical purposes.

Local Government
The Federation is divided into 73 states, and each state is divided into 10 districts, spread out on the planets within the Federation, each state has the authority to tax the Districts and pass laws that don't go against laws passed in Congress or the Council, they also regulate commerce between the districts as well as to the other states. The Districts are under the authority of the States, but they can override a state law if 8 out of the 10 Districts ratify it. The Districts have the authority to tax their citizens, and are responsible for maintaining roads and other means of public transportation as well as education, social welfare, and all of the day-to-day dealings of local government.

National Government
The National Government is divided into 3 branches, the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Branches, each has its own separate role in the government.

The Legislative Branch
The Legislative Branch of the Federation, is composed of 2 Houses, Congress and the Council, Congress is made up of 2 representatives from each State that are elected every 5 years (The first election occurred in 2055). The Council, however, is based on the population of each state, with up to 32 members being from one state (There are currently 685 members of the Council and 146 members of Congress), elected at the same time as Congressmen. Bills that go through the legislative Branch must be approved by both houses, but there are some issues that only one house can address. Congress is responsible for declaring war on other factions as well as approving peace treaties from the Executive Branch, it also mainly deals with bills concerning states. The Council, however, has the power to tax both states and personal incomes, it also plays a primary role in organizing the Government's Budget, and it primarily deals with bills that concern the races within the Federation.

The Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and overseeing the Legislative and Executive Branches of Government. The Court system is made up of several sections, starting at the District Courts that are established by the Districts and deal with the majority of the court cases. The next level is the State Courts, which deals with issues between the Districts under its jurisdiction, also cases may be appealed to a higher court, and the ones that are approved are brought before the State Courts. The highest court in the Federation is the Supreme Court, which has the final say in all matters of jurisdiction, it also has the power to declare any law passed by Congress or the Council unconstitutional. Members of the lower courts are elected by the citizens within the states they are assigned to, but Supreme Court members are appointed by the Executive Branch and approved by Congress.

The Executive Branch
The Executive Branch is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress and the Council, as well as keeping order on a national scale. The Executive Branch is headed by the Chancellor, who is also the Head of State as well as the Head Diplomat and Commander in Chief, a Chancellor is elected every 8 years and may only for serve 2 terms, the current Chancellor is Darhan Galvas, a Draian of the Republican Party. The Chancellor has a large influence over the Legislative Branch, have the power to present bills to Congress and influence the agenda of the Council when it meets. The Chancellor is the one who usually deals with other factions and has the power to attack other factions if the need arises, though he has to gain Congress's approval within 20 days of ordering forces to attack another faction. If the Chancellor dies or is rendered incapable of performing his duties, the Vice-Chancellor assumes the role of the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor is also responsible for presiding over Congress meetings and has a lot of influence over Congress and the Chancellor.

Military
The Military of the IFFS is divided into 2 branches, the Federation Armed Forces (FAF), and the Federation Space Corps (FSC), each with their own sub-divisions. The total number of Sokana, Draian and Vantash currently in active service in the IFFS military is 3,965,398. In general, the Sokana make up the majority of the soldiers within the Federation's Military, while Vantash make up the highest percentage of officers, and Draian make up the majority of the Military's engineers.

Federation Armed Forces
The Federation Armed Forces consists of the foot soldiers, land vehicles, sea vessels, and airplanes used in the military, usually the FAF focuses on fighting on a planet's surface instead of fighting in outer space. As such, very few if any members of the FAF are trained in piloting any IFFS interstellar vessels, instead, the FAF trains their men in surface, sea, and aerial combat using all current IFFS vehicles and equipment. The FAF is divided into 4 divisions, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Marine Corps, the Marine Corps are made up of those enlisted from the other 3 divisions and are the elite of the Federation Armed Forces. There are a total of 2,774,231 actively serving Sokana, Draian, and Vantash in the FAF.

Enlisted in the Army (FAF): 1,243,958

Enlisted in the Navy (FAF): 731,954

Enlisted in the Air Force (FAF): 798,319

Enlisted in the Marine Corps: 294,918 (Made up of soldiers from the other 3 divisions)

Federation Space Corps
The Federation Space Corps consists of the strike-craft pilots, starship captains, engineers, pilots, and everything else within the Federation's Interstellar Navy. Almost all of the personnel within the FSC are trained in many of the aspects of outer space physics due to them having to deal with it in almost all of their jobs. Soldiers enlisted within the FSC are divided into 2 divisions, the Interstellar Navy, and the Space Marine Corps. The Interstellar Navy consists of all the military starships, and space-capable strike-craft within the IFFS Military, the Space Marine Corps on the other hand are trained for taking over enemy starships, preforming key missions in virtually any vessel used by the FSC, and are in general the elite of the Federation Space Corps. There are a total of 1,091,167 Sokana, Draian and Vantash serving in the FSC.

Enlisted in the Interstellar Navy (FSC): 836,841

Enlisted in the Space Marine Corps (FSC): 253,326

People of Interest
Fleet Admiral Vatruvius Intaran (Sokana) - Vatruvius was the highest ranking admiral in the FSC and chief adviser to Chancellor Darhan Galvas concerning all matters of the military. Vatruvius advanced through the ranks of the FSC to where he was now through his expertise in tactics and his cunning, he was also very sympathetic towards Vice-Chancellor Orlan Destali's viewpoint towards races outside of the Federation. Admiral Vatruvius was killed in a fight with the Zealots and has been honored as a war hero.

Fleet Admiral Resmali Carlush (Vantash) - Admiral Resmali Carlush is now the highest ranking Admiral in the FSC as well as the current Commander of the main Federation Fleet. Resmali was the commander of the IFFS fleet that aided the Ith in the first battle of Aurejet as well as in the Liberation of Horra and is a hero among the Ith. He was promoted to Fleet Admiral after his success during the Battle of Horra to fill the role that Vatruvius Intaran left behind.

Chancellor Darhan Galvas (Draian) - Head of the Executive Branch, he has a strong interest in the expansion of the Federation's borders and continually presses the Council to allow for further expansion and colonization.

Vice-Chancellor Orlan Destali (Sokana) - Orlan is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federation and as such, he has quite a strong influence over the Congress and the Chancellor, while he agrees with the Chancellor's viewpoint of expansion, he also has a dislike of all races who aren't within the Federation, personally believing that they should either join the Federation, or be forced to do so.

Lieutenant Ivan Estral (Vantash) - Sensor and Communications officer and second in command on board the Zantari, Ivan was among those who made first contact with the Ra'Noth, the Arthans, and the Ith.

Captain Arkon Galvas (Draian) - Cousin to the current Chancellor, Arkon is the commander of the Zantari, he also made first contact with the Ra'Noth, the Arthans, and the Ith.

Armelia Estrena (Vantash) - Armelia is one of the fore-most experts on Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science, she is also the head of the Research Department.