Guide to Phoenix Lore

Between the years of its founding, leading up to 2106, the Republic followed a different structure that what it does today. This structure had three main parts of society:

The Ministry of Economics - for the six mega-corporations
The MInistry of Defense - for the military of the Republic
The Ministry of Society - for all things non-military that were either run by the government, or unassociated with any corporation

These were ruled over by a Senate. Each state, both civilian and corporate, were represented by a guaranteed number of seats of representation, based on their population. The citizens of each individual corporation would vote on their senators, but they would not vote on the senators for other corporations.

The Ministry of Intelligence was an outside, separate organization, that oversaw all external threats and sought to keep the Republic safe. It answered only to the Senate, giving it a very large amount of independence.

This structure worked well in the early days of the Republic, and sought to satisfy each citizen, giving them different avenues to pursue within or outside corporations. The Republic itself sought to give both civilians and the corporations their own alternatives through organizations like the RMLA (Republic Mining & Logistics Agency), offering resources in the early years, and later competition for the industrial giant KUS.

However, as time went on, the structure began to break down for several reasons:

First, the fact that each corporation voted within itself fostered the development of opposing views within corporations. Since political debates only took place within the corporation itself and not across corporate lines (for most citizens), some corporations began to suffer as they became more divided.

This same issue caused an even worse issue, in that the guaranteed seats of corporations that opposed the majority view of citizens of the Republic meant that, at times, minorities had as much power as majorities, leading to stalemates within the Senate.

On an economic level, the Ministry of Society began to suffer as Phoenix began to trade with more civilizations in Sol. KUS and CDI both competed with each other heavily over industry, and this caused them to drive prices down and increase avenues to their resources faster and more easily than the federally run RMLA could do it. Over time, the RMLA was barely utilized, and the organization began to wither away. It gained its boost in 2102, when XER went silent and it had access to Enceladus ice mines where KUS did not, but this advantage was short-lived as attention turned to the Europa Conflict. KUS and CDI both gained large amounts of publicity during the time, which increased their number of investments. After the Enceladus blockade was lifted in 2103, KUS was able to surge back into action, and offered cheaper materials at a time when they were most needed.

The growth of corporations over time also overshadowed minor corporations like Huygens or Uyuni, in spite of their more exclusive markets. TVSI became very broad, and began to delve into the Entertainment industry, where it quickly gained more loyalty than Uyuni due to its reputation. It looked to other corporations for help, and found an ally in HLF, which was seeking to improve its public image concerning human augmentation. HLF eventually bought Uyuni in 2103.

Similarly, XER's major focus on science and research, along with its publicity in 2102-2103, sparked interest in the corporation that ultimately brought more recruits to it. Huygens still maintained its universities in the meantime, but was ultimately bought out by XER in 2104.

Other corporations similarly fell, being bought out by the big 6 due to various bankruptcies. This was accelerated even further in 2106, when the Europa Accords established major trade routes among the Ceresian Alliance and Phoenix. Only major corporations had the capacity or reputation to maintain these operations, and minor corporations quickly withered away as a result.

With the fall of the RMLA and the minor corporations, the Ministry of Society was seen as a waste of resources. The RTD was the only fully functional organization by this time, but it had drastically changed its operations from what was originally envisioned. Instead of establishing trade and diplomacy (something that was taken up by corporations like KUS, CDI, and even the RIA), it had begun to focus more and more on customs operations and starbase patrol. By 2106, the RTD was synomous with customs, and the Senate changed its jurisdiction to the Ministry of Defense, making it the third branch of the Military as the Phoenix Border Guard.

At this point, there was nothing left to the Ministry of Society, and it was done away with. In its place, the corporations established a new structure.

The new structure replaced the Ministry of Society with the Ministry of Intelligence. This limited the MOI's ability to act inwardly, which was a response to various rumours and conspiracies that surrounded the RIA's involvement in the Europa Conflict. Very few were ever proven, but it was enough to alert the populace and make them believe the RIA needed more checks. (Read more about this at Lore VI: The Europa Conflict)

The citizens of the Republic also sought to have themselves represented more directly, so the Senate was re-organized into 40 representatives. 12 Representatives would be guaranteed seats, 2 for each corporation, just like before. However, the next 28 seats would be voted on by the entirety of the Republic, meaning that citizens from PFS could vote for a XER senator, and so on. This allowed political views to become more diluted, helping to decrease the amount of polarizing politics.

The Senate was also given a check in the Council of Ministers, who could veto Senate votes, or propose new laws.

Overall, the structure was meant to add more checks to seats of power throughout the Republic, while also giving more power to the corporations and their citizens.


After the ISS was compromised by Ceresian spies in 2110, the RIA enacted a purge and wiped out the organization. The Senate then voted to dissolve the organization completely, in favour of more powerful and autonomous Corporate Security forces.

Today, each corporation polices itself, and is overseen by the Internal Affairs division of the RIA, which infiltrates corporations to root out and report any treasounous activities to the Senate.

At the top is the Senate. It is a ruling body of 40 Senators, elected by pure democratic vote (no electoral college or delegates). Each corporation is guaranteed 2 Senators to represent them, totalling 12 guaranteed, corporate senators. These two are vote on separately from the general election, as they can only be voted on by citizens of their respective corporation. The next 28 seats are open to representives from any of the six corporations, and are voted on by all citizens of all the corporations. This means that power can fluctuate in the Senate, and one corporation can gain dominance over the others, but only by the will of the people. Each Senator is limited to two five year terms.

Senators can be impeached via petitions gaining signatures of at least 4 million people, which then initiates a vote among the populace. All senatorial impeachments, whether part of the 12 or 28, are voted on by the populace as a whole. A vote of 66% will result in a successful impeachment.


To keep the Senate in check is the Council of Ministers (COM). This council is made up of the Minister of Intelligence, the five Ministers of Defense, and the six Ministers of Economics. The COM reviews all laws made by the Senate, and can veto them. A Senate law passes if it reaches 51%. If the COM vetoes, the Senate votes again, this time requiring a 71% vote to override the veto by the COM and pass the law.

The COM can also appoint a Prime Minister from amongst themselves, who will represent the interests of the COM to the Senate. He may also propose new laws to be voted on by the Senate.

Ministers are appointed in different ways:

• The Minister of Intelligence is chosen by the Senate from among veteran military officers, or high ranking RIA officers.
  
• The Ministers of Defense are each chosen by the Senate from their respective branch. For example, the Minister of Defense of the Army is chosen from the Army's highest generals. Ministers of Defense are also known as High Admirals and High Generals.
  
• The Six Ministers of Economics each represent their respective corporation, and are chosen directly by that corporation's leadership for such representation.

Ministers serve for life, unless impeached by the Senate. A petition from the populace gaining 4 million signatures will initiate the Senatorial vote. A 51% vote passes, then is handed to the COM (excluding the Minister in question) for review. If it is vetoed, the Senate votes again, and a vote of 71% will override the veto and result in a successful impeachment.

There is some exception to the "for life" rule regarding the Ministers of Economics, who may have their seat more limited due to the power structure within their respective corporation.


The Republic Intelligence Agency gathers important information across Sol that pertains to the present and future security of the Republic. They have agents stationed within many civilizations, allowing them to take action to manipulate events into the favour of the Republic as a whole. The RIA has more independence than any other organization, reporting only to the Prime Minister on external acts. Within the Republic itself, they are more limited to ensure that they do not become a tyrannical organization. Here, they must coordinate their acts with the Senate, and the respective Ministry in which they are acting.

Typically, most enforcement acts within the Republic fall under the Border Guard or the Internal Security Service. However, the RIA acts within the Corporate structure or the Military when matters of federal security are a concern, or intelligence leaks need to be tied up.

The Military arm of the RIA is the Void Guard: a special, elite group of soldiers trained to take overt action in the name of the Republic. However, most operations are carried on under covert agents.


The Ministry of Defense is comprised of the High Admirals and the High General of the military forces. These positions are much more delegation oriented than any field operation. They serve to coordinate the various Generals and Admirals under their command, ensuring that the wishes of the Senate are passed down properly.

High Admirals and Generals also serve as the Ministers of Defense, representing the military before the Senate, bringing budget, tactical, and other such concerns for political consideration, as well as negotiating any major military contracts with the major corporation-states.

See Also: Lore IV: Military Structure


The MOE exists to enforce Senate Legislation within the corporate structure. They bring corporate concerns to the Senate for review, and help to negotiate relations between their respective corporations, the military, and even intelligence.

The most important duty of the MOE is to run the ISS, which acts as the police, delegating, and investigative force between the six corporations. If a dispute arises between the MOE on the ISS' operations, other members of the COM are brought into the affair.

See Also: Lore III: Corporate Politics

• Being born into a corporation's territory does not guarantee either citizenship or employment. It must be earned.
  
• Gaining Citizenship through employment depends on the policy of the respective corporation. However, if someone is elevated in a corporation to an overseer position, they are automatically granted citizenship based on the merit that brought them that position.
  
• If someone joins the military, they are granted citizenship after they reach their third promotion (Corporal for Army, Senior Voidsman or Senior Guardsman for Navy & Border Guard).
  
• Immigrants may obtain work permits, or permanent resident licenses from the Ministry of Economics. However, availability is at times limited under the discretion of the the MOE. Private contracts may also be negotiated with specific corporations prior to coming to the Republic, which may eventually lead to citizenship being granted by said corporation.
  
• Non-Citizens who have immediate family ties to Citizens do not have to gain permits to live or work within the Republic.
  
• Citizenship is only lost when a person commits an act of treason or corporate espionage, which is often accompanied by exile.

• All Residents have the freedom to choose their corporation
  
• All Residents have the freedom of religion
  
• All Citizens have the right to trial in a court of law
  
• All Citizens have the right to own ships, property, and basic arms
  
• All Citizens have the right to privacy, except when warranted through a court of law
  
• All Citizens have the right to run for office
  
• All Citizens have the right to vote, and to make or sign petitions
  
• No corporation can infringe upon these rights, or interefere with any amendments to these rights passed down by the Senate.

The Senate reserves the right to reform the Republic at any time, so long as it does not interfere with the rights laid down above, or interfere with the democratic process. This reformation should only take place during times of economic crisis, so as to adapt and overcome such circumstances for the prosperity and continuation of the Republic.