United Soviet Socialist Planets

Introduction

The United Soviet Socialist Planets, otherwise referred to as the Union of Soviet Socialist Planets, is a government that was formed as the result of the Cygni Rebellion and the many revolts that occurred soon after within nearby systems. United under the idea of collective ownership and broad governance rather than corporate oversight, they seek to stand alone from the Trans-Solar Federation and other corporate bodies.

History

The USSP’s origin can be originally traced back to the Cygni system, in which the son of a miner named Malfoy Ames, was inspired by a collection of old Sol writings from the 20th century. He developed his own manifesto, this being a direct cultural strike against the Trans-Solar Federation’s methods of lobbying, bribery, and physical force. The aesthetic of this manifesto, and what was soon to come, was based on the aesthetic of the Soviet Union from old Sol history. His book was quickly outlawed by the TSF, which gained the attention of many other citizens. Several years later and after several failed uprisings, the Cygni rebellion occurred, in which the citizens overthrew the corporate and TSF enforcers present.

With the rebellion having won, a new government was established based on Malfoy’s manifesto, with Malfoy Ames becoming Sygni’s first Chairman of the people. Following this, various other systems took inspiration from Malfoy's work and the rebellion, and caused several dozens of additional revolts across the sector. As a result, the culmination of all the newly liberated systems would come together and create the formal founding of the USSP. The USSP continues to exist, having endured as one of the main players of the Pod Wards, though minimal ground would have been gained. Today, several centuries later, they seek to spread their ideals to neighboring sectors.

Territories

The United Soviet Socialist Planets have a large portion of territory, having taken it from the Trans-Solar Federation. The USSP is composed of currently around 50 worlds, all of them being previous fringe worlds or corporate worlds under the original ownership of the TSF. They are a variety of planets containing valuable resources, ranging from important minerals and agriculture, to planets with notable technology and industrial powerhouses. While there are no clear regions, the further you get from the capital of Cygni, it becomes a bit more noticeable. While the bare necessities such as supplies critical to live and thrive are accessible on every planet, a majority of luxury goods end up being delivered to Cygni and Alphecca for varying reasons. Every other planet has luxury goods in less supply, though they are often assigned based on merit and as rewards for lifetime loyalty.

Culture

A fact that is immediately known to those that look at the USSP is that they mimic the culture of the old Soviet Union from old Sol history. Corporate presence is not tolerated within USSP space and materialism to such an extent is heavily shunned by party officials and even most citizens. The workforce is managed by the party itself, allowing citizens of the USSP to pursue whatever employment they wish through social education and employment opportunities. In an attempt to be more in-line with the old Soviet Union, there was an educational reform to re-teach old slavic languages, and the outcome was a crude combination of Galactic Common, Russian, Polish, and Czech. This combination resulted in the language known as Cygni Standard, replacing Sol Common as the primary language alongside Galactic Common.

Life for the average citizen in the USSP varies depending on their position within the party and in society, as well as where they are currently located in USSP space, though overall life was average compared to citizens within other sectors. Being able to easily utilize the infrastructure already in place, logistics and supply managed by the state were able to keep its citizens well-fed. Unfortunately as a result of being disconnected from the TSF and corporate entities, certain technologies become luxuries themselves. The planets within USSP space primarily had large qualities of important but crude resources as well as a large manufacturing hub, though more developed technologies for modern spacecraft and laser weaponry were lost as a result. The state also has control over various artistic expressions, though limits it to banning expression that promotes capitalist and fascist values. Otherwise, a variety of culture exists within USSP space, even some that critiques the party. Various personal freedoms are also guaranteed to Soviet citizens, with one popular being the right to bear arms.

Soviet Technology

Technology in the USSP is heavily specialized towards manufacturing and distributing various goods due to the current infrastructure still in place. Various modern technologies were lost, and as a result, the state took the route of making things last more long-term. This ranged from military and construction, to even various foods. Soviet space stations are made entirely with titanium and other reinforced materials, due to the vast abundance of those resources, and the fact that they last much longer without needing maintenance within space. Soviet outposts on planets are primarily made with brick rather than metal, in an attempt to make it sturdier and to remind the people present of Soviet values. Typical power engines found in corporate and TSF stations or outposts aren’t used in the USSP, with a focus on generators within bases and very large solar arrays for space stations. Everything present allows for overall better craftsmanship on construction, though sometimes having a high upkeep cost. Keeping the focus on the longterm, large quantities of fruits and meats were often canned and packaged for storage, being given out in the event of emergencies or to Soviet military forces on lengthier deployments.

Government

The core structure of the USSP’s government is known as the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, or just the Presidium for short. It is the highest body of state authority, originally coined from the old Soviet Union from old Sol history. Its primary doctrine and values are distributed to citizens via media and social outlets, with the belief that all Soviet planets are free to forge their own paths but should not damage the values of the state or the values of other planets. Only members of the Soviet party are permitted to have a seat within the Presidium, as to prevent any negative dynamics, and to keep general cohesion. Elections are held every four years via polling, as all candidates have been filtered and approved by the Soviet party. The purpose of the elections are to show support, as turnout is generally what is cared for, since at least 50% of voters must show up for their representative population. Having less than 50% will result in the candidate losing, and another candidate will be selected by the party. The current Chairman of the USSP is Sergey Karamazov, having held the position for 26 years. Currently the various roles of the Presidium is as follows:

Chairman: Elected by a majority vote from the Presidium National members.

Presidium National: Selected by the Chairman, one delegate per planet and station.

Presidium Unionist: Voted by the People, one delegate per 500,000 citizens.

The People: Vote for Presidium Unionist every four years.

Under the Presidium, there are also various Ministries that deal with the day-to-day lives of the Soviet people, overseeing various things ranging from Agriculture, Interior, Defense, Labor, Finance, Education, Health, and etc. One notable group within the Soviet party is the SNKVD, otherwise known as the Soviet People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs after a translation. Also being taken from the old Soviet Union, the SNKVD works directly under the Ministry of the Interior, working as a sort of secret police to ensure party values are being shared among the populace as well as among military and political personnel. Some people credit them with strange disappearances, though after an internal investigation, an official from the Ministry of Interior has stated the claims were unfounded.

Military

The Soviet military is primarily made up of volunteers and conscripts, with volunteers being the average Soviet citizen enlisting, while conscripts are criminals convicted of non-treasonous crimes that have opted into military service rather than a prison sentence. Due to modern technology being rarer, the modernity of equipment increases as one’s rank increases, with laser weaponry being reserved for senior officers and senior party members, and pulse weaponry being held by only the most distinguished senior Generals and Admirals. Typical Soviet military uniforms are older, being produced back from the time of the Pod Wars, though due to the quality of the uniforms, they have lasted for a long duration and even feel comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The same could be said about much Soviet equipment. Unlike how stations and outposts are built however, Soviet Naval forces are built with the idea that quantity is more important that quality. As the original freedom fighters learnt during the uprising, hit-and-run and mobile tactics are very useful as a warfare choice. Many Soviet vessels are smaller and modified to be as fast as possible while being able to use as much firepower as possible. This allows them to get up close to more modern spacecraft and engage in the range that their older cannons will get better use and can allow for boarding parties. Civilian vessels are sometimes confused for military vessels as well, due to civilian vessels often being armored and well armed. One well-known fact is that a way to gain citizenship as an immigrant is to enlist for at least three years within the armed forces of the Soviet military.

Within the Soviet military, there are various special divisions that one could join, with two notable ones being the SSF and the SKB. The SSF, also known as the Soviet Special Forces, are an elite division of Marines that are selected from the Soviet Navy. They primarily deal in assaults on critical locations, boarding vessels and space stations, and at times can act as the bodyguards for important individuals. Their members are NCOs within the Navy that have proven their loyalty and dedication and have proven to not be a risk to security. Senior Naval Officers, likewise, can be selected for the SSF program and often work with them directly. The SKB, otherwise known as the Soviet [REDACTED], are a division of the Army that specialize in infiltration and sabotage. They are selected among members of the Soviet Army who display pure loyalty to the party and have the skills to succeed in the role, and are often sent to bordering stations and outposts with the goal of spreading Soviet propaganda, and hopefully gaining a claim over that area. It is not uncommon though for successful attempts that result in stealing technology and evacuating with the personnel before hostile government forces arrive.

Attributions

United Soviet Socialist Planets lore by ShockShard, with information and events being broadly adapted by Paradise Station, actual Soviet history, along with Karmakitsuna and Grapegifter.