UGTO

"A common defense for the interests of Humanity across the Galaxy."

-- UGTO Charter.

The United Galactic Trade Organization are the oldest human faction in darkspace. Based from the human home of Earth, the UGTO was formed on April 10, 2218. It's main function was to constolodate the military resources of Lunar, Mars and the GCC (Earth) after the goverments of Lunar, Mars and the GCC could not come to an agreement on dealing with the 1st steller war.

Currently the UGTO are seen as 'Imperialists' ruling with an iron fist on there colonies causing much sediment against them. This style of leadership and goverment lead to the formation of the Farstars, and then later, the ICC.

Formation and History

The United Galactic Trade Ordanization was form April 10th, 2218 at 13:00:00 SST (Sol Standard Time), however it can trace it's roots right back to 2062 with the formation of the Global Corporate Council. In the years leading up to 2062, a period known as the '2nd Dark Ages' was in full swing. Multiable Nuclear and Biolodgical weapons had been used in the last sixty-two years, with the resulting fallout nearly causing the collapse of Earth's Bioshpare. On February 18, 2066, the GCC was ready to take the reigns back. At 00:01:00 GMT, the GCC shut the world off. At once, every power station, every communications station, every fuel pump in every vehicle, every computer, every anything that they had been able to introduce their control circuitry into, was shut off. What little remained of the world’s economy ground to a complete halt. At the same time, certain equipment that was directly operated by the GCC was spared this blackout. Covert and elite strike teams had been moved into position. As these Para-military forces struck at the current leaders of these tyrant nations, word was spread using carefully placed operatives in communities all over the Earth. “Join us, liberty is at hand!” was the message spread throughout communities on the Earth.

Soon the world was united under the rule of the GCC. But the damage had already been done, only 1.5 billion humans now lived and with the GCC now trying to rebuild what had been lost over the last sixty-two years, a massive manpower shortage came into effect. Over the Next fifty years the GCC grew and life was finally getting to pre-darkage levels once again. However At 02:15:12 GMT on June 6, 2118, the SDO discovered a stellar object approximately eight months away from possible impact with the Earth. About 62 km in diameter, this solid chunk of rock would pass within just a couple of thousand kilometers of the Earth. Damage estimates were such that they already weakened biosphere would be rendered uninhabitable by Human life.

Construction on two ships, Hope and Genesis, was started in orbit before the new Fusion drive technology was even developed. So quickly were they built, that their construction scaffolds were actually completed two days after these vessels were ready for initial system tests. It took three months to complete and outfit both vessels, but on October 30, 2118 both the Hope and the Genesis left Earth orbit for their destinations.

Hope was set on course for Luna, where automated construction systems had been working for the last four months. After the initial population was deployed, it would return to Earth for continual ferrying of population to the new Luna base. New personnel on Luna would throw themselves into the construction process for their new home.

Genesis was a one-time use vessel. She was much larger than her sister ship, Hope. Her total passenger compliment was eight thousand; four times that of the Hope. Additionally, her hull was designed to be broken down for the initial colony base, making her journey a one-way trip.

Both ships performed remarkably well in their assigned duties. Neither had any major system failures, and completes their missions on time. All told, the Hope was able to move 12,000 people to the Luna Dome, and the Genesis was successfully disassembled into the Mars Dome 16 days after her launch.

In secret, the GCC had been playing a major gambit. In stationary orbit over the North Pole, the GCC had been working on a ship construction yard for the last year and a half. Designated Bifrost Station, it was originally designed to build long range probes and colony ships to the rest of the worlds in the Sol system for possible use in the rebuilding of Earth. Now, she had a different mission. Hoping for the best, the GCC decided to build a torpedo warship in Bifrost Station’s births. Designated the Guardian, this ship was specifically designed to get to Ragnarock and deliver as much weapons fire as possible in the hopes of diverting it’s path. Small by today’s standards, her crew of twenty-eight pledged to keep the asteroid from hitting Earth, or die trying. She was launched on November 21, 2118 at 20:04:00 GMT.

On December 7, 2118 CE: Several attempts are made to push Ragnarock using the Guardian’s engines. They prove far too weak to make any kind of appreciable change in the asteroid’s vector. At 09:54:12 they send a simple message to Earth, “We give our lives for the lives of Humanity. May you all see better days.” Shortly there after, the Guardian explodes in a massive uncontrolled fusion reaction, consuming all of her torpedo and engine fuel in one cataclysmic blast. And on Jan 4th the following year Ragnarok misses the Earth and a great sigh of relief showed on all and the people of Earth party for one month stright.

With Earth saved, Interplanetery trade and travel began. The GCC, begins to turn its eye towards Venus. Bifrost Station beings to produce merchant ships, as well as creating two more Guardian class ships, just in case. Scientific efforts remain directed at space exploration and development. And over the next few decades inderpendant mining colonys prop up in the outer solar system and priates are soon discovered. The ensuring conflict puts strain on the GCC and it soon begins it's trademark action of increasing taxs on the outer colonys to pay for the new ships to fight the priates.

By 2203, The GCC, Lunar colonial goverment and the Mars Colonial goverment cannot come to agreements on the priate issues. So Rather than spark a devastating war that would undoubtedly lead to some kind of damage to Venus, the most habitable planet in Sol, Luna and Mars are granted full independence. They are also granted one quarter of the outer system colonies each.

However, priate activty contiunes to increase and by 2218 a decsion was made by the 'Big three', the GCC Lunar and Mars. And finally on April 10th, 2218 at 13:00:00 SST (Sol Standard Time, the United Galactic Trade Organization is officially formed. Its initial charter is to provide “a common defense for the interests of Humanity across the Galaxy”. The ruling council is made up of representatives of Mars, Luna, and the GCC. Provisions are made for the inclusion of other members in the future. This council would be called the Senate. All military assets of each member are unified and put under the direct command of the UGTO. Additionally, a provision is made that “in times of war there will be voted into being an individual who would hold the title of Grand Chancellor.” This individual is to coordinate and direct all military activities from a central voice, allowing for fast and decisive decisions to be made. By April 21, 2218 CE Through shrewd manipulation and maneuvering, Westley Whitworth is elected the first Grand Chancellor, to “deal with the pirate threat”.

First Stellar War

After Several decades of vigorous interplanetary trade. Trade routes were well established, and major colonies had been constructed on most of the major worlds in the Sol system. To date, five merchant ships had now disappeared. The LaCroix, Hounds Tooth, Gabrielle, Murmensk, and Yoshiro. Amidst building pressure from the GCC, the SDO conducts a covert operation to determine what is going on. Agents are specially trained and distributed among almost all of the merchant ships of the time. They make a startling discovery when their agent on board the LaSalle reports back that his ship is being boarded and captured by unknown assailants. The homing beacon their agent smuggled on board leads the SDO to a hidden asteroid base being used as a pirate outpost. Here they find not only two of the other missing ships, but a thriving black market. Realising that there current fleet was underpowered, a massive build up of ships was ordered. And in2190 the first battle between space faring ships in Human space occurs. Leading their force of eight ships, the SDO overwhelms the pirate asteroid, but during after action clean up's more bases are discovered. And quickly a war with priates remanis of the priate wars of the 17th and 18th century quickly broke out. Firstly the GCC were puching the priates back, but soon priate ships become so bold as to attack the in solar system, and even Earth. Beyween 2218-2224 CE The UGTO prosecutes its war against the pirates with much success. While he is accused of being a bit…heavy handed, Chancellor Whitworth proves he is a man who can get things done. Venus, the Jupiter Alliance, and the Saturn Mining Interests each join the UGTO during this tumultuous time. The war is furious and violent. The pirates are well equipped, with battle-hardened troops. The UGTO has superior resources and technology. In the middle of the fracas are caught the normal people. Several corporations do a brisk business in selling jump capable ships to people who want to get away from the war and start anew in a different system. These ships are very cheaply available, primarily because the corporations that manufacture and sell them require their owners to sign a contract giving the selling corporation ownership of any colony they establish. The vast majority of the colonists never notice this clause. They just want to get as far from the UGTO, pirates, and the Sol system as possible.

On January 15th 2228 CE The last pirate base is destroyed in the Sol system, and the First Stellar War comes to an end. The people of Sol celebrate, but only briefly.

2nd Stellar War

Because of a new wave of oppression and taxation, an underground organization called the Stellar Freedom Alliance was born. Organized in cells, the SFA was a revolutionary civilian group dedicated to bringing about change in the UGTO government. The SFA started its career with simple protests and minor acts of civil disobedience. The Grand Chancellor would brook no opposition to his absolute unquestioned rule. He had the leaders of the SFA hunted down and assassinated. Into this power void, a new and more violent group of individuals stepped. The SFA under this new leadership became a tool for terrorism and violence, dedicated to the utter collapse of the UGTO government. Bombings of government and loyalist businesses started to occur. The 2nd Sellar War had Begun.

3rd stellar War

Current.

UGTO Goverment

The UGTO Goverment is based on Earth in the Sol system. The body that rules the UGTO is known as the senate, with every member world, and corporation with more than one million employees granted a seat in the senate. The leader of the UGTO is known as the Grand Chancellor who is elected on a termly basis by the people. The Grand Chancellor is both head of state and the head of goverment and basicly is a elected dictor, he/she has the abilty to veto any law with under 3/4's vote and he/she is the commander and chief of the UGTO military. The UGTO goverment's leadership is very autocratic and Imperialistic so it's not surrprising the UGTO goverment rules with an Iron fist, with unquestionable loyalty demanded of all citizens. Those who take part, or surrport acts of civil disobendance against the UGTO, especialy against the goverment are quickly 'dealt' with, almost always in the form of tourtue and exacution. Although technally a democracy, Curruption is very much apart of the UGTO goverment. With profits and the will of corporations always put before those of the people, creating a huge unbalaence in the senate, causing the Inner-colonies to take much favour with the outer colonys seen just as tax revanue, which has caused uprisings many times over inculding the Stellar freedom allaince and the Intersetllar Cultural Confedration to name a few.

The Ninth and Current Grand Chancellor is Grand Chancellor Margret Cooper amid allgations of a fixed election, however this does not deminish her popularity with the core worlds. Currently Grand Chancellor Cooper realizes that the UGTO requires more money than it currently has available in order to complete its military buildup. Rather than levy yet another tax, the Chancellor began an aggressive campaign to route out waste and corruption in the current UGTO government. This has made her no end of enemies, but any who too vigorously oppose her tend to come to some kind of premature end, either politically or entirely.

UGTO Military

The UGTO Military is the primery spender under the current goverment budget. It's total manpower is in the millions, however presise numbers have been kept close under raps. Not much is known about the UGTO army and Air force, with the Navy and Marines the primary fighters.

UGTO Marine Corps: The UGTO Marine corps is heavily based of that of the Pre drak-age United States Marine Corps. They are soilders who fight from ships, normaly part as raid to capture enemy ships and planet side infrastructure.

UGTO Navy: The UGTO Navy is the oldest Human Navy currently in existance with roots going right back to after the first Guardian ship in the 2060's it is known as the 'senior service' for this. UGTO ship designs are of sliek rounded, white washed vessals, with an even amount of firepower vs Armour. UGTO ships therefore are the mid-range fighters, although the ships seem to suit close range fighting, with UGTO ships known for there combat durabilty able to take a massive amount of punishment before they need to retreat for repairs.

UGTO Ships are based around Armour, first seen on the 2nd generation Guardian Ships from the late 2100's, Armour reaserch has gained the UGTO the upper-hand in armour tech, with all combat rated ships having a minium of two layors of Combat armour giving UGTO ships the abilty to tank a massive amount of damage. But this added weight has caused UGTO ships to have the poorest handling of all known combat ships, they have large turning radiusand very slow accerlartion and deaccerlartion. Thier weapons are based around proton and EMP technolgoy making them nor powerfull nor weak.

UGTO naval doctrine focuses on the tries and ture method of simply getting real close to the emeny and unloading their weapons and UGTO ship commanders use this, coupled with UGTO ships abilty to take alot of damage to devastating effect against the long ranged focused ICC ships and the lightly armoured K'Luth.

Fleets

Currently Three fleets dominate the UGTO hierarchy: (in oreder L-R) *Renegade Space Marines* The Galactic Navy and Courageous Elite Commandos. The Flying Aces are slowing taking a predomatae stage in UGTO naval politics with recuirtment cirteria for the above three driving more then a few away.