The United Planetary Federation (sometimes called the United Planets[1] or often simply abbreviated UPF; not to be confused with Star Trek's United Federation of Planets/UFP) is the interstellar government formed to protect the Frontier sector from outside aggression. It also functions as a forum for resolving disputes between its member planets.
The UPF's jurisdiction does not extend to the surface of its member planets. In addition, it is forbidden from influencing or manipulating the internal affairs of a member government. As a result, its members range from utopian democracies and corporate-controlled worlds all the way to totalitarian dictatorships and criminal-ruled near-anarchies.
The UPF is governed by the Council of Worlds, which is composed of delegates from each member planet, as well as observers from the most powerful mega- corporations. It funds and controls Star Law (which fights criminals that fall outside the jurisdiction of member planets), as well as Spacefleet and Landfleet (the most heavily armed forces in Frontier space) to defend against Sathar incursion and pirate attacks.
The UPF also runs the Planetary Survey Administration, which explores and surveys newly discovered systems and planets. The PSA was greatly expanded after events that lead to an anti-Sathar rebellion in the Liberty system. From this, the Frontier Expeditionary Force was also formed. Other important parts of the UPF include the Security Council and the Medical Services Organization.
The UPF and its agents are free to make contact with, trade with, and help primitive civilizations...with the basic intention of protecting them against the Sathar.
The UPF is known by additional names among its neighboring galactic powers; the Sathar Empire refers to it as the Core League of Races (CLR for short, corresponding with the four PC races' definition as "Core Races").[2]
History[]
After the Pyrrhic victory of the Second Common Muster in the First Sathar War, the Council of Worlds formed the UPF to deal with the ongoing threat of the mysterious Sathar. At first, it was small and weak due to the lack of available warships and had to make do with privateers and yachts. The fledgling UPF put a lot of money into the research and development of modern warships, and it took time to finally field such craft.
Some 80 years after the "Grand Meeting," the Sathar fleets returned with a vengeance, and this time, the Frontier was ready. So began the Second Sathar War.
The UPF fleet not only fared better than the Second Common Muster, but also came out the war with a sizeable force remaining and able to repel a counter-attack. Production of new warships grew during the war, and continued for years after, with newer ship classes replacing older ones in the three main Fleets. The UPF became the primary military force within the Frontier and many of the local militia fleets were absorbed as Planetary Guard fleets.