The Emissariate of Bolusca

Overview

The Emissariate of Bolusca is a confederation of several hundred worlds and is one of the three major powers in this galactic quadrant. The Emissariate is multi-species and multi-cultural, though the dominant species is the pale-skinned, green-blooded humanoids of Bolusca, the capital world of the confederation. The Emissariate is often known simply as "Bolusca", though this is not the technically correct abbreviation.

The Emissariate has been involved in a decades-long "cold war" with both of the other major galactic powers in the quadrant, the Kingdom of High Ilona and the Krai Empire. Earth lies at the point where the three territories meet and is considered a neutral star system.

History

Approximately 2000 Earth years (1600 Boluscan cycles) ago, the race of humanoids on the planet Bolusca united under a single world government, and in a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity they invented faster-than-light travel. It was already known that most nearby stars had planetary systems, and that many had worlds compatible with Boluscan life, and so some two dozen other world were colonized very quickly. In many cases, the not-quite-Boluscan environments of those worlds led to evolutionary changes which caused the Boluscan genome to diversify into a multitude of sub-races.

In that first century of rapid expansion, several alien races were also discovered, some humanoid and some utterly alien in appearance and outlook. Boluscan first-contact policy was very inconsistent at the time, and often driven more by economic than altruistic concerns. Thus, while some primitive cultures were left alone to develop naturally, others were contacted and forcibly brought under Boluscan influence. Some worlds were simply colonized without regard for their existing civilizations.

The "empire" was thus in a very fragile and volatile state. Disaffected natives, colonies seeking greater autonomy, and a bureaucracy barely able to keep pace with the rate of expansion, all indicated that an implosion was inevitable. Matters came to a head in the 173rd cycle of the empire, when the colony on the planet Teeparti staged an armed rebellion that threatened to drag half the empire into a devastating civil war. The empire was saved, ironically, by its first encounter with a more advanced and belligerent alien force. Worlds on the Coreward border of the empire were attacked by the warlike, and rapidly expanding, Krai Empire. The warring Boluscan worlds had no option but to band together in a literal fight for survival. The resulting war was long and bloody, but the Krai were beaten off, leaving a Boluscan empire that was now materially weaker but politically and morally stronger.

Recognising the key importance of the colony worlds in the victory of the First Krai War, and the impossibility of continuing to rule those worlds by force, the empire completely re-engineered its political structure. The absolute imperial power of Bolusca was dismantled, replaced by the Emissariate, a confederated government in which all member worlds had equal say.

The Boluscans and the Krai existed in an uneasy peace for several hundred cycles. There were periodic outbreaks of localized violence, but neither side was willing to engage in open warfare which could be the end of both of them.

The biggest threat to this status quo came when the Krai encountered the Kingdom of High Ilona some 200 cycles ago. True to their nature, the Krai declared immediate war on the High Ilonans, but this weakened their border with Bolusca, a circumstance which the Boluscans were quick to exploit. The situation very quickly developed into a three-sided war, a war which no side could conclusively win. After years of open war, even the aggressive Krai came to realise that a peaceful solution was required, and a peace treaty was negotiated. The treaty has held for almost 200 cycles, but each side is aware that any slight shift in the balance of power could be enough to plunge them into open warfare again.

Political Organisation

In the current political system, each autonomous member world sends a representative, or Emissary, to serve on a central council. The institutions of government remain housed on Bolusca, and Bolusca still retains its prestige at the centre of the new confederation, which was named "The Emissariate of Bolusca". In one more holdover from imperial times, the official head of state, the Meg, remained as a ceremonial figurehead, with little political power but great prestige. Meg is a hereditary title, passed through a family that can trace its lineage back to the ancient emperors.

The security of the Emissariate is the responsibility of three organizations. These organizations are kept deliberately separated in order that each can keep a check on the others gaining too much power.

The first group is the Fleet, the military arm of the government, responsible for keeping the space lanes and borders secure. The second is the Planetary Police, responsible for civilian security, protection, and crime investigation. The third group, the Star Guard, overlaps these two functions.

Member Worlds

The Emissariate comprises several hundred inhabited worlds. Some significant ones are listed here.

The Boluscans on Earth

The Boluscans considered Earth an interdicted world, off-limits to all of the Emissariate's ships. The reason for this may lie in their past encounters with humans.

It is known that the Boluscans have visited Earth a number of times over its history. Circumstantial evidence exists for visits in the early 20th century and the 1970s, and there is documented evidence of visits in the 1980s and 1990s. There may have been other visits as yet undocumented.

Notable Organizations and Individuals

Copyright © 2022, 2023 by David Meadows. All rights reserved.