Republic of Chorus

[PTabbedContent=The Republic of Chorus][PTab=History]

Once, there was an exodus. Tens of thousands of colony ships, sailing through the vast ocean of the stars. Some among them were lost, caught in the fabric of space-time. Some among them managed to reach their destination, turning into great nations and system-spanning empires. Chorus's history is far more humble, tracing its roots not from great kings or powers, but instead from a group of colonists venturing from the central cluster to the edge of known space. A group of colonists, under the guide of a leader known as Arle Hessen.

Arle Hessen was many things; political dissident, driven explorer, and noted eccentric. Little remains of the man's demeanor and social conduct, but of what he accomplished was the migration of approximately several hundred thousand colonists from all walks of life, from Fiore, Bosco, Pergrande, all. A group of colony ships traveled to the edge of known space and established themselves on a planet of verdant mountains and azure skies. Surviving on this new world proved a challenge, and between the local wildlife and managing resources for their outposts, Chorus was little more than a backwater location where one could harness their own inclinations and skills to eke a living for themselves; simple, plain, frugal, but honest. This all changed when the first ether deposits were discovered.

Immediately, life on Chorus changed. A sudden rush of settlers descended upon the planet, terraforming mountains and fertile valleys into strip mines and quarries. Individuals from other planets interacted heavily with the fledgeling government of Chorus; Etherium Solar, Aster Astronautics, to name a few. The trading outpost of Elyakim expanded and industrialized at a rapid pace, and in a mere 50 years the town had become the de facto capital of a Chorus state entity. Conditions within the Ether mines were less than appealing, however, and the juxtaposition between the Chorusean dream and the increasingly decadent lifestyle of a rising upper-middle nouveau riche class began to breed resentment. Resentment that was exploited by actors off-world.

The Union of Pergrandian Socialist Republics had long held a keen interest in Chorus ever since word spread of their bountiful quantities of ether. The Cold War between the Union and the Federation of Fioran States had reached a crescendo, and with vessels and soldiers stationed around intergalactic borders, the Union needed to consolidate their resources. Ether was an energy source with unlimited potential, and with an opportunity presented, the Union decided to expand its sphere of influence to the fledgeling planet before the Fiorans did.

Union Intelligence Directorate operatives infiltrated labor unions and miners' cadres, sowing seeds of discontent. The society built from the efforts of these hard workers had ceased to recognize their toil; Chorus had become into a prostitute ravaged by the greed of corporations and the trappings of unhinged capitalism. Swayed by Union propaganda and spurred on by anti-imperialist sentiment, an organized group of socialist hardliners began to manifest, plotting a revolution to overthrow a government that consorted with devils. Naturally, the Union was more than happy to provide some assistance in the form of logistics, specialists, and infantry equipment, contributing to the eventual uprising that forced the Chorus government to capitulate. Victory had been achieved at long last for the Free Chorusean Movement. But that would soon prove to be fleeting.

The Intergalactic response was swift and brutal. A combined expeditionary force of Federation, Reich, Co-Prosperity Sphere, and Commonwealth artillery shelled Elyakim until little remained of the city. Battlecruisers and Destroyers blotted the sky above, raining cluster munitions and incendiary bombs upon dense vegetation and verdant overgrowth. ISC soldiers marched amid mangled steel and shattered concrete, restoring order from the barrels of their rifles. The Free Chorusean Movement was also guilty of numerous war crimes, such as using civilians as shields, and conducting asymmetric warfare in a manner akin to terrorism. When the dust cleared, peace reigned over Chorus once more, but it was a costly peace; 70% of Chorus's infrastructure had been ruined, and the civilian population had been reduced drastically. The Free Chorusean Movement had lost most of their numbers, but still refused to give in, retreating to the mountains where they made their final stand. The Union eventually declared Chorus as a lost cause, and pulled out of the conflict, leaving the rest of the Intergalactic coalition to continue on and crush the last bits of active resistance. The Security Resolution was deemed a success, and shortly thereafter ISC troops began to pull out of the planet, leaving the planet to pick up the pieces. Chorus still had its government, but little else.

For many years, the planet was wholly dependent on Unified Planets funding, an admittedly meager budget for the amount of damage done. It was around this time that the corporations offered to front the bulk of Chorus's economic woes, in exchange for increased lobbying power in the Chorusean government and exemption from taxes to the government. And the self-fulfilling prophecy came to pass. Chorus had truly sold its soul to these corporations, and under a new, export-driven economy––dictated by these entities––the planet recovered rapidly, but at what cost?

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Government

Chorus is better categorized as a Unitary Constitutional Republic, with a centralized government and legislative assembly designed in a similar manner to the Federation of Fioran States. The speaker of the legislative assembly is responsible for expediting the process of this assembly, and on paper is void of party affiliation––actual results however, vary. Similarly, Chorus also maintains a president as the main executive figure, but loopholes under its governing clauses have led to the current incumbent candidate, Roboute Avigdor taking his place on the seat for a fifth term, slowly transforming Chorus into a dictatorship in all but name. A vast array of corporate interests propagate wildly in Chorus in comparison to other nations––with some notable exceptions, and while this has spurred a hyper-competitive market it has also led to these third party interests having a significant degree of lobbying power, casting a shadow on this developing country.

Economy

Chorus's economy is both export-driven and heavy reliant on corporate interests, which are both a key to its success and codependence. On one hand, the presence of corporations combined with Allied Planets monetary aid after the Chorusean War have been nothing but beneficial toward Chorus as it recovered, and to this day Chorus cultivates a reputation as a tax-free haven for would-be businesses, with surprisingly high-income rates––and surprisingly high costs of living. A fast-growing economy on the interplanetary level, Chorusean representatives established themselves in a strong manner during the first convention of the Unified Planets Economic and Social Council and still exerts great influence even to the present day with its high growth potential, only curbed by a low credit rating.

Chorusean exports typically comprise ship parts, electronics, processor units, and various technological items in addition to their vast quantities of refined ether, importing food, raw metals, and textiles in return.



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Chorus used to be home to lush, verdant mountains, and while a vast portion of Chorus has been replaced with ether quarries and sprawling hive-cities, there are still plenty of natural falls and great summits that overlook the land, with lush, temperate forests and emerald green seas. On the far side of the planet however, forests and mountains give way to cracked earth and vegetation-overrun manmade structures, the aftermath of a war long fought and a war long lost. Rain falls frequently during the winter and spring, and general climate overall veers toward temperate weather with a hint of the humid.

Chorus is a fledgeling nation, and does not possess as firmly rooted a proper culture, but there certainly exist distinct norms within Chorusean culture emblematic of the land. A Festival of Bounty takes place to commemorate times of great hardship suffered by the first colonial settlers when they arrived on this planet, whereas there also exists a day dedicated to the end of the Chorusean conflict and the restoration of the government. Ultimately though, Chorus draws a lot from Fioran, Ishgarian Prosperity Sphere, Boscan, and Pergrandian culture, melding it altogether into a cosmopolitan environment.

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[PTab=Military]

As a small planet-state with a decent economy, the Republic of Chorus possesses a small but well-trained gendarme, bolstered, mentored, and equipped by both mercenary instructors and with weapons leases from some of the larger nations. In comparison to the more venerable actors on the interplanetary table, Chorus maintains a small but growing military presence of volunteers, capable of defending their planet but incapable of aggressive off-world expansion. Most members of the Chorusean Defense Force are especially trained in both counter-insurgency and mountain warfare operations, unsurprising given population density and the general geography of the land. There have been allegations of widespread corruption between the higher echelons of the Chorusean Defense Force and the Megacorps maintaining a presence in Chorus however, and in general day-to-day policing of Chorus, the corporate rent-a-cop is a more universal presence.

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