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The Cormin Directorate
Located in I-14
The Cormin Directorate (otherwise known as 'The Directorate') was a technocracy based on a network of space-bound habitats. Mostly keeping to themselves, the Directorate has survived for centuries studying the advanced sciences, philosophies and educational pursuits of the galaxy, with generations of inter-species living in deep space having produced a complex culture that places the pursuit of knowledge above all else.
Background
Founded several centuries ago, before the rise of the Galactic Empire, the group that would go on to become the Directorate had its origins in the pipe dream of a collection of Mega-Corporations. Clubbing together, these galactic commercial players placed some of their best and brightest on space stations, self sufficient with the right conditions, to serve as tech incubators - which would fuel the next era of expansion for their shareholders.
However, the collection of scientists and academics that would come to call the stations home began to realise they could advance their studies better, alone. Not answering to shareholders, these scientists simply stopped responding to the corporation's, who began to find it harder and harder to cooperate, and thus almost impossible to bring their wayward engineers to heel.
Splitting off, they founded the Cormin Directorate, named after the project to which they had initially been assigned. With their own government, robotic workers, scientific excellence and a modest yet compelling economy, the Directorate grew and expanded over the years that followed. Working with the Empire during the reign of Emperor Palpatine to develop bleeding edge technology, and then subsequently with the Galactic Republic to do the same, the Directorate has been one of many groups leading the way in scientific advancement for generations.
In the modern galaxy, the Directorate continues as a functioning technocracy, working in the fields of engineering, medicine, theoretical physics, and even xenobiology and much more. A small, yet scientifically and economically robust government, the Directorate continues to thrive.
Society
With twenty-two stations under their control, the Directorate boasts a small population of around eight million people, augmented by large detachments of droids and drones, to help with their day-to-day work. A highly educated society, the Directorate is focused almost entirely on two key pursuits, research, and survival. Honed by centuries of living in the harshness of the void, the Directorate has developed a society of hardy individuals, from many hundreds of races, working together in relative harmony to produce food, water and other resources, to fuel their dogmatic pursuit of scientific and educational progress.
With an autocratic government that has been in place for centuries, the people of the Directorate have a harsh outlook on life, focused on scientific advancement and the need for survival. As such, their legal system is extremely severe, with strict laws governing resource usage, and a firm ban on firearms on all Directorate facilities.
Government
A reasonably unique form of government controls and directs the day-to-day operations of the Directorate. With a long and storied history occupying space station habitats in deep space, the government of the Directorate has adapted and developed accordingly. Building off of the original remit of the Directorate, which was designed to create a technological incubator for various intergalactic mega-corporations, the government has followed along with the structures one would see in a large company.
Specifically, each scientific sector of a specific station is led by a Director, who in turn sits on the stations 'Habitat Command Council' (HBC), who elect from within their own ranks a Director-General, who has day-to-day executive control over the station and works from within the command centre at a stations apex. With a cadre of selected advisors around them, the Director-General has almost autocratic control over the station in question and is subjected to a confidence vote of the HBC every year.
Above this level of government resides the leader of the Directorate itself, known as the Overseer. The 'election' for this position is very different, coming in the form of a 'Thesis Defence' whereby a prospective candidate must present a scientific thesis for debate with their opponent, the 'winner' being decided by a vote of the Station Director-Generals. They may serve for a period of five years, with any citizen of the Directorate able to run for the post. It is important to note that the only check to their power is a veto held by the Director-Generals Congress, which, if used, compels all of the Station Director-Generals to immediately resign their post.
Economy
With limited space and resources to go around, the economy of the Directorate is very closely managed. Making use of robotic labour for the more hands on and service based jobs, the stations of the Directorate host a strong economy with a backbone of hydophonic food manufacturing. Much of the economic output is focused on high end technical manufacturing and development, research and scientific products.
Many stations rely on imports for many consumer products, with the lower levels of the stations holding black markets for harder to find goods. By far the most well-known economic contingent comes in the form of the research centers and academic hubs located in each station, which are common destinations for students of science, engineering, philosophy and more, who travel to the Directorate in temporary study visas.
Galactic Relations
Whilst the Directorate tends to keep to myself, it is a member of the Free World Alliance and has a representative to the Galactic Senate. Concealed on its stations, the Directorate tends to keep out of intergalactic affairs, and prefers to keep a low profile. Despite this it does have a defensive navy, consisting primarily of drone piloted ships, such as the CT-Q Auto-Command Frigate , CT-O Auto-Pursuit Starfighter and the CT-P Auto-Picket Corvette. Whilst these ships are rarely used, they most see action against ambitious pirates, and are augmented by a droid defence force, which serves as station law enforcement when needed.
Intent
Inspired by the Void Dwellers of Stellaris, the Institute of Fallout 4 and others, this intends to bring a new government type, a technocracy, focused on the uncovering on knowledge to SWRP. It'll enable new stories to be told by players with a scientific bent.
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