“The venerable marketplace of the universe.”
The Universal Trading Union (UTU), also called the Space-Trader's Union, the Universal Trading Consortium or simple the Trader's Guild, is an intergalactic, international and inter-species committee that manages trade amongst the different nations of the First Gigaquadrant, maps the Gigaquadrant's major astrographical regions and trade routes, and records economic decisions within the First Universal Square. The Union began as a non-discriminatory trade organ of the defunct Galactic Nations, intended to serve as a common forum to encourage trade and mutual aid-efforts between its members; it survived the GN's dissolution by being absorbed into the Seven Starr Alliance, though later became an independent organisation closely linked to the policies of the Mou'Cyran Accords when the SSA fell. Over time it has grown to become one of the most important economic institutions in the Gigaquadrant, popularly considered the marketplace of the universe.
History[]
Origin[]
The Trading Union was originally co-founded by the Core Federation and the Sylit Republic, along with the Universal Alliance of Nations, as part of the Core Federation's attempts to improve the First Gigaquadrant by bringing it closer together. It succeeded in producing the first-ever map of the pre-Annihiliation First Gigaquadrant, as well as starting to organize the Gigaquadrant's nations after the universe underwent its first Scourge. After the destruction of the Core Federation during the Tigris War, the Union became almost inactive.
Reformation[]
In the aftermath of the Annihilation, the Trading Union was revived by two new members, the Ermitant Empire and the Fernei-Tuu, both native to the Cyrannus Galaxy. However, these became the sole Cyrannian members of the organisation after the fall of the United Republic of Cyrannus and the rise of the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus, which left the organisation soon after expelling all extragalactic powers from their space. The UTU regained influence however with the rise of the New Cyrannian Republic, which was aided by the UTU in establishing the new capital Mou'Cyran and the mapping of the Coru Secundus Region of Cyrannus. Soon afterwards, the Universal Trading Union created a headquarters on the neutral Station Halcyon, where members continue to faciliate intergalactic trade through cooperation with other organisations such as the Mou'Cyran Accords.
Committees and Divisions[]
Economics[]
One of the Union's most important attributes since its beginnings is that it merges any funds that member empires direct at it, allowing damaged, war-torn, and civil war-engulfed civilisation to recover quickly, allowing them to purchase weapons by soliciting resources. Only the richest empires can afford to pay for the Union's larger expenses and needs, which aid struggling empires, but all members are free to donate resources. The Union's member states operate a network of wormholes to connect their territories together for fast transport of goods across intergalactic distances. This network links into realspace at several artificial black hole-based "nodes", which have orbiting facilities focused on trade.
Cartography[]
Prior to the establishment of other trading blocs, the Universal Trading Union had a monopoly when it came to intergalactic cartography. Since its formation, this aspect of the UTU has arguably been its most successful, providing the citizens and governments of the myriad of galaxies of the Gigaquadrant with the first realistic maps of an interconnected universe. Indeed, though the concept of the First Gigaquadrant originated in the exploits of the Seven Starr Alliance and the joint efforts of the civilisations involved in the War of Ages, it was UTU cartographers who first coined the term "Gigaquadrant" to describe the area of the universe in which the interactions of the Cyrandia, Xonexi, Ilkwia Eropsii, Nexus and Xanthrus Clusters took place. After the Annihilation, UTU cartographers continued to map what remained of the Gigaquadrant being amongst the first to definitely conclude which galaxies had survived the cataclysm and which had not.
Science[]
After the dissolution of the Universal Alliance of Nations, the Inter-Species Scientific Alliance evolved into the scientific committee of the Universal Trading Union. The ISSA is concerned with the development of new technology to advance life across the Gigaquadrant and fields scientists hailing from the member states of the UTU in an effort to properly pool resources for the betterment of all. Originally founded and led by the Olvidian Empire, the ISSA is now a neutral organisation under the auspices of the Universal Trading Union, maintaining laboratories and offices on Station Halcyon and the worlds of UTU member states. Arguably, the current primary contributor to the ISSA is Apalos while civilisations such as the Unified Order of Cognalorilos largely ignore it, preferring to advance scientifically independent of others.
Membership[]
Current Members[]
Flag | State | Capital | Government | Economics | Galaxy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Algolurn Popular Republic | Kevalve | Technocracy | Communism | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Allied Terran Republic | Terrae | Federal Presidential Republic | Free market | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Apalos | N/A | Collective Consciousness | N/A | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Caizini | Caizini | Rambo Protectorate | Free market | Quadrant Galaxies | |
Cephalodian Ectobiomality | Seladiscas | None | Free market | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Confederacy of Free Planets | Nengeredis | Administrative Republic | Free market | Cyrannus Galaxy | |
Cooperation | Rambo Capital | Rambo Trade Organisation | Trade Organisation | Quadrant Galaxies | |
Unified Order of Cognalorilos | Cognethril | Meritocratic timocracy | Unknown | Cyrannus Galaxy | |
Fjord League of Northern Europe | Stockholm | Liberal Democracy | Socialist post-scarcity | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Gaskhan | Gaskhan | Rambo Protectorate | Free market | Quadrant Galaxies | |
Indoctrinate Collective | New Draka | Absolute monarchy | Post-scarcity | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Kicathian Coalition | Citadel | Cryptic Technocracy | Post-scarcity | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Kindred Coalition | Hat'Mohr | Democratic coalition | Unknown | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Kingdom of Agethime | Agethime | Monarchy | Socialism/Communism | Milky Way Galaxy | |
Magellanic Sovereignty of Planets | Unknown | Military junta | Post-scarcity | Magellanic Clouds | |
New Cyrannian Republic | Mou'Cyran | Federal Republic | Post-capitalist libertarianism | Cyrannus Galaxy | |
Polar Crystal Alliance | Hyperborea | Democratic Alliance | Capitalism | Borealis Galaxy | |
Republic of Cirith Beleg | New Cirith Belegia | Republic (Member of the New Republic) | Post-capitalist libertarianism | Andromeda Galaxy | |
United Mirus Council | Nur | Confederation | Capitalism | Mirus Galaxy | |
Unified Nation of Ottzello | Grenzaar | Unitary benevolent dictatorship | Unknown | Borealis Galaxy | |
Nivenian Empire | Nivenia Prime | Minarchist Corpratocratic Dictatorship | Laissez-faire Capitalism | Cyrannus Galaxy | |
JCompany | JOmnivore | Private Company | Capitalism | Milky Way Galaxy |
Trivia[]
- Initially created by MushrumKing as a Committee of the Universal Alliance of Nations in 2010. It was later revived as a part of the Seven Starr Alliance but later became an independent organisation.