The Sentinels Confederation was born from the ashes of the Robotech Masters Empire. In the wake of the devastating and costly Invid-Masters War, Tirol as a planet, was shattered, its infrastructure, economy, military, and society in ruins. With the UEEF’s arrival in sector around 2023 the balance of power in the region shifted sharply against the Invid, and by 2025 the siege and occupation over the Fantoma Sector in general and Tirol in particular had been broken. Over the next nineteen years the UEEF and the Tirolian peoples rebuilt their broken world. Farms were sown, cities rebuilt and the massive shipyards in orbit repaired and refurbished.
It was learned very early on that the Masters heading towards Earth had taken with them all that was useful from Tirol, including their population. All Tirolians of war fighting age had been stripped from the planet leaving only the young, elderly and the infirm. Of the 280 million that remained, and survived the Invid Occupation, were in no shape to govern, let alone provide for their care and defense.
So it was to the UEEF that the people of Tirol turned for leadership, security and sustainment. Under the Masters reign the need and skill to care for themselves had been stripped by the automation of all menial tasks, as well the concentration of power among the patrician classes. Those not of the Science or Warrior castes were kept docile and dependent. What the Masters left functional when the departed was destroyed by the Invid when they arrived and no living Tirolian beyond those assailing Earth had the technical expertise to repair them but for a handful of cast aside members of the Science caste deemed to old, to stubborn and to radical to tote along.
Mimicking the reconstruction models so successful on Earth following the Zentraedi Rain of Death, the UEEF set about rebuilding Tirol. Due to this, as well as the UEEF’s prior sacrifice of blood and treasure in liberating Tirol, the UEEF was, and still is, regarded as heroes and saviors. With the UEEF’s technical expertise and Tirolian fortitude Tirol would be deemed self sufficient in 2038.
With the Valivarre System a solid base of operations and industry for the UEEF the Sentinels War against the Invid strongholds within the Fantoma Sector were identified, isolated, and dispatched in detail. With every planet liberated more forces joined the fight. First Karberra and Praxis, Haydon IV, then Spheris, Garuda and Pertyon were liberated, the Invid were defeated, no long able to wage effective war, isolated on their last remaining world, Optera.
The only dark spot to the reconstruction efforts in the Valivarre System and the overarching war against the Invid was the abortive Edwards Coup of 2031. Over almost as soon as it began, Edwards was forced to flee only to be tracked down, a year later, and defeated over Optera.
In 2032, with Tirol secured from any Ghost Squadron hold outs the Coalition of Allied Planets aligned behind the UEEF Plenipotentiary Council, forming the Sentinels Confederation.
Recovery
The Central Systems (clustered around Tirol) are currently undergoing stabilization and recovery operations in earnest. The lion’s share of any hold over resistance has been dealt with over the last four years (2046 - 2050) and what remains of hostile elements are usually limited to planetary governments, criminal groups, and the elements themselves. These principalities have been issues Republic Governors who are tasked with rebuilding their areas of influence.
These Governorships are highly prized appointments. The Central Principalities are by and large governed by lower level administrators in the pecking order due to the close proximity to the Capitol. Essentially, they are close enough to be given help, guidance and other assistance, and are also close enough were total autonomy isn’t a necessity.
Governors given responsibility over areas within the Tithing Principalities, while close enough to Tirol to receive prompt assistance, have a great economic responsibility as fully half of the major trade hubs for the Republic reside within the 'Tithe'.
Governors given authority within the Inner Principalities have a greater amount of autonomy and for them self sufficiency of their world is their prime concern. Those within the Outer Principalities and the Eastern Expanses are the furthest removed from the capitol and must rely on their own skills and resources, some consider this a banishment post, others an opportunity to shine. To aid them in this, the REF patrols these regions to ensure security, force of arms if needs be, commerce protection and limited police duties.
Each Principality region has their subdivisions and REF patrols are usually home based at the regional capital for there area of operations. Roving patrols are based at the Principalities Capital world and sortie from there, traversing the area in set and random patrol patterns. While the roving patrols do just that, roam the Principality, the more ‘static’ REF ships stay near planets and trade routes.
The Haydonite invasion and occupation of Tirol was in many ways identical to the Invid occupation only twenty years prior. Both invaders systematically eliminated the planets ability to expel the invading forces. Both invaders maintained only a small percentage of their forces on the surface. For the Invid, after their initial assault and revenge attacks upon anything and everything, the Regent pulled the lion’s share of his forces back and left the planet under the tender mercies of a few sentry hives and their Inorganic Legions. The Invid’s devastation had been so complete that aside from very small and splintered resistance cells there was no real need to maintain occupation forces in any substantial amount.
The Haydonite forces followed the same model, but for different reasons. Unlike the situation the Invid encountered, the Tirol of 2044 was vastly more industrialized and built up. Rather than obliterate a source of income, and resources, those facilities that could be captured were. Others were spared if for no other reason that in order to make use of the factories the factory workers needed sustenance and shelter. While the Invid had no need for slave labor on Tirol, where the Flower of Life could not grow, the Haydonites did make great use of slaves to produce raw materials and component parts for their forces and as such, much of the population centers were kept intact.
With the population and industrial centers secured, the majority of the Haydonite heavy hitting military power was returned to orbit to act as quick reaction forces to quell any organized resistance that might spring up. What was left on the surface amounted to a military police force and administration commands with a token amount of military hardware on site to suppress any low grade riot or insurrection. Mobile orbital facilities were folded into orbit to receive the fruits of their slave’s labor.
Like traditional occupations, the cities were firmly in Haydonite hands while the countryside was left to their own devices albeit with the occasional atmospheric over flight coupled with an omnipresent orbital surveillance. An overbearing police state existed for the two years it took for the UEEF to reclaim Tirol from the Haydonite forces stationed there. All residents of the cities were cataloged and monitored and those deemed unsuitable for the labor required by the occupiers were simply disappeared. Curfew’s and checkpoints were commonplace and security sweeps and detainment was frequent. Those that could went underground to join up with the resistance commanded by General Dana Sterling.
With the countryside under surveillance, the resistance was forced to go to ground within the cities. Risky perhaps, but necessary, and made easier by virtue of the fact that even with the massive twenty year long reconstruction effort after the Invid occupation, there were plenty of forgotten or paved over ruins to hide within. Also a factor was that in the final weeks of the Fall of Tirol, the end result of Haydonite occupation was regarded as inevitable and steps were taken to provide as much infrastructure for a viable resistance as possible before the first boots made planet fall.
These factors allowed for a vast underground network to be put into place, complete with safe houses and secret weapons caches, in large enough numbers that even with the successes of the Haydonite Security Forces, enough was able to remain hidden to allow Gen. Sterling’s forces to mount a significant resistance movement and still have enough heavy firepower left untapped to use once the UEEF arrived in orbit.
Still, despite the end game successes, the two years under the Haydonite heel was brutal, millions perished, and entire communities were wiped out for the infractions of a few. Other communities, many in the hinterlands and rural areas, succumbed to the elements due to food and medicine shortages. Even within the city protectorates life was nasty brutal and short. The Haydonites provided just enough sustenance to keep their labor force healthy enough to work and little else. Others simply vanished, either used in weapons experiments, taken to other Haydonite controlled worlds as labor for their own local operations or handed over to collaborating factions for their own entertainment and labor needs.
The Governmental system of the Sentinels Confederacy follows a three tier system. At the top of the list is the Plenipotentiary Council, followed by the Assemblage and the Apella.
Plenipotentiary Council:
- The Council is made up of one individual selected to represent each signatory nation within the Confederacy, and as the name suggests, are empowered to make policy between each other in the name of their respective nations that are binding and lawful. This is due to the distances involved between the capitals of each signatory nation, despite the frequent use of Fold travel.
- Embassy Hill:
- Located within the Tirolian Captial of Tiresia this area is where the ambassadorial legations from nations outside of the Tiresian Republic reside. It is also here that the ministers that comprise the Plenipotentiary Council maintain their offices and personal residence's.
Assemblage:
- Primarily an administrative body, the Assemblage is made up of members of all signatory nations and houses the Confederacies Ministerial Offices. It is the only body that has the power of legislative initiative. That is, the ability to propose laws. It is also the responsibility of this body to amend and negotiate legislation.
SenCon Ministries.
Ministry of Finance: Kazin Vann (Pyrtonian: States)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Elizabeth Luce (Human: Republic)
Undersecretary Foreign Affairs: Harold Alexander (Human: Republic)
Ministry of Trade: Patricia Talbot (Human: Republic)
Ministry of War: VAdm. (Ret) Gerald Anthony (Human: Republic)
Ministry of Interior: Navaal (Tirolian: Republic)
Ministry of Industry: Kaal’nas Aker (Karberran: Hegemony)
Ministry of Justice: Jacinth (Spherian: Conclave)
Apella:
- The Apella is the legislative organ of the Confederacy. It is here that proposed laws are voted on. The Apella also acts in an advisory role to the Council. Membership in the Apella is based on population within a signatory territory. As such, currently the Karberrans, Pyertonians and Tirolians (and by proxy, humans) represent a majority over the lower populated nations.
Apella Seats
Apella Convenor: Lucius Peterson Sainsbury (Human: Republic)
Mandate:
- The Confederacy Administration decides legislation and policy that covers the macro scale of the Confederacy, that is to say, policy that applies to the whole. Mutual aspects such as defense, foreign policy, commerce, and territorial oversight are discussed, agreed upon, implemented then executed. Local policy is the responsibility of the individual territories and is generally ignored unless said local policy threatens another signatory territory or the Confederacy as a whole.
Legislative Process:
- Legislation can be proposed by the Assemblage in one of two ways, the first, is if a signatory territory petitions the Assemblage with a proposal. The second is if the Assemblage produces a proposal in house. At this time the legislation is presented to both the Council and Apella for their consideration. If both bodies sign off on the legislation the proposal becomes law, binding for all signatory territories. If there are amendments to be made or disagreements, from either body, the legislation is taken into negotiations by the Assemblage. The process repeats until either the Assemblage presents legislation that can pass both the Council and the Apella or the Assemblage kills the legislation as to contentious.
Major Trade Hubs and Routes:
Lepanto Harborage: Lepanto System
- This is the busiest and most vital space port in the Tithing Principalities. Connecting lanes lead to Lysion and Civona within the Cadastre, and Romagna and Antalya within the Tithe.
Lysion Terminus: Lysion System
- This port handles the lanes leading into Tirol from Lepanto and Rialta and is has a large transshipment facility to split and conjoin cargo.
Rialta
- Major lanes into and out of Rialta lead to Romagna, and Isole within the Tithe, and Lysion within the Cadastre.
Romagna
- Major lanes into and out of Romagna lead to Lepanto and Rialta within the Tithe and Roykommi within the Inner Principalities.
Antalya
Antalya is significant because it acts as connecting port between three Principalities, Civona in the Cadastre, and on to Vilmoran within the Inner via the Antalya / Vilmoran Bridge.
Vilmoran
This port serves as the gateway to the Eastern Expanses and eastern approaches to the Inner Principalities.
Besides Lepanto, Tirol, and the Lysion facilities, the other harbors are dispersed and in the process of being rebuilt to their former glory during the heyday of the Mercantile Republic. The Tirol Docks are, after four years of reconstruction, nearly complete but fully operational. Expansion projects are planned as plug and play as added capacity is required while the largest facility, the Lepanto Harborage is still years away from completion although cargo has begun to transit the facility using the modules and slips that have been completed.
