Name: The Vegan Republic
Leader: Democratically elected parliament, advised by Mexico City, Moscow and San Francisco AI's
Capital: Alpha Lyrae(Vega)
Enemies: None
Allies: None
The Vegan Republic is the third major diplomatic entity in the post-Earth era, along with the United Nations and the Coalition. Unlike the Coalition, the Republic is not at war with the UN despite having seceded from it in 2350. The Republic's flag is a flaming V superimposed on a blue sphere. Their fleet prefix is RF(Republic Fleet).
Politically the three AI's that initiated the secession hold tremendous power on paper(Mexico City, Moscow and San Francisco AI), but in practice they are mostly in an advisory role, even though they can technically veto any human-proposed bill. In essence the arrangement is akin to those democratic, constitutional, 21st-century nations that nonetheless managed to have vestigial royal houses. Though the advice of hyperintelligent AI's is arguably more useful than the minor tourist profits that are generated by a royal house.
Over the years, the Republic has been a refuge for UN citizens(and a tiny minority of Coalition defectors) who became dissatisfied with their previous arrangements. There's no word on what the Coalition has made of this, but every group has been painted as criminals by the UN's AI Council, and there's a tense atmosphere that has only become worse since London's return and the defection of Captain Volyov's men(it is unsure if Volyov himself managed to defect) during the Siege of Tau Ceti.
Territory-wise, the Republic controls the Gamma Lyrae system and the planets of five other stars in the constellation Lyrae, as well as several minor outposts. Their capital is in the Alpha Lyrae system(Vega). Despite having less planets than the UN, they have a population of almost nine billion, and a comparatively sized fleet which also has a similar level of technology. There is no indication, however, that they have any ships on Dreadnought or Juggernaut scale.
