Philosophy
The goal of the alliance is to effect a positive change in the galaxy through a combination of diplomacy, fortitude, and strength of arms. Our role is to show the aggressive factions that they are not the only effective force in the galaxy and to protect the more peaceful factions from their excesses. These goals will be achieved through peaceful diplomatic means when possible, but combat will be used to positive effect when no recourse or reconciliation is possible. We seek to provide others with a shining example by striving for fairness, moderation and a balance of power. Fierce Chosen are welcome among our ranks, but registered Hostile or Peaceful vessels are not. Please refer to Prophet Tagnik'Zur's Fierce Platform for an explanation of these terms. The alliance offers aid to the young, the weak and the peaceful against the experienced, the strong and the aggressive.
Mutual protection and assistance are implicit in the concept of any alliance, but this alliance will not take it to extremes as others have done. If one of our own is attacked while flying the Aquila flag then one of our senior members will take on protection and training of the damaged party. The alliance will not automatically declare the attacking ship an enemy since periodic attacks are to be expected as part of the galactic reality. However, the alliance will assist damaged members with repairs, upgrades and advanced training to make followup encounters more fortuitous. The alliance does not uphold policies that encourage dependence or sloppiness. Our members should consider attacks on their vessel to be the result of a diplomatic failure or a lesson in poor ship design. All members are expected to strive for self reliance and to provide advice to junior members to set them on the same path. The alliance will not practice group vengeance for isolated attacks, but neither will we discourage our members from getting personal satisfaction from an enemy. The alliance encourages positive relations and good communication with others.
Code of Conduct
- Fly the alliance flag.
- Do not aid enemies of the alliance.
- Participate in group strategy during times of war.
- Do not attack non-enemies without fair warning.
- Show respect to traders by not deriding or attacking them without cause.
- Show respect to warships by fighting with honor, skill and cunning when battle is called for.
- Show consideration to everyone by communicating intent personally and by not registering as generically hostile.
- Refrain from piratical practices such as extortion and attacking weaker ships solely for material gain.
- Assist the authorities in tracking down pirates, purgers, releasers and any other galactic criminals.
- Maintain viable combat capabilities and sufficient favour to execute critical combat spells at need.
- Improve officer skills at every opportunity and maintain sufficient crew for efficient ship maintenance.
- Offer to trade working modules for broken when this will result in a tech upgrade.
- Offer protection to non-alliance vessels if they are willing to trade modules and/or energy in exchange for the service.
- Aid the young with advice, modules and energy when appropriate, but do not encourage dependence.
- Fierce Chosen alliance members are expected to only attack larger vessels or other Fierce Chosen, especially those in the top 20 largest even if their Prophet does not encourage these policies himself.
- Mutually agreed Fierce battles are permitted.
FAQ
Q: Why should I subject myself to so many rules and not press every advantage?
A: Lack of direction has resulted in a major power imbalance in the galaxy. Under the current system the weak tend to stay weak and the strong stay on top regardless of how hard those below strive to get ahead. Our code is designed to address that imbalance by bringing idealism back into the equation. By making a stand against tyranny we become an obvious target for those who wish to stay in power, but by offering protection to the weak we gain the strength of numbers to aid our struggle. Only alliance members are expected to follow the code, so if it is not for you then don't join.
Q: What happens if I do not follow the code?
A: Infractions are dealt with according to the severity of the lapse. For example, failure to fly the alliance flag or hail properly will not result in expulsion, but it will make you ineligible for alliance protection should you be attacked. This is judged on a case by case basis, so past infractions will not result in a permanent loss of benefits. Acts of piracy will get you booted out unless the stolen property or its value equivalent is returned to the rightful owner. Failure to comply will result in the forceful removal of said property from your vessel. Aiding enemies of the alliance will result in immediate expulsion and possible enemy status. Anyone accused of wrongdoing is given adequate opportunity to defend their actions or refute the claim before any final decision is made.
Q: What is considered fair warning, and why must I announce intent?
A: Your actions as an alliance member reflect on the reputation of the alliance in general. The alliance already has plenty of natural enemies and does not need to inflate that number without cause. If you have a valid reason to attack someone who may not know your intent then they should be given the opportunity to negotiate and change the behaviour you find offensive. Your personal enemies and enemies of the alliance should already know the score and do not require a hail. Pirates, purgers, releasers and other galactic criminals are automatically considered enemies of the alliance.
Q: What is the policy against non-hailers?
A: Although registering as a hostile vessel is strongly discouraged, a lack of hail is considered rude if not outright aggressive. Preemptive attacks are authorized so long as you send a hail ahead of time to explain the reason. We require our own members to hail, and it is only reasonable that we expect the same from others. This is one of the only values that the alliance considers universal among all civilized members of the galaxy.
Q: When is the alliance considered to be at war?
A: When the majority of the alliance membership decide that war is justified against an individual or an opposing faction.
Q: Why is courage not mentioned in the code?
A: Simply joining the alliance is sufficient proof of courage. Excessive courage in the face of certain defeat is a sign of weakness and stupidity, not strength. While Fierce ships are expected to take on greater personal risk than others, fierceness is not required or expected of all members.
Public Policy
In order to maintain positive diplomatic relations with political groups and the religious sects, alliance members are encouraged to be active in seeking positions among the groups whose policies are compatible with our own. The alliance will not seek to exploit these connections and will never use a member as a double agent or a mole against hostile factions. All members are expected to follow the rules of their own political or religious leadership and only inform the alliance if problems arise that might put their actions in conflict with the alliance. Any member who secures a position as a political or religious leader is expected to employ policies compatible with our own or give up alliance membership. Policies to avoid are those that operate to provide greater power to those already in power. Galactic leaders are expected to encourage balance instead of a concentration of power in one small group.
The alliance does not seek to interfere with the actions of the political or religious groups by overseeing the actions of other leaders. Galactic leaders are free to make their own policies and enforce them as they see fit. It is only when those policies conflict with our primary goals that we may seek to use political or military pressure to effect change. The alliance leadership will exercise sole judgement in deciding whether another group is in conflict with the alliance and will also exercise sole discretion in determining the most appropriate response. In extreme cases the alliance may seek to remove the opposing leadership from power to ensure the continued ascendance of our goals. This constitues an implied state of war even if war is not publicly declared.
All members are encouraged to assist young ships and any others who ask for aid, so long as they are not otherwise considered enemies of the alliance. This provides a conduit for the continued recruitment effort and provides an incentive for unaligned captains to support our cause. While our own members are expected to maintain viable combat capabilities, the alliance will not try to project these values onto every other ship in space. Our members are expected to show respect to those captains who take the dangerous path of becoming a peaceful trader, and traders should be offered protection from the more aggressive factions. As payment for this service we expect peaceful vessels to provide us with additional working modules and energy. The exact details of the deal are to be determined by the member who accepts the job.
Enemies
If a potential conflict arises between the alliance and another group then the alliance leadership will first attempt negotiation. If talks are unsuccessful then the opposing group may be classified as an enemy, and more stringent measures will be considered. Alliance members are expected to show loyalty by severing all ties with an enemy group until such time as the confict has been resolved. Individual ships will only be considered enemies of the alliance if they have practiced repeated piracy or defamation to the extent that a majority of the membership decide that enough is enough. Enemy status is removed through another majority vote, but only if the offending ship has made reparations to the damaged parties and has offered a sufficient public apology for his behaviour.
Hierarchy
The alliance leadership consists of an elected triumvirate with positions currently held by the founding members, Champagne Supernova, Darius and Endeavor. The triumvirs may determine their own roles at need, but in general one is expected to handle military matters, security and enforcement, a second is in charge of communication, relations and coordination, and the third heads up policy, development and group strategy. The triumvirs are generally expected to share an equal say in all matters, but they may optionally elect one member to be first among equals. The full membership votes on leaders once every 100 turns but may also call for an immediate change should the incumbent leaders prove ineffective or decide to move in a direction contrary to the wishes of the majority. Any member may call for a confidence vote at any time, and all members are given an equal voice regardless of seniority or ship size/power.
Benefits
All members who follow the code are eligible for protection, advanced training and logisitical support should their ship suffer damage in combat. Regardless of standing, all members are also given access to the alliance database through a personal login. The database is automatically updated through data gathered securely from each member's ship. All members are expected to provide their ship keys for the purpose, but these keys are kept in an encrypted format that even the site administrator cannot read without great difficulty. The only means to access an ally's command console is through the turnulator provided on the alliance site, and each captain can designate which of their allies are authorized to have this type of access. An obvious benefit to this approach is that you can designate a trusted ally to look after your ship if you are temporarily unable to set orders. Junior members might also use this feature to allow a more senior ally to provide advice and oversight.*
Enlist
Please send a hail to triumvirs@aquilaalliance.org if you are not ready to enlist but would like to learn more about the Aquila alliance and its goals.
If you are ready to sign up then just fill out the form below: