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Contents
Description
It's 2650. Sivadians set down stakes on Sivad 2160. They established their own Regency with Queen Dahlia II, who would serve as first ruler of the British-governed colony world of Sivad (although they wouldn't actually make contact with any UK government representatives until after the advent of the lightspeed drive in 2282). Largely a ceremonial position, but still one of great cultural significance, she would reign until her death in 2201. The government is currently a Constitutional Oligarchy based on the traditional British Parliamentary system.
The Sivadian Colonial Kingdom comprises the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the Royal Sivadian Colonial Government. It originated with the British colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 21st and early 22nd centuries.
During the Age of Stellar Discovery in the 22nd and early 23rd centuries, the RSCG expanded greatly. A series of conflicts in the throughout its history with the breakaway Morrigan Revolutionaries and one near-disastrous skirmish with the Nall left the RSCG the dominant colonial power in its sector of space.
The growth of Mars and Earth had eroded RSCG's economic lead by the mid of the 23rd century.
Branches of Government
The Royal Sivadian Colonial Government has three major branches.
Royal Naval Service- The Navy and all it's subordinate organizations (RSMC & RNAS & ETC).
Sivadian Homeland Intelligence/Espionage/Law Division- A modern version of the Ministry of Interior Affairs. (Not just bobbies ... were looking for something a bit more North Ireland in capability)
Ministerial Government- In the hallowed halls of the Ministerial ranks and Parliament decisions are made (both house of Lords and Commons).
- Political divisions
- 6 Provinces, 25 Electoral Ridings. Large areas of land are held in semi-independent steadholdings by major landowners, and other large areas are uninhabited and held in trust by the government.
- Each Riding is presided over by a 'Steward'. Stewards form the House of Commons.
- Each Province is presided over by a Duke. This 'Duke' is an inherited title. All of Duke's associated courts make up the House of Lords.
- Modern Royalty and Nobility*
The most singularly distinctive thing about the RSCG is the noble enfranchisement of an Oligarchy. There has been a historical monarchy with the RSCG. The current Monarch is Regina Devin-Anne XVI. She is a highly secretive but well liked Monarch. The supporting nobility has a long and convoluted history. Enfranchisement has stood in question of validity constantly and in threat of it's existence three times. It finally stopped approximately six decades ago when Enfranchisement was made permanent by act of Parliament.
The British have a long Naval history. On Earth they ruled the oceans for centuries and the British Empire depended on oceangoing trade. The Sivadians are no less dependent on their Naval Service. Their Navy is spacegoing however. From the Royal Naval merchantmen to the crews on the capitol combat ships the Sivadians that ply and patrol the spaceways are no less Tars than their British ancestors from the age of sail.
- Uniforms
An example: He wears a brilliant white short tabard with a black embroidered piley bendy pattern running down it, over a carefully tailored charcoal band collared shirt. He wears crisply pressed black dress trousers bloused over highly shined combat boots. Pinned on the left side of his collar is a silver X*X symbol and on the right is a small silver heron. A brilliant blue ceremonial sash issues forth from the embroidered cluster of three stars following the RNS crest that is sewn into his right shoulder board and runs across his chest to disappear into the hem of his tabard. Around his waist is an fancy black leather scabbard rig with a apparently Florentine setup. On his left hip is an odd looking pistol and on his right hip is a rapier.
- Branch Crest
|The X*X is the branch crest in the example. It is the Branch Crest for 'Combat Command'. |Other Branches include: |+*+ - Gunnery Command |m*m - Fighter Command |w*w - Strike Command |u*u - Security Command (Only Worn on dress occasions) |T*T - Medical Command |Y*Y - Engineering Command | |=*= is only worn by TWO people. The RNS Fleet Admiral and the Sivadian Defense Minister.
The Silver Heron
Amoungst Sivadian tars this myth is told from one generation to the next: "'Heron's (and Storks for that matter) are called Marshals of the shallows ... the story goes was thar you knew it was safe to wade out to fish if a Heron was nearby. We are considerably deeper than shallow but the Sivadian people should feel equally safer ..."
The Ships on the RNS
The ships of the RNS tends to be swift and redoubtable as well as deserving their names.
The Flagship of the RNS is currently the HMS Repulse.