The remaining power in Known Space, the Hegemon was created through the mercantile alliance of several star systems by Dumno-Ualos based around Protea, his home planet. It is now a burgeoning confederacy, linked by all important trade which exploit the ever expanding Fringe to feed the engines of industry.
Diverse nations with their own governments, the Hegemon serves to regulate the peace with its combined military but prefers the soft power of The Market which determines the value of every breath drawn and every drop of water sipped across untold billions of Consumers.
The most potent weapon that the Hegemon can draw upon are the Barakan Elite. Groomed from military veterans too psychologically broken to return to society, the Barakan take violence to a post-human extreme.
They are stripped of their humanity and made into… something else, armed and armored with unique technologies that they use to complete their tasks as mercenaries. Few know how to form a contract with their services save the wealthiest MacroCorporations, something that they covet dearly lest their competition gain access to these most terrible of operatives.
Each nation of the Hegemon offers open contracts to its population to join the combined military of the Thousand Empires. Armies and fleets stand ever ready to protect the vital tradelanes that connect planets to their colonies and their territories to the broader interstellar economy.
The Directorate relies on sponsorship by the MacroCorps but can operate independently with financing from the Summit Council on Protea which sets the mandates for civilization as determined by the calculations of The Market.
The Commission for the Reserve Corporation, the MassTrader Union and the Audit are each responsible for maintaining vital aspects of the Hegemon. The Commission protects shareholders and the promise of equitable competition between the Corpo entities and that they follow the guidelines that prevent fiscal anarchy. The MassTrader Union are the best at moving cargo and shipping, for a price that all but guarantees delivery. Lastly the Audit, responsible for the fiscal purity and operation of every Consumer in the Hegemon. Even the mention of the Audit is enough to ensure proper tariffs are paid and obeys interstellar taxes.
