Humanity

Government: United Earth Directorate, United Nations Space Command (Martial Law)

Government System: Representative Democracy (de jure), Military Dictatorship (de facto)

Capital: Earth, Sol System

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction to Mankind
2. Culture
3. Government
4. Laws
5. Military
6. Technology
7. Diplomatic Relationships

Introduction to Mankind

Humanity, or Homo Sapiens, is a sapient species originating from the planet Earth, located in the Sol System of the Orion Spiral Arm.

Humanity achieved interplanetary spaceflight in the mid-21st century, and FTL capabilities by the end of the 23rd Century. By the late 25th Century, Humanity had colonized over 800 planets, and had a population of 45 billion.

First Contact between Humanity and an extraterrestrial race came to pass on February 3, 2525. It did not end well. Harvest, the site of First Contact, would be the start of the decades-long (and ongoing) Human-Covenant War.

As of January 2557, Human losses stand at approximately 11 billion lives.

Culture

Culture is defined as the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society. The thirty-one (and soon to be thirty-two) years of constant warfare has had a profound effect on Human culture.

This can be seen in the changes in styles and themes in art, with a higher percentage of sculptures and paintings now focusing on darker or militaristic themes. This is encouraged by the Ministry of Culture, with some subsidies given to works of art (meaning everything from paintings to movies and videogames) that have a 'Patriotic' undertone.

Before the Covenant War, most Outer Colonies held the Inner Colonies and the military in great disdain, an attitude that has changed greatly over the course of the war. During the initial decade of the War, most UNSC personnel were from the Inner Colonies, while the vast majority of the planets attacked by the Covenant were in the Outer Colonies. Men and women from the Inner Colonies sacrificed themselves in droves in order to save Outer Colonists, something that has not escaped the vast majority of the refugees that were evacuated from their worlds. As such, the average UED civilian has a great amount of respect for military personnel. This is also helped by the fact that every UED citizen will have served five years in the Colonial Defense Force (a National Guard-esque force composed of conscripts from their colony), or completed a term of service in the UNSC.

One effect of this is that shooting ranges are nearly ubiquitous in the vast majority of the remaining colonies controlled by the UED, and nearly every school has a 'Civic Duties' class where children and teenagers learn appreciation of their government and armed forces.

As a society, Humanity has fully devoted itself to the war effort. Every citizen, and most civilians, support the war effort wholeheartedly (at least in public), with the words 'conscientious objector' becoming taboo. Objecting to serve under anything less than medical grounds is synonymous with treason and sedition in the UED, with the sentence being life imprisonment in a penal colony or death depending on the colony's laws.

ONI, and later SIGC propaganda posters, would often come with rallying cries like 'Remember the Fallen' or 'Fight for the Lost', accompanied by death toll numbers. A particularly effective campaign by ONI in 2544 was a simple black and white poster with the image of a happy 6 year old. Below it were the words 'Alicia McKay, Utgard, Harvest. February 24, 2518 - February 23, 2525', followed by the capitalized words 'Avenge Her'.

The saturation of anti-Covenant propaganda by ONI, and later by the SIGC, as well as many news channels, would lead to many humans having a xenophobic attitude as well as a fiery hatred of the Covenant. It's due to this alone that few protested the use of Unggoy 'volunteers' as cannon fodder after 2552.

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival." - Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood, in the State of the Directorate Address, 2553 (quoted from Winston Churchill).

Government

The United Earth Directorate was formed on March 1, 2545 as the official government of Humanity, a successor state to the now-defunct Unified Earth Government.

There are three major political entities within the Directorate, namely the High Council, the Senate, and the Assembly. They nominally function as the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the Government, although their roles commonly interlap.

The High Council

The High Council is composed of the Premier of the UED, Head of the UNSC, and the Minister of Civil Affairs.

The Head of the UNSC is usually the Fleet Admiral of the UNSC Navy. As of January 9, 2557, Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood fulfils this role. As the highest ranking officer in the entire UNSC, FADM Hood has full control and authority over the military, scientific and exploratory departments of Humanity, and oversight over most aspects of the Directorate.

The Premier of the United Earth Directorate is a role that is fulfilled by the Speaker of the Senate, who is elected both by the citizenry and the Senate itself. The Premier must have a majority vote in both categories, and is elected every five years. The maximum number of terms that the Premier can serve in consecutively is two, although there are no restrictions on how many terms a Premier can serve in total. The Premier is also the Chairman of the High Council, which nominally makes him/her the leader of the UED.

The Minister of Civil Affairs is the head of the UED State Ministries, which contain everything from the Ministry of Science to the Ministry of Colonization, all of them with oversight from UNSC attaches. These State Ministries are solely civilian departments, as anything with a military aspect is under UNSC control. The Minister of Civil Affairs is chosen from a shortlist created by the Assembly and chosen by the Senate. As every AI is part of the UNSC, the candidates for the Minister of Civil Affairs is usually composed of former UNSC personnel.

The High Council is responsible for the overall governance of the UED, with most colony-level functions handled by Governors. They are also responsible for the vetoing of any laws that are passed by the Senate and Assembly. While the Premier is the nominal head of the High Council, every decision made by the Council requires a majority vote from its three members. The High Council is advised by the various Ministers, UNSC officers and the Director of the Strategic Intelligence Group Command (ONI's successor organization).

Due to the pro-UNSC stance of nearly every Minister of Civil Affairs in the past, as well as the fact that they hold one vote of the three, the Head of the UNSC has de facto control of the High Council, and by extension, the UED.

The Senate

The United Earth Directorate Senate is responsible for drafting laws and handling internal issues between UED colonies.

Each colony in the UED that has a population of more than 10 million will have a Senator to represent them. As any world that has less than 10 million colonists is under the joint authority of the UNSC and the Ministry of Colonization, they are not represented in the Senate. Senators can be elected or chosen by the Governors of the colonies they represent, with the maximum time in office being capped at 10 years, consecutive or otherwise. A new senator can be elected every two years.

The Senate does not enact laws, merely drafts them for the Assembly's perusal. Due to the High Council's Oversight Decree of 2549, every Senator is constantly surveilled by AI Observers, in order to prevent corruption and treason. The Decree was enacted due to the treasonous actions of Actium's then-Senator Nicholas Foster.

The Assembly

The United Earth Directorate Assembly is responsible for giving the interpretation of laws, as well as the confirmation of a law's enactment. The Assembly is changed every two weeks, with three Smart AIs being chosen at random.

State Ministries

State Ministries refer to the civilian organizations of the UED, ranging from Transportation to Agriculture. These Ministers are chosen by the High Council, and their elevation to the rank of Minister is confirmed by the Assembly. Ministers fall under the auspices of the Oversight Decree of 2549 as well, and are thus under constant surveillance by AIs. Ministers are responsible for the overall duties of their respective ministries. For example, the Minister of Transportation would be responsible for the public transportation between planets and systems, with planetary transportation delegated to Junior Ministers (who are chosen by the Minister).

Method of Operation

The UED Government System is complex, but is statistically more efficient than the old UEG system. The Tiers of Governance include 3-4 lower tiers, followed by the nationwide tier.

The lowest tier of governance is at the municipal level, followed by regional/provincial levels, ending at planetary levels. These are handled by officials that may be elected, chosen, or are hereditary in nature, depending on the Colony's Founding Constitution. There is great autonomy on a planet's government, with the UED adopting a policy of noninterference unless it would lead to instability or harm essential industries. Individual colonies have a wide range of governments, with the Reach Colonial Government being a capitalistic and democratic one, and the one at Actium being a hereditary and aristocratic one with a Grand Duke at its helm. In fact, the trial of Sen. Nicholas Foster caused a major stir on Actium that nearly derailed into a secessionist crisis due to the fact that he was the heir to the Duchy of Foster on Actium.

The fourth tier of Governance only exists in certain systems, with Epsilon Eridani being a prominent example. This 'tier' only exists if the star system contains more than one major colony (10 million colonists), and only if the colonies in the system consent to the formation of an inter-system government. Epsilon Eridani has a System Congress, for example, that helps draft local laws. This, however, is very rare as most systems will only have one major colony.

The vast majority of the UED's planets and systems govern themselves autonomously of the High Council, which greatly reduces the workload at the nationwide level. The Senate handles the inter-system disputes that may occur, as well as the drafting of laws. The drafted laws will then be presided upon by the Assembly, which helps determine their interpretation and their suitability for enactment. If the High Council deems the law to be harmful to the UED, it can be vetoed so long as the High Council has a majority vote.

Laws

Most of the laws enacted during the UEG period are still in effect in the UED. Laws on a planetwide level and below are not within the purview of the UED, unless it harms the war effort or restricts the authority of the UNSC and/or the High Council.

The major changes in laws in the UED are focused on military aspects. The most famous ones would be the Colonial Defense Act and the Unconditional Service Act, both of which were enacted in 2546.

Prior to this, some colonies had colonial militias which were responsible for planetary defense, but the Colonial Defense Act would lead to the formation of the Colonial Defense Force (CDF). A CDF was not to be deployed to other worlds other than their own with few exceptions (Expeditionary CDF were often formed by highly populated Inner Colonies to bolster defenses on Outer Colonies, with shorter terms of service), and were to only be used in a defensive manner. CDFs would fall under Army authority when in battle.

The Unconditional Service Act made conscription of all able-bodied males and females compulsory, with disabled persons serving in noncombat roles. Upon reaching 16-18 years of age (depending on the colony), a civilian would either serve for five years in the CDF. If the civilian chooses to do so, she/he can serve for four years instead in an Expeditionary CDF, which includes deployments to other colonies. Alternatively, the civilian can serve a term of service in the Army (3 years). Upon completion of their service, the civilian will have earned Citizen status. Citizenry is required for voting, as well as marriage, amongst other things.

Another major law is the Oversight Decree of 2549, which stipulates that all Ministers and Senators will have AI oversight to prevent corruption, treason and sedition.

In addition to this, punishments for Class One crimes (Treason, Sedition, Corruption of Government/Military Officials, Premeditated Murder, and Conscientious Objection in some cases) have been changed to execution. The method of execution varies depending on location- some utilize hanging, some by spacing (as in, out of the airlock) and in the case of a few colonies, by guillotine.

Military

The United Nations Space Command Defense Forces was the former name of Humanity's armed forces prior to 2544. After 2544, the 'Defense Forces' was dropped to promote the idea that the UNSC was meant to take the fight to the Covenant, not just defend from it.

The United Nations Space Command is thus the military of the United Earth Directorate and Humanity, composed of six 'Combat' branches and three 'Support' branches.

Combat Branches

UNSC Navy

The UNSC Navy is the most senior of the UNSC branches, and is at the forefront of the Covenant War. The Navy has been involved in nearly every single battle in the War, and represents Humanity's greatest war asset in the fight.

The UNSC is not solely composed of warships, however only warships will carry the 'UNSC' ship prefix. Logistical support vessels, science vessels, exploratory vessels, merchant ships and diplomatic vessels each carry different ship prefixes.

The Navy is responsible for naval operations in space, although it does have a planetside water navy on certain colonies. Its roles include ship-to-ship combat, orbital bombardment, deployment of fighter/bomber craft, and the transport of UNSC ground forces. Naval Combat Teams are an infantry force within the UNSC Navy, with a specialty in EVA operations and boarding actions.

As of January 2557, there are around three thousand and five hundred warships in the Navy, with many more support ships.

The UNSC Navy is divided into Fleets, Flotillas, and sometimes Battle Groups and Armadas.

A Fleet is always numbered, with numbers below 51 indicating a Battle Fleet. A Defense Fleet will be numbered above 100, but is usually referred to by the System or Planet they are defending. For example, the 2nd Fleet is a Battle Fleet, and will never be called anything else other than '2nd Fleet'. On the other hand, the 101st Fleet, commonly known as the Epsilon Eridani Fleet, is a Defense Fleet, while the 103rd Fleet is known as the Actium (Defense) Fleet instead of the Phi Octanus Fleet.

A notable exception to this system is the 1st Fleet, which is also known as the Home Fleet. Despite being a Defense Fleet, the 1st Fleet retains its number due to historical precedence- the 1st Fleet was, after all, created before the discovery of slipspace.

Battle Fleets will have a minimum of 75 warships, while Defense Fleets can have anything between 10 to over 100 warships.
Fleets are commanded, at a minimum, by Vice Admirals (O-9).

Similarly, a Flotilla will always be numbered. Flotillas are divided into Scout and Patrol flotillas, with the numbers 51 to 70 representing Scout Flotillas and 71 to 100 representing Patrol Flotillas. Flotillas are rarely seen together, as they tend to be divided into squadrons and sent on independent deployments instead of being massed together like a fleet. Scout Flotillas are commonly attached to fleets, while Patrol Flotillas usually accompany merchant convoys. Flotillas will never have more than 50 warships, with the largest being the 63rd (Scout) Flotilla, which is divided into ten squadrons and is usually attached to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Fleets.

The duty of a Scout Flotilla is to serve as forward scouts for the Battle Fleets that they are attached to. While the UNSC has no FTL radars or sensors, they do have FTL communications systems. The Scout Flotillas thus help the UNSC Battle Fleets in their search for Covenant warships, often by moving ahead of the main force of ships and serving as an early warning detector.

A Patrol Flotilla fulfils the role of convoy escorts. The advent of Jackal pirate raids on UNSC merchant convoys led to the creation of the first Patrol Flotillas. Like Scout Flotillas, Patrol Flotillas are never massed together, instead spread out over many convoys. The 72nd (Patrol) Flotilla, for example, is responsible for all convoy escorts in one sector of the Frontline Colonies.

Flotillas are, at the minimum, commanded by Captains (O-6), with Commodores (O-7) and Rear Admirals (O-8) also having command over larger Flotillas. Flotillas are almost always composed of older Frigate class ships that were upgraded before the launch of the new Orion-class Frigates, due to the fact that their main role is not combat.

A Battle Group is a temporary unit. Battle Groups are often composed ships that are detached from a Fleet in order to complete a specific mission. They can be commanded by officers from Captain (O-6) and up. Initially, any temporary ship formation was to be called a Battle Group, no matter how small or large, but this practice ended quietly in 2554. Battle Groups are only called that when they are composed of detached ships.

An Armada is a designation created in 2554 to represent entire fleets that are temporarily combined. This was to differentiate it from Battle Fleets. Although it isn't a set rule, Armadas tend to be commanded by officers ranked Vice Admiral (O-9) and up.

The highest ranking officer of the Navy and Head of the UNSC is Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood.

UNSC Marine Corps

The Marine Corps is the main offensive ground force branch in the UNSC, often serving as the spearhead of any planetary invasion. Marines are noted to have longer training than their Army counterparts, and tend to have more up-to-date equipment in comparison due to the perception that they undertake operations that have a higher risk element.

Their responsibilities include ground combat, EVA combat (when necessary), shipboard defense, and boarding actions, among other things. Marines are trained and expected to be versatile. Marines are commonly deployed onboard Navy warships, with dedicated troopships being shared with the UNSC Army.

The UNSC Marines' combat doctrine focuses on mobility and speed, bolstered with precision and combined arms support. In a ground offensive, Marines will be the spearhead, capturing a beachhead for the UNSC Army. As such, Marines tend to 'travel light' in comparison to their Army counterparts.

The standard Marine armor was updated to the Infantry Battle Suit in 2550, and by 2556 every Marine unit was fully outfitted with it. Components of the IBS include light energy shields capable of taking a small amount of hits before failing, as well as light ceramic plating that could help dissipate a few plasma hits before failing. Other features include a Heads-Up Display, an internal communications system, as well as inbuilt thermal goggles. The IBS is also vacuum sealed, and capable of EVA (albeit for only fifteen minutes without any oxygen tank attached). It can also assist with thermal insulation, although it is markedly less effective than the old ODST BDU in this regard. The IBS greatly improved Marine survivability.

The age old maxim that every Marine is a Rifleman still holds true in the UNSC Marine Corps. The MA5C is the standard Marine weapon, with the M6 series of pistols serving as the standard sidearm of the Corps. Other weapons include the battle rifles for marksmen, sniper rifles for snipers, as well as light/heavy machine guns and submachine guns.

The UNSC Marine Corps' highest ranking officer and representative at HIGHCOM is General Nathaniel Hogan.

UNSC Army

The UNSC Army is the largest branch of the UNSC save for the CDF. It is the main ground force of the UNSC, and is responsible for defensive and offensive ground operations, in addition to other roles. UNSC Army gear tends to be older than UNSC Marine gear, but they are also considered to be more rugged in nature.

The Army is responsible for capturing and establishing control over UNSC-held territories, and is frequently used to patrol colony worlds. The Army is also responsible for the training of the CDF, and the Army has control over the CDF during combat.

UNSC Army combat doctrine focuses on the use of armored support, overwhelming artillery fire, combined with heavily armed infantry. An analogy would be that they are the sledgehammer to the Marines' scalpel. The combat loadout of an army soldier would be significantly heavier than a marine's.

Although their standard armor has also been updated to the Infantry Battle Suit, not all Army units have been equipped with the IBS yet. This is due to the sheer size of the Army in comparison to the smaller Marine Corps. As such, approximately 70% of the Army still uses the old BDU.

Given the Army's doctrine of overwhelming firepower, it is no surprise that they've adopted the MA5B as their primary rifle. Most of their weapons are similar to the Marines', just that they tend to carry significantly higher amounts of ammunition. Army vehicles also tend to be more heavily armored (albeit slower) than Marine vehicles.

The UNSC Army's highest ranking officer and representative at HIGHCOM is General Nicholas Strauss.

UNSC Aerospace Force

The UNSC Aerospace Force (also known as the Air Force) serves as the aerial fighter defense and support force of the UNSC Combat Branches, and usually deploys from terrestrial airbases and Navy vessels (in the case of the latter, they become a subordinate branch to the Navy). Aerospace Force Security Teams are the infantry component of the Aerospace Force, and handle the defense of Aerospace Force Bases.

The UNSC Aerospace Force operates several craft including Pelicans (dropships), Longsword (interceptor), Shortsword (bomber), Broadsword (multirole fighter), along with several drone fighters.

The UNSC Aerospace Force's highest ranking officer and representative at HIGHCOM is General Patrick Dellert.

UNSC Strategic Intelligence Group Command

The Strategic Intelligence Group Command is the intelligence-gathering arm of the entire UNSC, and is also responsible for the deployment of the Prowler Corps.

As the successor organization to the infamous Office of Naval Intelligence, the SIGC has inherited a fearsome reputation. It is divided into Internal Affairs (Section-0), Military Section (Section-1), Domestic Section (Section-2), Special Projects (Section-3), and Special Activities (Section-4). The Prowler Corps falls under the purview of Section-4. There have been unsubstantiated rumors of a Section-5, although its existence is denied.

It is under the command of Rear Admiral Jack Harper.

UNSC Colonial Defense Force

The Colonial Defense Force was created as a result of the Colonial Defense Act, and is responsible for the defense of the colony they originate from. Reach's Colonial Defense Force, for example, will never be deployed outside of Reach unless it is an Expeditionary unit of the CDF.

The CDF is composed solely of conscripts who serve a standard five years. They spend two months every year training, with another two months on active duty and the remaining eight months in reserve. Alternatively, they can serve four years in an expeditionary CDF unit, which is deployed to bolster the defense of a smaller colony. They spend one year deployed to another colony, while each of the other 3 years follows the same doctrine as the regular CDF.

The CDF is trained and led by the UNSC Army, and is subordinate to the Army in combat situations.

The CDF utilizes a mix of weaponry, with the MA3 AR and MA37 being primary weapons depending on the colony. The M6 series of sidearms is also utilized, however no other types of weaponry are used by the CDF. The CDF uses Army and old Marine surplus BDUs as armor, without the advanced systems of the IBS.

The CDF has no overall commander, unlike most other branches.

Noncombat Branches

UNSC Logistics Command

The UNSC Logistics Command is responsible for the acquisition of raw materials for the UNSC, in addition to ensuring that every UNSC combat branch has the ammunition, fuel and supplies that they need. They are subordinate to the UNSC Navy, and have control over the UNSC Merchant Marine.

Logistics Command is headed by Rear Admiral Albert Mantell.

UNSC Scientific Command

While SIGC Section-3's Special Projects does cover a form of military R&D, Section-3 focuses more on Special Forces gear, and other little improvements that can give the individual commando an edge. Scientific Command is the main military R&D branch of the UNSC, and is responsible for the development of major UNSC weapons systems.

While Scientific Command is technically an independent command in the UNSC, in practice it is subordinate to the Navy. Scientific Command is led by Rear Admiral Shen Jianglin.

UNSC Diplomatic Corps

The defunct Foreign Ministry of the old UEG was formed to handle any potential extraterrestrial contact before the Covenant War. After the dissolution of the UEG, foreign relations were transferred to be a duty of the UNSC. Thus, the formation of the Diplomatic Corps.

While the Diplomatic Corps is an independent command, as well as one that is both military and civilian in nature, in practice it is also subordinate to the Navy. The Diplomatic Corps is led by Brigadier General (UNSC Aerospace Force) Aisha Kincaide.

Combined Branch(es)

UNSC Special Forces Command

The UNSC Special Forces Command is the combat command for the elite forces of the UNSC, namely the Spartans, ODSTs, Marine Force Recon, Army Airborne, and Army Rangers. Special Forces Command operates several cross-service units under the banner of the Asymmetrical Action Group.

Special Forces Command's overall commander is Major General Natalia Olsen (UNSC Marine Corps).

Technology

Humanity's technological base has advanced by leaps and bounds since the start of the Covenant War, as well as the Prothean Ruins on Mars.

One of the most important technological advancements is the Hybrid Slipspace-Mass Effect Drive, the first variant of which is the ESD-43. The latest variant is the ESD-48. These drives allow UNSC vessels to reach 863 LY/D on an average now, and 901 LY/D as a maximum speed. Due to the limitations of Mass Effect FTL, these drives can only do a two-day jump at most.

In addition to this, captured Covenant technology has made the Human fleet significantly more powerful. For example, Covenant Inertial Dampeners and Repulsor Engines were reverse-engineered to allow greater acceleration and speeds, albeit at lesser degree than the originals.

Improved Technologies:

- Kinetic Barrier Systems. Kinetic Barriers are now present on every UNSC ship as a backup to the Human Energy Shields.

- Human Energy Shields. Reverse-engineered from the Covenant energy shields, the Human Energy Shields are significantly weaker than their counterparts, but provide a great deal of survivability for Human ships.

- Titanium A3 and A3h. Despite failing to replicate Covenant Nanolaminate Armor Plating, enough is learned to develop the Titanium A3 battle plate, which is more effective against plasma (although not to the degree of Covenant armor). Titanium A3h is a weaker version of Titanium A3 (much weaker than Titanium A2) that is malleable, light and cheap enough to use in ODST armor, among other things.

- Anti-Plasma Torpedo Counter-Guiding Signals. Reverse-engineered from the Covenant ships captured at Psi Serpentis by Cole's fleet, the Anti-Plasma Torpedo CGS works as a temporary jammer for Covenant weaponry. It allows Human ships to temporarily (for a few seconds) blind Covenant ships' weapons such that they will have a First Strike advantage.

- Element Zero Cores. EEZO Cores are used for both maneuverability and speed (in Frigates and Destroyers), while EEZO Weapons Cores are used for all ship weaponry that utilizes EEZO.

- Advanced Inertial Dampeners. Reverse-engineered from the Covenant's Inertial Dampeners, the updated Inertial Dampeners allow UNSC vessels to attain a greater acceleration in realspace. It is still not as effective as the original.

- Human Repulsor Engines. Reverse-engineered from Covenant Repulsor Engines, the Human Repulsor Engines allow higher speed and acceleration by human ships, allowing greater speed in slipspace as well. While the Repulsor Engines are nowhere near the Covenant's in performance, it is still a marked improvement.

- Human Plasma Torpedo. Using Mass Effect fields as well as Covenant know-how from their Plasma Turrets, the Human Plasma Torpedoes are faster in speed than the Covenant's, but cannot be guided and have a lower rate of fire. However, they do hit with slightly more force.

- Archer-II Plasma (Cluster) Missiles. Using Element Zero to supplement the Plasma Containment field, the Archer-IIs will split into five smaller missiles when fired, allowing a greater chance of it hitting their target. While it is more expensive than the Archer-I, the Archer-II is more effective against energy shields.

- Human Plasma Beam. Plasma Beams utilized a similar containment field as the Plasma Torpedoes, except that it is compressed by mass effect fields into something akin to a continuous ray. The Beam is continuous, and can last for varying amounts of time depending on power output. While not as powerful as an energy projector, and requiring intense power costs, it is a more powerful weapon against energy shields than the MAC.

- Magnetic/Mass Accelerator Cannon (MMAC/MAC Mk2). At 700 meters long, the new MAC is able to fire a 20-kilogram shell at a 1.03% light speed (3080 km/s) every 4 seconds, inflicting 22.6 kilotons TNT equivalent. The fire rate is 3.75 times faster than a standard shipboard MAC (Standard MACs take 15 seconds to charge), and outranges a standard MAC a hundred times over (30km/s compared to 3080km/s). This means that in the timespan of a single Standard MAC being charged and fired, the M2AC can fire three times, and from a ridiculous range. It can also inflict more firepower than a standard MAC in that timespan (67.8 KT compared to 64 KT). There are several major flaws, however, including the overheating issues (extensive heat sinks will be required), and the delicateness of the equipment. In addition, MMACs use Element Zero to operate.

- Broadside Hybrid Accelerator Cannons (Broadside HACs). Based on the Onager MACs, the Broadside HACs are light cannons that utilize Element Zero-based mass accelerators in conjunction with electromagnetic rails to provide fire support in naval battles and planetary bombardment. Each cannon is capable of firing once every two seconds, inflicting 0.5 Kilotons TNT equivalent per shot. Nearly all warship classes are to be armed with these weapons, greatly increasing their firepower.

- Heavy Magnetic/Mass Accelerator Cannon (H-M2AC). At 1250 meters long, the new H-M2AC is able to fire a 20-kilogram shell (for ease of logistics) at a 3.27% light speed (9812.5 km/s) every 10 seconds, inflicting 230 kilotons TNT equivalent per hit. The monumental damage capacity and range comes at the cost of ridiculous Element Zero usage, cost as well as poor maneuverability.

- Pulse Laser Batteries. Using Covenant know-how, Humanity has managed to improve the effectiveness and lower the price of Pulse Laser Batteries, which allows it to replace the CIWS that Navy ships had used.

- Mini-NOVA. Utilizing Mass Effect fields as a catalyst, the NOVA can be downscaled for a cheaper price (albeit at lower effectiveness). This is an invaluable asset to the UNSC's campaign of destroying Covenant worlds.

- ODST Combat Suits. With limited energy shielding, strength and speed enhancing artificial muscles, Titanium A3h coating and VISR Mk2 systems, the ODST Combat Suits provide Humanity's non-Spartan special forces an edge in battle. Despite the name, all UNSC Special Forces units use them.

- Infantry Battle Suit. A cheap version of the ODST Combat Suit that comes with weaker shielding and no artificial muscles (or Titanium A3h or VISR Mk2), the IBS has greatly improved the survivability of standard human forces.

- Infantry Battle Droid/General Security Droid. Developed by Shepard Defense Solutions, the IBD-1 and GSD-1 are robotic infantry units that are made to provide combat support and civil defense respectively. They are used to supplement the CDF and in some cases, are deployed to delay oncoming forces.

Diplomatic Relations

The UNSC has made contact with the alien species in the Covenant, but has no diplomatic relationships with any of them outside of total war.

The UNSC is on the verge of encountering the Citadel races, and by extension the Terminus races as well. However, no formal diplomatic relations exist at the moment.

Basic Summary (aka TLDR):

Humans are now more ruthless and willing to do anything to ensure victory. UED is basically a UNSC-controlled autocracy, while allowing limited autonomy on most planets. UED laws tend to have harsher punishments, with the most important change from the UEG being a universal draft. New techs are listed and described.

3,500 ships seems like a reasonable amount for the UNSC Navy. We're not given numbers on the actual size of the Navy, so I had to play guesswork. This, however, does not cover noncombat ships like freighters or transports (Phoenix-class Troop Transports are considered warships, but the bulk transport vessels that the UNSC uses to shuttle armies from one colony to another are not considered warships).

AN:

If you have prior military experience, or are knowledgeable in military protocol, kindly drop a PM. Also, I'm looking for a Halo junkie/expert as well as a soundboard for ideas. You'll need to know a lot about Halo's background lore, mainly Covenant ground warfare gear and mindset. Please PM if you'd like to apply for that post.