A loose federal system uniting all three major human powers with the Virgonid Greater Hive, the Interstellar Compact has its roots in the military alliance between the TIU, the VGH, and the CFW, secretly signed in June 2313 in response to the growing Cipher threat. In 2340, the alliance was formalized and expanded to include the new UCC, as well as associate members the melakeen, the xirān, and the uthal.

Continuing conflict with both the Ciphers and the Kyrans led to closer ties and increased cooperation between the allied powers. In the contentious Monocerotis Summits, annual negotiations occurring at V616 Monocerotis between 2390 and 2400, the Articles of Compact were ultimately agreed upon, and the Interstellar Compact was formally inaugurated following the first interstellar elections in December 2401. The full members of the Compact are the Terran Interstellar Union, the FWR, the United Citizens’ Councils, and the Virgonid Greater Hive. The melakeen and the xirān maintain a status as associate members, essentially permanent military allies of the Compact with special trading and migration rights.

The Compact’s remit is almost entirely limited to military and foreign affairs, as well as trade and monetary policy. The Articles guarantee certain basic political rights, in order to ensure equal participation in the Compact electoral process, but otherwise domestic affairs are left entirely up to the member state governments. The Compact is governed by two primary branches: the Interstellar Parliament and the Interstellar Executive.

The Parliament is divided equally, with twenty-five seats going to each of the four full member states. The electoral process for these representatives is determined by the member states themselves: in the UCC and the TIU, they are chosen directly by the electorate; in the FWR they are elected by the planetary legislatures; while in the VGH, they are selected by random lot. Parliament is tasked with passing laws, setting taxes, and declaring war.

The Interstellar Executive is led by the Executor, who serves as the Compact head of state and commander in chief. As with Parliament, the method of the Executor’s election varies by member state. The TIU and UCC vote directly, while the FWR and the VGH send electors to a convention, the former chosen by election, the latter by random lot. The Executor conducts foreign policy, serves as commander in chief of the military, and breaks deadlocks in Parliament. They appoint an Executive Cabinet, with ministers of state, the economy, the navy, communications, and foreign affairs. These ministers must be approved by Parliament before they take up their duties.

By far the two biggest draws on the Compact budget are the Interstellar Compact Defense Forces (ICDF), in particular the Interstellar Compact Navy, and the Interstellar Compact Reconstruction Authority (ICRA), which is tasked with administering the Protectorate worlds liberated from the Ciphers at the end of the Galactic War.