Sepharem

The Golden Republic of Sepharem, the Golden Republic or more commonly Sepharem, is an independent republic.

Congress
Congress is the supreme legislative body of the Golden Republic, consisting of 1000 members elected on the basis of multi-seat constituencies. While most electoral constituencies are based on geography, this is not the case for all. Notable 'special constituencies' exist for particular groups recognised by the law, either because their profession or their background. For example, those enlisted in the navy have their own constituency, as they do not physically reside in a constituency and would therefore not be able to vote otherwise. Additionally, some minorities are also given special representation, such as the Klithit species, which has two special seats. In cases where citizens would fall under two constituencies, they must indicate which one they wish to register for, and may only vote for that one.

As the planet of Sepharem holds the vast majority of the Golden Republic's population, it also holds the majority of seats. Other major population centres such as the various inhabited moons of the Sepharem system or its orbital habitats, also have representation. Elections are held every five years. Only citizens over 20 years old may vote, regardless of species. To be a candidate, one has to be of at least 25 years old and have been a citizen for at least five years.

Military
The military of the Golden Republic are collectively called the Self-Defense Forces, under the auspices of the Department of Defense. The SDF is subdivided into the Golden Navy and the Combined Army.

The SDF is an all-volunteer force. However, not all species are allowed to serve. Although this has been controversial at times, the official stated reason for this is that the physiology of certain species makes it difficult to provide equipment for them.

Due to the relatively small amount of territory that the SDF is meant to defend,

Due to the small size of the Golden Republic, the SDF has emphasized quality over quantity, as well as cutting-edge technology to overcome a likely difference in numbers. As such, the Navy generally consists of highly mobile vessels with long range weaponry. While the exact numbers are a closely kept secret, it is believed that the Golden Navy retains a significant fleet of stealth-capable vessels.

Additionally, many systems in Sepharem space are heavily fortified by orbital platforms.