The Second Dominion, a short introduction.
Unknown thousands of years ago, the leaders of the scant spacefaring planets in the sector grew tired of war. Perhaps they found themselves anxious about committing such large quantities of their resources to military coffers, rather than growth and prosperity. Perhaps they recognized the damage a military coup exacted upon the resources of a place they'd ultimately like to exploit. Whatever their individual reasons, they cautiously agreed to meet together for the first time, to discuss peace and cooperation. Thus the Dominion came to be, and brought with it untold eons of peace and ease—and ultimately decadence.
Five hundred years ago, the Dominion collapsed under its own weight. Different sources blame different causes, but about the effects everyone agrees: chaos, and overtures of war. What luck that a coalition of corporate entities came together to establish a new Dominion in place of the old one! The Second Dominion, an ever-changing roster of the sector's corporations, each contributing some percentage of their profits to the greater good in an effort to protect the well-being of their customers, and ultimately the well-being of their bottom line.
The Second Dominion does not operate precisely the way a government typically does. Local politics are generally left to local politicians, such that each planet remains largely sovereign and self-governing. Every decade, Dominion-ruled systems send delegations to the Great Meeting, in which they parley and negotiate with the governing corporate body, and return with new requirements for continued membership: taxes, dues, fees, percentages, tariffs, stipends, and penalties. In return, member systems enjoy full access to Dominion trade routes, market exchanges, and military protection. Non-members, of course, are barred from ordinary trade with Dominion systems.