Kahhn Articles

The Kahhn Articles were written by King Kahhn, the first leader the Great Horn Dragon Imperial Federation, the Galactic Federation, and the Galactic Imperial Alliance. They set up a system of government which Kahhn planned out that would accommodate an empire composed of planets in different systems. Because the time it takes to travel between systems is so great, Kahhn believed that each system, and perhaps even each planet, should be allowed to govern themselves. However, Kahhn did leave behind a guideline for a central government that looked after the interests of the empire as a whole, and he did create a system of laws that he believed were universal in a society. The following is a record of exactly what Kahhn had written in his articles.

=The Kahhn Articles=

Government
The government of this empire should consist of three parts, and no more and no less. These should be the three branches of the government of this empire: an economic branch to keep the imperial economy in good condition; a branch of national affairs to deal with laws and regulations in deep space, and between systems; and lastly, a sovereign branch to control the military with absolute authority, and to have an independent system of laws and regulations on which to act. These three branches should interfere minimally with each independent star system, and each system should be allowed its own laws and its own customs; in addition, each system, or perhaps even each planet, should act as its own subordinate nation to the empire, with its own government and economy as well.

The Economic Branch
The function of the economic branch should be to regulate interstellar trade, and to determine what imperial funding should be used by the military and other governmental functions. The economic branch should not interfere with trade in an isolated system or planet. The powers of the economic branch should be to regulate the value of currency on an interstellar or interplanetary level by using imperial funding to influence price fluctuations, or to impose trade taxations that balance out the trade value of goods shipping between systems or planets if and only if it is necessary to stabilize a system's, or a planet's, or the empire's economy. If this branch of government should decide that empire's economic security is at stake, then they should have the ability to declare a state of emergency and to seize control of the military temporarily until the economy is stabilized. The economic branch should consist of first and foremost, a council of at least 20 members who should vote for where imperial funding should go. The branch should also appoint representatives from different planets and from the military to speak before them, and present any case for requesting funding.

The National Affairs Branch
The function of the branch of national affairs should be to maintain the continued peace and prosperity of the empire while interfering with isolated stellar or planetary governments as little as possible. The problems which this branch of government should act on include matters such as rebellious systems or planets if it threatens the empire; natural disasters that are of large enough scale to threaten whole planets; disputes between isolated stellar or planetary governments that become violently aggressive in nature; any issues regarding interstellar or interplanetary criminals; and other major concerns that are deemed to be a possible threat to the security of the empire or beyond the jurisdiction of isolated stellar or planetary governments. Other functions should include electing the Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander of the empire, and if necessary expunging him from power; approving large scale war efforts that involve a battlefront that may threaten the borders of the empire; requesting military presence and action in rebellious systems or planets and in the assistance of dealing with interstellar or interplanetary criminals; and advising military leaders based on the will of people. The national affairs branch should consist of elected representatives from each isolated stellar or planetary government, in order to assure the will of the empire's people is heard and acted upon.

The Sovereign Branch
The sovereign branch shall consist of the entire imperial military. It should act as a separate entity from the rest of the government and work in the interest of the empire as a whole on the international scale; it should therefore function with its own regulations and its own legal system. The sovereign branch should function in a significantly different manner than internal parts of the empire in that it should be a autocracy led by a single individual elected to be promoted the highest ranking officer by branch of national affairs, and should only be some-one of the highest possible ranking and expertise in the military. This rank shall be called the "Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander," and all military authority should rest with them unless a state of emergency is declared by the economic branch. The Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander does not have the authority; however, to interfere with internal affairs in which elected representatives have been given the authority to operate. The Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander is in charge of all international affairs, and any imperial funding given to the military is at his or her disposal to use as he or she sees fit. The Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander does have the power to enact martial law on any imperial system or planet; and the context in which he or she uses that power may be deemed acceptable or unacceptable by the branch of national affairs, which has the power to remove the Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander by a majority vote, therefore, he or she should be sure to take only the actions that are absolutely necessary when interfering with national affairs by declaring martial law. In certain scenarios, the Grand Admiral and Supreme Commander should be allowed to declare marshal law over a system or a planet without the chance of being removed from power that include when a system or a planet comes under attack by hostile forces; when a system or a planet is believed to be in serious danger by the threat of hostile advancement; if a rebellion against the empire occurs; and if the immediate threat of a natural disaster is perceived.

Protected Rights of Isolated Governments
Isolated governments on systems or planets, according to these articles, are guaranteed these certain rights of self-government. These rights should always be respected and taken into consideration when the imperial government intends to take action involving these isolated governments.

The Right to Regulate Trade Within an Isolated System
All governments of isolated systems or planets have the right to regulate their own trade however they see fit, and to regulate their own economy however they see fit.

The Right to Create and Enforce Laws
All governments of isolated systems or planets have the right to control their own legal system in its entirety in order to preserve their own culture and customs. They have the right to create laws, however unpopular or even necessary, for their people to abide by; they also have the right to enforce those laws by any measure they see fit, as long as such enforcement does not impede on the individual rights of any person. Isolated governments do not; however, have the right to hold anyone who is a non-citizen accountable for non-serious offenses, except in the occurrence of an interstellar or interplanetary criminal; the most serious punishment for an individual who is not a citizen of that isolated government should be exile, and the mandatory expulsion from the planet or system in which the isolated government operates in.

The Right to Preserve Customs
All governments of isolated systems or planets have the right to take whatever action is deemed necessary to preserve the customs and regulations of the isolated system; this is limited to the extended detainment or violent treatment of any foreigner of the isolated system.

Protected Rights of All Citizens
All citizens of the empire have a few very important rights that no isolated government may take from them. Because of many varying customs and traditions however, many of these rights specifically deal with foreigners who may not abide by such customs.

The Right to Demand Justice
If a citizen of any isolated government, for any reason, feels that an injustice has been committed against him or her, they may invoke the interference of a military trial or council to ensure that the individual's rights were not violated. A refusal to contact the appropriate authority should result in a complete military investigation and possibly involve a re-organization of the isolated system's or planet's government in the interest of imperial justice.

The Right to Live and Die by One's Own Choosing
If any citizen of any isolated government ends the life of another, that person should be considered a criminal, regardless of what cultures or laws they are bound by in their isolated government. No citizen shall ever be permitted to end the life of another who does not wish for death. Ceremonies and rituals which require the sacrificial killing of another are only allowed if the person in question is willing to die; but otherwise, such ritual killings are criminal, and will be pursued by the imperial military if necessary. There shall also be no mandate of death sentence in any legal system; any criminal should always be given the opportunity to instead spend his or her life in prison. Even in systems or planets where slavery is permitted, no slave shall be deprived of this right.

The Right to Be Born Free
No individual, born by slave, or by free persons, shall be considered slave. Even in cases where slavery is allowed, all people shall be free at birth; and therefore no person shall be born to such a fate.

The Right to Freedom of Thought and Ideology
No individual, regardless of any law, shall be punished for their ideological beliefs; for their thoughts, which ought to be private; or for their siding on any issue. In addition, no law shall be made that hinders the freedom to express one's beliefs or thoughts in a non-violent and non-threatening way. Laws may be made; however, which limit one's activities on non-public property.

The Right to Privacy
No law shall be made that interferes with the private practices of any citizen within their homes (even if those homes are not owned by such individual), as long as those practices do not intercede the rights of another.

The Right to Live Free From Uncustomary Laws
All citizens of the empire have the right to live and travel to whichever planet they wish within the empire; and they have the right to do so without having to follow laws which go against their customs as long as their customs to not intercede the rights or customs of others, so long as they live in areas of lower population, or in areas the isolated government has designated for foreigners.

The Right to Live Free From the Possibility of Capture
No law may be imposed that grants any citizen or group of people to kidnap, or otherwise capture any citizen for the purpose of torture or labor.

The Right to Live Free From Life Threatening Practices
<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">No law shall be made that forces any citizen to cooperate in a practice that is harmful in any way, and no citizen shall ever have the right to bring serious physical harm to another. By extension, no pregnant woman can ever be forced to abort her young.

The Right to Exile
<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">Any citizen who is found guilty of any crime and is sentenced to any punishment has the right to instead be exiled from the isolated government in question, and must leave within 5 Nierdroan days; this time is only to allow citizens in question to collect their valuables. The citizen in question may not return to the isolated government unless pardoned accordingly, or they face the possibility of imprisonment without another chance for exile.

The Right to Inheritance
<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">All citizens have the right to create a last will and testimony, and to will their possessions and monetary worth to others upon their death, free of any laws created by any isolated government, so long as their will does not impede on the rights of others.

Slave Rights
<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">Slavery shall be allowed under certain contexts within isolated systems, if their laws allow it; this is because different cultures have moderately acceptable concepts of slavery, most of which involve one voluntarily entering a slavery contract in exchange for many things that one believes is more important than his or her own self; as well as some cultures in which being claimed as a slave for various reasons is traditionally bound, and not crossing the boundaries of massive slave systems. Even in slavery, in addition to any contract made, all slaves shall have these rights entailed specifically for slaves.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Freedom By Cultural Transition: This ensures that a slave-owner cannot continue to keep slaves in an isolated system that does not allow it; upon arrival, any slaves are instantly considered free.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Raise and Bear Children: If a female slave becomes pregnant, she is considered free; however, any contract made with the former slave owner may be considered null and void as a result.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Non-value: No slave may ever be traded, in any context. Once a slave belongs to a master, that master must either keep them, or free them; however, slaves can be an object of inheritance. In essence, a slave shall have no monetary value attached to them.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Serve Only a Contracted Master: No slave shall ever be forced to serve more masters than what a contract specifically states with the exception of immediate family members within the household, and in the case of inheritance. In essence, no master can order that a slave obey the commands of another. In cases where no contract is made, and a slave is made out of a cultural claim, that isolated government's cultural laws shall govern this issue. Equally, no master may force a slave to sign any contract in any context.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Freedom of Ideology: All slaves shall have the right to keep their own beliefs under any context. No master shall punish any slave under reasoning that that slave holds different values or has different beliefs. In addition, no master shall ever be permitted to invade the thoughts of a slave and/or punish that slave based on what they think and/or feel. Slaves do not however, have the full right to speak openly about their thoughts, especially in the form of slanderous remarks made specifically to insult anyone unless their isolated government, or their master, grants such a right.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Live Free of Fear of Harmful Treatment: No master should ever be allowed to inflict bodily harm on a slave for any reason; equally, no slave should ever be forced to perform certain tasks or accept certain drugs or treatments that poses a potentially harmful risk; in addition, no slave may be forced to undergo a major, non-essential procedure that causes a permanent physical change to their body including but not limited to: plastic surgery of any kind, tattooing, body piercings, and/or organ donation. A master may; however, refuse to allow any procedure of that sort.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Monetary Possession: No master should ever be allowed to take funds or valuables from a slave in the context of a servitude contract; those valuables should remain the property of the slave and be returned if the slave is ever set free; the money a slave possesses should be considered theirs to keep and use at their own discretion. A contracted slave should equally have the right to grant their property and monetary worth to whomever they will in the event of their death.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Live Free From Unjustified Punishment: No master who is found to punish a slave in violent context, when that slave expresses their rights as stated in this article, shall be permitted to own slaves ever again, and all slaves he or she does own should be set free, while the master in question is still bound by any contract made. No master shall be permitted to act out in a manner that demoralizes or punishes a slave from expressing their rights in any other context; such offenses should also not be taken lightly.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">The Right to Flee: Any slave who flees an isolated govvernment in order to seek freedom should be allowed to do so; but in doing so, any contracts made shall be nullified, and in addition, they should be exiled from that isolated government, and any property or monetary worth the slave might have owned may legally be repossessed by the government. Any incident of a slave who flees from a contracted servitude should be thoroughly investigated by the branch of national affairs to determine if any unlawful regulations have been put in place by the isolated government, or if any mistreatment occurred by a master. Incidents of cultural slaves who flee should also be investigated. If a slave is found to be unlawfully treated in these situations, their former master or the isolated government, whoever is at fault, should be made to support that slave monetarily until either party dies.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">No Slave Race Policy: No tradition or custom that allows slavery may base any slavery on a race of people; such customs are considered taboo by law, and such activity will be considered illegal. Isolated governments found to allow this shall not be permitted to support slavery until 5 generations (1300 Nierdroan years) have passed by.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">No Slave Labor Policy: No one person may possess more than 8 slaves at a single time; no slave may be ordered to perform labor to build or sell anything that is not the private property of a master; no slave may be ordered to perform any service for an individual in exchange for anything of value; no slave can be forced to become a means to monetary gain of any master through service.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">No Child Slave Policy: No child under the legal age of adulthood in a particular isolated government should ever bee considered a slave.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">Freedom of Military Service: No slave shall ever be forced to join the military for any reason; in addition, any slave can join the military without the permission of a master. Any slave who serves in military for longer than 4 Nierdroan years, or enters into any combat scenario, is considered free. No master may prevent a slave from joining the military in any way.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">Citizen-Slave Policies: Slaves shall have the right to vote, and to vote for whichever side they wish. When it comes to involvement in any part of the government, a slave shall be considered a full citizen. If a slave is brought to trial for any reason, then they are temporarily considered free in order to pursue justice; if a slave is found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment, exile, or otherwise taken from a master, that master will lose ownership, regardless of whether or not that master goes into exile with the slave. A master cannot order a slave to perform any illegal activity; a slave who has committed a crime on behalf of a master is considered innocent, and the master shall be brought to trial. If a slave's master is imprisoned or exiled, the slave shall be set free; in addition, the master shall continue to be bound by any contract.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">Temporarily Free'd Slaves Policy: If any condition becomes present in which a slave can no longer legally be considered a slave, the slave shall become a master's property once those conditions are no longer present, unless that condition otherwise has been stated above.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">Knowledge of Rights Policy: No slave should ever be made unaware of their rights as stated in this article, as such, anyone who is made a slave should be given their rights, either on paper, or by spoken words. Any slave that has not recieved such rights shall be set free, and any contracts shall be nullified.

<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">Anti-Slavery Rule: The government of the Lithoe System should never be one that supports slavery. In addition, isolated governments of systems or planets that are predominantly urbanized or otherwise extremely populous should also not support it, and nor should military bases or embassies on any planet. If an isolated system or planet that culturally allows slavery becomes extremely populous, a movement to abolish slavery there should be considered.

Independent Ship Policies
<p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-style: normal; ">If any ship is considered the home of any group of people, rather than a system or a planet, then they are only bound by the regulations of that ship; in essence, a ship with no isolated government attachment may act as it's own isolated government. Independent ships shall be considered a autocracy run by the ship's owner, or an absolute democracy, represented by an elected captain if the ownership of the ship is not definite. The one exception that independent ships shall receive is that of some of the slave rights, as on a small functioning system, it may be the case that more slaves are necessary to run a ship, or that slaves may be needed to answer to other people as is necessary to run the ship, and it may also be that if slaves abandoned the ship to serve the military that the ship would no longer have a sufficient crew. Some slave rights shall remain intact, and those shall be whichever rights are deemed irrelevant to the continued functioning of the ship, which may vary depending on ship size, the amount of slaves on-board, and the amount of slaves needed to ensure the ship runs efficiently.