The Earth Empire, which would eventually become the United Earth Federation, was the original society from which the other two factions (Aeon and Cybran) splintered. Its history dates back to pre-colonial days when travel to other worlds was still but a dream. Through innovation, ambition and desire, the Empire expanded its borders into the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Eventually, the Empire grew so large that it could no longer support itself; it fragmented and the Empire plunged into chaos and civil war.

Only the core of Earth Command (EarthCom), the military arm of the now shattered Earth Empire, remained to carry on the torch of a united Earth-descended government. They gathered power unto themselves and eventually initiated a strategy to reunite all worlds under Earth’s banner. As the United Earth Federation (UEF), they are driven to restore their former glory, pursuing the ideals of brotherhood, honor and tradition--the virtues that once made them great. This time they promise to remain conscious of the lures of greed and corruption that lead to the original Empire’s downfall by tempering their individual ambitions with a new, united camaraderie.

 Culture

The average UEF citizen is not too different from a 20th Century American. They are artisans, athletes, craftsmen, warriors and philosophers. They desire stability and order, but their ideas on how this should be achieved vary widely. Each has his own opinion on how the government should achieve its goals and whether or not the UEF even has the right to try and restore something that failed so long ago. Ancient religions are as varied and diverse as they were in pre-war days and continue to be a motivating factor for many.

Even if individuals differ in their political or social perspectives, the single most common trait shared by every UEF citizen is their sense of brotherhood and community. UEF colonists really band together when times are tough. Positively contributing to society and personal improvement is a way of life for UEF citizens. For this reason, UEF communities very rarely contain vagabonds and homeless individuals.

 Personality

The UEF rulers are expansive, aggressive and authoritarian. They believe that this is necessary to ensure galactic order and the common good. They are attempting to rebuild the Empire that fell at the onset of the Infinite War, and with memory of such dark times still present all around them, UEF leaders can be driven to justify extreme measures.

Their main focus is their military might, and their prime virtue is order. They see nothing wrong with utilizing technology, including genetic engineering, to help achieve that lauded goal. Therefore, they still use large numbers of submissive Cybran workers, called symbionts in UEF space, who usually come from cloned stock and have been subtly programmed to be obedient to EarthCom. These symbionts are integral to a colony’s survival and perform a variety of roles; from menial domestic laborers to technicians and scientists.

 Military

In general, UEF military units are larger, more aggressive versions of 20th Century US military hardware; everything is bigger, louder, bristles with more weapons and packs a more impressive punch. They prefer weaponry that causes impact damage, such as various ballistic munitions, and area of effect ordinance that causes widespread destruction, such as nukes and radiation devices. They also make excellent use of lasers and plasma weapon technology to pinpoint sensitive areas on large military units. They tend to announce their impending attacks by utilizing brute-force jamming techniques before moving in for the kill.

UEF military tactics are the most conventional of the factions, with a focus on concentrated fire to bring down enemy units quickly and effectively. They also have a penchant for strong defenses, allowing them precious time to marshal a response to any unexpected attack.

UEF soldiers, and especially their Commanders, are subjected to heavy genetic engineering. Thorough psychological screening for loyalty and sanity has become a requirement since a few CDRs went rogue during the Empire’s infancy. While this still can happen, the process helps ensure that each Commander believes unquestioningly in their duty to lead mankind out of the current chaos of war and into an Age of Peace.

By William Harms (writer for Supreme Commander)