P'w'eck Confederation

The P'w'eck Confederation was a government in the, composed of and leading the s. It arose from the  and stood in opposition to the.

History
Following the assassination of the by  and the collapse of the  of, the P'w'eck revolt the  had feigned became a reality. While Lwothin remained on Bakura with other P'w'eck refugees, the revolution spread back into the.

The war initially favored the Ssi-ruuk, although their suffered without docile P'w'ecks ready for  and from attacks by the. At some point, the expatriate P'w'ecks on Bakura returned to the Imperium to reinforce their rebelling comrades. Gradually, the war turned in the favor of the P'w'ecks. By 100 ABY, the Ssi-ruuk were forced from, the traditional capital of the Imperium, which was widely regarded by Ssi-ruuk as a sign of divine disfavor.

As the P'w'eck Confederation grew in strength, it developed a defensive military in the event of the Ssi-ruuk returning. When the P'w'ecks discovered that the Ssi-ruuk were attacking and enteching other species in neighboring systems, however, the Confederation's legislature voted to hunt their former masters down to prevent the enslavement of other peoples. The Confederation Fleet pursued the Ssi-ruuk through the Unknown Regions.

In 140 ABY, the Ssi-ruuk conquered Shest Minor and began enteching its populace to support their increasingly strained military. The Ssi-ruuk proceeded to attack the Golden Empire, but suffered several losses against the Empire's Armada. In late 142 ABY, Queen Rin Sakaros and Crees'tuf Kweerikirr signed a treaty of alliance; the Empire would hold the border against the Ssi-ruuk and deny them safe haven, and in return the P'w'ecks would keep the Empire informed of developments in space south of its territory.

Government structure
The P'w'eck Confederation was a parliamentary democracy. The Confederation Legislature consisted of P'w'ecks elected from every member world of the Confederation, many of which had been former Imperium worlds. The Crees'tuf was a Prime Minister elected by and from the ranks of the Legislature's members. The Crees'tuf, acting in concert with the Legislature, controlled the Confederation's military. The Crees'tuf could personally negotiate treaties of alliance, though they had to be ratified by a majority of the legislators.

Society and culture
The expulsion of the three dominant Ssi-ruuk castes—blue-skinned politicians, red warriors, and golden priests—brought with it a cultural revolution among the P'w'ecks and the lower caste brown Ssi-ruuk who stayed with them rather than side with the upper castes. The caste system was abolished, and all comparable systems were made illegal. Tasks traditionally considered to "belong" to certain castes were opened to all beings, and all adult beings were given voting rights. Interbreeding between P'w'ecks and brown Ssi-ruuk was initially an area of contention, though it became more accepted over time.

The break between the P'w'ecks and their Ssi-ruuk masters caused a breakdown in the traditional Ssi-ruuvi religion. The P'w'ecks continued to believe the prophecy that the Keeramak's birth would herald equality among the castes, but rejected many traditional rituals and rites. In particular, the P'w'ecks did not worlds to which they spread, nor did they maintain an attitude of superiority toward other sentients.