Miniknog

The Miniknog are functionally an Aristocratic controlled Technocracy, ruled by those invested deep within the sciences, be it the scientists themselves or those who directly fund them. It has a reputation for various rights violations and for being extremely powerful when crossed. However, the Miniknog in general prefer to be left to their own devices, which arguably is the reason why they have survived into the current day despite their crimes.

Operation
There are several consulates within the Miniknog.

The consulate within the Miniknog that holds all the power is Big Ape’s Guidance Consulate (BAGC). Members of this consulate are the most dedicated and elite of the Apex, skilled in all kinds of areas. While members of this consulate are indeed scientifically literate, they must also be able to offer other skills, as Apex scientists are not an uncommon sight to be seen. Members are usually skilled psychologists and planners, able to lead the Miniknog coherently as well as exercise control over the Apex population. BAGC is the ultimate authority of the Miniknog, handling large scale projects or stepping in when the consulates below them cannot decide upon a choice. They also select who is involved in the other consulates.

To say that there is no Big Ape is only partly true. Big Ape is a title held by the leader of the BAGC. Big Ape does not really hold much more power than the rest of BAGC, however. It is more fair to say the title is symbolic than a true title of power. Big Ape is worshiped almost religiously by the Apex population. It is suspected Big Ape is only an entity used to make the populace more compliant.

The next consulates handle the more day-to-day aspects of Miniknog. There are four of them: Ministry of Truth (MoT), Civil Life Guidance (CLG), General Life Enhancement (GLE), and Guardians of the Apex (GOTA). The MT creates all of the “truth” for the Apex people to see. They distribute all the media from the Miniknog, enforcing what is allowed and what is not. MT also punishes citizens who violate the guidelines, ruthlessly. CLG controls the day-to-day life of the Apex. From what food they can consume to what their living spaces are like to their assigned jobs, the GLG decides for all. GLE both logs and commences scientific pursuits. The GLE is given a yearly to-do list by BAGC, which they are required to attempt to complete and provide results for. Finally, GOTA is the militant bulk of the Miniknog, pushing all of their militant pursuits. They are responsible for colony defence and rooting out rebels. Under these consulates are the Apex civilians themselves. The civilians are required to listen to the consulates above them without question. As such, punishment is enforced for disobeying or for questioning their actions. Below the civilians are those deemed traitors to the Miniknog. They are either captured rebels or Apex who disobeyed the Miniknog too much. These Apex are not treated kindly in any shape or form, and are often the subjects selected for experimentation. While the Miniknog will use their own civilians in experimentation on occasion, they prefer to use those they call traitors. After all, there’s no use in wasting a compliant citizen when you have your enemies.

History
Summary: Most believe that the Miniknog were a nation of Apex who gained control over the whole species. Some time before FTL travel, the Apex had their entire species permanently altered through VEP. Upon first contact with the Terran Republic, both the Miniknog and Terran Republic came to a mutual agreement of non-interference with one another. The Miniknog would eventually see the Universal Space Corporate Military (USCM) as a threat to its existence, falsely agreeing to participate in a collaborative project, sabotaging it in the process to destroy the USCM organization. In 3046 GSY, a civil war broke out amongst the Apex population. 3068 GSY was the year that the Apex suffered a massive loss after the rebels captured and destroyed an important base, believed to have been where Big Ape himself was housed.

How the Miniknog came to obtain its power over the Apex has been lost to the winds of time. Most researchers believe the Miniknog started out as a nation of Apex who were able to completely crush any opposition, gaining control over the entire species. The Miniknog then proceeded to destroy every single record of history before their reign, starting a long streak of gaslighting and propaganda on their population. Past that, however, it would seem that nobody can agree what had happened next. Historians and scholars are highly divided as to what really happened after this period. Nobody can even agree which colony of the Miniknog is the home planet of the Apex.

The one thing everyone can agree on is that before the advent of convenient space travel, the Miniknog induced the Vestigi-Evo Process, more commonly known as physical devolution. Through some methods that are kept top secret by the Miniknog, the Apex species was permanently altered. It is an open secret amongst outside populations or populations of liberated Apex that this event was far prior to the year 3065 GSY, and that timeline is merely another piece of Miniknog propaganda used to gaslight those who are ruled by them.

Because of the intellectual advantage Apex held, advancements in technology would be made rather quickly by them. Soon, Apex researchers would discover a fuel source that worked wonders for space travel. It is quite unclear how long the Apex have been traveling across the stars. However, according to Hylotl records, dated to be some time around 2398 GSY, the Apex having approached a Hylotl city in curiosity. While the Apex eventually left without establishing an alliance, it is recorded by the Hylotl that no aggressive actions were made. The human government of the Terran Republic would first encounter their ships and colonies in the early 25th century, with the earliest encounter dating back to 2413 GSY.

The Terran Republic was initially wary of the Miniknog, fearing that they may attempt to spread their regime. However, it became abundantly clear that the Miniknog only sought control over their own populace, and the Terran Republic had yet to find out about everything the Miniknog had been doing. The Terran Republic had issues of their own to tend to during this period, and a conflict with yet another alien government was not something they needed. The Terran Republic and Miniknog eventually developed some silent mutual understanding of each other. While some Apex started to become citizens of the Terran Republic, the Miniknog seemed to know it was in their best interest to not contend the Human central government about it.

The Miniknog went through like business as usual. However, in 2997 GSY, something that the Miniknog could see as a threat reared its head. This threat was the USCM, a militant group of humans who were gaining a level of concerning power and influence. The Miniknog would quietly research the workings of the USCM, figuring out what would be their best line of action. Ideas of warfare was thrown around, although the Miniknog knew what kind of losses that would cause. After a few years, the Miniknog concluded they should engage in an “alliance” with the group, which was quietly signed internally by the USCM in 3001 GSY.

The Miniknog patiently waited for the perfect time. It was then in 3014 GSY where the USCM would directly seek out the assistance of the Miniknog, requesting the creation of a bioweapon that could destroy the Terran Republic. The Miniknog, of course, had no interest of destroying a group that had ultimately done them no foul, nor creating an immense power vacuum which would feed into the power of the USCM. In early 3048 GSY, the weapon was finished. The Miniknog then proceeded to anonymously inform the Terran Republic about what was likely to occur, allowing the Terran Republic to prepare. In a few weeks, when the USCM tried to use the weapon on a large megacity controlled by the Terran Republic, it went horribly wrong. All versions of Project Parasprite simultaneously went rogue while the Terran Republic chewed through the USCM. This was a catastrophic failure for the USCM, but a success for the Miniknog.

Despite the success, the Miniknog was just starting to face their biggest threat. This was no hostile militant organization. Instead, it was their own people who would become their biggest threat, as the Apex species would soon go to civil war. While in 3042 GSY small rebellions would occur occasionally, it soon turned into a major threat. In 3046 GSY, the first rebellion in a major colony occured. An Apex revolutionary, Lana Blake, would lead the revolution. While the Miniknog were eventually able to force the Apex rebels to flee and reclaim the colony in no less than two months, they realized that this was no isolated incident. Rebellious intent had woven its way into the very fabric of their society. The Miniknog could no longer afford to be so lax. Instead of focusing on ensuring their security from any outside source for the future, they had to focus on their very own.

The Miniknog would start a guerilla campaign to force their populace into compliance. In the past, the Miniknog was rather lax on their citizens for a totarlian regime. Now though, even the slightest thing could not be tolerated now. In addition to this, the Miniknog started to hyper focus on military technology. While general experimentation for improvement was their earlier bread and butter, they now had to quash the Apex rebels who threatened them.

3068 GSY is when the Miniknog would face the worst loss at the hands of the Apex rebels. A group of adventurers who were hunting for ancient artifacts would break into a very important facility with the assistance of the Apex Rebels, defeating a highly advanced defence system AI in the processes. Because of how valuable this facility was to the Miniknog, dozens of files were trashed, lost, and stolen. In recent years, the Miniknog has been forced to withdraw in and abandon some of their more isolated colonies. Currently, their main focus is ramping up defence, taking out any Apex who express rebellious intent before it is too late, and the advancement of militant technology that can damage Rebels.