What? I hate you?

No. It's more like, I don't get you. And it is irritating me.

See, you have this whole plot well planned and just because Jimmy said that one element is not working as stated in canon, you dropped it. People like Shou tried to help you, I believe you CAN still save it. But crap, if you think I hate you, you don't know what my hate is and who are the object of my hate, yes I mean that Sunrise fanboy and that guy forcing NanoFate on the community. Those are guys I hate.
You? I don't hate you. Did you annoy me? Yes, at times, when I don't get what you are expecting from our creations. Do I like some of your ideas? Yes. And I told you to let the nerd rage go and pass by you, because you are not going to change the way we are.

It's like that South Park episode about Garrison, the gay community and the tolerance.

Tolerance meant that you have to stand and stomach everyone's points of views and opinions on various topic. You occasionally let go what is in your chest. But tolerance does not mean that you HAVE TO CHANGE for the sake of people you have to tolerate. As Garrison said.

TK, Goose, Sheba, and Tempest already hate me. Tempest and TK told me to leave. So I left.

@EcureuilMatrix: As I mentioned in the post, I think it's the Federation. It has a policy of non-interference in local (planetary) matters unless it involves humanitarian issues, or if a criminal conceivably threatens a large enough population and the TSAB's help is explicitly requested. As for governance, it could be something like the US Federal Government (at least in theory): the individual states are free to enact their own laws and such, but they're still "under" the federal government, and the federal level trumps state level.

So your scale looks pretty good, except that I'd add that for points 1 and 2, the TSAB also handles the fiscal aspect, to provide for a common currency. I think that if the TSAB could get away with it, it would also institute the common currency, or at least a fixed exchange rate, for point 3. This stuff is important.

As for the limiters, it's probably something like that: a reassurance that no one unit can pose a destabilizing threat to the TSAB. A revolution may or may not ever be necessary, but what most people truly want is a guarantee that they'll be able to survive the post-revolutionary years, and that, subsistence-wise, tomorrow will end up more or less something like today.

The TSAB fighting forces do seem to favor a softer approach to enforcement, what with non-lethal magic and very generous work release programs and plea bargains (Fate, the Knights, the Numbers). Strong mages being too valuable to be jailed unless necessary? Lack of prison space? Are there penal battalions? I mean, if you can get away with Conspiracy for Jewel Seed Hoarding, Grand Theft Linker Core and Attempted Orbital Bombardment, what about simple felonies?

On the matter of power restrictions, I suppose that the aversion of the TSAB to overly strong teams might have to do with their occasional problems with rogue mages. Culturally, TSAB would prefer professionalism and teamwork over power and skill, 50 A-ranks over 1 S-rank. I'm now wildly guessing, but I've always wondered over the TSAB's PR. Are limiters also for the purpose of reassuring people that no single unit can pose too great a threat?

Which brings me to my great question: what is the relationship with civil authorities. Is the TSAB its own master? Under the purview of a single state, or an Interpol-like org under some sort of MultiGalactic United Nations? It seems that MidChilda itself is under direct administration. Earth and Alzus (Alzas?, not sure there) seem to be left mostly alone, being not advanced enough. Does TSAB have customs juridiction? Do they have a theory of humanitarian interference?

My own pet theory is a scale of governance:
1) TSAB direct administration; a minority of worlds, including mage-heavy worlds, some industrial star systems; a bit like military bases; everything under TSAB law.
2) TSAB indirect admin; civilian admin and TSAB law enforcement;
3) Protectorates; Civilian admin and local planet-side enforcement, except in matters of magic felonies; TSAB controls surrounding space. Includes worlds unaware of universe at large, like NonAdmin#97
4) Semi-Autonomous: local admin, local law including magical law, local space, but interstellar space under TSAB
5) Independent Allied States, having treaties with TSAB on equal terms.

…Sorry, got carried away. There's just so much food for thought. orz

Same here, and I did like how that worked, though it's execution (lol limiters) needed a little work. One thing I also thought could have been an angle taken in StrikerS that wasn't was the attempt of the TSAB to distance themselves from necessary mage usage. At a certain point, I wouldn't have been surprised if the TSAB decided to declare magic unnecessary and subject to forced absolute permanent suppression. For a start. :P

And I'd really like to know how a community forces someone out who doesn't really seem to be firestarting anything. Were there arguments that occurred about your ideas of things like that? Maybe a "this doesn't fit what we want to do" sort of thing? Either way, I find it a little annoying, though I don't know all the details.

Agreed.