Traken Union

The Traken Union, (TV: The Keeper of Traken) also known as the Union of Traken (PROSE: Cold Fusion; AUDIO: Primeval) or the Empire of Traken, (TV: Black Orchid; PROSE: Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken) was a political entity known for its universal harmony.

Governance
The Traken Union was organised by the Keeper of Traken, who drew on the minds of all those that lived within the Union through the use of the Source. (TV: The Keeper of Traken) The rulers (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken) were the five Consuls of Traken, appointed representatives who were guided by the Keeper and could summon him by unanimous vote. The law held that the Keeper could speak only through their consuls, (TV: The Keeper of Traken) who were always chosen from the elite. (AUDIO: Primeval)

The consuls were based on Traken, the Empire's capital planet and the one most advanced and with the most ancient traditions. (AUDIO: Psychodrome)

Territories
The Union was a group of five or six allied planets centred around the star system of Mettula Orionsis, (PROSE: Divided Loyalties) including Traken (TV: The Keeper of Traken) and the colony of Serenity on the edge of Mutter's Spiral (PROSE: Cold Fusion) or the Silver Devastation. (AUDIO: Cold Fusion) Serenity was the only planet to survive the entropy wave. (PROSE: Cold Fusion; AUDIO: The Guardians of Prophecy)

History
The Traken Union was formed through the signing of agreements. (PROSE: Goth Opera) As the Trakens did not believe that they had anything to learn from the past, they did not study their history. (AUDIO: Primeval)

Peace was a major characteristic of the Empire. It was known for its universal harmony. Some said that there was so much goodness that evil died away when it arrived on Traken. The Fourth Doctor once described the Traken Union as "a whole empire held together by people just being terribly nice to each other." (TV: The Keeper of Traken)

In 1981, entropy built up in the universe and destroyed the Traken Union. (TV: Logopolis) The only remaining Trakenites were Nyssa and the inhabitants of Serenity, the outpost of Trakenites most remote to Traken. (PROSE: Cold Fusion, AUDIO: The Guardians of Prophecy)

Following the fall of the Traken Union, the Benign Union rose in its place, with its capital the planet Serenity. (AUDIO: The Guardians of Prophecy)