Stipulation 3

"Stipulation 3 : No person shall be complicit in, participate in, and/or knowingly abet others engaged in assembling, or, through illegal use of force, obtaining the means to assemble a war machine constituting a direct and demonstrable threat to the peace and sovereignty of the Focus Protectorate."

The term "Assemble a war machine" elevates this stipulation above Stipulation 1 and 2 which deal with planetary raids, invasions and piracy. The February Consortium were deemed to have the means to assemble a war machine by virtue of having invaded a metal rich world with an advanced industrial capability expressly used for creating armoured shipmetal. Having already proven themselves prepared to engage in piracy, and to initiate an illegal planetary invasion by invading a world, Tiovo, it would make building an even larger fleet of craft that could be used for further invasions an easy matter. By this means the little known Stipulation 3 came into effect, enabling the Sovereign to convene a Threat Session and assume emergency powers to eliminate the threat.