KISMET Lore dump: The Verge Worlds are governed by the Hegemony--a loosely unified coalition of the largest city-states within the Verge.  These city-states are each lead by an Executor, and the 14 Executors within the Hegemony form the Conclave.  Theoretically, anyone can become an Executor, though the cost of paying the Conclave's yearly dues makes attaining this position an impossibility to all but the wealthiest and best-connected individuals.  Though this practice has drawn criticism from the Republic (who claim that the Verge Worlds are governed by oligarchs), many within the Verge Worlds agree that using wealth to surpass social barriers offers them greater social mobility and freedom than they would be afforded in the Old Worlds.