As far as the timeline goes, it’s directly related somehow to a planet called Earth, which seems to lie in the middle of the forbidden zone. This planet is not only off-limits as ordered by the Watchers, it’s also impossible to get there, as magic doesn’t work in the area anywhere around it, and ships’ Biowarp engines give out. It appears to have a strong connection with the planets commonly called Altearths. There are a number of other planets which are deemed “Watcher Protected Planets”. Watcher Protected Planets are restricted territory—the most powerful faction in the galaxy enforces the rule that no one is allowed there. The other planets, however, are not afforded the luxury of being protected in such a way, and therefore have banded together into a number of factions, each one composed primarily of different racial types and each with its own history. These are the current factions which wield galactic authority:
Golden Alliance: The Golden Alliance is composed mostly of Demi-humans, Humans, and Mythics. They're considered to have the most governmental power because they have the highest combined population, but even they have to obey the limits on the galaxy placed by the Watchers. They hold the primary economic power, and can set the rates on commodities to suit them best. They've also got the best-equipped army, and their scout ships are usually the first to contact newly discovered civilizations, giving them the upper hand when it comes to diplomatic matters. They can also, to an extent, order the other powers' armies around, but in turn are expected to defend them when trouble occurs. They set space-faring laws and regulate IFF signals, but the most visible result of that is that they get to pick what color each faction's ships show up as on radar screens (They're yellow, by the way).
The heart of the GA is the bringing together of all peoples, to mix ideas and cultures in order to extract the perfect combinations thereof. The logo itself (Which resembles an open pair of parenthesis turned sideways) is a symbol of the joining of Humans and Mythics, the Humans and their sciences represented by the lower semicircle and the Mythics and their magics by the upper. Almost all their decisions and technology are created with input from as many sources as possible. The GA makes sure that every planet has a voice in all council meetings--within the GA itself or on a larger scale.
Unless a group of systems rebel and form their own power, most newer space-faring civilizations make a bid to join the power of their choice. If they choose to join the GA, they must basically prove their worth, as far as resources go, to the head council of the GA. If accepted, they're allowed to use GA tech and are protected from any invaders in exchange for access to their resources and creativity.
The GA almost never starts military campaigns, though they've occasionally pushed back other factions from new planets when they felt it was in the best interests of the new civilization. (They're more likely to shoo away buddy-buddy powers like the AP, but seem to revel in smacking around "troublemakers" like Legion or GAN)
GA members at gatherings of multiple factions are generally the most jaded--they've seen everything, so there's hardly any race that fazes them. They also seem to be good at utilizing synergy, and are often picked as leaders (the individual that knows who will work well together is a good team captain). The patriotic concepts they're taught on their home planets are that everyone has something special to bring to the table, and that only by working together can maximum potential be obtained.
Galactic Anarchists: The GAN is composed primarily of Deviling races, but also includes some shapeshifter races and some of the less domesticated Demi-human races. As with the other powers, there's a sprinkling of everything in there.
In actually, they're not so much a cohesive power as they are an area of space that has decided to abandon most of their laws. They're often absent from galactic council meetings, only showing up when a vote applies directly to them and almost never sending the same delegates twice.
Not exactly an anarchy as they often claim, the GAN has only the most basic laws, to protect against murder and theft. In addition, bureaucracy has been outlawed in GAN territory, so diplomats to that space must be chosen carefully.
As opposed to all the hassle of politics as they are, the GAN refuses to make any treaties that cannot be summed up in less than a dozen words. They still must acquire resources, but their unique method of travel by teleportation gives them little need to build a huge convoy fleet. Their largest ships, cargo haulers with tiny engines, have been equipped with Biowarp drives which harness Devilings’ ability to teleport, and as such can only teleport to places the Biowarp Drive's operator has been. To this extent, most of the GAN's shipbuilding resources have been poured into making advanced scout ships.
The GAN needs resources for the same reasons any other power does--food, tech, and a variety of fun imports. They export a number of exotic products, namely food, but most other races don't rely on their "exotic" technology. Hence, they import reliable technology from other powers when they really want to make sure something works.
As far as culture goes, the GAN doesn't reach out too far for the variance they crave. In general, they enjoy interacting more in an interplanetary sense, as only their nearest "buddy" planets share their relatively twisted sense of humor and art.
The GAN is generally considered to be the source of the highest concentration of pirates in the galaxy. This might be true, but in general the races composing the "union" are not belligerent. They can be extremely mischievous, though, sometimes to dangerous extents. Their name, for example, was chosen to cause acronymic confusion with the Golden Alliance. Only after pressure from both the GA and the AP did the Galactic Anarchists change their GA to GAN, and even that was a joke by GAN, as it required shipbuilders to add an additional letter to the faction identifier computers on most ships.
Most of the GAN members in power have a disdain for any power over them, but have come to the realization that an elf sitting in a chair two hundred thousand light years away can't actually run their lives. Therefore, they act in the manner which most disrupts the GA's perceived authority over the galaxy. Many of them truly believe that by throwing a kink in the balance of power and overturning the table, they can help other planets gain independence from oppressive governments.
The GA thinks of the GAN as a bother but no real trouble, but the AP regards them as the greatest threat ever to peace and morality in the galaxy. The EL believes that while their goals are admirable, their means are all wrong, and the CTS thinks the GAN at least makes them look civilized. It's hard to say if they would ally with others to defeat the GA, as they don't really seem to want war. They would really rather the governments genuinely attempt to correct their faults than another misguided government take over.
Most GAN school systems teach their students that there are no clearly defined lines between "good" and "evil”; that one should strive for "good", but not to assume that anyone standing in your way is "evil".
There's surprisingly little in-fighting between the systems in the GAN. If they were the type want to pick a fight, they'd more likely go elsewhere as pirates.
Castaways Treaty Systems: The CTS is primarily inhabited by Redeemed, Demi-Human, and Mecha races, but is also host to a number of Legion, Spirit, and Shape-shifter races. These are races that have been severely taken advantage of in the past, usually by the GA, and have broken away and taken over uninhabited planets. Most are races that were raised or built as soldiers, but some (especially Mecha races) were used in different ways. Most of them were not cultural, though, so they're striving to achieve that culture. Despite the image cast on most of their component societies, they're not evil. They've pulled together as friends, they live together, and when necessary, they fight together.
In the Galactic Council, they try to be friends with everyone, even the GA, while still maintaining their independence. In actual space, they've still got fleets poised over their capital planets and resource-rich planets, just in case. They don't really bother with scout ships, instead focusing on trade. Since none of their ships match, they have possibly the strangest-looking convoy in the galaxy. They don't need as much in the way of resources as most races do, especially the Spirit, Mecha, and Legion races, so they are perfectly willing to trade out their resources for technology and culturally-based items.
Most of the other major powers don't pay too much attention to them, but they're not completely under the radar. The GA especially likes to pretend they don't exist, as they're too small still to pose a threat and therefore safe to ignore. The AP tries to keep a watchful eye on them, and the EU has approached them with alliance propositions a few times, which were too specific for their liking. They're pretty close to the bottom of the totem pole, power-wise.
Most of their forces that are still willing to serve as soldiers are too scattered to be very powerful, and their precious few battleships are spread thin in orbit around their most valuable planets. They're not chosen as targets by the galactic powers so much as they are by pirates, since because their convoys tend to bring back technological and cultural items, pirates who can pick off a single ship get rich pretty quick. This is why their trade convoy stays together as much as possible.
Most inter-planetary battles since the invasion of Legion have been fought in space, and since the CTS has very few ships outside of cargo haulers, their space presence is quite pathetic. They've begun converting some transports into warships, but this is a very slow process. They have also been building some smaller fighter mecha, deciding to invest in the skill of their pilots more than in having overwhelming numbers. In any case, they don't want to be a military power as much as a cultural power. Although they lack ships in number, they do have a combat advantage in their diversity. Anyone pulling an actual assault on them has no idea what to expect--The enemy fleet could turn insubstantial and launch a magical barrage, a single capital ship could transform into a swarm of fighters, or they could drag the enemy’s smaller ships in and instantly recycle them(and the pilots) into new ships on their side.
Angelic Protectorate: Generally regarded as the galaxy’s police force, the Angelic Protectorate has the highest enlistment percentage of any of the galactic factions. Whenever there has been a major battle in the galaxy, the AP has been there, guns blazing, looking for the good guy to side with. The AP’s ships are generally slow and bristling with guns, but since they’re supposed to be on the defender’s side and movement isn’t an issue when they’re waiting for the enemy, they’re an impressive—and sometimes even terrifying—sight to behold, and their mere presence usually heralds a quick end to battle.
The Angelic Protectorate is composed almost entirely of Divine, their individual races and families fitting into a ranked caste system that is rarely broken. All children are raised in a military fashion and are expected to perform a useful function in society the rest of their lives. While this system tends to be discriminate against the lower-class families, most divine in the AP are aware that their lot is necessary for the greater good and therefore do not complain.
The greater good, by the way, is the most important element of the life of any AP member. From the day they are born, they are taught that their lives are insignificant when compared with the lives of everyone else in the galaxy. This taints their decisions toward the larger group sometimes—the AP will allow a large group to oppress a smaller group if the alternative is harming the larger group. Because of this, the GA, as the largest organization in the galaxy, often gets the AP’s assistance even when they aren’t necessarily doing the right thing.
The Angelic Protectorate has been leading a crusade against the GAN, and usually Devilings in general, since they first appeared on the edge of the galaxy. They truly believe the GAN to be evil and themselves the ultimate force of good, destined to destroy the other power without remorse. This opinion has led them to be rather aggressive toward deviling races during interplanetary comings-together, and their diplomats are notorious for needing handlers. They are also not particularly fond of Legion, since a great many Divine Soldiers were killed or transformed in the centuries-spanning war.
The AP’s timeline of science and culture seems to move much more slowly than the other races. This may be in part due to the fact that they believe their society to be perfect, and they all but refuse to trade with other cultures. This gives them a rather stagnant society and serves to reinforce their outdated views on pure good and evil.
Many other races see the AP as a literal version of the angelic warriors featured in their religion, and the AP itself doesn’t seem to mind playing off that resemblance. When in ground combat, they are known to surround themselves with holy light, angelic choruses, and anything else to show that they’re obviously the good guys and everyone else should surrender. This tactic is surprisingly effective.
There is a specific Divine subrace that makes up a small percentage of the AP that does more to help their image. Valkyries do not consider themselves part of the caste system and are known as better judges of right and wrong than most other AP fleets. It's been theorized that Valkyries forced their way into the AP and keep themselves there to stop the AP from becoming too controlling of the rest of the galaxy.
Legion: A long, long time ago, Legion was the most powerful threat the rest of the galaxy had ever faced. But now, Legion is remorseful about that, and has spent all their time since trying to apologize for their actions and create a culture on par with the rest of the galaxy. So far, they’ve done a decent job, but either because their society is a little afraid of other races, or the other races are afraid of them, their planets are not very diverse.
The GA tends to reinforce the idea to Legion that the planets they’ve allowed them to keep are a gift, and Legion has humbly accepted this, and tries to keep out of trouble. Therefore, it’s not likely that Legion will expand soon.
Legion has an odd form of what you might call tourism, or recruitment, depending on your point of view. People obsessed with Legion, which seems unhealthy enough already, often try to move onto one of Legion’s planets. This might seem like a good idea, since a Legion planet is a paradise with no pollution or wars. However, anyone who decides to stay for the long term must do so as a new member of Legion. Once it reaches that point, of course they don’t mind. But there is a limit to how many newcomers a Legion planet will accept, as there is only so many that a planet can support and still remain “natural”.
Legion does not have inner council meetings, like most other factions do. The reason for this, of course, is that the most powerful Legion members can communicate with each other telepathically. This telepathy can extend across planets, but Legion members rarely find the need to attend to matters away from their home planet. In addition, only one delegate need be sent to galactic meeting, as one Legion being can accurately convey the needs of the rest of the race.
Legion also does not feel the need to have many starships, save those meant for planetary defense. Their planets are totally self-sufficient, so they do not need convoys, and they are all but forbidden from space exploration. They have, through diplomacy that was practically begging, been given the right to do as they wish with anyone attacking the planet. It’s for this reason that most pirates know better than to raid Legion worlds—while the planet is bound to be full of valuable resources, getting caught means that you will become part of their army.
Most other factions tend to shy away from Legion, as they are still tainted with the prejudice of their misdeeds of eons past. This is probably made worse by the fact that Legion seem to have an unlimited lifespan, therefore the Legion that you will encounter today may be the same Legion that fought the rest of the galaxy so long ago. Legion are forbidden from using their transformation abilities outside of their home territory (with a few exceptions), however, so any curious legion that have found their way outside their home system should not be worried too much about. This doesn't apply on some GAN planets, however, which are run by rogue Legion queens that tend to be more like their old, warlike selves.
Elemental League: The Elemental League is the newest of the galactic factions and perhaps the oddest as well. While there are parts that resemble the other powers, for the most part the EL is very unique, due to the circumstances surrounding its creation and the members themselves.
The Elemental League is composed primarily of Elementals, Spirits, Shape-shifters, and certain nature-based Mythic races. They are not wary of outsiders, but do not like pollution-producing older ships and vehicles. They allow owners of such unnatural monstrosities to park them outside of their systems where they are kept safe until the owner leaves the system. Otherwise, they are very welcoming to visitors and have a booming tourist industry.
The Elemental League is so named because it is ruled—quite justly, to ask a citizen of the league—by the Elementals on each planet. The other beings on the planet see this as fair because the Elementals have no way to leave the planet and are tied to the condition of the planet. Therefore, they will act in the way that is best for the environment of that particular planet. The fact that they can’t leave, though, means that they must appoint a trusted member of another race to go to any council meetings. This can occasionally lead to mixed signals between the Elementals and whoever else is at the table, but it is their only choice in the matter.
Many might think that the Elemental League, because of its closeness to nature, is bereft of high-technology devices and therefore, culture. This is most certainly not the case. The Elemental League enjoys all kinds of clean technology, and produces and trades its own science, art, and specialty food items. These are considered to be higher quality than most races’, but much harder to service.
The EL has a few ships of its own, complete with a set of Elementals that can boost the starships from the planet. This means, however, that the ships are only at their maximum potential when near the planet, and the more EL ships around the planet, the less of a boost they can get from their mages. The ships are piloted by other races, obviously, and some of the spirit commanders in their employ were legends in their time.
The Elemental League participates in nearly every galactic council meeting, sending shape-shifter or spirit diplomats to deliver information back and forth with the on-planet Elementals. These envoys have enough pre-given orders and leeway to resolve most matters, but the rest of the council can be inconvenienced by the courier going back and forth when truly important matters arise.
Watchers: The Watchers, while their own separate power, cannot really be classified with the rest of the galaxy. They’re almost impossible to find, and they really don’t like it when you do find them. It’s pretty well assumed that they know most of the secrets about the galaxy, and it’s well known that they don’t want everyone else knowing these secrets.
The primary method of keeping secrets is through their Watcher Protected Planet treaties. In actuality, they’re not so much treaties as they are the Watchers asserting their authority over the galaxy by restricting certain planets from the rest of the galaxy. The planets chosen for these programs are rarely space-flight capable, and for those that are, it seems the Watchers don’t mind when they interact with each other.
Many of the planets under the Watcher protection treaty are special planets known as “Altearths”. These planets are scattered throughout the galaxy, usually populated entirely by humans, have similar timelines, and have all been named “Earth” by their inhabitants. It’s been known for a planet to lose its protection status, but the reason for this is never known and the planet usually joins a faction soon after. Planets are given a rating of their protection level from one to three that denotes how much trouble you’re in if you wander into the area. The Watchers enforce these treaties with the most powerful ships in the galaxy.
There is one area that has never lost its protection status, and probably never will. It is called the Forbidden Zone, a roughly circular chunk of the galaxy that stretches a few hundred light years across. Magic does not work in this area, and it is covered under Level Three protection, the most intense level of security afforded an area.
Watchers usually do not show up at galactic council meetings unless they have a new list of protected planets to give to the rest of the galaxy. Because they refused to assist the galaxy during the Legion and Deviling crises, the Watchers are generally looked upon with scorn by other factions. A few Watchers have left their home planets or bases and tried to find exciting new lives in the galaxy at large, but these Watchers are not trained enough to share the secrets of the universe with the rest of us.