Free space

Free Space
Free Space was not a natural region, it existed only on maps, in Nav-Tanks and Computronic files.

Its boundaries had been defined by diplomats and delegates during the last Armistice Conference on the planet of Intergalactic peace The Big Four, the Blue and about seventy independent space faring civilizations discussed, argued and finally agreed on this region. It was to act as a buffer zone between the Big Four and give those who did not want to ally themselves with one of the big powers a place to exist after their own fashion. One of the stipulations was that no official ships or parties of any of the Big Four were allowed to enter Free Space, including Military ships, law enforcement or even science expeditions.

Free Space was meant to be a Free Trade zone enabling commerce and slowly enable lasting peace.

The Big Four, namely the Shiss, the Galactic Council (Kermac), the Nul and the United Stars of the Galaxies watched that none of the others broke that treaty, but they all did, not openly of course.

Free Space did not turn out to be the region of peace where free commerce and civil exchange of culture would erode the differences as the dreamers and utopists dreamed about; instead it became a breeding ground of pirates and a destination of the lawless from every corner of the Galaxy. Planets like Sin 4, Alvor's Cove, Kalimant, Drogs, and N'ger gained notoriety as places where law and order meant nothing.

Besides the seventy spacefaring societies that signed the Treaty, the area within the treaty boundaries included numerous other societies mostly of Tech Level 2 or below. Even before the Treaty was signed most smaller societies suffered occasional pirate attacks and slave raids, that increased considerably shortly thereafter.

The biggest independents were the Togar, the Kartanians and the Shattered Kingdoms of the Oghr.

The Kartanians hated the Togar and the Togar disliked everyone, except for dinner. The former ancient Oghr Empire, shattered into Nine Kingdoms were constantly fighting among each other, didn’t get along with the Togar and considered the Karthanians hostile competition and agitators. To all the freelancing pirates and Renders came the Shiss sponsored, openly denied and condemned Shiss Raiders, Countless schemes and covered actions of the Kermac and the undercover fleet of the Union. Not to mention the not always legal dealings of private corporations.

The treaty also set forth the conditions where a society could chose to join one of the Big Four.