In an age of faster-than-light drives and intergalactic travel, three galaxies have formed a Galactic Union, known as the "Galarchy” or the "Union."

 

Beginning a as a trade organization, the Union evolved over eons into a strong federal system that governs countless incredibly diverse worlds, races and cultures.

 

Three elected Galarchs, one from each galaxy, rotate positions as heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the Union. Two legislative houses are composed of elected representatives - Stellar Reps and Planetors.

 

Local leadership on inhabited worlds is by appointment or election. Because of the massiveness of the government network, the Union often runs into problems typical of a giant bureaucracy including conflicts of interest, political corruption, economic inequities and budgetary waste.

 

Union responsibilities include the policing of spaceways, containment of rebellion, vigilance against hostile outside forces and monitoring treaties with friendly non-Union parties.

 

Within its astral borders, the Union’s primary goal is the maintenance of a general peace for its inhabitants. The Union fosters a uniform system of values and shared beliefs which it believes will permit all sentient beings to live full and rich lives.

 

The Union is no utopia, as legionnaires fighting the Union’s dirtiest battles know full well. There are always those who opt not to participate for cultural, ideological, economic and/or criminal reasons.

 

In the wide variety of physical conditions that are scattered across the galaxies, life forms have evolved in countless bizarre ways. Add purposely bio-engineered species into the mix and a well-traveled sentient will encounter a bewildering variety of life in the Alien Legion universe.

 

Size, shape, metabolism, intelligence, culture, etc. vary widely. Sentients range in size from the near-microscopic to the size of a moon. The physical conditions that each species requires (food, gravity, atmosphere, light, etc.) vary widely too. Technology and pharmaceuticals have been devised, allowing the majority of Union sentient species to share the same environments.

 

Sentients with the most extreme needs participate in social, commerce and government activities through remote communication.

 

When traveling to non native worlds, all "alien" species in the Union - sentient or otherwise - are required to go through an internal and external decontamination regime designed for each species.

 

With such a variety of life forms, it is not always easy to tell by initial observation whether or not a creature is intelligent/sentient. This can cause confusion, problems and unintended humor in highly-integrated situations - like the ranks of the Legion.

 

The number of cultures and belief systems within and without the Union is even larger than the number of sentient species.

 

 

FTL (faster than light) Travel aka “Superluminal Travel"

Galactic expanses are quickly covered via hyperspace warp drives. Less common and more dangerous methods involve using worm holes, synthetic black holes and Tachyon drives.

 

Mattergizing

The process of converting matter to energy then back to its original matter for ease of transmission. An expensive and dangerous process. Rarely used to transport living things since the subject will probably not be 100% complete when re-matterized after transmission.

 

FTL Communications

Accomplished in several ways including the use of hyperspace warps and “mini” synthetic black holes (which are too dangerous and unreliable for use as matter transmitters).

 

EMC (Electromagnetic Catapult) aka "Mass Driver" or 'Rail Gun."

Often used to toss raw ore from a surface mine into low orbit where it is picked up by transports.

 

TDL (Tri Dimensional Laser)

A device that can project concentrated light energy in a sphere.

 

Galingua

A computer-designed language that sounds like English to us. Spoken throughout the Union though each world has its own native languages. The official language of the Legion, all recruits are required to learn Galingua. Only those physically incapable of speaking the language use auto-translators.

 

Many star systems have their own “local” military forces. The Union has several military branches that defend the Union as a whole, including the Union Guardians and the Galactic Fleet. Although these military branches are open to all of the Union's sentient races, as a practical reality, the ranks are often comprised of the relatively few races local to a particular region of Union space.

 

The Alien Legion is the military branch that guards the Union’s most inhospitable outposts. The Legion is also assigned to quell desperate and politically charged rebellions. It is the one military branch where the integration of all Union races is not only actively encouraged, it is policy.

 

This eclectic mix allows the Union to use the Legion where the government might be open to charges of bigotry if it sent in a fairly homogeneous force to settle a dispute by another race.

 

Some join the Legion to serve their government or flee oppression. Others seek adventure or fortune. Still others are criminals in hiding, creatives seeking inspiration or proselytizing preachers.

 

Despite the ideal of camaraderie within the Legion’s integrated melting pot, a legionnaire’s worst enemy is often a fellow legionnaire. Due to the high percentage  of “undesirables” in its ranks, the Legion is considered the Union's most expendable military branch and given the harshest missions.

 

It takes extraordinary leaders to mold the Legion’s motley ranks into well-trained and disciplined fighting units. Many Legion officers first proved their mettle in other military branches.

 

Legion • Corps • Division • Brigade • Squadron • Company • Platoon • Squad