The Canon Setting

THE SETTING  The galaxy is a big, big place. And life, it seems, is a virulent and contagious thing, for the vastness of said galaxy is teeming with it. From one star system to another, innumerable living things grow and populate countless alien worlds in surprising abundance. Worlds dominated by snow and ice, or wasted plains and withering heat, it has proven itself versatile and adaptable, lending to a galaxy filled with all manner and variety of creatures. And perhaps unsurprisingly, sentient life has since risen to the metaphorical food-chain, and has since colonized nigh the entire galaxy, with its primary tool the inoxerable advance of scientific progress. As the galaxy itself is held together with the enigmatic forces of gravity, so too is it inter-connected and inseparably bonded by the sentient races that inhabit it; by means of inter-stellar space travel, instant communication, ever-changing technology, trade, war, and the simple act of reproduction, the sentient races have collectively dominated all of the known galaxy.

The races themselves bear all manner of shape and form, though most resemble the common pony in appearance, but often carry with them characteristics to mark them unique from the rest. Be it simple size and coloration, to abilities like flight, or even shapeshifting, there is a myriadical array of sentient life. If you can concieve it, it likely exists somewhere, probably a participant in society, if it has yet been discovered...

The state of technology varies as you may well imagine, from world to world. But such is the inter-connected web they forged eons ago that a standard has been reached, that spans the galaxy. A number of specific technologies and sciences comprise the galactic standard, for they are the very means with which to connect with their alien brothers. The invention and use of the hyper drive is induspitably the most important, for interstellar travel would be impossible without it. By manipulating the very anatomy of the craft it's contructed on, it allows a crew to travel at roughly the speed of light squared, with some of the fancier tech sporting even higher speeds. At such speeds, journeys that would have taken hundreds of years at conventional rates, are reduced to mere days. But such a device requires a similar amount of energy. Fossil fuel is nearly as extinct as the creatures who comprise it. The primary source of energy has since been replaced with plasma generators, contained reactors, geo-thermal cores...the list goes on. And lastly, an astronomic array for instant long-range communication, is the final componant that binds the races together, and the galaxy itself, in a single, thriving entity.

Despite participating in this web of technology and life, there are different political entites that comprise the major sectors of the galaxy. Though all pale in comparison to the ancient behemoth that is The Alliance. The oldest, largest, most successful government this part of space has ever witnessed, they are the undisputed master of the sentient races. A few hundred souls dictate the laws of trillions. For the most part, it is a fair and just political body, built upon the democratic principle; but as always, there is corruption and greed when one digs deep enough. Despite this, it has lasted for thousands of years, and if it is to survive current events, is likely to see a thousand more...