How the Galaxy Works

The Galaxy is a very varied place, but there are some constants in it.

Communication
All the species of the Galaxy have their own unique languages and methods of communication, but luckily during the heyday of the Unity, subdermal devices were made extremely abundant, allowing the auditory and textual based languages to be translated into the relieves head, making for seamless communication with 80% of all humanoid based Lifeforms.

New races encountered without such technology can still be communicated with most of the time, via a primitive sounding pigeon version of the language as long as the outsider has said device, and on situation where neither do languages can usually be learned as easy as any other.

Many people learn specific languages, and attempts to recite them are picked up and not translated, useful in showing respect for another culture, but there is little necessary.

EDITOR'S NOTE
On the whole this isn't a setting where communication issues should be a regular issue, dealing more with conflicts of personalities and ideals than the logistics of interspecies languages  (as interesting as that is).

Interrelations
It is not unheard of for different species to find each other attractive and form relationships emotional and physical. Each culture responds to this differently, but out in the mix bag of space, most people see each others as equals and free to love who they will.

Offspring a of mixed unions are rare though, not for lack of trying, but possibly just generics. The fare few times this does happen though, and individual will often spend their life feeling lost beyond their immediate family and experience numerous comments and criticisms, probably shaping their personality somewhat.

Law
While each system, planet, country, or even settlement can have its own law and justice system, there are a few laws that extend across parts of the Galaxy, even if they are disputed.

Space Rangers deal with the laws of many human colony planets,even if those laws differ, meaning that their jurisdiction can be bound you a planet, or series of them. Should they visit other Space Rangers friendly location, hey may have authority but have to play by locals rules.

The Astro Guard, though a member of the fallen Unity, are still respected enough to be allowed to Administer their own laws (most concerning planets and Galactic protection) by all planets who are sensible enough to know they are needed come a Colossi or Mech Brigade Invasion. Luckily this is overseen by the Stella Council, who have the best interest of the Galaxy at heart and without funding from the planets they protect wouldn't be able to function, so rarely abuse their power.

Neon Knights follow an old and forgotten code, fitting the human ideals of goodness and right, with a strong focus on justice. Most will not break local laws out of respect, but if they deem them wrong or corrupt they won't hesitate to work outside of that law. This makes them somewhat seen as unwanted and outcast, but when evil strikes and they raise their Neon Blades, all the good people of the galaxy cheer and have no need to fear.

Should a Knight perform actions that is unfitting to the Neo Code, the Electro Court who guard the code will send out other Knights to punish them, often do ending in penance being needed with the removal of their Neo Tech, or battles to the death if they are unrepentant.

Rumours persist of the Ultraviolet Knights, who serve a secret corrupted version of the Neo Code, but all members of the Knights deny this.

See other individual planets and systems for how they handle their own laws.

Money
As with laws many locations (especially the more primitive ones) have their own monetary system, but nothing like trade and wealth can invite a people, and the Intergalactic Credit was formed during the Colossi Crusades and persisted way longer than the Unity who founded it.

Individuals can store this on a variety of digital devices, and it's complex unique system makes its nearly impossible to forge, not relying on Void or Cyber based information, with all data being calculated on the finite mass of the Universe, calculated and agreed on throughout the Quadrant.

The rare times it has been forged are nearly always discovered and as all logs access a person's unique Quantum Signature, they are shortly dealt with by the Space Rangers or local authority.

There is no one soul location for all this data, but networked from thousands of Credit Relays, destroying or accessing hundreds needed to even create a blip in the economy information system.

Interstellar Void Travel
As stated Void Travel is used to travel distances at roughly a rate of one light years an hour. More than 3 or 4 or these is the maximum a personal ship can handle before risk of Drive Overload (10% per additional hour) and with a fractional chance  (1% per 8 Hour exposure) of any signs of Void Madness  (even that is usually short lived).

Larger drives double or Quadruple the size of the Bridge and thus the vessel (making most ships designed long and narrow to capitalize on this) and by an equal value increase the distance and and can never of overload or madness.

Void Gates Stations which used permanent openings to access the Void, with stable Bridges, with size enough of X16 (16 times the size of a normal sized X1 ship) but the long term consequences had most of them destroyed. Ones that still are open do so for short periods, for trade freighters and occasional military missions, monitored by Robots owned by local authorities, and not for public use.

Gate Stations have to go to one of several predetermined locations and never miss their destination, while personal Void Drives can be programed to go anywhere within range, but run the risk of going off course, depending on how well the pilot knows the location and how good his Astronavigation Mathematics is.

System Travel
Flying between plants is limited to just below the speed of light, but is difficult to navigate at, so 1/8 of this is the usual (around 83 million mph), taking half an hour to an hour to get the neighbouring planets on average.

Travel to nearby systems can take four or five years at max speed at best, and often have crews go into hypersleep for these long hauls, an undertaking for small trade companies interested in long term business and rarely prefered over small Void convoys guarded by Auto Warrior mercenaries.

Planet Travel
Most speed limits on planets are limited to the speed of sound (jurisdiction under 800 mph) and that is for just travel.

Trying to use a Void Drive in a planet's atmosphere can result in  very dangerous consequences for the crew, with a 10% chance of a collapse of the gate, destroying or worse, trapping them in the Void without no way of getting out.

Battle Speeds
When in a combat situation anything over 200 pmh is unhelpful due to average reaction speed, but speeds of up to 500 mph could be reached for those bold enough.

People and Vocations
There are endless things to do in the Galaxy, and ways to make a living, but there are a few stable jobs most humans have. Each race has its own

Archeologist

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Auto Warrior

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Bounty Hunter

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Doctor

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Fighter Pilot

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Soldier

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Warrior

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