THE BEGINNING OF THE SECTOR 50 MAP
There are still many more empires to be added to Sector 50. Currently, there are a sufficient number of empires to begin putting together a map. But it’s not just about where empires are situated on the map, but also what alliances and enemies they hold.
Rather than just having two major sides (like the Alliance vs Coalition), I believe there will be enough empires in Sector 50 to have anywhere from four to eight different sides. This will create a very different power dynamic than the Alpha Sector in Sector 50. It will also allow for many interesting possibilities throughout the Sector 50 Timeline, like breaking alliances, switching sides, forging brand new alliances, disrupting alliances, backstabbing, spying, destabilization tactics, intelligence gathering, acquisition and loss of vital territories, and more.
We can glean many important facts about sector 50 from the Old Guard Fiction. If you combine those facts with some of my ideas for Sector 50, you will get the following:
1) Europa, like the Federation, commands a large territory on the map. They have long been at war with Babylon, resulting in age old animosity on both sides. Given the opposing natures of their cultures, it was inevitable for the two to come into conflict. Europa will most likely not be in the center of the map like the Federation.
2) Babylon, like the Klingons, have a long enduring hatred for Europa. They have been fighting wars with Europa from the beginning. Babylon is highly aggressive and warlike, conquering those weaker than themselves. Babylon will have roughly the same space on the map as Europa, although in a different shape. Obviously, Babylon and Europa must be adjacent to each other on the map.
3) The Romans have, at the very least, a friendly agreement with Europa. We know from the fiction that they were willing to send several starships into Europa territory to assist with their offensive against Babylon. This leads to more questions. The Romans are willing to commit a small force to assisting Europa, but not all. Do they have their own agenda? What are their overall goals? Clearly, they consider Babylon an enemy. Did Babylon attempt to invade Roman space at some point in the past? Or do the Romans know what will happen next if Europa falls before Babylon? Roman space will be large on the map, but not as large as Europa or Babylon. They may or may not directly border Babylon.
4) The Krakenfish directly border Europa and most likely Babylon as well. They have a strong alliance with Europa. I envision a smaller territory that is constantly under threat from Babylon. So the alliance with Europa is primarily one for protection. With Europa’s assistance, the Krakenfish are now able to confidently repel every Babylon assault.
5) The Dragonflian have not been placed on the map. They have not yet appeared in any fiction. I imagine they would have a small, distinct territory on the map.
6) The Black Flock are clearly, as evidenced by the fiction, strong allies of Babylon. The two must share mutual goals and must benefit greatly from helping each other. This most likely includes the destruction of Europa. The Black Flock will definitely border Babylon and possibly Europa as well.
7) The Pyrians and Odrium have not been placed on the map. They have not been mentioned in the fiction. So their role to play in things is yet to be defined.
8) The Orsians, who use Plasmas and Drones, will command a territory as large as Europa and Babylon. They will form a third side. I can see the Orsians being friendly to Europa, perhaps even sharing some similar goals. But something holds the Orsians back from forming a strong, long lasting alliance with Europa. The reason could be many things, such as cultural beliefs, their type of government, religious reasons, or decisions made by a select few people on the behalf of all. Most likely, the Orsians will not directly border Europa, but may have some way to interact with them and enter their space.
9) The Beardus, who use Plasmas like Gorns, will form their own fourth side, outside of Europa, Babylon, and the Orsians. They will have their own agenda and goals. This may, at times, put them at odds with Europa. When this happens, the Beardus will have no reservations about going to war with Europa or assisting Babylon in some way.
10) The Halictid have not been placed on the map. There has been no fiction about them to date. Most likely, they have multiple Hives setup through Sector 50, with their “Homeland” being a cluster of very large Hives all bundled together. They could easily be at war with anyone, but for some reason, I imagine Babylon making attempts to stamp them out forever.
11) The Powrie are mischevious and evil. They attack whoever they please, causing trouble whenever they can. But what they lack is coordination and consolidation. So there may be an “event” during the Sector 50 Timeline where the Powrie are forced into an alliance with a side in order to successfully war with another empire or side. It could well be, that having grown tired of the Powrie causing problems, a major empire makes a long lasting effort to exterminate the Powrie once and for all.
12) The Ferrous possess Implosion Technology. They will form a fifth side, separate from Europa, Babylon, the Orsians, and the Beardus. It could be, due to their unique physiology, that they have completely different goals and aspirations than the more humanoid species. The Ferrous will command a significant territory on the map, most likely on par with the Romans.
13) The Wayfarers are nomadic, moving through all parts of Sector 50 through established Exchange Routes. There are some empires that are hostile to the Wayfarers, refusing to allow them to openly travel through their space. Still, the Wayfarers need some kind of base of operations. I imagine it would be a temporary kind of base, where groups of Wayfarers come together briefly, to make decisions on important matters, and then disband to go on their separate ways once more.
This provides the foundation for what will one day be the Sector 50 Map. As you can see, the Map is intricately tied to each empire, who they are at war with, who they are friendly to, and to the overall Sector 50 Timeline. These things cannot be unbound. As more new empires are introduced and more fiction is written, the Sector 50 Map will crystalize into an immense, distinctive whole.
