Progress was slow. In (-)02-033 however, a Slovin mining vessel was attacked by an unknown species known as the Relekan. This eventually lead to an invasion on the Slovin homeworld and War between the Slovin (with the help of the allied Vylok) and the Relekan broke out. Vylok weaponry was more advanced than that of the Relekan and eventually lead to the invaders' defeat. The Relekan emperor was so impressed with the Vylok weapons that he proposed the three species should sign a peace treaty and banned together to share technology much like the Slovin and Vylok had been doing for decades. The Three species signed a peace treaty, which was called The Union Pact, and Relekan scientists joined with the Slovin and Vylok to exchange their knowledge. The Relekan scientists revealed their discovery of invisible gravity currents that surrounded planets and wound through space, much like ocean currents. It was this discovery that enabled them to travel such great distances in a relatively short time using sub-light engine cores. The Slovin and Vylok used this discovery to develop the Mass/Gravity Amp which, combined with engine cores that utilized faster than light travel, was abel to propel space vessels hundreds of light years in a matter of months.
The three species of The Union Pact were the most technologically advanced in the galaxy. Other species' technologies were hundreds of years behind, still not being able to leave their own star systems. One species however, the Alios, had focused their technological developments not on traveling the stars, but on how to better their own society. They were the first species to develop a true Artificial Intelligence. They were also expert bio-engineers and their synthetic life-forms appeared just as alive and self aware as organic life forms. When The Union species initially discovered the Alios homeworld, they were immediately enthralled by it's societal development and it's structural beauty. They marveled at the development of Artificial Intelligence, and spoke peacefully to Alios leaders about getting them to sign on to The Union Pact.
The Alios were hesitant at first, claiming they had no interest or need to leave their home. Vylok ambassadors explained they would not have to leave, but only be united with the other species and share commodities like technology and tried to explain the cultural benefit of expansion. The Alios weren't ready to share their technological findings with another species, let alone multiple species claiming that other species weren't ready to handle the responsibility of synthetic life-forms. It was ironically, an AI senator that convinced the reluctant Alios to sign The Union Pact, claiming it would be against their beliefs to pass an opportunity to better their own culture.
It was the introduction of Artificial Intelligence that boosted The Union's Technology hundreds of years ahead. AI scientists were able to better calculate, process, and expand upon acquired data than even an organic mind could. Before their introduction to The Union, AI scientists had only the resources and discoveries of the Alios to work with. Now that they could access Vylok, Slovin, and Relekan technology, the rate at which technology developed was exponentially faster than any of the Union races could've ever expected. Space Travel time was cut in half, due to new findings, and ships were re-designed to house new technology that would allow them to travel farther into the otherwise impassable void of dead space that separated the star systems.
Centuries passed, and technology developed. New worlds were being discovered every few years instead of every few decades. New species of sentient life were discovered along with these worlds and by (-)1-698, there were over 300 species that signed onto The Union Pact all sharing technology and becoming a virtual galactic 'melting pot' where cultures became mixed and took on a uniform 'shape'. Some species who were up hauled at the seeming lack of individuality from one race to another, firmly rejected signing The Union Pact claiming that they would not lose their culture to become like everyone else in the galaxy. These decisions to decline signing the Union Pact were respected, and these worlds were left alone.
One particular AI ambassador for the members of The Union Pact (which was still at this point, just an agreement with certain parameters, not a system of government) had trouble with certain species refusal to sign the pact, and discreetly organized an army of synthetics to launch in invasion on the Jorbath, a species whose technology would benefit intergalactic communication. The Jorbath were a peaceful people, inhabiting several of the worlds in their local star system. Being a peaceful species by nature they had no resistance to the small army of synthetic terrorists that suddenly invaded and began bombing civilians. The Union quickly learned of these attacks, but it was undecided who would go and stop them since the Union was not a government and possessed no formal army to go and fight. Millions of Jorbath were slaughtered before the Vylok decided to intervene with their own army in the name of The Union. The Vylok's motives were not pure however, demanding that the Jorbath join The Union as payment for their assistance. The Jorbath begrudgingly agreed and gave up their secrets of deep space communication.
It was shortly after these events that it was proposed The Union Pact be turned into a governmental system. The idea was initally rejected by most but some thought of how it might work to benefit the greater good. The idea was set aside and ignored for centuries. In (-)00-039, it had become quite apparent that several races were not keeping their end of the treaty, or playing in the 'gray area' of the treaty's parameters. Corruption was spreading rapidly and not much could be done to enforce the conditions of The Union Pact. The Union Pact was re-written and ultimately transformed from a peace treaty into a system of government complete with defined laws and regulations. These laws all effected how planets and species interacted with each other. Each planet was left to govern it's own people, but off-world affairs and space territory were governed by laws ordained by The Union Pact which had been re-named The Union of Intergalactic Affairs. The Union had at least three ambassadors from each species and together, they quickly went about establishing a capital. The Slovin homeworld of Solost IV was choosen to be the capital of the Union.
Since the creation of laws, the need for a way to enforce these laws was needed. The Alios were in charge of creating a synthetic species that would be ideal for both law enforcement, and as shock troops in large skirmishes and battles. The incident with the Jorban proved need for such a species that would be fit for combat and military type endeavors. The choice to use synthetics was obvious, since they could be modified in whatever way was needed and The Union saw no point in sending living beings into dangerous situations when a synthetic could do the job just as well if not better.
The Union at it's peak had influence over roughly 80% of the galaxy's habitable planets. The Union lasted almost 7 Millennia before The Purge decimated the galaxy and with it, The Union.
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