The Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy was only 1.56 percent as big as the Milky Way. As a dwarf galaxy, it held a lot less stars and therefore much less territory for humanity to conquer.

That still consisted of billions of stars! Even if a large proportion of star systems contained nothing of worth, many remained that either provided ideal colonization opportunities or rich exotic deposits.

This meant that from the moment the beyonder gates between the galaxies opened up, the competition for territory had already begun!

The two biggest players in this struggle for territory and conquest had to be the two old elephants in the room.

The Greater United Terran Confederation and the New Rubarth Empire loomed as giants in human civilization.

They existed long before the Age of Mechs and had partially adopted the MTA and the CFA in the past.

Even when the Big Two rose up and stripped the Terrans and Rubarthans of some of their sovereignty, the first-rate superstates still loomed tall over human space.

One of the reasons why they were called superstates was because they faintly possessed the power to rival the Big Two.

No other first-rate state could match the Terrans and Rubarthans in that regard! The heritage, power and wealth possessed by these ancient former star empires could not be matched by any other human state!

Only two of them existed out of countless other states.

Fourth-rate states were the lowest of the low. To consider them states at all was an insult to the word. Formally, this definition was usually applied to tiny powers who clung to one or several star systems and for some reason hadn't been annexed yet by a bigger neighbor.

Third-rate states were the most numerous and generally the most boring kind of states. They usually exerted enough power to sustain a proper government and all of the necessary institutions.

Strictly speaking, third-rate states needed to colonize at least 50 star systems to be recognized as such. In addition, their gross domestic product, military power and other parameters had to be up to standard as well.

In fact, many third-rate states such as the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom actually colonized many more star systems. It was just that many of them were actually underdeveloped such as Cloudy Curtain.

Second-rate states began to have a bigger sway in the galaxy. This was the point where the Big Two slightly took them seriously. The basic requirement to qualify as a second-rate state was to grasp at least 1,000 star systems and meet many other development requirements.

A second-rate state should absolutely be able to crush a score of third-rate states in terms of wealth and force!

The same applied to first-rate states in relation to the lower tiers. A first-rate state must easily be able to defeat numerous second-rate states with ease!

In general, first-rate states only emerged in the galactic center and sometimes the galactic heartland. The wealth and force requirements to meet this standard was virtually impossible to attain in the impoverished galactic rim!

Owning several star clusters was just the minimum requirement. It was much more important to turn them productive.

At this point, a distinct category of states existed which did not fit in with these categories.

There were certain states in the galactic rim which had managed to conquer several star clusters and ballooned in power.

Yet for all of their territory, their wealth and power paled in comparison to even the weakest first-rate state in the galactic heartland.

The difference could not be overcome.

Yet these humongous second-rate states were nevertheless overlords in the galactic rim.

Therefore, a new and rather informal term of second-rate superstate emerged in order to describe these rural bullies.

No matter what they were called, many powerful states in the old galaxy all cast their greedy eyes on the Red Ocean.

Just because they were established and successful in the Milky Way did not mean that their dominance in their respective corners remained that way!

Many other powerful states and nations had risen up in the long river of time, only to fall and be forgotten due to growing complacent.

The galaxy was an extremely competitive ocean. Only by continuing to strive for greater power would states be able to keep up with their rivals!

Now, a newer and smaller pond opened up. Though most of the Red Ocean was occupied by various indigenous alien powers, every human pretty much regarded it as unowned territory!

Filled with rich exotics that were rare or completely unavailable in the old galaxy, every state knew that occupying a space in the Red Ocean was crucial to their growth and continuity.

Incredibly powerful exotics such as phasewater could completely elevate the strength of a state!

If the Rubarthans eagerly harvested as much phasewater as possible while the Terrans lazily ignored the new wealth, the power balance in the old galaxy would soon shift towards the former!

Therefore, it didn't matter if the big states weren't eager to colonize a distant territory hundreds of thousands of light-years away.

They were all forced to join this rat race, if only to make sure their rivals did not surpass them in strength!

When Calabast patiently explained these dynamics, Ves gradually comprehended the layout of the old powers in the new dwarf galaxy.

"The ability to manufacture FTL-capable mechs in meaningful numbers is already enough to make the first-rate superstates crazy." Calabast pointed out. "It stands to reason that the Terrans and the Rubarthans have already established their own structures in the Red Ocean. At this early time, many smaller powers in the dwarf galaxy have joined up with one of their umbrella organizations."

Ves raised his eyebrow. "That.. sounds rather strange. The Red Ocean is supposed to be a new start to many ambitious people. Submitting to the first-rate superstates in a dwarf galaxy where their power is subject to constraints sounds counterproductive."

"It's a lawless frontier out there. You should know what that means. Even with the Big Two dividing much of the conquered space into upper zones, middle zones and lower zones, that does not mean that an alliance of powers governed by either Terrans or Rubarthans could band together and gang up on smaller, isolated powers because they refuse to become a vassal!"

"I see." Ves grimaced.

He understood what was going on. Just like in the Faris Star Region in the past, a lot of pirate outfits roamed the untamed stars. However, most of their foundation was weak and many of them rarely lasted beyond a decade.

The Ravienne Alliance and the Dragon Alliance held the most sway there because they pooled the strength of many pirate outfits into a single, somewhat united entity.

Many lesser pirate outfits actively desired to join these once-prestigious alliances because the shelter they offered was a strong guarantee of protection!

Ideals such as freedom, independence and control meant nothing if that just left you weak and vulnerable.

Of course, Ves also remembered that the rabid sandmen domineeringly engulfed the two great pirate alliances in an unstoppable tide of sand.

The overall situation in the Red Ocean was somewhat different because every galactic pioneer possessed considerable strength of their own. However, that did not stop certain fundamental truths from applying as well!

"While it is still viable for galactic pioneers to mix up in the Red Ocean as independents, they cannot contest against predominant alliances for biggest prizes." Calabast explained.

Ves looked skeptical. "Our Larkinson Clan doesn't have any plans to colonize any planets or erect a state. Can't we just roam as neutrals between their territories?"

"Not quite. The alliances want to keep most of the benefits in their own respective clubs. If you want to remain unaffiliated, then you can only do business with other unaffiliated pioneers."

In other words, the bottom feeders remained in the dirt while the sharks and whales occupied most of the ocean.

"I have the feeling that you're trying to push me away from my original intentions. Why are you encouraging me to join up with one of these alliances? You know I don't like to put my safety and security in the hands of others, especially states. The only thing you can be sure of is that their rulers always look out for themselves."

Calabst spread her arms in innocence. "I am not forcing you to compromise your goals. I just want to inform you that the circumstances have changed and that you haven't adequately considered any alternatives when you came up with your original plan. It is well worth considering aligning yourself to one of these established alliances. The thing about them is that they are quite loose. Joining them does not mean you are signing up to become a vassal or a subject to the Terrans or Rubarthans. It's more of a club of mutual benefit. Conflicts between powers within an alliance can still occur, and hardly any rules from above are imposed on the individual members."

"That sounds similar to what the Rim Guardians are doing."

Calabast nodded. "That's because a lot of galactic pioneers are very ambitious and capable. Mind you, the Terrans and Rubarthans are both competing over them. In order to attract the most pioneers, the old powers can't be stingy with the benefits they offer. They can't act too tyrannical either. Otherwise, the pioneers will rebel and join the opposite side."

"It sounds like the first-rate superstates are really going out of their way to control the Red Ocean. Doesn't this go against the intentions of the Big Two? From what I surmise, the first-rate superstates aren't supposed to be able to exert so much influence. The various rules and restrictions heavily encourage the rise of newer powers that are much more fragmented and don't necessarily share any relations to any of the states in the old galaxy."

"There is only so much the Big Two can do to limit the ambition of the first-rate superstates. The exact dynamics between these two sides is rather complicated, but due to the many compromises they have made, the Terrans and the Rubarthans aren't prohibited from promoting their own alliances."

"Well that sounds awful news to the MTA and CFA. The last thing they want to see is the two old relics from the Age of Stars and Age of Conquest rising up any further! Surely the Big Two aren't allowing the first-rate superstates to do what they want, right?"

The spymaster smirked. "Of course not. Shortly after the Terrans and Rubarthans have unveiled their ambitions in the Red Ocean, a third alliance has emerged. Supposedly, this new alliance just started off as a loose gathering of power pioneers backed by regular first-rate states. However, there are many signs that this new alliance is actually the Big Two's response. If that isn't enough, then I'm sure that a fourth or fifth alliance will emerge in the coming decades."

Ves suspected that the rise of other alliances was not only meant to check the ambitions of the Terrans and Rubarthans, but also served to fracture the Red Ocean even further.

Only a divided Red Ocean allowed the Big Two to retain their absolute supremacy, just like in the old galaxy!

"So let me get this straight." Ves breathed deeply. "if we want to obtain some protection against the predation of these big alliances, we have to join at least one of them. If we want to remain outside of the ages-old rivalry between the Terrans and the Rubarthans, our best option is to join the third alliance, is that right?"

"We still have other options, but from my analysis of the situation, I believe it is much more practical to join an alliance. We don't have to give up that much rights in exchange for protection and other benefits. Look, Ves. When the Larkinson Clan grows powerful enough to attract the attention of the major players in the Red Ocean, it is very difficult to stand alone."

As much as he hated her argument, he knew that Calabast indeed had a point.

At the Larkinson Clan's current level of strength, it already possessed sufficient power to roam the galactic rim without needing to worry about too many threats.

Yet the Red Ocean was a completely different place! Various old powers who originated from the galactic heartland and the galactic center held sway here. With the rise of larger alliances, it was very difficult for the Larkinson Clan to maintain the same level of independence and indifference of today!