Lore

Galactic Geography and Navigation

Regions, systems, navigational classifications, and the structure of known interstellar space. Galactic geography is determined by a combination of physical distance, lane topology, gate placement, and institutional control. A useful map therefore resembles a network diagram more than a conventional star chart. Navigators must track both real-space and slipstream coordinates. A destination may be one lane away but weeks from its gate, while a physically nearby star may require a long chain of jumps or conventional FTL. Political maps follow the same network. VESTA influence, Fairhold recognition, corporate supply chains, and criminal routes all concentrate along connections. Regions outside those networks are not empty; they are simply harder for central institutions to see.

See also: Terminal Systems