Space Travel (Galaxa)

Space Travel within the universe of Galaxa has evolved alongside the discovery and navigation of fundamental cosmic principles known as the Divine Constants. Originally limited by the natural barriers set forth by the First Divine Parents, spacefaring civilizations have gradually transcended their initial isolation—not by violating cosmic law, but by artfully circumventing it through mastery of adjacent planes and metaphysical technologies.

The Speed of Light Limitation

One of the foremost Divine Constants is the Speed of Light Limit, a metaphysical boundary designed to:

Isolate developing civilizations,
Enforce natural progression through the cosmos,
Prevent premature cultural contamination.

Early civilizations could achieve near-light-speed travel, but voyages between stars often required decades, centuries, or even longer, relegating exploration to acts of monumental sacrifice.

It was universally accepted that faster-than-light (FTL) travel was impossible without breaking physical reality—an unforgivable act under Divine Law (Galaxa).

Discovery of the Interstellar Drive

True breakthrough came when mortals discovered the existence of adjacent planes of existence—the Teleka Plane, Astral Plane (Galaxa), and Ethereal Plane.

Using these planes, mortals found ways to **bypass** the Speed of Light Limit without violating the Divine Constants:

**Phase Travel** – Phasing a vessel partially into another plane where space and distance behave differently.
**Folding Travel** – Compressing or reweaving space itself.
**Sigil Tuning** – Creating ethereal "pathways" aligned with the natural flow of existence.

Thus, the Age of True Interstellar Travel was born.

Types of Interstellar Drives

Three major types of interstellar FTL drives emerged:

Teleka Drives

Phase the vessel into the Teleka Plane.
Navigators initially required Teleka attunement.
Later replaced with advanced AI navigators in Valdian derivatives.

Astral Fold Drives

Fold space through astral manipulation.
Early explorers often misfolded catastrophically, ending up far from intended destinations.
Eventually perfected with the use of automated Folding Nodes.

Magicka Sigil Drives

Craft pathways through the Ethereal Plane using intricate sigils.
Initially slow to warm up and cooldown (days to months), but capable of extremely rapid travel.
Evolved into Jump-like Ethereal Tuners for focused leaps across galaxies.

Each method reflected the strengths and weaknesses of the civilizations and magic systems that pioneered them.

Valdian Mark I–X Teleka Drives

The Valdians, masters of Teleka, pioneered the most stable form of early interstellar travel:

**Mark I Teleka Drive** – Primitive; allowed short hops between nearby stars.
**Mark II–V** – Improved stability and range across sectors.
**Mark VI–IX** – Exponential increases in phasing depth and speed.
**Mark X** – Capable of crossing entire galaxies within a few days, operating at an effective speed of 10^10 times the Speed of Light.

The Mark X Drive solidified the Valdians’ place as one of the dominant powers of the cosmos.

Even as other species caught up using Astral and Magicka-based technologies, the Valdian Teleka Drives remained a symbol of precision and stability in FTL engineering.

Rise of the First Imperial Federation

The proliferation of reliable Interstellar Drives ushered in the rise of the First Imperial Federation. Key factors included:

The Valdians sharing Drive technology with Teleka-attuned and allied species.
Empires uniting based on compatible "Pro-" and "Anti-" Sentiments.
Trade routes, colonization, and diplomacy becoming routine across vast stellar distances.

The First Imperial Federation, under Valdian guidance, experienced a golden age that shaped much of Galaxa’s modern political and cultural landscape—until its collapse during the Imperial Civil War (Valdian).

Timeline of Space Travel History

Time Period	Event
c. 1,300,000 Galaxian Years Ago	Human (Galaxa) create the first Near-Light-Speed (NLS) Drives.
c. 1,299,950 Galaxian Years Ago	Launch of the first 7 Human colony ships: Kledik Colony Ship, Volmar Colony Ship, Miliard Colony Ship, Tokoya Colony Ship, Cardi Colony Ship, Solthi Colony Ship, Bilmar Colony Ship.
c. 1,200,000 Galaxian Years Ago	Valdians invent the Mark I Teleka Drive.
c. 1,100,000 Galaxian Years Ago	Unification of Valdia under the Valdian Empire.
c. 1,000,000 Galaxian Years Ago	Creation of the Teleka Mark X Drive; formation of the First Imperial Federation.