The small icons on the bottom-left of each location, faction, or character image indicate the loyalty of the entity in question. There are ten major factions, each of which is represented by one of these small icons. Each of those factions is listed below, though they may themselves also be delineated by further sub-factions.
Little more than a disorganised group of disgruntled Senators, former military officers, and terrorist cells, the Alliance to Restore the Old Republic has been said to be a very high-minded cover for what are essentially assassins and saboteurs simply seeking to take their frustrations out on the Galactic Empire
If the Galactic Empire is said to rule the Core Worlds with an iron fist, then Black Sun could just as easily be said to rule it with a hidden one. While the Empire is undoubtedly the disputed authority in that space, no amount of stricture or law or even military prowess has been able to suppress the influence of this burgeoning criminal syndicate.
Corporate powers have long been a part of galactic political and economic affairs, dominating industry, manipulating both manpower and propaganda to their own ends, and waging endless wars of sabotage and espionage against their most bitter rivals.
The Galactic Empire is the ultimate power in the galaxy. It is the successor state which arose out of the political implosion of the Old Republic. Sub-factions include the New Order Corporation, and the Imperial Security Bureau.
A Hutt is essentially the head of a kind of clan, or house, or tribe, of criminals. Each one rules its own cartel in a different way, but all of them respect a kind of underhanded code of honour which keeps them from eviscerating one another.
Originally a monastic group of philosophers, the Jethi-Bendu were adherents to the mysterious Force of Others, which granted many of them fantastical powers which to the average citizen of the galaxy seemed like magic. Over time, the Jedi came to embody their Code and became famous for their virtuous defence of justice.
Once, almost a millennia ago, the Knights of the Sith had arisen as a specific and strategic means to counter one of the perceived weaknesses of the Jedi; their code of honour. The Jedi consciously refrained from murder, stealth, and needless destruction—the Knights of the Sith were, in short, the direct answer to this problem.
The Old Republic was once the dominant political and cultural hegemony in the galaxy, stretching across hundreds of millions of worlds. Its principles of peace and justice stood as a symbol of its integrity for over several thousand years, before even its mighty traditions could not stave off inevitable collapse.
While the Galactic Empire dominates the Core Worlds, and a variety of Underworld figures control much of the Outer Rim, throughout the entire galaxy still roam a great many individuals who do not hold loyalty to any faction whatsoever.
The Underworld consists of an incredible variety of individuals and organisations, everything from a single smuggler to a fleet of pirates to a sprawling criminal empire which spreads throughout whole sectors of space.
