Beyond the ring claimed by the stellar nations lies Open Space. Though humans have mapped an area 2,000 light-years distant in diameter and 200 light-years deep, space stretches beyond humanity‘s grasp in every direction. Even in the settled regions near the frontier, plenty of planets have been missed or forgotten, or simply remain unexplored.

Open Space is the last slice of human territory defined by the Treaty of Concord. Its vast regions are not claimed by any single stellar nation. Instead, they serve as areas of growth for those who hope to establish independent homes or new nations in future, or as safety valves for nations with population pressures.

Parts of Open Space were so decimated by GW2 that nothing can live there. Open Space was the battlefield of nations willing to test their most powerful tools of war. These weapons crushed planets, loosed deadly plagues, or otherwise rendered these planets uninhabitable. A few space-faring nomads survive in these regions by scavenging valuable materials, engines, and other goods from the burnt out worlds, but no colony could survive in the ruined ecosystems of these wasted worlds.

Other areas of Open Space remain habitable. These contain space stations, independent worlds, or corporate holdings not tied to a stellar nation or the Galactic Concord. Open Space may also be home to undiscovered alien civilizations. Each stellar nation explores Open Space in hopes that it will find the next race of sentient beings and become its patron. Each explorer hopes to find such a species and profit from the knowledge of the species‘ location, language, and customs. At the very least, the artifacts left in alien ruins often fetch a high price for anyone bold enough to find and plunder them.

In the depths of Open Space, space stations are vital relay and resupply points. They dot the void, serving as guideposts, communication relays, resting points, and meeting places along the interstellar travel lanes. Military stations watch for threats and protect travelers crossing their regions of space. Private spaceports act as way stations for travelers, providing places to rest, restock supplies, and gather news. Corporate stations serve those who these same functions, though they can have military applications or might even be labor camps. Stations become less important as a region becomes more settled, but even in the Ring they help travelers cross space at a modest price.

In the normal course of events on the frontier, minor outposts and stations are eventually supplanted by colonies. Entire systems in Open Space may be controlled by one stellar nation, but the nations can‘t claim control of the surrounding space. The continued growth of such systems, however, eventually allows stellar nations to expand their borders.

Where Open Space stretches close to established nations, portions may be patrolled or surveyed by those nations to protect their nearby holdings. Sometimes this is left to the Concord, but more often it falls to the nations themselves to watch for danger. Open Space also makes a wonderful hiding place for criminals, pirates, the disillusioned, the banished, and the unwanted masses of humanity—those who, for one reason or another, would rather not be tied to particular stellar nations.

The Verge is an example of Open Space, albeit an unusual one. Concord law officially applies, but stellar nations have claims to many individual planets and systems.

Independent governments control many societies. The Verge is unique because it was settled by so many stellar nations and independents. Members of every stellar nation live in the Verge, even those whose territory is on the opposite end of human space.