Galactic Express World

Earth is the third planet in the solar system and one of the more crucial habitable worlds of the Universe. Earth itself embodies the ideals of the human race it lives on. The Earth has been the subject of alien invasions and cataclysms throughout its known history. With many changes over the course of centuries, it had either become an ideal place to live with the finest to offer or horrid conditions that make people want to leave.

Earth

Earth as part of its biosphere hosts large bodies of water including many of the oceans the surface is covered in. The planet features a breathable atmosphere filled with oxygen as well as many ecosystems including deserts, temperate forests, arctic areas, and urban developments.

Earth has been home to many civilizations and cultures with several extraterrestrial species stopping on the planet as a safe zone including the La Metalians and the Mazon. By the end of the 20th century, Earth had its first major encounter when La Metal came near the planet and started a massive swing of events that had Earth's scientists develop ways to travel to outer space.

These plans bore fruitful exploits including the Galaxy Express trains, a space navy, and ships of all kinds. Unfortunately, things began to take a turn for the worse on Earth as leading figures started to become complacent in their comfortable positions with many of them becoming lazy and corrupt. Most of them even ignored threats such as the Mazon and mechanized nobles that came to Earth and established domains so long as they did not distract them from their pleasures like golf. The general population was not much better, not appearing to care about things as long as it does not interfere with their safety. Because of this, many notable individuals had left Earth in disgust. Some of them however, chose to protect Earth from a distance due to a greater form of sentimentality.

Galaxy Express Company, Ltd.

Galaxy Express Co., Ltd. is the company of railway operators running the Galaxy Railway Express trains. It is mainly headquartered at Fate Station that resembles a gas nebula.

Galaxy Express Co., Ltd. was created to centralize the then privatized rail operators as done per collaboration with organic beings and the mechanized shareholders. The company evolved out of the original railway companies of Earth including the Japan Nation Railways before expanding into space. However due to difficulties in expanding beyond the local solar system, the company entered a partnership with with the Machine Empire to obtain further funding and technology. By the time of the Empire's fall however, the company had to change some of their policies.

The limited company is currently under the supervision of company president, Leila Destiny Shura. The company itself owns its own private military and police force to ensure that no harm comes to the railways and their passengers. To people outside the company the employees appear to be rather ruthless as they are known to eliminate any adversary and obstacle without mercy. This however is to ensure that no dangerous elements come upon the trains and the passengers as some incidents have been known to destroy planets. As such the Galaxy Express company take no side in conflicts due to their equipment and weaponry being above the average army. This gives the company an uneasy reputation as some of the inhabitants of areas even fear the passengers of the trains. The security is also known to false alarms that keep them away from planets that are originally part of their trips. There are also issues regarding class with the middle class passengers as well as the distribution of tickets particularly to the Andromeda system that are very expensive with some high class passengers often targeted for murder and theft.

Service

The infinite routes to just about every corner of the universe have different trains turn to those many areas. All routes are managed by the Galaxy Management Stations while following a strict regimen. The station staff rooms are often decorated with portraits of the founder and his child. Being started by the Japan Nation Railways, the trains and paths follow some aspects including: main line, branch line, general station, passenger station (referred to as Mankind Station), freight station, etc.

Management station are separated in each area and are all under a jurisdiction. However there are differences in rules and administration including the Machine Empire's share when bringing flesh and blood bodies over to Machine Men worlds. Regardless, all rules are strict with employees handling passengers very politely and their salaries are regularly payed large sums of money (often in the form of gold coins). Their primary responsibilities are the safety and handling requests of passengers when they are in their power. If a passenger is to die, the crew must take responsibility for that death regardless of who was the catalyst. The locomotive trains also follow an exception to the rules when needing to dispose of crew that have died in duty by going off course for a short while. Crews are also allowed to take a vacation once at the stop station at the endpoint with the vacation determined by the company.

If a criminal of a particular planet is on the train, the crew and passengers follow an extraterritoriality space law as there are no local authorities between trips, allowing the party to arrest or restrain. Even then the criminal is still treated as a passenger and are treated with care and respect.

The tickets used resemble the commuter ticket vouchers that display the words path as a tribute to the JR tickets.

If any accidents occur, a Space Railway Guard is dispatched to protect the passenger's safety. If threats such as Space Pirates are in any way involved, a special forces unit called the Grenadiers are dispatched. But if no help comes, it is up to the crew and passengers to do something as what happened during a stick up.

Terms of Use

The train paths are similar to the JR ways of the company's predecessors. However, it has a much more strict departure time and service and not following them is considered a taboo. Because of this more than a thousand rules are put in place but some seem contradictory to each other. For example, if a planet on a course path were to disappear due to events like natural disasters, this would cause a delay in arrival and departure often causing the need to turn back. However to ensure that passengers to get destinations, the train would need to get to the next destination within the required schedule. Other rules are not as malleable as ones that constitute a passenger being at fault such as not getting back on the train in time will be forced to stay on the location as the train will not come back for them. Missing a departure time means that a ticket is useless and passengers cannot buy new tickets for the same train at other stops. In Maetel's teachings to Tetsuro, every missed chance is the same as death.

Temporary stops and route changes are not recognized, but passengers have been known to make requests to stop at irregular stops if word does not get out and there is no evidence of visiting those areas. Most train landing ports are stopovers featuring hotels and bed & breakfasts for local businesses, although accommodations are often provided by the train. The 999 itself is a special case in that it is strongly encouraged to stay on the train as it is impossible to board again after leaving a passenger behind.

In spite of the strict service guidelines, passengers are well provided and some can even apply for refunds on their tickets within two years as long as it is valid. Validity periods differ depending on the seasons of the tickets and if a train's service has been suspended for more than five years, validity is extended.

Although passengers are often treated with the utmost respect, if they make risky decisions that threaten the car or the train itself such as traffic problems and counterfeiting tickets, a passenger can be expelled immediately by a conductor on duty. If tickets are ever stolen or copies are used, only the original owner can use them with the perpetrators punished to the point of death penalties by public security officers.

The rules can be humanitarian however, as if there is helpless victim the crew will help the person in need and provide for them special services if they are close enough and if it will not interfere with policies. Some trains also demand that these victims buy tickets in order to receive further services. The 999 also has a special rescue service to bring passengers back to their home destinations once the initial trip is finished.

On a separate note, as there are no other public transport services the Galaxy Express company has the sole rights with the only other alternatives being personally owned ships.

Important Locations

Galaxy Administration Headquarters The primary jurisdiction area of the Galaxy Express company. It was originally located on Earth until it was forced to move on new management to the planet Destiny. There are also command centers including 27866 that sent an alarm to 999.

Space Islands Administration A secret compartment administration station that has jurisdiction in the inner Milky Way.

Trader Administration A branch administration that oversees the trade business in the Galaxy company. Most trade is overseen on Heavy Melder with the administration working very close.

Andromeda Administration The administration station of the Andromeda System. Because it is located on Planet Promethium and because of shareholding rights, the station is under the influence of the Machine Empire.

Routes

The Galaxy Express line routes are numerous and intricate, Leiji Matsumoto even stated that they function similar to the blood vessels and nerve fibers of a human body. The routes feature many stops on numerous planets and habitable worlds, with some branch points in space, and a transfer junction point.

• Galaxy Main Line: Travels from Earth to the Andromeda System via the Orion-Pleiades route. This is the primary route of the 999.
• Galactic Center Line: Travels from Earth to Pluto with a Nike-Emeraldas branch point at Pleiades with the 111.
• Large Orion Line: 222 line traveling through the Orion route after departing from Venus.
• Iebia Branch Line: 330 limited express line.
• Magellan Line: 331 operated line until a dimensional accident occurred causing the train to disappear for eight years.
• Capella High-Speed Line: 333 operated route from Earth to Vega via the Capella.
• Procyon Main Line: 390 limited express line.
• Inner Galaxy Loop Line: 444 operated route circulating around the Capella line.
• Capella Tour Line: 507 limited express train line.
• Oberon Line: 550 limited express train line.
• Orion Macro-cyclic Line: 555 operated route that departs from the Orion System.
• Capella High-Speed Loop Line: 576 operated line.
• Alta Line: 637 limited express line.
• Aurora Loop Line: 659 express line.
• Magellan Contact Line: 666 operated express route that has its starting point at Nike, while moving from Venus through the Magellanic Clouds.
• Deneb High-Speed Line: Limited Express 701 line.
• Outer Galaxy Line: A mysterious outer space based line that travels through Orion, Pleiades, Earth, Octopus System, and an unknown Galaxy section. 777 goes through here.
• Aldebaran Loop Line: 888 Express train line that travels through the Emeraldas branch point through Nike, Orion, Pleiades, up until the Aldebaran trade point.
• El Alamein Star System Circulation Line
• Altair New Line
• Kaitos Sigma Line
• Mercaptopurine-Toriangri Line
• Trader Main Line
• Dorado New Line
• Regulus Main Line
• Alpha Centauri Line

Space Orbit

To enable the complete operation of universal travel, the Galaxy company uses a special invisible rail laid throughout the universe. It consists of the Orbital Tube that surrounds the train with breathable air, allowing a window to be opened while traveling through space and act as shielding for the train (for the latter, it is also called the Shield Tube) and Orbital Ring that functions as junction points every 1.5 universal km and protect passengers from space pirate attacks. As long as the vehicle does not warp, the train run on the invisible rails as a form of predetermined trajectories. Inside the tubes is a three-way structure that are built to have the outside function like an upstream as well as allow emergency liners of SDF on either side of the express to ensure no outside forces can force out the train.

Trains

The Galaxy Express uses different trains for purposes including combat and transport. All trains feature a numbering system from 0 to 1000 with a generally three digit rule. Models 00X~099 are generally combat trains used by the SDF while models 100-1000 are generally passenger trains with the primary trains given nicknames along with their numbers. The cars of the trains regarding seating are given a grading system with at least three ordinary cars, two green cars, and at time a first-class car.

Machine Men

Machine Men is the colloquial term for people who have gained Machine Bodies. While most were originally human, the term Machine Men can also refer to mechanized animals and other species. At rare moments, it also includes naturally born mechanical people like the Metanoids.

Physiology

Machine Men's bodies are mainly technological, possessing machines for body parts and organs to function. Some are barely functional, made with scrap metal and weak batteries. Others are constituted from reliable and regularly maintained components. The most advanced Machine Men are built with nanotechnology. Most if not all Machine Men possess a matrix that stores their memories and consciousness, essentially acting as their brains and souls.

Behavior

Because their electronic brains are able to store a human mind (and sometimes possess back-ups) in an undying body, Machine Men are essentially immortal. Consequently, Machine Bodies, as well as the status of Machine Man, are a widely coveted thing. This tends to make Machine Men cocky, arrogant, and overconfident. Depending on the type of Machine Body as well as the mindset of the person in turn, Machine Men can thus be very dangerous. Some Machine Men however do not possess the destructive qualities that others do and are fully capable of coexisting with organic life.

Influence

Because of the amount of Machine Bodies made available via their initial creation by the Machine Empire, any person who can find or afford a Machine Body can become a Machine Man. However, due to the fall of the Machine Empire, the availability and prevalence of Machine Bodies varies by region. Worlds that were formerly part of the Machine Empire often host the greatest concentration of Machine Men while still holding to the Empire's ideals. Because of this, many Machine Men choose to act as a ruling class, over toppling the rule of organic lifeforms and of Machine Men with inferior-grade Machine Bodies.

However in some communities, including La Metal, Machine Men and organic life have demonstrated the ability to coexist and even to outright reject the way of the Empire.

Terrans of Note

Doctor Hell	Baron Ashura	Count Brocken	Viscount Pygman	Archduke Gorgon

Great Mother Planet

The Great Mother Planet (also known as Planet Promethium and Planet La Andromeda) is the capital of the Machine Empire, with the current queen Promethium leaving her home world La Metal as the area to get mechanized.

Appearance and Features

Whether Planet Promethium was an artificial planet or a natural one is unknown as the entire planet is a large city that can be seen from both space and in its sky. The planet features a ring like Saturn's and is slightly larger than Pluto.

The planet features a defense system to prevent intruders and illegal immigrants from getting in, especially if they are of regular flesh-and-blood. The weapons include plasma discharge gear that can destroy many ships. As such Galaxy Express trains must travel through a shielded express tube. Other obstacles are different depending on the medium including a black hole near the vicinity in the TV version or meteorites in the novel versions.

Machine Empire

The Machine Empire (also known as the Mechanization Empire) is the succeeding empire of La Metal after the planet's artificial sun was beginning to fade. Lead by Queen Promethium, the empire casts aside all things organic and uncontrollable, this lead to many of its citizens being mechanized. This includes cyborgs, androids, and other robots.

The Empire was founded under Queen Promethium to help her people survive the harsh conditions. Unfortunately, the mechanization process was flawed, Promethium herself having lost her fear of death strove to create an empire with the same principles. To this end she forced many of La Metal and Heavy Melder citizens into the mechanization process while enslaving any remaining organic lifeforms as a fuel source. To this end, Promethium was betrayed by her family including Maetel. While the spread of the empire was prevented, the Empire remained for many years on its home planet of La Metal. Very soon the spread of Machine Bodies as well as the process to manufacture them was spread out from La Metal to increase the number of Machine Men in subtlety.

Government and Culture

As the largest empire in the known universe, the Machine Empire's influence is on a galactic scale. Most of the empire's conquest and planets are in the Andromeda Nebula with many of their citizens mechanized. As stated by the Conductor, worlds under the Machine Empire are built for the sole benefit of Machine Men. Humans that still have flesh and blood bodies whether local or visitor lack any rights, with some places allowing for abuse, slaughter, and hunting for sport. However there are still areas in the Andromeda Nebula that the Machine Empire does not have control of with settlements of regular humans stationed there lead by a Prime Minister.

Capital Government

In the capital city, Queen Promethium leads the empire as the monarch, yet her reign is more similar in function to a dictatorship. To make the empire appear more benevolent, Promethium sends out a guide (namely Maetel) to bring selected individuals in need of a Machine Body to La Metal. Once there, that person once given a Machine Body and goes through the mechanization process is considered a citizen of the empire. This gives them unlimited resources, wealth, and a fear of not dying by homicide. However, Promethium enforces behaviors and if the patron rejects the offer, they are to be publicly executed.

Even then, the process is not as benevolent as it appears to be. The mechanization process forces citizens to remain under Promethium's control and act as mere components for the empire at large. In a way this makes them slaves. Some iterations even have the now dormant human bodies used as a fuel source for the empire. This prevents mechanized citizens from getting their old bodies back and empowers the Machine Bodies of the capital. At times their memories are altered to serve purposes including what was done to Faust. Even in spite of the long life granted by Machine Bodies, there are some citizens that commit suicide because of their living conditions. While the instigator is Promethium, it is not uncommon for citizens to blame Maetel for bringing them to La Metal in the first place.

Humans not under their control also do not conform to Promethium's laws. At times humans and machine men live together without worry. Some citizens unhappy with their living conditions can even start a coup d'etat on worlds with no watchdogs. When this happens, laws are more strictly enforced through the military forces.

Military

In spite of the utopia-like settings, the empire does have a military that has the technology and resources to destroy an entire planet. The home setting also houses a powerful defense force. As stated in films, most of the soldiers are Machine Men dedicated of eliminating any rogue humans. One of their most powerful weapons is a wave motion cannon that could destroy an entire planet such as Blue Melon. The cannon's use on their own soldiers also shows the military's will to sacrifice their own people if it means preserving their utopia at any moment. Space fighters are also commonly used. Many drafted passengers also serve as the vanguard, mere cannon fodder for the empire.

Law

On the Machine Empire's territories, national laws are only given to machine men and when an individual anti-machine action is taken, the perpetrator is to immediately executed, even if the perpetrator is mechanized. This law is considered 'disturbing' even to Machine Men as it is the only official way to end their existence even with their seal of approval. The reason why 999 even transports passengers to La Metal is because of an established law which prohibits taking hostages and forcing them to take Machine Bodies. This however is to make the Empire appear benevolent by giving the illusion that getting a Machine Body is a choice, with the above explanation showing that people that reject the offer are executed. Although some colonies do force mechanization behind the capital back such as on Cosmo Wine.

Influence

While not all in-universe planets are under the Machine Empire's control, some of the empire's dominating ways and the Machine Men elitism has certainly spread throughout the cosmos. Even Earth which is two million light years away from the capital is no exception with Machine Men owning land and treating human hunting as sport. Also due to the expensive nature of Machine Bodies, these Machine Men are seen as the pinnacle and most elite of citizens, causing much disparity among Machine Men and regular humans.

Metanoids

Metanoids are mechanical lifeforms found throughout the Heisei era Leijiverse. Compared to Machine Men who are mechanized humans, Metanoids appear to be naturally mechanical or more advanced than their counterparts. They serve as a major antagonistic force, but their members are not specified in the series they appear in only implied. Their appearances are only confirmed by creator Leiji Matsumoto or the creative teams behind their appearances.

Appearance and Functions

Metanoids vary by appearance and abilities. Footsoliders are primarily composed of a liquid metal. Metanoids knights and queen Darqueen on the other hand appear more humanoid including exoskins covering a mechanical body. Others such as Hardgear just look like highly advanced robots. All metanoids are powered by a Helium-3 heart, allowing them to function for a very long time. Abilities and functions differ, but almost all are capable of combat and communication.

Behavior

The majority of Metanoids that appear in the shared universe have generally influenced major political powers for their personal gain including Ruda, the hand of Afressian Empire queen Baraluda as well as Hardgear for Queen Promethium. Most serve directly under their queen while aligning themselves with anyone that could be beneficial to their empire until their purpose is served. Since they are machines, many Metanoids have a hard time communicating with organic lifeforms. Not all of the Metanoids are conquerors however as there are several defectors who grew attached to different factions including Ruda and Metalmadonna.

Heavy Melder

Heavy Melder is a planet existing in the fictional Euphrates Star System. In many of its appearances, it is known as a trader branch point.

Appearance

Heavy Melder is mostly a desert planet with intense temperatures due to having two suns. According to an audio drama however there is a lush jungle in only one place that not many are able to find. The sky features a normally orange hue in the clouds.

Environment

Heavy Melder has roughly the same density and gravity of Earth but is stated to be twice the diameter. In addition, one day on Heavy Melder is about one week and 24 minutes on Earth time. Heavy Melder's desert climates cause a scorching level of heat to beat down on the surface. The equator possesses a very fast rotational speed, often causing severe dust and sandstorms around the planet.

Government State

Due to the amount of parties as well as the harsh conditions, no central authorities exist on the planet causing a large frontier that allows absolute freedom and lawlessness. Due to this, the planet was often used as a base away from governments as well as shady deals.

Regions

Trade Branch Point/Trader City The main portion of Heavy Melder, well known for its appearance similar to a wild west town. The town's tavern often attracts the attention of rogues and is well known for its signature song.

Gun Frontier Mountain

Named after the state of America's frontier period and located south of the Trade Branch Point, it is known for being the resting place of what was left of the Death Shadow after Tochiro Oyama left it behind. It also served as the base of the fake Harlock.

Time Castle

The home of the fake Harlock (Count Mecha in a movie). It resembles a large black colored medieval castle that features a clock at the front and a round meter, giving it the appearance of a clock tower. It's main function is to manipulate time and space to either warp or time travel. It was eventually abandoned and later self-destructed after a visit by Tetsuro Hoshino.

Ruins

Mentioned in an audio drama that existed billions of year prior and existed on the only green portions of the planet. Despite its age, the civilization possessed science and technology that bordered on the Machine Empire.

La Metal

La Metal is a rogue planet whose orbit is in close proximity to Earth every 1,000 years around the sun of the Sol System. The Machine Empire originated on La Metal but later left it behind after much bloodshed. It was primarily featured in its debut appearance of Queen Millennia.

Features

La Metal's total diameter is 109,404 km with the speed of its rotation being 48 hours, 22 minutes, and 43 seconds. The pressure, gravity, and atmosphere are very similar to Earth's in spite of being larger. Most of the surface is covered by a 3 km layer of ice of -280 degrees Celsius due to lacking a regular sun. When approaching the sun, the layer melts while causing some upheavals on Earth that cause the atmosphere of Earth to mix with La Metal's referred to as an Air Bridge. This allows travel between the planets without spaceships for 48 hours until the Air Bridge disperses.

Civilization

La Metal is home to a highly advanced technological civilization that can allow space travel as well as advanced robotics that can allow a person to transfer their consciousness into a Machine Body. The capital of the planet is Miyu City, a city with a long history that spans before humanity appeared on Earth. The continent the city sits on has a magnitude 1.5 times that of the African Continent.

Inhabitants

The inhabitants of La Metal mainly compose of intelligent human-like beings dubbed the La Metalians. After the failure of their sun, many of the inhabitants had their minds transferred to Machine Bodies with a minority of their inhabitants either keeping their bodies or leaving the planet altogether.

History

La Metal had existed long ago and was always traveling along an elliptical caused by a black hole called the Dark Sun Ra. For millennium, La Metal had traveled to and from Earth through this elliptical with several scouts and colonists being stationed there including the Millennial Queen. By the end of the twentieth century on Earth, the planet was noticed by Professor Amamori. However, unlike before La Metal was on a total collision course near Earth and the Holy Queen decided to enslave the human race before Earth's imminent destruction and conquering the planet. Other habitable worlds within orbit were also likely conquered according to Prof. Amamori. The current Millennial Queen, Yayoi Yukino (La Andromeda Promethium) with help from Prof. Amamori and his nephew Hajime stood against the regimen however along with several defectors. With Yayoi's sacrifice in sealing the black hole, La Metal was put on a new course.

Many generations later, La Metal had come into the Andromeda Galaxy with a new La Andromeda Promethium coming into power. Queen Promethium had two daughters with her husband Dr. Ban, Maetel and Emeraldas. With La Metal in the stages of dying out, Queen Promethium had began a task of mechanizing the population. At first this was a means of protecting them from death, but after she was corrupted, La Metal had turned into a battlefield between Machine Men and regular humans with much bloodshed. Around some time, La Metal had become a satellite to the planet of Heavy Melder. After the wars, La Metal was rebuilt was New La Metal with a rebuilt capital of New Miyu City. This however would be undone when Promethium went into dormancy. But still, the Machine Empire expanded its influence beyond with a new planet to settle on with La Metal kept as a historical landmark as well as another place to become mechanized. However, with Promethium gone, it became a place where Machine Men and regular humans could live together with the royal family banished.

Etymology

La Metal's name in its native language means the Eternal Traveler, referring to millennium long elliptical travel. In real world lore, the name comes from the Egyptian Sun God Ra and the English word metal. Both of which refer to La Metal's advanced technology and need for a sun.

Death Shadow Island

Death Shadow Island is the second mobile base created by Tochiro Oyama for the crew of the Arcadia, replacing the original Pirate Island.

Features

Death Shadow Island is described as a free asteroid that does not have a track but always follows the Arcadia from a set distance of 12 universal kilometers for its uses. The base itself is an internally processed asteroid with a high quality surface. The entrance is a hole big enough for the Arcadia fit through and a hatch for human-sized patrons to come through.

Death Shadow Island is mainly used for emergencies and for defense against enemies of the Arcadia crew. Inside the base is breathable living space with a sandy beach and a large pool of water. There is even a spread throughout the ceiling. The area is so self-sufficient that there are even crabs (even a gigantic one), fish, and other sea creatures living inside. The design was chosen by Tochiro as a safe haven for inhabitants.

Death Shadow Island houses a supercomputer with great processing and analysis speed that is capable of linking up with the Arcadia for both systems to reach full capacity. The island also features a repair system to fix the Arcadia with spare parts and other equipment depending on various circumstances.

Illumidas

The Illumidas are a hostile humanoid sentient species featured in the Arcadia of My Youth series. The Illumidas are generally very human-like including their height, size, and physical features but their skin color contains a light shade of green. Eyebrows of the men are connected to their hair. The Illumidas follow a very militaristic code to its most extreme, making them very hostile towards others; conquering many worlds and annihilating planets that do not surrender to them. Most Illumidas have a lot of pride to what attaches to them the most, for military leaders it is their merits and for scientists it is their creations often captaining the ships they have created.

Society

The Illumidas function as an entire military nation, traveling the universe to dominate and eliminate any other party without mercy. They are mainly male oriented and as such women do not hold significant ranks and are considered second-rate. Much like the Mazon, they often made these conquered people into slaves with women often being made into sex slaves. When hiring mercenaries, they are often treated as cannon fodder. Those who do not comply with the ruling Illumidas bodies are often massacred such as the Tokaga people and even destroyed entire planets to prevent rebel uprisings.

After conquering worlds, figurehead leaders are often stationed on those worlds to prevent rebellions and often use campaigns to lower the local's dignity. However there are a few figures who deviate from the central army such as Zeda, who in his occupation of Earth made a more flexible rule due to disliking his homeworld. However, these rules while less harsh than others are still brutal which lead to a rebel movement lead by Maya and Emeraldas.

Technology

The Illumidas are an advanced race with many of their machines resembling insects including a dragonfly-like fighter the size of the Arcadia and cockroach-like tanks housing a lot of fire power. All ships are capable of space travel and are armed with with missiles and beams capable of fighting evenly with entire fleets. All weapons on the ships are automatic, as such they all have a weakness when it comes to ammunition as they are often depleted quickly when it battle, leaving them as little more than transporters.

History

The Illumidas during an unspecified time began expanding their empire conquering many worlds. Eventually they come upon Earth. For a length of time, Earth's military forces managed to fight against the Illumidas threat until their forces were overwhelmed with Earth under their control. Supporters had even gained a place on Earth's dominion. Three exiles of the planet: Harlock (S-009999), Tochiro Oyama (S-009998), and Emeraldas (X-00001) however continued to resist the Illumidas, each with reasons of their own whether personal or based on beliefs. As such they were continued to be hunted down but could never be caught.

The three's actions had ended up costing the Illumidas many resources and personnel one of which was Zeda. Because of this, Mr. Zone completely acknowledged the threat of these individuals, particularly Harlock. Harlock would eventually lead an attack on the Illumidas' home base, destroying it and forcing the Illumidas to scatter while releasing their hold on Earth.

Space Pirates of Note

Doctor Hell	Baron Ashura	Count Brocken	Viscount Pygman	Archduke Gorgon

Mazon

The Mazon are a species of humanoid plants that resemble human women. They originally hailed from a planet of the same name but it was destroyed a long time ago in a supernova. Since then, the Mazon had begun to travel throughout the cosmos to find a new home, forming a planet conquering empire in the process.

Physiology

The Mazon are plant-based lifeforms and generally look alike with the standard appearance common in Matsumoto's women characters, tall beautiful women with long hair, willowy bodies, with long eye lashes. As they are plants, Mazon are technically hermaphrodites, allowing them to reproduce with both pollen and seeds. Since Mazon generally have bodies that resemble the ideal Earth women, it allowed them to blend in within human society and have high positions for their empire to invade.

While most Mazon look the same including the pale white skin tone, they also possess hues of green and blue. Some also have different hair colors such as black whereas most Mazon have blonde hair. Given their plant-based bodies, they have no skeletons or vital organs like brains. They also live off of photosynthesis and chlorophyll while breathing through their skin. Despite a lack of a brain, Mazon are capable of thinking and the anime reveals that they do have a sense of smell. They lack blood and the closest they have to bodily fluids is a blue sap, although Queen Rafflesia had a red fluid similar to blood flowing out of her after her battle with Captain Harlock.

The Mazon home world was described as being very humid thanks to high levels of carbon dioxide with a lot jungle vegetation. This allowed Mazon to survive very hot and warm environments, but they are not very well suited to dry areas like deserts or the immensely cold temperatures of certain worlds.

While it is unknown why Mazon look the way they do, Harlock speculates that it was merely mimicry. Some of the Mazon can also assimilate with plant-life becoming trees and seaweed on earth. Some of them are unable of changing back after this, but some can with the proper amount of water. On a side note, some have speculated if the Mazon had tampered with the DNA of some worlds giving those species an appearance similar to their own.

When shot with a gun or heat-based projectile, Mazon burn up into flames until there is nothing left. There is also a way to track Mazon as well, with Captain Harlock having such a detector on the front of his ship, the Arcadia.

In terms of reproduction, the Mazon reproduce used through special plant sap. A child Mazon's face resembles a mummy until properly hydrated causing them to grow into adult hood rather quickly compared to humans. While sexual activity with humans is possible for Mazon as shown in the anime, the union cannot produce offspring due to different body structures.

Behavior

Although the Mazon have more-or-less the same behavioral patterns as a human, their population has a unique social structure with the main focus on finding a new home by any means necessary, considering some individual thoughts as nothing but 'seeds'.

The Mazon are generally a proud species given their great civilization, often looking down on most of Earth's inhabitants especially the more corrupt world leaders they can easily control. As a result, they see most Earthlings as livestock for their civilization. Most of their losses were also considered collateral whether human or Mazon.

Besides Earth, the Mazon have other enemies including the inhabitants of Tokaga and destroyed Jura, the home planet of Miime. However, not all Mazon are hostile as some had actually made friends with Earthlings, including ones that were originally sent to kill the Arcadia's crew. Some of them just genuinely want a home to be able to play and enjoy life. A fewer numbers are even capable of loving outsiders, with a Mazon under the guise of a nurse eloping with a doctor as a significant example.

Social Ecology

The Mazon follow a pattern similar to social insects with a queen leading the rest of the clan with successors in bound. As they are plants, they do not follow some of the more human politics; some of them even find human taxonomy annoying. While the Mazon in the majority wish to conquer worlds, a small number are capable of friendly relationships with other species including humans with traits such as friendship and even love. An underwater pyramid also housed some whistling kelp, which seemed to be a species separated from the Mazon.

Writing and Language

On the super weapons and related structures, the Mazon have their language printed on them with a majority of their kind speaking it, it also seems to be a global language spoken by all of the Mazon rather than just one of many. However, the Mazon are also capable of speaking languages used by outsiders including the languages of Earth.

Military and Technology

The Mazon are a very advanced race, possessing technology that allowed them to travel the cosmos long before Earth was capable, complete with a cosmograph that shows a large area of where the Mazon have visited that is stored in a small rod-like storage device. The device in turn, could hold as much data as a human brain could and more, forcing the Arcadia crew to use both the Arcadia's computer and Death Shadow Island's computer in tandem. Other examples of this was a robot with a self-repairing system that was considered a dangerous scientific breakthrough. Rafflesia often used a hologram to contact other parties from many distances away, even when they are in other solar systems.

When it came to travel, Mazon ships are capable of dimensional wave travel, allowing them to warp from one point to the next in a manner of seconds through a special signal. The same technology is what allowed the Mazon to go onto Earth undetected. Underwater pyramids located in places like the Bermuda Triangle give off these same signals which can also reactivate sunken ships like the battleship Musashi and several submarines left over from World War II.

The Mazon ships are equipped with pulsar guns that rival the Arcadia in firepower and are numerous enough to be seen as another Milky Way from a certain distance. However many of these ships are either civilian vessels or rescue ships that were captured from conquered worlds. Specialized black ops spies are equipped with special infiltration tools that can even jam trackers on the Arcadia.

They're technology and military was so advanced that Harlock had wondered why the Mazon did not colonize Earth sooner.

History on Earth

The Mazon seek a new home after their home planet was destroyed when their mother star exploded in a supernova. They would visit other planets to see which would be the most suitable to live on.

The Mazon that live on Earth as undercover troops tend to live in jungles but also other humid areas such as some areas in Egypt, with some ancient ruins depicting Mazon activity. Some of these ruins also house advanced Mazon technology, classifying then as OOPArts. However, some Mazon have also appeared in Japan's urban areas. Some characters have even theorized that the Mazon may have arrived on Earth during the dawn of humanity. Other Safe Zones have been found on other planets including Venus.

By the current storyline, the Mazon lead by Queen Rafflesia decided to target Earth as their "second home". The drive was so much, that the entire Mazon fleet was mobilized for this, something that was not done on more threatening worlds like Tokaga.

However, not all of the Mazon followed the same plan. Due to the long waiting and journeys, some of them (mostly civilians) had defected. Infighting with the caravan was also getting out of control, so much that Rafflesia could not do anything to stop it. While conquering Earth seemed to go rather smoothly due to Earth's government's incompetence, the biggest obstacle came in the form of Captain Harlock and his crew. At the end, Arcadia's crew manage to stop the invasion by stopping the commander's advancements. With Rafflesia defeated, the stragglers of Mazon settled on different worlds including Earth without anyone's knowledge in order to live out the rest of their lives.

Trivia

• There's a very loose time loop going on in this world.
  • One shouldn't think too hard about it. The Rule of Cool is how to go with this.
• Space Pirate Captain Harlock is THE MAN.
• The Mazon's name comes from the Greek Mythology women tribe, the Amazons, given that their members all resemble women. This also alludes to the Amazon rainforest given their plant nature and how some of their members are willing to cooperate with outsiders like the tribes that gave the jungle it's name.