When the Empire First-In Scouts arrived, they found a small thriving Empire of 5 solar systems which used generation ships to transport people and unique items.
Each viable planet has large stone cities. Some of them inhabited by the local people, others empty.
They are currently at Tech Level A, with some rented or used starships that can do Jump 1. A few do Jump 2. Qhe-Mah Orange and Qhe-Mah Turquoise still have several generation ships. The engines are much improved, but don’t have Jump capability.
But where did they get their engines, electronics, and other gear ? They are basically a stone age culture that hollowed out an asteroid and started traveling around the nearby solar system, then nearby stars.
They don’t speak of gods, but a group of people who came along and told them they would help them for a short time. Teaching them the minimum of medicine, science, electronics, geology, social structure, and how to travel long distances.
The people living on Afab-Nel were rather puzzled as they felt the all ready knew much of their world, and how to travel.
A small group was asked by their ruler to go with these crazy people and see and report back.
They were gone for a local month. They ship’s boat arrived back, and all of the small group left the ship and made their reports.
Their ruler, who was not of this planet, changed places with the original ruler who had been kept up to date on the goings on. The help was accepted. Schools were founded, an asteroid was hollowed out, engines and electronics were installed, etc.
The first trip around their solar system was started. Over time the two helpers grew older, but the ones they helped did not.
One day the male helper, named Fred, told the female helper, named Sandra, that there had been some old information he wanted to show her.
He brought it on a non-networked computer screen and it revealed that one day the planet leader had a skin tone, and the next day, a 3 shades difference was noted by the computer. The ruler never went outdoors.
They decided to do or say nothing It could have been a computer error.
The Elder, who had been watching the approach of this team, decided to leave and go into an unexplored area of the galaxy arm. The actual ruler continued on with the program started by Fred and Sandra.