▁the ▁Al de bar an ▁system ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁Federal ▁planet ▁that ▁is ▁in ▁open ▁re bell ion , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁under ▁permanent ▁block ade ▁by ▁the ▁Bureau . ▁ ▁By ▁and ▁large , ▁the ▁Reb ell ion ▁is ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁older ▁pil ots ▁and ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁their ▁fund ing ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁Free ▁Trad ers . ▁Although ▁they ▁have ▁managed ▁to ▁ac quire ▁some ▁Pol aron ▁technology ▁and ▁ste al ▁a ▁few ▁of ▁the ▁less ▁powerful ▁Federation ▁war ships , ▁their ▁sparse ▁numbers ▁prevent ▁them ▁from ▁fighting ▁anything ▁other ▁than ▁minor ▁batt les . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁between ▁the ▁Reb ell ion ▁and ▁the ▁Bureau ▁is ▁fought ▁as ▁a ▁" sp y - war ". ▁ ▁Aur or an ▁The ▁Aur or an ▁Empire ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁political ▁b loc s ▁in ▁the ▁game . ▁They ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁popul ous ▁of ▁the ▁b loc s , ▁but , ▁since ▁they ▁remain ▁largely ▁un inter ested ▁in ▁technology , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁least ▁techn olog ically ▁advanced . ▁ ▁The ▁Aur or an ▁population ▁is ▁approximately ▁ 1 0 0 ▁tr ill ion , ▁according ▁to ▁AT M OS ▁- ▁most ▁plan ets ▁have ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁ar col ogy ▁that ▁can ▁house ▁tens ▁of ▁millions ▁of ▁people , ▁and ▁the ▁" home world s " ▁of ▁the ▁six ▁different ▁Aur or an ▁fa ctions ▁each ▁average ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁around ▁ 1 7 5 ▁billion . ▁As