Cheshire Wiki

A 'Shire' is a general term for a set of territory with one or more sentient life forms that have just discovered and gained access to deep space travel. These life forms are not fully placed in the galactic trade system and have no true alliances or enemies unless prior invaded.

Most Shires are quickly added to the SPA territory since it offers safety while these life forms get their footing on the galactic stage.

There are currently several groups that a Shire could have part of. The most common one is the SPA as they work hard to find and help new Shires get settled into being part of the galactic expanse.