Andromeda Epsilon

The story, as seen by Queen Angelica.

"All spacefaring races have the right to evolve and spread their genes (or whatever substitute) across the galaxy! What holds true for every race especially holds true for us, for the Rebellion. An open-minded race of interstellar traders and explorers, we draw our name from the Great Rebellion of the past, in which we overcame the fundamentalists denying us a future in space because of their religious beliefs. The Force, a powerful energy beyond all religious rituals helped us. And so we stand here as you know us.

The story began, when our first two starships were sent out to explore. One was named "Obsession" after the commitment of her constructor, the other was the "Space Hobo", a converted shuttle. Both ships carried with them citizens willing to colonize the newly discovered worlds. Soon new worlds were discovered and some colonists left behind as seeds of a new civilization.
Then, it was barely turn 4 of the new era, three things changed the world of the Rebels.
The first was the appearance of another race equally capable of using the Force - but with cruelty! Where the Rebels were taught by the Jedi to use the Force to aid and calm, the newcomers used it to kill and harm! They were emissaries from an "Empire", and our greetings were replied by an attack on our outposts.
The second was the construction of the first hyperspace ship, the "Sparrowhawk". We now had a ship that was able to cross vast distances in no time.
The third was the sighting of yet another spacefaring race, exactly in our back. We were entrapped between the Empire and the other race which called themselves "Colonies", judging by their comm signals.
While retreating from the Empire, we had learned how diplomacy is conducted in the rough interstellar scope. So we silently gathered our forces, including a single massive battleship which was welded together that hastily that it was called the rush class. The ship was named "Rebel Yell" after the mythological warcry of our ancestors. As soon as she was built, she slowly moved towards the "Colonies", to back up the contact force in case of an attack.
And in galactic turn 8 contact was made!
On that same day, the "Space Hobo" appeared over the Colonial homeworld after remaining previously completely unseen; the "Sparrowhawk" and her sister ship "Vulture" came out of hyperspace over two other Colonial planets. Small groups of Rebels beamed down from all three ships to disable the planetary defense systems so they wouldn't shoot at our ships. And then the "Space Hobo" delivered our greetings and asked for help against the Empire. The Rebel Yell was at this point about 130 lightyears behind the bold contact group.
In galactic turn 8, the Colonies delivered their reply. The hyperjump ships had returned home, and only the "Space Hobo" stayed over their homeworld to remain in contact with the Colonies. We mourn for their lifes, because the reply of the Colonies consisted in attacking the unarmed "Hobo" with a warship and destroying her. The "Rebel Yell" was 80 lightyears away at this point. But with galactic turn 10 came a turn in the tide of the Rebel relations with outher races. The "Rebel Yell" appeared over the Colonial Homeworld to avenge the destruction of the "Hobo" and the killing of their crew.
A quickly assembled Colonial taskforce tried to stop her but - almost to our own surprise - the "Rebel Yell" was able to destroy the complete task force and the Colonial starbase. At the same time the hyperships returned and attacked Colonial support ships. And at home, a second rush-built battlecarrier destroyed an incoming imperial Star Destroyer.
The Force indeed was with us!
Some time later we were able to corner and destroy the imfamous Death Star, the biggest and most dangerous starship of the universe, and some more time later we were able to attack and capture the imperial homeworld.
Since then, the Rebellion was a force to reckon with. We have since built a couple more of our trusted "Rushes", and established contact with all other spacefaring races of the cluster. And while we are not the strongest power (the militaristic style forced upon us by our long-gone neighbours had caused a severe lack of economic strength that cursed us for a long time), we definitely are no longer attacked at first sight.
Currently, noone dares to provoke the Rebel Alliance. And so we can live in more peace than otherwise.

So learn, young Jedi, learn the ways of dealing with your neighbours,
by the failed attempts of the Empire and the Colonies.
Don't give away your position too early,
and don't attack something you cannot handle."

Queen Angelica,
Head of the High Council of the Rebel Alliance.