Stories of a Galaxy

There once was a galaxy spanning empire, made up of humans, it settled and colonized the galaxy as it explored it, conquering, enslaving or otherwise subjugated any species it encountered on its way. eventually it became complacent and the expansion stopped.   after centuries of ruling the entire galaxy, or at least all of the known galaxy (the only part worth ruling). a problem arose, the ruling emperor had no direct heir and was dieing. the empire collapsed in a centuries long civil war, with the noble houses of the old empire, all fighting for control of the throne. the weakening of the empire caused the former enslaved to rebel. the grip of the conquered and subjugated weakened.   after centuries of civil wars, noble houses being exterminated, new factions rising up, to get conquered by others. there was only two major noble houses left, and on the eve of the victory of one, it was back-stabbed by a minor noble house. the wars had ended and a new empire, almost completely unrecognizable from the old, was on the rise.