Taking a page out of the demagogue handbook, Admiral Bosch seized power in Polaris by exploiting the social unrest and political turmoil in that system. Following Bosch's coup, the governments of Regulus and Sirius collapsed, and the GTVA found itself with a full-scale insurgency on its hands. I've only read a couple of stories. I'm curious to read more, but I made a conscious decision early in the process not to. The question of influence and intellectual property can be tricky.
Time is another factor.
With all three Volition projects on my plate, there are not many hours left for reading. Because FS2 takes place three decades after FS1, players will have lots of room to explore, create, and elaborate. I love the fact that it's impossible to speak of the FreeSpace universe monolithically. The mythos expands with every story and mission that players create. Heterodoxy is a good thing.