I like this. Good read Fran.
I do have one problem and that is the definition of honor, the way you are describing it. To me honor would be honoring your treaties with allies, in effect sticking with them in the toughest of times, therefore encompassing friends > pixels.
What would you catagorize as dictatorial? A triumvirate, a council, or only one supreme leader? The citadel alliances all have one of these kinds of governments and they are elitist alliances i think you were describing.
Also the Gatherism you're describing sounds very much like it is present in Bushido since we have one supreme ruler, are very active and are very loyal to one another; just thought I'd throw that out there.