they are going to be placeable objects stations and ships.  we already have two new races to work on: the ciadan and iconians

That was the word I was looking for.
Star Trek is not B5 and that's why "races" like the League of B5 - which actually is more a faction than a race - would hardly work. As much as I liked the B5 mod für A2 I got my problems with the League because it's a bit weird to build a Narn-vessel in a Drakiri-yard - or something like that at last.
Most of the races which don't have enough stuff to make them a race for their own will appear as non-playable races and I think it's fine this way. I never liked the idea of a Ferengi-armada kicking the Klingons' back-parts...
It simply would not have happend in Star Trek.
Bringing other races into the game by making them a non-player-race because we don't have enough stuff to make them a full race - that's what I consider a pretty professional solution to have those races at all!

 Here is my 2 cents worth  for  the ideas on  Alliances. Think "OrionPirates"  from the   The  Original Series. Shurely there are Crime syndicates  who still exist and thrive by Piratacy. soo as for the races  type ships the would have  every   flavor of ship that the could steal or from shipyards  they  took over . a  sugestion for the allliace would be  the Lokie, a derivative of the   of the Terran word  from Norse mythology LOKI  ,