Backfire. A Philosophy.
Wishes are tricky things. When is a wish is granted, the universe becomes unbalanced. The imbalance causes chaos; thus, the universe has a funny way of always returning balance to itself by causing its own "wishes" to come true: if a "pure" wish is granted, then a chaotic wish is made to counter it. Conversely, if a chaotic with is granted, a "pure" wish counters it.
Everything in the universe has an alignment. Whether it be chaotic or good, that alignment ruled that being. There are two exceptions to this rule, and two alone: The Galactic Leyline is said to be made of purely neutral energy, as it is the source of the chaos and the peace in the universe. The Maiden of the Leyline is made from the Leyline's wishes to preserve this balance.
When she Maiden is not in place in the Leyline, this balance is not kept naturally, and the Leyline is left to its own devices; this can sometimes throw the balance off for temporary periods as it fights to adjust the universe's balances.
But the Leyline has always existed, and it has always served its purpose—only rarely has it failed to function exactly as it is supposed to; the only thing that can throw the Leyline off is these wishes.
When Gene Starwind, the Kei Pirates, and Gwen Khan all made their wishes, the Leyline was overloaded, and struggled to maintain its balance. For a while, it succeeded, but it eventually slipped down into a state of chaos.
These principles have been known for ages—even terrans of Old Earth knew these laws to be true, but they have since dwindled into fairy tales, or the bases for games and novels. These laws are not myth, as many believe them to be; this latest dip into the chaotic side will perhaps convince more people, of all races, of their reality.