From the introduction: War! For the second time in a generation, the stars are thrown into turmoil as the galaxy convulses with civil war; the oppressive navy of the Galactic Empire strives to crush the fleet of the Rebel Alliance. Inamongst this epic conflict, pirates and criminal syndicates thrive, threatening the shipping that is the lifeblood of galactic society free from retribution. But military conflict and criminal endeavours are not the only threats to the honest spacers, as many creatures call the darkness of space their home - some benign if treated well, but others ancient and terrible.