From the introduction: The year is 2159... ...and humanity has spread to the stars. The upstart species enters a galaxy full of alien life and adventure. The Leonid Hegemony expands its martial empire, its fierce Lionships the vanguard of merciless conquest. The Grey flicker through space in deadly Shadow Cruisers, manipulating galactic politics through subterfuge and violence. The sentient Ooze gathers itself into living spaceships and horrible monsters, seeking to turn all life into goo. Terrifying beasts hide in dark places on alien planets, protecting valuable resources and ruins. Pirates and rebels seek fortune and political change throughout the galaxy, threatening the uneasy peace maintained by the almighty Directorate. You are an officer in the Directorate Space Fleet. You have been assigned to a colony station, an outpost on the far frontier of human civilization. In order to survive, you will need to parley with alien neighbors and restless locals, explore hostile planets, probe the depths of space, and win battles against the galaxy's most fearsome foes.