The victory in the Sentai system was costly for both sides but managed to buy both space and time to fortify against the inevitable Synod counter strike. The last three years has also allowed the Terran Alliance to strengthen the bonds formed in battle with many of its neighbors and budding allies. Trade between the worlds of the Terran Alliance grows and formal alliance treaties are being ratified by member species and governments. The Synod meanwhile has fortified its remaining systems and continues to build a large fleet presence in all of its worlds within the sector. Both Hevan's Gate and the Lion's Gate systems are heavily fortified and rumors persist among the Preservation Societies that the Synod has formed agreements with some fallen planets within the sector. Terran has begun to send out colony ships and the first of many colonies have taken root in some nearby systems. The European Union and Australia together have colonized a planet in the Epsilon Eridani system and named the first colony on the planet Botany Bay. The United States has taken control of Alpha Centauri and Plymouth Rock. The Chinese sent out a colony ealier in the year headed for a planet in the Sirius system. The Wolf 359 system was colonized last year by a conglomerate of Russian, Middle Eastern and African nations financed by a few large multinational corporations. Tau Ceti, Gliese 876 and Sentai have been garrisoned by lage contingents of Alliance troops. Alpha Centauri and Sentai systems have the largest fleet presence as they are directly on the front lines. Thirteen more scenarios recount the fight for the Trii'hom System against a fleet of Ghost ships. —description from the publisher