Between the Devil and the Deep Black Space

About the Frontier universe

Well into the fourth millennium AD, mankind has long since mastered the art of spacetravel. Journeys of several lightyears are now routinely performed millions of times every day. The galaxy surrounding the star Sol, the origin of the human race, have been colonized. Hundreds of planets are now inhabited by this crafty species, which numbers tens of trillions individuals.

Three major political factions have arisen which share human-inhabited space between them and are constantly in conflict with each other:

- The Federation; a strange mix of democracy and totalitarianism, based on industry, capitalism and social safeguards for those who can't compete.
Capital: Sol

- The Empire; a militarized feudal dictatorship ruled by Emperor Duval, based on exploitation of natural resources, unlimited capitalism and slavery.
Capital: Achenar

- The Independent Alliance; a voluntary conglomerate of star systems, based on free enterprise, ingenuity and individual freedom. Capital: Alioth

Apart from these there are also a number of independent worlds and systems, none of which can carry any weight against the might of the big three.

Spaceships are mass-produced and reasonably cheap to buy, which means that many try their luck as interstellar traders, a business which is sometimes ludicrously profitable, but mostly hard work.
And always dangerous. For space is big and hostile, and the police can't patrol it all. Pirates abound, and all prudent traders arm their ships heavily lest they be looted and killed by lawless gangs.

It's a brutal universe.

Even mankind itself is threatened: The Thargoids, the insectoid alien menace, were only barely beaten back in the last war.
They have not been seen since.
Or have they?