In the 24th century, humanity comes to be dominated by 3 interstellar mega-corporations after a galaxy-wide economic collapse. Humanity had enjoyed a golden age for over 250 years, where things like war, disease, and poverty were considered a relic of the past. The galaxy is now divided into major regions, the industrialized core systems controlled by the mega-corporations, and thousands of small colonies that make up the frontier. The mega-corporations use mass consumerism to keep the core systems population in check, which requires a continuous flow of resources from the frontier, which in turn creates a conflict between the corporations and colonies over the resources on the colony's planet.

Amidst the chaos on the frontier, pirate factions have arisen around organized crime, black markets, and raiding resources.