2167CE marked the beginning of a new era for humanity. The first successful navigation of a hyperlane was the clarion call of a massive surge in human expansion and cooperation. Lagrange points became trading hubs as the nations of the world looked to establish themselves away from Mother Terra. Sol was left to grow without the machinations of superpowers controlling the systems resources.

For the next 200 years, humanity took to the stars with a purpose. Empires of corporations, former superpowers, and smaller powerblocs rose and fell with the shifting of solar winds. In fighting was common and war for key hubs sparked every few decades. In two short centuries humanity had inhabited thousands of systems.

In 240ICE, humanity made first contact with another space-faring race. While alien life had been discovered on multiple worlds, most of them humanoid, none had been as advanced as humanity. The Youker Hegemony changed that. Formed by the Youker to dominate the galaxy, they had absorbed numerous other races and conquered the few other spaceborn empires to bring them under heel. They had watched and saw humanity fractured along resource and numerous political lines. When they felt the time was right, they launched an all out assault on humanity starting in the core-ward systems.

For a year, system after system fell under the sway of the Youker. But then humanity did what no other opponent had done. They united. Faced with a common enemy, humanity rallied thier foces to reclaim the lost territory. Traditional rivalries and animosities were put to the wayside to combat the encroaching Youker.

Now, after 3 decades of fighting, a truce has been called. The Youker Hegemony and the United Terran Alliance have placed fleets at the neutral zone around the core. Forced to rest and recover from the devastating war, both entities have looked at the untamed swath of systems that runs through the middle of the galaxy know to Terrans as the Hinterlands. Whichever force is able to secure and claim these systems will have a strategic advantage over the other.

But the Hinterlands are not without danger. Border princes, warlords, and kingdoms of all types claim the area as thier own. It will be hard fought to gain ground but the two empires are dedicated to securing the area. Issued letters of marque, groups of ships known as Freelancer Squadrons have dived into the Hinterlands to claim wealth rights, glory, and more support from the advanced militaries that back them.

Freelancers contend with pirates, system warlords, exiled nobility, and other Freelancers to earn a place at the table and the personal reasons they heeded the call of the Void.