In the 29th century, mankind has mastered faster-than-light travel, but faster-than-light electronic communication still eludes the best technologists, as the Teller drive works based on mass in transit. Humankind has settled widely throughout the galaxy, separated by distances which take mere transmissions lifetimes to cross, and heavy ships sometimes years still. On Terra, the Galactic Council rules in name over all human worlds, but on the ground, individual planets may go years without communication, other than paying their taxes to the homeworld. Few are remiss in their payments as enforcement is rapid and apocalyptic.

Most worlds are ruled in practice by megacorporations, with an eye for nothing but extractive wealth, but a few worlds have shuffled off corporate governance and developed their own systems and economies, yet remaining always at risk for takeover by a powerful corporation should it be in their interests. Corporations maintain private armies in a galaxy is nominally at peace, and with good reason: pirates skulk outside of thickly settled space, and there is always a new world to be conquered or one to be “liberated” from competitors.

Most of humankind stays on their homeworld and has little to do with the machinations of corporate bodies, much less the Council itself. They know little of the vastness of space, encountering only on occasion travelers from beyond their system. But there are many still who make their living in space, ply FTL-lines created centuries ago to carry vital messages and items of commerce, mining asteroids, and exploring for new resources.

Travelers of the void are a hardy breed: carrying vital messages, cargoes of all sorts, and taking missions of all sorts. Deep space is lawless and dangerous, and not for the faint of heart. Most ships carry a complement of weapons, and most have discharged them more than once. Void pirates are an increasing problem, and shipping lanes are no longer secure.

On Terra, the Galactic Council has moved to cede a portion of their authority to the Assets Recover Group, privateers who are prevailed upon by corporations, planetary governments, and the Council itself when contracts are breached or in the interests of enforcing contracts between these groups. The ARG and its agents swear absolute neutrality in all circumstances other than the enforcement of contracts. When contracts are broken, the aggrieved party can hire agents local to them to restore justice. Thus, these agents become bounty hunters, enforcers, and carriers of the most secure goods and messages.