Ultimus Romanorum

Welcome to the 31st century.

In the wake of a Third World War, Mankind has spread to the stars. From their ancestral homeworld they've spread across hundreds of planets, colonizing and terraforming everything they can come across. It's a new age for humanity but one that is no golden one.

The same conflicts that existed back home didn't just disappear by changing the locale. The galaxy is a chaotic mess of war, rebellion and tyranny. A constant stream of brushfire wars and localised conflicts has stunted technological progress and expansion. Rival powers fight with each other over trade routes and influence. Corporations clash on backwater worlds over resource rights. And colonies rebel over yet another extortionate round of taxes or extension of conscription.

It's the age of the condottiere. The mercenary. The freelance soldier. The private market that offers technical expertise and experience in just about every bout of violence from Terra to the Edgeward worlds. In a universe where peace is the exception and not the rule, war is a lucrative enterprise.

Ranging from rag-tag free companies to full sized private armies, just about everything is available on request, once the price is right.