Editing Dropfleet Commander (section)

== The Setting ==
[[Humanity]], united under the Earth Administration Agency after a series of resource wars and climate devastation are reversed by breakthroughs in fusion energy, begin to explore the stars with the development of their first foldspace (faster than light) drive. The device is highly inaccurate without a beacon, or node, at the target destination, and so early exploration is essentially random. Little success is achieved as a result, but pioneers explore onward.

In 2342, observing this and deeming mankind ready for contact, an exploration frigate is approached and greeted by the [[Shaltari]]. The Shaltari act as friends at first, leading the humans to a number of planets ripe for colonization that come to be known as the Cradle Worlds, but it's all part of an attempt to manipulate them into serving as cannon fodder in their wars with other Shaltari tribes. Humanity doesn't take this well when they find out, but the Shaltari tribe responsible, the Apache, seemingly shrug it off and leave them be.

In 2506, another alien thing found its way to [[Earth]]: a mysterious White Sphere, the size of a baseball but heavy enough to require the strength of two men to move. It defied study, and when it was inadvertently connected to a network, it locked all the doors and somehow escaped before broadcasting a message that humanity was doomed and should escape by going to Vega IV in one year's time. Enough people took it seriously that a civil war nearly broke out. In the end, the ones who went to Vega IV with the intent of escaping were given coordinates to jump to, and while a battle broke out between them and a fleet of ships sent to stop them from leaving, most managed to escape in the chaos. The ships that were crippled and unable to jump were left floating in the void over Vega IV, and hunkered down to wait for help after the survivors jumped, not knowing it was not to come.

Two days later, more aliens showed up on Earth and conquered it. With the fleet still wrecked from the battle over Vega IV, there was no contest.  About one percent of humanity managed to escape. The aliens simultaneously invaded the Cradle Worlds, and so the only ones who got away were those who jumped to frontier colonies and managed to reconfigure said colonies' foldspace beacons to keep the aliens, since called the Scourge, from finding them.

Over the next hundred and sixty years, humanity rebuilt itself into the United Colonies of Man, with the eventual goal of retaking Earth and the Cradle Worlds. As they made scouting missions, they discovered that some populations of humans had survived on Earth and the Cradle Worlds, forming a resistance against the Scourge. Descendants of the humans who escaped from Vega IV showed up as well. They were technologically advanced and augmented by cybernetics, calling themselves the Post-Human Republic, and offered an alliance. The UCM demanded an apology for fleeing and wrecking the fleet in the process. The post-humans refused, saying that history had proved them right, and furthermore told them that retaking Earth would be suicidal at this point. The UCM told them in no uncertain terms to leave and not pester them, and twenty-four hours later, launched the Reconquest.

See [[Dropzone Commander#The Cradle Worlds| the Dropzone Commander page]] for the details of the ongoing campaign against the Scourge.