The date is 1967 of the Galactic Era, almost three thousand years from now. The Republic, created by the human race but not yet dominated by it, is in the midst of an all-out war with the Teroni Federation, an alliance of races that resent Man's growing military and economic power.<BR>After his latest exploit saved millions of lives but embarrassed his superiors, Captain Wilson Cole, a man with a reputation for exceeding orders but getting results, found himself the victim of the media feeding frenzy, a political scapegoat despite years of dedicated military service. Faced with a court-martial, he was rescued by the loyal crew of his ship, the Theodore Roosevelt. Now branded mutineers, the Teddy R has quit the Republic, never to return.<BR>Seeking to find a new life for themselves, Wilson Cole and his crew remake the Teddy R as a pirate ship and set sail for the lawless Inner Frontier. Here, powerful warlords, cutthroat pirates, and struggling colonies compete for survival in a game in which you rarely get a second chance to learn the rules.<BR>But military discipline is poor preparation for a life of pillaging and plundering, and Cole's principles naturally limit his targets. Seeking an education on the nature of piracy, Cole hunts more knowledgeable players. Enter the beautiful but deadly Valkyrie ÝVal for short¨ and the enigmatic alien fencer of stolen goods known as David Copperfield. But hanging over everything is the fearsome alien pirate - the Hammerhead Shark.