One hundred years have passed since the end of the first Independence War, and far from the riches of Sol and the core systems, trouble is brewing. The Badlands Cluster: Eight barely habitable star systems populated by the flotsam and jetsam of humanity who, after years of oppression at the hands of greedy corporations and ruthless marauder bands, are ready to fight back. 15 years after witnessing the murder of his father by the sadistic heir to a corporate fortune, Cal Johnston plans his revenge. With the help of a small band of escaped prisoners - and a dead war hero immortalised in silicon - his actions inadvertently become the trigger for rebellion. The stage is set for history to repeat itself, and force mankind once more over the Edge of Chaos...