The year is 4022--Over 1,500 years have passed since the three Great Wars of 2335, 2367, and 2393 tore the galaxy asunder. The Shivans are long gone and believed extinct. Humanity and Vasudankind rule the galaxy, which is split among the Savaran Imperial Alliance, Microsol Consortium, Republic of Erigone, Earth Federation, and Parliamentary Vasudan Empire. Alliances have been forged, boundaries have been drawn, and wars have been fought on a colossal scale, but none approached the dire struggles against the Shivans in the 24th century. But now a new threat has emerged to our species. During the exploration of a massive subspace anomaly called the Stargate, a new species, the Zica were discovered. An ancient civilization older even than the Ancients, they left the galaxy milennia ago, leaving behind bizarre alien weapons with mechanisms beyond our comprehension and unbelievable firepower and bizarre "tunnel worlds" that seem to defy their own gravity--tunnels lead into the cores of these worlds and crisscross all through the interior, with some mechanism keeping them from being crushed. But now the Zica have returned, and massive armadas of huge ships are pounding through our fleets. Their goal: xenocide. The major factions are splintering, with rebel groups like the Border Systems Coalition and the ancient Vasudan cult Hammer of Light popping up all over the galaxy. The Fourth Great War has begun.
