The universe
In the 22nd century the Earth was nearly destroyed during the Great War and with it most of the human civilization. After the Great War, humanity fell back into the dark ages, since every trace of technology was wiped out. A group of seven clerics (known now as the Fathers) from a secluded monastery that survived the fallout, gave back some of the knowledge that they saved before the war to the humanity. By a strange turn of events they have become the leaders of mankind.
Years have passed and they’ve started to rebuild the mighty human civilization, people started to see the benefits of the technology and willing or not they become “The Seven Fathers of the New Humanity”.
With Earth being almost inhabitable, it was clear that the best change would be to look to the stars for a new home. It didn’t take long to develop the hyperspace jump drive. Jump drives allowed humankind to explore the nearby systems, but were too bulky and too energy demanding to be equipped on common ships. With all those limitations, the jump gates were the next logical step: big structures fixed at LaGrange points with the single purpose to act as permanent jump drives between two locations.
The development of the jump gates was one of the biggest steps in the recent history. People looked to the stars, colonies started to pop up nearby new installed jump gates and the humankind was bright full once again, now as a spacefaring race.
But with this rapid development, the strategic importance of the jump gates became obvious and the Seven Fathers formed “The Core”, practically the “Terran Space Navy” to keep the order in LaGrange points and to protect our race for potential invaders.
The Seven Fathers have relocated to Argonite in the heart of the Core and turned the whole Argonite LaGrange point in a fortress protected by Highguard and by the might Titan supercruiser.
However, not everybody embraced the Terran Republic and the Seven Fathers. A few scattered colonies that reject the dominion have formed the Borderworlds. Practically a trading association, each settlement with her own administration, but with trading agreements to help them counter the economy of the Terran Republic. With the Borderworld’s security in place, The Core lost his grip on some of the most remote areas and that allowed the installation of some rogue groups that were not controlled by any administration. They call themselves “The Rising Hand” but in reality they are scattered on many groups, each with its own agenda and are perceived as modern era pirates by both The Core and Borderlands.