The universe of Space Master is a cruel place, except for an elite few. Democracy is considered an ideology for wimps.
Most of known space is ruled by the Empire, which gained control of the scattered colonies of Earth through brutal conquest. The Major Houses, who emerged from the Megacorporations of old,
wield fantastic economic power, ruling their territories in much the same way as feudal rulers in the dark ages of mankind. The core worlds are gleaming with luxury and beauty.
The outer
worlds are mostly small colonies or backwater worlds with crime, corruption and poverty held down by some selfish and brutal governors.
In the outer reaches there are worlds not controlled by
the Empire, but they seem no better off. The Aquataine Commonwealth, which once started a promising unity of republic planets, turned into a decadent and overconfident Oligarchy, ruled in fact by an increasingly corrupt
bureaucracy. Although the average standard of living is better than in the Empire, the signs of social decease are quite clear.
The Idorians are a race of humanoid mutations, ruled by an
efficient Technocracy. They consider everyone else inferior and are completely paranoid and xenophobic.
Besides that there exist some independent colonies and human settlements, ruled by all
kinds of governments. Some planets haven't seen peace for a hundred years, as different fractions battle for supremacy. And this is only known space.
Who knows what lies out in the frontier….