Hassan is a resident of the city of New Aswan on the rather desolate planet Lam, a colony established over a century before his birth when many people fled the turmoil and cultural persecutions which followed the great rebellion on Earth. The rebels - whose centres were Aswan and Siwa - sought to violently overthrow what had become a military dictatorship in all but name, and the military retaliation was severe, global and bloody.

The rebellion failed to achieve most of its aims, but did lead, after several years of bloodshed and turmoil, to a long period of civilian rule which brought stability and prosperity to most of the citizens of Earth. During this period, Lam concentrated on building trading links with nearby colonies and star-systems, and on developing new technology, particularly that related to Space travel.

The Earth Government slowly ventured back into Space, establishing military outposts and regaining control of several nearby colonies which had declared their independence from Earth control. Growing more confident, and eager to maintain its new prosperity, the Earth Government began a policy of expansion, driven by the ever expanding power and influence of the military many of whose idealistic young Officers dreamed of an Empire centred on Earth and who took as their model the ancient Earth Empire of Rome.  The President of the Earth Government was concerned about growing divisions on Earth itself, and within the military, and believed that by encouraging expansion, and spreading the idea of a new Earth Empire, he could unite its people.

At the same time, the President and his military advisors were becoming increasingly occupied with the growing influence of Lam, and particularly about the new synchron star-drive which Lam had invented which Earth believed would give Lam an overwhelming  military superiority.  With Presidential elections near, and with his personal popularity decreasing, the President decided it would be an opportune time to plan and then launch an invasion of Lam and so gain control of Lam's new Space technology. As part of this plan, Martial Law was declared in the territories between the city of Siwa on Earth (anciently, an oasis in the desert) and the city of Aswan, for the peoples in these territories follow the culture and customs of the colonists on Lam. Many of those who founded the colony on Lam were from this area of Earth.
 

Jorg is one of the many rogue traders - or Space Pirates as they call themselves - whose base is one of the planets of the Eridani system, not many parsecs from Lam. These traders have little or no respect for Earth Government, or government in general, and although their main occupation is stellar trade, they have been known to work together to capture, and hold for ransom, starships and their crew, just as some of them have been known to acquire certain things by dubious means.
 
 
 
 

Synchron-drive:
A new type of starship technology, developed on Lam 3 over a period of many decades,  which would revolutionize Space travel and is far superior to the common StarDrive. Synchron is short for synchronous and refers to the synchronicity concept: a manifestation in causal Space-Time of synchronous energies which energies cannot be described by concepts of causal Time and causal, three-dimensional, Space.
 

EarthForce:
Initially, EarthForce was an elite squadron set up by the President of the Earth Government and under his direct command. However, as the Imperial ambitions of Earth Government grew, it was significantly expanded while still retaining its elite status. One of its principal aims is to plan and execute an invasion of Lam 3 and so destroy what the Earth Government and its military regard as the threat from Lam.
 

Eridani:
Star system containing the planet which serves as the base for the Space Pirates: rogue traders who ply the stellar trading routes between Earth and the new star colonies, although some of the traders have taken to supplementing their income by hijacking ships and cargo vessels. Many of these traders are former convicts or political prisoners from Earth or the Mars colony who have escaped or served their sentences, while others are adventurers.

Kursums:
A rare mineral found deep underground on a planet in a star-system near Eridani. Used as currency by stellar traders.

New Aswan:
The city on the rather desolate planet of Lam 3 occupied by the migrants from Earth who took with them their way of life and their ancient desert culture. It is the only inhabited part of the planet, although the surrounding area has been irrigated and brought under cultivation. The whole terrain of Lam 3 is desert-like, and not unlike the Nubian Desert on planet Earth, although the star around which Lam 3 orbits is brighter and hotter than Earth's star, the Sun. This makes the terrain desolate and inhospitable, and there is no surface water, although there is underground water in a few places. The new city was established near one such place.

The Earth city of Aswan was originally a small community by the river Nile.

Recently, a new government was established on Lam, one of whose declared aims is to liberate the territories around Aswan (Earth) which are under Martial Law, declared by the Earth Government.
 
InshaAllah:
"If Allah wills it". Used by the residents of Lam, and those who follow their Way of Life and culture, who believe that it is Allah and Allah alone Who controls the fate of human beings and all living things. Allah is regarded as the Supreme Being, the Creator of the Cosmos.

Assalamu Alaikum:
"May peace be with you."  Traditional greeting used by the residents of Lam and those who follow their Way of Life and culture. The response is: "Wa alaikum as-salaam" which means "And may Peace be with you as well."