Trouble in our own Backyard Players Guide

There is a Google Docs version located here.

It takes hard work to build peace. A century of hard work has brought peace between the Federation and Lepidonan. But now in the dark a hand holds onto a match. It is poised to strike it. But whose hand is on that match? If lit, will peace burn or withstand the flame?
One hundred years ago, the Sayor and Kurgian peoples bled together, broke their chains, and forged the Federation of Free Peoples under a fragile, arbitrated truce with the Lepidonian Empire. For decades, the border held.
Then came humanity. A reckless, promising new species that touched the stars—only to tear their own world apart in nuclear fire. The robotic Jove locked down humanity's borders until it could be trusted, leaving a 250-light-year-circumference tomb. And empires hungrily eyed the border and people, wondering if humanity was truly to blame.
Now, something moves in the shadows.
On Sawn Prime, riots engulf the capital as a high judge of the Federation is exposed as a Lepidonian puppet. On Tarienth, terraforming workers erupt into a massive system-wide strike. And at the border, the neutral trade hub of Acbar has gone completely silent behind an unexplained planetary blackout.
The Lepidonians claim the Federation broke the treaty. That the Federation is behind the riots and the blackout. They have called on the peace treaty's arbitrators, the enigmatic Graylings, to come bear witness to the violations. The Grayling observers are on their way to determine Federation guilt—and if the treaty is nullified, the DMZ will be revoked, and undoubtedly Lepidonian warfleets will come next.
You are the Federation Navy's elite assigned to a brand-new Tech 3 Battleship. Rushed into service before her shakedown cruise is complete. Your orders: uncover the conspiracy, hold the border, and save the Federation before this sector is plunged into war.

Campaign Background

Located in the Orion-Cygnus arm, Earth sat inside the A.P.E.Z. (Jovian Advancing People's Exclusion Zone)—a protected buffer zone established by the robotic Jove between the rival Cryous and Lepidonan empires. Blocked by the zone, the two empires clashed directly, sparking a rebellion that saw two subjugated species (the Peoples of Sayor and the Kurgian Republic) break away to form an independent Federation, later legitimized by a peace treaty arbitrated by the neutral Graylings.

When humanity reached sub-light spaceflight (0.05–0.10c), the Jove granted humanity ownership of the resource-rich, 250-light-year territory, allowing alien interaction but strictly forbidding forced conquest. Before any faction could convince humanity to ally or cede the land, a devastating world war erupted on Earth—triggered in part by the shock of alien contact and advanced technology. With no unified human government left to sign treaties, the Jove refuse to recognize any foreign claims, freezing out the desperate empires and leaving open the question of whether humanity destroyed itself or was pushed.

Modern Events

Seventy years after Humanity's catastrophic System War 1 (WW3)—and a century after the Federation's hard-won peace with the Lepidonians—the border has plunged back into chaos. Accusations fly as a mysterious mercenary outfit known as The Claw (or Dark Claw) is implicated in recent crises, leaving galactic powers to question who is pulling the strings.

Desperate to prevent total destabilization, the Federation has rushed its cutting-edge Tech 3 flagship, the FSS Vanguard (or player-chosen name), to the front lines before completing its scheduled shakedown cruise. As the Federation's elite crew, your mission is to uncover the truth behind The Claw and restore order to a volatile border on the brink of war.

From the Eyes of the Federation

From the Federation's perspective, the Lepidonians are laying the groundwork for war by manufacturing treaty violations. They have formally accused the Federation of breaching their century-old peace pact on three specific counts:

Abandoning commitments to terraform Tarienth.
Covertly manipulating Humanity toward Federation membership.
Sabotaging the neutral trade hub of Acbar.

To validate these claims, the Lepidonians have summoned a Grayling Envoy to inspect the border. The stakes are existential: if the Graylings rule the treaty breached, they will revoke diplomatic protection, leaving the Federation exposed to unprovoked Lepidonian aggression. With the border currently in chaos, the Federation must restore order immediately before the arriving Envoy mistakes unrest for guilt.

Campaign Rules & Player Options

Races: All playable Species except the Lepidonians (the primary antagonists). If you play as an Ovex, you must disguise yourself as either a Human, Sayor, or Kurgian.
Classes: All classes are available to play.
Alignment: Characters serve in the Federation naval hierarchy, so Chaotic alignments are prohibited. If you play an evil character, you must be Lawful Evil. All other alignments are welcome.
Starting Character Level: All Characters start at Level 5!

Special Note: Players are encouraged to try being a Cybernetics, Mutations, or Psionics (social penalties are waived for this elite task force).
Bonus Feat: All Characters receive one free Feat from the Space Ship Operations subcategory!
Secondary Characters: Players may create a second character to explore different roles or tactical duties.

Available Bridge & Ship Positions:

Ship’s Captain (Must have a Lawful alignment)
Second in Command (Commander / Captain's #1)
Chief Science Officer (Any scientific field of study)
Chief Medical Officer
Chief Engineer
Chief Tactical / Weapons Officer
Ranking Helmsman
Sensors and Comms Operator
Lt. Commander of Space Marine Squad Alpha (Default: "Hell's Hammer")
Lt. Commander of Space Marine Squad Beta (Default: "Void-Walkers")
Political Attaché An important ranking politician from the Federation Governing Council.

(Unassigned positions are handled by competent NPCs whom players may temporarily direct or control in encounters).*

Optional Character Traits:

Old Comrade: Longtime close friend and confidant of the Captain.
Black Mark: Troubled or controversial service record with the Federation; this mission is redemption or ruin.
Pulled from Retirement: Veteran recalled to active service due to specialized border experience.
Lepidonian Scarred: Survivor scarred by past trauma or atrocities involving the Lepidonian Empire.
Diplomatic Conscience: Sworn pacifist assigned to the crew for sensitive political or diplomatic oversight.
Ties in the DMZ: Romantically involved with or closely related to someone recently reported missing in the Demilitarized Zone (near Tarienth or Acbar).

This campaign also has Trouble in our own Backyard Premade Characters for the Players to choose pre-made level 5 Characters.