The DarkStar One is an advanced, partly organic starship that was built by the protagonist's late father, Simon Jarvis, using technologies from an ancient race.

The attacking ships, identified simply as drones, appear to be a type of vessel completely unknown to the GU, and Robert convinces the Galactic Council that they are of Thul origin, a genetically engineered human civilization.

In a state of heightened tension, military units are mobilized to the GU's borders in anticipation of galactic war: precisely what the Union was founded to guard against.

Unfortunately, this leads to an escalation of unrest already present within GU territory: border disputes between the Arrack and Oc'to, and an increase in piracy and smuggling in the more remote and independent systems.

Their primary means of achieving this is to control individuals in power, including Robert, and intimidate them into divulging where the weakest and most easily conquerable planet systems are.

With help from allies whom they meet during their travels – including the Thul cruiser Eoghane II – Kayron and Eona manage to find and reach the system where the S’kaa mothership is located.

Starting in Terran (human) territory, the game takes Kayron Jarvis, the protagonist, across the known galaxy, in which he encounters five alien races – the Mortok, Raptor, Oc'to, Arrack, and the Thul – each with their own distinct cultural identities and fighting styles.

The latter can further be broken down into missions which include freighter escort, transportation, bounty hunting, espionage, or taking photos of objects that are of interest to your contractors.

The ship, DarkStar One, is a long-range fighter that is partly organic in its construction, and is upgraded by absorbing alien artifacts that are scattered across the galaxy, usually found inside large asteroids.

The artifacts will allow the ship to be enhanced, enabling greater firepower, compatibility with a variety of alien weaponry, manoeuvrability, and resistance to attack.

Artifacts add to the exterior of the ship, changing its physical appearance over the course of the game, and increasing the number of weapons and equipment it can carry.

The plasma cannon is a unique weapon within the DarkStar One universe, and can be used to provide a number of additional attacks and abilities designed to give the player the edge in combat.