Their early battles went extremely well: they had caught the Imperium forces completely off-guard, and managed to wrest control of several strategically valuable planets.

A displaced alien race, the Xaja (Zai-ya), first encountered during the course of the war in a nearby sector of space, have thrown their limited but useful resources behind the Rebel factions.

Although the rebels are relieved to have the support, they remain understandably wary of the newcomers: the Xaja are a closed, inexpressive race, and their primary motivations are not entirely understood by humans.

With defeat imminent, Emperor Caston, the Imperium leader, has just upped the ante in the war, with the surprise introduction of a new weapon of mass destruction.

[15] IGN complimented the variety of different level types, also praising the game for balancing out "strafe-blasting action with deployment strategy and hunt-and-search missions.