Commanding a starship in battle is akin to the balancing act of a juggler attempting to keep half a dozen plates balanced and spinning atop long poles. He must be continually alert, adding spin to this pole and then that one as the plates slow. He must not spend too much time spinning one pole, for if he does, he may neglect another at a critical moment.
So, too, does the starship captain keep alert. He has several tactical systems that must be managed just as the juggler’s plates are managed. If he gives too much energy to one system, another may suffer from its lack, and disaster could result. The one difference between the juggler and the starship captain is the penalty for failure.†
   
Greetings from The Interplanetary Alliance
So, you think you have what it takes to be a starship captain? It takes a great deal of skill and concentration to become adept at one of the Alliance's most demanding positions. Accordingly, the rewards for the successful are great: honor, notoriety, and respect. For those who fail, however, there is only the eternal emptiness of space...
Welcome to the upper ranks of the Alliance. Now comes your chance to prove your worthiness of the title of Starship Captain, at the command of one of the Alliance's most advanced spacecrafts, the IAS Reliant. Your starship is endowed with many important features: three torpedo bays, phaser banks, shields, warp engines and, most importantly, four capable young officers. Your ability to orchestrate these many features will largely determine whether you succeed or fail at your command.
The Alliance wishes you the best of luck. You will need it.
