But the Maelstrom Zone has also drawn humanity's enemies as well in their countless number and diverse loathsome forms. With the difficulty of traveling through the region, soon this area of space became a haven to corsairs, criminals and renegades. Over time, the Imperium slowly established several important Imperial outposts within the Maelstrom Zone during the 38th and 39th Millennia. These outposts rose to prominence as flickering beacons of Imperial influence and strength within the region. The three vital systems that formed the links in a distant chain that allowed the resources of the Maelstrom Zone to flow into the coffers of the more established sectors beyond were the star systems of Cygnax, Sagan and Badab. As the situation in the Maelstrom became ever more volatile, this path