This expansion introduces two new species to play your Eclipse - 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy with, The Exiles and The Rho Indi Syndicate.
The Exiles:
When the Cataclysm Wars swept through the galaxy, one of the civilizations was exiled from the core. The Exiles were forced to live in the outer rims of the galaxy and had to adapt to the harsh void. They found their new habitat in the Orbitals, capable of supporting their civilization even in systems with low resources. The Orbital technology was eventually adopted – some would claim stolen – by many of the Seven, and while the Exiles still are superior in Orbital design, this causes friction between the Council and the Exiles. The latter are demanding to be considered a full member of the Council, so far to no avail.
The Exiles construct special Orbitals, which also function as Ships and score points at the end of the game.
The Rho Indi Syndicate:
The Terran–Hegemony War (30.027–33.364) tore the Rho Indi sector apart, leaving whole planetary systems in ruin. After the war, shady individuals and factions of all known species began to gravitate towards the lawless haven of The Desolation, as it soon became known. These days the sector is controlled by the Syndicate, a ruthless faction whose ships have recently raided many unsuspecting systems. Their fleets appear unexpectedly, striking fast and causing fear and terror with their stealth attacks. The Syndicate are known to occasionally ally with whoever pays the most, but also regarded fickle allies at best.
The Syndicate are an aggressive species. They have extra Ship activations and gain Money for destroyed Ships. They also don't score negative points for being the Traitor.
The Second Dawn editions of these races have numerous little balance tweaks, such as adjustments to starting resources and sectors.
