Arixo, the offspring of Arizona and New Mexico, finds itself between the rocks of Texas and Utah and the hard places of Hollywood, Free Colorado, and Mexico. Subject to raids and military pressure from each of these nations, Arixo relies on dispersed assets, relatively low population, and toll-enforcing air militias to survive.

While Arixo could probably be absorbed into any of its neighbors without too much effort, the rewards are not worth the price; Arixo has comparatively little that any of its neighbors want, relying on the three Cs—copper, cattle, and cotton—for the bulk of its exports. In addition, Arixo's sparse population has made it easier for pirate bands to set up bases. Cleaning out these pirate nests would be a long, expensive and costly fight.

Arixo is led by an elected President and a fifteen-person legislature. The current President, Theodore Davis, is forced to walk a dangerous tightrope. Secretly, he has formed alliances with many of the pirate bands that operate in Arixo, allowing them to operate within Arixo's borders so long as they do not interfere with the operations of the air militias.

So far, these arrangements have been successful. While this period of relative calm lasts, Davis is struggling to shore up his ground and air defenses. The "truce" between Arixo and the pirates can not last indefinitely, and Davis hopes to develop his military resources sufficiently in preparation.