The hub : dangerous territory : the complete Federation of the Hub. volume 4

The Federation of the Hub: thousands of rough, ornery and tough-minded human worlds with only the subtlest of governments holding them together. It's prime real estate for criminals, unscrupulous corporations, and invaders from beyond Federation space. But in Hub space, a citizen is expected to stand up for herself, blaster in hand; so when Trouble comes Hubward in large doses, there's an armed citizenry waiting for it. An an uneasy peace descends on the Hub, its citizens take up arms to defend themselves against any kind of trouble that may appear, including criminals, unscrupulous corporations, or alien invaders from beyond Federation space. Original.