The titular alien antagonists of the game. Almost nothing is currently known about them, save that they are a biomechanical horror that poses a threat to all the vying factions of the Wayback system, and possibly all of humanity should the player fail to stop them.

Story Progession (SPOILERS!)

When first arriving in the Wayback System, the player has no inkling whatsoever that the MENACE is lurking in wait. However, after completing a certain number of operations (against Pirates, Alien Wildlife, and the Rogue Army), you will receive a mysterious new mission, "Investigate Settlement" that initially seems like a routine investigation of a town attacked by pirates or some other mundane threat. Upon touching down and nearing the Admin Center, however, you quickly find out the residents suffered a far more horrifying fate. Your troops are ambushed by the most basic MENACE enemy type, a group of Construct Drones grafted out of the unfortunate townsfolk, and must survive for 4 turns until the dropship can return and pick them up.

Following this mission, the campaign against the MENACE will begin in earnest. Now, anti-MENACE Operations will appear alongside the other ones the player is familiar with by this point. However, you will also notice one of the planets in the Starmap surrounded by a red aura and partially covered up by a malignant red shade. This represents the presence and extent of MENACE infection on that world. The advance of the MENACE can be halted by winning the aforementioned anti-MENACE Operations, but ignoring or failing them will result in the alien threat growing stronger until it overtakes the world entirely. If this happens to too many planets, you will lose the campaign, so anti-MENACE operations should generally take top priority once they start appearing!

Menace Units

Name	Squad Size	Squad Weapon	Hit Points	Armor	Armor Durability	Description
Scavengers	8	Pirate Assault Rifle	80			A gang of regular space pirates equipped with makeshift assault rifles and frag grenades. Against armored targets, they also use improvised RPGs. They come in large squads and try to overwhelm enemies with reckless aggression and firepower.
Pirate Outcasts	8	Pirate Pipe Rifle	80			A loose group of outlaws armed with various weapons and possibly under the influence of illegal substances.
Veteran Scavengers	6-8	R14A2 ARC	60	50		By pure luck, experience or even skill, these scavengers survived longer than others in the wayback. Their veteran status makes them especially determined and dangerous, and their equipment is usually of much higher quality.
Flamethrower Team	3	Pirate Assault Rifle	30			A small team of scavengers with a portable chain gun. Lacking accuracy but making up for it with sheer firepower, perfect for suppression while advancing. The makeshift nature of the gun makes it prone to jamming.
Chain Gun Team	3	Pirate Assault Rifle	30			A small team of scavengers with a portable chain gun. Lacking accuracy but making up for it with sheer firepower, perfect for suppression while advancing. The makeshift nature of the gun makes it prone to jamming.
Boarding Commando	4	Pirate looted PDW\|40			A team of heavily armored pirate outlaws specialized in boarding and pacifying spacecraft through violent means.