Mercenary Starbase, a privately funded organization backed by Star Law and Pan Galactic, began to initiate a competitive Star Fighter program, upgrading the basic fighter design as well as demanding new fighter designs along with offering special training for the fighter pilots. The new designs feature an auto-eject module (AEM) function where the computer's stress analysis programs determine when the hull is compromised, giving the pilots a good chance of survival if the ship is destroyed. Taking the lethality out of the equation started the new romance with these swift and soon to be deadly craft.

With aggressive training, star fighter squadrons soon became a force to be reckoned with. They proved themselves time and again, and now it isn't too uncommon for pilots to stick around much longer despite being qualified to fly larger craft such as Frigates, Destroyers, or even Cruisers. Now the effectiveness of these new fighter squadrons is slowly taking center stage to the Assault Scout in the role of combat and warfare. A squadron (six) of these new smaller, faster, and deadlier craft manned by skilled operators can now overwhelm even the big cruisers with sheer speed and accuracy. When combined with the Assault Scouts, planetary militias no longer have to depend on an insignificant sized fleet of larger ships or the inability for spacefleet vessels to arrive in a timely manner during emergencies to protect their worlds.

As a testament of their success, starfighter training is available at several locations now. Gollwin Acadamy now offers an alternative one year pilot training program (as opposed to their two year fleet program, although graduates are not automatically placed in Spacefleet but certainly are eligible), and similar programs can be found at Fotresses Kdikit (Madderly's Star), Redoubt (White Light), Pale (Truane's Star), as well as the original program at Mercenary Starbase in Zebulon. Graduates from any of those programs recieve the level:1 pilot skill and are commissioned into a one year tour of duty with the Star Fighter Corps. After completing the tour, pilots are eligible for service in any planetary militia as well as any available opportunities within Spacefleet.

The Star Fighter Corps, founded shortly after the MS training program was established, is a tightly knit operation. Crews of fighter craft enjoy good pay and benefits packages as well as a sense of belonging in an organization that falls under both the local Planetary Militas as well as Spacefleet, but loosely attached to both at the same time. These star fighters and their crews can be easily transferred from location to location as the need arises, be it an individual pilot or an entire squadron of craft and their support crews. Since the star fighters are easily transported, via an available carrier or UPF Freighters, the SFC is an "on call" group that can be quickly dispatched anywhere with relative ease.

As a result, fighter pilots and crews can find themselves working under Planetary Militia Defensive Fighter Squadrons and UPF Tactical Fighter Squadrons alike, and their rank and pay is easily transferable between the two. In other words, one month a fighter pilot, crew, and craft might be serving under a local Militia, and the next month could be spent aboard a UPF Assault Carrier. The following month one or more individuals could be transferred elsewhere, even to new and different fighter craft, all the while following orders under whichever command they are transferred to. The Star Fighter Corps is a very flexible but tightly knit outfit.

While the pilots are the backbone of the Corps, technicians and Engineers are always in demand as well on the upkeep end of these fabulous spacecraft. Anyone with a technical skills that can pass local UPF or Star Law background checks will have no trouble finding work within the Star Fighter Corps, and a fine Starship Engineering program is also available at the same Pilot Training Facilities where technicians can learn the fundamentals of Engineering too, although their training is half a year followed by recieving LVL:0 Starship Engineering skill and another half year tour of duty.

As an additional motive, star fighter crews with good service records have little trouble finding work following completion of their tour of duty. Some stick around and go as far as they can within the corps, while others find transfer into a local Militia or Spacefleet with little difficulty, granting them opportunities to find work aboard Assault Scouts, Frigates, or Destroyers.

Current fighter craft serving under the SFC are mandated to utilize AEM (Auto Eject Modules) technology, where stress sensors and the damage control programs determine when a ship is breaking apart to eject the pilot safely. Survival rates are pretty good as a result, allowing unfortunate but skilled pilots to fly again.

Newer fighter craft are appearing with limited life support capability as well, so pilots aren't required to wear the cumbersome pressure suits. As a result, modern star fighters tend to be more pricy but the advantages are well worth the additional investments.