Peace among the stars of the Orion Arm is a fickle thing. What is decided on the core worlds of the superpowers, and set on paper in truce and treaty, becomes little more than an abstract concept in the vast expanse of space. Out there, only the unknown contact, suspicious maneuvers, and the endless wait for something to go wrong are reality. More than once, false readings or human error have caused tense stand-offs, even phantom skirmishes in contested systems, sometimes between old enemies, sometimes even between allies. The further ships stray from the well-established lanes and civilized systems, the more often these instances occur. It is as though the galactic void plays tricks on the mind of sailors who look into it for too long.

https://www.deviantart.com/martechi/art/War-and-Peace-DoVT-856609889