Lyle Samay was born in 3271, the 38th Year of the Reign of Emperor Hengist Duval on the small terraformed world locally known as Jacobi (officially* designated CD-39 3269 B 7). The oldest child of a hydroponic botanist and a history professor, Lyle developed an early passion for literature about discovering new life throughout the galaxy and dreamed of being a xenoarcheologist.

When he was 26 the new FSD technology changed how humanity traveled among the stars. The FSD made piloting a starship an attainable goal, and rescued Lyle's dreams of studying the history of sentience in the universe from impossibility.

In a time in history where couriers once again traveled faster than information, it seemed like ideas with people behind them could change the galaxy.

In 3306, when the Neo-Marlinist crises hit, Lyle was 35.

* _{The Senate always refused to acknowledge the Jacobi name, or refer to the system as anything but its numerical identifier. Over time the name had become a bit of a titillating revolutionary joke among the locals, as its namesake was 19th century electrical engineer who had developed a theorem about "resistance" and "maximum power transfer."}