Hi never_k! Sorry about the early game confusion :( We realized a bit too late that the game is not easy to pick up for newer players and we're now working on improving in that area.
The premise of the game is that an alien civilization found the Voyager probe that we sent out from Earth and they're now coming over. You are commanding the ship that's making the trip across the galaxy, and you take a crew of 4 with you on your journey. On your way you will find other planets, some with civilizations of their own. You collect resources to upgrade your crew and your ship and when you meet other civilizations you can trade with them, subjugate them, or fight and try to destroy them.
All of this should definitely be explained in-game though haha. Thanks for giving the game a try!