The Cutlass series follows the adventures of a young starship officer, Minerva Heartway as she serves onboard her own ship, and all the challenges that flying in the black comes with. Minerva and the crew of the Cutlass are ordered to investigate a mysterious signal emanating from the borders of explored space. Can the friendship teams and the officers unravel the mystery?

279 years after Luna's return, Equestria has taken to space. Princess Luna, now the grand admiral of the Equestrian Roayl Navy, has taken to advancing technology and implementing magic to develop advanced space flight. With over 15 large flagships under her command, she orders them to explore the reaches of space. Using the magic of friendship for vital ship systems such as FTL (faster then light), Sensors, and weapons systems, these ships are able to fly deep into the black in the name of exploration.

So far, only the nearest five star systems have been explored.