Also, to clear up the 'what's the deal with the faction' thing:
USO is more or less the 'head out west to make your fortune' faction. A bunch of relative nobodies from space decided to leave the quagmire of imperial rule to find a simpler planet where they can all be big fish in a far smaller pond. From there, you're dumped in the desert then told to do something useful and if you've got the moxie you can readily find purchase to whatever ambitions you wish to shoot for.
For the most part, you're not given much instruction or supervision, but if you're willing to put in the effort you're surrounded by people who are willing to invest in just about anything you can do. It's not a group you want to join if you want given missions with set objectives, and goals that are defined by someone other than you.
The end result is a mishmash of different groups with different goals, mostly held together by existing in a state of permanent mexican standoff with an agreement to team up and shoot anyone who moves in to upset that balance. A group which is less 'crew of a ship' and more 'rogue's gallery', with megalomaniac nekos wanting to game the universe, would-be freespacer revolutionaries, mercenary armies looking to make it big, and restaurant owners looking to create their own fantasy kingdoms.
While there are push-button plots within the faction those are usually rather far between, so you'll do best if you decide that you want to shoot for something decidedly not-humble and ask us 'how will I accomplish that?'. We are usually happy to oblige.
So if you're an adventurous smuggler? Maybe aim to be lord of the hidden paths between the stars, grind out undreamed of profits and dominate contraband trade. There's a bunch of independent enclaves out there under siege in the rising Kuvexian conflict; see about becoming a big damn hero by smuggling needed supplies to those helplessly stuck behind enemy lines and embattled by the oncoming war. We've had mention of artifacts of ancient colonists which originally seeded the world we're on, see if you can be an explorer and find those who left the world behind while taking all the good stuff.
Edit: Although, yes. Most people wind up leading a segment of a larger faction and turning into one of the 'overlords'. Most players winding up with a batch of NPC's they can control or at least guide.
Uso leads free agents from space who tie things together.
Cyrus commands an army of nepleslian mercenaries.
Arccos leads a brigade of former-soldiers turned brutal revolutionary 'irregulars' in league with Freespacers.
Corgan leads an armored division of mercenaries.
Akemi indirectly commands a bunch of former knights.
Jason has started rallying his own militia in alliance with local industrialists.
In general you can seek employment from any of these groups (usually how you'd start), or just straight up start your own. Same time, your character seems directly or indirectly related to Rizzo's part in the plot which is something I haven't particularly been following too closely.