So I thought I was doing pretty good till I notice my enemies have tiny ships that deal over 80 beam damage... yippie! I'm allied with the strongest of the two remaining but then the third gets that stupid "assassination" event and goes to war with my ally. My ally tells me I need to help them out, or the alliance is off. Now, our new enemy is insanely stronger than I am. My best ships couldn't hold a candle to their escort fleets. But I figure, I'll keep my committments and my ally will finish them off before I can take too much damage.
Not so.
After I've lost all my starbases, nearly all my military and one of my best planets, I get a message through espionage that my ally and my enemy have called a peace treaty, and I'm left with my pants down. My enemy refuses to accept peace and my ally refuses to come to my aid.
I am BONED.