Hey Nathan,
In the past, Fearless Blue was a very lawless place. However, war, and even player v. player wars were a somewhat regular occurrence on all worlds back in the day. As such, Fearless Blue being so hostile was ok - players knew what they were signing up for. The first time I was on Fearless Blue, a large federation attacked me the first day I had no war protection, but I was there specifically to get into a fight.
Nowadays, Fearless Blue is a bit quieter than it used to be. There are several large federations with "the sweatiest" players as you called it, but those players are GENERALLY not aggressive at this time (note: I only speak for myself, and I'm not one of the bigger players right now). They do more to maintain order than anything else, and I largely consider them ambassadors for the game. If you introduce yourself and befriend some of these players, it's possible that you could even receive their support if someone wrongs you.
What makes Fearless Blue interesting is that there is no secured mode, and almost everyone is able to be attacked by anyone else. As such, active diplomacy is where it's at.
All players who start an empire on Fearless Blue get 52 days of free war protection from other players. That gives anyone enterprising enough to get going and make friends a chance to join a federation, and get set up.
If you do decide to make a start there, I would recommend trying to place most of your empire near/next to your friends and federation allies. Shared air defense from your countries (and from nearby federated countries) is probably the best way to protect your assets.