[chrispenycate]

Terminology in science fiction is flexible; it has to be, as many of the objects it describes don't yet exist (or, at least, nut onearth) It is up to the author to make it clear what a particular term means.
One of the techniques used is to use words which already exist, in combination. Thus a "hover cycle" is a complete misnomer (cycle coming from the greek for circle, or hoop, and having come to mean a wheel) but you've immediately given an image, and you can eliminate all the nasty explanation bits, alwaya so embarrassing when both the characters know the object intimately.
An "outpost" comes from military terminology, largely predating science fiction, and is just a settlement near the limits of the territory, or in the wilds, and "planet" you know. Therefore, it suggests a very large organisation or empire, so that entire planets can be considered mere markers on the board.
Mind you, if you're working with multiple galaxies (and I can't offhand think of a science fiction story that has convincingly portayed an organisation that large), then planets are very small fry indeed.
Light speed? Even within our local cluster, you're talking about decades or centuries of travel; intergalactic, it's tens or hundreds of millenia; not very convenient for adventure stories.
But read everything. If it's obvious that the more technical books are going to be beyond you (though this doesn't necessarily have to continue being the case) concentate on the more psycological ones, but read wide, not merely deep. That way your book won't be merely a carbon copy of fifty others, but a synthesis of different sources with (hopefully) your individualistic viewpoint an important part.