Just booting up FLServer (which should be in a directory looking something like this C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Freelancer Discovery\EXE) will automatically start FLHook as well, and all the associated plug-ins.
You can then connect to that server in your local list.
I don't know where you'd get the management software to muck around with characters there; however. That's a question you'll have to ask one of the resident server-monkeys.
