Mega-Corporations play a large role in the fringes of known space. Most of the time corporations fund expeditions, lab experiements on remote worlds, and also help give security to those who are able to pay for it. But one problem with the mega corporations is that small dirty wars are fought amongst them for the control of materials or even certain high paying government contracts. Others reasons these wars seem to break out is when the corporations try to install their own version of a community amongst the many pirate outposts and smaller UPF funded colonies. Without certain government officials looking closely (due to "payroll" government officials) the corporations with the most money are able to do what they want when they wish.