When humanity achieved generally accessible space travel, it was obvious that most of space would be emergently lawless. Plenty of illegally powerful weaponry was available at the time, for a market that mostly consumed it for the purposes of phallic display. A trend in 2070s Florida saw the local wealthy installing nuclear missile silos on their property. None ever launched one, but they fired threats in every direction as a means of displaying their power.
Conspicuous consumption wasn't enough for many. When the nodemap was opened, humanity cheered for a new frontier ripe for exploration, a hopeful release of pressure from the crowded demands of earthbound life. But space is just like, empty and like, rocks. Humanity was not as thrilled about that.
Notes for rest: Cool rich guys blow up planets for fun, make up various excuses for it
And just rewrite it all it sucks