[quote=@Valiance]
<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

It’s any number of things. Threats like terrorists or revolutionaries that are generated within the IA and want to usurp a colony from the IA. There are a lot of people in the IA, so there are lots who disagree with the way things are at any given moment. Outside threats, like interdimensional pirates, hostile governments. You name it.
[/quote]

Pirates are cool.