There is no logical reason for this to be repeatedly happening. Independents are, by the game's own description, not a unified faction; and I'm pretty sure Alex himself said that independent markets, traders, smugglers, mercenaries, etc are only lumped together as a convenience more than anything. They should not be massing genocide fleets several star systems away to enforce a claim to a system where they own fewer markets than I do. Any of the other factions? Absolutely. But not the indies.