As with all historical periods of exploration, exploitation, and colonization, the development of the Middle States was a function of the demand (the pressure driving/reward associated with outward expansion), the technology (the ability to go further and exploit without undue risk), the stellar geography, and the political will (the resources, the vision, the economics, the popular support [if applicable]).

At the time that this region was opening up, the cost of exploration and colonization was still exorbitant. Only larger economic powers could afford to develop new star systems, and set up the infrastructure for more permanent presence. This meant that only governments, a few mega corporations, and often collaborations of both pushed the frontiers of Human expansion back.

The Middle States was settled by three large powers. The Chinese government formed the Middle Kingdom. The Consortium of Arabic Nations formed the Sultanate of Khalilistan. And the massive Consolidated Mining Corporation (CMC) wedged between the two.

The Sultanate controlled large neutronium and water reserves. The Middle Kingdom developed a solid industrial base and vast agricultural developments on the terrestrial planet Emerald. The CMC controlled the trade routes and asteroid belts between the two empires. Its survey teams explored and prospected every system and jump route. Its skilled mining crews work for all.

For years the CMC managed to keep its systems independent by playing the two larger powers against one another. This policy failed when the Middle Kingdom and Sultanate reached an agreement to capture the CMC systems and partition them, thus eliminating an expensive and annoying middleman.