Ever since the exodus from Sol and the colonization of Sirius, people and factions have been outcasted, discriminated against, and even expelled from the houses of Sirius. These men and women were strong, hardy people who took it to themselves to flee from the governments of the past. These people were not afraid of the ever expanding universe, not afraid of exploring the unknown, and definitely not afraid of what awaited them, or what came after. These men are and were the Zoners.
The Zoners were never a combined group, just thousands of individuals who fled from the corruption of the House systems. However these men and women slowly came together for protection and co-operation. They combined with like-minded people, people who yearn for freedom and a life with no boundaries. They came together in order to meet their most basic needs as well, as to sustain their new way of life. They came together for protection. These people hated the rule of law imposed on them by the Houses of Sirius and would do anything to keep that oppression from entering their new homes. This was not an easy task.
The Zoners began their new organizations with the realization that they were powerless. They realized that money is power, money is control, money means protection. This led to the creation of the famed Zoner Whale, a machine that would make them rich. The Zoners explored to find new areas, new systems, new wealth. They found opportunities such as the Corsairs with their artifacts and the Iridium in Delta. The Zoners worked together to build networks of freeports in order to trade these new resources with the rest of Sirius, and what did they want in turn? Money. The Zoners used their vast network of trade to create a diplomatic web that they knew would protect them, at least for a little while. They knew that as they became stronger, bigger, wealthier, that people would covet their wealth, covet their unparalleled freedom. The Zoners knew that these same people would mass together, whether because of jealously or for power, and try to take it from them by any means necessary.
The Zoners were then thrust into conflict on that fateful day when Freeport 7 was destroyed by the Nomads, sending all of Sirius into a war for their lives. This was the Zoners awakening. The Zoners began to use their vast sums of wealth accumulated over hundreds of years to build a fleet comparable to the strongest of the houses. Even with the diplomatic web intact, the Zoners knew that a day would come when it would all come crashing down, and they decided to be ready for that day. The Zoners built Livadia shipyard and forged an alliance with the Order.
This alone to any rational thinking person can be a good start to explain why we need it. Its not perfect, but you know, Its good enough for now.
2nd edit : its NOT perfect, it contradicts a few things, but thats a easy attempt to establish a zoner-disco lore, however faulty it is, it is as valid as any other attempt to make sense of things.