Fiction:Factoria

Factoria is the name given to a network of megastructures scattered across the Gigaquadrant. Ancient but functional, sharing a common design and purpose, they are all that remains of a precursor civilization that once spanned multiple galaxies.

The Factoria structures are, at best, scientific curiosities. At worst, they are hotly contested warzones. Their function is to synthesize and harvest raw, rare elements in industrial quantities, which they have been doing ceaselessly for many millions of years. Thus, any civilization that controls a Factoria structure possesses a free and endless supply of andasium, tungsten, gold, and other intensely useful and valuable materials -- and so for millennia, civilizations have battled each other to control them.

Anatomy and astrography
Each Factoria is actually a combination of structures. Each one is made up of four parts: a massive, powerful laser, a star, a black hole, and the Foundry, which is what most people think of when a Factoria gets mentioned and the part that's usually fought over.

The "Factoria War"
"Not worth the effort."

- Motive field report