Fehl Prime Abbadon's Pit, Avīci System

Colony Founded: 2177 CE

Population: 5,387 (permanent)

Capital: Flores

Widely considered a failed venture, Fehl Prime's growth has been stunted by its location in the Terminus Systems. Since its establishment, it has had some of the lowest development indicators of any Alliance world. Most firms and companies are unwilling to establish operations on the planet, due to heavy pirate activity and the constant fear of raids; subsequently, on-world unemployment figures are at a staggering 38%. The main employer on the impoverished world is the Alliance, which maintains a number of research stations for the purposes of cataloguing and researching the native plant life, which possesses potentially pharmaceutical properties; as such, the mainstay of Fehl Prime's economy is a tiny service sector that caters to off-world Alliance personnel and the occasional pilgrims to Cyrene that opt for the the long route.

Aside from its native flora, Fehl Prime is of interest due to its large amount of intact Prothean ruins, which appear to span the entire planet (many observers have ventured to comment that this is the sole reason for which the Alliance continues to prop up the colony). However, no apparent effort has been undertaken to study these, aside from the small presence of a number of archeologists from the University of Elysium at Camp Lausus.

Ironically, the colony has never actually been raided.


Ferris Fields Malahide Cluster, Fastolf System

Colony Founded: 2176 CE

Population: 39,203

Capital: Cresswell

An agricultural world located in the Attican Traverse, Ferris Fields managed to attain a respectable level of prosperity by establishing close trade relations with nearby Dobrovolski, supplying the mineral-rich, but barren, world with essential food supplies. The population of the colony grew by the thousands in conjunction with Dobrovolski's eezo rushes, when large numbers of disappointed and ruined prospectors settled there as farmers and homesteaders.

In 2180, a starship transporting a load of refined element zero from Dobrovolski experienced a malfunction as it attempted entry into the planet's atmosphere: the resultant crash not only killed the entire crew of 46, but spread significant amounts of eezo over the townships of Benford and McPhearson. The scope of the contamination would only become apparent in 2182, when local hospitals began submitting reports that at least twenty-seven local women in that year had miscarried or given birth to children with rare cancers, while a confirmed fourteen others had given birth to children with the eezo nodules indicative of biotic ability. The area was popularly dubbed the 'McPherson cancer cluster' as more cases were discovered, leading to a government-mandated evacuation of the area. The incident soured relations between the two colonies, and continues to be a source of friction.


Freedom's Progress Cyclades Group, Asclepius System

Colony Founded: 2171 CE

Population: 17,804

Capital: Cape Sheridan

Freedom's Progress is one of the few remaining charter colonies in Alliance space. It was originally established by a consortium of agribusiness firms seeking to capitalize on ossilbir production, a high nutrition vine that the Alliance military at the time was considering for inclusion in its military rations. However, the idea was rejected due to health concerns (as well as the unpopularity of the product, with many criticizing it as devoid of any culinary value), and ossilbir's 'fad' status faded quickly; as a result, Freedom's Progress' economy contracted, forcing the world to diversify its agricultural production. The bleak economic situation caused many to emigrate for other colonies in search of better opportunities; the subsequent 'brain drain' ostensibly harmed the colony's attempts to economically reassert itself.

Presently, Freedom's Progress is a significant producer of cacao, coffee, and cotton. The colony saw a brief period of economic growth in the early 2180s, although it quickly sank back into a slump following fluctuations in the galactic commodities market. Recent years have seen the rise of political parties calling for the dissolution of the colonial charter and full integration with the Systems Alliance. Faced with poor returns and meager yearly profits, the charter government promised to hold a referendum on the matter in 2187.