Watson – Sigurd's Cradle, Skepsis System
Colony Founded: 2166 CE
Population: 405,902
Population (Outposts on Franklin): 2,651 (permanent)
Capital: Forbes
Despite the classification as a garden world, Watson itself trends colder than Earth, with a temperate zone measuring about 30 degrees latitude in either direction from the equator. Its biodiversity is notable for not easily corresponding to Earth's evolutionary eras, with some landmasses inhabited by species that resemble terrestrial mammals, while others are overrun by arthropod analogues.
The planet is infamous in human space due to a controversial, bureaucratic snafu which saw several of Earth's nations heavily contest the rights to colonization of the world. The controversy had its inception in 2160, when the Systems Alliance awarded rights of settlement for the Elysium colony to the UNAS, a move which resulted in much resentment against the Alliance among several of Earth's states.
Following the discovery of the Skepsis system and its bodies in 2162, the customary proceedings were initiated to determine the granting of colonization rights; almost immediately, the process became wallowed in drawn-out controversy and litigation, which also manifested in the form of popular demonstrations on Earth and the deterioration of international relations. Following nearly 4 years of lengthy judicial proceedings, the Systems Alliance brokered the so-called Reykjavik Compromise, allowing limited colonization from the three parties most invested in the venture: the UNAS, the EU, and the Chinese Federation. Per the compromise, different settlements would be established on-world, each comprised of populations from each respective bloc (although still under one colonial administration). While the move was hailed as a victory in that it addressed the conflicts between Earth's three major superpowers, a number of other states would continue to fight the decision both in the courts and through informal channels for years to come; critics on various colonies contended it had established a dangerous precedent. Furthermore, the events caused alarm within Alliance political circles, who were taken by surprise by the amount of hostility from Earth's nations.
Largely in part to the simultaneous backing from three of Earth's most influential nations, Watson from the outset saw high levels of immigration and investment, enabling it to flourish in spite of its location in the Terminus Systems, making it a rare island of stability and security in a volatile area. Persistent lobbying from its three 'parent' states ensured a high frequency of Alliance patrols, and even the construction of a large Alliance base on the planet's moon, Franklin, in 2068. In a fashion similar to nearby Cyrene, Watson's economy is centered around its status as a trading entrepôt and logistics hub, serving as a gateway for Terminus goods into Citadel space and vice versa.
Wakehiko – Argumosa Cluster, Boddhidharma System
Colony Founded: 2161 CE
Population: 98,175
Capital: Kamikawa
A temperate, terrestrial world located along the lucrative Bekenstein-Hwanin shipping lane, Wakehiko is unique in that it possesses five natural satellites; as a result, the planet is much famed for its scenic views.
Settled by the state of Japan, the levels of immigration to the colony were initially overwhelming, as settlers rushed to the planet seeking economic opportunity. By 2165 – just four years after the foundation of the colony –, the number of on-world inhabitants had reached over 71,000, putting a significant strain on the colony's developing infrastructure. What followed was a rift between the colonial administration and the Japanese government: the Japanese leadership was convinced their own country was overcrowded, and encouraged citizens to emigrate. On the other hand, the colonial government attempted to slow the trickle of newcomers, in order to consolidate ongoing development in the name of planned, efficient, and sustainable growth. What followed was a cooling of relations between the two, which further deteriorated when Wakehiko's legislature restricted the number of off-world immigrants for a set number of years, backed by recommendations from the Alliance's Economic & Human Development Bureau (who, in turn, were spurred on by the desire to prevent further incidents like those in New Canton).
The colony has benefited extensively from its position on a vital trade lane: as such, it maintains an extensive network of trade compacts with neighboring planets. Re-exports from Bekenstein and from turian space by way of Hwanin account for 41% of Wakehiko's total sales to other colonies, per the latest figures released in 2185.