Virmire is a lush frontier world, ideal for colonization by carbon-based species. Its vast seas and orbital position on the inner life zone have created a wide equatorial band of humid, tropical terrain. Unfortunately, the political instability of the nearby Terminus Systems has impeded colonization efforts — the high risk of raids by pirates and slavers makes it an unappealing homestead. Many times, the Citadel has opened negotiations to settle Virmire with the various criminal gangs and petty dictatorships in the nearby Terminus Systems. All fell apart due to internal power shifts within the opposing parties. The Citadel has written off the colonization of Virmire as impossible without significant political change.