Pale Zones

is a term used by the United Nations Space Command to describe abandoned and dilapidated settlements on UEG worlds that have been abandoned by the government. Often hives for anti-UNSC forces, such as the Insurrectionists, the Syndicate, and other groups, the UNSC quarantine these settlements, and otherwise deny entry. The term derives from 14th Century Ireland, where the English controlled areas were referred to as The Pale, derived from the Latin for fence, and areas beyond it were known as 'Beyond the Pale', which became famous as a saying, meaning 'beyond the bounds of morality'.