Milky Way

The **Milky Way Galaxy** is a barred spiral galaxy that contains between two and four hundred billion stars. It is one of the settings of the canon Mass Effect universe as well as most of the additions from this alternate universe, Mass Effect: Continuation. The history of the galaxy and all content in this universe can be found in the Timeline.

## Galactic Sectors

For organizational purposes, the citizens of the galaxy typically break the Milky Way down into 6 organizational sectors known as Inner Council Space, Outer Council Space, the Terminus Systems, the Attican Traverse, the Bahanak Frontier (Earth Systems Alliance Space) and the Galactic Core.

## Inner Council Space

### History

**Inner Council Space** is referred to as such because it houses locations of great importance to the Citadel Council as well as many of their associate races. Both the turian and salarian homeworlds are located in this sector, as well as the volus and hanar homeworlds. The krogan homeworld is also located within Inner Council Space, however, as a species they are not a member of the Citadel. The Citadel station itself is also located within this region.

### Notable Star Clusters

* Aethon Cluster
* Annos Basin
* Apien Crest
* Krogan DMZ
* Meade Cluster
* Olyn Protectorate
* Proditore's Scar
* Serpent Nebula
* Vas'Diri Gap
* Xìngyùn (幸运) Cluster

## Outer Council Space

### History

Split apart from Inner Council Space only as an administrative aid, **Outer Council Space** shares many similarities with Inner Council Space. The asari homeworld is located within this region, as well as the elcor and drell homeworlds.

### Notable Star Clusters

* Athena Nebula
* Minos Wasteland
* Nimbus Cluster
* Onof Spot
* Silean Nebula
* Vesuvius Nebula

## Terminus Systems

### History

The **Terminus Systems** are populated by a loose affiliation of minor species, united only in their refusal to acknowledge the political authority of the Council or adhere to the Citadel Conventions. Colonies settled here are too far beyond the reach of Council authority and protection, resulting in an independent and violent melting pot of ideals throughout the region. The Terminus also houses the homeworlds of the Vorcha, Quarians and, by extension, the Geth. Within the Terminus there is a smaller, sub-region to the galactic northwest known as the **Nemean Abyss**.

### Notable Star Clusters

* Basillae Flare
* Byenzine Cloud
* Caleston Rift
* Carina Nebula
* Crescent Nebula
* Eagle Nebula
* Eyes of Mizhuna
* Far Rim
* Hourglass Nebula
* Nemean Abyss
* Omega Nebula
* Paraxhi Square
* Perseus Veil
* The Phoenix Massing
* Radana Burst
* Rosetta Nebula
* The Shrike Abyssal
* Sigurd's Cradle
* Titan Nebula
* Valhallan Threshold

## Attican Traverse

### History

The **Attican Traverse** is the true frontier of Citadel-controlled space. The area contains many worlds once inhabited by the Protheans, and colonies established in the Traverse are subject to constant raids and attacks from the nearby Terminus Systems.The presence of multiple worlds both rich in resources and Prothean ruins, continues to draw colonizing interest.

Though the Citadel officially claims the region as its own, the forces of the Terminus Systems have claimed many of the planets and systems to be under their control. Unwilling to engage in an all-out war against the Terminus Systems, the Citadel has adopted a military non-interference policy in the region. However, the Council makes no objection to the Systems Alliance's expansion in the Traverse, because the large Alliance Navy can settle unstable regions without the Council needing to get involved

### Notable Star Clusters

* Armstrong Nebula
* Attican Alpha
* Attican Beta
* Buluc Nebula
* Hades Nexus
* Hawking Eta
* Hindara Globular
* Ismar Frontier
* Kepler Verge
* Maroon Sea
* Ninmah Cluster
* Nubian Expanse
* Pangaea Expanse
* Pylos Nebula
* Sentry Omega
* Shadow Sea
* Styx Theta
* Yggdrasil Nebula

## Bahanak Frontier

### History

The **Bahanak Frontier**, known among humans as **Earth Systems Alliance Space**, is a region of the galaxy that borders Inner Council Space and the Attican Traverse. Because it houses both the human and batarian homeworlds, it is dominated by the colonization efforts of these two species. Hostilities between them, however, have caused somewhat of a geographical divide between them known as the **Skyllian Verge**. The dual-name of the region is a side-affect of these hostilities as well, however since the batarians have been a part of the galactic community longer most citizens refer to it under the name **Bahanak Frontier**. The Systems Alliance hopes that batarian hostilities and isolationism slowly cause the name to shift over time.

### Notable Star Clusters

* Arcturus Stream
* Argos Rho
* Artemis Tau
* Dabo's Knot
* Exodus Cluster
* Gemini Sigma
* Hades Gamma
* Horse Head Nebula
* Kite's Nest
* Llewyn Nebula
* Local Cluster
* Merari Ring
* Mkali Pool
* Petra Nebula
* Viper Nebula
* Voyager Cluster
* Zhūquè's (朱雀) Nest

## Galactic Core

The **Galactic Core** is a region of the galaxy that is too dense with stellar objects to be populated, and extremely difficult to study. There is known to be a supermassive black hole in the center. To date there are no known Mass Relays that lead to systems within this region, and as such it is unpopulated by any known species.