Pallas

Pallas is the third largest asteroid in the asteroid belt accounting for an estimated 7% of the belts total mass. It is a company station owned by by BHP group, an Australian mining company. Though the asteroid still officially claims to be part of the United Earth Sphere, it pays bribes to both the Martian Defense Front and Celestial Connection to keep their affairs unmolested. The station on Pallas is famously rough, but a wealth earner, mining vast amounts of carbon fuel, silicates, ice, iron and richest of all massive salt mines. 
Though Pi-tah rarely speaks of it they are form this station, where they say hundreds are born, toil, and die in debt to the company. This is supported by the UES' own investigations which have constantly blew whistles on BHP's many abuses. While the right to workers collective action is granted by the UES charter, many accuse BHP of illegal suppression of union rights among Spaceborn

Geography

An asteroid of semi-round shape covered in salt and silicates, the asteroid is mostly carbonates, silicates, and iron. Crates have been refitted into protective living and industrial spaces along with small space port for the export of materials and import of workers. 

• Surface area (8.3±0.2)×105 km2
• Volume (7.1±0.3)×107 km3
• Mass (2.04±0.03)×1020 kg average est.
• Mean density 2.92±0.08 g/cm3
• 2.89±0.08 g/cm3
• 2.57±0.19 g/cm3
• Equatorial surface gravity ≈0.22 m/s2 (average)

History

Pallas has a short history, but it is already messy for its use. BHP already operated several mining sites, and turned its focus to salt cheaply mined on Pallas as a means to ship salt to ocean-less worlds. Initially work started prior to The First Wave but after words the deregulation of space opened up for higher industrial volume per expense, through namely, company stations. While this may be an absolute human rights violation, it did turn Pallas into a highly profitable part of BHP's portfolio. 
This profitability has only slightly diminished over time due to tension with the local union. However BHP assures share holders, the situation on Pallas will not change, and the asteroid will continue to provide earth and her colonies wealth and material at a vague amount of human cost. Further inter-system violence has not harmed exports either, as BHP sells material to all parties and pays needed bribes whenever required to keep an iron grip on their largest breadwinner.

Tourism

"Sure, come for a visit, leave in debt." - Pi-tah 

Type

Asteroid

Owning Organization

United Earth Sphere

Contested By

• Martian Defense Front