Devil's Kiss

The Devil's Kiss is the name of the drought on the human Outer Colony of Aleria that has lasted for over a hundred years. The drought devastated the planet and its economy and halved its population within a century. The drought caused many of the planet's colonists to become smugglers to allow them to earn money and to counter food shortages.

History
Shortly after Aleria was first colonized, the planet's sun Elduros had just exited a millennia-long period of low solar activity. The Unified Earth Government's terraforming efforts and Elduros' recommenced instability led to a change in the Alerian climate. Signs of the drought occurred years before it begun. As temperature increased and rainfall became less frequent, some Alerians became worried and political unrest grew among the colony's population. While the agriculturists became concerned, the mining economy on Aleria had just boomed, leading to an influx of employment opportunities. Beginning in 2453, the drought led to the deaths of many Alerians and caused food shortages. The Alerian government turned to the Unified Earth Government for support, but to no avail. As the drought continued for decades, the lakes and rivers on Aleria began to recede and the planet's agricultural employment opportunities increasingly declined.

Alerians were soon forced to crime—largely as smugglers in courier guilds—in order to support themselves, including the planet's youth. Hicham Upadte blamed the Alerian government for not sufficiently asking the UEG for aid during the drought, while most Alerians blamed the UEG. The drought continued as of 2556, and ultimately led to the collapse of mining union Mols'Desias.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Nightfall
 * Indebted Travelers
 * ONI: Trade Barriers