Akuze is a human colony on the outskirts of Systems Alliance space. In 2177, Akuze was in the early stages of colonization when all contact was lost with the pioneer team. An Alliance Marine unit was then sent in to investigate, but found only the intact settlement and no survivors. When the unit camped for the night, they were set upon by thresher maws. Not knowing what they faced, the unit was slaughtered almost to the last man; fifty marines were lost, and only one made it back to the landing zone alive.