UPDATENew questions!
While the planets are not officially settled by the Syndicate, and probably don't have bustling megacities and capitol buildings... I can't imagine that they are barren of any settlers. I've always figured that smaller 'independant' towns are trying to eke out a living on the planets without the help of a central government. While not technically illegal, since they are independent, they are nonetheless some pretty rough and tumble places.
I'm imagining a parallel to the Wild West here, where we've got very insular localities that have managed to survive for many years on their own without any support by major Empires. The Federation doesn't bother them, the Syndicate doesn't help them. As such, they vary wildly in terms of prosperity. Dustbowl towns on Barren planets may suffer from lack of education, famine, poverty, disease, or other issues. More prosperous independent trade hubs on a comfortable temperate planet may actually have grown to be respectable 'cities' in their own right. In all cases, the settlers would probably survive by their own resourcefulness and willingness to to the extra mile.
How well would these people respond to an outside capsuleer force trying to interfere? How well would they respond to the crackdown on probable Serpentis influence; trying to build schools, hospitals, factories, roads, rails, and farms? Would some reject it and fight back? Would others welcome them with open arms?
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