So if Sloan Kelly established a working outpost on Kadara....

Hey, stop stealing my lines.

Yes, it makes no GOD DAMN sense. And, people trying to explain it away are simply failing to see the bigger picture. YES, the Nexus did know about Kadara especially since when we first arrive there both Vetra and Drack state they have their own business they need to attend to. Thus, this implies that they've been to the port before. And, Kesh, another Initiative senior member, is in constant contact with the Krogan who have dealings on Kadara. It's a MASSIVE plot hole. Also, people here are overplaying the condition on Kadara. The fact of the matter is that Kadara is a relatively safe and stable port that provides shelter, food, and water to all of its inhabitants. Additionally, even individuals exiled from the port are able to survive out in the badlands without serious issue. This completely undercuts the idea that humanity and the Milker species were in some super dire situation prior to Ryder's arrival. Eos, upon Ryder turning on the terraforming machine, is still described as harsh but capable of living in and establishing an outpost. The fact that the Nexus considered Eos a success despite its harsh condition including deadly radiation just goes to show you how good a place like Kadara is.

Kadara is when the game's narrative completely collapses in on itself and it never recovers after it.

By that criteria wouldn't Havarl and Elaaden be the weakest parts of the story? You don't even need to go to those planets at all for the main quest. 

Not sure if you understood my criteria. On Havarl you help Angarans, learn more about their culture etc., so that is something that is of interest to my Ryder. On Eladaan you have an opportunity to cooperate with the Krogans after you got the hint that someone there plans something big against the Initiative.

On Kadara some dude asks me if I can investigate a murder case or find some stuff he lost!? Sorry, but I'm in search of Meridian and have better things to do. From a story standpoint it doesn't fit into what my Pathfinder is trying to do and it is the only planet where I have absolutely no interest in, that's why it is for me the weakest part in the game's story.

If the Initiative would've send me to get the exiles back in line or to negotiate with them, it might have been different, but the way it is presented it's something I rather ignore.

It doesn't compute on too many levels to count. They're obviously all exiles from the nexus. A skeleton crew in any case, going by what the Nexus officials are trying to say. They couldn't wake up a whole lot of people because of lacking supplies. And yet these exiles, who are again only a faction of the original skeleton crew, not only managed to find a suitable planet (who gave them shuttles anyway, since I'm pretty sure they're in demand also) they were strong enough to kick the Angarans into submission, defeat the Kett and still have enough manpower to drop and endless stream of outlaws in front of your Nomad (again using Shuttles - is there a production line somewhere?)

Honestly, who writes something like that and calls it a day? That's more suspense of disbelief than I'm willing to stomach.

Exactly. That's what I'm criticizing, that something that shouldn't be of any interest to a Pathfinder is central to establishing an outpost. IMO that's a story arc that doesn't make any sense (at least not how it is presented) and that's why I don't like Kadara and don't create an outpost there in my canon. When I play the story for the story, I don't care for going through a check box that doesn't fit my role.

The thing is: how should a Pathfinder guess/know that helping some random guy on Kadara with some random tasks would help the Initiative establish an outpost there? Doesn't make sense to me. Negotiating with Sloane? Sure, that would have been something I would have put on my agenda. The Initiative or the Resistance asking you to take a look at the problematic exiles? Sure, I take a look and see what I can do. The exiles running into a problem with the Kett or Roekaar where it becomes clear that they won't make it without the Initiatives help? Of course I'm trying to help, because they are our people. Anyways, I'm just saying that I think the story arc there is weak. Doesn't mean that I have any problem if it fits your Pathfinder story. I am just hoping that the writing/presentation improves in a possible sequel.

BTW: I finished the part four times to be able to fight the Architect, but did it (after the initial playthrough) always post-game, when just exploring what's up in Andromeda makes more sense for the Pathfinder IMO. It helps a bit, but doesn't make this part any more interesting for me.

The shuttles were stolen along with all the other stuff they stole, presumably. Actually, most of your problems with the narrative seem to be driven by your own bad assumptions. As opposed to its real problems, which you stumble around on the edges of sometimes.

It's best to ignore Kadara (as much as possible), because a) the exile angle isn't needed and besides interrogating Vehn Terev and the Monoliths/Vault there happens nothing that should be of any interest for a pathfinder. Definitely the weakest part of the story IMO, though it's not because Kelly is running the Angaran port, but because of a) and .

Hey, what happens if you simply walk by the corpse in Kadara port? I scanned it out of idle curiosity last time, and so now I've got the sidequest.

If you don't, are you told that you need to get involved with this? If so, how and by whom?

The way it is presented, my Ryders in subsequent playthroughs got the information from Vehn (one way or the other) and took off. Not because that's what the authorities wanted, but because Kadara - the way it's presented - fits the least into a Ryder committed to finding Meridian, a Ryder who only goes left or right from that path if something of immediate interest (Arks or other opportunities to strengthen the cause, problems for allies or the Initiative) comes up to warrant a delay. So again: all I'm saying is that if a writer wants me to care about the situation on Kadara at the point it comes up in the story, give me something interesting to do.