###### tags: `Lore`
# Mars
## <u>Name: The Martian Coalition</u>

### <u>History:</u>
Life on the ‘Red Planet’ has been the fantasy of humanity for millenia. Little did they know back then that it would be humanity that brought life back to its surface.

Manned expeditions to Mars began around the year 2045, and what first started as those few pioneers led to an explosive growth. By 2075, permanent colonies and stations had been established both on the ground and in space. Multiple agencies from across human civilization both worked, and at times competed to begin the process of making Mars the second home of humanity.
This effort would be in vain. Early terraforming strategies were untested, unpredictable, and prohibitively expensive. Despite many coming to call the red planet their homeland during this uncertain period, resources and money previously funneled into the planet trickled out, and eventually halted when Earth fell to war.

Faced with existential threat, the people of Mars - Scientists, Pioneers, experts and their families - elected to band together to ensure the survival of their people. Resources and technology were pooled into concentrated locations that quickly became the center of their civilization. Out of this period of strife, the Martian Coalition emerged.

With their resources and manpower consolidated, Mars would rise from the war period able to pull off bigger and greater feats than ever before. The prospect of creating a prosperous society having became more than a distant ideal, but a goal to be realized.
Survival soon became progress, and after the end of the conflict on Earth, Mars elected to aid the cradle of humanity during the intensive negotiations which followed; They were no longer a colony, but an equal.

The eventual contact with extraterrestrial life in the form of the Vikara Combine would become the single greatest turning point in Human history. The sharing of their technology propelled Mars to a point where a tangible plan to terraform it could finally be devised, now with the advice of Skrellian scientists and engineers. It would be soon after this that the first iteration of Mars' magnetic shielding systems would be designed and built.

### <u>Modern Day:</u>
In the current year, Mars has reached milestones that were once considered unfeasible at the turn of the second millennium. The monumental industrial capabilities it has developed in the intervening centuries have allowed for the completion of projects such as the Pavonis Space Elevator, while the introduction of FTL travel and leaps in automation have allowed the ongoing importation of gases to supplement Mars' natural atmosphere, with some of the work having already begun to alter its density and composition to more habitable conditions, taming its extreme temperatures and increasing pressure enough to the point that EVA can be accomplished with only minimal breathing equipment.
To protect this atmosphere, Mars has built up the magnetic shield facility at the planet's L1 point, acting as a powerful buffer against the solar winds that threaten to strip away the hard work put into the terraforming project.

The Martian government is highly meritocratic, with a focus on academic and professional knowledge. The Martian Coalition utilizes a tiered system of governance, with the top-level consisting of a technocratic polity elected and supported by the various Martian interests, namely the academics, the scientists, the industrialists, and the military.

Their lower tier of governance comes from the Martian City-States, each of which hold democratic elections for the city council, and separate ones for their electoral subdivisions. This body represents the Martian people and gives them a voice in Martian matters. Additional council organizations exist for the regions between or crossing the control of a City-State.

The Martian Coalition maintains a large and professional armed forces, with a focus on expeditionary warfare and fast-moving, hard-hitting doctrines. The Martian Coalition Armed Forces (MCAF) has three branches; the Martian Coalition Army, the Martian Coalition Navy, and the Martian Marine Corps.
The largest branch of the military is the Martian Navy, which holds a doctrine of numerous small craft for combat and patrol duties, supported by large carriers and battleships, often equipped with long-range mass drivers.

Modern day Mars is split between two main types of region, the verdant and prosperous cities and the sparsely populated territories between them.

The cities of Mars are known for their beauty and prestige. Each one is encased within one or several arcologies and environmental domes, often a metallic frame holding large plates of radiation-absorbent glass composites, which contain the breathable earth-like atmosphere on their inside, allowing said cities to be filled with greenery and even natural water features despite their often tremendous population densities. Most of the Martian population live within these large urban centers, which are highly-verticalized, consisting of several layers to exploit the volume of their domes and the underground regions beneath it, and generally provide high living standards and bustling economies.

On the other hand, much of Mars remains barren, although many mining, scientific, plentiful industrial and even farming operations can be found strewn over its surface, especially within immediate vicinity of large population centers. These areas are colloquially known as the Badlands. The Badlands contains numerous derelict sites and underground complexes that date back centuries to the first mass exodus to the forming cities. Crime is often rife within these regions, as are numerous organized gangs and even insurgencies. The vast and uncontrolled Martian plains are the perfect hotbed for these types of groups to form.
The Badlands, as well as the lower and underground levels of most Martian dome-cities, are also home to many Tyrmalin conclaves. These communties are known to become quite large, and many hold official council seats within the Martian Coalition. Their industrial nature has been a huge boon for the planet and its government, with Tyrmalin artisans and miners contributing greatly to the economy.

Mars is known for the most prestigious science and academic institutions in the Sol system, with the Viking-Pathfinder University (VPU) and the Tharsis Polytechnic Institute (TPI) being the most prolific. These two institutions are located within vast arcologies, and are often engaged in fierce rivalry.
### <u>Ethos:</u>
The Martian Coalition's motto, 'Ad Prospero - To Success', perfectly encapsulates the Martian spirit. Centuries of work to create a planet to call home has created a hardy and industrial people.
### <u>Notable Stances Towards Corporations:</u>
The Martian Coalition generally views Corporations in a positive light, as their resources and industrial capacity is valuable to its productivity. However, the Martian government has stringent laws in-line with the Orion Confederation's stance in order to protect employees and consumers, which can severely affect megacorporations that are more inclined to conduct matters on their own terms.
### <u>Influence:</u>
As one of the 'Big Four', Mars holds considerable sway both within the Orion Confederation and within the Sol system. Their economic, industrial, and martial might make them a trusty ally and a troublesome enemy.