[(E)]

Answer 32

Mars has three main factions, oddly while internally they are almost in a state of cold war they do manage to usually present a united front on major issues relating to the planet as a whole. It is not unknown for them to run proxy wars in out of the way corners of the solar system.

The newest political power is the United Martian City States (UMCS), the terraforming process dotted the northern lowlands of Mars with many smaller craters. Once the initial bombardment was complete many smaller space bound groups began settling. This has resulted in the UMCS essentially being a collection of smaller independent states who only co-operate in the broadest sense. Bound together by a loose constitution, internal politics is the major focus of it's leaders. The sixty or so city states that make up the UMCS represent a wide range of political views and they are all willing to bend the rules as far as possible for their own advantage. It is worth noting that the UMCS is currently a very wealthy nation partially as a result of the resources distributed by the impacts of the terraforming strikes.

The Second and oldest faction on Mars is based around the Valles Marineris. The earliest major settlement on the planet they have been devoted to terraforming for the last two and a half centuries. Known as the Mariners this faction has been shaped by it's devotion to the dream of an Earth like Mars. This dedication has resulted in a unification of purpose that is called communist autocracy by their detractors. An industrial powerhouse that suffers from being slightly behind technology wise they are a leading manufacturer by volume of mechs and power suits. They are ruled by a council whose members hold office for exceedingly long terms. The current chairman is Gregory Yang a charismatic and younger man who is a born and engineered Martian.

The last of Mars' major factions is located within the crater at Hellas Planitia. This is mankind's largest single population center in the entire system. Some one hundred million people dwell in this mega city and operate under corporate governance. There are pronounced differences between the haves and the have not's with the poorest living in squalor while the elites want for nothing. The Incorporated Democratic Martian State is a political and commercial giant second only to the O'Neil belt as a center of political power. This crowded mega city is where a huge number of mercenary contracts are signed and supplied. The head quarters of the Ares network is based here and they have representatives in the highest level government committees.

Question 40
What was the last major conflict in the system?