[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210311/5199baf431de1d4c17325efbcb0c4c87.png[/img][/center] [b]Mars Colony[/b] [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/64/50/8c/64508c6a72867ac76e70d25b7bfffdf3.png[/img] [hider=Colony] The Mars colony was founded in 2020 A.D. under the plan to terraform the Martian planet for human life. In roughly U.C. 20, the first signs of terraformed life began to appear on the planet. By U.C. 75, the 85% of the planet was deemed viable for colonization. However, due to the tensions from the Republic of Zeon and the inevitable One Year War, plans on a massive Mars colonization movement were put on indefinite hold. Today, Mars is home to over 700 million colonists, spread out over 20 colony cities. The major industry of Mars is agriculture, and over 300 tons of corn, 200 tons of potatoes and 150 tons of wheat per year are grown in the super farms spanning multiple cities. However, due to the increased loss of life from war, the need for the shipment of food has gone down, leading most of the Martian food to either to used by its colonists or to be traded with the Jupiter Energy fleet, which stops at the space colony Palma, located in orbit around the moon of Deimos during Helium-3 deliveries. Due to Mars’ rocky climate, most usable natural products are metals and stone. During 0082, there was an attempt to manufacture Mars Titanium as a useable metal similar to Luna Titanium Alloy, however the metal was found to be both heavier and less durable than the lunar version. It hasn’t stopped Mars Defense Force Mobile Weapons to be built out of the metal. The largest city on the Mars Colony is also it’s capital and major spaceport. Olympus, also hosts its government seat. [/hider] [b]Mars Politics[/b] [img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ehv6-RqXcAAjyRU.png[/img] [hider=Politics] There are two major political parties that control much of the Martian Parliment. The ruling party, which has been the major ruling party in Mars since its independence in U.C. 70, is the Martian Peoples Party, a fairly conservative party based on keeping the Martian zone peaceful and keeping trade relations with both the Earth sphere and the Jupiter Energy Fleet. The other major party is the Mars NOW party, a radical party that has grown in popularity during the last decade. Led by the enigmatic Barrick Torres, Mars NOW pushes for an aggressive stance against both the Federation and Jupiter Energy Fleet to put pressure and bring more money and industry to the Mars Colony. [/hider] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210311/ded8e70152f3fc092d9437d9e7feeb05.png[/img] [hider=ARES Flag][img]http://www.tattoostime.com/images/371/amazing-red-tribal-aries-tattoo-design.jpg[/img][/hider] [hider=Ares] ARES is a mercenary and pirate organization operating in the Mars Sphere of space. They hold multiple bases in various abandoned asteroid belt mining facilities and are outfitted with custom mobile weapons. Unlike the Zeon Remnants occupying Olympus Mons (having been granted asylum by the Mars Peoples Party) the ARES group pilot high spec mobile suits including the RMS-156 Griffon, AMS-119 Geara Doga, and RGM-79Q GM Quel. Various ace pilots that act as commanders for the ARES squads command even more advanced and custom Mobile Suits. Many of the commanders are Newtypes, and use their powers with extreme prejudice. Little is known about the command structure of ARES, with the exception that they attack any ships that enter their space, regardless of affiliation. This has led to increased tension in the Mars Sphere from the Federation, Republic of Zeon and other colony governments, and the Jupiter Fleet on whether or not the space is safe to travel. [/hider] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210311/ad972573286e21b190ec2eee778d3d44.png[/img] [hider=The Voltus Salvage Company] The Voltus Salvage Company is a fairly small operation working a very lucrative business in the past 5 years. Acting under contract from the Federation, Zeon Republic, AND Mars Sphere, the Salvage ship goes into battlefields and salvages important materials, metals and parts, selling them back to the client for a [i]fair market price.[/i] The company specializes in important materials retrieval, and has a habit of collecting anything useable that isn't on their manifest to either sell or reuse. The ship of the Voltus Salvage Company is aptly named [color=yellow][i]The Cathartes[/i][/color] named after the family of carrion birds that feed off the dead. The owner of the company, as well as The Cathartes' captain, Cornell Voltus, is a former colony engineer who repurposed a scuttled Federation Columbus Class cruiser, repairing it enough to become spaceworthy again. [img]https://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/thunderbolt-ova/columbus.jpg[/img] The Cathartes is heavily modified from the Federation’s wartime transport cruiser, and the ship stands out against other transport-style ships of its kind. It’s capable of storing 8 Mobile Suits and 6 Mobile Pods in the lower two storage areas. The upper storage areas are relegated to salvage and cargo. The ship is capable of running on a crew of 50 but fields a crew of about 60 during the beginning of the story. Most of the beds are military-style bunk cots, and comfort has been disregarded in favor of functionality. The ship is capable of transporting roughly 100 passengers at a time, though as it reaches its max occupancy, it does get a little cramped. The ship possesses 3 fixed-point beam canons but is extremely vulnerable due to its role as a transport ship. Because of this, it does field multiple mobile suits as an escort if combat does break out. [/hider]