Mars

**Mars**, also known politically to spacers as **Free Mars**, is the fourth terrestrial world from the main sequence star Helios in Sol System.

Mars is the only planet in Inner Sol not to fall under any allegiance. It is protected by free trade agreements recognized by the Consortium and the Confederacy, and is the only place in Sol where the various constituent entities of the Consortium may trade and represent themselves without being official representatives of the Consortium. Many small groups known as Free Martian Militia exist throughout the planet.

The whole planet is largely self sustaining by manufacturing air from the soil, pumping water from the polar ice caps, and growing food using specially built greenhouses.

Each city is governed locally by it's own laws derived largely from the legal system of the majority of the settler's home nations. Mars is one of the few places where currency still exists, though much trade on Mars still goes on without currency.

## Martian Free Trade Zone

Economically, Mars exists as the Martian Free Trade Zone. Planetside and orbital trade is completely unregulated and Consortium, Confederate, and Rimmer trade blocs exist on Mars alongside the native Free Martians. The Free Martians are descendants of the original Martian colonists and choose to live planetside in one of Mars' many cities. They are recognized by Consortium and Confederate treaties as being a free people, owing no allegiance to any nation, people, or flag but their own.

## Cities and Infrastructure

### Taikograd

Located at the Viking 1 landing site, it is the only city on Mars primarily inhabited by Asiatics. It is also the hub of the People's Republic trade bloc on Mars. Very well developed, well rounded industry.

Well known for it's many seedy diversions.

### Hongojing

Located at the Mars 6 landing site. Specializes in industrial goods.

### Union Station

Located at the heart of Union City in the FTE, it is the oldest and one of the busiest Martian spaceports. It coincides directly with the original *Opportunity* landing site. Built primarily by American effort and interest. The station, suprisingly, remains relatively untouched by the Solar War.

### Union City

Union City was built primarily by Americans in a cave at Pavonis Mons. Both the Station and the City see much action during the First and Second Battles of Mars but remain largely untouched during the Siege of Mars. Hub of the United States' trade bloc.

It is known for its rail transportation system that connects Union City and Union Station. From either city and along the railed sprawling suburbs outside of the main city center, the furthest of which is almost 200km from city center

### Odinell

Built at the Spirit landing site. So named because many of it's original colonists were Scandinavian. Main industry is the construction of sounding rockets. It is built in a roughly circular fashion, with the outer rings being the newest constructions.

### Krasnygrad

Literally in Russian, "Red City". Hub of the Soviet trade bloc. Located at the Opportunity landing site.

Originally built as a joint American-Soviet-Sino effort in the early Regolith-treat Era, the Soviets took over large parts of financing the operation. With Soviet propaganda promising an era of prosperity, the majority of colonists (regardless of their nation of origin) favored ongoing Soviet care of the operation. It was officially named about twenty five years after the city's founding with a rough population of 10,000. Built as an industrial powerhouse, the city became the first major exporter of Martian intermediary materials for use in processing plants and factories throughout the other colonies.

### Veragrad

Veragrad, located on the Hellas Peninsula, was the site of the secret Soviet project Veragrad. Built as a self-sustaining colony in secret. Was supposed to be the base of a Soviet incursion into Mars.

### Freeport

Freeport is a city established on Mars as a joint venture between the Confederacy and the Alliance during the Solar War. It was built on the existing research accomplished by Veragrad.

It's utilities were managed by the newly created Council of Free Mars and becomes the public symbol of the Martian Free Trade Zone. The city dramatically improves public relations during the war between the Protectorate and the general public. It existed completely independent from any other Martian city, was entirely self-reliant, and did not rely on the IPS to support itself. It was the spearhead of a Protectorate propaganda effort to prove that the Main Belt and the Rim did not need to rely on the Consortium or the IPS. The city granted amnesty to anyone fleeing the ravages of the war.

### North and South Polar Stations

The North and South Polar Stations are critical to humanity's life on Mars. They provide clean, potable water, electricity, methane gas, and breathable air to every major city on Mars.

## Population

About one million people live on Mars during the FTE. It survives the horrors of the Solar War and the collapse of the Consortium and sees major combat action against the Anthroperium before finally falling to the regime.