Mars Prosper League - Background Briefing

Background Briefing for Trusted Clients
Cypher Key #TI-906CV870REP427#
Security Level: 3
Last Updated: 01.02.2420
Access granted by: EDL (FA-SE)

Executive Summary:

   An industrial juggernaut on the Frontier, the Mars Prosper League (MPL) operates by stripping its territories of any and all available resources, regardless of their source or nature.

   The MPL is one of the few examples of true cooperation among the richest citizens of the Martian states, created in the aftermath of the first Lunar-Martian war to maintain economic unity in the newly independent Martian Commonwealth. However, in the middle of the 24th century, the corporation's power would propel it to evolve past its Commonwealth roots. After building its own Dyson Sphere, the MPL declared itself independent, and became the final member of the Sovereign Six.

   Today, the MPL thrives on its own terms as a massive, ‘publicly traded’ corporation. Its operations are overseen by legions of managers, and its army of indentured workers scours the galaxy for the sake of shareholder profit.

Faction Goals & Values:

   The Mars Prosper League is the ultimate example of unrestrained Martian capitalism. Functioning as a publicly traded holding corporation for more than two-and-a-half centuries, the League has unfailingly generated capital for its shareholders: a select group of ultra-wealthy elites, many of them Children of Mars.

   Although the MPL has great skill in research and construction, at its core the organization's primary focus has always been extraction and mass production. The League is a ravenous beast, claiming and exploiting all kinds of resources across the galaxy. Crystals and metals, humans and biomass - if there is value to be gained, the MPL will be there to squeeze out every last drop.

Culture:

  Armed with massive industrial vehicles, swarms of extractor drones, and legions of uniformed miners and engineers, when the MPL arrives, nothing but grime and dust is left behind.

  Initially lured in by the promise of a life of opportunity among the stars, MPL workers often end up indentured into service through a series of complex debt arrangements. Overseeing these uniform, expendable masses, is a class of competent middle managers and bureaucrats. While well-situated, they amount to little more than cogs in the machine that is the MPL, often receiving the same pressure from above as they exert on those below them.

  The League’s top shareholders and executives lead a life of supreme decadence: mansions the size of palaces, luxury spacecraft, and stations lined with platinum. The MPL elite adopt a personal style that oozes wealth and class.

  The pinnacle of it all is the station Karat, which serves as the seat for the MPL’s Board of Directors. An array of massive pillars extending from a central nexus and interconnected by a series of rings, the entire station is encrusted with natural diamonds from across the galaxy, and bathed in the red glow of the Dyson-caged sun it orbits.

Political and Social Organization:

   The MPL describes itself as a publicly traded interstellar corporation operating under Martian law. Originally founded to promote economic cooperation between Martian-based companies, the MPL has long been the primary vehicle for interstate projects within the Commonwealth.

   Since declaring independence, MPL shares are only listed and traded within the Heaven’s Crown system, which is independently owned and regulated by the League. Throughout its centuries of existence the MPL has created legions of subsidiaries, and swallowed just as many competitors in hostile takeovers. The League’s portfolio extends across almost every economic field, but the most prominent focus lies in resource extraction, refinement, production of goods, and their transport.

   Around 60% of MPL stock is controlled by legacy investors, who each hold at least 0.5% of the League’s shares. For the most part these individuals are either the dynastic heirs to Commonwealth member states, or the immortal Children of Mars. Another 20% of the stock is held by various corporate subsidiaries which initially received shares as part of acquisition deals. Only the final 20% of the League’s stock is realistically available to the public.

   Major shareholder meetings and elections for the Board take place in five year cycles. While these events do play a significant role in setting League policy, most of the real day-to-day authority in the MPL lies with the Board, composed of the Chair and six other members.

Technology and Specialities:

   As the MPL remains focused on large scale extraction technologies, the League’s mining operations, as well as its refinement and transportation technologies, are top-of-the line. The MPL also holds several patents on specialized tech for the refinement of rare minerals, and puts them to good use. However, in an effort to extract shareholder value, MPL stations often rely on less developed and significantly cheaper equipment for non-prioritized operations.

   Still, the profitability and material riches of their installations make the League a prime target for various raiders and pirate factions. As a result, the MPL focuses its strategic doctrine on defensive warfare, developing ships and technologies that excel at holding the line and buying time until a sufficient force can gather to crush any assault.