The Story

In the early 21st century, the privatization of space travel and exploration planted the seeds for mankind's next great journey: our expansion into space. By the beginning of the 22nd, colonies had been established in dozens of locales all over the solar system. There were thriving footholds on the Moon and Mars; scientific surveyors were in orbit around Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn; xenobiological expeditions had base camps on and under the surface of Europa. We were everywhere, it seemed. Man's desire to pursue scientific and economic endeavor had prompted a golden age of expansion and exploration, the likes of which hadn't been seen for hundreds of years.

By the mid 23rd century, many of these small outposts have grown into thriving metropolises with populations numbering in the hundreds of thousands... some even in the millions, each with their own bustling local economies. Isolated from Earth by vast distances that still require months of travel time, where even a radio message traveling at the speed of light can take as long as half an hour to reach its destination, these new hubs of human activity began to cultivate their own cultural identities and sense of heritage. Entire generations have now lived and thrived in space, often without ever having set foot on Earth.

Of them all, none had so strong a sense of self as the expansive corporate colonies of Mars, whose settlements had come unto their own as the hub of man's expansion across the solar system. The red planet stood as the gateway to the gas giants and Kuiper planetoids of the outer solar system, and the immediate staging point for mining forays into the asteroid belt.

Discontent

This growing sense of significance among the Martian colonists also gave rise to an undercurrent of dissolution. The major powers of Earth tax the Martian colonies excessively to pay for their investments in the planet's growth. Many believe the Martians should pay their due, especially in the light of their booming prosperity. Without the governments of Earth heavily subsidizing the planet's initial exploration, the expansion to Mars might never have taken place, especially in the scale that it did. Many others, however, are discontent with the principle that they have no say in the matter, and that for the most part these dues have been pay in full. Now, they say, the Martian industries are being unfairly milked as a cash cow to provide funding for Earth's projects elsewhere. There must be change!

The consternation between the two planets is exacerbated by a divergence of opinions over many fundamental social issues, as well. Martians see themselves as socially and scientifically progressive, enlightened and unhindered by Earth's centuries of conflicting and contradictory values. They are often directly at odds with Earth’s governments over issues such as human cloning, pre-natal genetic manipulation, and procreation control. As the Martians see it, they live and work every day in a hostile environment while having to dwell in the very limited living space of colonial installations... these are special circumstances above and beyond normal human experience on Earth. Extraordinary social measures are required to maintain the health and security of its people. Life on Mars just isn't like life on Earth... and as the elected Martian Body Politik is concerned, their Terrestrial kin have no business dictating social policy from their ivory tower of antiquated moral academia.

And thus the stage is set: As is the way of man, a season of peaceful expansion and exploration will soon turn to that of war and conflagration. The entire solar system stirs uncomfortably under the beat of the war drum as the Corporate Republic of Mars declares its independence from Earth... and the powers of the latter move to stop it. This is the universe of Badge of Blood! Which side will you take in mankind's first war in space? Will you take up the banner of "Liberty & Justice" along your Martian kin? Or will stand shoulder to shoulder with your Terrestrial brothers, and bring a halt to the armed aggression of the impetuous Martian Body Politik?

Choose a side and take your stand!