Planet Marne

Marne
Owner	The Council and Gallic Brigands
Location	F6, Champagne Gallia
Technical information
Population	unknown
Docking	Yes
Terrain	Terrestrial
Diameter	11,548 km.
Mass	6.27 x 10e25 kg.
Temperature	-43°C to 49°C
Escape velocity	9.90 km/sec.

Marne is a densely populated industrial world that holds more than three quarters of all Gallic Border Worlds population. Discovered in 506 A.S. by a Gallic expedition sent from Burgundy, this planet has immediately attracted attention of authorities and corporations. Atmosphere was suitable for colonization, and planet's crust appeared to be rich in oil and metal ores. ELF Oil & Machinery, Gallic Metal Service, and a number of other companies from the Core Systems have all participated in building up the industrial infrastructure. But when millions of workers were transported to Marne in 615-650 A.S., they didn't find the perfect living conditions and beautiful cities that they were promised. Instead, vast cities consisted of similar blocks of flats and were located right next to plants and factories: there were few policemen to stop the crime, almost no social services, and even no fresh air because of massive and uncontrolled pollution. On some distance from the cities, small towns were built to house higher-class settlers. Those towns were heavily guarded by Police and private security guard against the crime that was increasing steadily since the colonization had started.

Throughout the last two hundred years, the workers of Marne had to repeat the history of struggle for their rights that took place on Earth in the XIX century. Most of them supported the Gallic Liberation Movement, while some followed more radical path and to become revolutionary socialists. Only a few of the planet's populace supported the royalist Conservative Party and various nationalistic movements. After the Liberation Movement was disbanded and banned in 720 A.S., the officials on Marne became more and more reluctant to uphold the previosly secured workers' rights. Lacking peaceful ways to express their protests, the workers started to realize that period of bloodless struggle has come to an end. Many joined a group named the Council that followed Liberalist political ideas. Many even joined the Maquis, a terrorist organization formed within the Council structure. Over the years, Marne has become an ill-famed place for corporate officials. Streakbreakers, corrupt policemen, and even random rich sitizens were regularly found dead, gunned down by long-range sniper rifles or simply stabbed to death in the streets. Security was tightened, but it was too late. When the government has initiated a tactic of revenge, arresting random Council activists not in any way privy to the cause in response to each crime committed against higher-class Marne colonists, a massive rebellion had become inevitable.

The rebellion that started in 794 A.S. is universally considered the beginning of the Second Gallic War. After two years of fighting, the Gallic Army has gained the upper hand due to advanced warfare technologies and tight control of the space around the planet. However, the government was unaware that Council was going to interfere and use its newly gained military might to turn the tides of war. In 798 A.S., when the Gallic Army has initiated an overall offensive, the Council breached the planetary defenses, and Council corps landed on the planet. Gradually, the situation on Marne has changed: in 801 A.S., after years of bloody fighting, the whole planet was under control of the Council. Marne soon became the center of Council government and seat of the High Command. Cities were rebuilt, but millions of former workers have lost their job because the factories where they worked were destroyed or plundered; those workers formed an endless supply of dedicated recruits who joined the Council fleets in order to fight their former opressors from the Core Systems.