In the waning years of the 22nd century, the United Earth League still holds its dominant position in the Solar System. The UEL has immense military resources, a strong presence in space, and the allegiance of many of the wealthiest nations and corporations on and off the planet.
Convened in 2076, the UEL was chartered as an overseer government with a policy of non-interference in the internal matters of its member blocs, but sole authority in off-world affairs. The UEL Premier functions as the chief executive of the government and a senate acts as the lawmaking body. Jakarta serves as the capital city.
Since its founding, the UEL has had to face many challenges, including Earth-wide epidemics, space piracy, and ruthless terrorist attacks. Most vexing, however, has been the UEL's relationship with the colonies and companies of Mars. As the people developing the resources of Mars have become richer and more self-sufficient, they have sought greater and greater independence from the UEL. Because of the resistance of the Martians, the UEL's efforts to make the environment of Mars more hospitable for mass colonization have been continually delayed. The discovery of Callisto technology in 2167, and the construction of the Sol Gate Network in the years following, has only intensified the rivalry between the UEL and Mars.
The Mars Consortium was established in 2158 by the Martian Mining Corps and other companies operating on Mars. The new organization was planned as a way to protect the economic interests of Martian businesses and to eliminate the infighting between competitors that had gone on since the first days of the planet's colonization.
Twenty-five years later, Kareem Muhammad, Director of the Martian Mining Corps, was elected as Governor of the Martian Protectorate, the colonial governing body set up by the UEL. Muhammad, and many other members of the Colonial Congress with ties to the Consortium, pressured the UEL to restructure the Protectorate. They wanted to incorporate many of the proven elements of the UEL framework into the Martian government. With the support of UEL Premier Monique Gerard, the Martian Colonial Congress was replaced with a junta-like body controlled by the Consortium. It was named the Board of Directors. In 2194, the Board appointed Julianne Hobbes to the newly formed position of Director of the Consortium.
The economic boom which followed completion of the Sol Gate Network has benefitted the Consortium enormously. They have plowed large portions of their new wealth into developing their armed forces and their presence in space. In 2196, the Consortium converted Olympia and Ulysses, two of the commercial stations in Martian orbit, into military stations. Tensions between the UEL and the Consortium have never been higher - and the Consortium has never been more of a threat to the UEL.
The expansion of mining activities in the Asteroid Belt at the end of the 21st century attracted the inevitable rogues and thieves. Shipments of refined metals and volatile materials, much of it transported on drone ships and unpowered containers, fell prey to hijackers hungry for an easy profit. Over time, many of these outlaws formed alliances with one another. A number of clans evolved. Today, the Marauders are believed to be the largest, most well-equipped, and best organized of these pirate groups.
The Marauders are extremely secretive, even among their own clan brothers and sisters. What little is known by the public about them comes from government or corporate spies who have infiltrated their ranks, the rare pirate prisoner who talks, or rarer still, the one-time Marauder who has gone straight.
Many of the people who join up with the Marauders do so because they have become disillusioned with their lives elsewhere. They seek greater riches, greater respect, and perhaps, a greater sense of belonging. Ex-military pilots, former miners and laborers, even doctors and lawyers have teamed with career criminals, drug dealers and assassins inside the Marauder clan.
The Marauder leaders demand loyalty. Some observers believe the dedication and discipline they get from at least the core members of the clan is the key to their strength. Pressure from the UEL and the Mars Consortium, as well as from security forces of the corporations around Sol, together with heavy competition from other pirate clans, makes life as a Marauder tough. For those in the clan who fully embrace the vision of their leaders, the challenges may be even more difficult. Rumors persist that head Marauder, Muldante Kerr, and his Inner Circle, have a quest unique among the Belt pirates: to take the Marauders beyond hijacking and hiding out in the Asteroid Belt and somehow create a new, more powerful role for all pirates in Sol.
In 2181, the governors of all the commercial stations in Sol gathered to discuss ways to improve conditions for business enterprises in space. During this historical meeting, the governors drafted their own regulations on free trade to be applied to transactions at commercial stations. These new rules had far fewer restrictions on the sale and marketing of goods than those imposed by either Mars or Earth.
Perhaps more significantly, the governors also agreed to form the Independent Council of Governors. The ICG is an oversight group which manages relations between the commercial stations in Sol and represents the group to the UEL. They have become an important and powerful lobby, many times influencing the direction of UEL policy on commerce, off-world migration, technology development, military affairs and other matters. The Council has its headquarters at Mimas Station.