Although most historians point their fingers at the Misriah Massacre as the cause of the Third Martian War, the coming of a Martian conflict was inevitable. The failure of the Martian economy and a long series of political struggles between Mars and Earth continually strengthened the MIDA radicals. This trend of radicalization accelerated with the building of the Marathon and the subsequent failure of the CRISTs. (See below)
$BMisriah Massacre$b
On January 6, 2345(Earth A.D.), at the United Earth Government Misriah food distribution center, what had begun as a commonplace food riot turned into a massacre. The UEG riot troopers who arrived at the scene had been informed that the rioters were armed. As the UEG troopers approached the scene in their Randal Hovertank, plasma fire began spraying upwards. In a flash decision, the commander of the Hovertank ordered his crew to open fire upon the crowd. It took only five seconds for over five hundred starving Martians to be incinerated.
In the ensuing investigation of the Hovertank Vid-cams, it was clear that only three of the rioters were armed, and that the rest of the crowd was trying to flee the scene. Those three became known as the Misriah Three. They have gone down in history for starting the most destructive and bloody conflict since Humanity had left Earth. However, it is clear that these three have gained the credit for starting a war that would have happened anyway.
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The History of MIDA:
MIDA, as it was known, was a popular political party until the failed coup of 2321, when their popularity suffered during their short rule. MIDA gained control of Mars for only three months, but their rule was ruthless and cruel. The MIDA death squads killed anyone who they suspected of being loyal to the UEG. Although accurate census data is not available for that period, it is estimated that about ten percent of the population was killed.
The MIDA coup was afterwards criticized for its shortsightedness. In an organization that was notorious for its long ranging policies and politicking, the coup was very short-lived: MIDA never seriously accounted for the UEG’s overwhelming superiority in ground forces and warships. In fact, they never attempted to take over the Marathon, which was nearing completion and would have made a very powerful weapon. The Marathon’s massive size made it invulnerable to most normal space attacks, and it would have made a very stable weapons platform.
After the failed coup, the leaders of MIDA were executed for their crimes, and the political organization was banned in all forms.
The organization has survived as an underground terrorist organization, and remains active to this day. In its underground state, it fosters terrorism throughout Sol, and due to its spectacular funding and excellent personnel, it has grown to be one of the most feared terrorist groups active anywhere in Sol.
