After a long break, I have decided it's time to return to the VSF Mars Project and add a new British presence.
The British Mars Trade and Exploration Company (sometimes referred to by high-minded sorts as the British Mars Trade and
Exploitation Company), or British Martin Trade (BMT) for short, is a successful enterprise carving out a slice of Mars for itself and also a major competitor to the Great Martian Trading Company. The BMT specialises in acquiring rare Martian minerals, whose high selling price on Earth funds this expanding enterprise.
In order to protect its assets on Mars, the BMT has raised its own military force. This picture shows some of the troopers who form the core of the BMT force. For their service on Mars, the troopers were issued with brick red corduroy riding breeches and tunics. The tunics were poorly made and totally unsuited to the Martian climate, resulting in them being left in store by the troopers. Instead, the troopers took the grey canvas boat smocks that they had been issued with for their journey to Mars and re-tailored them into short grey jackets.
The main weapon of the troopers is the Arioch Industries electro-rifle. Although this weapon has a shorter range than conventional military rifles, its electrically charged bullets give it an increased chance of killing enemy troops and local fauna.
Also shown in the picture is Colonel Tiberius 'Tin Leg' Foster, former commander of the Yorkshire (Experimental) Heavy Infantry and now in overall command of the BMT force. Although Foster lost his leg in the Sudan (forcing a premature retirement from the Army), he has been fitted with a Bullshott Industries replacement which actually gives him better mobility than his original (slightly arthritic) leg. When in the field, Foster retains his scarlet tunic from his former career.
18 July 2012, 07:19:26 PM