Mars

The first human, FEAN Kapitan Tamryn Fedotov, landed on Mars on the 9th of April 2025 in the ship designated by the UN as Krivak 002 (later known as FEK Sledopeyt). This was corroborated by footage aired on an extra-UN news network broadcast at 19:15 UDT. Mars was surveyed on the 7th of May 2026 [1], revealing decent mineral deposits and a Ruined City of extraterrestial origin.

United Nations Colony

The race to establish the first Martian colony was triggered by a combination of the FEAN Martian landing, a growing international appetite for TNEs, and the discovery of the Belnar ruins. The UN landed the first colonists on the 3rd of June 2027[2]. The colony was formally known as the Republic of Mars and informally and more popularly as New Town.

The UN Martian colony was founded primarily to aid in the exploitation of the ruins; exploitation of Mars' TNE deposits was a secondary concern, borne out by the scant UN budgeting for colony infrastructure expansion. The largest drive for Martian colonization was the MarsNow! project, which utilized contracts with civilian-owned corporations. McKiernan quickly became the UN's primary source of colonist transit to New Town; starting in 3rd quarter 2027, civilian concerns became the primary drivers of infrastructure growth in New Town.

The Newtown colony's first UN administrator was Administrator extraordinary. UN industrial planning did not begin in earnest in Newtown until transport of 20 mines was authorized on February 28th, 2030[3]. March 15th that same year saw the activation of the Deep Space Tracking Station (manufactured on Earth) on Mars. Subsequent industrial expansion began with the reactivation of Belnar installations by the 78th Engineering Brigade and the Belnar Imperium Exploration Corps (the 77th Engineering Brigade) dispatched from Earth by the UN. These two brigades also enjoyed the distinction of being among the very first TNE-equipped ground forces in mankind's history. March 25th, 2031 saw further economic expansion when Governor extraordinary announced subsidies for shipbuilding on Mars [4] despite a lack of any shipbuilding facilities.

The vast majority (90%+) of Republican colonists were anglophones from the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. The Republic's population grew unevenly as commercial shipping assets were focused on building solely UN bodies. At the start of 2nd quarter 2031, the Newtown colony was home to an estimated 2.8 million UN colonists. The Federation colony was home to 2.25 million according to UN intelligence's best guess[5]. Martian Federation population growth rapidly outpaced the UN's, as most of that growth occurred within one year. This was the point at which the Federation's colony inevitably outpaced Newtown, precipitating tensions between the two great powers. The Federation's colony officially exceeded Newtown on June 10th that year at 3,000,000 colonists. In 3rd quarter 2031, the UN Martian population reached 2,791,743.

The colony was mostly centered around the Belnar Ruins (which UN Martians cheekily referred to as "The Old Town"). There were a few outlying settlements (conventional mineral prospecting camps and minor mining establishments, as well as eight full-fledged TN-mining operations, one of which was only ten kilometers outside the Old Town and was a recovered Belnar facility), but the majority of UN Martians lived and worked in New Town.

Compared to Tranquility, conditions on Mars are less hostile to human life, so New Town was comparatively more open than Tranquility City. However, many of the same techniques were used (stretched duranium domes, buildings partially or entirely located below the Martian soil, etc.) and life was extremely dangerous outside the settlements.

The Mars Republic was structured identically to the Lunar Nation, with each settlement providing one or more elected representatives to a Martian Senate. Due to his extreme fame as the so-called First Martian (an appellation earned from his work investigating the Belnar Ruins), UN Administrator Mr. extraordinary was also the Senate-appointed First Minister, a move that was wildly popular among the electorate. UN Martians in general were less politically active than their Lunar counterparts (Mars's remoteness from Earth is suspected to have something to do with this), and the Federation presence just a few kilometers away kept any anti-UN sentiment to a very low level. In this regard, the Republic was more akin to Callisto than Tranquility.

The Federation colony, Mangala, was just across Old Town from the UN colony. Security cordons were set up along the interfaces, with clearances and identification papers necessary to cross in either direction. Relations were tense but peaceful (there was a twice-yearly football match between citizens of each colony; the Federation currently leads the series 3-2) until the events of the Brotherhood of Free Mars uprising and the subsequent skirmishes between FEAN and UN void navies within the Martian space cordon [6]. On the 17th of July, 2032, Mangala's estimated population was 25 million[7].

The 18th of April, 2031 saw the completion of the final in-depth geosurvey of Mars, tripling the estimations of untapped duranium available[8]. December 16th saw the first terraforming effort on Mars, initiated unilaterally by FEAN releasing oxygen into the Martian atmosphere[9].

Martian History and Statecraft

The discovery of the Belnar ruins and the establishment of a UN colony on Mars led to a brief blossom of rapprochement between the UN and the FEAN as both sides struggled to establish their presence on other bodies in the Sol system. This breathing room was an absolute necessity in order to establish the basic technological principles of TNE industry, TNE warfare, and interplanetary transit and colonization.

After the establishment of the UN Martian and Lunar colonies, the FEAN withdrew from the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies on January 10, 2028[10]. This move was likely precipitated by FEAN's need to rapidly expand their interplanetary infrastructure without being restricted by the Outer Space Treaty rather than actual insult caused by the UN's own colonization efforts. A private notification of withdrawal from the treaty was sent to UN Ambassador Ceebees by FEAN Ambassador Aloyoshenka Kulikov. The withdrawal was publicized by Federation Commissioner-General Ivano Tretyakov on the same date.

On January 11th, 2028, Ambassador Ceebees initiated negotiations for a second treaty modeled on the Outer Space Treaty and a separate treaty regarding the exploitation of the Belnar ruins[11]. As part of negotiations, both powers pledged to stay exploitation of the ruins until an accord as to the disposition of Mars could be signed. The Treaty between the United Nations and Federation of European and Asian Nations Regarding the Possession of the Sol System's Giant Planets (Treaty of Saturn) was signed by the Federation on May 13th, 2028[12]. On the 4th of December 2028, the Federation signed the Mars Treaty[13].

The ratification of the Mars Treaty by the UN on February 4th 2029[14] established the Mars Free Zone, which included a demilitarized cordon including the planet itself and a space buffer of 15 million km around Mars. The UN intended the MFZ to protect the Belnar ruins and the colonies from military invasion by FEAN, and FEAN likely intended the MFZ to prevent the UN from establishing the planet as its exclusive territory. The agreement permitted both parties to exploit the Belnar ruins with the stipulation that discovered technology was to be shared between both parties. The Mars Treaty was to extend by operation of international law to any celestial body upon which were discovered extraterrestrial ruins.

Signaling a further thaw in relations, the Federation provided an honor escort at the request of Ambassador Ceebees for the first UN TNE-equipped engineering brigade, the Belnar Imperium Exploration Corps. The escort and landing transpired in late October 2029. The escorting Federation craft [i]FEK Tehran[/i] was captained by Kapitan Fedetov; the escorted craft was the [i]UNMS Lictor[/i], captained by Capt. Nicholas Uitz.

The third treaty resulting from the colonization of Mars were the Articles of Colonization proposed by Ambassador Ceebees [15]. Federation Ambassador to the UN Podpolkovnik (PDKV) Eduard Ignatov led the Federation negotiations with the UN Embassy for the Articles. Both sides joined to ratify the treaty on January 20th, 2030[16].

March 28th, 2030 saw more proof of improving relations between the UN and FEAN when FEAN showed willingness to open their spaceports to UN civilian craft, excluding military craft except in the vicinity of Mars (with the same rights and privileges accorded in the reverse with regard to UN ports). October the same year saw the UN providing troop transport for a Federation engineering brigade destined to likewise investigate Belnar ruins.

April 14th, 2031 saw Mars drawn into the Second Saturn Crisis when Lars Proen demanded transportation by the UN to the Free Mars Zone. Mars' utility to the Federation as a void naval staging point becomes evident during this crisis, when the DSTS keeps the UN appraised of large amounts of Federation ship activity through this region during the tense days around the hostage standoff. The ships, largely stationed around Mars' moons, became known to the UN as the Federation Mars Fleet.

On August 20th, 2032, news reports noted that UNCAO Director Added Space was observed dining with Federation Mars Governor Ms. Yasmine Ogra. Savvy politicos noted the seemingly casual meeting as good news for peace between the UN and the Federation despite the tensions raised over the unrest in Saturn the year before[17]. On September 10th that year, the UN activated its Belnar terraformer, perhaps linked to this event[18].

The UN transported 2 Federation engineering brigades to Mars with a Federation honor guard escort on December 15th in exchange for a €50 million bond from the Federation, signalling further cooperation between the superpowers. At this time, the UN was the only power with troop transport capacity[19].

January 14th, 2033, saw the beginnings of unrest at Mangala which would eventually prove the undoing of the UNMARS program. Initial reports made it appear that Federation Martians were unsatisfied with their representation in FEAN[20]. The Fed Mars colonists were no more sympathetic to the UN; early intelligence probes showed that Federation Martians were more interested in the movement known as Free Mars, which operated a few small settlements outside of Mangala[21].

Belnar Ruins

The ruins were initially discovered on the 7th of May 2026 during the initial geosurvey. This prompted the formation of the UNSA Archaeological Expedition. This team finished their survey of the ruins on the 21st December 2026[22], revealing them to be from the Belnar Imperium, and also that an estimated 114 installations were in salvageable condition.

According to the UNSA Archaeological Expedition's initial report to the UNEC, at the time of the ruins' construction 35 - 40 million years prior, the Belnar aliens' technological capabilities were only somewhat more advanced than the UN's at the time of the discovery.

On June 16th, 2030, the Belnar Imperium Exploration Corps recovered a Belnar fighter factory. Due to the provisions of the Mars Treaty, the fighter factory did not enter production mode. On June 29th, the 78th Engineering Brigade reactivated a Belnar automated mining complex and refitted it for human use. This was the first mine to go into production on Mars. On July 13th, the BIEC recovered a Belnar fuel refinery[23]. Sorium supplies for refinement were short due to the only mining installation being the single Belnar complex, so the refinery did not reach full productive capacity. The BIEC reactivated a 2nd Belnar manned mining complex on September 8th, easing the sorium shortage and increasing the Belnar refinery's output. On October 3rd, the 78th activated a Belnar construction factory, providing Newtown with further opportunities for employment and infrastructure expansion. The factory was limited to 60% productivity for a long period due to mineral shortages on Mars. Unfortunately, the BIEC's attempt to recover another installation led to its collapse on one of their squads on December 6th.

On March 23rd, 2031, the BIEC again met with failure when an installation violently imploded [24]. Fortunately no casualties resulted. The engineers received a little vindication when a similar effort by the Federation engineers resulted in a collapse on April 20th[25] and again on May 9th[26]. On October 9th, the 78th once again failed to activate a Belnar installation[27]. The BIEC likewise experienced a collapse on the 30th; the structure was sufficiently unsound that it was scheduled for demolition rather than preservation as an historic site[28]. The streak of bad luck was brought to an end on December 9th, as the BIEC brought another Belnar mine online, and then on the 15th when the BIEC discovered a Belnar vault holding 1,050 tons of duranium[29].

On January 12th, 2032, the BIEC activated a 2nd Belnar sorium refinery. The brigades' efforts once again slipped into misfortune on March 2nd, when the BIEC's efforts led to the collapse of another installation in front of a large crowd of Martians. The 78th lost a reactivation squad on the 23rd in an explosion of a badly damaged installation, the first fatalities reported during a reactivation effort[30]. The 78th managed to reactivate a construction factory on April 4th with no further casualties. On the 6th and 6th, the 78th endured two more catastrophic explosions, but again without casualties[31].

June 12th saw still another destroyed installation when the BIEC tried to activate it. The Federation attempted a complaint which gained little traction after a 3rd party monitor released a report on Federation reactivation failures. The UNGF threatens to step in after yet another failure by the BIEC on June 18th[32]. This development had apparently little impact on the BIEC's effectiveness, as another reactivation failed on July 21st. This installation remained standing. A UN-Federation science team determined that such structures should be reconstructed as close to possible as their original state and given in trust to a jointly administered Belnar Museum and Preservation Trust. Buoyed by the agreement, the 78th reactivated on July 23rd an automated mine which was quickly put into production. The UNGF replaced Col. Nathaniel Canelo from command of the BIEC and replaced him with Col. Valérie Auclair in expectation that a change of leadership would produce more successes for the UN.

The 78th reactivated a Belnar terraforming installation on August 2nd, provoking a long discussion among UNEC members about whether and when to begin a Martian terraforming program. Arguments for and against cited potential effects of atmosphere introduction on the Belnar ruins, on Mangala's productivity rates, and humanitarian concerns. Scientists were unable to make an initial determination on the Belnar configuration of the terraformer, leaving the question of Belnar biology and ecology open. Another reactivation failed on September 2nd, leaving another mostly intact installation for the Belnar Museum[33]. On September 11th, the 78th reactivated another Belnar mine. The change in command for the BIEC did not yield immediate results, as the brigade suffered another black mark when a Belnar habitation complex crashed after a squad attempted to reconnect its power supply[34]. On November 13th, the 82nd Engineering Brigade arrived on Mars fresh from training in an effort to both speed up and improve the success rate of reactivations[35].

The BIEC once again suffered an imploded installation on January 1st, 2033[36] and January 2nd. The 82nd proved their new training program by uncovering a vault of 10,000 tons of tritanium ready for use on January 30th[37]. The BIEC got a lucky break on February 27th with the discovery of a functional Belnar mass driver[38].

Mineral Survey

Mineral	2026 [39]	2031
Duranium	99,845 (0.9)	99,810 (0.9)
Neutronium	115,756 (0.5)	115,737 (0.5)
Corbomite	44,687 (0.9)	44,652 (0.9)
Tritanium	17,856 (0.2)	17,848 (0.2)
Boronide	142,157 (0.2)	142,149 (0.2)
Mercassium	20,499 (0.5)	20,480 (0.5)
Vendarite	96,583 (0.2)	96,575 (0.2)
Sorium	42,354 (0.9)	42,319 (0.9)
Uridium	26,478 (0.9)	26,443 (0.9)
Corundium	33,210 (0.4)	33,195 (0.4)
Gallicite	45,781 (0.2)	45,773 (0.2)

Federation Settlements (With Population)

Lockyer Crater: 6,000,000-8,000,000

Mangala: 40,000

United Nations Settlements (With Population)

Newtown: 1,750,000