The transition from a community of nations to an interstellar empire began in 2033 when several private and multi-national organizations collaborated to establish a colony on Mars. Under the United Nations treaty ^[1], the Mars colony was to be governed by a United Nations official. Undersecretary Simon Aldersgate was the first chief administrator of the settlement.

The Cathedral of Attra and the Great Citadel of Fantatoul were founded in the eastern Martian provinces by the recently retired General Kossa in 2069 to provide places of worship for the faithful and the newly converted. The cathedrals acted as places of worship and civic centers. In time they would each become the centers of the two major Ammanian factions, the 'peace party' of Attra, or the Attrans, and the 'hawks' of Fantatoul or the 'Tatou.'

Although a factional rebellion pushed the Ammanians out temporarily, the population preferred the Ammanians to the Terrans and welcomed a renewed diplomatic effort that left Mars entirely in Ammanian hands by 2112.