Quadrant 7

Quadrant 7 was one of the first colonial quadrants to form part of the MAFC. The world of Xynam, originally a Solar Republic colony, declared for the MAFC in the Great War of Liberation from 2940-45, and was recognised as part of the MAFC in the Treaty of Io. As a result Xynam, now the colonial capital, is an old and traditionalist world, and has the longest-established government, which is for a Martian world unusually conservative and bureaucratic. This has been evidenced in the representatives that Xynam elects (although turnout is traditionally very low) to regional associations and the senate, such as Senator Hacker, and Supreme Councillor Bradbury.

The rest of the Quadrant is dominated by the so-called 'Viking Worlds'; Midgard, Loki, Frunz, Thor, Baldar, Sil, Valhal and Helm. Settled mostly by ethnic Martians from Q0, especially from the 'Viking Worlds' of that Quadrant (Sturlusson, Njord, Snorri, Freyr and Odin), the Q7 Viking Worlds combine the best elements of Martian rugged individualism, distrust of authority, libertarian impulses and military tradition. Government here is very light, and most matters are decided by electronic referenda. Needless to say this provides some tension with the more centralised and bureaucratic traditions of Xynam. The fiery and passionate Senator Wells is more typical of these worlds.

Xynam itself has colonised some of the worlds in Q7, such as Pindar and Sheorb, and these worlds share many characteristics with Xynam. Of the other colonies; Korrmanshar was settled by refugees from the Islamic Republic (a casualty of the terrible Razor-Blade War on Earth) while Meo is a world dominated by an offshoot of the Church of the Seventh Coming, which was originally based on the now-Venerian colony of Canaan in Q0.

Quadrant 7, originally the richest Martian Quadrant outside Q0, and the best protected, nevertheless suffered badly in the Exterminator War, and its economy remains a shadow of its former self. Anger at the slow central government response to the crisis almost led to the Quadrant declaring independence, and it still remains one of the most militant of the Martian frontier quadrants.