The ships left the harbour to the cheers of the gathered crowd. Even the Empress had attended, with her heirs, in order to turn over a Corustarian flag.
The Empresses Colours, touched by her own hand. Given rarely, if ever, these colours were a great pride... And great burden. For to lose these colours was to lose the Empresses favour, to fall from grace and leave no trace, a black mark upon a regiments record, an indelible stain upon the honour and dignity of its soldiers. Even the most cowardly of officers was willing to fight to protect these colours.
And the standard bearer flew the colours proudly from the ship as the soldiers lined behind him, singing their hearts out... The marines grudgingly joined in, clearly not enthused that the colours had been given to the army as a formality instead of to the marines for skill.
"...So fall in lads behind the drum/ with colours blazing like the sun/ along the road to come-what may/ over the hills and far away/ Here's o'er the sea's and o'er the land/ 'cross oceans, mountains, plains and swamps/ Our Empress commands and we obey/ Over the hills and far away..."

Colony fleet size
800 Colonists
1000 Soldiers (650 recruits, 350 regulars)
Two Barques
Two Brigs
20 Cows, Twelve Pigs, Nine Chickens, ploughs, a hundred horses, a years supply of food (Rationed, preserved (Known for its horrid taste due to the preservatives)) Axes, farming equipment, seeds for various fruit and vegetables, Coin, Cloth, essentials, personal belongings, tents for temporary accommodation.

Four letters are sent out, proposing trade routes with the Vanjanan Empire, the Lance Empire, Numburg and Lydiah