[u]Governor Marcus Engan[/u]
[i]Annona Colony[/i]

    So at last the whole affair would come to a close, months of planning and preparation for the arrival of the [i]Venue[/i] and its royal cargo coming to a head. Military Governor Marcus Engan could not have prayed harder for it to be so, after so much time and many headaches thrown in among the rest that was Venus. The colonies were still gripped in the shock of so sudden a transition of administration, and the newly appointed Governor had spent many sleepless nights contemplating the mess which his predecessor had so graciously left. But in the end, it seemed such a show of grandeur, strength, and pageantry would do the people well in so grim a time. Even Engan had to admire the way in which his adjutants and staff had prepared the parade and celebration, aside from the floral arrangements they had chosen which were playing hell with his allergies. Pennants flying the heraldry of the Empire, the Emperor's house, of Venus and Luna, all arranged in ever so subtle patterns to show an interconnection and unity between all. Screens displaying the arrival of the [i]Venue[/i] and the reception were scattered across all the colonies of Venus, with non-stop coverage of the momentous occasion and the proceedings that would soon follow. Columns of soldiery marched in perfect time, well drilled and well dressed in their matching uniforms of martian make. They paraded through the streets, followed by deftly piloted Mobile Suits as they passed the gathering mass of citizens who had come to witness the arrival. Law enforcement kept order among the crowds, officers setting barricades and keeping watch alongside soldiery so that the swelling crowd did not spill into the street, and to dissuade any of the more violent element. 

    Of all this, thee jewel of the whole affair (aside from the arriving royalty) was to Engan's eyes the deployment and display of his newly organized Mobile Infantry. Inspired by the innovation of Mobile Suits, the Governor long believed that despite their utility, there were many operations in which such tools were unwieldy or ineffective. Raids and the close environments of urban combat, effective riot control, and the time-honored role of marines to board and secure enemy vessels from within. A Mobile Suit might have some use in the crippling of ships in void combat, but to actually go in and clear deck after deck of an enemy vessel was something best left to marines. As such, Engan had some time ago commissioned the development of powered armor for use in such harsh endeavors, inspired by the hardiness of Mobile Suits to create shock troopers able to withstand the fury of small arms and even light explosive weaponry. Now here they marched, after years of trial and error, clad in thick armored plates which whirred and hissed softly with every movement of soldier and mechanism. Heavy weapons were toted as though they were toys in the hands of children, and the Iconography of Mars and Venus were emblazoned proudly upon their armored chests for all citizens of the colonies to see. Beneath the hermetically sealed suits and grim-looking void-helms, there lied some of the finest men and women ever to take up arms in defense of their country, their kinsmen. Governor Engan felt no small surge of pride that many of his students could be counted among their number. These would be the soldiers upon the front line against those who thought they could undermine the very principles of their great Empire, to poison his beloved home against their fellow men. 

	Marcus put such thoughts to the back of his mind for now, however, and instead turned his gaze upwards towards the ship slowly making its way into proper position. The local defense fleet had begun its escort around the [i]Venue[/i], and he could see his own vessel [i]Mons[/i] drift above the colony, placed a respectful distance from the guests of honor. Once more he made quick inspection of his person, and was sufficiently pleased with the immaculate state of his uniform and his well shaven face. He took one sidelong glance over his shoulder back towards his gathered retinue of officers, officials, dignitaries, and other such functionaries. Likewise satisfactory, a well organized and efficient group with which he saw fit to surround himself and share in the honor and duties which his office required. Now they would wait a few more agonizing minutes, and all the while Governor Engan cursed whoever had chosen those damn flowers.