Founder:	Lucien Davion
Year:	2317
Worlds:	475
Capital:	New Avalon
Military:	Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)

The Fourth Succession War

The fourth and final Succession War was different to its predecessors, in that it was launched from a position of economic and military strength. The Federated Suns was now allied to the Lyran Commonwealth, through the marriage of Prince Hanse Davion to Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner. The two states shared many ideals and ethnic heritages. Also the lack of a shared border meant they had rarely fought each other. There was still, however, a level of mutual distrust. The Lyrans feared the Suns' military might, while the Suns' citizens worried about the Commonwealth gaining control of their nation through its economic power. At best, they viewed each other as the least of several enemies. In the end, the massive popularity and public support that both Hanse and Melissa enjoyed, persuaded most people that the alliance was worth pursuing. The underlying tensions never disappeared though and remained, waiting to resurface.

Prince Hanse intended to present the Capellan Confederation as a wedding present to his wife and long before the wedding had instigated AFFS training exercises along the Suns border with the Confederation - the perfect cover for moving units into position. Under the leadership of Chancellor Maximilian Liao, whose mental faculties were questionable at best, the Confederation had become weakened, both militarily and economically, presenting the Federated Suns with its best opportunity to conquer their bitter enemies. Hanse and Melissa were married in 3028. At the reception, held on Terra, Hanse announced his "gift" to his wife, which was also the signal to begin the invasion of the Confederation.

The campaign was a huge success, with AFFS forces capturing nearly half the Confederation's worlds, by the time the invasion ended in 3030. The Lyrans also made some territorial gains, capturing fifty-three Draconis Combine worlds. However, the enormous financial cost of the war caused considerable unrest among the Lyran populace, not to mention the fact of their military effectively being under the leadership of the Federated Suns. The War of 3039 - an unsuccessful campaign by Davion forces to capture a number of Combine worlds, only served to fuel Lyran concerns even further.