AFS Intelligence File I-007413
File Name: Invictus
History:
Officers Note: Due to their nature, certain portions of this document have been
removed and labeled Classified.
Invictus was originally I Corps of the United Earth Defense Force. Earth was,
at the time, split into hundreds of countries, each with its own military, and
with many different weapon systems. Founded shortly after the Bane invasion,
the UEDF was meant to ease the coordination and logistical challenges involved
with defending an entire planet. The goal was to present a unified world front,
and give the Bane stiff resistance wherever they went. Of course, these lofty
goals were nearly impossible to achieve. Earth boasted dozens of languages,
varying levels of military readiness, and wide disparities in quality of
troops. As a result, most UEDF formations were composed of forces
geographically close to one another, which increased the likelihood of the
forces speaking similar languages, and having compatible equipment. One of
these localized formations was I Corps, assembled from the militaries of two
large countries on the landmass known as “North America”.
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Even as I Corps retreated into the mountains, the Bane forces pressed their
advantage and pursued. The Corps, now down to just over half strength, planned
to split into small resistance cells and continue the fight, knowing that they
couldn’t match the Bane in traditional combat. Before splitting up, however, I
Corps found one of the trans-planetary portals in a network of caves. Even as
plans were made for I Corps to separate, their engineers and scientists studied
the strange portal. They soon found out what it really was. I Corps command
allowed their scientists to send an expedition through, in the hopes that this
might be another means of escape. If it led to Bane-controlled territory, then
I Corps would proceed with their original plan. Wary of the enemy, the first
expedition through the portal consisted of a full squadron of drone tanks.
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I Corps set up a camp near the AFS base overlooking the portal, but the AFS
commander kept them separate, wary of the newcomers. I Corps was similarly
cautious, and constructed their base without any AFS help besides materials and
several construction vehicles. I Corps had just barely started to settle down
and try to collaborate with the AFS when the Bane attacked Foreas.
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It was during this period when I Corps proved their worth to the AFS. Led by
their canny Field Marshall Emily Vaeden, I Corps took it upon themselves to
attack the Bane, instead of waiting behind fortifications. In the weeks of hard
fighting before reinforcements arrives, I Corps fought and defeated Bane forces
many times their size, defended critical positions, and engaged in covert
operations to hamper the Bane advance. I Corps and the AFS garrison shared
information, but operated independently, in the hopes of confusing Bane
generals, and because of differing doctrines. Nevertheless, the combined I
Corps and AFS force staved off the Bane until reinforcements arrived to take
the offensive. Unfortunately, in the process of buying that time, I Corps was
nearly wiped out.
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In the aftermath of what has become known as the “Slaughter of Amal-They”, the
surviving members of I Corps were officially inducted into the AFS, promptly
relieved by fresh AFS reinforcements, and taken off combat duty. The I Corps
dead, nearly 20,000 of them, were tagged and brought back for burial. I Corps
requested permission to dispose of their dead, and permission was granted.
Nobody outside I Corps knows what they did with their dead, but there were no
graves dug and no transport requested.
I Corps, now down to the size of a company, and in AFS service, reorganized
themselves. Taking on the name “Invictus”, they reported for duty, and were
quickly assigned to a special forces assault unit that was to continue the
fight on Foreas. After several engagements, their leader, the Field Marshall
Emily Vaeden, was recognized for her exemplary command skill, and was asked to
lead AFS forces elsewhere. She accepted, leaving Invictus in the capable hands
of the “Council of Three”, and an internal leadership structure. In the short
time between Invictus being commissioned, and the writing of this encyclopedia,
they have distinguished themselves repeatedly, often taking the toughest
missions and the most suicidal assignments. As new Humans are recruited daily,
they often look upon Invictus for inspiration, and the best recruits may be
allowed to join their ranks. Invictus has even gained a high regard among other
AFS troops, who often fight with renewed strength when Invictus shows up on the
field of battle. While AFS command is aware of this morale-boosting effect, and
worried if Invictus should ever be defeated, they have never sought to give
Invictus safer assignments, perhaps knowing that wherever Invictus goes,
victory follows closely.
Pre-battle recording: Field Marshall Emily Vaeden addressing her troops before
AFS counter-attack on Foreas (First battle for Invictus)
“As we stand here, ready to join battle, I would like to remind you, Invictus,
that this is nothing different. We may be a thousand light-years from home, we may
be using new weapons, and we may be surrounded by strange allies, but there are
two constants that remain with us. One of them is the Bane. The other is us.
After everything that has happened in the past year, we have stayed together
and survived. We have stood up against the toughest Bane bastards, looked them
in the eye, and killed them without flinching. We have defied the smartest Bane
generals, spit in the faces, and annihilated their armies. We have come
through, together, and grown stronger! The enemy knows us by name, they know
our reputation, and they are afraid. Make sure you give them a good reason to
be afraid! You will be dropped at 0200 local time. I expect a thousand new Bane
in hell before sunrise!”
