Invictus Launch Week is a ceremony organized by the United Empire of Earth Navy (UEEN) which marks the beginning of the new recruitment year.[1] It is an official holiday in the UEE.[2]
It is also commonly known as Fleet Week or Invictus. It is celebrated annually in the period between Emancipation Day and Armistice Day, the final week in May. The event is meant as a tool to promote participation in the Navy as well as show awareness for the history of naval events. The event is also used by ship and armament manufacturers as an opportunity to display their contribution to the military fleet.[3]
Events
- Invictus Launch Week 2949
- Invictus Launch Week 2950; held at Bevic Convention Center, ArcCorp from May 22 till June 2, 2950
- Invictus Launch Week 2951; held at Tobin Expo Center, microTech from May 21 till June 1, 2951
- Invictus Launch Week 2952; held at Vision Center, Orison, Crusader from May 20 till 31, 2952
- Invictus Launch Week 2953; held at Bevic Convention Center, ArcCorp from May 19 till 30, 2953
- Invictus Launch Week 2954; presumably held from May 17 till 28, 2954
Closing and Introduction Ceremony
Invictus is a ceremony used to congratulate the latest graduating class of military personnel, but also as introduction ceremony for new recruits which are gathering to set off for training at the MacArthur base.
History
The Invictus Week has a long tradition. It goes back several centuries to the days when the UEE was known as the United Planets of Earth (UPE). Shortly after the First Tevarin War began in 2541, Humanity suddenly found itself in need of an organized military force of a size previously unneeded. To this point, aside from the hostage situation with the Xi'an in 2530, there had only been local security forces under the control of the central Human government.[4]
With Humanity facing an imminent and overwhelming threat, a fleet needed to be raised and trained quickly. The Tribunal sent out an immediate call for recruits to create this army.[4]
Transport ships on each of the settled planets would load up these volunteers and travel to a training facility on Mars known as Invictus. On the morning of 2542-10-12, families and communities gathered at launch pads around the UPE territories to celebrate those that were going to defend against the alien invaders. As the conflict continued, more recruits would gather on that day to travel to Invictus to begin their training.[4]
Since the early years, Invictus involved Navy ships visiting populated planets to pick up new recruits and projecting power and security to the populace. It ran for a week every October and emphasized sacrifice for the good of the Empire. In 2581, Invictus became an official holiday to celebrate the Navy, and the ceremonies became more elaborate. The event expanded and featured expo halls to showcase ships and technologies, attracting both technophiles and those who viewed it as a show of military strength.[5]
However, during the 26th century, Invictus faced public pushback due to concerns of authoritarian propaganda and the Messer regime's growing pro-military agenda. In 2681, the Navy stopped using Invictus to pick up recruits and instead required self-reporting to Kilian. The events became more focused, held at major landing zones across the empire, and included recruitment centers targeting the Vanduul threat.[5]
Invictus attendance declined due to recruitment weariness by the late 2730s.[5] In 2743[6] Galor Messer IX made attendance mandatory. The events attracted large crowds, including anti-Messer activists who used the opportunity for their activities. It was replaced with "a law that deemed missing the event 'unpatriotic behavior' punishable by up to five years in prison." In 2792, the legal mandate for attendance was abolished when the Messer regime fell.[5]
Afterward, Invictus gained importance as the Navy needed new recruits and aimed to reshape the event's image. It was moved to May and presented as a family-friendly celebration, focusing on serving the greater good. Aggressive recruitment centers were replaced with aspirational dioramas showcasing the Navy's aid to the Empire. Flight show performances were added in 2803 to enhance the entertainment value.[5]
Historical Pillars
Below are some notable pillars in the history of the event.
| 2542-10-12 | The first Invictus takes place after the Tevarin were first encountered in 2541 and the First Tevarin War had started. It brings new recruits to Invictus Base on Mars.[6] |
| 2579 | Invictus Base officially closes.[6] |
| 2581 | Imperator Ivar Messer officially formalizes Invictus as a government-recognized yearly event. It becomes an official holiday in the UEE.[6] |
| 2632 | Invictus ceremonies reformatted to change the destination of their transports from Borea, Magnus to Macarthur, Kilian.[6] |
| 2637 | Terra abstains from participating in Invictus in protest of Imperator Livia Messer's increasingly pro-military agenda. Senator Assan Kieren speaks at the counter-event interating his idea of Terrans sovereignty.[6][annotation 1][5] |
| 2681 | Military officially ends providing naval transports from all Empire worlds. Recruits are now ordered to self-report to station inside of Kilian.[5][6] |
| 2735 | The Invictus ceremony on Angeli serves as the backdrop and dramatic finale for All Tomorrows Guardians, a classic specvid which was focused on Navy personnel and the tactics they used in these recruitment centers.[5][6] |
| 2743 | Imperator Galor Messer makes attendance mandatory to Invictus events around the Empire. Anti-messer activists turn this against him by using Invictus ceremonies to meet safely.[5][6] |
| 2794 | After the fall of the Messers, the newly instated High Command removed any remaining loyalists from their ranks and needed a new influx of recruits. Invictus is moved to its current date in May to accommodate that need.[6] |
| 2803 | 999th Squadron begins to perform at select Invictus ceremonies.[6] |
| 2862 | Imperator Gayatari Deomana attends the Invictus ceremony on Earth.[6] |
| 2875 | Recorded aboard Archangel Station, Imperator Corbyn Salehi makes infamous one day speech outlining desire to hold Invictus celebration on Synthworld.[6][annotation 2] |
| 2912 | Another Invictus ceremony, this one on Terra, appears as the backdrop for a setpiece in Astromedics: From The Fire.[6] |
Communication with recruits
Family and friends are asked to refrain from attempting to contact new recruits. As common practice, after safely arriving on MacArthur, recruits send a personal comm to their family. Inbound communications are then restricted for a blackout period to keep new servicemembers focused. Afterwards, weekly comm access becomes a privilege.[7]
Testimonials
Visitors can find displays throughout the exposition halls with personal testimonials from Navy servicemembers who recount their past Invictus experiences.
"I'm sure you're talking to a lot of people who joined up wanting to be Aria Reilly or Cal Mason or something, but me? I wanted to learn. To me, all the wonder of the universe was found in nuts and bolts, in shaving fuel efficiency by three percent. That was my rush. If you want to get your hands on the latest in cutting edge technology and work with some of the greatest minds, the UEE Navy is the place to go."
Leading Starman, UEES Croshaw
"I'll just come right out and say it, the second after I signed up, it felt like I got hit by a ship because it was real now. Was I going to have to fight a Vanduul face-to-face? Hell, was I even going to make it through boot? I mean, I struggled to do a pull-up when I was a kid. What the hell was I thinking? Maybe I could try to get out of it. All these thoughts just ambushed me from that moment up to my Invictus. There was this lieutenant monitoring all the recruits who must've seen how terrified I was. I was fumbling with the seat belt when suddenly the lieutenant was right in front of me. All he said was "calm down." I don't know. It was part consolation, mostly order, but whatever magic he used, it worked. I wasn't totally calm when I hit my forge, but I found out everybody was freaking out too. That was our first bond."
Lieutenant JG, 128th Squadron
Criticism
Arthur Warro, Co-initiator of the Polo Initiative criticized the missing transparency and high budget used for Invictus. He stated 'Invictus doesn't represent the real Navy, it represents what the Navy wants people to think of it, later adding that the 'high Invictus costs [are] one of the reasons why the Navy was seeking a 7% increase to its budget [compared to 2950].' He also emphasized that the event gave free publicity for ship/weapon manufacturers, indirectly criticizing the ties between military and private corporations on the other side: '(...) if you don't fully fund the Navy to allow it to buy these ships then you won't be safe. It's just so ingrained in the fabric of this empire that we can't see it anymore.'[8]
Gallery
See also
Trivia
- The Invictus Fleet Week seems to be inspired by the US Fleet Week.
Annotations
- ↑ The plaque at the Bevic Convention Center has a typographical error which refers to a person called 'Assan Kieran'. The context suggests, that Assan Kieren, the former Governor of Terra was meant.
- ↑ The plaques at the Bevic Convention Center has another typographical error which refers to a person called 'Gordon Salehi'. The context suggests, that Imperator Corbyn Salehi was meant.
References
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Alpha 3.9.1: Info panels at Invictus event
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 Alpha 3.9.1 in-game survey
- ↑ Information display at Invictus 2953. Alpha 3.19.0 - Star Citizen. Retrieved 2023-05-21
- ↑