Robotech Wars

In the fictional world of Robotech, the Robotech Wars are a series of four devastating wars through the first half of the 21st century. It begins in 2009 with the first battle between the SDF-1 and Zentraedi and continues in 2044 after the Invid retreat from Earth and the subsequent battle against the Haydonites.

Robotech Wars timeline
Timeline of the Robotech Wars:

Currently, the three Robotech Wars and the Shadow Chronicles are the only Robotech conflicts that can be considered canon. They are much of the focus the Robotech series revolves on. Harmony Gold has released the official timeline only for the aforementioned conflicts in the official Robotech website (Robotech.com).

The Malcontent Uprisings and the Pioneer Expedition are considered secondary continuity. Thus far, the stories for these conflicts have been chronicled only in books and comics. Because of this, the timeline for them is subject to change with any new stories published.

First Robotech War
In the fictional world of Robotech, the First Robotech War (February 2009–April 2011) was a conflict between the earth-based Robotech Defense Force and the alien Zentraedi. It is known as Space War I in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the series which was adapted into the first saga of Robotech. According to Comic Book Resources, it is "the story most familiar with US audiences..."

Roots
The First Robotech War's roots were laid in 1999 when an massive alien spaceship over 1,200 meters (3,940 feet) in length crash landed on the fictional Macross Island in the South Pacific. Throughout the 1990s, the Global War raged across Earth, with entire countries being devastated. The War was fought with conventional weapons for the most part, but by 1999, it appeared that a global nuclear exchange was inevitable. However, the crash of the spaceship and the realization that the threat of an alien invasion was a distinct possibility caused the nations of the world to declare a ceasefire. A supranational entity, the United Earth Government (UEG) was formed and acted quickly to unify the warring factions and rebuild the spacecraft. The United Earth Government took precedence among many facets of life, mainly economic and military, and operations pertaining to military preparation and technological advancement of humanity and new military branches were formed, most notably the Robotech Defense Force (RDF). During the next 10 years, an entire city sprang up on Macross Island as intense efforts were made to rebuild the spaceship. In 2009, the rebuilding effort was finished and the ship was ready for launch and given the designation SDF-1. Unknown to mankind at the time, the Zentraedi had been searching for the ship for some time and its arrival on Earth would be followed by the arrival of the Zentraedi on the day of the SDF-1's launch.

Macross Island incursion
The war began on the day of the scheduled launch of the SDF-1 in February 2009 (during the summer in the Southern Hemisphere location of Macross Island) when a large Zentraedi armada led by Commander Breetai arrived in the solar system seeking the ship. Upon detection, the SDF-1 began an automatic firing sequence that the crew could not stop that destroyed two Zentraedi scout ships. Unfortunately, the attack accomplished little beyond confirming SDF-1's location on the planet, and the Zentraedi began an assault in order to recover the battlefortress. An attempted follow up strike by two ARMD class carriers of the Orbital Fleet failed miserably against an enemy that was superior both in forces and in experience in space combat.

Amidst an urban battle between the Robotech Defense Forces and the Zentraedi in the streets of Macross City, The SDF-1 attempted to lift off. However, that proved perilously frustrating considering the first attempt found the ship's largely untested anti-gravity generators suddenly breaking free and causing the ship to plummet to the launch area with some damage. The second attempt with the ship's conventional chemical drives was successful and the ship ascended. To attempt to outflank the enemy, the SDF-1's commander, Captain Henry J. Gloval ordered a space fold maneuver; however, as the fold system was never used before and the crew's training was entirely theoretical, they were not aware of how to use it inside a planet's gravity field, let alone at their relatively low altitude above Macross Island. The result was a botched jump that caught Macross Island, along with the fortress, and overshot the intended destination of the dark side of the moon. The SDF-1 materialized near the planet Pluto's orbit instead, joined by Macross Island and various naval vessels. After attaching the capital ships caught in the fold jump, Daedalus and Prometheus, to the SDF-1, rebuilding Macross City inside the fortress and relocating the city's 70,000 inhabitants onboard, the ship began the long voyage to Earth.

Return from Pluto
During the ship's one year journey the Zentraedi attacked constantly, damaging the ship and depleting both its defensive forces and civilian population. For the Zentraedi's part, the enemy was a maddeningly unpredictable foe; the initial engagement had them seemingly able to accurately fire the ship's reflex cannons to simultaneously destroy two ships as a first strike, but their follow up attack suggested that they had no idea how to competently wage war in space. However, the Terrans suddenly surprised them by pulling off a supposedly impossible extreme low-altitude space fold jump with the SDF-1 to outmaneuver them. Given that their orders were to capture the ship intact at all costs, that kind of opposition proved most frustrating.

Initial Battles
Two major battles took place during the long trip back to Earth that are worth mention: the Battle of Saturn´s Rings, during which the SDF-1 counterattacked the Zentraedi, completely destroying an enemy strike force; and the Battle of Mars Base Sara, where the SDF-1 evaded a Zentraedi trap led by Khyron the Backstabber (commander of a Zentraedi reinforcement unit requested by Breetai) during an attempt to resupply at the abandoned Martian outpost.

Battle of Saturn's Rings
The Zentraedi tracked the SDF-1 to its hiding place in the rings of Saturn. Captain Gloval attempted a blitzkrieg maneuver to take them past the alien armada. As the SDF-1 battles its way through, Rick Hunter takes part in his first official combat duty.

The fighting soon became too hard for the RDF, and battlepods began to attack the SDF-1 directly, encountering light opposition. For the first time, the Terrans used the "Pinpoint Barrier System", a mobile energy shield capable of deflecting attacks. As Zentraedi attacks bounced off the Battlefortress, they began to press the attack much more fiercely, and soon the Pinpoint Barrier System operators were overwhelmed by the constant fire.

The situation took a disastrous turn when the SDF-1 emerged from hiding to fire their main reflex cannons, only to have the firing system malfunction completely. However, CDR Lisa Hayes came up with an offensive strategy of her own to stop the main Zentraedi vessel: the Daedalus maneuver. Concentrating all of the Pinpoint Barrier's energy into the tip of the Daedalus ship, the SDF-1 was able to penetrate the lead Zentraedi cruiser by literally punching into it with the Daedalus. Once achieved, the Daedalus main forward hatch opened and a group of destroids stationed launched a barrage of missiles inside the ship. This attack proved successful and the enemy ship was destroyed from the inside, bringing an end to the engagement.

The Daedalus Maneuver and the Pinpoint Barrier System proved to be very effective means of attack and defense respectively. However, those maneuvers increased the interest of Commander Breetai in securing the battlefortress intact, which would lead to the Battle of Mars.

Battle of Mars
After the Battle of Saturn's Rings, the Zentraedi fleet, commanded by Breetai emerged from hyperspace above Mars. Breetai decided to set an ambush for the SDF-1. He also called up for reinforcement – the Botoru Battalion of the 7th Mechanized Division. Exedore is alarmed at this turn of events. The Botoru Battalion is commanded by Khyron, a ruthless Zentraedi warlord who has earned himself the nickname “Backstabber”. Khyron’s motto is victory at all costs – even at the unnecessary risk of his own men. Breetai agrees that Khyron’s measures are extreme at best, but so far, the warlord’s battalion has remained undefeated. Breetai cannot afford to lose the SDF-1 and decided that Khyron would be ideal to capture the ship.

The plan was simple in nature; since the Mars base was the most accessible installation, albeit abandoned, to the SDF-1 after the months-long voyage, it seemed logical that the ship would land there for a resupply. As such, the Zentraedi landed there before the ship and planted gravity mines that would prevent the ship from re-launching from the area. Thus immobilized, ground forces would move in, eliminate the Micronian forces and seize the ship.

Unaware of this trap, the SDF-1 attained orbit around Mars, trying to establish contact with Sara base. Lisa Hayes is particularly interested in reaching Sara since her fiancé, Karl Riber, was stationed at the observation post. Captain Gloval landed the battlefortress close to the base itself. He deployed a company of destroids to secure available supplies. Veritech fighters are launched to observe the area and cover the transport vehicles. Lisa requests permission to leave the ship and check out the base personally. Gloval cautions her to be careful and allows her to go.

While Lisa explores the abandoned base, and the last of the supplies are being loaded on the SDF-1, the Zentraedi were waiting in hiding to attack as soon as the gravity mines were powered up sufficiently to hold the ship; however, a Zentraedi soldier became impatient and impulsively broke ranks to begin the attack. Khyron immediately shot him down to maintain discipline, but that proved a serious mistake; the Terran forces detected the explosion, decided it had to be weapons fire and Captain Gloval, realizing the ship was about to be ambushed, ordered an immediate evacuation. Khyron also realized he inadvertently alerted the Micronians and ordered his forces to advance at once hoping that the mines were sufficiently powered to hold the ship for them. This turned out to be the case and the ship was unable to escape, and its tripulants find themselves in a desperate situation.

Captain Gloval contacted Lisa at Sara Base. He told Lisa to find the base's reflex furnace controls and overload the reactor, in hopes that the resulting explosion would disrupt the gravity mines and allow the ship to escape. Lisa followed through, but for additional reasons; Riber was nowhere to be found and the profoundly heartbroken Lisa had no desire to live. At the last minute with Captain Gloval alarmed by Hayes' failure to return to the ship, Lt. Rick Hunter was ordered to extract the first officer over her protests. Hunter had to forcibly carry her out and they escaped with no time to spare. The base explodes, destroying the Gravity Mines, and allowing the SDF-1 to take off.

While not a decisive Terran victory by any means, it was a significant morale boost for those living in the battlefortress. Khyron's battalion suffered heavy loses in the explosion of Sara Base. It was the first time the arrogant Zentraedi officer was bested in battle and he vowed revenge. This would be begin Khyron's fanatical hatred for the Micronians that would drive him to repeated attempts to destroy the SDF-1, regardless of his superiors' orders to leave it intact. As for Hunter, he was decorated for his bravery, much to Hayes' disapproval.

Also, the battle inadvertently helped preclude the Zentraedi from exploring the obvious option of holding Earth itself hostage to demand the surrender of the SDF-1. Unaware at how desperate the crew was in their escape attempt, the Zentraedi concluded their destruction of their own installation on Mars suggested that the Micronians would struggle keep the SDF-1 at all costs and would not be intimidated otherwise.

As a result of his performance during this battle, Rick Hunter was granted a field commission to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned as commander of the Vermillion Team.

Return to Earth
Eventually the SDF-1 returned to Earth and Captain Gloval requested the United Earth Government to disembark the surviving 56,000 civilians from onboard the fortress. The government and the military, led by Admiral Hayes (father of the SDF-1's executive officer Lisa Hayes), refused the request, since they had declared that Macross Island and Macross City were destroyed in an attack by guerrillas after the departure of the SDF-1 to cover-up the war against the aliens. Furthermore, they refused to accept the reports of the overwhelming numerical superiority of the aliens and rationalized the eyewitness accounts as enemy deceptions to demoralize them. They even planned to cow the enemy with a decisive blow from their massive great cannon (later named Grand Cannon) which they were convinced was of greater firepower than what the Zentraedi possessed, despite knowledgeable warnings that was most definitely not the case. Captain Gloval defied the orders and began a series of low-altitude flights over populated areas to discredit the official story and force the government to accept the civilians. When a battle with the Zentraedi caused the destruction of a city in the Ontario Quadrant, a previous offer by the Ontario government to grant asylum to the civilians was withdrawn, and the United Earth Government banished the SDF-1 from Earth.

In the meantime, the Zentraedi began to be affected by Earth's culture, an irresistible force for a race bred solely for war. This contamination caused mass dissent amongst the Zentraedi ranks, which proved to be SDF-1's salvation in its darkest hours of the war. The first such occurrence happened when Breetai (reinstated after Azonia's own failure to succeed and in command of the elite Zentraedi Imperial fleet of over one million warships) and Exedore developed a plan to lure the SDF-1 into using the Daedalus Maneuver on a decoy Zentradi ship. Once the bow of the Daedalus opened inside the Zentradi ship, an ambush party led by Khyron attacked and destroyed the Destroids before they could open fire. The ambush party then entered the SDF-1 through the Daedelaus and wreaked havoc throughout Macross City.

While the ship's forces desperately fought to stop the attack, the cultural contamination came into play. As the ambush party was proceeding, Khyron overheard conversation by his troops about finding "Lynn Minmei", the Micronian singer that secretly captivated many in the fleet. When the commander asked what they were referring to, the answer revealed the contamination. At this, Khyron went berserk and began to attack and chase his own troops throughout the ship's city area. This activity threw Breetai's boarding operation into total chaos, which allowed the Micronians to drive out the invaders, but Macross City suffered massive damage as a result of the attack. However, there was some consolation that the ship's structure and defenses were left intact. Furthermore, the ship's crew found a small number of micronized Zentraedi who were defecting to them and they supplied invaluable insight about the enemy such as the startling fact that the genetic structure of both species was virtually identical.

The second occurrence of cultural contamination was when the Zentraedi's top pilot, Miriya Parino, who had insisted on infiltrating the ship with a secret agenda to kill her Micronian counterpart, Maximillian Sterling, had instead fallen into love with him and agreed to marry him immediately. Captain Gloval agreed to this and organized a grand wedding ceremony not only to further influence the enemy certain to be observing this, but also to rally his crew and passengers to strive for a peaceful settlement of the war. However, the reports of cultural contamination of the Imperial Fleet prompted Zentraedi Supreme Commander Dolza to cut his losses and risk the wrath of the Robotech Masters by ordering an all out attack on the SDF-1 to destroy it with all hands.

However, that same contamination saved the ship when Myria insisted on joining her husband into battle and convinced him to strike a special target on the battlepods that left it crippled, but otherwise intact with its life support system functional. Commander Rick Hunter realized what his wingman was doing and joined in this merciful gesture along with many of his comrades as a means to face certain defeat with an honorable attempt to encourage peace. This proved more valuable than they realized as many Zentraedi, already growing attached to micronian culture, saw this activity as the last straw and began to mutiny throughout the fleet. Horrified at the unthinkable insubordination and social breakdown that contact with the Micronians was causing, Commander Breetai called off the attack in defiance of Dolza's orders and sought a truce with the SDF-1.

Final Battle
When Breetai's approached the SDF-1, there was some initial mistrust severe enough to have the Micronian's newly repaired main gun on a hair trigger. Again, Khyron nearly ruined the incident by launching an unauthorized attack on the ship that almost provoked the Micronians to fire. Only when Breetai had the fighter group destroyed were they convinced that the peace offering was serious. As Exedore parlayed with the SDF-1 crew, Dolza assembled the Grand Fleet to eradicate Humanity and the corrupted Zentradi. When Exedore was informed of this development, he immediately advised the Micronian ship to flee the solar system, which the loyal humans rejected out of hand. As Gloval's ship and the dissident Zentraedi led by Breetai and Azonia prepared for battle, Khyron fled against the seemingly impossible odds. Almost five million Zentraedi warships folded to Earth in response to Dolza's orders.

The main Fleet began a massive planetary bombardment of Earth, eradicating almost every large population center and devastating most of the planetary surface. The area devastated was "95% of the Earth's surface" according to the series narrator. Another account from the supreme commander of the planet's forces later quantifies the devastation by numbering some "70,000 survivors of the Zentraedi holocaust." Alaska Base, which survives the initial attack, fires its superweapon - The Grand Cannon, which destroys a large portion of the Zentraedi fleet. Following this attack, the SDF-1 and the allied Zentraedi Imperial Fleet launched an attack of their own, using the music of Lynn Minmay to confuse the forces of the Grand Fleet, then blasted their way into Dolza's massive planetoid homebase using the Daedalus attack. Once inside the vulnerable centre, the SDF-1 launches a massive quantity of missiles before engaging its defense barrier to maximum power. Dolza is last seen watching video of Minmay singing "We Will Win" before the planetoid homebase explodes, with enough force to destroy the rest of the Zentraedi fleet, ending the First Robotech War.

The Aftermath
The SDF-1 landed on Earth, and New Macross City was founded around the battered ship. For the next two years humans and the allied Zentraedi under Breetai worked together to rebuild the planet. The Robotech Defense Force (RDF), led now by Admiral Gloval, established itself as the planet's primary military force, leading the recovery efforts. Breetai took command of the remaining Zentradi forces, now loyal to Earth. In June 2013, the Breetai commands a joint-mission which proves successful in capturing the last remaining Zentraedi Satellite factory. The factory's facilities enable the construction of new ships and technology to aid in the rebuilding of Earth.

Unfortunately, a significant portion of the Zentraedi could not overcome their lifetime's conditioning as warriors and grew dissatisfied with civilian life while lusting for war. Beginning in March 2013, Zentraedi rebellions began as a series of violent incidents against human civilians that would be called the Malcontent Uprisings. Commanders Khyron and Azonia, who had laid low for almost two years since their ship crashed on Earth following the war, were particularly active by leading a rebel Zentraedi movement against the RDF. Khyron becomes the self-appointed leader of the rebels and begins to implement his plan to regain the Zentraedi's former glory. In May 2013, Khyron's forces begin launching a series of terrorist attacks against human population centers. In July 2013, Khyron's rebel forces stage a full-scale assault on New Detroit and seize a resizing chamber, which they bring back to their home base. Using the chamber, Khyron begins turning dissatisfied micronized Zentraedi back into warrior giants, and his ranks continue to swell. After a failed attempt to ransom Lynn Minmay and Lynn Kyle for a protoculture matrix, his forces launch an assault on New Macross City in December 2013 and successfully steal a matrix. The attack causes massive damage as Khyron detonates bombs hidden throughout the city.

In January 2014, Khyron and Azonia, with their warship repaired and their army stronger than ever, decide that, before leaving Earth, they must destroy the SDF-1 for revenge. During the initial attack, Khyron's warship fires its main gun and a swath of New Macross City is obliterated and the SDF-1 takes a direct hit. Khryon's forces also fire vollies of missiles at the city, causing even more damage. The Robotech Defense forces, led by Rick Hunter, Max Sterling and Miriya Parina Sterling launch a counter attack against the rebel fighters while the SDF-1, under the command of Admiral Henry J. Gloval and with the assistance of his bridge crew, are able to launch the SDF-1 a short distance into the air. Using all of its remaining power, the SDF-1 is able to fire one shot with its main cannon, crippling Khyron's ship.

However, Khyron remains determined to have his revenge, even at the cost of his own life. After discovering that his ship's navigation system is still operational, he turns to Azonia and says that they can still have their revenge but "it requires a sacrifice. Are you prepared to face it with me?" to which Azonia replies "It will be glorious." Holding hands, the two rig their warship for a collision course with the SDF-1. The SDF-1, now fully drained of power, is unable to defend itself. The Robotech Defense forces throw everything they have at Khyron's ship, but they are unable to stop it. The collision and resulting explosion destroyed the SDF-1 and the newly-built SDF-2, killing Admiral Gloval, Commander Claudia Grant and bridge operators Vannessa Leeds, Sammie Porter and Kim Young. The only survivor is Lisa Hayes, who was pushed into the only remaining functioning escape pod by Admiral Gloval. The radioactive fallout from the explosion forces the evacuation and sealing of New Macross City, with the survivors being relocated to other cities, in particular, the newly designated capital of Monument City. The now leaderless rebel Zentraedi continue to launch attacks throughout 2014 and 2015, but since they had no means of producing new war materials beyond what they could salvage, their defeat was simply a matter of time.

The most notable effect on the Earth in the aftermath of the First Robotech War was the devastation of its surface and the decimation of its population. The population of the Earth was reduced from six billion in 2009 to a listed 70,000 survivors in the immediate aftermath of the Zentraedi orbital bombardment in 2011. Fortunately, SDF-1 survived and landed with its population of Macross City inside, with the support of Breetai's fleet, providing the basis of a fully equipped technological civilization to restore order to the planet. The sudden introduction of starships, protoculture and super-advanced Robotechnology to Earth led to a renaissance of sorts, as humanity strove to build a space fleet to take the war to the alien enemy should Earth come under attack again. In addition, it was found that the planet's ecosystem was recovering faster and with more vigor than the scientific community anticipated. As Earth recovers, a new civilization slowly emerges from the devastation as cities expand, industry and technology advance, and the population grows rapidly.

However, the new society that emerges was not like the one that existed before the war. Despite initially functioning as a democracy, elements within the military under Anatole Leonard, in cooperation with certain politicians slowly begin to chip away at the power of the United Earth Government (UEG) under the guise of military preparedness. Leonard eventually founded his own elite military organization: The Army of the Southern Cross, to further expand his influence. Over the next 15 years, democracy largely ceased to function and an unstable feudal society grew in its place. When the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) left Earth in December 2022, most of those who opposed these developments chose to go with the REF. As a result, by 2029, Leonard was essentially in control of Earth's government and military, with the new feudal powers being kept in line only by the Leonard's military power, and the newly created Global Military Police (GMP).

The end of the First Robotech War led to the first and by far the longest period of peace of the Robotech Wars era, lasting almost 18 years from Dolza's defeat in 2011 to the invasion of the Robotech Masters in February 2029.

Future Conflicts
The introduction of protoculture and alien technology to Earth would continue to spell peril for humanity in the coming decades. The determination that the next phase of the war would be fought away from the Earth, which led to the launching of the Robotech Expeditionary Force REF), led by the newly constructed SDF-3, in 2022, left the home planet vulnerable when the Robotech Masters arrived in Earth orbit in 2029 and began the Second Robotech War (2029-30). The war led to the complete eradication of the cities of Newton and Manville while the new capital of Monument City was devastated. Although the Masters and their military were completely destroyed in the final battle, Earth was left economically devastated and politically fragmented. The United Earth Forces, including the elite Army of the Southern Cross, suffered extreme losses in the conflict, including the deaths of most of their leaders. Consequently, the surviving forces that were even able to fight could put up only limited resistance when the Invid invaded and seized control of Earth in 2031, which marked the beginning of the Third Robotech War. For the next 13 years, the planet would remain occupied with its inhabitants being used as slave labor and for scientific experiments. The REF launched several disastrous liberation attempts that failed to dislodge the Invid. In 2044, a final full-scale assault by the REF forced the Invid to retreat in, although at a very heavy cost to the REF. In 2044, peace seemed to have finally be achieved but humanity would soon face a new enemy as the REF's former allies, the Haydonites, would turn hostile, marking the beginning of the Fourth Robotech War: The Shadow Chronicles.

Roots
For a full discussion of the preceding conflict, please see: First Robotech War

The Second Robotech War traces its roots to the end of that conflict; specifically to the defeat of Supreme Commander Dolza's Grand Fleet. With the failure of this fleet to capture the SDF-1's Protoculture factory, the Robotech Masters travelled to Earth to capture it themselves. At the same time, and, unaware of this development, the Robotech Expeditionary Force – which comprised most of the Robotech Defense Force and loyal Zentraedi forces, led by Admiral Rick Hunter and Admiral Lisa Hayes with the SDF-3 as their flagship – departed from Earth in December 2022 to confront the Robotech Masters in their home star system. Among those who joined the mission were Max Sterling, Miriya Sterling, Vince Grant, Dr. Jean Grant, Breetai, Exedore, Daryl Taylor, Jack Baker, Karen Penn, and General Reinhardt.

According to the Jack McKinney novel #7 Southern Cross, all of the surviving Zentraedi, who had successfully integrated into human society after the First Robotech War also joined the REF while the remainder chose to live onboard the Zentraedi Satellite Factory; The First Robotech War and the subsequent Zentraedi rebellions left relations between the two races bitter. Some Zentraedi, including former spies Rico, Konda and Bron, later died due to complications resulting from being micronized in the Protoculture chambers. By 2029, Dana Sterling (who is half-Zentraedi) was the only person on Earth with any Zentraedi blood.

In their stead, The United Earth Forces (UEF), including the elite Army of the Southern Cross, was charged with the defense of Earth, under the command of Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard. Among those who would lead the defense of Earth against the Robotech Masters are Lieutenant Dana Sterling, Corporal Louie Nichols, Private Bowie Grant, Major General Rolf Emerson, GMP officer Nova Satori, and Lieutenant Marie Crystal. Dana, the daughter of war heroes Max Sterling and Miriya Sterling, is the catalyst for much of the conflict, due to her excellent tactical skills and her half-Zentraedi heritage.

Earth had changed considerably since the end of the First Robotech War in 2011. The old capital, New Macross City, had been sealed off, due to radiation contamination resulting from the destruction of the SDF-1 in the battle of New Macross City in January 2014, and the survivors were relocated to the new capital of Monument City, located in north-central Montana. The elite Army of the Southern Cross was based here as well, with a headquarters consisting of a massive complex, with several large circular towers, located at the centre of the city, and by far the most important structure in North America.

Democracy had largely ceased to function, and in its place an unstable feudal society had evolved. This society, evolving out from the 70,000 survivors of the Zentraedi holocaust of 2011, had survived seemingly insurmountable odds against alien forces that had sought their annihilation, and were willing to trade freedom for security. While the United Earth Government (UEG) still existed, its authority had become secondary to Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard, whose decisions and orders, military or otherwise, were never questioned.

The Global Military Police (GMP), also based in Monument City, held considerable power. Due to the feudal nature of Earth society, the GMP constituted the only truly worldwide law-enforcement organization, and was a check-and-balance on those who had at their disposal the tremendous power of Robotechnology. As a result, the GMP was not merely a police force, but also maintained its own war machinery, combat forces, and intelligence network.

The War
The Second Robotech War began in January of 2029, shortly after the graduation of the first graduating class of the United Earth Forces Military Academy. The new graduates, few of whom were over the age of 20, had pledged to defend Earth but had never expected to face war so soon. The Robotech Masters' first offensive was a surprise attack on forces from Moon Base Luna.

The Robotech Masters' fleet fought against Earth's Tristar-class cruisers, destroyers, and other vessels. Earth's military consisted of the United Earth Forces (UEF), including the elite Army of the Southern Cross, and local militias. Most of the war took place on Earth or near Earth, and it involved the Tactical Armored Space Corps and the Alpha Tactical Armored Corps. Other units which saw action were the Tactical Air Force, Global Military Police, Civil Defense Unit and Civil Defense Flying Corps. In the war's most important battles, the TASC (including Lieutenant Marie Crystal) and the 15th Alpha Tactical Armored Corps (ATACs) (led by First Lieutenant Dana Sterling) inflicted much of the Terran forces' damage upon the Robotech Masters fleet (including one of the six motherships shot down by the 15th).

The war initially goes well for the Masters, whose superior technology and numbers inflict heavy losses on the Earth's military. Fokker airfield (named after ace pilot Fokker, the largest military-industrial complex on Earth, is severely damaged in an attack and it is only through the efforts of Dana Sterling and the 15th Squadron that the base is not completely destroyed. In a subsequent assault on the Masters' fleet by the Army of the Southern Cross, the Masters' defensive capabilities easily enable them to achieve a quick victory, while the Southern Cross loses over 400 of its best pilots.

However, the Masters, despite their initial successes soon realize that their situation is becoming more and more dire. Their supplies of Protoculture, a very powerful energy source, had already dwindled during the 15-year journey to reach Earth. As the Earth forces, despite their initially heavy losses, continue to fight, the Masters' protoculture supply continues to decrease, causing their equipment to become inoperable and their soldiers to weaken both physically and mentally. The Masters realize that if they are not victorious soon, they will be defeated.

After assessing the situation, the Masters decide to expand their military campaign and turn their weapons on the cities of Earth. Using a very powerful electro-magnetic fission beam, the cities Newton and Manville are annihilated as they disappear under huge mushroom clouds. The attacks result in numerous civilian deaths since many had been unable to reach the shelters in time. Military units defending the city are also destroyed as well as a number of Masters' bioroids soldiers who had been engaged in ground combat in the cities. The Masters then contact Supreme Commander Leonard and order him to surrender and evacuate the planet. Leonard refuses and orders all remaining Southern Cross forces to assemble at Monument City for a last stand. Monument City has already suffered severe damage due to attacks from the Masters and refugees stream out of the city in search of safety but are largely left on their own as the military continues to utilize all resources available to fight the Masters.

In the final stages of the war, both sides resorted to desperate tactics. For the Earth forces, every available resource was thrown into the battle, including all reserve and militia units and every piece of machinery capable of aiding the fight. In some cases, even children took up arms to defend their planet. The Masters, now facing critical energy shortages, resorted to even more desperate tactics. The soldiers who could still fight were given massive doses of painkillers, adrenaline and steroids to enable them to truly fight to the end. The Masters also resort to setting adrift on smaller ships all of the clones that are unable to fight in order to conserve power.

In the final stage of the war, the Masters, desperate to retrieve the protoculture matrix from the ruins of the SDF-1 at any cost, launch a diversionary assault. Half of their forces are secretly sent to seize control of the ruins of the SDF-1 and destroy Monument City. With the bulk of UEF forces sent into space, the Masters' forces quickly overwhelm the remaining defenders, seizing control of the ruins and devastating Monument City and its surrounding military installations and leaving most of Monument City in flames. During the battle, the massive headquarters of the Southern Cross is targeted by the Masters and vaporized, killing Supreme Commander Leonard and much of the senior leadership.

However, the Masters pay a heavy cost - with only half their forces remaining in space to protect the motherships, the UEF forces that had been dispatched to space easily overwhelm them and begin attacking the now defenseless motherships. The Masters, determined to retrieve the protoculture from the SDF-1 ruins at any cost, send their flagship down to the surface, while the remaining motherships are left almost adrift. This tactic results in the UEF forces concentrating their attacks on these motherships, and destroying all of them while the Masters' own mothership easily reaches the surface. It is only through the efforts of First Lieutenant Dana Sterling and Zor Prime, who were onboard the Masters' flagship, that the command Triumvirate is killed and the Masters finally stopped.

The war's end came in June of 2030 when Zor Prime, after jettisoning Dana Sterling in an escape pod, rigs the flagship of the Robotech Masters' fleet to self-destruct above the ruins of the SDF-1 in hopes of destroying the spores within the SDF-1. However, the resulting explosion inadvertently frees the spores within the Protoculture factory's matrix. Another alien race called the Invid would detect the spores and would travel across the galaxy to Earth to harvest them.

The Aftermath
The Second Robotech War had left the Earth's defense forces weakened and leaderless due to the deaths of both Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard and Major General Rolf Emerson. With the disruption of the Japanese centers of Robotech research and the military and economic infrastructure of North America severely crippled, the defensive capabilities of the surviving United Earth Forces (UEF), including the elite Army of the Southern Cross, swiftly degraded from advanced mecha and starships to late 20th century (pre-SDF-1) technology. The war also left the industrial and military infrastructure of the Earth in tatters. Monument City, the capital, as well as the largest and most important city on planet, was left in ruins.

The devastation caused by the war was compounded by another problem. The unstable feudal society that had evolved on Earth had been held together only by the powerful authority and capabilities of the United Earth Government (UEG) and the Global Military Police (GMP) - but with both of these organizations crippled by the war, Earth began to slide into lawlessness as surviving cities became city-states and warred with one another and men and women rose quickly to positions of power only to fall just as swiftly. Earth's people soon became more focused on fighting each other than preparing for the Invid Invasion.

When the Invid invaded less than a year later in 2031, the few military units that were even combat-capable were forced to fall back on conventional ordinance and a small supply of Nuclear weapons in a battle that they could never hope to win. In less than a week, the remaining forces of the UEF and the Southern Cross were completely destroyed and the remaining bastions of the United Earth Government collapsed. The Invid took complete control of the planet, and ruthlessly hunted down and destroyed any resistance.

Thus, one year after the Second Robotech War ended, the Third Robotech War began, a war which would last for 13 years, during which the remaining survivors on Earth found themselves at the mercy of the Invid who utilized the humans for slave labor and for horrific scientific experiments. Many major Earth population centers are destroyed, while others are simply abandoned. Some humans would ally with the Invid in exchange for power, while criminal gangs, self-appointed leaders and a variety of cults took power in areas not under Invid control while others fled to isolated areas of the planet and reverted to simple hunter-gather societies.

By the end of 2031, the back of Earth's civilization had been broken and its remnants were now a pale shadow of the strong and united world that had existed in the years before the First Robotech War.

Third Robotech War
The fictional Third Robotech War (2031-44) is the third major conflict in the Robotech science fiction universe. Unlike the previous Robotech Wars, which were fought by Earth-based human forces against invading alien enemies, the Third War was fought by the returning Robotech Expeditionary Force to liberate the occupied Earth from the alien Invid. The Robotech Television series ended with the conclusion of the Third Robotech war in 1986, and it would be 20 years before Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, which was released in 2006, would continue the Robotech Saga. Pegasus News points out, however, that "the first half-hour or so of the movie overlaps with the final battle of the Third Robotech War, just from a different perspective."

Prelude to invasion
The Second Robotech War left Earth's military leaderless, with Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard, Major General Rolf Emerson and much of the senior leadership being killed. The disruption of the Japanese centers of Robotech research, combined with the devastation of the military and economic infrastructure of North America led to much of the planet's economy and military to abandon its advanced mecha and starships, which could no longer be built, maintained, or powered) and fall back to late 20th century (pre-SDF-1) technology. Many important cities and military bases were severely damaged or obliterated. Monument City, the capital, as well as the largest and most important city on planet, was left in ruins.

The lack of Protoculture was not the only reason for the fall of Earth to the Invid. Even before the war, democracy had largely ceased to function and an unstable feudal society had evolved. This society had been held together under the powerful authorities of the United Earth Government (UEG) and the Global Military Police (GMP), but with both of these organizations nearly destroyed by the war, Earth began to slide into lawlessness as surviving cities became city-states and warred with one another and men and women rose quickly to positions of power only to fall just as swiftly. Greed and butchery ruled, and what little remained of the northern hemisphere's dignity collapsed. The people of Earth had been reduced to squabbling factional states that were more interested in fighting each other than preparing for the coming Invid Invasion. With the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) still unable to send significant aid back to Earth, efforts were made to try and evacuate the populace before the Invid arrived but the devastation from the war left only a handful of spaceworthy ships available. This, combined with the political and economic turmoil, meant that only a handful of people were able to reach Moon Base ALUCE or Space Station Liberty.

Story
The Invid invasion in 2031, depicted in the third saga of Robotech known as The New Generation, destroyed what was left of the Army of the Southern Cross and the United Earth Forces (UEF) and left Earth completely devastated. The Invid established a central hive, Reflex Point, in the Great Lakes region of North America over the site of the remains of the SDF-1, and secondary hives across the planet. The Invid immediately began hunting down and destroying any and all remaining military personnel, and set up an aggressive operation to harvest the Flower of Life (and the protoculture it yielded) utilizing the remaining civilian human population as forced labor.
 * The New Generation

The Invid also began experiments to improve their survivability, including experimenting on captured humans. Some humans collaborated with the Invid in exchange for power and/or protection and helped hunt down those who resisted or helped with the harvesting and management of Protoculture. Many humans escaped the notice of the Invid by relocating to remote areas where the Flower of Life was scarce such as the mountains, deserts, and wilderness, with some even reverting to simple hunter/gather communities. Areas not under the control of the Invid were often ruled by criminal gangs and self-appointed leaders who ruled through brute force.

Fortunately, the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) had long been self sufficient with the help of other recently established extraterrestrial settlements, and was only minimally hampered by the loss of Earth. In addition, Moon Base ALUCE (Advanced Lunar Chemical Engineering) was also able to continue to function despite its close proximity to Earth. Space Station Liberty was also able to continue to function. Unfortunately, events in deep space that kept the REF from sending aid during the Second Robotech War continued to plague them and kept them from turning their full attention to reclaiming Earth for another decade.

Early Assaults against the Invid
In 2038, the 10th Mars division of the REF launched an assault against the Invid forces on Earth. The attack failed, resulting in the complete destruction of the Division. Some survivors managed to reach Earth including Lieutenant Lance "Lancer" Belmont, who subsequently assumed the identity of Yellow Dancer, a female singer, to evade capture by the Invid and their collaborators. Lancer served as a courier and spy for resistance forces that sought to not only harass the Invid while biding their time until, it was hoped, Admiral Rick Hunter would return with the full strength of the REF to liberate Earth.

In 2042, the 21st Mars division launched another offensive against Invid, but this attack also proved disastrous, with the entire division being wiped out. One confirmed survivor was Lieutenant Commander Scott Bernard, who successfully reached Earth and formed a resistance cell of his own, who among its members was Lancer.

In 2043 and again in 2044, attempts by the REF to gain footholds on Earth in preparation for an invasion also met with disaster. Some resistance forces began to wonder if the REF would ever be able to free Earth from its 13-year nightmare.

Full Scale Assault in 2044
In July 2044, a final full-scale assault began as a massive REF fleet returned to lunar orbit. They had simple orders from Admiral Rick Hunter. All remaining REF forces would engage the Invid and destroy them. In concert with the fleet, a large force of ground troops including REF and guerrilla forces were to attack Reflex Point on the ground.

Initially, the battle proceeded well. On the ground, resistance forces assisted by REF commandos were able to fight their way to Reflex Point and approach striking range. The Invid were outnumbered, but desperate to hold onto Earth. The Regis, Queen-Mother of the Invid, was determined to fight to the bitter end, and launched wave after wave against both the REF and the resistance forces on the ground. Every available Invid fighter on the planet was sent into orbit while all Invid ground troops are pulled back to Reflex Point. The Invid forces in space soon overwhelmed the fleet, and punched through the REF's frontlines. The Invid, now desperate, resorted to making suicide runs. On the ground, the resistance and REF forces were forced to halt their advance.

Ariel and Sera begged the Regis to stop the fighting. They tried to convince her that humans were much like the Invid. They were an intelligent race: brave, noble, and would never never give up. Humanity and Invid were engaged in a bitter battle to the death. Neither side would back down. If the Regis refused see reason, then the only outcome would be mutual destruction.

Aboard the fleet, General Reinhardt, still reeling from suicide attacks, decided that the only option remaining was to follow his orders. If the attack failed, the fleet's standing orders were to obliterate the Earth completely, destroying all life, including the Invid. He commanded the launch of Neutron-S missiles. The Regis, realizing that the humans were actually willing to destroy themselves, the Earth, and their race, rather than accept defeat, elected to abandon Earth to the humans.

"...Whether one side or the other emerges victorious is of little meaning. Such hatred can only bred more hatred. My child, this conflict will rage from generation to generation...The humans have been influenced too strongly by the shadow of the Robotech Masters, and are intent only on the destruction of their entire race. This shall not be!" - the Regis, "Symphony of Light"

The Invid exodus from Earth proceeded much along the same lines as their initial invasion, with the Invid converting herself and her race into energy and leaving the planet in a stream of light. The Regis, destroyed the Neutron-S missiles and small number of REF ships. The Regis takes her followers into space again, in search of a new planet on which to continue their evolution.

Aftermath
Although victorious, the losses to the REF were very heavy in both ships and manpower. For the first time in 13 years, Earth was again under the control of humanity but Earth's future remained uncertain. Most of its cities and industries lay in ruins and most of the planet was in a pre-Robotech (pre-SDF-1) technological state at best. There was also no government to speak of. During the occupation, many had allied with the Invid in exchange for power. Areas not under Invid control were often controlled by criminal gangs and other self-proclaimed leaders who ruled through brute force.

Further, the SDF-3 Pioneer, which was intended to join the final assault, was damaged during the test-firing of a Neutron-S missile in the Omicron Sector, which resulted in the unexpected creation of a micro black hole. The Deukalion, a Garfish class cruiser converted into a science vessel to record and study the test, was heavily damaged by the resulting blast and all aboard were killed save one android named Janice Em, which was later repaired. The SDF-3 Pioneer was then attacked by the REF's former allies, the Haydonites, who were attempting to capture the ship and its Protoculture Matrix. Although Captain Vince Grant of the Icarus is able to rescue the Deukalion, his attempts to rescue the SDF-3 fails due to Haydonite interference. The fate of the SDF-3, which was last seen adrift in space near the newly formed black hole, is currently unknown.

The retreat of the Invid ended the Third Robotech War, though it also marked the start of the Shadow Chronicles, the fourth Robotech war between the REF and their former allies, the Haydonites who betrayed and manipulated the REF during the war with the Invid and whom now, with the Invid gone, launch their own attack to destroy the REF and Earth. As the people of Earth celebrate their freedom at a concert, where Lancer reveals his identity as Yellow Dancer to the crowd, the surviving forces of the REF found themselves engaged in a new conflict that would once again determine the survival of the human race.

Major characters

 * Scott Bernard
 * Rook Bartley
 * Rand
 * Annie "Mint" LaBelle
 * Lance Belmont
 * Jim "Lunk" Austin
 * Marlene
 * Corg
 * Sera
 * Invid Regess

Fate of the REF fleet
There has long been confusion and uncertainty regarding the ultimate fate of the vast REF fleet that returned to Earth to challenge the Regis. The Jack McKinney Robotech novels Symphony of Light (book 12) and The End of the Circle (book 18) both stated that nearly all ships that had survived direct combat, including the SDF-4 Izumo and its commander, General Reinhardt, had been destroyed by the Invid's departure, with only a handful of ships, including the Ark Angel under the command of Vince Grant, being spared. Certainly, given that the departing Invid destroyed the Neutron-S missiles, and given the disapproval of the Regis towards the REF, this scenario seemed plausible.

The launch of the official website Robotech.com in 2001 corroborated that "much of the Expeditionary Force's fleet" was destroyed when the Invid departed and that Scott Bernard was leaving to join "the remainder of the [REF]." The official episode summary for the last episode provides no details of the losses the REF sustained, and for nearly two decades many fans regarded the novels' assessment as definitive in this regard. In The Shadow Chronicles, however, the depiction of the Invid departure changes to a form in which the Neutron-S missiles are destroyed but all remaining REF ships in orbit unaffected. In subsequent footage, it is shown that at least a large portion (and possibly a large majority) of the REF fleet survived the battle. Those ships that are damaged are ordered to return to Space Station Liberty for repairs.

The final remaining strength of the REF at the conclusion of the Shadow Chronicles film is unclear. Fans have noted the following factors when attempted to determine the REF's current state:


 * The REF fleet that arrives in Dark Finale to engage the Invid consists of two separate formations, Attack Group Three (which remains "in reserve awaiting the arrival of Admiral Hunter") and Attack Group Two (which initiates the assault). When the third attack group is launched, it could be assumed that Attack Group Two has already sustained losses significant enough to warrant the commitment of additional reserves.


 * During the battle in Symphony of Light, General Reinhardt is informed of losses and reflects that the REF won't be able to hold out against the Invid for "more than a few hours." Subsequently, three cruisers are "wiped out," a loss evidently significant enough as to be noteworthy to the fleet commander (at a time when the destruction of smaller ships must be occurring constantly). It is believed that the "cruisers" being referred to are in fact the Ikazuchi-class carriers.


 * The exact size of the Invid forces involved in the battle are unknown. However, the website Robotech.com states that each Invid Carrier is capable of carrying 450 Invid scouts. At least 40+ Carriers are launched in the Invid's first attack wave (although some are destroyed by the REF Syncro-cannons before they can launch their fighters), which would place the initial Invid strength at approximately 18,000. An unknown number of carriers are subsequently launched into space as the Invid Regis deploys all of her remaining forces.


 * Fans have noted that the Invid forces consisted solely of fighters armed with light weaponry (the Invid had no capital ships except for the Invid Carriers, which were used to transport fighters into space and possessed no weaponry of their own). This, combined with the REF's superior technology (especially the Shadow devices) and firepower, suggests that Invid losses were extremely high and that the REF could have maintained the battle for a long period of time despite the Invid's numerical advantage.


 * In The Shadow Chronicles, Reinhardt states that all of the REF damaged ships are returning to Space Station Liberty for repairs. Given the scope of the battle, some fans have suggested that most of the REF's ships would have required repairs following the battle. When the Haydonites attack Liberty, Louis Nichols estimates the REF's losses at 89%, which could imply that most of the REF's remaining capital ships were destroyed. However, some fans argue that Reinhardt's statement does not imply that all of the REF's ships required repairs. In addition, fans have argued that some of the ships that did return to Liberty may have had their repairs completed (and thus have departed from Liberty for other duties) before the Haydonite attack. Likewise, some of the ships requiring repairs may not have returned to Liberty before the attack began. It has been estimated that the REF force which attempts to defend Liberty is composed of approximately five Carriers and several dozen Light Cruisers. Given the estimates of the total size of the REF fleet (see below), this also suggests that many of the REF's remaining ships were not at Liberty during the attack.


 * The exact strength of the REF fleet is never provided. However, it has been estimated that the initial REF force involved in the Battle of Reflex Point consisted of the SDF-4 Izumo, four Shimakaze battlecruisers, 40+ Ikazuchi-class carriers, 200+ Garfish light cruisers, and thousands of VFA-6 Alpha and VFB-9 Beta fighters. While it is clear that many of the fighters, which were the first forces to engage the Invid, sustained heavy losses, only a few capital ships are destroyed on camera, with several more being referred to in dialogue.

Many fans believe that the exact or even approximate remaining strength of the REF has been kept deliberately vague by the film's creators to avoid limiting options for future story lines.

Fourth Robotech War: The Shadow Chronicles
The comic Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles and the movie The Shadow Chronicles, although overlapping with part of the Third Robotech War, set the stage for the beginning of the Fourth Robotech War.

Resources

 * Official Robotech Timeline as per Harmony Gold

Роботек ратови