Third Robotech War

The fictional Third Robotech War (2031-44) is the final known event 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.

Roots
The crash-landing of the SDF-1 on Macross Island in 1999 was the root cause of all of the Robotech Wars: see First Robotech War for further details.

The Second Robotech War left the industrial and political infrastructure of the Earth in tattered shape. With the Japanese centers of Robotech research disrupted and the North American center of the United Earth Government nearly destroyed, the defensive capabilities of the Army of the Southern Cross swiftly degraded from advanced mecha and starships to late 20th century (pre-SDF-1) technology. Because of this damage, the defense forces put up only a token fight against the Invid when they invaded in 2031, barely a year after the Second Robotech War's end.

The Invid Invasion in 2031 left Earth completely devastated. The back of civilization was completely broken, reducing mankind to squabbling factional states and shattering what little remained of the old United Earth Government. The Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF), fortunately, had been designed to operate completely independently of planet Earth, and was only minimally hampered by the loss of Earth. Unfortunately, events in deep space kept the REF away from Earth for another decade, until the Venus, Mars and Jupiter missions of the early 2040s.

In 2044, a full-scale assault on Reflex Point drove the Invid from Earth and reclaimed the planet for humanity. The returning main fleet consisted of at least dozens of Ikazuchi-class battle cruisers and hundreds of Garfish-class light cruisers, led by the massive battlefortress SDF-4. The SDF-3 folded with the fleet but misfolded, becoming lost in deep space. A large portion, although not all, of the main fleet was lost in the assault. This is the point from which Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is set to start from.

New Generation timeline
2031
 * The Third Robotech War begins as the Invid arrive on Earth in an event known afterwards as the Invid Invasion. The battered and beleaguered forces of the Army of the Southern Cross are completely destroyed and Earth falls quickly to the alien onslaught.
 * Several ships manage to escape the invasion and head out to rendezvous with the REF in deep space with the intention to return to Earth to liberate it from Invid control.
 * Many major Earth population centers are destroyed, while others are simply abandoned. Invid occupation and protoculture harvesting begins. Anti-Invid groups are eventually formed, but struggle as the Invid cultivate collaborators to suppress the resistance networks.

2038 September
 * The Robotech Expeditionary Force launches its first large scale assault on Reflex Point. The attack fails miserably, resulting in heavy losses for the REF 10th Mars Division.
 * Lieutenant Lance Belmont (aka. "Lancer") of the 10th Mars Division crashes to Earth and is rescued from Invid collaborators by Carla Morales, who nurses him back to health.

2040 May
 * Lancer joins the shattered resistance in the Americas. Travelling under the guise of a female singer, "Yellow Dancer," Lancer travels as a covert courier for the much-weakened resistance network, gathering vital intelligence and information along his travels. Yellow Dancer's music becomes an instant hit, with the promise of hope, and slightly subversive message of resistance. Yellow Dancer's recordings spread throughout the Americas.

2042 September
 * The 21st Mars Division arrives at Earth as part of the second Earth Reclamation Force. The fleet is intercepted before its troops can begin their atmospheric insertion, and is quickly destroyed by the Invid.
 * Lieutenant Commander Scott Bernard survives and crash lands in South America and begins his quest to reach the Invid "Reflex Point", forming a potent resistance group along the way.

2043 March
 * Geological disturbances destroy an Invid Genesis Pit in South America, just as the Regess decides on the human form as the model for the pending transmutation of her race.
 * Invid assemble a massive force to attack and destroy Point K, as well as the near-by towns that had kept it supplied with food and other goods.

2043 April
 * Invid simulagent, Ariel, is transmutated and inserted near the ruins of Point K. Her deployment is a failure, as she loses her memory upon landing and attempts for the Regess to communicate with her are unsuccessful.
 * Ariel is discovered by Lt Cmdr Scott Bernard's group and is taken along with them as an amnesia victim.

2043 July
 * Invid Princess Sera and Prince Corg are transmutated, and are assigned to track down and destroy resistance groups.

2043 October
 * A crippled destroyer from the Expeditionary Forces, with an aging crew, destroys a key Invid broadcast tower in the American West in a suicide run.

2044 January
 * The geothermal generator that powered Denver, which has been trapped under a decade's worth of heavy snow and ice, is destroyed by LCDR Scott Bernard in an attempt to escape an Invid assault. The thawed "bubble" of city created by the heat from the generator is also destroyed.

2044 May
 * Corg begins a genocidal rampage in New York City against Sera's direct order. Resistance fighters in town to raid the protoculture warehouse located in Carnegie Hall destroy the local Invid hive, and the attack is suspended.

2044 July
 * Large numbers of ground troops from the fleet and the resistance forces assemble near Reflex Point for a major assault.

2044 July 2
 * The main fleet of the Robotech Expeditionary Force returns to Earth. The fleet assembles at ALuCE, at the edge of the far side of the moon, and awaits the arrival of the flagship, the SDF-3, which fails to defold with main group. The SDF-4 takes command in Admiral Hunter's absence.

2044 July 18
 * The Robotech Expeditionary Force launches its final mission to reclaim the Earth from the Invid. Suffering heavy losses, a surgical strike comprised of stealthy Shadow fighters and drones are dispatched to Reflex Point.
 * Lieutenant Commander Scott Bernard and his group of resistance fighters is granted an audience before the Invid Regess at the initiative of Ariel. When it becomes apparent to the Regess that the continuation of battle would lead to the mutual destruction of both races, she makes preparations to leave to an undisclosed location.
 * Invid Prince Corg is killed in battle by Lieutenant Commander Scott Bernard.
 * Fearing that this final Earth Reclamation Mission might end in failure, the SDF-4 orders the use of the Neutron-S warheads to kill all life on Earth's surface. The resistance and the Invid join forces to counteract the Expeditionary Force's assault on Reflex Point to give the Regess time to depart.
 * The Invid leave at the command of the Regess. During their departure, the Neutron-S warheads and much of the Expeditionary Force's fleet is also destroyed. The majority of available protoculture on Earth is consumed by the Invid, leaving the Expeditionary Force with a one-year supply (mostly stored on Moon Bace ALuCE).

2044 July 24
 * A concert is held near the ruins of Reflex Point to celebrate the end of the Third Robotech War. Lancer reveals his identity to a shocked crowd.
 * Lieutenant Commander Scott Bernard leaves Earth to join the remainder of the Expeditionary Forces at ALuCE.

Major characters

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

Continuation
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles answers a long-debated story point: exactly how much of the Expeditionary Force main fleet was destroyed in the Regis's departure. These points had been the subject of some debate in Robotech fandom; while the last episode of the series only shows a handful of ships caught up in her wake and destroyed, the Jack McKinney novels stated that nearly the entire fleet, including the Izumo and it's commander had been destroyed, and for many years many fans had regarded the novels as more definitive despite breaks from the show's canon. In Shadow Chronicles, the Invid are shown to depart without affecting the EF ships in orbit. Additionally, the Izumo commander, now named General Reinhardt was a key character in Shadow Chronicles.

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