Invid Invasion of Earth
The Third Robotech War was a conflict between humanity and the Invid over the control of the Earth. The Robotech Expeditionary Force launched at least two major assaults to reclaim Earth, all of which failed, but the second of which allowed a single pilot to start a rebellion on Earth, starting the heaviest fighting of the Third Robotech War.
Prelude to War[]
The Search for Protoculture and the Flower of Life. (Robotech II: The Sentinels)
Decades before the First Robotech War, the Invid was an isolationist and very guarded race that lived on the planet Optera. One day, an alien scientist named Zor Derelda arrived looking for a new energy source for his people; the Tirolians, who were suffering from an catastrophic energy crisis. Zor, impressed with how the Invid used plants they named Flowers of Life to generate energy, seduced the Queen Mother of the Invid known as the Regess (who evolved into a more humanoid form to impress him) to gain all the knowledge he could from the Flowers of Life. After gaining all the knowledge he needed, he stole some Flower of Life seeds and returned to his home planet of Tirol where he used the seeds to create the energy substance named Protoculture. Some of his people would proceed to use Protoculture to become the despised Robotech Masters who went on to form a galactic empire that conquered many worlds and species, and start a conflict with the Invid, who after decades of fighting, gained the upperhand against the Masters after their supply of Protoculture started to dwindle.
Eventually, the Masters were forced to abandon their homeworld in search for the Protoculture Matrix, an engine that could generate infinite amounts of Protoculture, which was inside the wreck of the space fortress SDF-1 on Earth. Unknowingly to everybody, the Protoculture Matrix had mutated into a massive Flower of Life in the years after destruction of the space fortress in 2014.
Flower of Life Begins to Grow. (Masters Saga:"Catastrophe")
While the Regent of the Invid wanted the complete destruction of the Tirolians and conquer any race and species he could find, the Regess wanted to find a suitable form to evolve the Invid into and left her husband in search of a planet where she could continue her experiments.
The Invid led by the Regess were drawn to Earth following the end of the Second Robotech War when the spores of the Flower of Life were spread across Earth. The Army of the Southern Cross, greatly weakened by their war with the Robotech Masters were unable to prevent the fall of Earth. The Invid rule of Earth was brutal, swiftly exterminating any resistance to their dominance.
Invid and Earth forces battle in a city
War[]
Invid Invasion of Earth[]
The Invid conquered the Earth within a few days and the Army of the Southern Cross was all but wiped out. The survivors of the army fled Earth and joined up at Space Station Liberty to await the arrival of the SDF-3 and the returning Expedition.
Earth remained occupied by the Invid for a decade, during which time they set up large scale hives and genesis pits to harvest Protoculture. The Invid tended to leave small towns alone as long as they gave up their supplies of protoculture and advanced weapons. However, there were reports of Invid forcing human communities into forced labor camps to farm Protoculture. (According to the narrator in The Invid Invasion)
REF Mars Division destroyed by Invid
Reclamation Attempts[]
Very far away, the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF), led by Rick Hunter and his wife Lisa Hayes, was stranded in the Robotech Masters' homeworld of Tirol after their flagship the SDF-3 was heavily damaged by the Invid led by the Regent. After the liberation of Tirol, the REF joined forces with the Sentinels, a resistance force composed of races that opposed the Invid. This alliance allowed the creation of a fully armed fleet which saw action during the campaign against the Invid. When the REF's leadership became aware that the Invid under the Regess had invaded Earth in 2031, the decision was made to form the Earth Reclamation Force.
In the year 2038 the first ERF fleet arrived at Earth and launched its first large scale assault on Reflex Point. The attack failed miserably, resulting in heavy losses for the REF 10th Mars Division. Lt. Lancer Belmont and Col. Jonathan Wolfe were part of the force and both were left stranded on Earth. (Love Live Alive)
In the year 2042, the 21st Mars Division arrived at Earth as part of the second attempt to retake Earth. Commanded by Lt. Scott Bernard, hit Earth shortly afterwards. They were able to withstand the first Invid attack, however, the second Invid attack overwhelmed them when they attempted to enter the Earth's atmosphere. Apparently only Bernard survived the attack.
Invid mecha launched from Invid Carrier
Rebellion[]
While the Reclamation fleets failed in their objetive, there were small groups of REF and other RDF survivors still fighting the Invid on Earth. However, due to the Invid's constant patrols plus the many people that collaborated with them for security or for their own selfish reasons, most of these groups were eliminated or went into hiding, while some attempted to destroy Invid hives and radio towers with little success.
Scott's survival brought about a new wave of troubles for the Invid. Setting off to destroy Reflex Point or die trying, Scott began to foster a new wave of resistance against the Invid. Joined by Rand, Rook Bartley, Annie "Mint" Labelle, Jim "Lunk" Austin, and Lancer Belmont, he formed the Robotech Rebels who sole mission during the war was to destroy Reflex Point. Coordinating with other rebel cells and the remnants of Earth's previous armies, they launched a guerrilla war against the Invid as they moved closer and closer to Reflex Point. At the same time, the REF began to arrive back in their home territory, ready to launch a bold new offensive to take back Earth.
A notable REF force was stationed in Point K, which was a staging area for a future assault on Reflex Point. However, the site was attacked by the Invid and all REF members stationed there were killed in March 2043.
During this time, the Invid began experiments to determine whether the human form was more viable then their current form, and found that it was the form most suited to their purposes. In doing so, they created Dusty Airs, a gunslinger who was abandoned by his squadron and would dedicate his life to revenge.
Upon discovering this knowledge, they began to transform their population into humanoid warriors, but in doing so some of them began to succumb to the same problems that the Zentraedi and Robotech Masters had faced before them. While not nearly as widespread a problem due to the nature of their species, two individuals in particular paved the way: Ariel and Sera. Both were chosen daughters of the Regess (and thus considered "princesses" of the Invid race) who had been transformed into a humanoid form, However, Ariel developed amnesia due to her imperfect transmutation and ended up joining the rebels, coming to admire humanity in the process. Sera on the other hand was one of the top lieutenants to the Regess. However, she fell in love with Lancer and aided the rebels during the final battle.
REF final offensive to liberate Earth
Reflex Point[]
All Rebels groups and the REF fleet converged during the Battle of Reflex Point, where the war was brought to an end when the Regess officially decided to withdraw rather then endure prolong the war with the REF over Earth, especially after she discovered that they were using Haydonite technology. Deciding they were too much like the Robotech Masters for their own good, she took all of humanity's supply of Protoculture as she left with the rest of the race except Ariel and Sera.
Invid leave Earth
Aftermath[]
The Regis, Queen Mother of the Invid, left Earth with the rest of the Invid, taking all of the Planet's Protoculture with her.
As the Third Robotech War ended, a new Robotech War began when the Haydonites, now revealed to be the Children of the Shadow who annihilated the Invid's first homeworld, betrayed humanity and launched an all-out assault on the REF.
Major Battles and Campagins[]
- Invid Invasion of Earth
- RDF's Evacuation of Earth
- First Earth Reclamation Force
- Second Earth Reclamation Force
- Destruction of Point K
- Battle of New York City
- Skirmish at Reflex Point
- Battle of Reflex Point