Raider Attack on Babylon 5

Raider Attack on Babylon 5
Conflict	Raider skirmishes
Date	August, 2258
Place	Babylon 5
Result	Decisive Earth Alliance victory
Combatants
Forces of Babylon 5
Raiders
Commanders
Commander Jeffrey Sinclair
Unknown Raider Captain
Strength
Babylon 5 Defense Grid Babylon 5 Starfury complement Alpha Wing Delta Wing
Raider mothership 15 Raider fighters
Casualties
Two Starfuries destroyed, three disabled; one pilot killed in action, one injured Minor damage to station A few injuries
Loss of all fighters (11 destroyed, 4 disabled and captured)

The Raider Attack on Babylon 5 was the climactic battle in the conflict between the Raiders and the Earth Alliance. As a result of the battle, the Raider threat was effectively neutralized, at least until late 2261.

Prelude

A starfury is ambushed

The Raiders, growing bolder in their attacks against various starships, destroyed a lone Starfury on patrol near Babylon 5. It was unusual of Raider tactics to attack so near a major space station, and the small fighters employed by the Raiders had no access to a jumpgate in the area. Subsequently, Commander Sinclair of Babylon 5 took extra precautions to prevent the next Raider attack.

Provocation

A Centauri liner carrying Lord Kiro departs Babylon 5

A Raider mothership arrives

Meanwhile, Londo Mollari, Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5, acquires an ancient Centauri artifact called The Eye. Raider informants aboard the station note this as well as the arrival of Lord Kiro, a Centauri noble.

On the other end of the Babylon 5 jumpgate, the freighter Achilles detects Raiders on their scanners. Babylon 5's Starfury Delta Wing, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Ivanova, heads through the jumpgate. On the other side, Ivanova leaves two Starfuries to guard the jumpgate, while the rest of the wing proceeds at maximum burn to the Achilles.

This movement is taking place farther from the station than the recent attacks. Suspicious that the supposed attack is a diversion while the bulk of the Raider forces attack the station, Commander Sinclair calls Delta Wing back to base.

Elsewhere on the station, Lord Kiro, the seer Lady Ladira, and Londo begin to depart the station. They are taken hostage by the Raider informants on the station.

Alpha Wing goes after the liner

Checking the station's departure schedule, Commander Sinclair sees that Kiro's Centauri liner is leaving the station. He heads down to the docking bay where he finds the Raider holding the three Centauri hostage. Following an incident involving a death threat for Kiro, the Raider proceeds to leave with the Centauri Lord on the liner. Sinclair, back in C'n'C, sends Alpha Wing, commanded by Security Chief Garibaldi after the liner. However, a jump-point forms near the station and a Raider mothership emerges.

The Battle

Raider fighters break off from the mothership

Alpha Wing Starfuries engage Raider fighters

As Raider fighters disembark from the mothership, Garibaldi's Alpha Wing of Starfuries prepare to engage them.

A full-blown firefight ensues. Before long, Sinclair calls for the station's defense grid to assist in the battle. During the confusion, the Centauri liner carrying Lord Kiro makes a safe landing inside the mothership's docking bay.

Endgame

A Raider fighter is picked off by a Starfury

Delta Wing enters the scene

The Raider mothership departs after its fighters are destroyed

As the battle heats up, Sinclair tells Garibaldi to drive the fighters to the aft end of the station. He instructs a C'n'C tech to calibrate the defense grid likewise.

Soon after, Ivanova's Delta Wing of Starfuries enter the scene. With the three-fold resistance of Garibaldi's Alpha Wing, Ivanova's Delta Wing, and the station's defense grid, the fighters do not last long. Each fighter is picked off and destroyed.

With the destruction of the last of its fighters, the mothership opens a jump-point to flee.

Aftermath

Babylon 5 suffered relatively minimal losses. Two Starfuries are lost, though the pilot of one managed to eject in time. Three other Starfuries were disabled and had to be towed back to the station. Babylon 5 itself suffered minor damage with a few injuries. The Raiders, on the other hand, suffered tremendous losses, including the loss of all their fighters. At least four Raider pilots were captured and taken to Earth for trial. At the same time, however, the Raiders did escape with Lord Kiro and the Eye - but not for long.

Kiro, revealed to be collaborating with the Raiders, shows the Eye to his co-conspirators. He wants to use the Eye to become the new Centauri Emperor. The Raiders, however, double cross him and plan to ransom both him and the Eye to the Centauri Republic. However, all of this becomes moot when a large, black vessel unveils itself near the mothership and proceeds to destroy it with ease.

With the loss of their mothership, the Raiders' operations were crippled for several years.