Editing Raider (TOS-RH)

{{Separate continuity|universe=TOS|cont=Richard Hatch Novelizations}}

A '''Raider''' is the primary Cylon starfighter deployed throughout the [[Cylon Empire (TOS-RH)|Cylon Empire]]'s military operations against the [[The Fleet (TOS-RH)|Colonial Fleet]].

== Design and Capabilities ==

Raiders serve as the standard attack craft for Cylon forces, launched from [[basestar (TOS-RH)|basestars]] to engage Colonial [[Viper (TOS-RH)|Vipers]] in combat.<ref name="ARM172">{{cite book/RH|1|172}}</ref> These fighters demonstrate considerable speed and maneuverability, though they are generally outmatched by skilled Colonial Warriors in direct combat.<ref name="ARM247">{{cite book/RH|1|247}}</ref>

The Raiders possess powerful defensive shields that can deflect all but direct hits from [[turbolaser]]s.<ref name="RES76">{{cite book/RH|3|76}}</ref> When a Raider's shields are penetrated, the craft typically explodes violently, often creating debris fields that can damage nearby vessels.<ref name="RES81">{{cite book/RH|3|81}}</ref>

== Standard Combat Variants ==

Raiders are equipped with turbolaser weaponry as their primary armament.<ref name="RES229">{{cite book/RH|3|229}}</ref> In atmospheric combat operations, Raiders demonstrate the ability to pursue targets through urban environments, though their larger size compared to Vipers makes them more vulnerable to collisions with structures.<ref name="RES229" />

These fighters are typically crewed by [[Cylon Centurion (TOS-RH)|Cylon Centurions]], though the exact crew complement varies by mission requirements.<ref name="RES230">{{cite book/RH|3|230}}</ref>

== Advanced Variants ==

=== Dark Raiders ===

The Cylons develop an advanced variant known as '''Dark Raiders''' or '''Black Raiders''', which incorporate revolutionary [[Quantum Shift Effect]] (QSE) technology.<ref name="ARM213">{{cite book/RH|1|213}}</ref> These specialized fighters are distinguished by their sleek, ebony appearance and represent a significant technological advancement over standard Raiders.<ref name="ARM127">{{cite book/RH|1|127}}</ref>

Dark Raiders possess several capabilities that make them formidable opponents:

* '''Stealth Technology''': The fighters can bend light around themselves, making them nearly invisible against the starfield. They appear as tears in space itself, their absence of light being the only indicator of their presence.<ref name="ARM127" />
* '''Superior Speed''': Dark Raiders demonstrate significantly faster response times and maneuverability compared to standard models, with quicker course-correction capabilities than any starship previously encountered by the [[The Fleet (TOS-RH)|Fleet]].<ref name="ARM127" />
* '''Enhanced Firepower''': Their weaponry can penetrate Viper force shields with a single shot, a capability standard Raiders lack.<ref name="ARM127" />
* '''Phase Shifting''': When equipped with QSE generators, dark Raiders can shift into alternate dimensional space, becoming completely intangible to weapons and objects in normal space.<ref name="ARM248">{{cite book/RH|1|248}}</ref>

The dark Raiders are crewed by Centurions equipped with [[Human Logic Function]] (HLF) programming, designed to better predict and counter human tactical behavior.<ref name="ARM253">{{cite book/RH|1|253}}</ref> However, this enhanced intelligence ultimately proves to be a liability, as the Centurions' attempts to predict human behavior only slow their reaction times in combat.<ref name="ARM253" />

=== Quantum-Phased Operations ===

When operating in quantum-shifted space, Raiders take on a distinctive appearance as indigo stains against the blackness of space, described as "fluid darkness made solid."<ref name="ARM252">{{cite book/RH|1|252}}</ref> In this phased state, solid objects such as stars and space vessels appear with brilliant, multi-colored auras.<ref name="ARM248" />

Raiders utilizing QSE technology can execute hit-and-run attacks, appearing and disappearing from normal space at will.<ref name="ARM247" /> The Cylon strategy involves using these phase-shifted Raiders to approach the ''[[Galactica (TOS-RH)|Galactica]]'' while intangible, then shifting back into normal reality to attack the battlestar's weakest points.<ref name="ARM243">{{cite book/RH|1|243}}</ref>

== Tactical Employment ==

Raiders are typically deployed in formations, with standard Cylon tactics involving numerical superiority to overwhelm Colonial defenses.<ref name="ARM247" /> During major engagements, Raiders launch from basestars in waves, with the mother ships maintaining a safe distance from direct conflict.<ref name="ARM243" />

The Cylons employ Raiders in various tactical roles:

* Direct fighter-to-fighter combat against Vipers<ref name="ARM247" />
* Strafing runs against unarmed civilian vessels<ref name="RES210">{{cite book/RH|3|210}}</ref>
* Reconnaissance and patrol operations<ref name="ARM213" />
* Pursuit operations in atmospheric environments<ref name="RES229" />

Raiders often travel in pairs during patrol operations, following standard Cylon operating procedures.<ref name="RES230" /> When pursuing targets into atmospheric conditions, Raiders can operate at low altitudes and navigate through urban debris fields, though this environment makes them vulnerable to unconventional attacks.<ref name="RES229" />

== Notable Engagements ==

During the [[Battle of Ochoa (TOS-RH)|Battle of Ochoa]], [[Starbuck (TOS-RH)|Starbuck]] discovers a Raider equipped with a mysterious golden device in a subterranean Cylon outpost.<ref name="ARM172" /> This encounter leads to the Fleet's eventual acquisition of QSE technology.

In subsequent conflicts, [[Apollo (TOS-RH)|Apollo]] and Starbuck steal a black Raider equipped with a QSE generator from a [[Cylon basestar (TOS-RH)|Cylon basestar]], allowing them to escape from Cylon forces.<ref name="ARM213" /> Starbuck later pilots this captured Raider against other quantum-phased dark Raiders during a major battle, using the stolen technology to counter the Cylons' own advanced fighters.<ref name="ARM248" />

During the [[Battle of Kobol (TOS-RH)|Battle of Kobol]], Raiders participate in a massive assault against the Fleet, with some fighters demonstrating the ability to track Colonial shuttles to hidden defensive positions within an asteroid.<ref name="RES184">{{cite book/RH|3|184}}</ref> In one notable incident, a Raider follows Warriors into a docking bay, only to be disabled when [[Athena (TOS-RH)|Athena]] blinds the fighter with fire-dampening foam, causing it to crash.<ref name="RES184" />

During operations near [[Kirasolia]], Raiders are deployed from two massive Cylon warships shaped like basestars but larger and more heavily armed.<ref name="RES68">{{cite book/RH|3|68}}</ref> These Raiders engage in combat with Vipers, demonstrating their vulnerability when Warriors employ superior tactics despite numerical disadvantages.<ref name="RES69">{{cite book/RH|3|69}}</ref>

== Weaknesses ==

Despite their advanced capabilities, Raiders possess several vulnerabilities that skilled Colonial Warriors can exploit:

* Raiders require direct hits to penetrate their shields, but once shields fail, they are highly susceptible to catastrophic destruction<ref name="RES76" />
* In atmospheric combat, Raiders' larger size makes them vulnerable to collisions with environmental obstacles<ref name="RES229" />
* The dark Raiders' HLF programming, intended to counter human tactics, actually slows Centurion reaction times in combat situations<ref name="ARM253" />
* When quantum-shifted, Raiders can only damage targets that are also phase-shifted; weapons fire passes harmlessly through objects in normal space<ref name="ARM254">{{cite book/RH|1|254}}</ref>
* Standard Raiders are generally outmatched by experienced Viper pilots in one-on-one combat<ref name="ARM247" />

== Captured Technology ==

The Fleet's acquisition of a QSE-equipped Raider proves pivotal in several engagements. [[Baltar (TOS-RH)|Baltar]]'s knowledge of Cylon systems allows Apollo and Starbuck to successfully operate captured Raiders, though piloting these fighters requires adaptation to unfamiliar Cylon control systems.<ref name="ARM213" />

When Starbuck pilots a captured black Raider against other quantum-phased Raiders, he discovers that the fighters can detect each other while phase-shifted, as they share the same alternate reality.<ref name="ARM248" /> This allows him to engage five dark Raiders in a separate battle occurring simultaneously with, but invisible to, the larger conflict in normal space.<ref name="ARM248" />

The stolen Raider technology enables [[Plutarch (TOS-RH)|Plutarch]] and other Fleet scientists to reverse-engineer QSE systems for Colonial vessels, eventually allowing the mass production of quantum shift generators for defensive purposes.<ref name="WAR132">{{cite book/RH|2|132}}</ref>

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (TOS)]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft (TOS)]]
[[Category:Military Vessels]]
[[Category:Richard Hatch Novelizations]]
[[Category:Starfighters]]