Ovions

For on depictions relating to this race across multiple separate continuities, see: Ovions (disambiguation).

The Ovions, lead by Lotay, as encountered by Captain Apollo ^{(TOS: "Saga of a Star World")}

Ovions are insectoid creatures that manage a mysterious gambler's paradise on the planet Carillon. They are one of the members of Cylon Alliance. Their extensive tylium mines are an extremely valuable asset.

The Ovions use Carillon's playground on the surface to attract their prey. The chancery is rigged to let the players always win, and there is grog and entertainment to keep the people occupied. Ovions occasionally prowl discreetly on the entertainment level, but generally remain out of sight. Individual humans are trapped selectively when they enter the elevator, and are taken into the hive-like structures underground instead of their desired destination. They are then placed into chambers which slowly transform them into food.

Cassiopeia is trapped in such a manner, until she is rescued by Starbuck and Apollo. They are presumably wiped out when Carillon is destroyed by the explosion of the tylium mines ^{(TOS: "Saga of a Star World")}.

Tie-in Material Information

• According to Encyclopedia Galactica (a non-canonical piece of merchandise published in 1979):

The Ovions are a race of intelligent, burrowing insects, exploited by the Cylons because of their mining abilities. In the course of constructing their elaborate burrows, the Ovions transport to the surface tons of nearly pure mineral ore. Worker Ovions stand 2.2 metrons tall and have six legs, one pair to each body segment. All the individuals in an Ovion nest are closely related, and therefore act cooperatively. Most of the females are skilled workers who gather food and construct the hive under the direction of their Chosen Leader. This leader, larger than the others, is the only fertile female in the nest. The dying Leader lays a number of special eggs, which develop into larvae. The nursemaid workers then "choose" their new Leader—the largest and most healthy—by destroying all the others. The nest also contains a few males whose only function is to mate with the Leader and produce the next generation. On their homeworld, the Ovion workers scavenge the forests for small animals to nourish their growing young. When the Cylons brought them to the lifeless world of Carillon to mine Tylium, a means of nourishment had to be found. The Cylons established a glittering pleasure palace for humans and other beings on Carillon, where food, drink, entertainment, gambling and luxury were available in vast quantities. Humans flocked in from around the galaxy. Life was so intense that no one noticed the percentage of the "guests" harvested each day. These poor souls were killed and brought to subterranean nurseries where their bodies fed the growing larvae of the Ovion young. The Carillon pleasure palace was destroyed by the Battlestar Galactica in 6570.

Notes

• Named characters include Queen Lotay and Seetol.

• Ovions are also the name of a hexapodic race mentioned in Star Trek: Voyager. Given the mention of hexapodicism, which the Ovions depicted in "Saga of a Star World" shared (having four arms and two legs), it is likely that this is Voyager's nod to Battlestar Galactica.

References

 

Subjects: Saga of a Star World