Basestar (TOS-RH)

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch Novelizations separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

A basestar is the primary capital warship of the Cylon Empire, serving as both a mobile command platform and carrier for Raider squadrons. These massive vessels represent the Cylons' most powerful military assets and serve as the backbone of their fleet operations against the Colonial Fleet.

Design and Structure

Basestars possess a distinctive dual-pyramid configuration. The bottom half is shaped as a rounded pyramid, with the top portion forming an identical but inverse structure, so that the peaks of both pyramids meet in the middle at the central core or shaft of the vessel. This creates a shape that observers describe as resembling a child's top or spinning toy.

The design features several key structural elements:

• Launch Bays: Four launch and landing bays are spaced equally around the top portion of the basestar, allowing for rapid deployment and recovery of Raiders.
• Central Core: The core chamber connects the top and bottom sections of the vessel and houses critical systems including ascensior tubes and communications facilities.
• Bridge: Located in the lower portion of the basestar, serving as the primary command and control center.
• Command Chamber: Positioned in the upper section of the vessel, typically occupied by Baltar or other high-ranking commanders.

When viewed through Quantum Shift Effect technology in an altered dimensional state, basestars appear as a blossom of violet brilliance, though the light itself seems tainted or withered compared to other vessels.

Armament and Combat Capabilities

Basestars bristle with devastating weaponry systems that make them formidable opponents in any engagement:

Plasma Cannons

The primary armament of basestars consists of multiple tiers of plasma cannons arranged in rows across the vessel's surface. These massive weapons possess planet-rending force and are designed for large-scale destruction rather than precision attacks against small craft.

The plasma cannons demonstrate several characteristics:

• Capable of destroying battlestars with sustained bombardment
• Can shatter entire worlds from pole to pole
• Must cycle up to full power before firing, providing brief warning before discharge
• Not optimized for targeting small, maneuverable craft like Vipers
• Individual cannon emplacements can be destroyed, reducing overall firepower

During atmospheric operations, basestars can train their plasma cannons on planetary surfaces with devastating effect, though they are slower moving in atmospheric conditions compared to standard space operations.

Launch Capacity

Basestars serve as carrier vessels for substantial Raider complements. During major engagements, they can launch wave after wave of fighters, with some operations involving over one hundred Raiders from a single basestar. The launch bays feature windows that open to deploy Raiders, and these apertures represent potential vulnerabilities during combat operations.

Defensive Systems

Basestars possess formidable defensive capabilities that allow them to withstand significant punishment:

• Armor: Extremely thick hull plating capable of absorbing multiple direct hits from battlestar weaponry
• Shield Integrity: Advanced shielding systems that provide protection against conventional weapons fire
• Damage Resistance: Can sustain devastating attacks and continue operating; designed to withstand more punishment than Colonial battlestars

The vessels' massive size and robust construction make them difficult to destroy through conventional means. During engagements, basestars can absorb "unimaginable" levels of firepower and continue to pose threats even after suffering significant damage.

Variant Classifications

Multiple basestar classes exist within the Cylon fleet, with varying sizes and capabilities:

Standard Basestars

Standard basestars serve as the primary capital ships for most Cylon operations. These vessels command Raider squadrons and serve as mobile bases for extended operations away from Cylon-controlled space.

Class IV Basestars

Class IV basestars represent enhanced variants with greater size and firepower than standard models. These vessels carry enough weaponry to shatter entire worlds and deploy even larger Raider complements than their smaller counterparts.

Super Basestars

The largest basestar variant encountered by the Colonial Fleet is described as being "as big as any moon," representing a massive escalation in Cylon warship construction. These enormous vessels possess firepower exponentially greater than standard basestars and can threaten entire fleets with their weapon systems alone.

One such vessel encountered near Kobol features a modified design with weapons systems trailing beneath it like a scorpion's tail, representing an evolution in basestar architecture.

Interior Layout

The interior of basestars features numerous sections and facilities:

Command and Control

The command chamber in the upper section serves as the primary location for strategic oversight of operations. This area typically features a high seat of command and is staffed by Lucifer and other high-ranking Cylon commanders when Baltar is present.

The bridge in the lower section handles tactical operations and communications. Centurions are typically posted in pairs throughout the vessel, including at the central core connecting the two main sections.

Specialized Facilities

Basestars contain various specialized areas:

• Repair Bays: Large chambers for maintaining and repairing Raiders and other equipment
• Weapons Rooms: Armories containing advanced Cylon weaponry including zap lasers, disrupters, and sonic weapons
• Science Laboratories: Research facilities for conducting experiments, including biological research involving human DNA and brain tissue
• Detention Cells: Prison facilities for holding captives
• Ascensior Systems: Vertical transportation shafts connecting different levels of the vessel

The vessels maintain artificial gravity and functional power plants even after sustaining significant damage.

Life Support and Atmosphere

Basestars maintain pressurized environments throughout their interior spaces, though certain sections may be sealed or exposed to vacuum following battle damage. Emergency lighting systems activate in damaged areas, typically producing red illumination.

Operational Characteristics

Command Structure

Basestars are typically commanded by Lucifer, a Cylon of superior intelligence, often with Baltar serving in an advisory or nominal command capacity during the period following the Battle of Cimtar. The Imperious Leader maintains ultimate authority over basestar operations throughout the empire.

During the Cylon civil war, basestars are commanded by various Cylon factions, with some vessels incorporating Chitain alliance commanders alongside Cylon leadership.

Tactical Deployment

Basestars typically maintain safe distances from direct combat, allowing their Raider squadrons to engage enemy forces while the capital ships provide fire support and serve as mobile bases. This tactical doctrine reflects the vessels' massive size and the difficulty of maneuvering them quickly in combat situations.

During fleet engagements, basestars may deploy in groups, with two or more vessels working in concert to overwhelm Colonial defenses. They position themselves to maximize plasma cannon coverage while minimizing exposure to concentrated enemy fire.

Notable Engagements

Binary 13 Operations

During operations in the Binary 13 system, a basestar commanded by Baltar positions itself near the unstable planet Ochoa. This basestar serves as the staging point for Cylon operations in the sector and becomes the target of a daring infiltration by Apollo and Starbuck, who steal a Raider equipped with Quantum Shift Effect technology from its repair bay.

Battle of Kobol

During the massive Battle of Kobol, multiple basestars converge on the planet to attack the Colonial Fleet during their attempt to evacuate survivors. The engagement involves at least two large basestars that deploy hundreds of Raiders and use their plasma cannons to devastating effect against both civilian vessels and military targets.

One basestar's plasma cannons successfully destroy an asteroid serving as the Fleet's hidden base, causing it to tumble toward the planet's surface in a catastrophic fashion. The same vessel later targets the Galactica directly, forcing the battlestar to engage in direct combat to protect the evacuating civilian ships.

In a desperate gambit, Commander Cain pilots the heavily damaged Pegasus directly into one of the basestars, destroying both vessels in a massive explosion.

Fleet Pursuit

Following the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, basestars continuously pursue the fleeing Colonial Fleet across multiple star systems. Their presence represents a constant threat, with Cylon forces growing in strength as more basestars converge on the Fleet's location from various outposts throughout the empire.

Paradis System Operations

In the Paradis system, Apollo leads an exploration team to a partially damaged Cylon basestar to recover advanced technology and study the evolution of Cylon capabilities following their civil war. The abandoned vessel proves to be a treasure trove of advanced weaponry and technology that could provide the Fleet with significant tactical advantages.

Strategic Significance

Basestars represent the cornerstone of Cylon military might and serve multiple strategic functions:

• Force Projection: Enable Cylon forces to operate across vast distances from their core territories
• Fleet Support: Serve as mobile bases for extended operations, providing repair and resupply capabilities for Raider squadrons
• Planetary Assault: Possess sufficient firepower to bombard and destroy entire worlds
• Blockade Operations: Can maintain long-term presence in strategic locations to control space lanes and trap enemy forces

The vessels' combination of massive firepower, substantial defensive capabilities, and large fighter complements make them extremely difficult for Colonial forces to counter without significant tactical advantages or sacrifices.

Vulnerabilities

Despite their formidable capabilities, basestars possess several exploitable weaknesses:

• Size: Their enormous bulk makes them slow to maneuver, particularly in atmospheric conditions
• Weapon Blind Spots: Plasma cannons cannot effectively target small, highly maneuverable fighters at close range
• Launch Bay Exposure: Open launch bays create temporary vulnerabilities during fighter deployment
• Concentrated Fire: Sustained bombardment from battlestar weaponry can destroy plasma cannon emplacements, reducing offensive capabilities
• Interior Access: Once penetrated, the interior layout with its central core and ascensior systems provides infiltration routes for enemy forces

Skilled Viper pilots exploiting these vulnerabilities can significantly damage basestar weapon systems, though destroying the vessels entirely typically requires massive expenditures of firepower or desperate kamikaze attacks.

Technology and Advancement

The Cylon civil war drives significant technological advancement in basestar design and capabilities. Newer basestars incorporate more advanced weapon systems and improved defensive capabilities compared to earlier models encountered by the Colonial Fleet.

Some basestars are modified to accommodate advanced research facilities for biological and technological experiments, including work with human DNA and the development of the Human Logic Function implants. These specialized vessels serve dual roles as both warships and mobile research platforms.

The integration of Quantum Shift Effect technology into some Cylon operations suggests that basestars may eventually incorporate this capability into their own systems, though no evidence of QSE-equipped basestars has been confirmed during the timeframe of these accounts.

Comparison to Colonial Battlestars

While basestars and Colonial battlestars serve similar strategic roles, they differ significantly in design philosophy:

• Firepower: Basestars possess greater raw destructive power through their plasma cannon arrays
• Maneuverability: Battlestars demonstrate superior agility and can execute tactical maneuvers more effectively
• Durability: Basestars can withstand more direct hits before suffering critical damage
• Fighter Operations: Both vessel types serve as carriers, though basestars appear to carry larger Raider complements
• Command Structure: Basestars rely on Cylon efficiency and programming, while battlestars benefit from human intuition and tactical flexibility

The comparison is described by technician Kornberg as difficult, noting that to his civilian eyes the vessels look nothing alike and serve their respective fleets in fundamentally different ways despite their equivalent strategic roles.