Editing Battle of New Caprica

{{Battle Data
| name=Battle of New Caprica
| image=BONC.jpg
| description= 
| conflict=[[Cylon Attack|Second Cylon War]]
| date=
| place=Near [[New Caprica]] space; on New Caprica
| result=Successful retrieval of [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]], deposition of the [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] administration, [[Hera Agathon|Hera]] is captured by Cylons
| combatant1=Remnants of the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]]
| combatant2=[[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]
| co1=Admiral [[William Adama]], Commander [[Lee Adama]], Colonel [[Saul Tigh]], Former President [[Laura Roslin]]
| co2=[[Basestar command]], [[Cylon Occupation Authority]]
| strength1=Battlestars ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' and '' [[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'',<br/> [[Blue Squadron (RDM)|Blue Squadron]],<br/> [[Raptor]] squadrons,<br >[[New Caprica Resistance]] and Colonial [[Marines]]
| strength2=Four [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]], associated [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raiders]], [[Heavy Raider]]s,<br/> Ground occupation forces and associated <br/>[[Cylon Centurion]]s
| shiploss1=Battlestar ''Pegasus'',<br/> several civilian ships <br/>(off screen),<br/>Heavy damage to ''Galactica''
| shiploss2=At least two basestars<br/>One basestar possibly destroyed<br/>Moderate damage to additional basestar
| casualties1=Approximately 2,592<ref>This number is calculated from all available population data. See [[Survivor count]] for the details.</ref><br>
| casualties2=Unknown, Heavy
| prev=[[Battle of the Binary Star System]]
| next=[[Battle of NCD2539]]
| rdm=y
}}
''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' launches a daring mission to occupy the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon forces']] attention as the majority of the Colonial citizens escape from Cylon occupation on [[New Caprica]].

Prior to the battle, Admiral [[William Adama]] makes contact with the [[New Caprica Resistance]], and later deploys a [[Raptor]], Lt. [[Sharon Agathon]] commanding, to coordinate a plan to liberate the colonists from the planet safely during the Colonial offensive. Agathon uses her [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon heritage]] to retrieve the Colonial civilan ships' [[launch key]]s from a secured Cylon building, while [[Samuel Anders]] and [[Tory Foster]] train the colonists in "fire drills," meant to show readiness to the [[Cylon Occupation Authority]] in the event of a natural disaster, but in reality has prepared the colonists to escape to any Colonial ship to leave the planet and the Cylons.

Admiral Adama begins the offensive with an elaborate plan that relies on a squadron of [[Raptor]]s (with a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] escort squadron) to fire a series of [[swallow]]s that collectively mimic the EM signatures of his two Colonial battlestars. After firing the swallows, the Raptors retreat, luring several [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]] further from the planet.  The Cylons are deceived temporarily by the false readings.

On [[New Caprica]], Samuel Anders and the resistance team detonate dozens of bombs in key Cylon structures as a feigned attack by Colonial forces. The people evacuate per their fire-drill training, but escape to the various grounded ships of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]], which prepare their engines and [[FTL]] drives to depart.  Many people become pinned down by [[Cylon Centurion|Centurion]] fire.

Admiral Adama performs an extremely risky move. He orders ''Galactica'' to conduct an intra-atmosphere [[FTL]] jump, escaping the detection of the [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]] in orbit.  While in freefall, it launches [[Blue Squadron (RDM)|Blue Squadron]]. The [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] perform hit-and-run attacks on Cylons on the ground and in [[Guard towers|observation towers]], and interdict the few Raiders operating near the surface. Blue Squadron destroys the main gates of the civilian shipyard to allow access and escape. Before ''Galactica'' impacts the surface, it performs a second jump back into space. Stress from the vibration and ionized gases from reentry heavily tax the structure of the battlestar. 

Soon, the two basestars engage ''Galactica'' without any fighter support, their Raiders engaged elsewhere. ''Galactica''’s mission analysis had predicted that only two [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]] would engage. However, two more basestars jump into the vicinity to attack the battlestar.

With the Vipers destroying targets on the ground and in the air in vicinity of New Caprica City, the civilians previously pinned down are able to board their ships.  Simultaneously, Colonial [[Marines]] and resistance members assault the [[New Caprica Detention Center|detention center]], freeing [[Kara Thrace]] and other detainees.

The Cylons in charge on the ground begin their retreat, escaping in a Heavy Raider as they task a [[Number Three]] with setting off a nuclear detonation to "clean up."

In the four-baseship assault, ''Galactica's'' FTL drives and maneuvering thrusters are disabled, and the port side of the ship reaches its structural limits.  Upon hearing that the FTL drive is disabled, Admiral Adama is resigned to imminent destruction when battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', against orders, appears and joins the attack. The [[Mercury class battlestar]]'s forward [[battery|batteries]] score several hits that severely damage or destroy one basestar. On the surface, most of the civilian ships become airborne and jump away.

Commander [[Lee Adama]] directs ''Pegasus'' to a position between the basestars targeting ''Galactica'', in an effort to draw fire away from her.  Admiral Adama infers from the absence of Vipers from ''Pegasus'' that its Vipers are guarding the remaining ships of the Fleet at the rendezvous point and that ''Pegasus'' is on a one-way trip.  While ''Pegasus'' endures serious bombardment, ''Galactica'' is able to bring its FTL back on line, retrieves her Vipers, and escapes.

With ''Pegasus'' taking mortal damage, Commander Adama orders all to abandon ship (using standby Raptors to jump away from the battle) setting all weapons to auto-fire and directing the ship on a collision course with one of the basestars before departing.  The damaged, unmanned ''Pegasus'' collides with one basestar, destroying both. The remnants of ''Pegasus''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s starboard [[flight pod]] collide with another of the remaining basestars, destroying it.

''[[Colonial One]]'' is the last Colonial ship to leave the planet.  On the surface, the Cylons' planned nuclear detonation (which would be of questionable tactical value now that the Colonials have left the planet) does not occur.

__NOTOC__
== Battle Imagery ==
=== Raptors and Vipers ===
<gallery>
Image:Vipers_and_Raptors_placing_decoys.jpg|
Image:Raptor_Decoys_Away.jpg|
Image:Raptor_Decoys_Away_(2).jpg|
Image:Raptor_Decoys_Away_(3).jpg|
</gallery>
=== ''Galactica'''s Surprise Attack  ===
<gallery>
Image:Galactica_in_Atmosphere.jpg|
Image:Galactica_in_Atmosphere_(2).jpg|
Image:Galactica_in_Atmosphere_(3).jpg|
Image:Galactica_in_Atmosphere_FTLing.jpg|
Image:Galactica_in_Atmosphere_FTLing_(2).jpg|
</gallery>
=== ''Pegasus’s'' Suicide Run ===
<gallery>
Image:Pegaus firing forward batteries.jpg
Image:Pegaus Raptors Leaving.jpg
Image:Pegaus taking a beating.jpg
Image:Pegaus_Ram.jpg|
Image:Pegaus_Ram_(2).jpg|
Image:Pegaus_Ram_(3).jpg|
Image:Pegasusflightpod.jpg|
Image:Pegasusbaseshipsremains.jpg|
</gallery>

{{WikiFrakr|article=Battle of Nu Craprica}}

==References==
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[[de:Schlacht von Neu Caprica]]
[[zh:新卡布里卡之战]]