Editing Battle of the Binary Star System

{{Battle Data
|image=BinaryStar.jpg
|description=Battle of the Binary Star System
|conflict=[[Cylon Attack|Second Cylon war]]
|date=[[Timeline (RDM)|8 months]] after the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]
|place=Unnamed binary star system
|result=Tactical [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] victory
|combatant1=Remnants of the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] 
|combatant2=[[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]
|co1=Commander [[Barry Garner]]† <br>Major [[Lee Adama]]
|co2=[[Basestar command]]
|strength1=[[Mercury class battlestar]] ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' <br/>Associated [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]], associated [[Raptor|Raptors]]
|strength2=3 [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]], associated [[Raider|Raiders]], [[Heavy Raider|Heavy Raiders]]
|shiploss1=2 [[Raptor|Raptors]], heavy damage to ''Pegasus''
|shiploss2=1 basestar heavily damaged
|casualties1=  [[Richard Bayer]]<br/>[[Lyla Ellway]]<br/>  [[Barry Garner]] <br/> 2 man crew of [[Raptor 314]] 
|casualties2=Unknown, dozens of Raiders
|prev=[[Battle of the Resurrection Ship]] 
|next=[[Battle of the Guardian basestar]]
|rdm=y
}}

The '''Battle of the Binary Star System''' takes place when the battlestar ''Pegasus'' is lured into a trap by three [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]] while searching for a pair of missing [[Raptors]].

Prior to the battle, The Cylons draw two of ''Pegasus<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' Raptors out into a shroud of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) generated by a binary star system. Once the Raptors are there, the crews are killed and the craft left intact and adrift at the edge of the Colonials' [[DRADIS]] range. By all available data, the craft appear disabled and non-responsive. The new commander of ''Pegasus'', [[Barry Garner]], disobeys Admiral [[William Adama]]'s warning and takes the battlestar in to rescue the Raptors, launching a five-Raptor [[SAR]] mission once there.

Once ''Pegasus'' takes the bait and enters the region, three Cylon basestars jump in and launch a full salvo of tactical nuclear missiles,  scoring two hits on the stern of the battlestar.  ''Pegasus''' air wing, already spaceborne under the command of Captain [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]], engage the Cylons and return fire. Virtually ignoring the Vipers, the Cylon basestars focus their efforts on ''Pegasus'' and produce a third nuclear missile hit on the battlestar, resulting in damage to the topside heat exchanger.

Having been an engineering officer with no experience in combat, Commander Garner proves unable to deal with the situation effectively.  Worse yet, the heavy barrage dealt by the Cylons damages the ''Pegasus''' FTL drive, making escape from the area impossible.  Realizing his skills would be most effective in engineering, Garner voluntarily transfers command to (newly promoted) Major [[Lee Adama]], and dashes below to Engineering to help. 

After a moment of hesitation, Major Adama orders ''Pegasus'' to make for the nearest basestar, while rolling the ship over to keep its damaged dorsal side out of the line of fire.  He orders Starbuck and [[Marcia Case|Showboat]] to take the rest of the Vipers and concentrate on defending the compromised portions of ''Pegasus'' from further damage, while directing the battlestar's forward batteries to fire on the closest of the three basestars. His tactic is successful and they manage to inflict severe damage to the basestar's central axis, buying ''Pegasus'' more time.  The wounded basestar hastily withdraws from combat<ref>This is the first documented occurrence of a basestar diverging from their normal tactic of fighting to the death, perhaps due to the loss of the [[Resurrection Ship]] some time earlier.</ref>.

Meanwhile, Commander Garner determines that a hull breach prevents technicians from opening an auxiliary coolant valve crucial to re-starting the FTL drive.  With ''Pegasus'' unable to last much longer against the Cylons, he valiantly enters the compartment himself, opens the valve, and restores the FTL drive before dying of asphyxiation<ref>See [http://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/vacuum.html NASA JPL scientist Geoffrey Landis' description on what happens from vacuum exposure.] Garner must have died of asyphxiation, not vacuum exposure, as it takes him more than 30-45 seconds to open the auxiliary valves. Vacuum exposure would cause unconsciousness within 9 to 11 seconds. While his engineers watched the oxygen levels drop, the atmospheric pressure in the compartment was sufficiently high not to be a vacuum, but not sufficiently pressurized to allow breathing.</ref> .  With the FTL drive restored, Major Adama orders all fighters to return to ''Pegasus'', and for the ship to initiate a jump.

''Pegasus'' returns to the relative safety of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] with relatively minor damage and few casualties. However, she has lost her third commanding officer since the destruction of the Resurrection Ship. 

Lee Adama's tour under the rank of major is short-lived. For his efforts in returning ''Pegasus'' under dangerous odds, Admiral Adama awards him with the rank of Commander and the command of ''Pegasus'' ([[The Captain's Hand]]).

==References==
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{{Battles (RDM)}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Battles]]
[[Category:Colonial Battles (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Schlacht im Binären Sternensystem]]