Editing Battle of the Colony

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{{Battle Data
| image=Battleofthecolony.jpg
| description=
| conflict= [[Cylon Attack|Second Cylon War]], [[Cylon Civil War]], Final Conflict
| date= c. {{ACH|4}}
| epi= [[Daybreak, Part I]] <br/> [[Daybreak, Part II]]
| place=[[The Colony]]
| result= Colonial/Rebel Cylon victory <br /> [[Hera Agathon]] rescued <br /> Cylon loyalist faction destroyed <br /> End of Second Cylon War <br /> End of Cylon Civil War <br /> Discovery of [[Earth (RDM)#A New Earth|New Earth]]
| combatant1= * Remnants of the [[Colonial Fleet]] <br /> * [[Cylon Basestar|Rebel Cylon faction]]
| combatant2= * [[Cylon (RDM)|Cylon]] loyalist faction
| co1= * Admiral [[William Adama]]
| co2= * [[Number One|John Cavil]] †
| strength1= * battlestar ''{{RDM|Galactica}}''<br />Associated Vipers<br />Associated Raptors
| strength2= * The Colony<br />Associated Raiders
| shiploss1= * Crippling damage to ''Galactica'' <br /> * 4 Vipers destroyed <br /> * 7 Raptors destroyed
| shiploss2= * The Colony  <br /> * Numerous Raiders
| casualties1= * Heavy casualties on ''Galactica'' <br /> * Numerous "Red Stripe" Centurions destroyed
| casualties2= * Eventual extinction of Cylon loyalist faction 
| prev= [[Gaeta's Mutiny]]
| next= None (End of war)
| series= RDM
}}
The '''Battle of the Colony''' is the climactic final engagement between the survivors from the [[Twelve Colonies of Kobol]] and the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]], as well as the final battle of the [[Cylon Civil War]].

== Background ==
Plans for the battle begin in earnest shortly after the child [[Hera Agathon]] is kidnapped by a Number Eight, [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]], and taken to [[the Colony]] for experimentation {{TRS|Islanded in a Stream of Stars}}. Initially, Admiral [[William Adama]] did not want to entertain such a prospect, as ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' was under repair, and in no shape to fight. However, Adama comes to have a change of heart, and secretly seeks the assistance of [[Samuel Anders]] in locating where Valerii could have taken the child. Weighing his options, he gathers his crew on the hangar deck, asking for volunteers. Enough of them agree to join him for ''Galactica'' itself to go into the fight, and not just a small Raptor assault team. 

A Raptor scout, crewed by Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]], and Lieutenant [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]], seeks out the location of the Colony, finding it buried in a field of stellar debris orbiting a naked singularity. This complicates matters, as it leaves ''Galactica'' only one location to jump to - point blank range in front of the Colony's gun batteries {{TRS|Daybreak, Part I}}. 

The Cylons also enlist volunteers, including several dozen freed Centurions, painted with large, red stripes across their torsos to distinguish them from the otherwise similar Centurions on board the Colony. Confident in his plan, Admiral Adama authorizes the mission. Before setting off, he hands over control of the fleet to Junior Lieutenant [[Louis Hoshi]] who is remaining behind on the Rebel Cylon baseship, while [[Romo Lampkin]] is sworn in as President of the Colonies, in place of [[Lee Adama]] and [[Laura Roslin]], who both volunteer for the mission.

The baseship formally takes over [[CAP]] duties as ''Galactica'' jumps away. 

==Battle==
The battle begins as ''Galactica'' jumps within range of the Colony. The Cylons detect ''Galactica'', and open fire. The ship takes a beating from both large and small calibre batteries, causing the ship to violently rock in every direction, but ''Galactica''{{'|s}} hull holds together. Anders, now connected to ''Galactica''{{'|s}} systems via the [[CIC]], connects to the Colony's [[Hybrid]]s, and orders them shut down. Recognizing his signature, the Hybrids comply, and the Colony's weapons cease functioning. This causes the Colony to launch its massive Raider compliment. 

With the Colony's weapons offline, ''Galactica'' launches its remaining Vipers, while at least fifteen Raptors jump directly from the starboard [[flight pod]] in a flanking position to board the Colony. The stresses involved in jumping directly from the pod result in structural failure, leading to explosive decompression of the entire pod, and the destruction of any remaining museum pieces. 
[[File:Colony Breech.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Galactica'' rams the Colony.]]
After the planes are away, Admiral Adama orders flank speed, ramming the battlestar's dense "alligator-head" bow into the Colony, punching a large hole in the Colony's side. Rappelling down from four airlocks, Lee Adama leads a strike team of volunteers and "Red Stripe" Centurions, while Raptor strike forces led by Capt. [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]], Capt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]], and Jr. Lt. [[Sharon Agathon|Sharon "Athena" Agathon]] cut their way in elsewhere on the Colony's hull, however, not all Raptors survive the flight. Pilots "Cartwheel," Lt. Edmondson, and Lt. McCall are known to have been killed after their respective Raptors are struck by debris from the dense stellar cluster. Before being struck, Lt. Edmondson, and Lt. McCall arm their nuclear payload assuring themselves they're not flying in cold. 

Inside the Colony, both strike forces push onwards despite opposition from not only modern Centurions, but older [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Model 0005 Centurions]]. Capt. Thrace's team is the first to discover Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, who has retrieved Hera out of sympathy and because she feels she owes Adama a favor. She hands the child over to the rescue team without a fight, warning the team that their Raptors have been destroyed and cannot be used for escape. As the rest of the team retreats back the path they came, Sharon "Boomer" Valerii is gunned down by Sharon Agathon, in retaliation for taking her daughter. They are able to reconnect with Lee Adama's strike team before retreating back to ''Galactica''.

During this time, [[John Cavil]] goes on the offensive, taking a [[Number Four]] and a [[Number Five]], as well as a team of Centurions and boards ''Galactica'', making his way to the [[CIC]]. Hit and run firefights break out all over the ship, as marines and Centurions duck in and out of various corridors, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six]] are among the many that help defend the ship, and are able to take down Centurions that prevent Lee Adama and Lt. Thrace from advancing further. Both parties begin making their way back to the heavily defended CIC, after Hera is taken away by her parents. Along their way, they are ambushed by a Number Five, who guns down a marine, and hits Capt. Karl Agathon in the leg, before being killed by Capt. Thrace. While Sharon Agathon and others work to close Capt. Agathon's wound, Hera runs off and disappears. [[Laura Roslin]], working in [[sickbay]], senses Hera's return and chases after her, in what becomes a parallel of the [[Opera House Prophecy]], each person in turn part of a vision that protects the child from harm as she wanders through decks filled with gunfire and enemy forces. Caprica-Six and Baltar eventually find and take Hera with them to [[CIC]], recreating their movement as seen in their visions, encountering the [[Final Five]] there, standing on the CIC balcony.

Upon entering the CIC, they discover that the loyal Cylon forces have broken through, but are ultimately killed by officers inside, while Cavil is captured by a marine. In the process of being removed from the CIC, ''Galactica'' is rocked by another massive hit, and Cavils takes the opportunity to overpower his captor, and quickly takes Hera hostage. Mocking the Colonials' situation, Cavil demands to be let go, and wants to take Hera with him, stating she is the best hope for his kind after the [[Battle of the Resurrection Hub|permanent destruction]] of Cylon [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]] {{TRS|The Hub}}. Baltar successfully talks Cavil into a truce in exchange for Hera's life. Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] sweetens the pot by offering resurrection in exchange for a permanent truce between humanity and the Cylons. Cavil agrees, and calls off his forces, while the Five collectively work to rebuild the ancient organic memory transfer technology. ''Galactica'' recalls its Vipers, ultimately losing four in the battle, with a fifth on fire as it lands in the port flight pod. 

[[File:Img0059.jpg|245px]][[File:Battery desctuction.jpg|245px]][[File:Battery destroyed.jpg|245px]]
*''Galactica's main batteries are a primary target for the Cylon Raiders.''

== Broken Truce ==
[[File:Colony's Demise.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Lt. Edmondson's Raptor drifts in space.]]
The truce is short lived, as the Five work to rebuild Cylon resurrection, their memories become linked, and all are able to see into each other's lives, including [[Tory Foster]]'s memories of murdering [[Cally Tyrol]] by flushing her out of an airlock {{TRS|The Ties That Bind}}. The remaining four are shocked by what they see, with Galen eventually breaking the link, and snapping Tory's neck in a fit of rage. Her death destroys any chance of Cavil regaining resurrection, which causes the loyalist Cylons in the CIC to open fire on the officers inside. The firefight is short lived, as Number Four, and Number Five are quickly killed, and Cavil commits suicide by placing his gun to his mouth. Outside of the ship, Cylon Raiders resume their attack on ''Galactica''. The ship is left undefended, and takes more damage. 

At this moment, debris strikes the Raptor belonging to Lt. Edmondson, and Lt. McCall, still adrift in space, causing Edmondson's stiff hand to fall on the launch mechanism for the onboard nuclear payload. The missiles launch towards the Colony, and detonate, immediately lighting the Colony on fire, and knocking it out of orbit, causing it to begin falling towards the singularity, taking ''Galactica'' with it. Both vessels are struck by debris, as Admiral Adama calls upon Capt. Thrace to activate the ship's FTL drive, and jump the ship back to the Fleet, but she unable, as she does not have the Fleet's rendezvous coordinates. Just as Adama calls for a blind jump, she realizes that [[The Music|the mysterious music played by her father]], and given to her by Hera Agathon, forms FTL jump coordinates. As visions fill her head, she enters the coordinates and activates ''Galactica''{{'|s}} FTL engine. As the Colony continues to fall into the singularity, ''Galactica'' jumps away, leaving it to its fate.

== Musical Score and Production ==

The Battle of the Colony was scored as part of what composer [[Bear McCreary]] called "The Battlestar Galactica Symphony," a nearly 100-minute score that spanned both "Daybreak" episodes. Due to the epic scope and climactic nature of this final battle, McCreary was under intense pressure to create the biggest and most important action music he had ever written for the series.<ref name="daybreak">{{cite web |url=https://bearmccreary.com/bg4-daybreak-pt-2/ |title=BG4: "Daybreak, Parts I & II" |author=Bear McCreary |date=March 20, 2008 |access-date=July 26, 2025}}</ref>

=== Orchestral Challenges ===

The orchestral fate of the finale was uncertain for many weeks due to budget constraints. When it became clear that the allocated music budget was insufficient, the producers and McCreary personally pooled their resources to fund the orchestra. The orchestral music heard in this battle was made possible through unprecedented personal contributions from [[Ronald D. Moore]], [[David Eick]], [[Jane Espenson]], [[Michael Taylor]], [[Bradley Thompson]], [[David Weddle]], [[Todd Sharp]], Paul M. Leonard, and McCreary himself.<ref name="daybreak"/>

=== Battle Music ===

The battle sequence was divided into two main musical storylines: the dogfights in space and the marines infiltrating the Colony. The space combat was scored with the full ensemble, featuring Eric Rigler's Great Highland Bagpipes prominently. McCreary pushed the limits of the bagpipes by writing orchestral music around them that allowed their use in unorthodox keys including C# Major, F# Minor, F# Major and E major.<ref name="daybreak"/>

One of the most intense moments features what McCreary called "the nastiest bagpipe chord ever recorded" - nine different tracks of bagpipes, each holding one of the nine pitches the instrument can play, creating the most dissonant cluster possible on bagpipes. The battle featured so many pipe overdubs that McCreary was certain they broke some kind of world record.<ref name="daybreak"/>

The inner Colony sequences were scored with a smaller, more intimate percussion ensemble, featuring the Japanese trio of shamisen, biwa and tsuzumi against dissonant clusters of strings and soloists as the marines moved through the hallways and engaged Centurions.<ref name="daybreak"/>

=== Key Musical Moments ===

Several specific musical moments enhanced the dramatic impact of the battle:

* When Sam's mind infiltrates the Colony's hybrid system, a huge orchestral statement of the [[Final Four Theme]] highlights his moment of taking control.<ref name="daybreak"/>
* The [[Boomer / Athena / Hera Theme]] underscores Boomer's decision to rescue Hera and her final confrontation with Athena.<ref name="daybreak"/>
* During the Opera House chase sequence, [[Raya Yarbrough]] sings the [[Roslin Religious Theme]] in Latin while creating a "Raya Choir" by overdubbing her voice fifteen times, marking Cavil and his forces as apocalyptic horsemen.<ref name="daybreak"/>
* When [[Head Six]] and [[Head Baltar]] reveal themselves, their themes are paired with [[Richard Gibbs]]' iconic [[Number Six theme]] from the miniseries.<ref name="daybreak"/>
* [[Baltar]]'s negotiation with Cavil is underscored by the most lyrical and beautiful setting of the [[Baltar Religious Theme]] in the entire series.<ref name="daybreak"/>

=== Editorial Collaboration ===

The battle featured unprecedented collaboration between composer and editor. When McCreary wrote the music for Kara's coordinate sequence, the initial cut wasn't matching his musical vision. In an extremely rare move for television production, editor Andy Seklir agreed to re-cut the sequence to match McCreary's music, with McCreary sitting in the editing room to show exactly where each musical note should hit.<ref name="daybreak"/>

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==Aftermath==
[[File:Cripple.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Galactica'' suffers explosive decompressions along its lateral structural members.]]
The toll of battle and its structural frailty are too much for the old battlestar. As it completes the jump, ''Galactica'' suffers a series of critical structural failures, causing its lateral structural members to collapse, and permanently destroying its FTL jumping capabilities. The ship is rocked by a series of explosive decompressions as its members collapse, throwing officers, and crew around inside, while Vipers and Landrams are tossed from the flight pod. After the ship settles, its sublight engines re-engage, as the ship drifts over a dull, greyish moon, orbiting a [[Earth_(RDM)#A_New_Earth:_The_Promised_Land|habitable planet]] ahead. Twelve hours after the battle, the civilian fleet, along with its basestar escort, rejoins ''Galactica'' in orbit of the planet. The Colonials, along with the surviving Twos, Sixes, and Eights, will eventually move to settle the planet, while the baseship is given to the freed "Red Stripe" Centurions. This marks the end of the Colonial's four year exodus from the Colonies after the Cylons attacked, and a permanent end to Colonial/Cylon hostilities.

Those who settle did not learn whether any of the Cylons on the Colony were able to escape before it fell into the black hole. Additionally no baseships were seen participating in the battle and an unknown number of baseships were known to remain in Cavil's fleet before the battle. The fate of any Cylons that may be left on what remains of the Cylon fleet is unknown. However, without natural reproduction and with the recovery of resurrection technology impossible, their extinction is a foregone conclusion. All of the Final Five would have been necessary to rebuild it, so any hope of restoring resurrection was lost when Anders and Foster died {{TRS|Daybreak, Part II}}. And with the surviving humans and Cylon rebels giving up technology, the likelihood of discovery of their new settlements by any potential remaining Cylons seeking revenge would have been nearly impossible.

== References ==
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[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Battles]]
[[Category:Colonial Battles (TRS)]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
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