Editing Cylon transponder

[[File:Transponder-kobol-I.jpg|thumb|''Galactica''{{'|s}} command finds three transponders within the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] by the events of "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]".]]

The '''Cylon transponder''' is a small, ovoid device that is discreetly placed under ''''{{RDM|Galactica}}'''s'' [[DRADIS console]] by a [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon agent]]. A similar device was carried about by [[Number Six]], during her time on Caprica with [[Gaius Baltar]] {{TRS|Miniseries}}, perhaps to better allow tracking of herself by other Cylons.

The transponder works as an [[IFF]] device, identifying anyone or anything that holds it as a "friendly" contact to other Cylons. Apparently this device was installed by the first copy of [[Aaron Doral]] shortly before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack]] began while security throughout the ship was more lax during the work of transforming ''Galactica'' into a [[Galactica Museum|museum]]. It was likely intended by the Cylons to track ''Galactica'' during (or, if she were to escape, after) the initial Cylon attacks.

There are two transponder styles. The second style is similarly shaped, but has cover plates that suggest advanced features, range, or programming.

Commander [[William Adama]] takes strategic advantage of one of the devices by placing it aboard a [[Raptor]], allowing it to pass unchallenged into a Cylon [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]], where a nuclear device is placed aboard the basestar to destroy it {{TRS|Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II}}. A second transponder is aboard the captured [[Raider]], piloted by {{callsign|Starbuck}} in her against-orders adventure back to [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] in search of an ancient [[Arrow of Apollo|artifact]] {{TRS|Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I}}. This transponder is obtained from the copy of [[Leoben Conoy]] found on the [[Gemenon Traveller]], in a scene cut from the episode "[[Flesh and Bone]]".

It is presumed that the transponder uses a form of [[wireless]] communication, although this has not been established in the series.

== Related imagery ==

<gallery mode="slideshow">
Image:Cylontransponder1.jpg|A transponder in the purse of a copy of [[Number Six]] {{TRS|Miniseries, Night 1}}.
Image:Cylontransponder2.jpg|A transponder on the base of ''Galactica''{{'|s}} [[DRADIS console]] {{TRS|Miniseries, Night 2}}.
</gallery>

==Notes==

* Keen eyes who watch the [[Miniseries]] will note that the transponder was not on the DRADIS console until later in the show, indicating that it was placed either shortly before or after the ship entered combat. This contradicts Gaeta's statement that "is has been there for about a week" and is likely a gaffe on the part of the producers.
* The presence of a third transponder in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]" in Colonial hands is never explained. The first transponder is captured in the [[Miniseries]] after [[Gaius Baltar]] notifies ''{{RDM|Galactica}}''{{'|s}} crew about it. The second is confiscated after [[Leoben Conoy]]'s capture in a [[List of Deleted Scenes - Season 1 (RDM)#Flesh and Bone|deleted scene]] from "[[Flesh and Bone]]". 

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[[de:Zylonischer Transponder]]