List of terms (TOS-RH)

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Part of the series on Battlestar Galactica Terminology

Original Series Separate Continuity and Unproduced Scripts Richard Hatch's Continuation Novels Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 Galactica 1980 Re-imagined Series Separate Continuity (Books, Comics, Video Games, et al.)

This is a listing of terms that appear in the glossary in "Armageddon," from page 310—312, in addition to terms not defined in that glossary, but appear in the Richard Hatch novels. Terms appearing in List of terms (TOS) do not appear here, unless to note a discrepancy.

Military

Units

• Blue Squadron: Warrior unit commanded by Lieutenant Commander Apollo circa 7360 (RH: Armageddon). Unit members include:
  • Boomer
  • Sheba
  • Starbuck
  • Jolly
  • Giles†
  • Zimmer†
  • Eva
• Fourth Squadron: Warrior unit commanded by Captain Hecate in 7360. Ensign Dalton is assigned to this squadron following her graduation from the Academy (RH: Armageddon).

Strategies

• "divide and conquer": a maneuver involving two Vipers, wherein both head in opposite directions, but later head towards each other in a near collision course after their enemy splits its forces to follow both craft; the enemy craft are later disposed of as they blindly pursue their opposite number, with the partner Viper attacking the other's pursuers

Terms

General

• altered: intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
• anchor spikes: nails
• berth: bed
• brain crystals: outlawed chemical weapon causing portions of the brain to wither and harden, as if frozen
• buritician: a member of the hereditary nobility of the Colonies
• cogitator: a Cylon diplomat, like Lucifer
• commander's court: military court
• cycle: work details and duties are divided into two eight-hour periods and one nine-hour period, or cycle, per ship's day; three consecutive cycles comprise a full day
• drag-field: a type of gravity well generated by "the collective mass and inertia" of various larger craft, thus allowing smaller vessels (shuttles, Vipers) traveling at the same velocities; the Fleet's mass of vessels generated such a field, allowing intra-fleet travel via computed routes
• fiberline: a thin, strong rope
• forge ship: designation of a craft tasked with the manufacture of support crafts and other equipment (c.f. Hephaestus, Adena)
• frizzort: a mishap, error, or malfunction
• fundamental code: a language of sounds, gestures and images believed to be significant to most sentient lifeforms
• instruction period: term for time dedicated to education
• mealprep: a kitchen
• mucoid: slimy, sticky; likely an adjective
• novayahren: birthday
• slagger: slothful person
• tarpit: a form of quicksand on Caprica, appearing as a black abyss; Borellian Nomen are taught to avoid it, for one step would spell doom
• temblor: a ground tremor or seismic planetary phenomenon

Creatures

• avion: a bird
• bova: a large livestock animal kept in herds
• flanchette: a stinging insect known for its nests, similar to that of the Earth hornet; Major Boomer notes that Puck is "stirring up a flanchette's nest all over the fleet," suggesting that the act is deleterious to one's well-being
• mugjape: maggot-like creatures; the larval stage of skreeters
• skreeter: described in the book as a "bothersome but essentially harmless insect"; perhaps similar to flies or, at worst, mosquitoes

Foodstuffs

• beschkurd: green, leafy vegetable common to most Colonies
• coneth stew: a spicy vegetable dish made with bova meat
• fallaga: a plant found on Qorax
• heffala berries: fruit native to Caprica, grown on the Agro Ships
• kirasolis: a sticky, caramel-like candy
• mange grass: an editable item used in stews, fields of which are grown aboard Agro-3; this grass grew tall enough to cover a then-unidentified body of a murder victim
• ogliv: a fruit described as prickly skinned and sweet; perhaps similar to pineapple
• tulipian buds: exotic appetizer or side dish made from vegetables

Labor

• agro-worker: an individual tasked with agricultural work, e.g. farmer or farmhand
• servitor: waiter

Materials

• flexi-weave: a type of fabric
• kyluminum: a lightweight, plasteen/saligium alloy
• oregg: a precious metal, equivalent to gold
• plasteen: an indestructible plastic
• saligium: heavy metal alloy used in construction
• sylvanus: metal used in jewelry, similar to brass

Slang

• cog: slang for cogitator, e.g. Lucifer; Starbuck refers to Lucifer thusly when asking why Lucifer is seated on the "High Seat of Command" instead of Baltar
• "High Seat of Command": the high-stationed seat in the Cylon basestar's command chamber, from where Imperious Leader, Baltar, and other Cylon leaders command
• "trank it": calm down

Technology

• apex pulsar: the top, center engine on a Viper
• ascensior: an elevator
• flatscreen: computer screen
• fuel buoy: a fuel storage container, typically deployed for fighter patrols to refuel on long range recons if beyond the range of a mothership
• gyro-capacitor: the energy transference system used in starships
• helm: the helmet worn by Viper pilots
• hyperdrive: a fast drive, typically those on spacecraft, like Vipers
• hyperspeed: term for high speed
• imager: a high-tech mirror
• info-scroll: a heads-up display projected against the energy shield of a helm
• info-sphere: data storage capsule
• launch aperture: energy-shielded opening in a starship bay through which smaller ships take off and land
• magnalift: hi-tech crane
• micronoscope: powerful electronic microscope
• musiclink: radio; primarily for music and entertainment
• navi-hilt: the pilot's stick in a Viper
• Quantum Shift Effect/QSE: a Cylon invisibility technology developed to shift a ship out of reality, thus allowing un-phased matter and energy to travel through it; believed by Apollo and Starbuck to be a primitive version of the technology employed by lightships
• S-cube: simulcast sight-and-sound unit; a video camera
• sensorline: physical connection between two technology systems
• skyeye: a multiple-lensed, spherical camera capable of hovering
• stellar projector: panels absorbing, storing, and projecting light for use aboard Agro Ships
• support vapors: life support aboard ships
• techno center: technology center; the Cylon base on Ochoa broadcasted jamming signals from this point
• TransVid: television
• turbolaser: the laser guns on a Viper

Measurements

• centimetron: 1/100th of a metron; about 1/2 inch
• metron: term similar to meter, comprising of 100 centimetrons; about 50 inches (4 feet 2 inches)

Contradictions

• grog
  • In "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I," Greenbean is seen taking grog from the Officer's Mess and bottled like beer.
  • In "Armaggedon," grog is an alcoholic beverage as well, but is similar to rum.
• pogees
  • In "The Living Legend, Part II," Lucifer uses the term similar to how "shit" would be utilized; e.g. "They're blowing the pogees out of it."
  • In "Armageddon," pogees is a term for testicles.
• pulsar
  • In "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero," the term pulsar is used to identify the Ravashol pulsar, a device that is used as a weapon by the Cylons.
  • In "The Hand of God," the term "mega pulsar" is used to identify the major offensive weapons on a basestar.
  • In the novel, this is a term for an engine aboard a starship.
• TransVid Information Service
  • In Richard Hatch's Armageddon, Guinevere is a reporter for this service. It is referred to by the initialism TIS.
  • While Original Series' "The Man with Nine Lives" introduces Inter-Fleet Broadcasting (IFB), it is unknown whether or not this is either a competing or replacement service.

Differences

• centari: equivalent to nearly one minute; one hundred microns
• centon: equivalent to nearly one hour; one hundred centari
• cubit: the cubit is said to be made from oregg, although this is never mentioned in the series
• micron: equivalent to a fraction of a second; 1/100th of a centari
• week: defined as "ten days"; which would make 25 weeks in a yahren
• yahren: while still equivalent to a year, a yahren is 250 days

Notes

• With the numbers given, there is a noted disconnect between Earth time and Colonial time. For instance, someone living 100 yahren (2,500 weeks) in Colonial time would be only be 48 Earth years old. This explains why the Colonials appear to have a longer lifespan, as Adama noted that the Colonial lifespan was 200 yahren (96 Earth years).

Original Series definition: an all-purpose term for Colonial soldier and Viper pilot (see: Warrior)

Original Series definition: agriculture ^{(TOS: "The Magnificent Warriors")}

Re-imagined Series definition: equivalent of "square," a socially awkward person ^{(CAP: "The Imperfections of Memory")}

Galactica 1980 definition: air produced by a life support system ^{(1980: "The Return of Starbuck")}

Galactica 1980 definition: a unit equivalent to 1 hectometer

Original Series definition: unit of distance of smaller denomination than maxim, the Earth measurement being equivalent to meter; used in a deleted scene as Serina approaches the starboard landing bay ^{(TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II")}

Original Series definition: an intoxicating beverage, likely similar to beer (see: grog)

Original Series definition: expletive, similar to "shit" ^{(TOS: "The Living Legend, Part II")}

Original Series definition: a unit of time akin to a "minute"; in earlier episodes (e.g. "Saga of a Star World," "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I"), centon is used as the Colonial equivalent of a week before being retconned in later episodes

Re-imagined Series definition: unit of currency, see: cubit

Original Series definition: a form of coined currency (see: cubit)

Original Series definition: unit of time akin to a "second"; Microcenton is likely another term for "micron"; Starbuck uses this term when he says "switching off of you for a microcenton to scan ahead" ^{(TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II")}

Original Series definition: unit of time akin to a "year" (see: Yahren)