Ochoa

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch continuation separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Ochoa is the outermost planet in the Binary 13 system capable of supporting human life.

It shares an extraordinary helix orbit with the two stars; it first orbits one star, then another in a single rotation. A complete rotation is believed to last between forty and fifty yahren.

Planetary Characteristics

The planet itself is inhabited and is replete with mineral deposits, overrun with vegetation (although its edibility is unknown) and contains veins of tylium of high purity, more so than anything the Colonials themselves used since their exodus. Long-range scans indicate that Ochoa possesses massive clusters of lifeforms in hundreds of locations, as well as one enormous technological or industrial center.

Colonial Reconnaissance

Captain Starbuck and Lieutenant Commander Apollo conduct a reconnaissance mission to Ochoa just prior to Commander Adama's natural death. During their approach, they discover their scanners are being jammed by a technological installation on the planet's surface. The jamming signal originates from a techno center near the farther of Ochoa's rotational axes.

Apollo senses danger and familiarity, believing that whoever is on the planet knows them. His suspicions prove correct when laser blasts erupt around their Vipers as they approach the surface.

Cylon Presence

The Cylons, which the Fleet has not encountered in six yahren, maintain a significant presence on Ochoa. During their recon patrol, Starbuck and Apollo engage in battle with Cylon forces near the planet.

Lucifer later informs Baltar that Ochoa is in the process of being evacuated. The base star commanded by Baltar is positioned close to the Binary 13 system during this period.

Planetary Instability

Due to the gravitational pull from its two stars, Ochoa is in the process of being torn apart, although this instability is not initially detected during the Colonials' reconnaissance mission. Despite initial seismic readings showing zero-zero stability, Starbuck expresses concerns about landing on a planet that could enter a cycle of geological upheavals at any time.

These fears prove well-founded. During Apollo and Starbuck's time on the surface, the planet experiences increasingly severe seismic activity. What begins as minor tremors escalates into catastrophic geological upheaval, with mountains convulsing and entire mountainsides sliding away into rifts that split the terrain. The ground heaves continuously, with gouts of fire arcing into the air from gashes scarring the surface. Apollo and Starbuck narrowly escape in their Viper as the planet tears itself apart.