| Latest revision |
Your text |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| {{Separate continuity|universe=TOS|cont=Richard Hatch Novelizations}}{{Disambiguation|Rising Star (TOS)|for the canonical depiction of this vessel}}
| | #REDIRECT[[The Fleet (TOS-RH)#Rising Star]] |
| | |
| '''''Rising Star''''' is a luxury liner serving as part of {{TOS-RH|the Fleet}}, functioning primarily as an entertainment and recreation vessel.<ref name="ARM46">{{cite book/RH|1|46}}</ref> Over the course of the fleet's journey, the ship transitions from a center of leisure to a severely overcrowded refugee vessel struggling with resource shortages and civil unrest.<ref name="REB29">{{cite book/RH|4|29}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| ==Description==
| |
| | |
| ''Rising Star'' is classified as a luxury liner, one of several vessels in the fleet designated for cultural and entertainment purposes rather than military or industrial functions.<ref name="ARM46" /> The ship features a [[triad (TOS-RH)|triad]] court with a balcony overlooking the playing area, where spectator seating accommodates large crowds.<ref name="ARM46" /> The facility includes holo-cameras that capture events and transmit them throughout the fleet.<ref name="ARM46" />
| |
| | |
| The ship also houses a casino, which becomes a focal point during the rebellion crisis.<ref name="REB47">{{cite book/RH|4|47}}</ref> Originally appointed with rich wall coverings and maintained systems, the vessel represents one of the fleet's more comfortable living spaces during peacetime.<ref name="REB50">{{cite book/RH|4|50}}</ref> | |
| | |
| ==History==
| |
| | |
| ===Peacetime Recreation===
| |
| | |
| During the period known as "the peacetime"—six [[yahren]] when the [[Colonial Fleet (TOS-RH)|Colonials]] encountered no [[Cylons (TOS-RH)|Cylons]]—''Rising Star'' serves as one of the most popular tourist ships in the fleet.<ref name="WAR21">{{cite book/RH|2|21}}</ref> The vessel provides entertainment and recreational facilities for fleet citizens seeking respite from their cramped living conditions on other ships.<ref name="ARM46" />
| |
| | |
| The triad court hosts major sporting events that draw large crowds. Following Commander [[Adama (TOS-RH)|Adama]]'s first cardiac seizure, a triad match is held in his memory.<ref name="ARM46" /> [[Troy (TOS-RH)|Troy]] and [[Sheba (TOS-RH)|Sheba]] attend this event, sitting in the balcony while the spectator seating below overflows with people, many of whom have "obviously had more than a few drinks before arriving for the match."<ref name="ARM46" /> The event helps fleet citizens relieve tension during the political crisis following Adama's illness.<ref name="ARM46" />
| |
| | |
| ===Crisis and Overcrowding===
| |
| | |
| When the fleet becomes trapped in a mysterious cloud and faces severe resource shortages, ''Rising Star'' becomes a primary destination for refugees from failing ships. [[Omega (TOS-RH)|Flight Officer Omega]]'s brother and his family from a light cruiser—just four families with zero fuel remaining—are relocated to ''Rising Star'' when their vessel can no longer sustain them.<ref name="REB30">{{cite book/RH|4|30}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| The situation worsens when ''[[Hestia (TOS-RH)|Hestia]]'', carrying over two hundred people, suffers catastrophic hull breaches in three locations.<ref name="REB28">{{cite book/RH|4|28}}</ref> Commander [[Athena (TOS-RH)|Athena]] orders the evacuation of ''Hestia''{{'|s}} passengers to ''Rising Star'', despite the luxury liner already being severely overcrowded.<ref name="REB29" /> The evacuees desperately do not want to leave the only home they have known for twenty years, and nobody on ''Rising Star'' welcomes another two hundred homeless refugees.<ref name="REB29" />
| |
| | |
| Commander [[Apollo (TOS-RH)|Apollo]] orders that ''Rising Star'' be stocked with sufficient food rations to accommodate the influx of refugees.<ref name="REB31">{{cite book/RH|4|31}}</ref> [[Protea]], a talented teacher who operates an education program aboard ''Hestia'', hopes there will be more food available on ''Rising Star'' than her ship had.<ref name="REB31" /> However, she fears she may never see Athena again, suggesting she understands the dire nature of their situation.<ref name="REB31" />
| |
| | |
| ===Descent into Chaos===
| |
| | |
| The overcrowding and resource shortages transform ''Rising Star'' from a luxury vessel into a nightmare of deprivation. The ship's once-pristine condition deteriorates rapidly as the environmental systems struggle under the strain of hundreds of additional refugees.<ref name="REB50" /> The air becomes poorly scrubbed and filled with the stench of fire, sweat, and human waste.<ref name="REB50" /> The rich wall coverings are torn apart, apparently cannibalized by desperate inhabitants.<ref name="REB50" />
| |
| | |
| Bodies lie unclaimed in public spaces. When Athena arrives aboard the ship with a warrior squadron from ''[[Daedalus (TOS-RH)|Daedalus]]'', she encounters a dead middle-aged man slumped in the docking bay, wearing the short jacket of an agriculturalist.<ref name="REB50" /> The body has remained there for an indeterminate time, its stench overwhelming.<ref name="REB50" /> The man's hand clutches a torn and blackened soft toy daggit—a child's toy—suggesting he died trying to retrieve it or was carrying it when killed.<ref name="REB50" /> The fate of his child remains unknown.<ref name="REB50" />
| |
| | |
| ===Rebellion===
| |
| | |
| The deteriorating conditions spark organized rebellion aboard ''Rising Star''. Rebels, led by a figure named [[Jinkrat (TOS-RH)|Jinkrat]], seize control of the casino and take six security guards prisoner, threatening to execute them unless a [[secton]]'s worth of food is released.<ref name="REB47" /> The rebels claim that real food exists aboard ''[[Galactica (TOS-RH)|Galactica]]'' and refuse to believe they are limited to pellets.<ref name="REB47" />
| |
| | |
| The rebellion is widespread and well-organized, with raiders operating throughout the ship.<ref name="REB47" /> The head of the security team reports they can hold their position but are clearly overwhelmed by the scale of the uprising.<ref name="REB47" /> Laser fire exchanges occur throughout the vessel, with casualties on both sides.<ref name="REB50" /> The dead man in the docking bay may have been killed during the initial fighting when the guards were captured.<ref name="REB51">{{cite book/RH|4|51}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| When Athena's team arrives, they immediately come under attack while still in the docking bay.<ref name="REB51" /> [[Cassiopeia (TOS-RH)|Cassiopeia]], who accompanies the mission as a medical officer, must take cover while the warriors lay down suppressing fire.<ref name="REB51" /> Athena instinctively protects Cassiopeia with her own body during the firefight.<ref name="REB51" /> The warriors, despite exhaustion and depleted resources, spread out and return fire without needing orders, testament to their training and experience.<ref name="REB51" />
| |
| | |
| The security situation aboard ''Rising Star'' represents a critical threat to fleet cohesion, forcing military intervention at a time when resources and personnel are already stretched to their limits.<ref name="REB47" />
| |
| | |
| ==Condition and Infrastructure==
| |
| | |
| During its luxury liner phase, ''Rising Star'' maintains sophisticated entertainment infrastructure, including:
| |
| * A triad court with balcony seating and overflow spectator areas<ref name="ARM46" />
| |
| * Holo-camera systems for fleet-wide broadcasting<ref name="ARM46" />
| |
| * A casino complex<ref name="REB47" />
| |
| * Recreational facilities throughout the vessel<ref name="WAR21" />
| |
| | |
| The ship's environmental systems, designed for a specific passenger capacity, prove inadequate when forced to accommodate hundreds of additional refugees.<ref name="REB50" /> The air scrubbing systems fail to keep pace with demand, resulting in foul, barely breathable atmosphere.<ref name="REB50" /> Infrastructure throughout the ship shows signs of cannibalization and desperate improvisation as inhabitants strip materials for survival needs.<ref name="REB50" />
| |
| | |
| The docking bay becomes a scene of horror rather than an orderly embarkation point, with unclaimed bodies and evidence of violence.<ref name="REB50" /> The casino, once an entertainment venue, transforms into a fortified rebel stronghold.<ref name="REB47" />
| |
| | |
| ==References==
| |
| <references />
| |
| | |
| [[Category:Ships]]
| |
| [[Category:Ships (TOS)]]
| |
| [[Category:Civilian Vessels]]
| |
| [[Category:Colonial]]
| |
| [[Category:Colonial Fleet (TOS)]]
| |
| [[Category:Richard Hatch Novelizations]]
| |
| [[Category:TOS-RH]]
| |