Editing Siege of Gamoray

{{Separate continuity|universe=TOS|cont=Richard Hatch Novelizations}}{{Disambiguation|Battle of Gamoray|the battle as depicted in canon}}


The '''Siege of Gamoray''' was a major battle fought between the Colonial Fleet and [[Cylons (TOS-RH)|Cylon]] forces approximately nineteen [[yahren]] prior to the [[Colonial-Chitain War (TOS-RH)|Colonial-Chitain War]].<ref name="WH103">{{cite book/RH|2|103}}</ref> The engagement marked the last time the battlestars ''[[Galactica (TOS-RH)|Galactica]]'' and ''[[Pegasus (TOS-RH)|Pegasus]]'' would operate together for nearly two decades, and resulted in the presumed destruction of ''Pegasus'' and its disappearance from the [[Colonial Fleet (TOS-RH)|Colonial Fleet]].<ref name="WH103" />

==Background==

Following the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies (TOS-RH)|Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], the two surviving battlestars—''Galactica'' under [[Adama (TOS-RH)|Commander Adama]] and ''Pegasus'' under [[Cain (TOS-RH)|Commander Cain]]—continued their journey through space while protecting civilian refugees. The siege occurred during this period, when both battlestars encountered a significant [[Cylon]] force at [[Gamoray]].<ref name="WH103" />

==The Battle==

The Colonial forces engaged three Cylon [[base star (TOS-RH)|base stars]] in a hard-fought battle.<ref name="WH103" /> [[Tigh (TOS-RH)|Colonel Tigh]] later recalled that Cain's tactical genius proved decisive in the engagement, leading to the destruction of two of the three base stars.<ref name="WH103" /> However, a third base star—commanded by the traitor [[Baltar (TOS-RH)|Baltar]]—managed to escape the Colonial assault.<ref name="WH103" />

During the battle, [[Sheba (TOS-RH)|Sheba]], daughter of Commander Cain and a [[Viper (TOS-RH)|Viper]] pilot, sustained injuries.<ref name="ARM45">{{cite book/RH|1|45}}</ref> Her father ordered her transferred to ''Galactica'' for medical treatment, a decision that would permanently separate father and daughter for nearly two decades.<ref name="ARM45" />

===Aftermath and Sensor Blackout===

The destruction of two base stars in rapid succession created what [[Apollo (TOS-RH)|Apollo]] later described as "a sea of shrapnel."<ref name="WH103" /> The debris field consisted primarily of [[saligium]] and other metals that Colonial ship sensors were specifically designed to detect.<ref name="WH103" /> This massive cloud of wreckage effectively blinded both battlestars' monitoring systems for many [[centon]]s, preventing them from tracking each other or detecting enemy movements.<ref name="WH103" />

''Galactica''{{'|s}} monitoring systems were "effectively blinded for many centons" by the debris.<ref name="WH103" /> ''Pegasus'' suffered similar sensor disruption, making it impossible for either battlestar to determine the fate of the other.<ref name="WH103" />

==Consequences==

===Separation of the Fleet===

The sensor blackout caused by the battle debris led to a catastrophic misunderstanding between the two Colonial forces. Commander Cain reported that until his reunion with the Fleet nearly two decades later, he had believed ''Galactica'' and her entire fleet were destroyed at Gamoray.<ref name="WH103" /> Similarly, the crew of ''Galactica'' believed ''Pegasus'' had been lost, though no one was certain of its fate.<ref name="WH103" />

===Damage to ''Pegasus''===

While not destroyed, ''Pegasus'' sustained significant damage during the siege. Cain later explained that the battlestar bore "the scars of that campaign, both from direct hits and from associated debris."<ref name="WH103" /> The damage was severe enough that ''Pegasus'' required extensive repairs following the battle.

===''Pegasus''{{'}} Continued Operations===

Rather than being destroyed, ''Pegasus'' survived the battle and continued operating independently. One yahren after Gamoray, the battlestar was still operating within Cylon-controlled space.<ref name="WH103" /> With only a single battlestar at his command, Cain's tactical options were limited, forcing him to adopt a strategy of "strike and run, harry the enemy, then flee to fight again"—a type of warfare Cain admitted was not to his preference, but the only option available.<ref name="WH103" />

During this period, ''Pegasus'' received multiple distress signals from refugee ships who had detected the battlestar's distinctive engine signature.<ref name="WH103" /> These signals led Cain to discover that other survivors from the [[Twelve Colonies of Kobol (TOS-RH)|Twelve Colonies]] had escaped the [[Cylon]] genocide, eventually leading to the establishment of his own colonial settlement on [[Poseidon (planet, TOS-RH)|Poseidon]].<ref name="WH103" />

===Long-term Impact===

The separation caused by the Siege of Gamoray had profound long-term effects on both Colonial forces:

* ''Pegasus'' operated independently for nineteen yahren, eventually establishing a military colony on Poseidon and constructing additional battlestars and warships.<ref name="WH102">{{cite book/RH|2|102}}</ref>
* Sheba's transfer to ''Galactica'' meant she grew up separated from her father, eventually becoming one of the premiere Viper pilots in the Fleet and developing a relationship with Apollo.<ref name="ARM45" />
* The belief in ''Pegasus''{{'}} destruction became a subject of ongoing controversy within the Fleet, with many—including Sheba—refusing to accept that Commander Cain could truly be gone.<ref name="ARM45" />

==Participants==

===Colonial Forces===
* ''[[Galactica (TOS-RH)|Galactica]]'' – Commanded by [[Adama (TOS-RH)|Commander Adama]]
* ''[[Pegasus (TOS-RH)|Pegasus]]'' – Commanded by [[Cain (TOS-RH)|Commander Cain]]

===Cylon Forces===
* Three [[base star (TOS-RH)|base stars]], one commanded by [[Baltar (TOS-RH)|Baltar]]

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Events (TOS-RH)]]
[[Category:Battles (TOS-RH)]]
[[Category:Richard Hatch Novelizations]]