Editing Zephyr

{{Ship Data
|italic=y
| image= Zephyr.JPG
| race= Colonial
| type= Civilian
| cap= 1,000+
| ftl= Yes
| role= Passenger liner
| length= {{Feet2Meters|4000}}
| width= {{Feet2Meters|1250}}| height= {{Feet2Meters|1250}}
| status= Scuttled, circa 4 ACH
}}

'''''Zephyr''''' is a [[FTL]]-capable civilian passenger liner that manages to escape the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|destruction of the Twelve Colonies]] to join the [[the Fleet (RDM)|Fleet of surviving Colonial ships]] {{TRS|Miniseries}}. After the destruction of ''[[Cloud 9]]'', it acts as the Fleet's rest and recreation vessel. 

==Layout==
''Zephyr'' has many features that set it apart from other Fleet ships. 

===The Ring===
The most notable of these is the ship's ring. Spinning counter-clockwise to create centrifugal force for a sensation of gravity, the ring is home to a biological habitat, populated with trees, water, and buildings for visiting Colonials to utilize and enjoy. The habitat is enclosed by a glass facade, which leaves views of the aft end of the ship and of the opposite side of the ring to anyone looking up. The ring is supported by four main pylons that connect the ring to the rest of the vessel. 

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===Sublight Engines===
The second noteworthy feature is the ship's sublight engines. Compared to the more traditional chemical thruster boosters of other Fleet ships, ''Zephyr'' has an engine assembly that closely resembles that of an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrically_powered_spacecraft_propulsion electric powered drive]. 

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==Life in the Fleet==

===Post-Fall, New Caprica, and Beyond===
During the attack on the Colonies, ''Zephyr'' is one of the first vessels to be found and shepherded by the newly sworn-in president, [[Laura Roslin]]. Having an FTL system, it escapes to [[Ragnar Anchorage]] to rendezvous with the [[Battlestar (RDM)|battlestar]] ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'', where it enters the upper atmosphere of [[Ragnar]] and waits with other surviving ships. Commander [[William Adama]] is prepared to leave the civilians at Ragnar while ''Galactica'' goes to fight, but Roslin convinces him to take ''Zephyr'' and the rest of the civilian ships and flee the Colonies {{TRS|Miniseries}}.   

''Zephyr'' is involved in important political events in the early history of the Fleet. Weeks after the Fall, following President Roslin's incarceration, ''Zephyr'' hosts the [[Quorum of Twelve]] after ''Galactica''{{'|s}} executive officer, [[Saul Tigh]], declares martial law {{TRS|Fragged}}. Months later, Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] discovers fraudulent ballots for President Roslin in ''Zephyr'''s ballot box during her ill-fated election campaign against Vice President [[Gaius Baltar]]; the ballots are later rejected and Baltar is declared the winner {{TRS|Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II}}.

After the settlement of [[New Caprica]], ''Zephyr'' remains in orbit of the planet, its configuration possibly making atmospheric entry impossible. It escapes with ''Galactica'', ''{{RDM|Pegasus}}'', and the rest of the Colonial vessels that remain in space when the Cylons make an unexpected appearance {{TRS|Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II}}. 

''Zephyr'' is among the first Fleet ships taken through a [[Passage (star cluster)|massive star cluster]] towards the so-called [[algae planet]] {{TRS|The Passage}}. 

The ship is home to Baltar's first lawyer in his treason trial, [[Alan Hughes]]. {{TRS|The Son Also Rises}}.

===Ionian Nebula and Earth===
[[File:Zephyr_Hit_2.png|thumb|left|''Zephyr'' is hit by two Cylon missiles]]
''Zephyr'', along with the rest of the Fleet, momentarily loses power after jumping to the [[Ionian Nebula]], disabling its FTL drive. As the Fleet attempts to recover, it is discovered by a Cylon task force {{TRS|Crossroads, Part II}}. The Cylons strike at the civilian vessels, launching two missiles at ''Zephyr'' from aft and obliterating a large section of the ring. ''Zephyr'' continues to leak oxygen and other debris even after the battle {{TRS|He That Believeth in Me}}. The damage is eventually repaired, the ring becomes habitable once more, and ''Zephyr'' continues on with the Fleet toward [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] {{TRS|Revelations}}. 
[[File:Zephyr_Damage.png|thumb|right|Damage to the ship is extensive, and takes months to repair]]  

Several days after leaving Earth, Lieutenant Gaeta is on his way to ''Zephyr'' for rest and relaxation along with two [[Number Eight]]s, Specialist [[Brooks (RDM)|Brooks]], Lt. [[J. Finnegan|J. "Shark" Finnegan]] and [[Esrin|"Easy" Esrin]] when an emergency jump and a malfunction separate their [[Raptor]] from the rest of the Fleet {{TRS|The Face of the Enemy}}.

''Zephyr'' eventually makes its way with the remaining Fleet to [[Earth (RDM)#A New Earth|a planet that would become the Colonials' new home]]. After the population is offloaded, the ship is guided by [[Samuel T. Anders]] into [[Sol]] and destroyed {{TRS|Daybreak, Part II}}.

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== Additional Information ==

:''The following information was previously available on the SciFi Channel website. It should be noted that information from that website, while being official, is unreliable and may be contradicted on screen:''
*''Zephyr'', also referred to as the ''Space Park'', is of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Libris|Libran]] registry.
*Its enormous ring section was designed in the days when artificial gravity was too expensive to utilize on a commercial ship of that size. 
*This passenger liner design was so successful that it was adapted for scientific and military uses by replacing passenger accommodation with laboratories, auxiliary power generators, and computer cores. 

== Notes ==

* The ship is likely named after the Greek god of the western wind, [[wikipedia:Anemoi|Zephyrus]].
* The repair of ''Zephyr'' is the first time that large scale repair operations to the outside of a ship within the Fleet can be seen on screen.
* During the beginning of the third season, the ''Zephyr'' model is [[:image:Zephyr_Design_Retcon.png|retconned]], and features a new, sharper look. Built by [[Pierre Drolet]], the new version bears a new neck, multiple antenna arrays replacing the original needle nose, a sharper habitat ring, and a sharper engine assembly. Being a unique design, the ship was rebuilt to be seen up close. A detailed view of ''Zephyr'' is available on Drolet's website<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sci-fi-museum-pierre-drolet-com.webs.com/colonial-spaceships|title=Pierre Drolet Sci-Fi Museum}}</ref>, however the screenshots are rather unique, and feature the model halfway submerged in water.

== References ==
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[[Category:Colonial]]
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[[fr:Space Park]]