Colonial Fleet (TRS)/old: Difference between revisions

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==Limits of Authority==
==Limits of Authority==
The Colonial Fleet is aware that they are a military force, not a police force. Commander [[William Adama]] warns new President [[Laura Roslin]] that mixing the two roles can turn the military against its own citizens. Acting commander [[Saul Tigh]] ignores this principle when attempting to stop an supply boycott in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|civilian Fleet]], leading to the deaths of four civilians ([[Resistance]]).
The Colonial Fleet is aware that they are a military force, not a police force. Commander [[William Adama]] warns new President [[Laura Roslin]] that mixing the two roles can turn the military against its own citizens. Acting commander [[Saul Tigh]] ignores this principle when attempting to stop an supply boycott in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|civilian Fleet]], leading to the deaths of four civilians aboard the [[Gideon]] ([[Resistance]]).


The use of biological weapons is prohibited in the Twelve Colonies. The Colonial Fleet authority must gain presidential authorization for the use of such weapons ([[A Measure of Salvation]]).
The use of biological weapons is prohibited in the Twelve Colonies. The Colonial Fleet authority must gain presidential authorization for the use of such weapons ([[A Measure of Salvation]]).

Revision as of 21:19, 9 May 2007

This article discusses the military defense ships of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol in the Re-imagined Series prior to their destruction. For information on the civilian ships that comprise the remains of humanity, see The Fleet (RDM). For information on the Colonial military forces of the Original Series, see Colonial Fleet (TOS) and the article, Colonial Warrior.


The Colonial Fleet is the primary armed service branch of the Colonial Forces[1] under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol prior to the fall of the Colonies.

The Colonial Fleet operates in tandem with other branches of the Colonial Forces, including the Colonial Marine Corps and the Shore Patrol[2]. The Colonial Fleet also has a reserve branch, of which Lee Adama is a member (Final Cut), as well as what appears to be a government-operated military academy[3] and an officer candidate school. Many characters, including Saul Tigh, Kara Thrace, and Sharon "Boomer" Valerii attended (or claimed to have attended) this academy.

The Colonial Fleet is based at Picon Fleet Headquarters. After the Headquarters' destruction during the Cylon Holocaust, Fleet command transfers to Admiral Nagala aboard battlestar Atlantia. Other identified Fleet installations include the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards, Ragnar Anchorage, and Armistice Station.

Fleet Status

At the time of the Cylon holocaust, the Colonial Fleet includes approximately 120 battlestars,[4], thousands of smaller vessels[5] numerous squadrons of Vipers and Raptors assigned to each, as well as other support ships.[6]

The Colonial Fleet also included modified Space Park vessels (although the single Space Park liner shown in Galactica's civilian Fleet is very likely a civilian liner).[7]

The Colonial Fleet was regarded by the Cylons to be a decisively superior force in a direct assault between it and the Cylon fleet. Therefore, the Cylons returned to a variation of their Cylon War tactics by undermining the Colonial Fleet's CNP to attack ships equipped with the software from within (Downloaded).

Battlestars mentioned destroyed in the Cylon attack include the Triton, Solaria, Columbia, and Atlantia (Admiral Nagala's flagship). On Nagala's death, Commander William Adama of Galactica assumes command of the remains of the Colonial Fleet, ordering them to regroup at Ragnar Anchorage for counterattack. Unfortunately, virtually all other capital ships of the Colonial Fleet are destroyed, leaving Commander Adama (after consultation with new President Laura Roslin) to choose retreat from the Cylons and the destroyed Colonies to save all that was left of humanity, approximately 50,000 people.

Approximately a year after the Cylon destruction of the Twelve Colonies, the remnants of humanity colonize the world of New Caprica on orders from new President Gaius Baltar. The two surviving battlestars of the Colonial Fleet (both with skeleton crews) orbit the planet and monitor for Cylon activity. A year after colonization, however, a massive Cylon fleet of dozens of basestars find the small colony, and Galactica and Pegasus retreat to safety, leaving most of the civilian fleet under Cylon occupation (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II).

In the Battle of New Caprica four months later, Galactica is severely damaged before escaping, while Pegasus is destroyed after ramming a basestar in a bid to buy Galactica time to escape, leaving Galactica the only ship that remains of the Colonial Fleet.

Limits of Authority

The Colonial Fleet is aware that they are a military force, not a police force. Commander William Adama warns new President Laura Roslin that mixing the two roles can turn the military against its own citizens. Acting commander Saul Tigh ignores this principle when attempting to stop an supply boycott in the civilian Fleet, leading to the deaths of four civilians aboard the Gideon (Resistance).

The use of biological weapons is prohibited in the Twelve Colonies. The Colonial Fleet authority must gain presidential authorization for the use of such weapons (A Measure of Salvation).

Battlestar commanders do not require presidential authorization per se for the use of its nuclear weapons (The Eye of Jupiter).

Ships of the Colonial Fleet

See also

References

  1. In the episodes "Maelstrom" and "The Son Also Rises", official documents written for Socrata Thrace and Kara Thrace, respectively, also name the armed services of the Colonies as the Colonial Forces.
  2. Soldiers from the Shore Patrol offer re-enlistment orders from Major William Adama to Saul Tigh in a flashback scene in the episode, "Scattered"
  3. The military academy was probably similar to West Point or the Citadel
  4. In the Miniseries, William Adama tells Lieutenant Kara Thrace when she's released from the brig, "We lost 30 battlestars in the opening attack." She responds, "That's a quarter of the fleet." This establishes that there were approximately 120 active battlestars in the Colonial Fleet at the time of the attack.
  5. The A to Z of Battlestar Galactica, "Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine," June/July 2006, page 51.
  6. According to Admiral Helena Cain, two unnamed battlestars and three other ships (type unknown, but presumed military vessels) were destroyed in the Fall of the Scorpian Fleet Shipyards in the episode, "Pegasus." This establishes the existence of non-battlestar support ships that likely would be assigned to a Battlestar Group. The support ships' roles are presumed to be similar to those in an aircraft carrier battle group.
  7. From the official SciFi Channel Battlestar Galactica web site. Some information on the official site has conflicted with aired content, so readers are warned that inconsistencies can occur.