A ship in [[The Fleet (RDM)|The Fleet]]. During the events of [[Laura Roslin]]'s incarceration, all 12 delegates from the [[Quorum of Twelve]] were enroute from this ship to the ''[[Galactica]]''. ([[Fragged]])

=== Note ===

The ship is likely named after the [[Olympian Pantheon|Greek god]] of the western wind, [[Wikipedia:Zephyrus|Zephyrus]].

[[Gaeta]] discovered fraudulent ballots (for [[Roslin]]) in Zephyr's ballot box during the election in [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]].

[[Category: A to Z]] [[Category: Colonial Craft]] [[Category:Mentioned-Only]] [[Category: RDM]]

Celestra

2006-03-11T22:33:28Z

Lemmiwinks:

[[Image:Celestra.jpg|thumb|External view of ''Celestra''.]]
In the Original series, ''Celestra'' is a civilian electronics ship within [[the Fleet (TOS)|the Fleet]], primarily responsible for work in the field of electronics, including [[Viper (TOS)|Viper]] equipment development and testing.

''Celestra'' has an extensive docking bay, capable of docking numerous Vipers and [[shuttle]]craft. The ship has very little in the way of creature comforts, such as recreational facilities; the bridge is accessible only from its aft quarter.

Like all ships in the Fleet, ''Celestra'' has a homing beacon to stay with the Fleet.

''Celestra'' was most recently led by Commander [[Kronus]], who captained the vessel from the time of the [[Battle of Cimtar|holocaust]] until his death (at the helm of ''Celestra'', during an attempted mutiny). ([[Take the Celestra (TOS)|Take the Celestra]]). The ship's former executive officer was [[Charka]], the orchestrator of the failed mutiny, now presumably imprisoned. The ''Celestra's'' current commander structure is unknown.

== Crew ==

A majority of ''Celestra'' crewmembers are electronics specialists, while a few are security guards, shuttle pilots and ship operators. To oppose executive officer Charka's abusive practices, such as double-shifting entire families, many crewmembers undertook a mutiny, attempting to steal a shuttle and escape the fleet to a remote planet. Their mutiny failed amidst a laser battle in the docking bay. They were captured and being transported to a hearing when they suddenly found themselves stranded in deep space in the ''Celestra's'' shuttle. The crewmembers used their electronics expertise to modify the shuttle's scanners to track ions, which pinpointed the ''Celestra's'' location, thereby rescuing themselves.

* [[Damon]], electronics specialist, leader of first mutiny
* [[Aurora]], shuttle pilot, former love of [[Starbuck (TOS)|Starbuck]]
* [[Hermes]], helm officer on bridge, participant in second mutiny

It is possible that ''Celestra'' was originally designed to be a work ship, with only its captain and a few others to remain permanently aboard; most of its crew would ferry on and off the ship in ten-[[Centar (TOS)|centar]] (hour) shifts, for example. However, with the fleet constantly on the run post-holocaust, ''Celestra'' may have been forced to accommodate many more full-time crewmembers than its original design intended, hence the uprising.

== Notes ==
[[Image:Celestra.JPG|thumb|The Zoic rendering of the ''Celestra'']]
The Sci-Fi Channel website has the ''Celestra'' as a ship listed in the Fleet of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|re-imagined series]]. This has, however, not yet made [[canon]] as the ship has not been mentioned, and never seen closely enough to discern the large letters "Celestra" which are clearly visible on the side of the CGI model. (Update: The ''Celestra'' was listed on vote tally boards in LDYB Part 2.)

[[Category: A to Z]] [[Category: TOS]]
[[Category: Colonial Craft (TOS)]]

The Fleet (TRS)

2006-03-11T22:24:26Z

Lemmiwinks:

''For information on the military fleet of the Twelve Colonies before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], see [[Colonial Fleet]]. For information on the rag-tag fugitive Fleet of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]], see [[The Fleet (TOS)]].''

'''The Fleet''' is the convoy of ships that contain what is effectively the last survivors of humanity after the [[Cylon Attack]]. The Fleet forms the backdrop of the drama of [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series]]. Unofficially, off-screen many viewers also refer to the Fleet as the "RTF"; "Rag Tag Fleet", or more fully, "RTFF"; "Rag Tag Fugitive Fleet", a holdover name used in the voiceover for the [[The Fleet (TOS)|Fleet of the Original Series]].

== Overview ==

"The Fleet" begins as a convoy of about sixty stranded commercial and civilian ships around the area of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] assembled by new President [[Laura Roslin]] in the immediate aftermath of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon Attack]] ([[Miniseries]]). Of these ships, only a handful were Colonial military craft, such as [[Raptor 478]] and three [[Viper (RDM)|Viper Mark VII]] fighters. One [[ECO]], [[Crashdown]], is called a "refugee from [[Triton]]," suggesting that he escaped that battlestar's destruction with Roslin's convoy.

Twenty ships of the convoy are abandoned to an imminent Cylon attack because they lacked [[FTL]] drives. The remainder of the Fleet joins with battlestar ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', the only [[Pegasus (RDM)|known]] surviving warship in the first months after the events of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. The Fleet represents the last vestige of humanity. The political and social troubles of the Fleet as it wanders through space function as a metaphor for all of humanity, since the Fleet literally ''is'' what is left of humanity in the television series.

The phrase "the Fleet" functions not only as a signifier for the actual ships of the convoy, but as a substitute for the people on board, and therefore for mankind. Usage of the term "the Fleet" has not gained more than an informal acceptance, as can be seen by President Roslin's continued use of the term ''President of the [[Twelve Colonies]].'' This may be interpreted as either an expression of hope that eventually the people on board the ships of the Fleet will reestablish themselves on a new colony permanently, or a psychological inability to confront that the Fleet may be the only home that humanity knows for a very long time.

[[Saul Tigh]]'s assertion in "[[The Farm]]" that the twenty four ships which departed with the [[Laura Roslin faction]] during her insurrection represented "almost a third of the fleet" imply that the number of ships in the Fleet is approximately in the mid-70's.

===Ships===
* ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', last remaining [[Original battlestar (RDM)|original battlestar]] and main protector and flagship of the Fleet, under direct command of Admiral [[William Adama]] ([[Mini-Series]])
* ''[[Colonial One]]'', President [[Laura Roslin]]'s ship, previously known as ''[[Colonial Heavy 798]]'' ([[Miniseries]])
* ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', a [[Mercury class battlestar]] formerly commanded by [[Helena Cain]] ([[Pegasus (episode)]]), Jack Fisk ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]) and [[Barry Garner]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]). It is currently under the command of [[Lee Adama]] ([[The Captain's Hand]])
* ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'', destroyed in "[[33]]" after an apparent Cylon takeover. Multiple ships of the same model, including the ''Pan Galactic'' and ''Sagitarrian Spaceways'' are still part of the Fleet
* ''[[Gemini]]'', FTL-capable freighter which Valerii escorts to the convoy ([[Miniseries]])
* ''[[Rising Star (RDM)|Rising Star]]'', mentioned frequently and notable for several reasons:
**First (reported) human birth after the exodus from the Colonies ([[33]])
**Where [[Ellen Tigh]] was suddenly discovered three weeks after the attack ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]])
**Where Ellen Tigh intended her husband to meet with allies of [[Tom Zarek]] ([[Colonial Day]])
* ''[[Coronis]]'' ([[Litmus]], [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/106/deleted1.html deleted scene])
* ''[[Virgon Express]]'' ([[Water]])
* ''[[Astral Queen]]'', prison ship noted for carrying 1500 prisoners, including [[Tom Zarek]] ([[Bastille Day]])
* ''[[Scorpia Traveler]]'', a civilian ship that carried a suicide bomber copy of [[Aaron Doral]] ([[Litmus]])
* ''[[Gemenon Liner 1701]]'', found by ''Colonial One'' shortly after Laura Roslin's hasty inauguration
* ''[[Gemenon Traveler]]'', a civilian ship where a copy of [[Leoben Conoy]] is captured ([[Flesh and Bone]])
**The above two appear to be of identical configuration, and may be the same ship.
* ''[[Cloud Nine]]'', a luxury liner designed to mimic the enviroment of a habitable planet.
**Meeting place of the [[Quorum of Twelve]]. ([[Colonial Day]])
**Base of operations for [[Demand Peace]] ([[Epiphanies]])
* ''[[Zephyr]]'' ([[Fragged]])
* ''[[Tauranian]]'', a refinery ship ([[Resistance]])
* ''[[Gideon]]'', a supply ship involved in an incident where four civilians were killed by ''Galactica'' marines ([[Resistance]])
* ''[[Kimba Huta]]'', a cold storage vessel on which exiled President Roslin hides from Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh ([[The Farm]])
* ''[[Monarch]]'', a mining ship that joined the [[Laura Roslin faction]] ([[Home, Part I]])
* ''[[Adriatic]]'', a member of the Roslin faction armed with ship-to-ship missiles ([[Home, Part I]])
* ''[[Striker]]'', damaged in a refuelling operation overseen by Capt. [[George Birch]] ([[Home, Part I]])
* ''[[Celestra]] (Identified on official Sci-Fi Channel web site but not yet seen in aired episode)
* ''[[Space Park]]'' (Identified on official Sci-Fi Channel web site but not yet seen in aired episode)
* ''[[Flattop]]'', a [[salvage and repair]] ship (Identified on official Sci-Fi Channel web site but not yet seen in aired episode)
* ''[[Freighter 212]]'', a ship [[Louanne Katraine]] apparently has some "buddies" on ([[Final Cut]])
* ''[[Baah Pakal]]'', a ship carrying unused [[DDG-62]] engines onboard ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
*''[[Botanical Cruiser]]'' (While the original was destroyed in the [[Miniseries]], various background shots have placed an [[FTL]]-equipped Botanical Cruiser in the Fleet.)
* ''[[Daru Mozu]]'', a [[tylium]] refinery ship. Damaged by a suicide bomber ([[Epiphanies]])
* ''[[Greenleaf]]'', a freighter where [[Asha Janik]] and [[Ray Abinell]] were maintenance workers
* ''[[McConnell]]'', a supply ship frequented by Commander [[Jack Fisk]]
* ''[[Prometheus]]'', an "off the grid" freighter and den of mercenary-turned-crime boss [[Phelan]]
* ''[[Majahual]]'', a mining ship digging for crucial metals ([[Scar]])

These ships were visible on vote tally boards in LDYB Part 2:

* ''[[Breton]]''
* ''[[Carillion Trader]]''
* ''[[Carina]]''
* ''[[Carion]]''
* ''[[Cassandra]]''
* ''[[Clymene]]''
* ''[[Cybele]]''
* ''[[Demetrius]]''
* ''[[Diomedes]]''
* ''[[Embla Brokk]]''
* ''[[Entidu]]''
* ''[[Epheme]]''
* ''[[Faru Sadin]]''
* ''[[Galatea]]''
* ''[[Harrak]]''
* ''[[Muteen Wia]]''
* ''[[Odysseus]]''
* ''[[Persephone]]''
* ''[[Picon Express]]''
* ''[[Salpica]]''
* ''[[Sargon]]''
* ''[[Swordfish]]''
* ''[[Tarbedek]]''

In the episode "[[The Farm]]", 24 ships leave the Fleet to return to Kobol. [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] provides the following breakdown:
*12 transports - incl. the ''Astral Queen'', and the ''Gemenon Traveller''
*7 freighters
*3 construction platforms
*1 private cruiser
*1 mining ship - the ''Monarch''.

===Demographics===

A few points of information are available concerning the demographics of the Fleet. In "[[33]]", before the destruction of the Olympic Carrier, there were 5,251 survivors from Sagittaron and 49,998 total survivors. In "[[Home, Part I]]", the [[Laura Roslin faction]] left the Fleet with 18,000 individuals, of which 9,500 were Gemenons and 6,250 were Capricans. At that time the total population of the fleet was 47,857.

This information is sparse, but it gives a general idea of the population breakdown of the Fleet if a few assumptions are made for the sake of argument.
*Note that Gemenon and Caprica had more citizens in the Roslin faction alone than Sagittaron had in the entire Fleet. The Twelve Colonies are clearly not represented in equal proportion.
*Before the destruction of the ''Olympic Carrier'', Sagittaron natives made up 10.50% of the fleet. Solely for the purpose of argument, we assume that the ''Olympic Carrier'''s population breakdown was identical to the rest of the fleet's and that Sagittaron continues to make up 10.50% of the Fleet's total population.
*The figures from the Roslin faction can be viewed in several ways:
<div style="float:right; margin:10px">[[Image:Demographics1.png]]</div>
:*ASSUMPTION 1: All Gemenons and Capricans jumped to Kobol with the Roslin faction.
::*Caprica: 6,250 persons (13.06%)
::*Gemenon: 9,500 persons (19.85%)
::*Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (10.50%)
::*Others: 27,081 (56.59%)<br clear="both">
<div style="float:right; margin:10px">[[Image:Demographics2.png]]</div>
:*ASSUMPTION 2: All Gemenons jumped to Kobol with the Roslin faction, lured by the "religion card", but Caprican portion of the Roslin faction was representative of the Fleet.
::*Caprica: 28,204 persons (58.93%)
::*Gemenon: 9,500 persons (19.85%)
::*Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (10.50%)
::*Others: 5,127 persons (10.72%)<br clear="both">
<div style="float:right; margin:10px">[[Image:Demographics3.png]]</div>
:*ASSUMPTION 3: Caprican and Gemenon portions of the Roslin faction were representative of the fleet.
::*Caprica: 16,617 persons (34.72%)
::*Gemenon: 25,258 persons (52.78%)
::*Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (10.50%)
::*Others: 956 (2.00%)<br clear="both">
*Although it is plausible that the Caprican population is substantially larger than the other colonies, as ''Colonial Heavy 798'' was in the vicinity when the attack began, and was the nucleus around which the fleet rallied, it is unlikely that the populations of each colony are grossly unequal, or else the [[Quorum of Twelve]] would be a very poor system of government. The likeliest scenario is therefore probably somewhere in between Assumptions 1 and 2, with nearly all of the Gemenon population (drawn by the "religion card") and a large portion of the Caprican population leaving with Roslin.

As for population distribution, we know the population of ''Galactica'' (2,693 as of [[Water]]), the ''Olympic Carrier'' (1,345 as of [[33]]) and ''Astral Queen'' (1,500 as of [[Bastille Day]], [[List of retcons (RDM)|retconned]] up from 500 in the mini-series). There are 176 civillians in the cargo hold of [[Colonial One]] in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]". The fleet is stated at about 75 ships in "[[Resistance]]", retconned up from 40 in the mini.
*Going by the 75 ship count, the remaining ships besides ''Galactica'' and the ''Astral Queen'' each carry about 600 persons on average.
*The 23 ships that left with the [[Laura Roslin faction]], apart from the ''Astral Queen'', would have an average population of about 720 persons per ship.

==Notes==

In the [[Miniseries]], astute viewers may recognize three spacecraft with notable resemblances of ships from other SF universes. These ships aren't considered a [[Canon|canonical]] part of the series or the Fleet, but their appearance adds a bit of humor and pays homage to other notable science fiction and their creative staff.

* ''Serenity'', the central ship from the TV series "Firefly" and the motion picture, "[http://www.serenitymovie.com/ Serenity]", appears briefly in the sky outside the window of a doctor's office where viewers first see Laura Roslin.

* The original USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701) from the original ''[http://www.startrek.com Star Trek]'' TV series makes a cameo in the last shot of the Fleet as [[Elosha]] chants a prayer in the memorial service near the end of the Mini-Series. (Look to the upper right corner for the ship in a still frame.)

*The ill-fated [[Botanical Cruiser]] was added in homage to the [[Agro Ship]] from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original ''Battlestar Galactica'']] TV series, which in turn were the re-used models from the SF film ''[[IMDB:Silent Running|Silent Running]]'', a Universal/MCA movie that special effects guru [[John Dykstra]] worked on a few years prior to the Original Series.

[[Category: A to Z]] [[Category: RDM]] [[Category: Terminology]]