Binary 13

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch continuation separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Binary 13 is a dual-star system consisting of several planets, most of which are affected by the gravitational pull from the two stars.

Ochoa is the only planet in this system suited for human habitation, making it the target of a reconnaissance mission conducted by Lieutenant Commander Apollo and Captain Starbuck. They scout the system just prior to Commander Adama's natural death.

Stellar Configuration

Binary 13 is notable for its dual-star configuration, with each sun having several orbiting planets. The gravitational tides of the two stars wreak havoc upon many of these worlds, creating unstable conditions across much of the system.

Ochoa, positioned as the furthest planet from either star, experiences a unique helix orbit pattern. The planet orbits first one star, then the other, in completing a single rotation—a phenomenon that is not unique in the galaxy but certainly extraordinary. This protracted orbit takes forty to fifty yahren to complete.

Strategic Importance

The system attracts the Fleet's attention due to Ochoa's rich resources. Long-range scans indicate the planet possesses valuable mineral deposits, abundant vegetation, and most significantly, veins of nearly pure tylium—far more stable than the diluted element the Fleet has been using for decades to power their vessels.

Apollo and Starbuck approach the system aboard Scarlet Vipers to conduct reconnaissance. However, they quickly discover their scanners are being jammed by technological installations on Ochoa's surface, suggesting an advanced presence in the system. Apollo senses danger and familiarity, believing that whoever is on the planet knows them. His suspicions prove correct when laser blasts erupt around their Vipers as they approach.

Cylon Presence

Multiple Cylon base stars are detected in proximity to Binary 13, with the base star commanded by Baltar being the closest to the system. The Cylons maintain operations on Ochoa itself, though Lucifer informs Baltar that the planet has become unstable and will soon be ripped apart by the dual stars' gravitational pull, necessitating evacuation.

This proximity becomes critically important when Apollo and Starbuck discover that Baltar possesses a holo-cube star map showing the original colonies settled by emigrants from Parnassus. This artifact potentially contains the location of Earth or, at minimum, the locations of planets where other humans once lived or may still inhabit—representing possible allies and settlement opportunities for the Fleet.

Other Habitable Worlds

Despite Ochoa's eventual destruction, Apollo and Starbuck are fortunate enough to find a second life-bearing planet within the Binary 13 system. While the atmosphere requires them to keep their helms on to filter oxygen, the planet provides a safe location for them to install a QSE generator in the Viper before their planned infiltration of Baltar's base star.

Later Visits

Apollo returns to the Binary 13 system on a later mission, approaching from an entirely different vector than his previous visit with Starbuck to Ochoa. During this solo reconnaissance, he encounters an unknown alien vessel whose pilot reaches out to him telepathically in great distress. Despite being on a vital mission, Apollo cannot ignore the direct plea for assistance and diverts to help the alien craft. This ship could be from another world in the Binary 13 system or elsewhere in the quadrant.