Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 6

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Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 6 (a.k.a. "Red Shift") An issue of the Dynamite series.
Issue No.	6
Writer(s)	Dan Abnett
Illustrator(s)	Dietrich O. Smith
Penciller(s)
Inker(s)	{{{inker}}}
Colorist(s)
Letterer(s)
Editor(s)
Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
Cover Artist(s)	Clint Langley (Main Cover) Chris Eliopoulos (Subscription Cover)
Adaptation of
Published	October 16, 2013
Collects
Collected in
Reprints
Reprinted as
Pages	32
ISBN	725130204622
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
Chronology
Previous		Next
Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 #5	Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 6 (a.k.a. "Red Shift")	Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 #7
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What is it like to be a member of the Battlestar's valiant crew? Find out in this issue as we follow the highs and lows of one duty shift aboard the Galactica... just a day like any other in the fight to keep Mankind alive!

Plot

• Sergeant Omega records his log for the last centar of blue shift, before the half-cycle handover to Athena who will take over as officer of the Watch during red shift.
• Athena asks for an update on the overnight from Omega: he reports that they have two ways to proceed, a charted quadrant or a storm zone. Omega reports that Colonel Tigh's leading his repair crew of Ariadna, whose drive is shot and may result in the craft beings scuttled.
• Omega leaves following his report, and Athena asks for fleet inventories while mulling over the next course of action. She notes that while the charted quadrant seems like a "no-brainer," it is highly probable that the Cylons lie in wait.
• Athena assigns Apollo to red flight and Starbuck to blue flight. Red flight is tasked with a recon patrol of the charted quadrant, while blue flight will scout the storm zone.
• Athena contacts Tigh aboard Ariadna, with Tigh informing her that the ship was not meant for long bouts of travel and this has resulted in her drive burning out. Tigh has notified her that he intends to abandon the ship should her engines not be repaired by the end of red shift.
• Athena begins work on running a feasibility study on which ships can onboard more passengers and coordinates all available shuttles for the task.
• Apollo leads Boomer, Sheba and Jolly as they launch from Galactica and proceed in a diamond spread formation towards the unnamed charted quadrant.
• In the launch bay, Starbuck hits on Breena on his way to his craft, much to her consternation.
• As he enters his Viper, he speaks with his deckhand, Xam. Xam reports that he's tuned his Viper's impellers, and notes that Athena is asking for his status.
• Starbuck cracks that blue flight is ready "to rocket," which does not surprise Athena as blue flight consists of Greenbean, Hightail and the aforementioned Breena.
• Blue flight heads into the storm zone in a trailing line. As Athena awaits both flight's reports, Tigh asks Athena to begin evac of Ariadna as the situation there is dire.
• Blue flight exits the zone and heads back to Galactica, reporting that there's nothing too lethal in the storm zone as it contains energons and "a lot of fizz," but it's safe for The Fleet to fly through if needed.
• Starbuck exits his Viper after landing, but Xam detects that the returning Vipers are charged with high-static energon fields, which begin to electrify the surrounding area of the launch bay. Xam is struck by a bolt of lightning, and the whole deck goes dark.
• Starbuck sparks his lighter in the dark, lighting his fumarello as he determines that the situation is not a good one, but pleased to know that Xam is all right.
• In core command, a furious Athena receives a report regarding the energon discharge: both launch bays are inoperative, along with communications.
• Starbuck calls up to core command as Xam investigates the extent of the damage from their launch bay. Starbuck cannot get through.
• Athena is still furious, and even more so when blue flight is pursued by a phalanx of Raiders, and requests additional squadrons for support.
• On Ariadna, Tigh receives word that Cylons are inbound and that evac is now "go priority," and Apollo is given word as to why assistance cannot be rendered—much to his consternation.
• In the launch bay, Xam is able to restore power and, after a brief celebration, Starbuck notifies Athena of the good fortune. He is told to immediately launch.
• Galactica is able to raise its full fighter screen while Tigh and his crew are able restore Ariadna's engines through sheer determination. They enter the storm zone, leaving the Cylons behind as their enemy does not press their pursuit.
• At the end of her shift, Athena briefs Adama on their current situation, and he is in agreement with her decisions to date. Adama relieves her from officer of the watch, and assumes operational command of the watch during blue shift. Before Athena leaves, Adama compliments her on a fine job.

Notes

Publication Releases

• A version of this issue, the Battlestar Galactica #6 Exclusive Subscription Variant, released in October 2013. Per the publisher:

  A super-special, exclusive Chris Eliopoulos Cute cover, only available to comic shop subscribers and limited to initial orders!

Timeline

• This story takes place after the events of Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 #5, even though those events are not directly mentioned. The only physical hold-over from the earlier installments is Adama's goatee and mustache combo.
• The Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo series, also written by Dan Abnett, establishes the events of this comic take place in 7351, three yahrens into the Fleet's journey.

Nods

• The "fork in the road" between the storm zone and an area of space infested with Cylons is reminiscent to the events of "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I," where the Fleet finds itself choosing the more precarious and unknown of routes (the magnetic void) instead of the "logical" route of the Otarsis Quadrant.
• The physicality of the ship, Ariadna, is a nod to Gemenon Traveler of the Re-imagined Series, but with the addition of two "engines" thus totaling five.

Miscellany

• Galactica has two 12 centar shifts, Blue Shift and Red Shift, and thus operates on a 24 centar schedule.
• Xam is the flight engineer of Galactica, responsible for fixing Starbuck's Viper. This will be the first time a deckhand has been named, or has a major role in the story known overall as the "The Adama Gambit."
• As with other Original Series releases by Dynamite, the Vipers shown are those of the Re-imagined Series Viper Mark IIs and launch bays, and not the classic Viper or launch bay.
• The language and terminology in use throughout the issue is hewn from the Re-imagined Series and its use of "real world" terminology, including "sitrep" and related affectations.

Analysis

• Ariadna's fate is part of the overarching story, introduced in this issue and concluded in a later issue in "The Adama Gambit" series. As Ariadna is considered an old craft, these inter-fleet issues are touched upon, and highlight the Achille's heel of the Fleet: they are only as speedy as the slowest ship in their company.
• Athena receives character development in this issue, which is no exception when noting that Athena often receives more development in novelizations and comics (starting from Maximum Press and, later, Realm Press runs of the 1990s) than the character ever received in the series.
• The introduction of Xam, the chief of the deck, is the first instance of an important "blue collar" character introduced in the comics. Xam's storyline will continue throughout this last half of Volume 2.
• The Fleet finds itself taking refuge in various storms—in this case the "storm zone" that blue flight reconnoiters—and other stellar phenomenon, a recurring motif in both the Original and Re-imagined Series narratives. (See: Magnetic void and Nebula, respectively.)

Questions

Answered

• What's in the storm zone? (Answer)
• Will there be any after effects from the void lightning that struck Xam? (Answer)
• Will Ariadna's issues recur? (Answer)

Unanswered

• How many other ships will inevitably fail like Ariadna during the voyage?
• If they are outside of Cyrannus, how are the quadrants "well-charted"? Has the Fleet received charts from outside sources?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Athena discusses the Officer of the Watch position:

It's good to sit in the top tier. It's good to take a share of the responsibility. Officer of the Watch is my favorite duty. For twelve hours, I run the show. I run the battlestar. There's no greater responsibility than that. This is what it feels like to be my father.

• After the void lightning knocks out the relays aboard Galactica:

Xam: Oh, this is not pretty. The main relay's burned out.

Starbuck: Can you fix it, Xam?

Xam: Sure. Sure I can. If I had a drydock, eighty power-shielded techs and an exo-lifter.

Starbuck: You've got a g-wrench. It's going to have to do.

• Adama assumes his duty shift from Athena:

Athena: It's been an eventful day.

Adama: No, it's just been another day. In the struggle to survive, all days are like this.

Athena: Yes, sir.

Adama: But as days go, you made a fine job of it.

Related Imagery

Covers

• 
  Main Cover
  Art: Clint Langley
• 
  Subscription Cover "Cute Exclusive"
  Art: Chris Eliopoulos

Preview Pages

Please Note: These are used for promotional purposes by the publisher, and are provided here in the same vein.

• 
  Page 1
• 
  Page 2
• 
  Page 3
• 
  Page 4
• 
  Page 5

External links

• Dynamite.com: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #6 (web.archive.org backup link)

Original Series definition: region of space, see also Sector. Usually named after a Greek letter, or (less frequently) a star system or planet.

Original Series definition: a small cigar that Starbuck typically smokes (see: fumarello)

Re-imagined Series definition: in military parlance, directive to continue the attack; otherwise used to refer to journalists ^{(TRS: "Maelstrom")}

Original Series definition: unit of time akin to an "hour"