Battle of New Caprica

Battle of New Caprica
Summary
Conflict:	Second Cylon War
Date:
Related Episode(s):
Place:	Near New Caprica space; on New Caprica
Result:	Successful retrieval of the Fleet, deposition of the Baltar administration, Hera is captured by Cylons
Combatants Remnants of the Colonial Fleet Cylons Commanders Admiral William Adama, Commander Lee Adama, Colonel Saul Tigh, Former President Laura Roslin Basestar command Strength Battlestars Galactica and Pegasus, Blue Squadron, Resistance team and associated Colonial Marines Four basestars, associated Raiders, Heavy Raiders, Ground occupation forces and associated Cylon Centurions Materiel Losses Battlestar Pegasus, several civilian ships (off screen), Heavy damage to Galactica At least two basestars One Basestar possibly destroyed Moderate damage to 1 basestar Casualties Approximately 2000 Unknown, Heavy
[[Colonial battles chronology ({{{series}}})|Battle Chronology]]
Previous Next Battle of the Binary Star System Battle of New Caprica Battle of NCD2539

Battlestar Galactica launches a daring mission to occupy the Cylon force's attention as the majority of the Colonial citizens escape from Cylon occupation on New Caprica.

Prior to the battle, Admiral William Adama makes contact with the New Caprica Resistance, and later deploys a Raptor, Lt. Sharon Agathon commanding, to coordinate a plan to liberate the colonists from the planet safely during the Colonial offensive. Agathon uses her Cylon heritage to retrieve the Colonial civilan ships' launch keys from a secured Cylon building, while Samuel Anders and Tory Foster train the colonists in "fire drills," meant to show readiness to the Cylon Occupation Authority in the event of a natural disaster, but in reality has prepared the colonists to escape to any Colonial ship to leave the planet and the Cylons.

Admiral Adama begins the offensive with an elaborate plan that relies on a squadron of Raptors (with a Viper escort squadron) to fire a series of swallows that collectively mimic the EM signatures of his two Colonial battlestars. After firing the swallows, the Raptors retreat, luring several Cylon Raiders further from the planet. The Cylons are deceived temporarily by the false readings.

On New Caprica, Samuel Anders and the resistance team detonate dozens of bombs in key Cylon structures as a feigned attack by Colonial forces. The people evacuate per their fire-drill training, but escape to the various grounded ships of the Fleet, which prepare their engines and FTL drives to depart. Many people become pinned down by Centurion fire.

Admiral Adama performs an extremely risky move. He orders Galactica to conduct an intra-atmosphere FTL jump, escaping the detection of the basestars. While in freefall, it launches Blue Squadron. The Vipers perform hit-and-run attacks on Cylons on the ground, in observation towers and interdicts the few Raiders operating near the surface. Blue Squadron destroys the main gates of the civilian shipyard to allow access and escape. Before Galactica could impact the surface, it performs a second jump back into space. Stress from the vibration and ionized gases from reentry heavily tax the structure of the battlestar.

Soon, the two basestars engage Galactica without any fighter support, their Raider engaged elsewhere. Galactica’s mission analysis had predicted that only two basestars would engage. However, two more basestars jump into the vicinity to attack the battlestar.

With the Vipers destroying targets on the ground and in the air in vicinity of New Caprica City, the civilians previously pinned down are able to board their ships. Simultaneously, Colonial Marines and resistance members assault the detention center, freeing Kara Thrace and other detainees.

The Cylons in charge on the ground begin their retreat, escaping in a Heavy Raider as they task a Number Three with setting off a nuclear detonation to "clean up."

In the four-baseship assault, Galactica's FTL drives and maneuvering thrusters are disabled, and the port side of the ship reaches its structural limits. Upon hearing that the FTL drive is disabled, Admiral Adama is resigned to imminent destruction when battlestar Pegasus, against orders, appears and joins the attack. The Mercury class battlestar's forward batteries score several hits that severely damage or destroy one basestar. On the surface, most of the civilian ships become airborne and jump away.

Commander Lee Adama directs Pegasus to a position between the basestars targeting Galactica, in an effort to draw fire away from her. Admiral Adama infers from the absence of Vipers from Pegasus that its Vipers are guarding the remaining ships of the Fleet at the rendezvous point and that Pegasus is on a one-way trip. While Pegasus endures serious bombardment, Galactica is able to bring its FTL back on line, retrieves her Vipers, and escapes.

With Pegasus taking mortal damage, Commander Adama orders all to abandon ship (using standby Raptors to jump away from the battle) setting all weapons to auto-fire and directing the ship on a collision course with one of the basestars before departing. The damaged, unmanned Pegasus collides with one basestar, destroying both. The remnants of Pegasus's starboard flight pod collide with another of the remaining basestars, destroying it.

Colonial One is the last Colonial ship to leave the planet. On the surface, the Cylons' planned nuclear detonation (which would be of questionable tactical value now that the Colonials have left the planet) does not occur.

Battle Imagery

Raptors and Vipers

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Galactica's Surprise Attack

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Pegasus’s Suicide Run

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