Astral Queen

Astral Queen
Race:	Colonial
Type:	Civilian
FTL:	Yes
Propulsion:
Crew:
Capacity:	~ 1,500
CO:	Wilkens
XO:	{{{xo}}}
Role:	Prisoner transport Fleet incarceration
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Aircraft:	{{{aircraft}}}
Aviation facilities:	{{{facilities}}}
Fate:	Scuttled, circa 4 ACH
Emblem:	[[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
Other Images:	Gallery
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Game Information
Cost:	{{{construction}}}
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Hull:	{{{hull}}}
Mobility
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Armor Sum
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Armament
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Munition Slots:	{{{munitions}}}
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Additional Information

Astral Queen is a FTL-capable former starliner, converted for use as a prisoner transport vessel prior to the Cylon attacks.

Life In The Fleet

Dangerous Cargo

At the time of the Cylon attack, she was carrying 1,500 male prisoners to their pardon hearings on Caprica. Astral Queen's CO, Wilkens, was unsure what to do with the prisoners at the time, and came close to abandoning them. The prisoners were spared when Roslin threatened to abandon the ship completely (TRS: "Miniseries", "Bastille Day").

Following sabotage aboard Galactica, which destroys the majority of the Fleet's water reserves (TRS: "Water"), Astral Queen's prisoners are enlisted to mine ice from a planetoid to replenish the fleet's supply. However, the prisoners, led by Tom Zarek, stage a break-out and hijacking of the ship (TRS: "Bastille Day"). The situation is resolved jointly by a Marine assault from Galactica and by Lee Adama, agreeing to the core of Zarek's demands: that free and fair elections are held within the Fleet to appoint a new president at the end of Laura Roslin's term - some seven months from the date of the revolt on Astral Queen. In return for his surrender and the assistance of the prisoners in obtaining the much-needed water ice for the Fleet, Lee Adama leaves Zarek and his men in control of Astral Queen, much to the chagrin of both President Roslin and Commander Adama himself.

New Caprica

Lee Adama and Tom Zarek on Astral Queen.

After the colonization of New Caprica, Astral Queen landed on the outskirts of New Caprica City next to Colonial One. Astral Queen spends a few months to a year on the planet before it is captured by Cylon forces. When the Cylons lock away the launch keys, the ship effectively becomes a sitting duck, and is left largely exposed to the elements, which greatly corrodes her hull (TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II", "Exodus, Part I").

After Galactica and Pegasus return to help the fleeing civilians, Astral Queen garthers as many people as possible, before lifting off and jumping to a pre-determined rendezvous point, and later re-joins the fleet (TRS: "Exodus, Part II").

The Road To Earth and Other Events

It is successfully guided across a vast stellar cluster by a Raptor pilot from Galactica, after its passengers are relocated (TRS: "The Passage").

When the Fleet jumps to the Ionian nebula, Astral Queen loses power and is hit by a Cylon missile in the ensuing battle, however, damage is minimal, and eventually repaired. A short time later, Astral Queen flees the scene after the Cylons make a sudden retreat (TRS: "Crossroads, Part II", "He That Believeth In Me").

Gaeta's Mutiny

During the thwarted mutiny attempt led by Lieutenant Felix Gaeta and Vice President Tom Zarek, the ship attempted to hail Colonial One and asked for any ships if they were in contact with the vessel. Astral Queen, along with a handful of other ships were in the process of abandoning fleet ships that still supported Admiral Adama, when the mutiny was put down. Since Galactica did not jump, no other fleet ship did either (TRS: "The Oath").

After the mutineers are subdued, they are permanently incarcerated on Astral Queen. They are later given back their freedom in exchange for participating in rescuing Hera Agathon during the Attack on the Cylon Colony (TRS: "Daybreak, Part I").

Earth

Following the discovery of Earth, it was flown by Samuel Anders into Sol, along with the remaining ships in the civilian fleet (TRS: "Daybreak, Part II").

See Also

Seaborne

Starke

Notes

• The ship is equipped with at least one "flare", launched upward from some point amidships and on the dorsal section (TRS: "The Farm").
• The design and function of Astral Queen is an acknowledgment of the Original Series, in which an identical design of vessel was defined as the Prison Barge.
• In the DVD commentary for "Bastille Day", Ronald Moore and David Eick say that in hindsight they feel that "Astral Queen" was a very poor choice of name for a prison ship, and they now wish they had used a different name.
• According to this same DVD commentary, Astral Queen is named for the transport mentioned in the original Star Trek episode "The Conscience of the King".