The Cylons' Secret: Difference between revisions

The Cylons' Secret; A book of the Re-imagined Series line
Book No.	2
Author(s)	Craig Shaw Gardner
Adaptation of
No. of Pages	{{{pages}}}
Published	August 22, 2006
ISBN	0765315785
Chronology
	Paperback Version
	Available at Amazon.com – Purchase
	Available at Amazon.co.uk – Purchase
	Audiobook Version
	Available at iTunes – Purchase

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This article has a separate continuity.
This article is in the book series separate continuity, which is related to the Re-imagined Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

The Cylons' Secret by Craig Shaw Gardner (published by Tor Books), is an original prequel novel based on the Re-imagined Series.

Overview

Book Description from Amazon.com:

Sometimes no news is bad news.

It’s been twenty years since the end of the Cylon war. The twelve human colony worlds are rebuilding, and the Cylons . . . the Cylons have been just too quiet. They are nowhere to be found. The robotic race that tried to obliterate their creators has gone to parts unknown in deep space.

The aftermath of the war has created a new, illegal profession: scavenger. Tom Zarek is one, scouring the outer settlements for valuable Cylon technologies and artifacts and usually returning empty-handed. But now, he and the crew of the Cruiser Lightning have found the Omega Station, a scientific station shrouded in secrecy beyond the edge of charted space. This is it, the big score, except something is wrong…the base is still occupied, not by humans alone; by Cylons too!

The battlestar Galactica, one of the oldest warships in the fleet, receives the Lightning's distress call, a cryptic one-word message: "Cylons." William Adama newly promoted to second-in-command, is worried. Most of his crew are green, new recruits, not prepared for anything but the most routine missions. And, as Adama soon discovers, this mission is anything but routine. Omega is indeed full of Cylons, but also something much more disturbing . . .

Summary

One day before the First Cylon War, Cylons across the Twelve Colonies receive a secret broadcast signal ordering an "upgrade," causing them to abandon their posts and turn violently on their human masters.^[1] This becomes a declaration of independence, sparking the war.^[2]

Twenty years after the armistice, the battlestar Galactica is on a training mission at the edge of explored space under the command of Admiral Sing, with Colonel William Adama as his XO and Captain Saul Tigh training new pilots.^[3] They discover a booby-trapped B-class freighter left by scavengers.^[4]

Meanwhile, the scavenger ship Free Cruiser Lightning, captained by the unstable Nadu, follows an old automated signal to Research Station Omega, a pre-war Colonial science outpost.^[5] Believing it holds valuable salvage, Nadu sends a two-man Viper Mark I team to investigate. The pilots act aggressively and are "neutralized" by the station's Cylon "companions."^[6] Nadu then organizes a second, more heavily armed landing party led by Tom Zarek.^[7] As Zarek's team meets the station's leader, Dr. Villem Fuest, one of the scavenger pilots panics and opens fire, leading to a firefight.^[8] Zarek's crewmate Boone is killed, and Zarek escapes in his shuttle, using Dr. Fuest as a shield to get aboard.^[9] A massive Cylon Dreadnaught, the Invincible, suddenly appears and destroys the escaping Viper escort.^[10] Before crashing on the planet, Zarek transmits a one-word distress call: "Cylons."^[11]

The call is picked up by Galactica.^[12] Adama and Tigh lead an unarmed diplomatic party to the station and learn from Dr. Fuest that Omega was a thirty-year-old experiment in human-Cylon co-existence.^[13] The Cylon "companions," however, reveal they have been acting independently and communicating with the Invincible, exposing the station as a long-term Cylon observation post studying humanity.^[14]

Adama and Tigh are summoned aboard the Invincible and discover the "Cylons' Secret": the Dreadnaught is powered by a living human integrated into its systems. Chief Nedder, an old crewmate of Adama's, has been kept in a state of perpetual torture, his biological components used to operate the ship's functions—a failsafe from the ship's original Colonial design that the Cylons could not bypass.^[15]

As Nadu returns with a fleet of scavenger ships to attack the Invincible, Dr. Fuest, realizing his life's work was a lie, sacrifices himself by causing a power surge that temporarily disables the Dreadnaught.^[16] Galactica, now reinforced by other Battlestars, escapes with the human survivors of Omega and the captured scavengers while the Invincible jumps away.^[17] In the aftermath, the companions shut themselves down after uploading their data, Zarek is given a new identity in exchange for his silence, and the Cylons aboard the Invincible plan to "improve" Chief Nedder using "replacement parts" from the captured scavengers.^[18]

Notes

New Locations

Research Station Omega – A Picon Colony Science Station established approximately five years before the Cylon War to study the interaction between human settlers and modified, semi-sentient Cylons. Forgotten by the Colonies after the war began, it operated in isolation for thirty years.^[19] In reality, it was a Cylon outpost for studying humans.^[20] The station is abandoned after its discovery by Galactica.^[21]

New Ships

B-class freighter – An old model of cargo hauler.^[22]
Free cruiser Lightning - A "recovery ship" (scavenger vessel) armed with outdated Viper Mark Is.^[23] It is presumably destroyed attacking the Cylon Dreadnaught.^[24]
Cylon Dreadnaught Invincible - A massive Cylon warship from the First Cylon War, one of three such ships built by the Colonies.^[25] It is revealed to be dependent on a human component for operation.^[26] It is armed with energy weapons and Cylon-controlled Vipers.^[27]

Other

The novel establishes that before being assigned to Galactica, Adama was on Caprica with his family and Tigh was a destitute alcoholic on Geminon.^[28] Adama personally requested Tigh's reinstatement, pulling him out of a suicidal depression.^[29] This contradicts information from the episode "Hero," which has both men serving together on the battlestar Valkyrie before their assignment to Galactica.
The description of weapons used by Cylon Centurions and the Dreadnaught Invincible is often of "laser" or "energy" bolts, which is inconsistent with the projectile-based weaponry predominantly featured in the Re-imagined Series.^[30]
The Invincible never deploys Cylon Raiders. Instead, it uses a force of Cylon-piloted Vipers, suggesting the classic Raider design may have been a later development.^[31]
There are no Raptors mentioned aboard Galactica; shuttles are used for all sub-light transport missions. This is likely because the novel was written before "Razor" and the Razor Flashbacks established the Raptor's use in the First Cylon War.
The novel is set twenty years after the armistice, which places it in contradiction with the series' official timeline regarding the length of Adama and Tigh's careers and when they first met.^[32]

External links

Purchase The Cylons' Secret from Amazon.com

References

↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 6-10.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 10, 12.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 18-19, 21.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 22.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 28-30.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 52.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 66.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 81.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 82-83.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 84.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 85.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 103.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 119, 132-133.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 95, 180.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 197.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 201, 207.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 208.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 210-211, 214.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 117.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 180.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 210.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 22.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 25, 30.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 201.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 176-177.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 197.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 191.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 18.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 18.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, pp. 159, 191.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 191.
↑ The Cylons' Secret, p. 15.

[1] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 6-10.

[2] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 10, 12.

[3] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 18-19, 21.

[4] The Cylons' Secret, p. 22.

[5] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 28-30.

[6] The Cylons' Secret, p. 52.

[7] The Cylons' Secret, p. 66.

[8] The Cylons' Secret, p. 81.

[9] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 82-83.

[10] The Cylons' Secret, p. 84.

[11] The Cylons' Secret, p. 85.

[12] The Cylons' Secret, p. 103.

[13] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 119, 132-133.

[14] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 95, 180.

[15] The Cylons' Secret, p. 197.

[16] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 201, 207.

[17] The Cylons' Secret, p. 208.

[18] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 210-211, 214.

[19] The Cylons' Secret, p. 117.

[20] The Cylons' Secret, p. 180.

[21] The Cylons' Secret, p. 210.

[22] The Cylons' Secret, p. 22.

[23] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 25, 30.

[24] The Cylons' Secret, p. 201.

[25] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 176-177.

[26] The Cylons' Secret, p. 197.

[27] The Cylons' Secret, p. 191.

[28] The Cylons' Secret, p. 18.

[29] The Cylons' Secret, p. 18.

[30] The Cylons' Secret, pp. 159, 191.

[31] The Cylons' Secret, p. 191.

[32] The Cylons' Secret, p. 15.

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@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 :Sometimes no news is bad news.
-:It’s been twenty years since the end of the Cylon war. The twelve human colony worlds are rebuilding, and the Cylons . . . the Cylons have been just too quiet. They are nowhere to be found. The robotic race that tried to obliterate their creators has gone to parts unknown in deep space.
+:It’s been twenty years since the end of the [[Cylon War|Cylon war]]. The [[Twelve Colonies|twelve human colony worlds]] are rebuilding, and the [[Cylon (RDM)|Cylons]] . . . the Cylons have been just too quiet. They are nowhere to be found. The robotic race that tried to obliterate their creators has gone to parts unknown in deep space.
-:The aftermath of the war has created a new, illegal profession: scavenger. Tom Zarek is one, scouring the outer settlements for valuable Cylon technologies and artifacts and usually returning empty-handed. But now, he and the crew of the Cruiser Lightning have found the Omega Station, a scientific station shrouded in secrecy beyond the edge of charted space. This is it, the big score, except something is wrong…the base is still occupied, not by humans alone; by Cylons too!
+:The aftermath of the war has created a new, illegal profession: scavenger. [[Tom Zarek]] is one, scouring the outer settlements for valuable Cylon technologies and artifacts and usually returning empty-handed. But now, he and the crew of the Cruiser Lightning have found the Omega Station, a scientific station shrouded in secrecy beyond the edge of charted space. This is it, the big score, except something is wrong…the base is still occupied, not by humans alone; by Cylons too!
-:The battlestar Galactica, one of the oldest warships in the fleet, receives the Lightning's distress call, a cryptic one-word message: "Cylons." William Adama, newly promoted to second-in-command, is worried. Most of his crew are green, new recruits, not prepared for anything but the most routine missions. And, as Adama soon discovers, this mission is anything but routine. Omega is indeed full of Cylons, but also something much more disturbing . . .
+:The battlestar [[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]], one of the oldest warships in the fleet, receives the Lightning's distress call, a cryptic one-word message: "Cylons." [[William Adama]] newly promoted to second-in-command, is worried. Most of his crew are green, new recruits, not prepared for anything but the most routine missions. And, as Adama soon discovers, this mission is anything but routine. Omega is indeed full of Cylons, but also something much more disturbing . . .
 == Summary ==
-*One day before the [[First Cylon War]], Cylons all over the Colonies received urgent recall orders from an unknown source, killing any humans in their way. The Cylons declare their independence, causing the war to start, initially to prevent the Cylons from leaving. Later the war became focused on extermination of the Cylons for their crimes, with the Cylons having an upper hand until the Colonies regress in computer technology. Both sides nearly collapse by the end of the war, leading to the armistice.
+One day before the [[First Cylon War]], Cylons across the [[Twelve Colonies]] receive a secret broadcast signal ordering an "upgrade," causing them to abandon their posts and turn violently on their human masters.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 6-10.</ref> This becomes a declaration of independence, sparking the war.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 10, 12.</ref>
-*Twenty years later, Captain [[Saul Tigh]] on is ''[[Galactica (TRS)|Galactica]]'', recalling the events that lead to his friendship with [[William Adama|Bill Adama]] and his current assignment on ''Galactica'' during its mission on the edge of explored space. Adama, currently a colonel and the ship's XO, is notified of strange readings on [[DRADIS]], emanating from a booby-trapped B-class freighter left by scavengers. Admiral Sing, ''Galactica'''s commanding officer, suggests sweeping the area in order to catch the scavengers and sending Vipers to deal with the freighter.
-*On the ''Lightning'', [[Tom Zarek]] witnesses a fight between two of the ship's Viper pilots, Scag and Eddie. Suddenly, the crew is called to attention by Griff, the XO and communications officer. All nineteen crew members arrive on the main deck and are briefed by Captain Nadu.
-*The ''Lightning'' receives an automated signal from a Colonial Science Protectorate outpost, despite the organization's dissolution around the time of the Cylon rebellion, mentioning a quarantine. Nadu sends Scag and Eddie in their [[Viper (TOS)|Viper Mk I]]'s ("Vipes") to check out the outpost.
-*Near the sabotaged freighter, three Vipers flown by Lieutenant Tara "Athena" Tanada, Nik "Skeeter" Mino, and Junior Stith examine the damage inflicted by the scavengers. Skeeter privately believes that the Cylons were responsible for the freighter, partially because of his upbringing by his grandmother, who used stories of the Cylons to bring him into line. The Vipers are recalled to ''Galactica'' while Athena gets orders to destroy the freighter.
-*On the ''Lightning'', the message is replaced by a live feed from Research Station Omega. The person on Omega's end informs ''Lightning'' that they have been out of contact with the Colonies for thirty years. Nadu takes advantage of the situation and gets permission for the Vipers to land, although the person on Omega's end urges Nadu to tell his pilots to wait after they land.
-*On Omega, Doctor Villem Fuest considers the ramifications of the impending visit of ''Lightning'''s Viper pilots eventually calling on his dead wife Betti for guidance. He calls a meeting of the senior staff, consisting of himself, Laea, Jon, and Vin, the only other remaining humans on the base, and three "companions," Gamma, Beta, and Epsilon. The companions are in fact Cylons, although they did not rebel with the others.
-*Laea and Vin witness the ''Lightning'''s Vipers land. The pilots exit the Vipers, brandishing their guns, causing the companions in the hangar bay to neutralize the pilots.
-*On the ''Lightning'', Nadu recalls the events leading up to his command of the ''Lightning'', particularly the incident that lead to his disfigurement while monitoring the Vipers' descent. As soon as Scag and Eddie are captured, Omega Station begins broadcasting the automated message again.
-*Fuest, Jon, Epsilon, Beta, and Gamma discuss the events in the hangar before resuming communications with the ''Lightning''. While Griff at first demands to speak to the pilots, he agrees to Fuest's request for a meeting with someone more diplomatic. Nadu agrees, but only after warning Fest that two Vipers would escort Zarek's shuttle.
-*Nadu calls for another crew meeting, where he rallies the crew and assigns the crew for the second landing: Zarek, Boone, the Creep, and the two Viper pilots, Slam and Ajay. Nadu orders the shuttle crew to take weapons to intimidate the station's inhabitants.
-*In the launch bay, Boone, Zarek, and the Creep load the shuttle with guns, grenades, and survival gear before leaving the ''Lightning''. They depart with their Viper escort and spend several minutes talking amongst themselves before landing.
-*Upon landing, Zarek orders that none of his team open fire without provocation. Shortly after, Dr. Fuest, Gamma, and Beta enter the hangar, causing some concern among the shuttle crew. Zarek, Boone, and the Creep exit the shuttle, meeting the three senior staff members.
-*While things appear to be going well, Ajay panics and opens fire with a rifle, casing Centurions to enter the area. A firefight begins, during which Zarek uses Fuest as a shield to get to the shuttle. He manages to get to the shuttle, but Boone is killed by Centurions before they could board the shuttle.
-*The Creep disappears, forcing Zarek to pilot the shuttle. Slam also survived and pilots his Viper out of the hangar, with Zarek following in the shuttle. However, a ship appears in orbit and destroys Slam's Viper. Zarek shuts down the engines, causing the shuttle to fall. He sends a message to Nadu about what happened to the other members of the team and the fact that Cylons inhabit the station before firing thrusters, which fail to bring the shuttle under control before hitting the ground.
-*On the ''Lightning'', Nadu decides to withdraw from the massive Cylon warship in order to jump to a meeting spot. However, the ship leaves without firing on the ''Lightning'', infuriating Nadu.
-*On the planet, Zarek examines the damaged shuttle finding most of the supplies on board unharmed. After examining his situation, he decides to leave the shuttle and examine the surrounding area.
-*Inside the station, Fuest questions the reasoning for the companions action. He is informed that through access to ''Lightning'''s pre-war computers (which were designed to interface with Cylon technology), the companions realized that they were a threat to the safety of the station and its personnel. They decided to neutralize the landing party before they could cause harm.
-*On the roof of the station, Laea witnesses the fighting in the hangar and the events immediately after, including the destruction of Slam's Viper and the shuttle crashing into the forest.
-*On ''Galactica'', Admiral Sing is given a copy of Zarek's distress call. The officer of the watch informs him that the duty staff overheard the message and its mention of Cylons, forcing Sing to call a meeting of all the senior officers in the CIC, in an attempt to quash any rumors.
-*In the CIC, the senior officers discuss the message, particularly its origin and authenticity. Sing decides to send in recon Vipers once ''Galactica'' is closer to planet and have all the officers inform their subordinates that they are investigating a message of unknown origin and downplay the possibility of encountering Cylons.
-*On the planet, Zarek scouts the area around the crashed shuttle, discovering that he landed in a valley with fruit, a small stream, and some wildlife. While using a water testing packet from a survival kit, he spends some time thinking about the ''Lightning'' and his situation.
-*On ''Galactica'', Tigh briefs the mostly green Viper pilots about the mission, stating he will go personally on the first flight, along with Athena and Skeeter. After the briefing, Skeeter voices his anxiety about encountering Cylons, but Tigh reassures him before heading off to the mess for a drink.
-*Meanwhile, Adama is called to the CIC as ''Galactica'' enters the vicinity of Omega Station and receives the automated message the ''Lightning'' previously received. Sing orders that a message be sent to the station, while at the same time, a message from the fleet on Omega Station.
-*Not along after sending the message to Omega Station, they communicate with Fuest, who asks for any party from ''Galactica'' to come unarmed, after the experience with the raiders. Soon after, Tigh updates his pilots on the changes to the mission plan, which consists of the Vipers following the shuttle sent to the station, but not landing with the shuttle.
+Twenty years after the armistice, the battlestar ''[[Galactica (TRS)|Galactica]]'' is on a training mission at the edge of explored space under the command of [[Admiral Sing]], with Colonel [[William Adama]] as his XO and Captain [[Saul Tigh]] training new pilots.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 18-19, 21.</ref> They discover a booby-trapped B-class freighter left by scavengers.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 22.</ref>
+Meanwhile, the scavenger ship ''Free Cruiser Lightning'', captained by the unstable [[Nadu]], follows an old automated signal to [[Research Station Omega]], a pre-war Colonial science outpost.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 28-30.</ref> Believing it holds valuable salvage, Nadu sends a two-man [[Viper (TOS)|Viper Mark I]] team to investigate. The pilots act aggressively and are "neutralized" by the station's [[Cylon Centurion (RDM)|Cylon]] "companions."<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 52.</ref> Nadu then organizes a second, more heavily armed landing party led by [[Tom Zarek]].<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 66.</ref> As Zarek's team meets the station's leader, [[Dr. Villem Fuest]], one of the scavenger pilots panics and opens fire, leading to a firefight.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 81.</ref> Zarek's crewmate [[Boone]] is killed, and Zarek escapes in his shuttle, using Dr. Fuest as a shield to get aboard.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 82-83.</ref> A massive Cylon Dreadnaught, the ''[[Invincible (Dreadnaught)|Invincible]]'', suddenly appears and destroys the escaping Viper escort.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 84.</ref> Before crashing on the planet, Zarek transmits a one-word distress call: "Cylons."<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 85.</ref>
+The call is picked up by ''Galactica''.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 103.</ref> Adama and Tigh lead an unarmed diplomatic party to the station and learn from Dr. Fuest that Omega was a thirty-year-old experiment in human-Cylon co-existence.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 119, 132-133.</ref> The Cylon "companions," however, reveal they have been acting independently and communicating with the ''Invincible'', exposing the station as a long-term Cylon observation post studying humanity.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 95, 180.</ref>
+Adama and Tigh are summoned aboard the ''Invincible'' and discover the "Cylons' Secret": the Dreadnaught is powered by a living human integrated into its systems. [[Chief Nedder]], an old crewmate of Adama's, has been kept in a state of perpetual torture, his biological components used to operate the ship's functions—a failsafe from the ship's original Colonial design that the Cylons could not bypass.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 197.</ref>
+As Nadu returns with a fleet of scavenger ships to attack the ''Invincible'', Dr. Fuest, realizing his life's work was a lie, sacrifices himself by causing a power surge that temporarily disables the Dreadnaught.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 201, 207.</ref> ''Galactica'', now reinforced by other Battlestars, escapes with the human survivors of Omega and the captured scavengers while the ''Invincible'' jumps away.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 208.</ref> In the aftermath, the companions shut themselves down after uploading their data, Zarek is given a new identity in exchange for his silence, and the Cylons aboard the ''Invincible'' plan to "improve" Chief Nedder using "replacement parts" from the captured scavengers.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 210-211, 214.</ref>
 ==Notes==
 ===New Locations===
-*Research Station Omega – a Picon Colony Science Station, it was an attempt to study the interactions of human settlers and modified, semi-sentient Cylons (courtesy of independent neural pathways) about five years before the [[Cylon War]]. It was later forgotten and abandoned by Picon following the outbreak of war with the Cylons.  The free cruiser ''Lightning'' and ''Galactica'' come across Omega 25 years after the war. Only one of the original researchers and three adult survivors (children when the station was abandoned) remain, along with 97 Cylon 'Companions'.  Following an encounter with the dreadnought ''Invincible'', the station is abandoned by the companions for parts unknown and the human survivors returned to the Colonies.
+*[[Research Station Omega]] – A [[Picon]] Colony Science Station established approximately five years before the [[Cylon War]] to study the interaction between human settlers and modified, semi-sentient Cylons. Forgotten by the Colonies after the war began, it operated in isolation for thirty years.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 117.</ref> In reality, it was a Cylon outpost for studying humans.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 180.</ref> The station is abandoned after its discovery by ''Galactica''.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 210.</ref>
 ===New Ships===
-*B-class freighter – an old model ship, it was used to haul cargo from the Colonies to new settlements many years ago.
+*B-class freighter – An old model of cargo hauler.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 22.</ref>
-*“Recovery Ship” – this is a polite name for a scavenger ship, which is sometimes armed with outdated Viper Mark Ones
+*Free cruiser ''Lightning'' - A "recovery ship" (scavenger vessel) armed with outdated [[Viper (TOS)|Viper Mark Is]].<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 25, 30.</ref> It is presumably destroyed attacking the Cylon Dreadnaught.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 201.</ref>
-*free cruiser ''Lightning'' - this recovery ship attempts to scavenge Research Station Omega, but over a third of its crew is captured or killed by the occupants.  Afterwards the ship returns with other recovery ships in order to destroy the station, but is presumably wiped out in conflict with the dreadnought ''Invincible''.
+*[[Invincible (Dreadnaught)|Cylon Dreadnaught ''Invincible'']] - A massive Cylon warship from the First Cylon War, one of three such ships built by the Colonies.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 176-177.</ref> It is revealed to be dependent on a human component for operation.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 197.</ref> It is armed with energy weapons and Cylon-controlled Vipers.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 191.</ref>
 === Other ===
-* Adama as ''Galactica''{{'|s}} XO and Tigh as captain on the ship contradicts later information from the episode "[[Hero]]," that has both serving on the battlestar ''[[Valkyrie]]'' before being assigned to ''Galactica''. A [[Sources:Adama's Dossier|document]] shown reveals further details about Adama's career in the Colonial Fleet.
+* The novel establishes that before being assigned to ''Galactica'', Adama was on [[Caprica]] with his family and Tigh was a destitute alcoholic on [[Geminon]].<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 18.</ref> Adama personally requested Tigh's reinstatement, pulling him out of a suicidal depression.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 18.</ref> This contradicts information from the episode "[[Hero]]," which has both men serving together on the battlestar ''[[Valkyrie]]'' before their assignment to ''Galactica''.
-* The description of weapons in the novel is mostly consistent with their portrayal in the re-imagined series, although several occasions later in the novel seem to be describing laser weaponry similar to that used in the original series. Also, the ''Invincible'' is described as having lasers in its arsenal.
+* The description of weapons used by Cylon Centurions and the Dreadnaught ''Invincible'' is often of "laser" or "energy" bolts, which is inconsistent with the projectile-based weaponry predominantly featured in the Re-imagined Series.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', pp. 159, 191.</ref>
-* The ''Invincible'' never deploys [[Cylon Raider (RDM)#Cylon-War Era Raiders|Raiders]], implying that the Raider design was a later development since the dreadnoughts were among the first military units to rebel. However, the dreadnought deploys large numbers of Vipers specifically designed for Cylon use.
+* The ''Invincible'' never deploys [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]]. Instead, it uses a force of Cylon-piloted Vipers, suggesting the classic Raider design may have been a later development.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 191.</ref>
-*''Galactica'' only has roughly two dozen pilots aboard, which is about the size of one squadron. However, it is stated that ''Galactica'' is training pilots in unexplored space, which is possibly why there are so few pilots aboard.
+*There are no [[Raptor (RDM)|Raptors]] mentioned aboard ''Galactica''; shuttles are used for all sub-light transport missions. This is likely because the novel was written before "[[Razor]]" and the [[Razor Flashbacks]] established the Raptor's use in the First Cylon War.
-*There are no [[Raptor]]s aboard ''Galactica'', despite their use in the First Cylon War. While it is possible that they were not placed aboard for what was supposed to be a simple mission, it is more likely that the author did not know Raptors existed at the time (a fact that was later revealed in "[[Razor]]" and the [[Razor Flashbacks]]).
+*The novel is set twenty years after the armistice, which places it in contradiction with the [[Timeline (RDM)|series' official timeline]] regarding the length of Adama and Tigh's careers and when they first met.<ref>''The Cylons' Secret'', p. 15.</ref>
-*The majority of the novel apparently takes place 20 years after the outbreak of the First Cylon War, which was four years before Tigh and Adama first met according to the [[Timeline (RDM)|series' official timeline]].
 ==External links==
 *[http://astore.amazon.com/battlestarwik-20/detail/0765315793 Purchase ''The Cylons' Secret'' from Amazon.com]
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cylons' Secret, The}}

The Cylons' Secret A book of the Re-imagined Series line

Book No.	2
Author(s)	Craig Shaw Gardner
Adaptation of
No. of Pages	{{{pages}}}
Published	August 22, 2006
ISBN	0765315785
Chronology
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Battlestar Galactica (2005 Novel)	The Cylons' Secret	Sagittarius Is Bleeding
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