Galactica (TOS-BN)

For the canonical version, see: Galactica (TOS).

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Berkley Novelizations 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.

Galactica is a Colonial battlestar and the command ship of the Fleet during their exodus from the Twelve Colonies.

Description

Galactica is described as a massive ship with thick walls that can withstand the powerful forces generated during ship launches. Croft refers to the ship as a "monster" and "the old barge," noting that despite its massive size, its "principles of locomotion aren't much different from any ship" he has handled.

Systems and Capabilities

Launch Operations

Galactica is equipped with multiple launch tubes capable of rapidly deploying Viper fighters. The launch bay features a great opening described as "a great maw meant to swallow ships and remind pilots of their own vulnerability." During combat operations, Vipers can be launched from launch tubes "all over the ship," emerging rapidly to engage enemy forces.

The ship's launch capabilities are demonstrated during the SuperViper test when the experimental craft emerges "with dazzling speed" and accelerates "at such close range to its launching craft" in a manner that Commander Adama has "never seen."

Defensive Systems

Galactica is equipped with artillery batteries that provide defensive fire during combat. However, the ship's artillery effectiveness is significantly reduced when the vessel cannot maneuver properly. The ship's artillery can be engaged quickly, though during the SuperViper test there wasn't "enough time to engage Galactica's artillery to shoot at the test ship" when it went out of control.

Engine Systems

The ship's engine room is a vital area that controls Galactica's mobility and power systems. When functioning properly, the engines provide the maneuverability necessary for effective Viper launches and tactical operations. Damage to the engine systems can leave the ship as "a sitting duck" unable to mount proper defensive operations.

Bridge and Command Center

Galactica's bridge serves as the nerve center for fleet operations. It features multiple scanner screens that can display views from various angles, allowing command personnel to monitor ship operations and external activities. The bridge is equipped with monitoring systems that can track test flights and combat operations through main screens and monitor sets.

During the SuperViper test, the bridge crew monitors the experimental craft's performance through scanner displays, with Colonel Tigh able to check program printouts to verify whether pilots are following predetermined flight routines.

Lower Levels and the Devil's Pit

The lower levels of Galactica house an area known by legend as the Devil's Pit, located deep within the ship's infrastructure. Commander Adama acknowledges that even he has never descended as low as this area, describing it as "a strange and spooky place, inhabited by outcasts and misfits, by people who had abandoned the society of the ship and the fleet, rebelling against its rules or giving up on life itself."

The Devil's Pit is home to "outsiders, misfits, and general sleaze of the fleet," including people who need to escape their routines, convicted criminals, troublemakers, and "just plain bad-tempered idiots." The area features dark corridors, abandoned transport passages, overhead walkways, and makeshift living spaces created from the ship's infrastructure.

Access to the Devil's Pit is provided by elevators whose "rust-spotted doors could just barely open," as it is rare for anyone to voluntarily visit the dreaded place. Many of the ship's tunnels and transport passages begin at this level, making it a starting point for those seeking to move through the ship undetected.

The Devil's Pit has developed its own internal conflicts, with factions such as the "Warrior Elite" (former Galactica crewmen and engineers) engaging in minor skirmishes with other groups. However, these conflicts are generally non-lethal, using makeshift weapons like planks and pipes rather than dangerous armaments. Apollo and Starbuck have both had dangerous adventures in the Devil's Pit, with Starbuck nearly dying there after being driven mad by a Cylon device planted aboard ship.

Events in Surrender the Galactica!

SuperViper Testing

Galactica serves as the platform for testing the experimental SuperViper fighter. The ship's launch systems successfully deploy the test craft, though the mission nearly results in disaster when the SuperViper goes out of control and heads on a collision course with the battlestar. Only the combined efforts of pilots Apollo and Starbuck prevent a catastrophic crash.

Cylon Attack

During a major Cylon assault led by Spectre, Galactica comes under heavy attack after a sabotage mission destroys the ship's engines with a solenite bomb. With the ship unable to maneuver, Viper launches become extremely dangerous, and many pilots are shot down immediately upon clearing the launch tubes.

The ship's artillery batteries prove ineffective without proper maneuverability, and Galactica becomes vulnerable to concentrated Cylon fire. The situation becomes so desperate that Spectre demands Adama surrender the ship, noting that his forces can destroy the battlestar.

Engine Room Crisis

The engine room suffers catastrophic damage from the solenite explosion, leaving the area "like a city in ruins" with "jagged and glowing pieces of wreckage" and "hundreds of small fires." Rescue crews work to extract engine room personnel from the debris while Croft and Sheba attempt emergency repairs.

Croft's successful "jerrybuilding" of emergency power systems restores limited engine function, allowing Galactica to regain enough maneuverability to launch additional Vipers and coordinate defensive operations. This restoration of power proves crucial in turning the tide of the battle against the Cylon forces.

Command Staff

Galactica is commanded by Commander Adama, with Colonel Tigh serving as his executive officer. The ship's operations are coordinated from the bridge, where Flight Officer Rigel manages launch countdowns and communications.

Commander Adama demonstrates personal involvement in ship operations, at one point declaring "I'll take the helm" during the crisis to personally maneuver the ship during combat operations.