Pre-Blood & Chrome:
Battle of Caprica |
Fall of Djerba |
Operation Clean Sweep
Blood & Chrome: Battle of Sector 12 |
Battle of Djerba |
Ghost Fleet Offensive
Final Day:
Operation Raptor Talon |
Battle for the Tylium Asteroid
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| Battle for the Tylium Asteroid | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Apollo flying away from the Cylon tylium mine as it begins to explode | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Conflict: | Second Cylon war | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date: | Day 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Episode(s): | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place: | Asteroid field in interstellar space, specific location unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Result: | Colonial victory. Resupply of tylium ore for fuel reserves. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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2 Raptors, pilots Boomer, Stubbs Strike Force One: At least 7 Vipers, incl. Fireball, Deadbolt, Spinner, Buzzer, Hot Dog Strike Force Two: Viper 2220, Viper 7961, 10 other Viper Mk IIs140 Raiders Fixed anti-aircraft emplacements"
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| [[Colonial battles chronology ({{{series}}})|Battle Chronology]] | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The Battle of the Tylium Asteroid occurs as Galactica liberates a tylium ore refinery from the Cylons, marking the first time that Galactica makes an offensive strike against Cylon forces.
After exhausting much of its fuel reserves fleeing from Cylon forces (33) and after a difficult rescue of Kara Thrace (You Can't Go Home Again), Galactica sends Raptors to outlying star systems in search of the mineral tylium; a fuel source used by all ships in the Fleet.
They locate an asteroid rich in tylium, but also occupied by Cylons and fortified with Raider squadrons. Commander Adama decides to take the asteroid with a daring plan, utilizing the unconventional thinking of Kara Thrace to draft the attack plan and Captain Lee Adama to implement it.
Galactica pulls a double-feint; using a cargo freighter to lure away patrolling Raiders, the battlestar deploys a Viper squadron to approach the asteroid from the opposite direction. The Cylons deduce the freighter to be a diversion and turn their fighters on the approaching Viper squadron. Additionally, they release all of their base's reserve Raiders to make a run at Galactica. With all Cylon craft engaging either the Vipers or Galactica, a second squadron of Vipers emerges from inside the cargo freighter and heads for the now unguarded Cylon base.
As the squadron reaches the surface and approaches the refinery, they encounter heavy anti-aircraft fire that destroys three Vipers. Furthermore, a powerful jamming signal prevents the squadron from using guided missiles against the refinery, and Captain Adama determines that any attacks they attempt will have to be completed manually. For that to be possible they must be able to approach the base at a close range, something which the anti-aircraft artillery makes unattainable.
Captain Adama orders the other fighters to pull back as he searches for an alternative way of approaching the refinery. He finds a conveyor duct that runs from an un-defended canyon adjacent to the base, and ends bellow a tank housing highly unstable tylium precursor. After successfully maneuvering the duct, Adama detonates a pair of explosive charges underneath the tank, barely escaping the ensuing explosion.
The destruction of the tylium-precursor ignites the refinery's tylium stores and destroys the entire Cylon base in an explosion equivalent to a three kiloton nuclear warhead. The base's destruction heavily disorients the overflying Cylon Raiders, and leaves them unable to re-arm or refuel. Galactica and her Vipers destroy the remaining Raiders before they are able to alert reinforcements.
Subsequently, ships from the civilian fleet mine a large amount of tylium from the asteroid (gathered by the mobile mining ships and processed on a refinery ship). The mining yields enough tylium reserve to last the Fleet for several years.
Aftermath
The battle was prophesied in the Sacred Scrolls, which mention a victory "led by serpents numbering two and ten" (the twelve Vipers). The scrolls warn, however, that "though the outcome favored the few, it would lead to a confrontation at the home of the gods" (The Hand of God).
Impact
Without the replenishment of the tylium, it is highly probable that the Cylons would have caught up with the Fleet and destroyed it. As of "Dirty Hands", nearly three years later, tylium ore was still in supply. Hence, the success of this battle removed what would have been a major concern for the Fleet for several years. Although further resupply is possible, it is not mentioned during the time between this battle and the events of "Dirty Hands".