Battle of the Ionian Nebula

Battle of the Ionian Nebula
Cylons forces ambush the mysteriously crippled Colonial Fleet
Cylons forces ambush the mysteriously crippled Colonial Fleet
Summary
Conflict:	Second Cylon War
Date:	Shortly after Gaius Baltar's trial
Related Episode(s):
Place:	The Ionian nebula
Result:	Heavy Colonial losses and Cylon withdrawal. Triggers the Cylon Civil War
Combatants Remnants of the Colonial Fleet Cylons Commanders Admiral William Adama basestar command Strength Galactica, associated Vipers and Raptors Four basestars, approx. 200 Raiders and Heavy Raiders Materiel Losses Pyxis destroyed, Space Park severely damaged, Astral Queen slightly damaged, Galactica damaged. Numerous Raiders Casualties 600 civilians on Pyxis. 1,101 deaths on other ships. None
Battle Chronology
Previous Next Battle of the Algae Planet Battle of the Ionian Nebula Battle of the Resurrection Hub

Upon jumping into the Ionian system, the entire Fleet suddenly loses power and becomes dead in space. As the ships drift aimlessly, four Cylon basestars jump into the nebula and begin launching Raiders. By the time power is restored to Galactica and the civilian ships, the Raiders are already inbound and the Fleet is incapable of jumping to safety before they close to firing distance.

Events leading up to the battle

During the power outage Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol, Samuel Anders and Tory Foster begin to aimlessly wander the halls of Galactica muttering the lyrics to a mysterious song, having heard it in their heads for the past few days. When all four arrive in the same room and see each other they realize that they are actually Cylons themselves. When the alert is sounded, they resolve to continue serving in the roles they did when they believed they were human. Tyrol returns to the flight deck, Anders heads for his Viper and Tigh and Foster head for the CIC and return to the sides of Admiral Adama and President Roslin.

During the scramble to get the alert Vipers launched, Lee Adama, now a civilian after resigning from the military just before Baltar's trial, returns to his quarters and breaks out his helmet and flight suit and joins the fight. While intercepting the incoming waves of Raiders he picks up an unknown contact on his Viper's DRADIS and breaks formation to investigate. The unknown contact is intermittent and toys with Adama until it pulls alongside him and reveals itself to be Kara Thrace, alive and flying a spotless Viper Mk II. Thrace claims she has been to Earth and that she is here to lead the Fleet there (Crossroads, Part II).

Civilians under attack

Galactica's Vipers and Raptors are able to stop the main force of the over 200 Raiders, but the Cylon reserves manage to break through the Colonial lines. Outgunned and with the civilian ships requiring time to spin up their FTL drives, Admiral Adama orders all available pilots and ships out there, including inexperienced nuggets like Samuel Anders and Diana Seelix.

The battle floods over the drifting Fleet, Vipers and Raiders dogfighting among the ships while Galactica puts up anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) and fires her primary batteries at the Raiders and basestars. A damaged Raider collides with the Pyxis, destroying the liner and the 600 people aboard. The Cylon basestars launch a barrage of over 50 missiles, half of them targeting the civilian ships. Adama orders all Vipers and point defense batteries to concentrate on protecting the civilians, since Galactica can withstand the damage. Two missiles hit the Space Park, resulting in severe damage to its ring section and many causalities, and another missile strikes the Astral Queen, breaching the forward section of her hull. A missile bound for Colonial One is successfully intercepted by Seelix.

When Anders maneuvers behind a Raider chasing Seelix, it abruptly turns around, scans him with its red "eye", and breaks off. To the amazement of the Colonials, the other Raiders return to their basestars and the Cylons spin up their FTL drives to jump away. Adama seizes this opportunity and orders the fleet to withdraw (He That Believeth In Me).

Aftermath

Galactica after the battle, missing a gun turret.

The Cylons now suspect that the Final Five reside within the human fleet. Because the Raiders broke off the attack on their own volition, one group of Cylons led by Number One (Cavil) has them lobotomized to remove part of their free will. In retaliation, another group led by a Six that advocates a search for the Five, removes the devices that enslave the Centurions, turning them on Number One's faction (Six of One). This marks the beginning of the Cylon Civil War.

Notes

• A shot of the Fleet in space after the battle shows that Galactica has lost one of her dorsal batteries. Prior to the baseships firing the missiles, all four forward dorsal batteries are seen in action. After Anders's Viper launched, the impact of the missiles aimed at Galactica are shown, specifically one particular explosion emanating from the dorsal battery section, causing everyone in CIC to brace for impact.