Osiris

Osiris (0913)
[show/hide spoilers] Spoilers hidden in infobox by default only.
Race:	Colonial
Type:	Military
FTL:	Yes
Propulsion:	2x fuselage-housed sublight engines 2x nacelle-housed sublight engines
Crew:	~150 (minus pilots)
Capacity:
CO:	Commander Ozar (At time of loss)
XO:	{{{xo}}}
Role:	Battleship / carrier Stealth reconnaissance vessel
Weapons:	{{{weapons}}}
Armaments:	12x primary guns 32x ship-to-ship missile batteries 28x gun based CIWS turrets Nuclear missile tubes
Defenses:	Flak DRADIS absorbent hull plating
Aircraft:	Small Viper Mk. III detachment Small Raptor detachment
Aviation facilities:	1x flight deck 18x Viper launch tubes
Fate:	Destroyed, Battle of Djerba, YR58 (42 years BCH)
Emblem:
Other Images:	Gallery
Dimensions
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Wingspan:	{{{wingspan}}}
Other:	{{{otherdi}}}
Game Information
Cost:	{{{construction}}}
Construction Time:	{{{construction}}}
Hull Size:	{{{hull size}}}
Hull:	{{{hull}}}
Mobility
FTL Cooldown:	{{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
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Armor Rear:	{{{armor rear}}}
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Armor Bottom:	{{{armor bottom}}}
Armament
DRADIS Range:	{{{dradis range}}} m
Processing Power:	{{{processing power}}}
Munition Slots:	{{{munitions}}}
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Special Abilities:	{{{special abilities}}}
Additional Information

Osiris (0913) was an Orion class "pocket battlestar" in the Colonial Fleet, during the First Cylon War. It served in a semi-secretive role during the war, having been hidden away by Colonial admiralty as part of a covert "ghost fleet." At the time of its destruction circa 42 BCH (58YR), Osiris was attached to the 54th Battlestar Group and commanded by Commander Ozar.

Class Information

Osiris belonged to the Orion-class of assault ships, nicknamed "pocket battlestars" due to their smaller size compared to full battlestars like Galactica. These vessels were approximately quarter the size of Galactica and designed specifically for special operations, incorporating the latest stealth technology available during the First Cylon War.

The Orion-class featured a distinctive submarine-like design that was long, dark, and forbidding, with torpedo-like tubes for launching Vipers positioned in the bow. The ship's CIC maintained a stealthier, more submarine-like feel compared to larger battlestars, with blue LEDs glowing coolly in the dark rather than the standard lighting found on other Colonial vessels.

Due to their specialized design and dangerous missions, Orion-class ships earned the grim nickname "one-way wonders" among Colonial personnel.

History

Osiris first entered service sometime before the tenth year of the First Cylon War c. 42 BCH (58YR), but was reported as destroyed in an earlier engagement with Cylon forces. In reality, the ship was hiding in Cylon-held space as part of a secret "ghost fleet" the Colonial admiralty had been assembling for over a year as part of an effort to strike at the Cylons when and where they were least expecting it.

The ghost fleet concept involved taking Colonial warships that had been shot to hell but could be salvaged, then officially declaring them destroyed while secretly repairing them for covert operations. Ships like Valkyrie and Loki, also reported lost and presumed destroyed, actually formed the backbone of this hidden fleet operating deep in Cylon space.

As part of the psychological impact on their crews, Colonial Command made all personnel assigned to the ghost fleet witness their own death certificates, emphasizing the complete secrecy of their operations and their official non-existence.

Mission to Djerba

Sometime after being hidden away, Osiris was tasked by the admiralty for a Priority 1 mission involving a combat jump to Djerba, an ice moon that had become a Cylon strategic outpost early in the war. The mission was part of a larger operation to deliver what appeared to be a virus to blind Cylon defenses, but was actually an intelligence gathering operation in preparation for the Ghost Fleet Offensive.

Mission Planning

Commander Ozar briefed approximately a dozen pilots in Osiris's cramped briefing room, explaining that a Marine Recon team had already been inserted on Djerba's surface. The ship's mission was to deliver Dr. Becca Kelly safely to the Marines, then extract all personnel once her objective was complete.

The operation required Osiris to be fitted out for a 12-league jump and equipped with ten Mark III Vipers "loaded for bear" and prepared for atmospheric insertion. Due to supply shortages, Ozar noted they were low on ammunition but had managed to "liberate" two cases of ambrosia from Valkyrie's mess as a morale booster for the pilots.

Security Protocols

The ghost fleet maintained strict security protocols, including challenge-response authentication systems. Incoming aircraft were required to respond to coded challenges such as "Spigot" with the correct response "Arrow." Personnel arriving on Osiris underwent thorough security screening, including retinal scans, weapons searches, and verification of their orders and identity.

Battle of Djerba

Main article: Battle of Djerba

Osiris successfully completed its jump to Djerba, arriving on the dark side of the moon to avoid detection. However, as the ship came around the nighttime curve of the planet, a Cylon basestar appeared directly in its path. Initially, the Cylon DRADIS could not detect the ship due to its hull's DRADIS-absorbent qualities and stealth capabilities.

Despite the tactical disadvantage, Commander Ozar made the difficult decision to proceed with the mission, knowing that the Marines on the surface were waiting and that "timing's everything with this op." She acknowledged that even in stealth mode, the Cylons would pick them up on DRADIS once they launched their aircraft, but felt they had no choice but to continue.

The ship was quickly overwhelmed by the more powerful basestar and suffered numerous hits in the initial assault, eventually losing its starboard sublight engine nacelle. The outnumbered Vipers engaged the Raiders while the main body fought the basestar, but were overwhelmed ten to one.

Final Sacrifice

As the battle situation deteriorated, Commander Ozar gave the order to fire the nuclear warheads, but the missile launch systems had been compromised by prior hits - the bay doors were jammed. His Executive Officer warned that at their current range, they might not be able to clear the blast radius, but Ozar determined they had no choice.

In order to protect those on the planet below, Ozar ordered Osiris to charge directly at the basestar and requested manual override control of the nuclear warheads. Looking at her crew one final time, she said "It was an honor, gentlemen" before flipping the manual detonation switch.

Not long after, a massive nuclear detonation occurred, and DRADIS contact with both vessels was lost. The sacrifice of Osiris successfully destroyed the Cylon basestar and eliminated the Raiders that had been pursuing the surface mission team ^{(TRS: "Blood and Chrome")}.

Aircraft Operations

Osiris' hangar deck as seen circa 42 BCH (58YR).

Osiris carried a complement of Viper Mark III fighters specifically designed for the ship's special operations role. These Mark III Vipers were sleeker than standard models, with bigger wings designed for both space combat and ground air support missions. The ship's forward-facing launch tubes allowed for rapid deployment, though the cramped hangar bay meant operations were more constrained than on full-sized battlestars.

The ship's aft landing bay posed significant challenges for incoming aircraft. The flight deck was positioned directly behind the engines and was notably short, requiring precise timing and skill from pilots. Incoming craft risked becoming "ramp roast" if they came in too slow, or smashing into the reinforced bulkhead if they came in too fast. The bay was equipped with magnetic arrestors to help stop incoming Raptors and Vipers.

Crew

Command Staff

• Commander Ozar - Commanding officer
• Unnamed Executive Officer - Managed tactical operations and damage control
• Unnamed Doctor - Performed security screening and retinal scans
• Unnamed Marine Sergeant - Led security teams and screening operations
• Unnamed Landing Signals Officer - Coordinated dangerous aft deck landings

Detached Crew

• Lieutenant Zachary Elias - Viper pilot, call sign "Spoon," originally assigned to battlestar Valkyrie
• Lieutenant Jim "Sunshine" Kirby - Viper pilot, originally assigned to battlestar Valkyrie, changed call sign to "Anslem"

Related Imagery

• 
  Raptor 909 approaches Osiris.
• 
  Osiris among the "ghost fleet."
• 
  Osiris approaching Djerba.
• 
  Osiris's point defense batteries.
• 
  Osiriss CIC.
• 
  Osiris's uniform patch.
• 
  Osiris fires its CIWS.
• 
  Osiris taking heavy damage from Cylon missile attacks.
• 
  Osiris, after losing its starboard engine nacelle.
• 
  Osiris maneuvering through flak and missiles on one engine. Even damaged, it is nimble.
• 
  Osiris crashes into a basestar...
• 
  ...comes to a stop...
• 
  ...and triggers its nuclear warheads...
• 
  ...taking out the basestar with itself.

Production Notes

In the pre-production script for Blood and Chrome dated November 30, 2010, this vessel is consistently referred to as "Reliant" rather than "Osiris." The name change to "Osiris" occurred in future drafts leading to production, though the reasons for this alteration are not documented. The script provides significantly more detail about the ship's operations, crew, and final battle than appears in the finished production.

Additionally, Commander Ozar's characterization differs significantly between the script and final version. In the pre-production script, Ozar is depicted as a male "hard-looking ex-pilot and commando in his 40s," while in the final aired version, Commander Ozar is portrayed by actress Jill Teed.

Notes

• Osiris is an Ancient Egyptian deity of the afterlife, the underworld, and rebirth. An apt name given the significance of battlestar Osiris during the First Cylon War as a member of the so-called "ghost fleet"―ships that were officially "dead" but continued to serve in secret.

• The Orion-class design philosophy of cramped but efficient operations reflects the Colonial Fleet's adaptation to prolonged warfare and resource constraints during the later stages of the First Cylon War.