The Twelve Colonies of Kobol
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- This article discusses the Twelve Colonies of the Re-imagined Series. See The Twelve Colonies (TOS) for information on the Colonies of the Original Series.
Approximately 2,000 years prior to the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, the last twelve tribes of Kobol leave their planet[1] over conflicts with their gods, as well as a "sort of calamity" [2].
The tribes settle on twelve worlds some distance away (Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I). The tribes' namesakes and icons originally corresponded to the twelve signs of the ancient tribes, although these names drifted over time[3] (Home, Part II).
The early Colonies lived (and fought) more as sovereign nations. Some (particularly Caprica) prospered, while others (such as Sagittaron and Aerelon) were often considered lessers. For peacetime labor forces as well as for wars between each other, humanity created the Cylons. When these early models rebelled, the Colonies unified their governments under the Articles of Colonization sometime before or during the Cylon War as a federal republic known as the Twelve Colonies of Kobol[4].
The official symbol of the Twelve Colonies is the Colonial seal.
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Star System
The star system of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol has not been named [5].
Caprica, Scorpia (Razor), and Tauron (Razor) have been shown directly. No other descriptions are available of the other colonies in terms of their celestial type: Minor planet, moon, or major planet. However, in the Miniseries, Elosha states that the tribes settled onto "12 worlds." While the use of "worlds" is ambiguous, the Colonies are noted as independent celestial bodies.
Although Commander Adama and President Roslin mention leaving the star system, the series itself is ambiguous as to whether all colonies are located in one star system. However, Caprica, Virgon, and Ragnar (based on tactical data related by Lieutenant Felix Gaeta) [6] are (Miniseries). In a blog entry Ronald D. Moore states that all planets are situated within one system, in keeping with the Original Series.
The Twelve Colonies had approximately 20 billion inhabitants prior to the Cylon attack (The Resistance) [7] and maintained some minor observatories and listening posts in outlying star systems [8]. Economic activity, such as tylium mining also occurred outside of the immediate vicinity around the Colonies (Hero).
Aerelon
- Main article: Aerelon
Ancient Name: Aries
Aerelon was primarily an agricultural world. It was considered to be the "food basket" of the Twelve Colonies. Despite this, Aerelon was ranked as one of the poorest members of the Colonies.
Gaius Baltar is a native of Aerelon, although he adopted the culture and mannerisms of Caprica, presumably to increase his standing in society (Dirty Hands).
Natives
Notes
- The spelling of this colony is sometimes inconsistent in the Re-imagined Series' official cast and crew notes and episode content. The colony is spelled "Aerilon" in the episodes "Home, Part I" and "The Son Also Rises" in official Colonial documentation. Battlestar Wiki chooses to use the more consistently used spelling of "Aerelon" which mainly appears in 'behind the scenes' publications.
Aquaria
Ancient Name: Aquarius
The unnamed Quorum of Twelve delegate from Aquaria voted for Tom Zarek in the vice-presidential elections (Colonial Day).
Canceron
Ancient Name: Cancer
Robin Wenutu is the Canceron Representative to the Quorum of Twelve.
No other information has been given in the Re-imagined Series about this colony.
Caprica
- Main article: Caprica (RDM)
Ancient Name: Capricorn
Caprica is a large blue-green planet and was the the center of Colonial civilization. According to Gaius Baltar, Caprica was the seat of politics, culture, art, science, and learning. It was also one of the wealthier colonies (Dirty Hands).
Big cities on the planet were Caprica City and Delphi.
6,250 people from Caprica join the Laura Roslin faction (Home, Part I). The overall Caprican survivor population, possibly significantly greater, is unknown (see analysis here).
Notes
- All events of Colonial life prior, during or after the Cylon attack (particularly in seasons 1 and 2) outside of the rag-tag Fleet was set on Caprica. No other colony's surface (save a photo from Aerelon) has been shown to viewers.
- Until the episode "Razor", where Scorpia is shown from orbit, Caprica has been the only Colonial planet actually shown in the Re-imagined Series.
Gemenon
Ancient Name: Gemini
Gemenon natives are called Gemenese (Taking a Break From All Your Worries). They are known for their literal interpretations of the Sacred Scrolls (Fragged). Most of the population of Gemenon was apparently very strongly opposed to the federal laws legalizing abortion. Traditional Gemenese law declares children to be the property of their parents (The Captain's Hand).
Gemenon was home to the Kobol Colleges. Aaron Doral claims to have studied public relations there. One of the last ever professional Pyramid games was held on Gemenon just prior to the Cylon attack on the Colonies (Miniseries).
Gemenon was one of the poorer colonies (Dirty Hands).
Approximately 9,500 Gemenese join the Laura Roslin faction, perhaps persuaded by Roslin's play of the "religious card" (Home, Part I). Even if this is the great majority of the Fleet's Gemenese population, it still means that Gemenon represents significantly more than a twelfth of the remains of humanity. It is maybe for this reason, or Gemenese influence over religious elements of the Fleet that Roslin's election campaign gives concern to the "Gemenese religious vote".
Gemenon has either an old or disused language or dialect specific to their colony known as "Old Gemenese." Gina Inviere's last name means "resurrection" in that language.[9]
Natives
- Representative Sarah Porter, Quorum of Twelve
- Corporal Venner
- Galen Tyrol (purported)
- Rya Kibby
- Adrien Bauer
- Jurgen Belzen and family
Leonis
Ancient Name: Leo
Safiya Sanne is identified as both Leonis's and Picon's representative on the Quorum of Twelve.
Leonis Estates Sparkling Wine was a type of alcohol produced on this colony.
Libris
Ancient Name: Libra
Practically no information has been given yet regarding the colony corresponding to Libra. Its colonial-era name also has yet to be confirmed. According to issue 3 of the now-defunct Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine, the colony's name is "Libris".
The Space Park, a passenger liner in the Fleet, is of Libran registry (SciFi.com).
Picon
Ancient Name: Pisces
Picon was the location for the Colonial Fleet Headquarters (Miniseries). A flashback view of Admiral Corman's office, probably located at Fleet Headquarters, is among one of the rare visual glimpses of life on another colony outside of Caprica.
The colony came under heavy attack during the early stages of the Cylon attack. President Richard Adar offered a complete and unconditional surrender to the Cylons after Fleet Headquarters is destroyed; this overture was ignored (Miniseries, deleted scene).
Ellen Tigh claims to have been at the airport on Picon, "on her way home" when the attack started, and that some "unknown hero" ensured she was put on the last ship to get off the planet (Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down).
Natives
- Samuel Anders, allegedly born on Picon (He That Believeth In Me).
- Asha Janik, Cylon sympathizer, member of the Demand Peace movement (Epiphanies).
- Playa Palacios, veteran columnist from the Picon Star Tribune. [10]
- Safiya Sanne, Picon representative to the Quorum of Twelve. [11]
- The siblings, nephews and nieces of Billy Keikeya (Miniseries).
Publications
Pyramid Team
Sagittaron
- Main article: Sagittaron
Ancient Name: Sagittarius
Sagittaron[12] endured centuries of exploitation at the hands of the other Colonies, leading to the colony becoming one of the poorest planets. Eventually, Tom Zarek led an organized series of terrorist acts against the established government there, many years before the fall of the Colonies (Bastille Day).
The Sagittarons are traditionalists who practice an different form of religion from the other Colonies. They believe in herbal medicine and have a general distrust of the military (The Woman King).
Scorpia
Ancient Name: Scorpio
Scorpia was home to a Colonial Fleet shipyard, where the battlestar Pegasus was docked during the Cylon attack.
Scorpia is apparently well-known for its paragliding by enthusiasts, such as Jurgen Belzen (Razor).
Scorpia native Eladio Puasha serves as its Quorum of Twelve delegate.
Notes
- In the episode "Razor", Scorpia is shown from orbit of its shipyards. Scorpia, Caprica and Tauron are the only Colonial planets actually shown in the Re-imagined Series as of this special season 4 episode.
Tauron
Ancient Name: Taurus
Tauron was reputed to be somewhat of a troublesome colony within the federal system of the Colonies, often disobeying directives decided by the colonies and "pushing their luck with the admiralty every chance they got." As a ruse Admiral Adama claimed the Taurons were drilling for tylium ore on a moon that was close to the Armistice Line (Hero).
Tauron was one of the wealthier colonies (Dirty Hands). At the end of the first Cylon War, Tauron was under attack from Cylon basestars and ground forces, causing many civilian causalities ("Razor", extended DVD edition).
Helena Cain is a native of Tauron, as was Joseph Adama, who later moved to Caprica [13]. Pergia Envito is the colony's representative on the Quorum of Twelve after the Cylon attack (Colonial Day).
Notes
- Tauron is the third of the twelve Colonial worlds shown in the Re-imagined Series, but only through the extended DVD version of "Razor".
Virgon
Ancient Name: Virgo
Marshall Bagot is the Virgon Representative to the Quorum of Twelve, he nominates Tom Zarek for the vice-presidency (Colonial Day). In public ceremony, the Virgon delegate wears a light blue sash.
Soon after the Cylon attack begins, the bulk of the space-wide offensive by the Colonials begins "shaping up" over the planet. The battle ostensibly ends with the destruction of the battlestar Atlantia and the death of Admiral Nagala. Other battlestars in the Virgon attack are also eliminated (Miniseries, Night 1).
Virgon was one of the wealthier colonies (Dirty Hands).
Virgon Brew was a beer produced on the planet and exported to other Colonies (Maelstrom).
See Also
References
- ↑ According to dialogue from "Torn", "A Measure of Salvation" and "The Eye of Jupiter", the Thirteenth Tribe left Kobol some 2,000 years before the twelve tribes. The Scroll of Pythia is dated as written 3,600 years before the last exodus of Kobol, and chronicles the Thirteenth Tribe's exodus.
- ↑ As noted by Billy Keikeya in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I".
- ↑ Flag matches with Colonies from "Encyclopedia Galactica." Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine. Feb./Mar. 2006: 50-55.
- ↑ Note the difference between the name of the Original Series' counterpart, known as the the Twelve Colonies of Man.
- ↑ The 2003 Video Game and the Original Series name the home system (or galaxy) for the Twelve Colonies as Cyrannus. However, since both the Video Game and Original Series material is of a separate continuity, its name for the system is questionable for the Re-imagined Series. In an early script of the Miniseries, the Twelve Colonies were originally located on a single world - Kobol. However, this was later revised to twelve separate worlds, in keeping with the Original Series concept.
- ↑ As the Cylon attack begins, Commander Adama orders Gaeta to plot all space traffic "in the system, friendly or otherwise", in the Miniseries.
- ↑ An early draft Miniseries script notes a census count of 12 billion individuals. However, the aired information of Saul Tigh's approximation in The Resistance should be taken as the correct value.
- ↑ Sourced from a January 30, 2005 blog entry by Ronald D. Moore on Sci-Fi.com.
- ↑ See Language in the Twelve Colonies for more.
- ↑ She is presumed to be a resident.
- ↑ There is some confusion on the matter, see his article.
- ↑ The colony's name, Sagittaron, was originally spelled as "Sagittarion" in the Miniseries, but this changed to "Sagittaron" when the regular series began.
- ↑ Caprica casting info. Note: This information is based on early reports and casting sheets, and thus subject to change.
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