Battle of the Communications Relay

Battle of the Communications Relay
[[Image:|center|300px|Battle of the Communications Relay]]
Battle of the Communications Relay
Summary
Conflict:	Second Cylon war
Date:	Shortly after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies
Related Episode(s):
Place:	Unspecified Cylon staging area
Result:	Pyrrhic Colonial victory
Combatants Battlestar Pegasus Cylons Commanders Admiral Helena Cain Unknown Strength 1 battlestar and assorted Viper squadrons At least 15 squadrons of Raiders and Heavy Raiders Centurions Materiel Losses 32 Vipers destroyed, 61 damaged Relay station destroyed. Boarding party defeated. Likely severe ship losses. Casualties Approximately 100 crewmen , Jurgen Belzen One Number Six and Centurion boarding party. Gina Inviere discovered to be a humanoid Cylon and taken into custody.
[[Colonial battles chronology ({{{series}}})|Battle Chronology]]
Previous Next Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards Battle of the Communications Relay Battle of Ragnar Anchorage

Shortly after the destruction of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards, Pegasus attacks a Cylon communications relay that is believed to be lightly guarded; intelligence points to only half a dozen Raiders being in proximity to the station.

After jumping into the area and DRADIS picking up twelve enemy contacts, Admiral Cain orders the launch of Blue Squadron. As the Vipers are deployed, 15 full Raider squadrons jump into firing range. The crew realizes that the installation is not a communications relay at all, but a staging ground for Cylon forces.

Recognizing that they are outnumbered four to one, Colonels Fisk and Belzen recommend the immediate recovery of Blue Squadron and a retreat from the area. However, in a surprise move, Cain orders the remaining Vipers to be launched and to provide cover-fire for Blue Squadron while they make a run at the relay. When Belzen officially refuses to carry out this order Cain asks him to hand over his sidearm, whereupon she shoots him in the head with it. Colonel Fisk immediately orders the launch of all reserve Vipers.

Meanwhile, Cylon operative Gina Inviere takes the Pegasus weapons grid off-line, permitting several Cylon Heavy Raiders to access the port landing alcove with a Centurion boarding party. In an attempt to hold off the enemy boarding party, Cain orders all surrounding sections of Pegasus to be vented of atmosphere, hoping that the resulting vacuum will subdue the Cylons. The tactic is unsuccessful and the Centurions make their way into the ship.

As she is investigating the sudden weapons grid collapse, Lieutenant Shaw observes a Number Six among the advancing Cylon boarding party and deduces that Gina is an enemy agent. She pulls a rifle from the grasp of a dead marine and fires at the surprised Cylon. After shooting the Six, Shaw returns to CIC and reveals Gina's true nature by displaying a security feed of the dead Number Six. When Marines try to apprehend Gina on Cain's orders, she breaks the neck of one and uses his sidearm to shoot another. Gina then points the gun at Cain, but a moment of hesitation allows Shaw to knock the Cylon unconscious with the end of her rifle .

Further details of the battle are unknown, but the communications station is presumably destroyed while Pegasus escapes with severe losses. 32 Vipers are destroyed and 62 badly damaged, with not enough resources to repair them all ("Pegasus", "Razor").

Notes

• Gina is mentioned as having been vital in discovering the communications relay. Since it later appears to be a trap by the Cylons, it is possible that she intentionally lured the battlestar into it.