Overview
Galactica leads the Fleet.
"The Fleet" originates as a convoy of about 60 commercial and civilian ships in the
space surrounding Caprica . Laura Roslin , with the aid of [[Sharon
Valerii]], initiates the clustering of stranded vessels in the aftermath of the Cylon
invasion of the Twelve Colonies, thus forming the convoy. Around twenty of these ships
are abandoned to a squadron of attacking Raiders because they
either lack FTL drives, or are damaged, like the sublight Botanical Cruiser and
the unpowered Gemenon Liner 1701 .
The remaining vessels join the battlestar Galactica - the only
Colonial warship known at the time to have survived the Cylon
attack - in the upper atmosphere of the gas giant Ragnar . From this point on,
Galactica shoulders the role of the Fleet's protector (TRS : Miniseries ).
away from an attacking Cylon baseship, with 10 still reporting trouble with their FTL
drives. Adding Galactica to this tally, the total number of ships is 64 (TRS : "33 ").
Laura Roslin faction represent "almost a third of the Fleet" implies that the number
of ships in the Fleet is approximately in the mid-70's. However, Tigh later responds to
the number of civilians joining Roslin by saying, "That's over a third of the people in the
Fleet." Since the term "Fleet" is used interchangeably to describe both the ships and
the civilian populace, this could imply that Tigh's previous statement was an estimate of
the people who left and not the number of ships lost (TRS : "The Farm ", "[[Home,
Part I]]").
As an indicator of the crew and passengers aboard the ships, the phrase "the Fleet"
also represents all of humanity. Usage of the term "the Fleet" has not gained more than
an informal acceptance, as can be seen by President Roslin's continued use of the term
President of the Twelve Colonies .[1]
The Fleet is joined by rebel Cylons, after their numbers are devastated in an ambush
by forces loyal to the Number One model. The rebel basestar is later admitted into
the Fleet, with a Six named Sonja joining the new [[Quorum of
Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] comprised of ship captains (TRS : "[[Someone to Watch
Over Me]]").
The ships of the Fleet would eventually be abandoned by the survivors four years
after being forced to flee their homes. By this point the Fleet has fallen into disrepair,
with Galactica no longer able to protect them. The stresses of combat - especially the
Battle of New Caprica - and years spent in space without proper maintenance have
taken their toll. Ultimately, the decision is made to abandon Galactica for the basestar,
but it takes part in one last operation against loyal Cylon forces.
Afterwards, the Fleet is directed to their new home, a lush [[Earth_(RDM)
A_New_Earth|planet]] suitable for their needs that is unknown to any remaining loyal
Cylons. Shortly after, the Fleet is abandoned and flown into Earth's star. (TRS :
"Daybreak, Part II ").
Ships
Seen
align="center"
Astral Queen
Prisoner transport
The Plan , Daybreak, Part II
Transporting 1,500 prisoners to Caprica for parole hearings at the
time of the Cylon attack. Later the lead ship in Laura Roslin 's
faction .
Botanical Cruiser
Agricultural ship
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
An FTL-
capable agricultural ship. A sublight version of this ship is destroyed in the [[Miniseries,
Night 2|second night]] of the Miniseries.
Celestra
Scientific research
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
Seen in various fleet shoots.
Chrion
Luxury liner
The Passage
Successfully shepherded to the
algae planet .
Colonial One
Transport ship, government
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
Formerly Colonial Heavy 798 . Renamed after hosting surviving Colonial Government.
Cybele
Cargo transport
The Plan
A copy of Simon refuses to blow up
this ship and airlocks himself instead (TRS : "The Plan "). Escorted by Raptors
through a very dense star cluster to the algae planet (TRS : "The Passage ").
Daru Mozu
Refinery Ship
Guess What's Coming to Dinner?
Damaged
by a suicide bomber (TRS: "Epiphanies ").
Demetrius
Sewage recycling
Daybreak, Part II
Given to Kara Thrace
and a select crew to try to find Earth. Later returned to the fleet.
Galactica
Battlestar , military
The Plan,
Daybreak, Part II || This is the last remaining original
battlestar dating back to the Cylon War . It is the main protector and flagship of the
Fleet, under direct command of William Adama .
Gemenon Traveler
Freighter
The Plan, Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II
A copy of Leoben Conoy is captured and held here for interrogation and, later,
executed (TRS: "Flesh and Bone ").
Gemini
Freighter
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
Used as a
decoy in the Battle for the Tylium Asteroid (TRS: "The
Hand of God "). Later escorted through the star cluster. (TRS: "T
Gideon
Supply ship
The Son Also Rises
A supply ship involved in an
incident where four civilians are killed by Galactica Marines (TRS:
"Resistance ").
Hitei Kan
Refinery ship
Daybreak, Part II
The ship is the site of the
worker's strike (TRS: "Dirty Hands ") and a mutiny authorized by Tom Zarek
(TRS: "A Disquiet Follows My Soul ").
Kimba Huta
Cold storage vessel
Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II
Tom
Zarek, Laura Roslin and Lee Adama hide out aboard this ship after Roslin's escape from
Galactica (TRS: "The Farm ").
Majahual
Mining ship
Scar
Mined crucial metals needed to build
Vipers several months after the attacks (TRS: "Scar").
Monarch
Mining ship
Collaborators
A mining ship that joins the [[Laura
Roslin faction]] (TRS: "Home, Part I").
Prometheus
Freighter
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
Commanded by Doyle Franks , Prometheus has a reputation as an "off the grid"
freighter involved in the black market (TRS: "[[Black
Market]]").
Rebel Basestar
Basestar , military
Daybreak, Part II || Basestar of the Rebel Cylons that joins the Fleet as part of an
alliance against Cavil's forces, later officially joining the Fleet after the Quorum of
Twelve is dissolved and the Quorum of Ships' Captains is created.
Rising Star
Medical transport
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
A medical transport vessel in the fleet (TRS: "33 ", "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down ",
"Scattered ", "The Plan ").
Striker
Scientific research
Home, Part II
Damaged in a refueling
operation overseen by Captain George Birch (TRS: "Home, Part II").
Thera Sita
Freighter
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
A ship escorted by Apollo
through a dense star cluster (TRS: "The Passage ". Later, 301 passengers from the
ship were transferred to Galactica while the ship was repaired (TRS: "[[The Woman
King]]"
Triton
Civilian transport
Sine Qua Non
Home
"with a view" of Romo Lampkin (TRS: "Sine Qua Non")
Virgon Express
Salvage and repair
The Plan, Downloaded
Undergoes
underway water replenishment from Galactica several days after the attacks (TRS:
"Water ").
Zephyr
Passenger liner
The Plan, Daybreak, Part II
Arguably the easiest
identifiable civilian ship due to its large ring. It is severely damaged during the [[Battle
of the Ionian Nebula]] (TRS: "He That Believeth In Me ".
Mentioned Only
Unless otherwise mentioned, the following ships are only listed on the [[:Image:Tally
chalkboard.jpg|voting tally board]] in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II ".[2]
Many of these ships are mentioned or featured again, as the production generated a
master list for reference.
align="center"
Adrasteia
In Greek mythology, Adrasteia (also
spelled Adrastia, Adrastea, Adrestea, and Adastreia) was a nymph who was charged by
Rhea to raise the infant Zeus in secret to protect him from his father Cronus (Krónos)
in the Dictaean cave.
Amduatey
The ship is named after the [[Wikipedia:Ancient
Egypt|Ancient Egyptian]] Amduat , which literally means "That
Which is in the Afterworld". It was an important funeral text usually inscribed in the
tombs of pharoahs. The Amduat told the story of the sun god Ra , who
set in the evening and traveled through the underworld at night, only to rise again in
the morning. It was understood that the dead pharaoh was taking the same journey,
through the underworld, only to rise again with Ra as an immortal in the morning.
Aether
In Greek mythology, Aether
is one of the Protogenos (first-born). He is the personification of the "upper sky," space,
and heaven, and the elemental god of the "Bright, Glowing, Upper Air." He is the pure
upper air that the gods breathe, as opposed to regular air, the gloomy lower air of the
Earth, which mortals breathe.
Argo Navis
Captained by Simpson Markson , who is
selected to be a judge at Gaius Baltar's trial [3] . Argo Navis was a large southern constellation
representing the Argo, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology.
Aurora
A ship in the fleet that was home to a friend of [[Emily
Kowalski]] (TRS : "Faith ").
In Roman mythology, Aurora is the goddess of dawn. This
goddess also exists within the series's own mythology.
Azimenarius
Azimenarius is noted on the whiteboard
voting tracker on Colonial One , but is not on the master voting tally board on
Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II ".
Baah Pakal
The XO of the ship was a friend of Saul Tigh 's. They held a pair
of DDG-62 engines that would be used in the Blackbird 's construction (TRS :
"Flight of the Phoenix "). Later appeared on the master voting tally board on
Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II ".
Boreas
Named for the god of the north wind in
Greek mythology. Boreas is noted on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial
One, but is absent from the master tally board on Galactica in "Lay Down Your
Burdens, Part II".
Breton
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial One
and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Carillon Trader
In the Original
Series , Carillon is the infamous "casino planet" from "Saga of a Star World ".
Cassandra
Named for the daughter of King
Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy who had the power of prophecy, but was cursed so
that no one believed her.
Coba
Coba is noted on the master tally board on
Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in "Lay Down
Your Burdens, Part II".
Clymene
Clymene is noted on the whiteboard voting
tracker on Colonial One , but is absent from the master tally board on Galactica in
"Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II". Several women and deities in Greek myth are
named Clymene .
Dahshur
Dahshur is noted on the master tally board on
Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in "Lay Down
Your Burdens, Part II".
Diomedes
Diomedes is noted on the master tally board on
Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in "Lay Down
Your Burdens, Part II". Presumably named for the ancient hero of the Trojan War
of the same name .
Embla Brokk
The name Embla Brokk may be derived from
the names of two figures in Norse mythology: Embla, the first woman, and
Brokkr , a dwarf who helped create Draupnir (a magical ring) and
Mjolnir (Thor's hammer). Embla Brokk is noted on the master tally board on
Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in "Lay Down
Your Burdens, Part II".
Enkidu
Among the first ships to navigate the star cluster to
the algae planet (TRS : "The Passage ").
Named after the Enkidu of the
Sumerian mythological epic of Gilgamesh .
Epheme
The Epheme may be named for a minor character
in Greek mythology who was nurse to the Muses .
Faru Sadin
Successfully guided through the star
cluster to the algae planet by Captain Louanne "Kat" Katraine ,
who sacrifices her life in the process (The Passage).
Freighter 212
A ship on which Lieutenant (later Captain)
Louanne "Kat" Katraine apparently has some "buddies" (TRS : "Final Cut ").
Indications are that "Freighter 212" is merely the hull number for the ship, as this
name is not written on either tally boards during the election in "Lay Down Your
Burdens, Part II".
Galatea
Probably named for a main character in the Greek
myth of Pygmalion . Pygmalion, a sculptor, creates a statue
of a woman, which is so beautiful that he falls in love with it, and the gods reward him
by bringing her (Galatea ) to life.
Greenleaf
A freighter mentioned several times in the series ("Epiphanies ",
"Sacrifice ", "Crossroads, Part I ").
Harrak
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial One
and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Hexare
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial One
and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Inchon Velle
When Kara Thrace has disturbing dreams
about Leoben and the mandala in her apartment, Karl Agathon
suggests that she see a psychiatrist on Inchon Velle (TRS : "Maelstrom "). Also
where a brain surgeon was brought over from to oversee [[Samuel T.
Anders]]' brain surgery (TRS : "No Exit ").
Kara Nixal
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial One
and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Kiya
Kiya is noted on the master tally board on
Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in "Lay Down
Your Burdens, Part II".
McConnell
Commander Fisk made runs to this
ship in order to build up a stock pile of supplies for the
black market (TRS : "Black Market "). The ship is on neither Colonial One nor
Galactica' s tally boards in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Mutem Wia
Mutem Wia is noted on the master tally board
on Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in "Lay
Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Odysseus
Named for the hero in Greek
mythology who fought in the Trojan War and was the subject of Homer's epic
The Odyssey .
Persephone
Persephone is noted on the master tally
board on Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in
"Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II". Persephone is the daughter
of the goddess Demeter . She is forced to marry the god of the
underworld, Hades , but Demeter works out a compromise where
Persephone is allowed to return to the world of the living for a portion of the year.
Picon 36
Presumed to have jumped away with the FTL-capable ships in the
Miniseries . Chances are, this is just a hull number for another ship in one of these
lists.
Picon Princess
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial
One and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Rhadamanthys
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial
One and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Salpica
In the
extended cut of "Unfinished Business ", Salpica is mentioned as the ship [[Samuel
Anders]] lives on after the escape from New Caprica and before moving permanently to
Galactica .
Sargon
May be named after either [[w:Sargon I (Assyrian
king)|Sargon I]] or Sargon II , ancient Assyrian kings on Earth.
Seen only on the voting tally boards in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Scorpia Traveller
After disembarking from Scorpia
Traveller, a copy of the humanoid Cylon Aaron Doral evades security checkpoints,
nearly succeeding in the assassination of William Adama in a suicide bombing
(TRS : "Litmus "). The ship is not on either tally board in "Lay Down Your Burdens,
Part II".
Swordfish
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial One
and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Tarbadek
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial One
and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Tauranian Traveller
Mentioned in a deleted scene in "33 ".
Later, its name is on the voting tally boards on both Colonial One and Galactica in
"Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Tora Bashiri
"Tora bashiri" is Japanese for "tiger's run." It is a
term used in Iaido , a Japanese martial art. The ship's name is
on the voting tally boards on both Colonial One and Galactica in "Lay Down Your
Burdens, Part II".
Vena Capa
Vena Capa is on the master tally board on
Galactica , but not on the whiteboard voting tracker on Colonial One in "Lay Down
Your Burdens, Part II".
Virga
Virga is on the voting tally boards on both Colonial
One and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Ziusudra
On the voting tally boards on both Colonial One
and Galactica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II".
Destroyed Before Reaching Earth
align="center"
Adriatic
Unknown
The Passage
A member of the Roslin faction
armed with ship-to-ship missiles (TRS : "Home, Part I "). Lost in transit in a
star cluster .
Carina
Flattop -type salvage and repair ship
The Passage
Lost in
transit in a star cluster.
Cloud Nine
Luxury liner , civilian/government
[[Lay Down Your Burdens,
Part II]] || The ship is destroyed by a nuclear warhead detonated by Gina Inviere ,
resulting in the destruction of at least three other ships.
Olympic Carrier
Luxury liner
33
Destroyed by Lee Adama and
Kara Thrace after an apparent Cylon takeover.
Pegasus
Battlestar , military
[[Exodus,
Part II]] || Surviving crew and planes absorbed by Galactica .
Pyxis
Luxury liner
He That Believeth In Me
Commanded by Captain
Jules Tarney , this ship is successfully shepherded to the algae planet , but later
destroyed in the Battle of the Ionian Nebula resulting in 600 deaths.
Unknown
Colonial Movers
[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part
II]] || One of three known ships destroyed in the Cloud Nine disaster.
Unknown
Yellow Vessel
Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II
Two of three known ships destroyed in the Cloud Nine disaster.
Unknown
Long-necked Vessel
[[Lay Down Your Burdens,
Part II]] || Three of three known ships destroyed in the Cloud Nine disaster.
Ships Not Part of Galactica' s Fleet
align="center"
Botanical Cruiser
Agricultural and transport vessel
Miniseries
A
sublight-only vessel that is destroyed by the Cylons after the Fall,
before Roslin's fleet rendezvous with Galactica at Ragnar .
Diana
Gemenese civilian transport
Mentioned only
First Cylon War. Ship's
crew and passengers were abducted by the Cylons for experimentation.
Gemenon Liner 1701
Civilian transport
Miniseries
Abandoned after the
passengers and crew are evacuated to Colonial One , an unnamed flat top, and an
unnamed transport.
Scylla
Civilian transport
Razor
One of a small fleet of ships encountered
by the battlestar Pegasus .
Population Demographics
A few points of information are available concerning the demographics of the Fleet. In
"33 ", before the destruction of the Olympic Carrier, there are 5,251 survivors from
Sagittaron and 49,998 total survivors. In "Home, Part I ", the Laura Roslin faction
leaves the Fleet with 18,000 individuals, of which 9,500 ware Gemenese and 6,250
were Capricans. At that time the total population of the Fleet is 47,857.
This information is sparse, but it gives a general idea of the population breakdown of
the Fleet if a few assumptions are made for the sake of argument.
Note that Gemenon and Caprica have more citizens in the Roslin faction alone than
Sagittaron has in the entire Fleet. The Twelve Colonies are clearly not represented in
equal proportion.
Before the destruction of Olympic Carrier , Sagittaron natives make up 10.50% of the
Fleet. Solely for the purpose of argument, it is assumed that Olympic Carrier' s
population breakdown was identical to the rest of the Fleet's and that Sagittaron
continues to make up 10.50% of the Fleet's total population.
The figures from the Roslin faction can be interpreted in several ways:
ASSUMPTION 1: All Gemenese and Capricans jump to Kobol with the Roslin faction.
Caprica: 6,250 persons (13%)
Gemenon: 9,500 persons (20%)
Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (11%)
Others: 27,081 (57%)
ASSUMPTION 2: All Gemenese jump to Kobol with the Roslin faction, lured by the
"religion card", but the Caprican portion of the Roslin faction is representative of the
Fleet.
Caprica: 28,204 persons (59%)
Gemenon: 9,500 persons (20%)
Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (11%)
Others: 5,127 persons (11%)
ASSUMPTION 3: Caprican and Gemenese portions of the Roslin faction are
representative of the Fleet.
Caprica: 16,617 persons (35%)
Gemenon: 25,258 persons (53%)
Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (11%)
Others: 956 (2%)
Although it is plausible that the Caprican population is substantially larger than the
other Colonies, as Colonial Heavy 798 is in the vicinity when the attack begins, and is
the nucleus around which the Fleet rallies, it is unlikely that the populations of each
colony are grossly unequal, or else the Quorum of Twelve
would be a very poor system of government. The likeliest scenario is therefore
somewhere in between assumptions 1 and 2, with nearly all of the Gemenon
population (drawn by the "religion card") and a large portion of the Caprican
population leaving with Roslin.
Alternatively, it is possible that the population of the Colonies are grossly unequal.
Although the structure of the Quorum of Twelve appears to maintain at least a fiction
that the Colonies are roughly equal, next to nothing is known about how the
governmental system of the Colonies was established or how it evolved
over time. Indeed, the United States Senate, for example, by design expressly assumes
that the various states constituting it are 'equal' even though this is clearly not the case
in terms of their respective populations. Furthermore, the fact that a system of
government is 'poor' or else not representatively proportional does not mean it cannot
actually be implemented and even survive for long periods of time.
In the Caprica pilot , it is revealed that Caprica and Gemenon are in
very close proximity. Since the Fleet formed up around Colonial One , which was in the
vicinity of Caprica at the time of the attack, the over-representation of the Caprican and
Gemenese portion of the Fleet is now explained.
As for the population distribution, the population of several ships is known: Galactica
(2,693 as of "Water "), Olympic Carrier (1,345 as of "33 "), Astral Queen
(1,500 as of "Bastille Day ", retconned up from 500 in the
Miniseries) and Pyxis (600 when destroyed in "He That Believeth In Me "). There
are 176 civilians in the cargo hold of Colonial One in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part
II]]". The Fleet is stated at about 75 ships in "Resistance ",
retconned up from 40 in the Miniseries.
Going by the 75 ship count, the remaining ships besides Galactica and Astral
Queen each carry about 600 persons on average.
would have an average population of about 720 persons per ship.
The Fleet's population has declined by about 8,000 since the above.
Analysis
By the time of Felix Gaeta's and Tom Zarek's mutiny aboard Galactica (TRS :
"Blood on the Scales "), dialogue indicates that the Fleet is down to the very low
figure of 35 civilian ships, a surprising loss of about half the initial ships from "33 ".
Most of these losses remain unaccounted for, as very few civilian ships have been seen
or heard to be actually lost on screen. Given that the human population has only
declined by about one fifth at this point rather than a similar half, this could be a
continuity error or retcon, or the remaining ships would have had to nearly double the
number of civilians aboard to compensate. It is possible in the context of the dialogue in
the episode that the figure of 35 referred only to the number of ships initially loyal to
the mutineers.
The political and social troubles befalling the Fleet as it wanders through space, serve
as a metaphor for all of humanity, since the Fleet literally is what is left of humanity
in the television series.
See Also Notes
Unofficially, many viewers refer to the Fleet as the "RTF"; "Rag-Tag Fleet", or more fully,
"RTFF." These nicknames come from the term "Rag-Tag Fugitive Fleet," a name used in
the closing credits voice over of the Original Series
(performed by series star Lorne Greene ), describing the civilian
refugee fleet .
In the Miniseries , astute viewers may recognize three spacecraft with notable
resemblances of ships from other SF universes. The first two of these ships aren't
considered a canonical part of the series or the Fleet, but their appearance
adds a bit of humor, and pays homage to other notable science fiction and their creative
staff.
Serenity , the central ship from the TV series
Firefly and the motion picture Serenity ,
appears briefly in the sky outside the window of a
doctor's office where viewers first see Laura Roslin . The ship does not appear in the
Fleet.
TV series makes a cameo in the last shot of the
Fleet as Elosha chants a prayer in the memorial service near the end of the
Miniseries. Look to the upper right corner for the ship in a still frame. All Season 1
opening credits use this shot, so Enterprise makes a very quick appearance with
each of the first 13 episodes (This is best viewed from the Season 1 DVD set).
Ship]] from the Original Series, which in turn were the re-used models from the SF film
Silent Running , a Universal/MCA movie that special
effects guru John Dykstra worked on a few years prior. At least one FTL-capable
version of this ship survives and exists in the Fleet (TRS : "The Passage ").
A list of blueprints of ships in the Fleet is available.
These are considered non-canon.
In a deleted scene from Litmus , the Coronis , as a ship carrying people who are
unhappy about being last in food ration distribution, is mentioned. However, it is not
present on either the master tally board on Galactica or the whiteboard tracker on
Colonial One in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II". As Coronis has not been
mentioned in any canonical capacity, it is considered totally abandoned by the
producers.
In Greek mythology Coronis is the name of several
figures.
References
↑ This may be
interpreted either as an expression of hope that the people of the Fleet will re-establish
themselves on a new world, or a psychological inability to accept the Fleet as the only
home that humanity will know for a long time.
↑ Note
that the tally board in question contains inaccuracies regarding the number of votes,
and thus should not be used to determine the population aboard each vessel.
↑ The name and the ship are noted in
the script for "The Son Also Rises ", but not mentioned
on screen.