Caprica (RDM)

Caprica (ancient name Capricorn) is a planet in the star system Cyrannus and one of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. Its capital is Caprica City.

After the unification, Caprica becomes the governmental seat of the Twelve Colonies. Both before and after the First Cylon War, this world is regarded as the Colonies' seat of politics, culture, art, science, and learning, and the language of Caprica has become the standard language of the Twelve Colonies. It has always been one of the wealthiest colonies (TRS: "Dirty Hands," Caprica).

Geography and Astronomy

Caprica is a lush, blue green world. It contains large oceans and continents, and the planet's climate can be described as moderate, at least in the region around Caprica City and Delphi ^{(TRS: "Miniseries")}.

Caprica is also a twin planet. It shares its orbit around Helios Alpha with Gemenon, orbiting each other every 28.2 days. The distance between the two is 439,000 km, and their common barycenter exists at a point between the two worlds. Their close relationship can lead to some spectacular planet-rises and planet-sets in the Caprican (and Gemenese) skies (Caprica, Battlestar Galactica: Map of the Twelve Colonies), and also leads to significant planet-shine in the night skies, nearly turning night back into day ^{(TRS: "Litmus")}.

History

Prior to the Articles of Colonization, Caprica has a global government independent of the other colonies. This government was led by a Prime Minister.

Some 60 years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, Caprica is plagued by religious motivated terrorism. A group, known as the Soldiers of the One, are responsible for the bombing of a Maglev train within Caprica City and likely other terrorist acts, as well ^{(CAP: "Pilot" and "Gravedancing")}.

The first Cylon prototype is created on Caprica by Graystone Industries, paving the way to the the First Cylon War ^{(CAP: "Pilot")}.

After the War, Caprica reasserts itself as the cultural, economic and political center of the Twelve Colonies. The Colonial Government is located on this world ^{(TRS: "Epiphanies")}.

The Fall

Caprica is devastated through massive nuclear bombardment during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. Most of the planet's human population that aren't killed by the direct bombardment eventually die of radiation poisoning.^[1]

The few surviving smaller cities are taken over by the Cylons who use the planet as a base of operations for some time.

Some of the few human survivors are incarcerated by the Cylons in their attempts to create human-Cylon offspring. A very small and isolated group of humans forms a resistance group near Delphi that performs hit-and-run attacks on Cylon installations until the survivors are rescued by Galactica, nine months later.

Caprica, and the other occupied colonies, are later abandoned by the Cylons ^{(TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II")}.

Slowly but surely, during the first year since the nuclear bombardment, the planet's ecosystem including trees and wildlife diminishes. The planet's atmosphere changes from blue, to a distinctive yellow. The ultimate fate of Caprica is unknown.

The Fleet

Many notable persons from Caprica survive the holocaust within the Fleet to the point where nearly all of the Fleet leaders are Caprican.

Three months after the Fall 6,250 people from Caprica join the Laura Roslin faction over Kobol ^{(TRS: "Home, Part I")}. The overall Caprican survivor population, possibly significantly greater, is unknown (see analysis).

The first Quorum of Twelve delegate after the Fall is Gaius Baltar. Years later this spot is taken by Lee Adama.

Cities

Caprica City, a few years before the Fall.

The planet's largest population center was Caprica City, which served as the seat of all three branches of the Colonial Government and the capital of the Twelve Colonies. The city is completely destroyed in the Cylon attack on the Colonies, killing seven million people in an instant. Caprica City is surrounded by other small towns and hamlets, such as Oasis.

Another major city is Delphi, famous for the Delphi Museum of the Colonies and also home to a large spaceport. The Cylons spared Delphi from nuclear bombardment in order to use it as a base of operations in their occupation of the planet ^{(TRS: "Downloaded")}.

On their trek across Caprica, Karl Agathon and Sharon Valerii explore two undestroyed and unnamed cities.

Other

Notable natives and residents

Pre-First Cylon War

Joseph, Sam, William, and Tamara Adama
Daniel, Amanda and Zoe Graystone
Lacy Rand and her family
Baxter Sarno
Ben Stark and his mother, Natalie
Clarice Willow, though a native of Sagittaron, was head mistress of Athena Academy

Post-First Cylon War

Zak and Lee Adama
Richard Adar, was the mayor of Caprica City before becoming president
Gaius Baltar, though a native of Aerilon, moved to Caprica after his 18th birthday
James McManus, was the editor of the Caprican Times
Laura, Cheryl and Sandra Roslin, as well as their parents
Kara, Socrata and (presumably) Dreilide Thrace
Sharon Valerii had an apartment on Caprica

Publications and Media

Pyramid Team

Economics

Graystone Industries

Locations

Caprica City (see article for locations within that city)
Caprica Beach
Caprica Transfer Station
Cobb's Point
Delphi
Delphi Museum of the Colonies
Little Tauron
Martok Valley
Oasis
Pilgrim Bay
Qualai
Theoresos
Unnamed cities of Caprica

Streets

Notes

Caprica's full surface has yet to be seen. One shot of the planet in "The Plan" shows it to be nearly completely covered in water, so it might be assumed that most of its land masses are situated on one side.
Two regions of the planet are remarkably Earth-like: An ice-covered continent, as seen in "Daybreak," is of similar shape to Antarctica. Another heavily metropolitan section appears to have a similar shape to the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea regions of Earth.
Caprica was and continues to be the world most prominently depicted in the re-imagined series' continuity. It wasn't until "Razor" that another of the Twelve Colonies was actually seen on screen.

References

↑ This is verified in the special presentation "Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far."

[1] This is verified in the special presentation "Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far."

[1]