Sky craft

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch Novelizations separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

The Sky craft is the organic armor-ship used by the Sky, a telepathic alien race encountered by the Fleet during its journey toward Earth. These vessels represent a unique fusion of biological organism and technological armor, with the Sky pilot and craft functioning as a unified entity controlled through telepathy and telekinesis.

Design and Structure

Physical Configuration

Sky craft possess a distinctive crescent moon shape, with the tips of the crescent pointing forward and the convex curve forming the rear of the vessel. The design closely mirrors the physical form of the Sky themselves, who are wide, flat, muscular beings resembling the double-wing form of aquatic rays.

The craft's surface gleams with a silvery sheen, earning them the nickname "silverwings" among colonial observers. The armor plating conforms precisely to the contours of the Sky pilot's body, following the wide flat "wings" that comprise most of their physical structure.

Propulsion Systems

Sky craft employ dual propulsion systems:

Internal Engines: At the convex curve of the crescent shape—the craft's backside—burns the green fire of the internal engine. These engines provide primary propulsion for long-distance space travel, making such journeys less dangerous and considerably faster than relying solely on biological flight capabilities.

Telekinetic Propulsion: Sky pilots can augment their craft's speed by adding the force of their minds to the engine's power. In emergency situations, a Sky can propel itself through space using only telekinetic energy, though this requires enormous expenditure of mental reserves and cannot be sustained indefinitely.

The telekinetic energy radiating from a Sky's brain pushes against the fabric of space itself, driving the craft forward. During extended telekinetic flight, a skilled Sky warrior like Valor can achieve speeds approaching trans-light velocity, nearly matching what the armor's engines could provide.

Weapons Systems

The craft's sole weapon is a hard-light plasma cannon positioned at the midpoint of the inner curve, between the tips of the crescent. This weapon fires green plasma blasts controlled telepathically by the pilot.

Sky pilots command their weapons through thought alone. When engaging enemies, a Sky warrior need only think "Fire!" and the craft responds instantly, sending green flame snaking out to strike targets.

Sensors and Navigation

Sky craft have no windows, viewports, or other visual portals. The Sky possess no conventional eyes and navigate entirely through telepathic senses. They reach out into the void with their minds, touching the stars, sensing solar winds, and perceiving the forces that move planets in their orbits and hold the universe together.

This navigational method proves remarkably precise. A Sky can easily determine bearings and plot courses through space by sensing the familiar wavelengths of solar radiation from their home star and other celestial bodies.

Control Systems

Pseudopod Interface

Sky pilots control their craft through a combination of telepathy and physical manipulation using pseudopods—tendril-like extremities that extend from the front tip of their bodies. These pseudopods slide over interior controls, providing tactile interface with the craft's systems.

During normal operations, pseudopods flow over navigational controls to make fine adjustments to flight path and orientation. However, mental commands can override or supplement these physical controls, allowing for instantaneous response times.

Mind-Machine Unity

The Sky are described as being "one with their armor." This integration goes beyond mere piloting—the craft responds to thought as quickly as the Sky's own body would respond to neural commands. When a Sky wishes to fire weapons or alter course, the craft executes these commands at "the warhawk speed of thought."

This mental integration allows Sky craft exceptional maneuverability. While Chitain warships may achieve superior straight-line speed, they cannot match the instantaneous course changes possible when thought directly controls motion.

Armor Properties

Protective Function

The armor shell serves multiple protective purposes:

• Physical shielding from weapons fire and space debris
• Life support in vacuum environments
• Thermal regulation during atmospheric entry
• Structural support during high-velocity maneuvers

The armor can withstand significant damage before failing. Valor's craft survived multiple direct hits from Chitain weapons, including strikes that sheared off portions of the wing and damaged the engine systems, yet maintained enough integrity to reach the lunar surface.

Damage Vulnerability

Despite its protective qualities, the armor can be catastrophically damaged:

When Valor's craft was struck by Chitain weapons, the armor became shrapnel after a tangential blast, with pieces tearing into the pilot's flesh during an emergency crash landing. The impact melted portions of the armor together, fusing the opening mechanism and trapping the wounded pilot inside.

Breaches in the armor expose the Sky pilot directly to space. While Sky can survive in hard vacuum, such exposure leaves them vulnerable to radiation, temperature extremes, and further weapons fire.

Emergency Egress

Damaged armor can trap a Sky pilot, requiring enormous physical and mental effort to escape. Valor, critically wounded with his armor's exit mechanism blast-welded shut, had to focus all his telekinetic strength on the sealed mechanism while using pseudopods to physically force the armor open. The effort caused his wounds to reopen and bleed, but eventually the armor shrieked open halfway—not fully, but enough for him to slide free.

Once outside damaged armor, a Sky must project a thin telekinetic force field around their body to protect against jagged metal shards and other hazards.

Flight Capabilities

Atmospheric Performance

Sky craft perform effectively in both vacuum and atmospheric conditions. During atmospheric entry, the combination of speed and atmospheric friction creates a bright flame envelope around the craft, similar to Viper reentry profiles.

In atmosphere, Sky pilots can execute controlled descents or aggressive combat maneuvers, using both engine thrust and telekinetic force. Valor demonstrated the ability to throw himself toward a lunar surface "with the ardor of a lover," using his craft, mind, and gravity in combination to maximize velocity during an attack run.

Space Combat Maneuvers

Sky craft excel at close-quarters space combat, demonstrating several tactical advantages:

Instantaneous Direction Changes: Unlike conventional spacecraft that require time to redirect thrust, Sky craft can knife up through vacuum or dip away from incoming fire at thought-speed, making them extremely difficult targets.

Predictive Evasion: Through their extensive telepathic senses, Sky pilots can perceive enemy intent and positioning, allowing them to avoid attack vectors before weapons fire. Valor repeatedly demonstrated this ability by moving before Chitain weapons could track him.

Telepathic Deception: Against non-psi-sensitive opponents, Sky pilots can project false images into enemy minds, convincing attackers that the Sky craft occupies a different position than its actual location. This allows the Sky to avoid fire that would otherwise be fatal.

Maximum Speed

With engines functioning, Sky craft can achieve impressive velocities suitable for interstellar travel. The exact maximum speed is not specified, but craft can traverse the distance from the third moon of Xerik-12 to the DarAvqq system within several days of continuous flight.

Using only telekinetic propulsion without engines, a Sky can still achieve speeds that "many starships would never reach," though this requires days of continuous mental exertion and drains the pilot's energy reserves dangerously low.

Biological Integration

Pilot-Craft Symbiosis

The relationship between Sky pilot and craft transcends conventional piloting. The armor is not merely worn but integrated with the pilot's physical form and mental essence. When the craft is damaged, the pilot bleeds; when the pilot's wing is injured, the craft's corresponding section loses functionality.

This integration means that damage to the craft inflicts direct injury on the pilot. When a wing tip is sheared off by enemy fire, green ichor—Sky blood—spins away from the breach into space. The pilot experiences the wound as if their own body had been struck, feeling pain that can only be masked through intense mental discipline.

Independent Flight

While the armor enhances Sky capabilities dramatically, Sky can fly and survive in space without their craft. Even without armored shells, Sky possess natural abilities to propel themselves through air and space using telekinesis. However, such independent flight severely limits range and speed, making long-distance space travel extremely dangerous and exhausting.

After escaping his destroyed armor, Valor flew naked through space for extended periods, his shining gray flesh and wide flat wings exposed directly to stellar radiation. He psionically lifted himself and began flying, conserving energy while gradually building velocity through mental force alone.

Combat Effectiveness

Tactical Advantages

Sky craft demonstrate several advantages in combat:

Maneuverability Superiority: The instant response time of thought-controlled craft allows evasive maneuvers impossible for conventional starfighters. This proves decisive against the faster-but-less-maneuverable Chitain warships.

Telepathic Warfare: Sky pilots can project fury and battle-intent into enemy minds, using psychological intimidation as a weapon. Valor broadcast mental images of thousands of Sky warriors destroying Chitain cities, attempting to demoralize his opponents.

Surprise Attacks: Sky warriors can mask their presence from non-telepathic enemies, creating illusions that make their craft appear to vanish from sensors. This allows devastating first strikes before enemies realize they're under attack.

Combat Limitations

Despite their advantages, Sky craft face vulnerabilities:

Shield Limitations: While armored, Sky craft can be damaged or destroyed by concentrated weapons fire. During the battle with Chitain forces, multiple Sky warriors fell to enemy barrages despite their superior maneuverability.

Pilot Exhaustion: Extended combat drains the Sky pilot's mental reserves. Maintaining telekinetic propulsion, telepathic awareness, weapons control, and defensive maneuvers simultaneously taxes even highly trained warriors.

Sacrifice Tactics: When protecting fixed installations or slower-moving craft, Sky warriors sometimes crash their craft directly into enemy vessels, destroying both in the collision.

Mass Deployment

When the Sky mobilized for war against the Chitain, they launched attack forces numbering over 150 armored warriors. These forces arrived "as if from nowhere," appearing suddenly to allied forces who had not detected their approach.

Sky attack wings coordinate through telepathy, allowing perfect synchronization without conventional communications that enemies might intercept. When Valor gave the mental command to "Attack!" accompanied by emotional overlay conveying the savagery required, all Sky warriors responded as one coordinated force.

During the battle to defend the Fleet from Chitain assault, Sky craft cut across the vacuum of space "like silver scythes," destroying six Chitain craft in their initial surprise strike. Even after enemies adapted to their tactics, Sky warriors continued inflicting heavy casualties while accepting significant losses of their own.

Encounters with the Fleet

First Contact

Commander Apollo first encountered a Sky craft when he detected a distress signal while on reconnaissance patrol. The damaged vessel, piloted by Valor, appeared extraordinary and alien—at first resembling a bird or wing, with a curved crescent shape and gleaming green surface.

Apollo initially struggled to understand what he was seeing, as the craft bore no resemblance to any human or Cylon design he had encountered. Only through telepathic contact did he comprehend that the ship and pilot were essentially one organism, and that Valor perceived space through mental senses rather than vision.

Alliance Formation

The Sky's arrival during the Chitain attack on the Fleet proved decisive. Athena, sensing their mental presence, immediately recognized them as friends despite Commander Cain's initial alarm at encountering yet another alien race during battle.

The telepathic link between Valor and Apollo allowed instant communication during combat. Valor contacted Apollo mentally during the battle, declaring "We are here for vengeance!" and perceiving Apollo's tactical plans directly from his thoughts.

Rescue Operations

Sky craft later aided the Fleet in rescue operations. When Troy, Dalton, and Trays became stranded in their Vipers within the Ur cloud with depleted fuel and failing life support, Valor appeared in his distinctive crescent-shaped craft and used tow beams to carry all three Vipers to safety.

The colonial pilots recognized Valor's unique markings and shape, having seen him fight alongside them during the Chitain battle. His arrival represented their salvation when conventional rescue seemed impossible.