Zephyr

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Zephyr
Zephyr
Race: Colonial
Type: Civilian
FTL: Yes
Propulsion:
Crew:
Capacity: 1,000+
CO: {{{co}}}
XO: {{{xo}}}
Role: Passenger liner
Weapons: {{{weapons}}}
Armaments: {{{arm}}}
Defenses: {{{def}}}
Aircraft: {{{aircraft}}}
Aviation facilities: {{{facilities}}}
Fate: Scuttled, circa 4 ACH
Emblem: [[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
Other Images: Gallery
Dimensions
Length: 4000 feet (1219.2m)
Width: 1250 feet (381m)
Height: 1250 feet (381m)
Weight: {{{weight}}}
Wingspan: {{{wingspan}}}
Other: {{{otherdi}}}
Game Information
Cost: {{{construction}}}
Construction Time: {{{construction}}}
Hull Size: {{{hull size}}}
Hull: {{{hull}}}
Mobility
FTL Cooldown: {{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
Speed: {{{speed}}} m/s
Turn Rate: {{{turn rate}}}°/turn
Armor Sum
Armor Total: {{{armor total}}}
Armor Left: {{{armor left}}}
Armor Right: {{{armor right}}}
Armor Front: {{{armor front}}}
Armor Rear: {{{armor rear}}}
Armor Top: {{{armor top}}}
Armor Bottom: {{{armor bottom}}}
Armament
DRADIS Range: {{{dradis range}}} m
Processing Power: {{{processing power}}}
Munition Slots: {{{munitions}}}
Munition Cooldown Period: {{{munition cooldown}}} turns
Squadron Slots: {{{squadrons}}}
Squadron Size: {{{squadron size}}}
Special Abilities: {{{special abilities}}}
Additional Information


Zephyr is a FTL-capable civilian passenger liner that manages escape the destruction of the Twelve Colonies to join the Fleet (TRS: Miniseries). After the destruction of Cloud 9, it acts as the Fleet's rest and recreation vessel.

Layout[edit]

Zephyr has many noticeable and unique features that sets it apart from other fleet ships.

The Ring[edit]

The most noticeable feature, is the ship's ring. Spinning counter-clockwise to "create" its own gravity, the ring is home to a biological habitat, populated with trees, water, and buildings for visiting Colonials to utilize and enjoy. The habitat is enclosed by a glass facade, which leaves an interesting view of the aft end of the ship, and on to the other side of the ring to anyone looking up. The ring is supported by four main pylons which connect the ring to the rest of the ship.

Sublight Engines[edit]

The second noticeable feature is the ship's sublight engines. Compared to the more traditional chemical thruster boosters of other fleet ships, Zephyr has an engine assembly which closely resembles that of an electric powered drive.

Life in the Fleet[edit]

Zephyr
Zephyr is hit by two Cylon missiles.
Damage to the ship was extensive, and took months to repair.

Post Fall, and New Caprica[edit]

During the attacks on the Colonies, Zephyr was one of the first ships to be found and shepherded by newly sworn in President, Laura Roslin. Having an FTL system, it escapes to Ragnar Anchorage to rendezvous with Galactica, where it enters the upper atmosphere of Ragnar, and waits with other fleet ships for the next step. Commander Adama of the Galactica is prepared to leave the civilian fleet at Ragnar, while the Galactica goes to fight, but Roslin convinces him to take Zephyr and the rest of the fleet, and flee the Colonies (TRS: "Miniseries").

Weeks after the Fall, after President Laura Roslin's incarceration, Zephyr hosted the Quorum of Twelve while Galactica's XO, Saul Tigh declared martial law (TRS: "Fragged").

Lt. Felix Gaeta discovers fraudulent ballots for President Roslin in Zephyr's ballot box during her ill-fated re-election attempt versus Vice President Gaius Baltar. The ballots are later rejected and Baltar is declared the winner (TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II").

After the settlement of New Caprica, Zephyr remains in orbit, her configuration possibly making atmospheric entry impossible. It escapes with Galactica, Pegasus, and the rest of the "Orbital Defense Fleet" after the Cylons make an unexpected appearance around the planet (TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II").

Zephyr is among the first ships taken through the star cluster towards the algae planet (TRS: "The Passage"), and is home to Baltar's first lawyer, Alan Hughes, as Baltar was previously recaptured on the algae planet. Racetrack complains that she has to shuttle him between there and Galactica (TRS: "The Son Also Rises").

As the Cylon rebels begin integrating with the surviving Colonials, Junior Lieutenant Felix Gaeta is on his way to the Zephyr for some R&R along with two Number Eights, Specialist Brooks, Lt. J. "Shark" Finnegan and "Easy" Esrin when an emergency jump and a malfunction separate their Raptor from the rest of the Fleet, with deadly consequences (TRS: "The Face of the Enemy").

Ionian Nebula, and Earth[edit]

After the fleet jumps to the Ionian Nebula, Zephyr along with every other fleet ship looses power momentarily, disabling its FTL drive. The fleet is stuck for 20 minutes while the FTL drives recover, but in the middle, is discovered by a Cylon fleet shortly after getting power back (TRS: "Crossroads, Part II"). The Cylons engage the fleet, leaving the disabled civilians ships stuck in the battlefield. Seeing an oppertunity, the Cylons strike at the civilians, and two missiles strike Zephyr from the aft, obliterating a large section of the ring, and killing hundreds. Panicking, the civilians make the wrong moves, and gather close together making them easier targets. Zephyr is stuck in a spin as the Cylons disengage from the battle. Damage to the ship is severe, and after escaping the battlefield, Zephyr continues to leak oxygen and other debris (TRS: "He That Believeth In Me").

Months after the battle, damage to the ship is eventually repaired, and the ring becomes once more habitable. Shortly thereafter, the ship makes the jump to Earth (TRS: "Revelations").

As Galactica prepared for one last fight, the ship was left with the rest of the fleet with the Rebel Basestar, the new flagship of the fleet. After Galactica returned, the ship jumped to what would become the Colonial's new home, Earth. After the population is offloaded the ship is later guided by Anders into Sol. (TRS: "Daybreak, Part II").

Additional Information[edit]

The following information was previously available on the SciFi Channel website. It should be noted that information from that website, while being official, is unreliable and may be contradicted on screen:
  • The Zephyr, referred to as the Space Park, is of Libran registry.
  • Its enormous ring section was designed in the days when artificial gravity was too expensive to utilize on a commercial ship of that size.
  • This passenger liner design was so successful that it was adapted for scientific and military uses by replacing passenger accommodation with laboratories, auxiliary power generators, and computer cores.

Notes[edit]

  • The ship is likely named after the Greek god of the western wind, Zephyrus.
  • The repair of the Zephyr is the first time that large scale repair operations to the outside of a ship within the Fleet can be seen on screen.
  • During the beginning of the third season, the Zephyr model is retconned, and features a new, sharper look. Built by Pierre Drolet, the new version bears a new neck, multiple antenna arrays replacing the original needle nose, a sharper habitat ring, and a sharper engine assembly. Being a unique design, the ship was rebuilt to be seen up close. The model can be seen up close on Pierre's website, however the screenshots are rather unique, and feature the model halfway submerged in water.