Battlestar Valkyrie

Battlestar Galactica 2004 Continuity
Battlestar Galactica 2004, Caprica and Blood & Chrome

Battlestar Valkyrie
General Information
Affiliation:	United Colonies of Kobol Colonial Fleet
Hull Number:	41
CO:	William Adama
XO:	Saul Tigh
Fate:	Destroyed, 0 ACH Over Caprica
Technical Specifications
Class:	Valkyrie-type
Type:	Battleship/Carrier
Length:	649 meters (2,129 ft)
Width:	235 meters (771 ft)
Height:	69 meters (226 ft)
Armament:	12 Main Dual KEW Batteries 4 Secondary Single KEW Batteries Missiles
Defenses:	19 Primary CIWS Dual KEW Batteries 22 Secondary CIWS Dual KEW Batteries Armor plating
Aviation facilities:	2x Flight Pods 2x Flight Decks 6x Viper Launch Tubes
Complement:	Viper Mk. II Viper Mk. III Viper Mk. IV Viper Mk. V Viper Mk. VI Viper Mk. VIIa Viper Mk. VIIb Raptor Mk. I Raptor Mk. II Raptor Mk. II Heavy
Propulsion:	4x Sublight Engines Manoeuvring Thrusters
FTL:	Yes

The Valkyrie (BS-41) was a Valkyrie-class battlestar in service in the Colonial Fleet. A relic of the Cylon War, the ship was continually upgraded to maintain usefulness in the fleet, and as part of BSG-41 saw action in classified operations as well as Caprican defense patrol. It was destroyed in the opening hours of the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

History

Valkyrie was constructed before 40 BCH (YR60) during the Cylon War, a conflict between the newly formed United Colonies of Kobol and its sentient Cylon labor force. An initial order of twelve hybrid battleship-carriers, dubbed the Battlestars, proved successful in eliminating early weaknesses in cruisers that were vulnerable to hijacking via networking hacking. Further orders followed, with similarly designed unnetworked ships entering service after. Valkyrie was heavily damaged in a battle with the Cylons over Canceron some two years before the end of the war in 42 BCH (YR58); assumed destroyed by the Cylons, the Colonial Fleet used this to their advantage and began amassing a fleet of damaged ships which, when repaired in deep space under radio silence, would lead a surprise assault on Cylon positions. Some of Valkyrie's pilots were reassigned to Osiris as part of what became known as the Ghost Fleet Offensive.

CIC of the Valkyrie

Valkyrie remained in use in the 20s BCH (YR80s) as the Colonial Fleet went through a major shake-up, which saw new ships retire ships such as Galactica to support roles. Around the year 2 BCH (YR98), Valkyrie, under the command of Commander William Adama, received orders from Admiral Peter Corman to take part in a black-ops mission. The fleet's Admirals had long been suspicious of a Cylon armament and were actively pushing the newly elected President Richard Adar for modernization of the fleet to keep up with this hypothetical enemy. Per orders, Valkyrie jumped to the Armistice Line and launched a "Stealthstar" reconnaissance craft across the border. The craft was identified immediately by the Cylons and attacked, forcing Commander Adama to fire a missile at the vessel to prevent the Cylons from recovering proof of a blatant breach of the Cimtar Peace Accords.

By 0 BCH (YR00), Valkyrie's role was as a patrol ship protecting Caprican airspace. Soon after the installation of the finalized Command Navigation Program, which networked the ship's computers with one another and their Vipers, a flotilla of Cylon Basestars jumped above the planet. Valkyrie and its companion, Yashuman, immediately turned to intercept but were disabled by hacking and subsequently destroyed.

Design

Armament

Main Dual KEW Battery

Being a smaller battlestar, ships of this class do not appear to possess the heavy turrets seen on the Jupiter or Mercury-class. Instead, they are equipped with several smaller turrets strategically scattered throughout the ship. These smaller turrets and multiple secondary and tertiary weaponry serve as a defense mechanism against incoming ordinance. This design choice allows for a more agile and versatile approach to combat, ensuring that the ship can effectively protect itself in battle.

The Valkyrie-class battlestar was equipped with a formidable main armament consisting of 22 dual-purpose KEW (kinetic energy weapons) batteries. These batteries served a dual function, acting as both standard kinetic weapons found on Jupiter-class battle stars and as a platform for launching Colonial ship-to-ship missiles.

Secondary armament includes four single-gun KEW (Kinetic Energy Weapons) positioned on the dorsal side of each flight pod. These weapons presumably provide a flak screen to protect the landing combat-air-patrol fighters from enemy attacks during their landing.

Anti-missile and Anti-Fighter protection on the battlestar was ensured by 29 Dual KEW CIWS batteries. These batteries, although resembling the design of the main batteries, were noticeably smaller in size and were strategically positioned all around the hull of the battlestar, creating a more even distribution. Interestingly, these weapons were also cleverly placed between the sublight engines, allowing for a near 360-degree protection coverage. This arrangement ensured the battlestar was well-equipped to defend itself from potential threats.

Fighter Complement

In a departure from the standard battlestar design, the Valkyrie introduces a unique feature: instead of the traditional launch tubes positioned at the sides of the two flight pods, it incorporates six forward-facing launch tubes (three for each pod) located at the front of each flight pod. This design choice is likely due to the smaller size of the Valkyrie class, as the flight pods are only 33.5 meters wide at their widest point. Although not officially confirmed, it is widely speculated that ships belonging to this class can support not only multiple squadrons of Viper fighters but also numerous Raptor multipurpose craft. This configuration allows for enhanced maneuverability and strategic positioning during combat operations.

Computer Systems

Coming from the 1st Cylon War, it is presumed that, in their original design configuration, ships of this class lacked the advanced computer technology and networking of more modern battlestars for fear of Cylon infiltration. However, it is also presumed that most, if not all, ships of this class have been heavily upgraded since then. These upgrades would have included implementing more sophisticated computer systems and enhanced networking capabilities to facilitate new technologies, like main Battery-fired missiles. Despite these upgrades, several ships of this class were still shown as being shut down by Cylon infiltration of their Command Navigation Program (CNP) during the Fall of the Colonies.

Crew

The crew complement of the Valkyrie class is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred from the information about the Jupiter-class. The Jupiter-class initially required a crew of 5000 people, so it is reasonable to assume that the smaller Valkyrie-class would have a significantly reduced crew size in its original configuration. It is worth mentioning that the crew size of the Valkyrie-class may have decreased significantly after the war due to upgrades and refits made to the class. These modifications could have resulted in more efficient systems and technologies, potentially reducing the need for a large crew.

Therefore, while the exact crew complement of the Valkyrie-class remains unknown, it is likely that, especially with the introduction of the Command Navigation Program (CNP), the crew complement shrined down significantly, even from the original compliment.

Propulsion

Ships of this class are equipped with four main rearwards-facing sublight engines mounted in pods onto their outer hull. These engines are strategically positioned, with two on the ship's dorsal surface and two on its ventral surface. In addition to these main engines, smaller maneuvering thrusters are scattered throughout the ship, allowing quick and agile movements during combat scenarios. To enable faster-than-light travel, at least one FTL (Faster-Than-Light) drive is installed aboard the ship. However, it is worth noting that the ship's main engines are relatively unarmored, and the half-exposed position of the FTL drive on the dorsal side further exacerbates this vulnerability.

This exposed location is a significant weak spot, as demonstrated during the Battle of Scorpion Shipyards. In this battle, a Cylon raider, armed with only three conventionally armed missiles, could exploit this weakness and ultimately destroy a docked battlestar of Valkyrie-class.

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