The Thousand-Yahren War was a major conflict that took place in and around the Cyrannus galaxy.[note 1]
Events[]
The conflict began in the sixth millennium, when the Cylon Alliance declared war on the Colonials in retaliation to their giving aid to the Cylon enemies, the Hasari.[1] The war seriously impacted on colonial territory, with distant colony worlds such as Proteus and Sectar being cut off and developing unique cultures over the centuries.[2][3] In the case of Sectar, the war may have caused its anachronistic usage of firearms by the seventh millennium.[3] The most powerful colonial warships, the Battlestars, were constructed at the most 500 years into the conflict, with Galactica being among them, though it is possible this class of warship was present throughout.
The war took its toll on the Colonial military forces in the waning years of the war. Though the Fourth Fleet successfully destroyed three Basestars during the Battle of Cosmora Archipelago, Commander Kronus ordered the Battlestar Rycon be scuttled.[4] Caprica sustained several Cylon raids, with an attack in 7322 causing massive destruction to Umbra, and leaving three thousand children as orphans.[5] Around the yahren 7346, the Fifth Fleet engaged the Cylons in the Battle of Molecay but suffered its near-total destruction. Commander Cain successfully led the Battlestar Pegasus out of the fight, but was forced to head out into deep space; consequently, Pegasus was reported as lost.[6]
By the yahren 7348, the Imperious Leader had successfully made contact with Count Baltar, who desired to overthrow the Colonial government, and coordinated a major offensive designed to end the war with a decisive Cylon victory. Baltar convinced the Council of Twelve that the Cylons were pushing for an armistice, and that it was required the entire surviving fleet of six Battlestars, among which are Atlantia, Columbia and Galactica.[1][7][note 2] rendezvous with the Cylon ambassadors at Cimtar. This was a ruse, and the Battlestars were set-upon by thousands of Raiders which made suicide-runs at the ships, their Basestars having departed to the Twelve Colonies. Galactica, under Commander Adama, was the only ship to escape the Raiders, having kept its Warriors in the launch tubes in the event of a trap.[1] Following the destruction of President Adar's flagship, Atlantia, Galactica abandoned the fleet and its own Vipers to defend the colonies.[1] Baltar's agent, Karibdis, was able to deactivate Caprica's defences, leaving it defenceless against a Cylon strike in the absence of any Battlestars.[8] Separate agents may have done the same on the other eleven colonies. When Galactica reached the colonies, the Cylon Basestars had already left Caprica a devastated wasteland.[1]
Sources[]
- notes
- ↑ A continuity issues arises in the series' episode chronology, as the fleet encounters offshoots of the Twelve Colonies and even another Battlestar after they are said to have left the galaxy.
- ↑ Though only five ships are seen at the start of "Saga of a Star World", Vulpa's reference to Columbia would indicate a sixth Battlestar was present, unseen.
- references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Battlestar Galactica, episode: "Saga of a Star World".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica, episode: "The Long Patrol".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Battlestar Galactica, episode: "The Magnificent Warriors".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica, episode: "Take the Celestra".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica, episode: "The Man with Nine Lives".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica, episode: "The Living Legend".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica, episode: "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part II".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica, episode: "Murder on the Rising Star".