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Battlestar Valkyrie

BS-41

The Valkyrie (BS-41) was a Valkyrie-class battlestar of the Colonial Fleet. A relic of the Cylon War kept in service through repeated upgrades, she was commanded by William Adama and destroyed in the opening hours of the Fall.

By Joe Garratt

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

Construction and the Cylon War#

Valkyrie was built before 40 BCH (YR60) during the Cylon War, the conflict between the United Colonies of Kobol and its sentient Cylon labor force. An initial order of twelve hybrid battleship-carriers, dubbed battlestars, proved successful at eliminating the weaknesses of earlier cruisers that were vulnerable to hijacking through networked hacking, and further orders of similarly unnetworked ships followed.

About two years before the war ended in 42 BCH (YR58), Valkyrie was heavily damaged in a battle with the Cylons over Canceron. Assumed destroyed by the enemy, she was instead used to Colonial advantage: the fleet began amassing damaged ships that, once 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.

Interwar service under Adama#

Valkyrie remained in use into the 20s BCH (YR80s) as the Colonial Fleet underwent a major shake-up, with newer ships relegating vessels such as Galactica to support roles. Around 2 BCH (YR98), Valkyrie, under the command of Commander William Adama, received orders from Admiral Peter Corman to carry out a black-ops mission. The admiralty had long suspected a Cylon rearmament and was pressing newly elected President Richard Adar to modernize the fleet against that hypothetical enemy.

Per orders, Valkyrie jumped to the Armistice Line and launched a Stealthstar reconnaissance craft across the border. The craft was identified at once by the Cylons and attacked, forcing Commander Adama to fire a missile to destroy it and prevent the Cylons from recovering proof of a blatant breach of the Cimtar Peace Accords.

The Fall#

By 0 BCH (YR00), Valkyrie's role was that of 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 with her Vipers, a flotilla of Cylon Basestars jumped above the planet. Valkyrie and her companion ship, Yashuman, immediately turned to intercept but were disabled by hacking and destroyed.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Battlestar Valkyrie?
The Valkyrie (BS-41) was a Valkyrie-class battlestar in service with the Colonial Fleet. A relic of the Cylon War, she was continually upgraded to keep her useful and served as part of BSG-41.
What happened to the Valkyrie during the Cylon War?
About two years before the war ended, Valkyrie was heavily damaged in a battle with the Cylons over Canceron and assumed destroyed by the enemy. She was instead used to Colonial advantage as the fleet amassed damaged ships for a surprise assault, and some of her pilots were reassigned to Osiris as part of what became known as the Ghost Fleet Offensive.
What was the Valkyrie's black-ops mission under William Adama?
Under the command of Commander William Adama, Valkyrie received orders from Admiral Peter Corman to jump to the Armistice Line and launch a Stealthstar reconnaissance craft across the border. The craft was identified at once by the Cylons and attacked, forcing Adama to fire a missile to destroy it and prevent the Cylons from recovering proof of a breach of the Cimtar Peace Accords.
Who commanded the Battlestar Valkyrie?
Commander William Adama commanded the Valkyrie during the interwar period, around 2 BCH, when she carried out her black-ops reconnaissance mission across the Armistice Line.
How was the Valkyrie destroyed?
By the time of the Fall, Valkyrie was a patrol ship protecting Caprican airspace. Soon after the installation of the finalized Command Navigation Program, a flotilla of Cylon Basestars jumped above the planet, and Valkyrie and her companion ship Yashuman were disabled by hacking and destroyed.

Sources

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