Exodus from New Caprica
the breakout from Cylon occupation
The Exodus from New Caprica was a combined ground, air, and space engagement in which the Colonial Fleet and the New Caprica Resistance broke the Cylon occupation of the colony and evacuated its settlers back into the fleet.
The Exodus from New Caprica was a simultaneous ground, air, and space-based engagement fought between the Colonial Fleet and the New Caprica Resistance on one side and the Cylon occupation force on the other, together with the collaborationist Colonial government and its New Caprica Police. The battle ended the occupation of the colony and returned its settlers to the refugee fleet, but it came at heavy cost, including the loss of the Battlestar Pegasus. (Battlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part I"; Battlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part II")
Background#
Almost a year after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, a refugee convoy led by the Colonial Fleet battlestars Galactica and Pegasus settled on New Caprica, a habitable world hidden inside a nebula that seemed to offer safety from the Cylons. A year later the colony was discovered by a Cylon fleet, which brought down a large occupation force. (Battlestar Galactica, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II")
Though the occupiers were nominally present to develop the colony's infrastructure, several Humanoid Cylon models pushed President Gaius Baltar into turning New Caprica into a police state, with the jump keys confiscated from starships to prevent escape. Playing into the wider civilian population's reluctance to fight back, the Centurion occupation troops were replaced with a human police force, which would eventually be used for attacks on enemies of the state. (Battlestar Galactica, "Occupation"; Battlestar Galactica, "Precipice")
The occupation and the resistance#
For a period of four months, the settlers, tens of thousands strong, were cut off from the Colonial Fleet and the other civilian ships, which had jumped away. A resistance movement expanded under the leadership of Colonel Saul Tigh, carrying out increasingly violent bombing attacks against the occupation. (Battlestar Galactica, "Occupation"; Battlestar Galactica, "Precipice")
A plan for dealing with a Cylon occupation had been agreed upon months earlier, but the civilian ships could not jump without the launch keys the Cylons had confiscated, and Galactica and Pegasus were running on skeleton crews. The breakout could only go ahead once the resistance recovered the keys. (Battlestar Galactica, "Occupation"; Battlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part I")
The uprising and space battle#
The engagement opened on the ground when the New Caprican Resistance detonated explosives surrounding the colonial camp, drawing the attention of the occupation while rallying the people toward the evacuation points and launching a rescue mission against the detention center. In the sky, Galactica jumped straight into New Caprica's atmosphere, launching its Vipers as it fell, before jumping back out to fight the basestars in orbit. Captain Louanne "Kat" Katraine led a decoy force to draw the Cylons away from the fleeing civilian ships. When Galactica was close to being destroyed, Lee Adama brought Pegasus into the fight and rammed it into a basestar. The breakout plays out in "Exodus, Part I" and "Exodus, Part II", the third and fourth episodes in the season 3 running order. (Battlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part I"; Battlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part II")
Aftermath#
The Exodus broke the Cylon hold on New Caprica and returned its settlers to the fleet, but the victory carried a heavy price. Pegasus was destroyed during the engagement, leaving Galactica as the fleet's sole surviving battlestar. The battle closes the New Caprica chapter of the full Galactica timeline. (Battlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part II")
Frequently asked questions
- What was the Exodus from New Caprica?
- The Exodus from New Caprica was a simultaneous ground, air, and space engagement fought between the Colonial Fleet and the New Caprica Resistance on one side and the Cylon occupation force on the other. The battle ended the occupation of the colony and returned its settlers to the refugee fleet.
- How did the Cylon occupation of New Caprica begin?
- Almost a year after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, a refugee convoy led by Galactica and Pegasus settled on New Caprica, a habitable world hidden inside a nebula. A year later a Cylon fleet discovered the colony and brought down a large occupation force, and several Humanoid Cylon models pushed President Gaius Baltar into turning New Caprica into a police state.
- How long were the settlers cut off during the occupation?
- For a period of four months, the settlers, tens of thousands strong, were cut off from the Colonial Fleet and the other civilian ships, which had jumped away. A resistance movement expanded under the leadership of Colonel Saul Tigh, carrying out increasingly violent bombing attacks against the occupation.
- Why was the rescue of New Caprica delayed?
- A plan for dealing with a Cylon occupation had been agreed upon months earlier, but the civilian ships could not jump without the launch keys the Cylons had confiscated, and Galactica and Pegasus were running on skeleton crews. The breakout could only go ahead once the resistance recovered the keys.
- What happened to the Battlestar Pegasus during the Exodus?
- Pegasus was destroyed during the engagement, leaving Galactica as the fleet's sole surviving battlestar. Although the Exodus broke the Cylon hold on New Caprica and returned its settlers to the fleet, the victory carried a heavy price.
Sources
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part I", Season 3, Episode 3 (2006)
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica, "Exodus, Part II", Season 3, Episode 4 (2006)
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II", Season 2, Episode 20 (2006)
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica, "Occupation", Season 3, Episode 1 (2006)
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica, "Precipice", Season 3, Episode 2 (2006)
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