Scorpion Fleet Shipyards
the cradle of the Colonial Fleet
The Scorpion Fleet Shipyards were a vast orbital shipbuilding installation above Scorpia, a principal builder of Colonial warships from the First Cylon War until they were destroyed in the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.
The Scorpion Fleet Shipyards were a large orbital installation above the colony of Scorpia and one of the principal builders of warships for the Colonial Fleet. Established before the first Cylon War, they grew across the long interwar period into a sprawling complex capable of constructing the fleet's largest battlestars, and they were among the most essential of all Colonial installations by the time of the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, in which they were destroyed. (Battlestar Galactica (miniseries); Battlestar Galactica: Razor; Battlestar Galactica: The Plan)
The First Cylon War#
The Scorpion Shipyards were built in orbit of Scorpia sometime before the start of the Cylon War, taking advantage of the planet's mineral-rich rings and its industry geared toward shipbuilding. In the licensed strategy game Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, which covers the First Cylon War, the installation was divided into two main parts: a static orbital shipyard complex and a mobile shipyard, Daidalos, under the command of Rear Admiral Lucinda Cain. (Battlestar Galactica Deadlock)
After the Colonial Fleet headquarters on Picon was destroyed in the first year of the war, Rear Admiral Cain detached the mobile shipyard and assumed command of the entire Colonial Fleet. With Daidalos gone, the situation at the Scorpion Shipyards grew more dire than ever, and under pressure from the fleet to complete development of the Viper Mark II, the yard requested assistance from Daidalos and its fleet group. (Battlestar Galactica Deadlock)
The interwar expansion#
Across the forty-year interwar period, the shipyards grew considerably. By the time of the Fall they were made up of several separate complexes built close together, able to berth Jupiter-class battlestars, Valkyrie-class ships and even the larger post-war Mercury-class, alongside transports and support vessels, with cargo trains, tylium tanks and refuelling points running the length of the structure. The yards remained a major builder for the fleet and a centrepiece of Scorpia's economy. (Battlestar Galactica: Razor; Battlestar Galactica: The Plan)
The Fall of the Twelve Colonies#
By the fortieth anniversary of the Cylon War's conclusion, the shipyards had become one of the most essential Colonial installations, and when the Cylons launched an offensive on a scale no one had expected, the yards were among the most critical military targets in the Cyrannus Star System. (Battlestar Galactica: Razor)
The first wave of nuclear-armed Cylon Raiders jumped in and caught the Colonial Navy completely by surprise. Nuclear detonations in range of the yards set the facilities ablaze, damaged the Battlestar Pegasus and blinded the DRADIS of every ship on both sides. (Battlestar Galactica: Razor)
With DRADIS down, squadrons of Raiders tore into the burning, all but defenceless yards and the ships moored there. Amid the chaos the Pegasus broke free of its berths, spooled its FTL drive and made a blind jump, ripping away part of the dock as it went. The shipyards, a builder of the Colonial Fleet for decades, were destroyed in the attack, and Pegasus was the only battlestar there to escape. (Battlestar Galactica: Razor; Battlestar Galactica: The Plan)
Frequently asked questions
- What were the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards?
- The Scorpion Fleet Shipyards were a large orbital shipbuilding installation above the colony of Scorpia and one of the principal builders of warships for the Colonial Fleet. Established before the First Cylon War, they grew into a sprawling complex capable of constructing the fleet's largest battlestars.
- Who commanded the Scorpion Shipyards during the First Cylon War?
- The installation was divided into a static orbital shipyard complex and a mobile shipyard called Daidalos, both under the command of Rear Admiral Lucinda Cain. After Colonial Fleet headquarters on Picon was destroyed in the first year of the war, Cain detached Daidalos and assumed command of the entire Colonial Fleet.
- How did the Scorpion Shipyards expand during the interwar period?
- By the time of the Fall, some forty years after the war, the yards had grown into several separate orbital complexes able to berth battlestars as large as the Mercury-class Pegasus.
- How were the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards destroyed?
- During the Fall of the Twelve Colonies the yards were a critical Cylon target. Nuclear detonations around the yards blinded DRADIS on both sides, Raiders tore into the docked ships, and the shipyards were destroyed in the attack.
- How did the Battlestar Pegasus survive the attack on the shipyards?
- Pegasus broke free of its berth and made a blind FTL jump to escape, tearing away part of the dock it had been moored to.
Gallery
Images via Battlestar Wiki
Sources
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica (miniseries), Miniseries, Parts 1 and 2 (2003)
- FilmBattlestar Galactica: Razor, Universal Cable Productions, 2007
- FilmBattlestar Galactica: The Plan, Universal Cable Productions, 2009
- GameBattlestar Galactica Deadlock, Black Lab Games, 2017
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
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