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| Schlacht im Binären Sternensystem | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Konflikt | Zweiter zylonischer Krieg | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Datum | 8 Monate nach dem Fall der Zwölf Kolonien | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ort | Namenloses binäres Sternensystem | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ergebnis | Taktischer Sieg der Zylonen | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Schlachten-Chronologie | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Die Schlacht im Binären Sternensystem ereignet sich, als der Kampfstern Pegasus wegen einer Rettungsmission in ein System springt, in dem sich ihre verlorenen Raptor befinden. Die Raptor wurden von drei zylonischen Basisschiffen aber als Köder verwendet um die Kolonialen in eine Falle zu locken.
Vor der Schlacht, locken die Zylonen zwei Raptor der Pegasus in ein Feld aus elektro-magnetischen Interferenzen, das von einem binären Sternensystem erzeugt wird. Einmal dort, töten die Zylonen die Besatzung und lassen die beiden Schiffe intakt am Rand des kolonialen DRADIS im All treiben und ein Notsignal aussenden. Der neue Kommandant der Pegasus, Barry Garner, missachtet Admiral William Adamas Befehle und will mit seinem Kampfstern zu den Raptoren springen um dort seine Rettungsmission zu beginnen.
Dort angekommen untersucht Red Devil die beiden Raptor und stellt fest, dass alle Mann tot sind. In diesem Moment springen drei zylonische Basisschiffe in die Nähe und feuern eine volle Salve taktischer Nuklearraketen, wovon zwei das Heck der Pegasus treffen und den Sprungantrieb lahm legen. Die Abfangjäger der Pegasus starten unter dem Kommando von Captain Kara Thrace und greifen die Zylonen an. Die Basisschiffe ignorieren die Viper und konzentrieren ihr Feuer auf die Pegasus. Sie landen einen dritten Nukleartreffer wodurch die Struktur des oberen Klimareglers beschädigt wird.
An engineering officer with no combat command experience, Commander Garner is unable to deal with the situation effectively. Realizing he is most competent leading the engineering teams, Garner turns over command to his recently-promoted executive officer, Major Lee Adama, and heads below to direct the repairs.
After a moment of hesitation, Major Adama orders Pegasus to make for the nearest basestar, while rolling the ship over to keep its damaged dorsal side hidden from direct fire. He orders Starbuck and Showboat to have the Vipers concentrate on defending the damaged portions of Pegasus from further attacks, and directs the battlestar's forward batteries to fire on the closest basestar. His tactic works and they inflict severe damage to the targeted basestar's central axis, buying Pegasus more time. The wounded basestar hastily withdraws from combat[1].
Meanwhile, Commander Garner determines that a hull breach prevents technicians from opening an auxiliary coolant valve crucial to re-starting the FTL drive. With time running out for Pegasus, he valiantly enters the compartment himself, opens the valve, and restores the FTL drive before dying of asphyxiation[2]. With the FTL drive restored, Major Adama orders a recall of all Vipers and a jump back to the Fleet.
Pegasus suffers relatively minor damage and few casualties, but she has lost her third commanding officer since the destruction of the Resurrection Ship. For his command ability in returning Pegasus against heavy odds, Admiral Adama promotes Major Adama to the rank of Commander and gives him command of Pegasus (Mensch und Maschine).
References
- ↑ This is the first documented occurrence of a basestar diverging from their normal tactic of fighting to the death, perhaps due to the loss of the Resurrection Ship some time earlier.
- ↑ See NASA JPL scientist Geoffrey Landis' description on what happens from vacuum exposure. Garner must have died of asyphxiation, not vacuum exposure, as it takes him more than 30-45 seconds to open the auxiliary valves. Vacuum exposure would cause unconsciousness within 9 to 11 seconds. While his engineers watched the oxygen levels drop, the atmospheric pressure in the compartment was sufficiently high not to be a vacuum, but not sufficiently pressurized to allow breathing.