Ancient Kobolian: Galleon
Astral Queen
From Battlestar Wiki, the free, open content Battlestar Galactica encyclopedia and episode guide
More languages
More actions
| Astral Queen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Race: | Colonial | ||
| Type: | Civilian | ||
| FTL: | Yes | ||
| Propulsion: | |||
| Crew: | |||
| Capacity: | 1500 (approx.) | ||
| CO: | {{{co}}} | ||
| XO: | {{{xo}}} | ||
| Role: | Prison ship | ||
| Weapons: | {{{weapons}}} | ||
| Armaments: | {{{arm}}} | ||
| Defenses: | {{{def}}} | ||
| Aircraft: | {{{aircraft}}} | ||
| Aviation facilities: | {{{facilities}}} | ||
| Fate: | Flown into Sol with the rest of the Fleet in "Daybreak, Part II." | ||
| Emblem: | [[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]] | ||
| Other Images: | Gallery | ||
| Length: | {{{length}}} | ||
| Width: | {{{width}}} | ||
| Height: | {{{height}}} | ||
| Weight: | {{{weight}}} | ||
| Wingspan: | {{{wingspan}}} | ||
| Other: | {{{otherdi}}} | ||
| Cost: | {{{construction}}} | ||
| Construction Time: | {{{construction}}} | ||
| Hull Size: | {{{hull size}}} | ||
| Hull: | {{{hull}}} | ||
| FTL Cooldown: | {{{ftl cooldown}}} turns | ||
| Speed: | {{{speed}}} m/s | ||
| Turn Rate: | {{{turn rate}}}°/turn | ||
| Armor Total: | {{{armor total}}} | ||
| Armor Left: | {{{armor left}}} | ||
| Armor Right: | {{{armor right}}} | ||
| Armor Front: | {{{armor front}}} | ||
| Armor Rear: | {{{armor rear}}} | ||
| Armor Top: | {{{armor top}}} | ||
| Armor Bottom: | {{{armor bottom}}} | ||
| DRADIS Range: | {{{dradis range}}} m | ||
| Processing Power: | {{{processing power}}} | ||
| Munition Slots: | {{{munitions}}} | ||
| Munition Cooldown Period: | {{{munition cooldown}}} turns | ||
| Squadron Slots: | {{{squadrons}}} | ||
| Squadron Size: | {{{squadron size}}} | ||
| Special Abilities: | {{{special abilities}}} | ||
| Additional Information | |||
Astral Queen is a FTL-capable former starliner now given over to transporting prisoners between worlds. At the time of the Cylon attack, she was carrying 1,500[1] male prisoners to their pardon hearings on Caprica (TRS: "Bastille Day"). It was captained by Wilkens and crewed by guards such as Seaborne and Starke.
Following sabotage aboard Galactica, which destroys the majority of the Fleet's water reserves (TRS: "Water"), Lee Adama is sent to Astral Queen to try and enlist the aid of the prisoners to help obtain fresh water supplies from an ice-bound moon. However, once on board, he meets with the prisoners' spokesman, Tom Zarek, who orchestrates a break-out and hijacking of the ship (TRS: "Bastille Day").
The situation is resolved jointly by a Marine assault from Galactica and by Lee Adama, agreeing to the core of Zarek's demands: that free and fair elections are held within the Fleet to appoint a new president at the end of Laura Roslin's term - some seven months from the date of the revolt on Astral Queen. In return for his surrender and the assistance of the prisoners in obtaining the much-needed water ice for the Fleet, Lee Adama leaves Zarek and his men in control of Astral Queen, much to the chagrin of both President Roslin and Commander Adama himself.
After the colonization of New Caprica, Astral Queen landed on the outskirts of New Caprica City next to Colonial One. Another ship of the same design is still with the Fleet in orbit of the planet before jumping away (TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II"). It would later rejoin the Fleet following the Battle of New Caprica, and later traverse the star cluster around the algae planet (TRS: "Exodus, Part II", "The Passage"). When the Fleet jumps to the Ionian nebula, Astral Queen loses power and is hit by a Cylon missile in the ensuing battle, causing slight damage to its forward section (TRS: "Crossroads, Part II", "He That Believeth In Me").
During the thwarted mutiny attempt led by Lieutenant Felix Gaeta and Vice President Tom Zarek, the ship attempted to hail Colonial One and asked for any ships if they were in contact with the vessel (TRS: "The Oath").
Astral Queen later becomes home to a new set of prisoners: the surviving mutineers from the thwarted mutiny attempt.[2]
Following the discovery of Earth, it was flown by Samuel Anders into Sol, along with the remaining ships in the civilian fleet (TRS: "Daybreak, Part II").
Notes
- The ship is equipped with at least one "flare", launched upward from some point amidships and on the dorsal section (TRS: "The Farm").
- The design and function of Astral Queen is an acknowledgment of the Original Series, in which an identical design of vessel was defined as the Prison Barge.
- In the DVD commentary for "Bastille Day", Ronald Moore and David Eick say that in hindsight they feel that "Astral Queen" was a very poor choice of name for a prison ship, and they now wish they had used a different name.
- According to this same DVD commentary, Astral Queen is named for the transport mentioned in the original Star Trek episode "The Conscience of the King".
References
- ↑ In the Miniseries the count was given as 500 and later retconned and increased to 1,500.
- ↑ Confirmed by the podcast for Deadlock.
