Twelve Colonies

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The flag of the Twelve Colonies in the reimagined series

The Twelve Colonies of Man or Twelve Colonies of Kobol constitute the principal human civilization in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, the "reimagined" series of the same name in 2004, and in the prequel series, Caprica.

The Twelve Colonies were founded by tribes from Kobol, the alleged birthplace of humanity. There were at one time thirteen tribes, but one went to a planet called Earth. The humans of the Twelve Colonies (at least 50 billion in the new television series) were virtually exterminated by the Cylons on the onset of both series. Fewer than 50,000 survivors managed to escape in a civilian fleet guarded by the Battlestar Galactica. The colonies were named after constellations of the Zodiac.

The colonies

In the original series, the twelve tribes settled on twelve different planets in the fictional Cyrannus galaxy. Since Earth is also in this galaxy, it is clearly the Milky Way galaxy. The new series has never clarified their relative positions in space; however, Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore has stated that all the colony planets are in the same star system, as described in the original series. This was also hinted at several times in the pilot episode.

Tweets from @SergeGraystone , SyFy's official twitter for Daniel Graystone's robot Serge indicate the following about the astronomy of the 12 colonies: all 12 colonies are on planets within a cluster of 4 stars. Caprica and Gemenon (Caprica's twin) share an orbit around a central barycenter, and the two planets orbit the gas giant planet Ragnar at Ragnar's lagrange points. Picon is sometimes thought of as "Caprica, Jr." Slightly colder overall, clean, polite, originally colonized by Virgon. Aquarion features icy, brackish seas and a small research colony on a tiny continent. Aerilon and Aquarion located relatively close to one other. Libran is largely a wildlife reserve that also serves as home to the intercolonial court system. Canceron has many lovely beach resorts, but is also overcrowded and poor. Scorpia is noted for its lush jungles, suggesting that it has significant tropical zones, and has been mentioned as the location of the Colonial Stock Market.

The Colonial Flag Icons are displayed at the bottom of the Colonial Flag in accordance with the colony the flag is being displayed on.

Constellation	1978 Series Name	2003 Series Name	2003 Flag Icon
Aquarius	Aquarus	Aquarion
Aries	Aeries	Aerilon	Aerilon Colony Flag Icon
Cancer	Orion	Canceron
Capricorn	Caprica	Caprica
Gemini	Gemini	Gemenon
Leo	Leonis	Leonis
Libra	Libris	Libran
Pisces	Picon	Picon
Sagittarius	Sagitara	Sagittaron
Scorpio	Scorpia	Scorpia
Taurus	Taura	Tauron
Virgo	Virgon	Virgon

Notes on the colonies in the original series

Given the name's negative connotations, the word "Cancer" was never used as a colony name, and in its place was the frequently-mentioned colony of "Orion".
Count Baltar was the representative of one of the colonies - it was never revealed which one was his home - prior to his betrayal. The script for the first episode states that he was from the colony of "Orion", however this mention never made it to the screen. (The telefilm novelization, however, says he was a wealthy rare items trader whom the Cylons first approached to sue for peace, and whose title of Count was self-awarded, but all this information has to be regarded as somewhat apocryphal as none of it was ever mentioned in the series.)
In either version of the show, many colonies spoke different languages. For example, in the original series, Gemonese was spoken in several scenes (in the Terra arc, 'Terra' is said to be the Gemonese term for 'Earth').
In the original series pilot (and novelization), Adama remarked that Sagitara had "the best defence systems in the Colonies".
In the novelization for the telefilm, several Colonies were mentioned: Virgon, Sagitara, Caprica, Scorpia, Taura, Piscera and Gemini.
In the novelization, one planet is called Aeriana, yet in the episode "The Long Patrol", it is pronounced Aeries.
In a deleted scene from "Experiment in Terra", Apollo mentions Sagitaria, though it was called Sagitara in all other references.
In "The Magnificent Warriors", Orion is mentioned a few times and it is stated that it was not one of the Colonies, but a nearby planet.
In the novelization for "The Young Lords", the planets Aquarus, Scorpia and Virgon are mentioned.

Notes on the colonies in the re-imagined series

All colonials speak a common language, but apparently have different accents or dialects. At least one archaic language, Old Gemenese, is referred to by Colonial Lt. Kendra Shaw. Baltar mentions that Boomer has an Aerilon accent. In the pilot of the series Caprica, Taurons are heard speaking a separate language resembling Ancient Greek.

The people of Gemenon are deeply religious and believe in the literal interpretation of the scriptures. They abhor the practice of abortion; however, Colonial law allows it to occur.

Sagittaron is seen as a neglected and disenfranchised member of the colonies, oppressed for several centuries (whether by external or domestic tyrants is not made clear). They do not believe in modern medicine and handle sickness and injury with traditional cures and prayers.

Gemenon, Sagittaron, and Aerilon are regarded as "poor colonies" where most of the inhabitants worked in harsh blue-collar jobs while the colonies of Caprica, Picon and Virgon contained a more elite and educated social class who worked administrative and professional white-collar jobs. Caprica, being the capital of the Colonies, is especially cosmopolitan, and the cavalier religious attitudes of Capricans are in stark contrast with those of Gemenon and Sagittaron, who take their faith very seriously.

Aerilon is primarily a farming colony and is referred to by Gaius Baltar as the "foodbasket" of the Twelve Colonies. When portraying Baltar's "native" accent, James Callis adopts a Yorkshire accent as it is an accent that can be stereotypically associated with people who come from a working class background and thus fit the image that his character was trying to project of life on Aerilon as a isolated agricultural planet.

In Caprica, Joseph Adama states that Tauron has no flowers growing on it; also it has suffered a civil war. It is also the home of the Ha'la'tha organized crime syndicate. Taurons also worship the Roman gods such as Jupiter and Mars. Prior to the Cylon War, Capricans took a racist view of Taurons, with one Caprican government official privately stating that "deceit is in their DNA."

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan states that Leonis has plains, Scorpia has jungles, Virgon is forested, Libran is dedicated to the Colonial judiciary, Tauron has pastures, both Picon and Aquaria are largely covered in water, and Canceron is known for its beaches. No mention is given of Sagittaron with the television version mentioning temples on Gemenon, reinforcing the strong religious fabric on the planet.

Relative locations (1978)

In the Battlestar Galactica video game, published in 2003, just prior to the release of the reimagined series, the colonies were in one star system called "Cyrannus". The name "Cyrannus" was used in the original series episode "The Long Patrol", but was used by the character Starbuck as the name of the galaxy, not a single star system, although as with most SF shows of that era, much of the terminology used is obscure and self-contradictory. It appears as if the authors were themselves frequently unclear as to what the difference between a solar system and a galaxy was, though "star system" could refer to a cluster of stars that were in relatively close proximity to each other. The name "Cyrannus" has not been used in the reimagined series.

In the 1978 series, the Colonies were very obviously set in a binary star system, and distinguished between "Inner" and "Outer" colonies. "Inner" colonies orbited the primary star in the system, and "Outer" colonies orbited the other one, though both appeared to be G2 class stars from what little information was visible onscreen. The inner colonies - including Virgon, Sagitaria and Caprica - were attacked first. By the time the Galactica arrived, the Cylons were already launching their first wave against the outer colonies.

In the novelization of the pilot for the 1978 series, the Twelve Colonies are referred to as "The Twelve Colonies of the Three Suns".

Colonial government

1978 series

The Quorum of the Twelve (sometimes called the "Council of the Twelve") is the main governing body of the Twelve Colonies. There are twelve members, each representing one colony. There is a president of the Twelve Colonies, who acts as the head of state. There is also a Commander in Chief of the armed forces. The President and civilian government lead the Colonies, unless martial law is declared. After the death of President Adar and the death of the Quorum of the Twelve, the Colonial remnants, under the protection of the Battlestar Galactica, were placed under martial law by Commander Adama, the last surviving member of the pre-destruction Quorum. Count Baltar, a member of the Quorum who survived due to his treachery, was presumably stripped of his rank in absentia for his gross betrayal of humanity. The Quorum has the power to repeal martial law itself, but after a disastrous attempt at reestablishing civilian rule in the "rag-tag fleet", such matters were dropped for the present.

There is no death penalty, even for treason. The maximum punishment is life imprisonment. Officers of the court in criminal proceedings include 'Opposers' (prosecutors) and 'Advocates' (defense attorneys).

The Colonial Service

The combined Colonial armed forces are called the Colonial Military, or the Colonial Service. This is divided into at least three branches:

The Colonial Fleet is the first line of defense against Cylon invasion. This force of Battlestars and Vipers has held the Cylons at bay and can easily outwit superior Cylon numbers with human ingenuity; Fleet personnel are renowned for their bravery and prowess in warfare in the Colonies and beyond. The various divisions of Fleet personnel are as follows:
- Starship officers, such as Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh, who are outfitted in blue uniforms with silver trim and black boots.
- Enlisted starship crew typically dress in light brown jumpsuits with darker brown boots.
- Colonial Warriors, the Viper pilots and ground troops of the Colonies, wear light brown uniforms with darker brown uniform jackets and dark brown boots. These are specially designed to protect them from g-forces experienced in Viper launch operations.
The Colonial Marine Corps
Colonial Security Forces, also called Council Security personnel, are officers clad in black, who form a catch-all police force, under the direct control of the Quorum of the Twelve. Their jurisdiction appears to cover both civilian and military police roles. They are nicknamed "blackshirts." There appears to be some animosity between Colonial Warriors and the security forces, whose personnel also carry the same pistols as Colonial Warriors, especially when security officers attempt to force Warriors to adhere to Council edicts that the Warriors believe to be ridiculous or naive.

2003 Series

In the 2003 re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, the Colonial government is somewhat different. Referred to officially as "the United Colonies of Kobol", the government was established under the Articles of Colonization. There is a Presidency, and a "Political Cabinet" (which include the ministries of Defense and Education), with each ministry headed by a secretary. This cabinet appears to be quite extensive even in comparison to modern real-world governments, as its Secretary of Education is the 43rd in the order of succession, while the lowest cabinet post in the US line of presidential succession is only 18th. There is a death penalty, and executions for treason include being vented into space, a punishment implemented by President Laura Roslin and continued by President Tom Zarek during his brief term. The military conducts execution of its personnel via firing squad. Local government includes mayors, of whom President Adar was one before his first term as President of the Twelve Colonies. The Colonial Government appears to include some form of civil religion as noted by the presence of clergy such as the priest Elosha in seasons 1 and 2 of the series. In his blog, Battlestar Galactica's producer Ronald D. Moore indicated that the Colonial government presumably included a larger, still unnamed representative body (most likely the People's Council mentioned in Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II) and an independent judiciary system, as well as another (also unnamed) religious body with an advisory function.

The Quorum of Twelve does exist in the series (an interim one is established a month into the exodus) but its structure and purpose is different. The Quorum's sessions are presided by the President of the Twelve Colonies, who may cast a vote in case of a tie. Each Colony gets a single vote. The functions of the Quorum of Twelve include taking nominations for and electing the Vice President - whether this is common practice or an emergency attribution in the case of a vacant Vice Presidency is not known. Quorum members may run for the Vice Presidency, but must resign their Quorum seat if elected. Given that the Colonies used to be independent nations until a few decades before the Cylon Attack, Ron Moore describes the Quorum of Twelve as a mixture between the United States Senate and the UN Security Council. The Quorum has the power to remove the President from power via a vote of no confidence.

The differences in Colonial government in the 2003 remake stem from the fact that Cylons were created by humans as servants and soldiers. The production team has established that the Cylons were used as soldiers in wars among the Twelve Colonies. Indeed, while the Exodus from Kobol was 2,000 years before the final Cylon defeat of the Twelve Colonies in the TV series, the "Articles of Colonization" are stated as being only 52 years old, framed in the early days of the First Cylon War, which went on for another 12 years. In the time of the TV series Caprica, set 58 years before the Cylon holocaust, the Twelve Colonies do not yet have a united government.

Colonial Military

The Colonial military appears to be made of at least two branches.

The Colonial Fleet operated a force of about 120 Battlestars and several support vessels. The Colonial Fleet was organized around "Battlestar Groups", such as Battlestar Group 75 (from which Galactica receives its BSG-75 designator). These groups were possibly composed of a single Battlestar protected and supported by smaller vessels, including, but not limited to, Viper and Raptor squadrons. The Colonial Fleet has a mixed Navy/Marine Corps rank system: Admiral; Rear Admiral; Commander; Colonel; Lieutenant Colonel; Major; Captain; Lieutenant; Lieutenant, j(unior) g(rade); Ensign. Non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel also have a mixed Navy/Marine Corps rank system, referred to as a "Naval-style rank system" as detailed by Ronald D. Moore (a former Marine Option Midshipman) in his blog: Master Chief Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Petty Officer 1st and 2nd Class, Specialist, Deckhand and Recruit.
The Colonial Marine Corps, a specialized ship-based ground force operating onboard the ships of the Colonial Fleet. Marines are used for strike actions and for security purposes such as repelling boardings and maintaining a ship's brig. The role the Marine Corps may have played in planetary defense is still not known, or even if there was a separate Colonial Army for that role. Marine non-commissioned and enlisted personnel use regular Marine rank titles; whether their officers use the same mixed rank structure as Colonial Fleet officers is not certain as only two Marine officers, an unnamed lieutenant in the episode Escape Velocity and Lieutenant Terry Burrell in Sacrifice, have so far been shown.

Due to a lack of a police force within the fleet, both Colonial Fleet and Marine personnel also serve as law enforcement officials as necessary. According to Ronald D. Moore's own podcast commentary for the episode Kobol's Last Gleaming, the plainclothed Presidential Security Force is intentionally separate from the military, with its members culled from any and all surviving police officers within the fleet.

References

In the Season 4 episode "A Disquiet Follows My Soul", Kara Thrace gives an estimate of 50 billion people dead in the attack
"The mythology of the new Galactica is heavily influenced by that established in the original. I've always approached this project with an eye toward taking the original material and making it work in a new context. I still try to do this whenever possible. Does it make sense that there would be a star system with 12 inhabitable planets? Not really, but that was in the original and at some point I decided to run with that as another nod to the old show. The mythology of the old show centered around Kobol and the thirteen 'tribes of man,' so I've kept it as the centerpiece of ours. Not every single element is the same and not every element is even intact, but the roots are there. The point was to make another version of Battlestar Galactica, not just use the name." (Ron Moore Blog, January 30, 2005.)
The names of all twelve Colonies are presented on this page, but the 2003 series has referred to the same colony as both "Aquaria" and "Aquarion".
"In Episode 11, Colonial Day we'll see the reinstatement of the Quorum of Twelve, a political body established in the original series, which seems to be a cross between a US style Senate and the UN Security Council, where each Colony has a single vote. Presumably there was also a larger representative legislative body and some kind of separate judiciary. There is also a religious body, (unnamed thus far) that acts in some advisory capacity to the government, along the lines of the British House of Lords. Although we haven't dealt with it yet, Elosha was probably a member of this body." (Ron Moore Blog, January 30, 2005.)

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