Astral Queen

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Astral Queen
Race	Colonial
Type	Civilian
FTL	Yes
Propulsion
Crew
Capacity	(approx) 1500
CO	{{{co}}}
XO	{{{xo}}}
Role	Prison ship
Weapons	{{{weapons}}}
Armaments	{{{arm}}}
Status	{{{status}}}
Other Images	More images...
Dimensions
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Wingspan	{{{wingspan}}}
Other	{{{otherdi}}}

The 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 originally said to be carrying 500 male prisoners (Miniseries) to their pardon hearings on Caprica (Bastille Day). However, this was later retconned and increased to a count of 1,500 prisoners. It was captained by Wilkens.

Following sabotage aboard Galactica, which destroys the majority of the Fleet's water reserves (Water), Lee Adama is sent to the Astral Queen to try and enlist the aid of the prisoners to help obtain fresh water supplies from an ice-bound moon (Bastille Day). However, once on board, he meets with the prisoners' spokesman, Tom Zarek, who orchestrates a break-out and hijacking of the ship.

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 the 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 the Astral Queen, much to the chagrin of both President Roslin and Commander Adama himself.

After the colonization of New Caprica, the 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 (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II).

Some time after the escape from the planet, it and its companion traverse the star cluster around the algae planet (The Passage). When the Fleet jumps to the Ionian nebula, the Astral Queen loses power and is hit by a Cylon missile in the ensuing battle, causing slight damage to its forward section ("Crossroads, Part II", "He That Believeth In Me").

Related Images

The Astral Queen, fore.

The Astral Queen over Kobol.

Traversing a star cluster.

Notes

• The ship is equipped with at least one "flare", launched upward from some point amidships and on the dorsal section (The Farm).
• The design and function of the 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.
• The Astral Queen is, according to the DVD commentary, named for a transport mentioned in the original Star Trek episode "The Conscience of the King".