Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Olympic Carrier

Boomer signaling Olympic Carrier

Olympic Carrier was an FTL-capable passenger liner. It joined the Colonial Fleet carrying 1,345 survivors, presumably from various Colonies. The Carrier was part of the Fleet during the 33 crisis, when Cylons were jumping in chasing the Colonials with intervals of 33 minutes in between attacks.

Prior to the 238th jump, the Olympic Carrier contacted President Laura Roslin with a message from Dr. Amarak, a colleague of Dr. Gaius Baltar during his time working at the Ministry of Defense on Caprica. He claimed to have information regarding a traitor, however, on the next jump the Olympic Carrier disappeared with all aboard, including Dr. Amarak. The Cylon attacks ceased upon the Carrier's disappearance. The Carrier reappeared later at the coordinates for the previous jump, raising the suspicions of Commander Adama, President Roslin, and on a self-interested level, Dr. Baltar, who believed that Amarak was going to call him out as the traitor.

Olympic Carrier heading for the fleet

Communications were cut off between the fleet and the Olympic Carrier on Baltar's suggestion, and shortly thereafter the Carrier set a course for the rest of the fleet, refusing all orders to stop. The radiological alarm on Boomer's Raptor went off, triggered by the apparent presence of nuclear weapons on board the Olympic Carrier, and Commander Adama and President Roslin made the decision that the ship had to be destroyed for the safety of the fleet. Apollo and Starbuck carried out the order, firing into the Carrier's engines and destroying it almost instantaneously.

The constant attacks by the Cylons ceased, indicating that the choice to destroy the ship was indeed the proper one, although it was never discovered whether or not the 1,345 Colonials on board were captured and taken off the ship by the Cylons at the 237 jump point or whether they were still aboard the ship when Starbuck and Apollo destroyed it.