'GALACTICA' AT 40: THE ENEMY 'DECEPTION' REVEALED!

Classic Topps card.

In one of the main control areas of the Cylon Basestar, Centurions monitoring Colonial communications soon discover the truth about Apollo and Starbuck's 'squadrons' gambit, and open fire on them, as Saga of a Star World nears its explosive conclusion.

Not wanting to spend money on an all-new set for a brief sequence, the Cylons were filmed in an alcove on the Galactica bridge that would be bathed in blue light (which comes across as purple onscreen) to make it look alien, with the bridge monitors given different streaming pattern graphics. (These graphics also appeared on the Cylon tech for the subsequently filmed Gun on Ice Planet Zero).

The alcove can be seen here:
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'GALACTICA' AT 40: DESCENDING FOR PROTECTION!

Despite dangerous escalating fires building on the Tylium crusted surface of Carillon, the Imperious Leader's Basestar descends further to the planet, what with the news of Colonial Viper 'squadrons' heading their way to attack them, in this great angle from Saga of a Star World.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: "PURPLE AND ORANGE?"

The sneak attack by Adama's Colonial Forces has worked and the enemy has fled. Though he's denied them the chance to pursue the nearby Cylon basestar, Adama is soon told that Apollo and Starbuck's Vipers have gone after it on their own, pretending to be a mass number of ships via intercepted communications that the Cylons will also hear.

A fun little moment that I recall got some good laughs from the evening audience when seeing the film version of Saga of a Star World a second time at my local cinema.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: SPEEDY DEPARTURE!

"Boy, are they in for a surprise!", declares Starbuck, as the combined Viper squadrons of the Galactica depart Carillon and soon engage the Cylon armada attacking their home vessel. This time, however, the surprise factor has been turned directly to Humanity's advantage...

'GALACTICA' AT 40: UNDER THE CARILLON SKY

The secretly sent planet-side Blue Squadron vipers await their newly arrived piloting masters on Carillon, in this lovely matte painting art from ILM/Apogee (note the fuel tanker vessel in the background - in the official novelisation Starbuck was to perilously pilot it to the fleet amidst Cylon attack).

Whoever did the painting is unknown, though it was also used as a photo blow up for Carillon exterior scenes filmed at Universal, behind the close-ups scenes needed of the main pilots racing to their ships - primarily the full-scale build Viper prop and several cut-out dummies behind that, and a visual trick that had also been used with the Rebel hangar scenes of the original Star Wars during its London filming in 1976.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: SUICIDE RUN!

The second sneak attack by the Cylons on the Galactica has begun - soon enough Cylon Raiders are attacking key areas of its defence and its fighter launch bays in particular are compromised, as seen here in this great effects shot image.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: SURFACE TRAVELLERS!

In quick second unit filming, costumed background extras (possibly including members of the original ILM/Apogee), including one playing Boomer, travel the singularly-built Galactica Landram across the deserts outside California, for an insert scene for Saga of a Star World.

The location filming took place at Ridgecrest Trona Pinnacles. Its epic expanse was also used in several Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episodes (likely stock footage from what was shot for Galactica) and also for a lot of the action of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.