Battlestar
Galactica:
Shoot
Admiral Cain In The Head
By John
Crawford
"This can only end one way, you have to kill her Bill", the President
said to Commander Adama. That was President Laura Roslin's
assessment after the standoff between the Battlestar Pegasus and
Battlestar Galactica ships. Two
Galactica crew members (Helo and Tyrol) are arrested, tried and hastily
convicted for the death of a Pegasus crew member. There were defending
Sharon (AKA Boomer), a Cylon agent, from a brutal
interrogation A fight ensues and the interrogator is
accidently killed. Admiral Cain has them thrown in the brig,
and justice (or injustice) is swiftly handed out,
execution. When Adama hears of their fate, he challenges Cain
by demanding his men be returned and intends to do it by force if
necessary. He sends vipers to confront the Pegasus; Pegasus
launches it's on vipers. A swarm of vipers and two large ships
entangle, and play chicken with each other. One trigger happy pilot and
that's all she wrote. The two ranking military officers in the Colonial
fleet go to the mat... Amazingly, not a single shot was fired.
Where is Starbuck when you need her? The fleets attention was diverted
to an unknown craft approaching, barely detectable and no transponder
codes. Kara Thrace (AKA Starbuck), who has probably started more fights
than preventing them was about to find herself as the hero of the day,
but also find her self in a very frightening position.
Starbuck had sneaked away on an unauthorized photo reconnaissance
mission in the Blackbird, a stealth fighter built by Chief Tyrol. On
her way back to the fleet, she is covertly signaled by Captain Adama
(AKA Apollo) of the face off. The fleet, assuming the unknown
craft is very probably a Cylon raider, turns it's guns and defenses to
it.
"This is Starbuck... I'm a friendly.... This is Starbuck, don't shoot
please!" she broadcast her plea with great fear in her voice.
With that she switched on the lights and could be identified with
sensors.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and for a very brief moment, forgot
they were on the brink of destroying their own civilization. Cain and
Adama agree to a truce, and to convene in a neutral location, aboard
the Colonial One.
Cain and Adama meet with the President on the Colonial One. It's looks
more like a principal counseling two students after a fight. Apparently
though, President Roslin lacks the power to end conflict between them,
either by law or
influence. The president decries the Cylon mother ship, Ressurection,
is the top priority, and they would reconvene to discuss things after
the mothership was dealt with. Admiral Cain expresses her displeasure
in the way her and Adama have handled things matter so diplomatically.
Adama fires back that he wants his men back. Cain is quick to throw
military rules at him saying that he is "lucky he's not facing his own
warrant."
One thing is certain, she is on Galactica's side.
After Cain returns to her ship, the president presses Adama that Cain
is dangerous to his health, and that he must eliminate her before she
eliminates him. Moreover, she will attempt to do so at the first
opportunity.
Once back aboard her ship, Cain promotes Starbuck to Captain, and names
her Pegasus' CAG. This is actually good for Adama, he now has a loyal
person on the inside with Cain, and that feeds his plot to kill her.
Meanwhile, Cain is making her own plans to remove Adama.
The XO's of the Pegasus and Galactica find themselves with some alcohol
and some shot glasses, and imbibe. The more the Pegasus' XO
drinks, the more he spills of their not so proud past. Seems that
Admiral Cain has a few atrocities in her closet. After the initial
attack, the civilian ships attached to Pegasus, and scrapped,
canabalized, and their crews marooned. Key people was selected to
become part of the Pegasus crew; if you refused, you were shot. They
even went as far as killing family members to exhort people to serve.
From the very first scene of Pegasus, something has... not been right.
In the BSG "Behind The Scenes" special aired on January 2nd, 2006,
Edward
James Olmos (AKA Commander Adama), eludes to this. While they are a
militaristic crew, ruled by a dictator with an iron fist, the Galactica
a a ragtag crew made up of survivors of the initial attack, and those
fortunate enough to be onboard during the attack. The Galactica was in
mothballs, decommissioned to be a floating museum, so it had no real
crew.
But there's more than that. The Pegasus just appeared out of nowhere,
and does not seem to have suffered any of the hardships and constant
threats from the Cylons.
Maybe they are Cylons?
Starbuck.... I want you to.... shoot Admiral Cain in the head!"
About
the Author
John Crawford is computer geek
by day and a scifi fan by night.
