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fancoloredglasses · 2 years

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The Living Legend (What happens when you let Han Solo command a few thousand people)

[All images are owned by Glen A. Larson Productions. Please don’t sue me]

Usually when an episodic series (that is, one where the events of one episode don’t feed into the following one) has a story that runs over multiple episodes, it’s a big deal (either it’s sweeps week or a season finale that ends with a cliffhanger that will be resolved next season)

However, over its 24 episode run, Battlestar Galactica had six such stories (including the pilot, which covered three episodes!) Now, I’m not saying the stories didn’t deserve the time it took to tell them, but when that many episodes were two-parters, that’s almost delving into Batman territory!

The story I’m covering this week, however, was aired at the mid-season break in December (with the cliffhanger enticing viewers to return when the season resumed in January)

Those who saw the reboot series will recognize the character (and ship) introduced, but I’ll be introducing them soon enough.

If you would like to watch the episode, part 1 is available on TubiTV.

We start with Apollo and Starbuck out on a routine patrol when...

...they are fired on from behind! However, the sound effect isn’t that of a Cylon Raider’s laser blasts, but a Colonial Viper’s!

Sure enough, their pursuers are in fact Vipers. What the hell is going on?

Whoever they are, they manage to out-fly the Galactica pilots and likely would’ve shot them down except their leader discovers on a scan that the pilots are human. What’s more, her wingman (Bojay) recognizes Starbuck’s voice. She then orders Apollo and Starbuck to surrender and be escorted to the Battlestar Pegasus. Wait, what?

Apollo comments that the Commander of the Pegasus is Cain, the greatest military leader in all of the Colonies (and Apollo’s idol)

[OK, remembering that Battlestar Galactica is based off of Mormon writings, naming the Pegasus’s commander Cain does not bode well...]

Meanwhile at the Galactica fleet, Lt. Jolly reports to Commander Adama the fuel supplies are critical throughout the fleet (so...business as usual?) Worse, Colonel Tigh reports Cylon chatter in the area.

On the Pegasus, there’s a reunion of sorts as Bojay isn’t the only Viper pilot on board who served with Apollo and Starbuck before being transferred 2 yarons (what they call “years”) ago, then shipped off to fight a battle in which no one had returned. It turns out that Commander Cain performed a “decoy” maneuver and, instead of returning, headed out to deep space (i.e. he turned tail and ran), performing raids on the Cylons to obtain fuel, ammo, and supplies (so the Pegasus is a pirate ship?)

Commander Cain asks to see the Galactica pilots.

Yes, Commander Cain is played by Lloyd Bridges, who most might remember from the Airplane! films

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(Thanks to Ryan Monett)

Upon hearing how dire the situation is with the fleet, Cain reveals he’s about to attack the Cylons! Cue commercial.

After the break, we switch back to the Galactica, where they receive...

...a transmission from the Pegasus. Cain flies over to Galactica to meet with Adama. Upon arrival (with Apollo and Starbuck in tow), Cain informs Adama that the area they’re about to enter has been annexed by the Cylons, with the city of Gamoray (is there a twin city named Sodom as well?) their “outer capitol” (whatever that means)

Cain makes his case for the Galactica to join him to destroy Gamoray, but Adama is thinking of the civilians under his care more than a quest for glory. Adama suggests capturing Cylon tankers (using Cain’s knowledge of Cylon supply lines), giving the fleet enough fuel to escape Gamoray’s reach, while Cain wants to capture Gamoray, where they can get all the fuel they need.

Later back on the Pegasus, Cain reminisces about someone who he left behind on the Colonies...

...Cassiopeia, who had become Starbuck’s girlfriend and became a nurse/counselor on Galactica. Starbuck keeps quiet about his relationship (probably for the best, after all Cain isn’t Starbuck’s keeper) Cain then introduces them to...

...his daughter Sheba, who led the patrol the Galactica pilots first encountered.

Upon returning to the Galactica, Starbuck has the unfortunate job of informing Cassiopeia that her old boyfriend is still alive.

Yeah, that’s what I expected her reaction would be. Cassiopeia rushes from her quarters...

...and straight for Cain’s guest quarters. Cassiopeia confessed her feeling for Starbuck to Cain, and asks for time to sort out her feelings (Starbuck had better watch out for knife-wielding Commanders for a while)

Later in the Officers’ Lounge, Cain enters with Cassiopeia to tow.

...but Sheba’s not to happy about her father hooking up with his old flame again.

Later still, Cain unveils his strategy to capture the Cylon tankers. Adama wants to send a mixed attack wing from both battlestars, but Cain wants all the glory to just use his own Vipers. Adama insists, while Apollo starts to see what sort of leader his “idol” might be.

On the Pegasus, Sheba questions Cain leading the Pegasus squadron on the mission. It does seem odd, but then again he does command wearing a Viper pilot uniform...

The Vipers close on the Cylon tankers and are met by a squadron of Cylon Raiders. In the ensuing firefight, while Apollo and his squadron are occupied chasing off the Raiders...

...Cain deliberately destroys the tankers, meaning Galactica has no choice but to attack Gamoray with him. Adama and Apollo are more than a bit pissed about this turn of events.

Meanwhile, in the Officers’ Lounge...

“A TOAST...to our VICTORY...over the CYLONS!”

Y’know, I don’t think Cain is too broken up about the mission failing...

The next morning, Adama rejects Cain battle plan as too reckless, intending instead to ration a portion of the Pegasus’s fuel load among the fleet so they can escape Gamoray and hopefully find more fuel. Naturally, Cain forbids it. However, Cain didn’t count on trying to stare down a member of the Quorum of the Twelve as Adama strips Cain of his command and puts Tigh in command of the Pegasus (I feel a back-stabbing coming soon...)

Meanwhile at Baltar’s Cylon fleet...

...Baltar’s aide Lucifer (voiced by Jonathan Harris, best known as Dr. Smith in Lost in Space) informs Baltar they’re found the Colonial fleet. Baltar prepares for a final assault to destroy the Galactica and the rest of the fleet. What’s more, Baltar declares that he himself will lead the Raider assault! What could possibly go wrong?

On the Pegasus, Apollo, Boomer, and Jolly arrive to collect the fuel for the fleet. However...

...there might be some resentment about the change in command. Suddenly, the alert sounds as Baltar begins his attack!

(I gotta say, Baltar looks kinda dumb in that getup)

On the Galactica, Cain realizes his plan would’ve doomed the fleet, so Adama reinstates his command. Cain suggests pulling the Pegasus from the fleet (why does this sound familiar?) and coming around in a pincer maneuver.

Let’s hope he hurries, or there won’t be a fleet to herald his victory save! As Baltar glories in the imminent destruction of the last battlestar...

...his pilots warn him about the other battlestar!

“TURN, YOU FOOL! TURN! HE’S COMING RIGHT FOR US!”

(Interesting place for a cliffhanger)

Now on to part 2, also available on TubiTV.

We open to see Baltar’s Raider get out of the Pegasus’s way (gee, that was anticlimactic) Upon seeing the Pegasus, Baltar orders his forces to retreat.

Adama requests that his Vipers be allowed to dock aboard the Pegasus until the Galactica can repair their landing bays. Cain agrees and requests a strategy meeting with Adama.

With Baltar’s task force of three base ships, plus four Raider squadrons on Gamoray, Cain thinks now is the time to attack Gamoray while Baltar’s still reeling (I’ll admit, it’ll be the last thing they’d expect)

Adama has severe reservations. Even with the firepower of two battlestars, the ground batteries could still overwhelm them...which is why Cain suggests a commando strike on the batteries before the assault. Of course, once Gamoray realizes what’s going on, they’ll order Baltar to swoop in and mop up...which is why Can suggests sending the Pegasus to delay them so the fleet can escape. (well, he’s nothing if not confident in his abilities) That’s when Adama suggest a more private meeting without Apollo and Tigh listening in.

In their private meeting, Adama voices his reservations about Cain once again going rogue, but Cain assures Adama he’s doing this for the good of the fleet, so Adama agrees.

As Cain prepares to return to the Pegasus, Cassiopeia wants to go with him, but Cain says it’s too dangerous. Guess she’ll have to return to Starbuck’s arms.

As Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer prepare for the commando raid...

...Sheba and Bojay (remember him?) arrive to join the team. There might still be a bit of bristling about that standoff before Baltar’s attack. Later as the team prepares to leave...

...Cassiopeia wants to talk to her current (soon to be former?) boyfriend about her former (soon to be current?) boyfriend, but the mission must go on. So she volunteers to go on the mission, since there isn’t a medic with the team.

Greeeeeaaaaaaaaat...

Meanwhile at Baltar’s task force (I’ll be honest. I just included the above image because I haven’t shown any images of Cylon base ships yet), Baltar prepares to attack again, now that he knows about the second battlestar.

While Baltar has dreams of parades in his honor, the commandos begin their infiltration of Gamoray...

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(Thanks to LambChowder1)

Of all the timing...you mean the Imperious Fucking Leader is on Gamoray?!

The strike team limp away (thanks to Bojay) as the bunkers are destroyed. However, Bojay’s injured leg can’t take much, so Cassiopeia stays with him while Apollo and Sheba continue the mission.

Meanwhile Starbuck and Boomer move deeper into the compound...

...and begin attacking the control room for the ground batteries. However, there are too many Cylons, so Starbuck uses one of the explosive charges as a grenade.

FIRE IN THE HOLE!

Meanwhile, the battlestars have entered Gamoray airspace and launch their Vipers to assault the base.

Meanwhile Baltar is ready to attack as a distress signal is issued from Gamoray. Baltar takes this as good news, as it means the fleet is defenseless and orders everything they have thrown at the fleet. Then Lucifer drops the bombshell as to who is currently on Gamoray.

Yeah, that’s what I would call an “Oh shit...” face. Baltar immediately orders everything they have be thrown at the battlestars instead.

On the surface, Apollo reports that the team has taken the fuel depot as Galactica sends down tankers to retrieve the contents. The team take a shuttle away, but Cassiopeia has diverted the shuttle to the Pegasus to talk to Cain tend to Bojay’s leg.

On the Pegasus, Apollo arrives in the bridge in time to hear Cain give orders to drive the Pegasus through the Raiders toward Baltar’s task force (as opposed to leading them away from Galactica and the fleet like he agreed) Needless to say, he’s pissed.

With that, Apollo and his squadron join the Pegasus’s in clearing a path through the Raiders for the Pegasus. When the Cylons realize the Pegasus isn’t engaging, they pursue it. However, Baltar sees it as a diversion, ordering his Raiders to continue to Gamoray.

Out in space, the Raiders are so thick the Vipers can’t miss. However...

...the Raiders get a few licks in as well, including severely damaging Sheba’s Viper! What’s more, they have severely damaged the Pegasus. Fortunately for Cain, Baltar’s orders come through and the Raiders break off the attack.

After Sheba lands...

“I’m sorry, Father. I missed one.”

Cain implies that the Pegasus isn’t stopping until he reaches the base ships, so Apollo tells Cassiopeia to get the wounded ready from transport to the Galactica (How convenient that the only two pilots from the Pegasus we’ve met are both currently wounded!)

On Galactica, Adama realizes Cain’s insane plan (y’know, his insanity is likely why he’s such a brilliant strategist; no sane person would expect what he attempts to pull off) and urges Cain to reconsider, but Cain in adamant that this is the only way to ensure the fleet’s safety.

At the task force, Baltar suddenly realizes where the Pegasus is going...and who’s commanding it.

There’s that “Oh shit...” face again. Baltar immediately recalls the fighters to renew their attack on the Pegasus.

Speaking of the Pegasus, Cain comes down to the fighter bay to give Apollo and Starbuck a pep talk as they prepare to escort the wounded (and as many personnel as he can order to leave) to the Galactica. Starbuck offers to stay to assist, but Cain refuses, saying the fleet needs him more. Cain may be insane and a glory hound, but he’ll be damned if he’ll drag anyone down with him he doesn’t have to.

At the task force, Baltar learns that the Pegasus will reach the base ships before his fighters, so he orders his base ship to hide behind the other two.

Meanwhile, the Vipers have escorted the shuttles out of the path of the Raiders, so Apollo and Starbuck channel their inner Cain and veer off for the base ships (that man is a bad influence on the lifespan of Colonial Warriors everywhere!)

The Pegasus detects the Vipers approaching, but before they can get an ID on them...

...the base ships engage.

Apollo and Starbuck fly past the Pegasus and attack the base ships’ gun turrets, giving the Pegasus a corridor between the base ships and a direct shot at Baltar! As the Pegasus passes between them, Cain fires everything he has at them at point-blank range.

Two down, one to go!

Unfortunately, it would appear that they manage to destroy the Pegasus before Cain can reach Baltar. Unfortunately, Apollo and Starbuck can’t stick around to confirm...

...as the Raiders have returned, forcing the Warriors to return to Galactica at maximum speed.

On the Galactica, Sheba is informed of her father’s sacrifice (though everyone is assuming he flew into deep space like he did before. If that’s the case, I pity the next Cylon base he encounters) Sheba and the rest of the Pegasus refugees are welcomed as part of the Galactica crew.

[I looked long and hard, but couldn’t find a clip of the ending monologue used after every completed adventure, so I’ll have to type it out and hope you know Lorne Green’s voice well enough to hear it]

“Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny...the last battlestar, Galactica, leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest: a shining planet...known as Earth.”

#battlestar galactica #lorne greene #richard hatch #dirk benedict #lloyd bridges #glen a larson #Fan Colored Glasses

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coreyndanian · 1 month

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My BSG rewrite is returning

Good news to any who care :) Or are just interested in Battlestar Galactica content in general. Now, a few years ago, I made a post telling everyone interested about my own version of Battlestar Galactica I've been working on for ages. I decided to reluctantly abandon it because I felt it wasn't working. But I kept the notes and then began a massive blitzkrieg as it were to rebuild it from scratch.

The first was of course, what am I doing?

Well, it required a few re-watches of both the classic and the re-imagined series. Then it was expanding in my head who the characters were and what I am doing. Then developing the world in general, the story before, the story during, the story after. Then came the locations, the technologies, the cultures and the main characters. And my notes expanded. I realised I didn't want to do an analog to the real world, given recent events, so I decided to find a different direction. This is a story based on Glen A. Larson, Richard D. Moore and David Eick's own works but finding a new way to tell it. Some of the beats are the same as the re-imagined series (heck, two-thirds of the ships in the fleet along with Viper Mark II's, Raptors and Shuttles are of the RDM versions while my Galactica is a close resemblance externally but internally, well, I had to change it), but the story has its own direction to follow. As to the characters, well, I think Tigh, Apollo, Starbuck and Number Six (Baltar's gets a real name) will resemble them somewhat in terms of some backstory but they are off in another direction entirely.

The main cast and supporting are split even: Main: Commander Adama The new President Apollo Starbuck Baltar Number Six Shadow -- new character

Supporting: Colonel Tigh The female deck chief Boomer The President's assistant The non-comm comm officer The Tactical Officer Serina

Yes, Serina and Boxey are coming back. And Serina is a supporting character throughout Season 1 with an arc that is almost simultaneous to Apollo which will culminate in tragedy on a certain world. She'll be introduced as a young up-coming reporter and single mother in the Pilot. In Episode 4, she decides to sign up for the Colonial Fleet as they are in need of ECOs as well as pilots which as she studying electronic signals in University as a minor to her journalism degree. In Episode 10, almost a month later, she's Boomer's replacement ECO.

Another surprise return was the Imperious Leader. I felt that the Humanoid Cylons bickering amongst each other in the re-imagined, while sometimes amusing, didn't have any sign of being a resemblance of leadership. So returns the original ruler of the Cylons, a mysterious robotic entity who's form we insinuate resembles the original form but will not see for quite some time. He'll only appear in the pilot twice and then at the conclusion of Season 1 Episode 13 "Kobol, Part II" but really we have his shadow looming and his voice as he speaks to the Number Six character before the attacks in the Pilot and at the end of E13 and the Number Five character at the end of the Pilot. "Speak, Number Six," indeed. Also, "By Your Command" is to be a common feature spoken by any of the Humanoid Cylon Models when in the presence of their leader.

Also, Boomer and Tigh are back to their original interpretations by Herb Jefferson, Jr., and Terry Carter since it fits to me in some form. This Boomer is also not a Cylon (nor is Tigh as the Final Five don't exist) and he is engaged in an indiscreet relationship with the female deck chief that causes issues until Season 1 Episode 6 "Inquiry" when they both suspect the other of being a Cylon. Though (spoiler) they aren't, the real Cylon agent on Galactica that causes messes will be revealed in a special I plan for in the future between seasons. In reality, only one Cylon is a main cast member: Number Six.

This Number Six character is intriguing. The one who manipulates and falls in love with Baltar, her name is Natasha, is a smart seductive woman but also displays emotions of regret as her time on Caprica clouds her somewhat. She'll only appear in the first third of the Pilot, seemingly dying trying to make sure Baltar will survive, and then at the conclusion of "Kobol, Part II" before appearing onward in Season 2 and beyond. But the main Six is who I dub "Illusion-Natasha". Think she's the angelic temperamental jealous creature we know and love/loath in RDM's BSG played by the wonderful Tricia Helfer, well, it's a bit more complicated. In Season 1 after she first appears seemingly out of nowhere, she'll help Baltar in creating the Cylon Detection Device (which will not end up disappearing like it did in the Re-imagined Series) and then in pointing out directly where to strike in my own version of the fuel ore asteroid in Episode 10 "The Flying Colours" and pushing him to become Vice President in Episode 11 "The Other Battlefield" but we get hints she is not what she seems, particularly in "Kobol, Part II" where she makes him hallucinate that human sacrifice occurred on Kobol, thus why it was abandoned two millennia ago (not true, it was for another reason). In Season 2, after Baltar is led to believe he has been pushed the side, turns him into an arrogant piece of trash willing to murder to take credit for things or cover up things and somehow not get detected whilst ignoring the right way of doing things, thus leading to my own New Caprica arc and how he ends up briefly with the Cylons when some of the Models will (spoiler) overthrow the Imperious Leader (which will cost them everything). This "Illusion-Natasha" will be responsible for this. She isn't an angel but more like Count Iblis. Heck, I look forward to, when I get round to it, doing that Season 4 episode where, thanks to some potent exotic plants, allows Natasha and Shadow (who is involved in Baltar's arc a couple of times in S1 and S2 whilst going on his own journey) to see what "Illusion-Natasha" really is: a demon manipulating a human down the path to bloodshed. The price to settle New Caprica is blood, both human and Cylon.

"Human, Cylon, we're all just pawns in a game played by higher beings." -- Shadow (Season 4)

Another thing that'll change and be somewhat toned down is the religious and higher powers thing, particularly with the strange direction RDM took it (and was mocked by George R.R. Martin for). But in amongst this are some changes. Adama in this series I see more as a spiritualist character and someone who believes in a higher power but doesn't conform to any organised religion, most of the other characters either reject it entirely or pay lip-service as you do, the President goes from lip-service to full spiritualist at her journey's arc as she ends up becoming an Oracle of sorts. No, not by drugs for cancer treatment, though she has a heart condition that requires certain medications that will run out by Season 4 and the one alternative she tries in Season 1 and early Season 2 actually triggers her first set of visions whilst sparing her from the withdrawals of a dangerous exotic plant thought extinct for a reason -- it caused some soldiers to massacre a village without remorse or morals about sixty years before the series begins (about a decade before the Colonies finally unified into a single entity) -- used by a Cylon agent to make her and Adama aggressive and almost tear the fleet apart. Her visions continue through the series without outside help long afterwards. Her assistant (a sort-of Billy character that survives and has a steady relationship with the sort-of Dualla character to the point of marriage and kids) will follow her along the path. Starbuck herself remains the quiet believer praying to the Olympian deities in private whilst being the smarty-pants and tough-as-nails pilot she is. Shadow, the new character, is an open devotee of a single deity. As to the Cylons, Natasha is effectively the only Six to really believe while the sort-of Leoben Models (one who gets interrogated and induced with truth-telling plants provided by Shadow since he's doing the questioning and not Starbuck -- she had her episodes in Season 1) remain the crazy devotees we know and loath. Not to worry, Baltar doesn't get a harem in this or becomes some messianic figure. Kudos to James Callis in his role but...it didn't suit Baltar.

Other things nailed down is the timeline to avoid too many retcons, character ages, Pilot Rosters (for Galactica, Pegasus and the third Battlestar survivor) and the Ships of the Fleet with their names, type, captains and complement. I hate when dialogue doesn't match props or special effects so I nailed them down immediately. Heck, if this was ever made, I would probably make sure the background material matches what needs to be seen on-screen. It needs to be tight, it needs to make sense, and no retconning is necessary (unless I want to change something on a whim).

The fleet itself will consist of ONLY 64 ships - of which 42 of them are known designs (and have been named) while the remaining 22 are my own designs. One thing I eliminated from the pilot is that for a trinary star system that the Twelve Colonies inhabit, the only sublight-only ships are really Vipers, orbital shipyard modules and space stations. Every other ship has Faster-than-light drives. It's essential to all space flight for the Colonies so it makes sense (something tells me this plot was dropped in RDM Season 1 considering the large number of sublight ships conveniently turn up in Galactica's fleet all fitted with FTL drives -- the most notable being the Botanical Cruiser, the so-called Bulbous Ship and the Alligator-headed Ship). It is only lamented by the President and Apollo that out of the 10,000+ registered civilian vessels across all Twelve Colonies, they could only find 63 civilian ships. (Spoiler) Pegasus itself will find 5 ships which they then scrap for parts and bring the 400 civilians aboard their Battlestar and, due to it being a time of war, conscript those between 17 and 64 into service with minimal objection (there are a few kids but luckily some of the elderly agree to watch over them) while the third Battlestar, Hyperion, will gather over 30 more. The tales of Pegasus and Hyperion will be interesting ones to write and tell.

Anyways, if I haven't bored you to death and left you intrigued by this, I shall endeavour to start posting (either here or elsewhere and I'll post a link to it). In between my other projects, this is one of the most complicated ones so that's why I take long breaks in between updates. So don't hold out for consistent timelines because it is taking time. I'm one man with a job, obligations, no real private life, inconsistent time managing to see friends and family and alot going on in my skull.

But I'll do my best.

Stay tuned.

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