Nina's Known Universe

With Lee Adama sitting in Zarek’s cell, a sympathetic guard attacks another guard and releases all the inmates. After Lee kicks some serious ass, woot for Colonial Military Hand to Hand Training, he is outnumbered and overpowered with a boot to the face.

Zarek’s demands are simple. He wants Laura Roslin and the entire Quorum of 12 to step down, now, and then hold a new election for new leadership, claiming her appointment was illegal and in violation of the Articles of Colonization. Which it was not. She was in fact next in line.

Right off the bat Zarek comes across as a borderline fanatic, his impassioned pleas for the good of the people, are nothing more than a well planned ploy to evoke an emotional response by people already being pushed to their limits.

Additionally it has only been 12 days – just what did he expect running for their lives would be like? Does he think the various ships are being held together against their will…what does he want exactly? No Galactica means humanity becomes Cylon Chow.

Everyone reacts to crisis in their own way. Moreover, with the perspective of an outside omnipotent observer, that of the fan viewer, it is often difficult to accurately guess at how we ourselves would react if we were among the last of humanity. Not to mention a former Icon for the Oppressed with an apparent death wish.

So you have Terrorist Tom, Luscious Lee, assorted other crew, inmates, and Presidential Aides hold up on this barge that miraculously found 1000 more inmates than they had 12 days go. They could have just written in that there were 1500 total, of those, 500 were the type one might not feel bad about air locking.

A simple miscommunication from the Captain of the ship to Billy. However, who cares, the show still kicks ass, takes names, is all that and a bag of chips. Oops, sorry, not reviews. {blush}

Thankfully this show is about fate and destiny so it’s easy to chalk up certain less likely attributes as meant to be, or a part of ‘the plan’. Things like the refinery ship for tylium – which coincidentally was ‘found’ by Sleeper Cylon Sharon/Boomer.

The equipment to mine ice and ore, the means to process algae into noodles, it is possible that some of those things are just on Galactica as a matter of practice, except of course the fuel boat. I could buy that the food processors go along with the water recyclers.

At some point in the series it was stated that Battlestars were designed to spend extended periods between dockings implying the ability to sustain, create or store vital goods.

It stands to reason if a higher power has designed all of these events, in an effort to break the circle of time or perhaps to ensure it goes on unbroken, I could see that power arranging certain things to steer the players on the game board, making certain choices obvious and certain paths easier than others.

Saul Tigh discovers that Dradis pictures of ice and water are pretty and comical when preceded by a couple capfuls of whiskey. Hearing him giggle was great. Kara’s little gesture to Tigh with the water, at the end of the episode was just like his gesture to her at the end of the miniseries, and he treated her about the same as she had treated him.

Lee pulls a little ‘Mistress Nina’ on Zarek by ‘Reading His Mind’, essentially guessing a confession out of him as to his real plot and intentions. In addition, did you see that Jackie Chan, 007 move when he took that dudes gun, shot the guy in the cell with Cally and put Zarek on his knees?

According to Wiki, that final shot was in homage to Clint Eastwood’s famous “Do you feel lucky punk? Well? Do you?” “Do you still have a death wish? Are you ready to leave this world? Well? Are you?”

“You reap what you sow.”

Lee is definitely shaping up to be more than first met the eye when he whined over a hands on approach during the miniseries. Lee was dead on, Zarek wanted to go out with a bang. Zarek saw no hope for humanity and wanted to ensure chaos*, thus ensuring the Cylons would end it quick rather than after chasing them for years across the galaxy.

On the other hand, Zarek may actually be the final Cylon and this is all apart of his “plan” or program.

The thing that irritates me about Zarek in this episode is his exasperated desperation over Roslin’s illegitimate presidency that is so fake and completely illogical considering the circumstances. Which is probably what Lee thought as well, hence is mind reading confession.

It has only been 12 days since their homes were destroyed. 5.5 of those days were spent jumping every 33 minutes. And yet, Roslin still assured the futures of 40 odd civilian ships, including the Astral Queen, give or take a re write or two in coming episodes.

Roslin later also assured the civilians would have Galacticas escort and protection as they ran from the Cylons. Unlike the fate they would have met with the Pegasus and Admiral Cain.

She has already saved humanity a couple of times, albeit Adama’s compliance made most of it possible. She has a Quorum going, has organized supply lines and other vital services within the fleet. She had even assured that the prisoners on the Astral Queen would be cared for humanely. So Zarek is full of daggit doo if he thinks any rational person bought any of his BS.

Yes, his words make sense, it is his attitude; that only he can ensure those ideals; that is the BS. He wants Power. You need to convince the people that you and you alone have their best interest at heart. Additionally, you have to convince the people that the current government does not care, despite all the evidence to the contrary. A classic Shit Stirrer. There is one in every group.

Not surprisingly, after Lee saved his life, he suddenly realized he didn’t really want to die. A couple years later, when Baltar returns to the fleet after the Eye of Jupiter, Zarek was telling Roslin to enact martial law to keep the peace due to all the people like him that would be blowing each other up to get at Baltar. Perhaps 4 months in the detention center on New Caprica allowed the gravity of his situation to finally sink in.

Roslin has to educate Adama on the difference between Military and Political Strategy. When dealing with a Tom Zarek, you have to use Political Strategy as public opinion is very delicate and they were already rioting over the water shortage.

Tom was at least accurate in his assumption of how the President and Adama would handle the situation, guns blazing etc. I doubt however that the team would have given them the bloodbath they wanted…but then again, the prisoners were all armed at that point.

First Adama told Lee to pick a side. Then Zarek told Lee to choose sides. I keep hearing…’The Sleeper Must Awaken,’ from Dune. “Have you chosen a side yet Apollo?” Lee is very versatile if you really think about it.

From his flying and fighting skills, to his strategic knowledge in the case of the Pulse Generators from Colonial One, not to mention being a diplomat. He also proved himself a skilled Attorney, Quorum Minister and President. {Seasons 3 and 4}.

I don’t think I gave Lee the proper credit in the early years. I had fixated on his snootiness at the beginning and missed the nobility of his character. His insistence to Roslin that she complies with the Articles and plan an election or her presidency really was a sham and he didn’t owe her or Commander Adama a damn thing was the frosting on his cake.

Lee always seems to do the “by the book” thing, follow the rules, Captain Apollo-Captain America-Truth, Justice and the Colonial Way! Even his destruction of the Olympic Carrier was by the book despite his guilt over it anyway. Which in a way is a good personality trait.

Roslin showed us she can play hard ball cheering as Adama sends in the troops. Cally gets attacked and has a nice snack of left ear with a side of bullet to the gut. Specialist Lazy…too funny. “He’s lucky that’s all I bit off” priceless.

Despite not getting his way or his bloodbath today, Zarek did get a ship, and he did keep his word to provide a labor class for the fleet, not to mention the fact that he set in motion the chain of events that put his office next to Laura’s and gave him a taste of the Presidency more than once.

Too bad Adama would rather leave humanity to the Cylons than allow Zarek any military support. Moreover, if Zarek didn’t still have a stick up his butt over Roslin, he could almost be trusted.

True, Roslin has done some iffy things over the years, and I will get to her more after New Caprica. However, at this point in the series she is adapting to her position quite well, and thus far seems to be reasonably balanced between blind logic, revenge and compassion/hope. Zarek just knows that if the fleet were in Chaos, a man like him could easily swoop in and take over.

Down on Old Caprica, Helo the dumb ass is yelling for whomever while the Cylons may be lurking in every corner. He gets a bit morbid, discussing the dead as he and Sharon run across an arm being drug off by rats. Sharon puts on a good show for Helo, meanwhile a Six and a Doral watch them from a roof top.

Up on the rooftop, Six comments on Sharon-Athena’s acting ability “She’s good.” In addition, she is saddened by all the devastation. Doral is much colder, first accusing her of being jealous of Sharon, then comments that the humans “they” would have destroyed themselves eventually anyway and they deserved what they got.

Six reminds Doral “we are the Children of Humanity, it makes them our parents in sense.” Doral adds that parents must die for children to come into their own.

What would make Doral believe that Humanity would have destroyed itself anyway? Perhaps knowledge of what happened on Earth is somewhere in the Cylons base knowledge without really knowing how they know. You know? Assuming the 5 came from Earth and helped create the other 7??

In the Noteworthy Dialogue section of the Wiki page it is pointed out that the Children of Humanity statement was also used by Zarek during his hostage take over broadcast.

Note that he lists the Survivors of the Holocaust as separate entities from the Children of Humanity’s Future. He also claims that his leadership will be the dawn of a new Era. Wouldn’t it be funny if Zarek turned out to be Kara’s daddy? LOL He is old enough. Or indeed the final Cylon? Or maybe both.

Back on Galactica Baltar waves down Kara who shuns him, then Head Six offers condolences. “I wonder if she is a real blonde?” He asks, “I doubt it” Six replies smugly.

Kara has a confrontation in the briefing room with Tigh about how to handle a speed demon pilot. Saying yelling was not the best way to get through to people, something she learned in Officers Candidates School. She also gives him grief over smelling of booze.

We wont get into Kara being used as a sniper later on when the marines board the Astral Queen. If you read the Wiki site on this episode they have notes regarding that as well as on Boxey being at a Pilot’s briefing like he was Kara’s Valet. Analysis

Now we see Baltar in Adama’s quarters. Blowing smoke about some painting that reminds me of the images from 9.11 only colored and blurred. Adama interrupts the ass kissing and gets to the point regarding the Cylon Detector.

Baltar begins to stammer and even tries to convince Adama he is not the man for the job, he simply cannot do it. Head six becomes furious and insists that Baltar convince Adama that he has the ability to make the detector, screaming that they – the Fleet - would tear his head off and throw him out the airlock if he failed.

Then she demands that he repeat after her, getting him to ask for a nuke. At first Baltar is just going along with Head Six, but you can tell he had an epiphany while trying to make up a good lie, when she tells him to specify the plutonium is what he needed, ultimately coming up with the very way to make a Cylon Detector in the process.

According to Commander Adama, Galactica had 5 nuclear warheads at this time. Adama assures Baltar he will get 1 leaving the fleet with 4. I believe this gets rewritten later allowing them more – or perhaps they are resupplied by the Pegasus?

Adama’s statement to Lee about the Astral Queen being a weapon in and of itself, was a fact. However, I doubt she is wiry in the maneuverability sense, and that the CAP would see her coming giving Galactica ample time to blow her from the stars.

The scene with Lee and Roslin at the end of this episode highlights her respect for Lee’s judgment, at least for now. Telling him she admired him for his actions as well as confiding in him about her Cancer shows her in trust him.

Especially considering she lied to Cmdr Adama when she told him she had allergies. Coincidentally the same lie LeOben at Ragnar told Adama.

When Lee outs her Camalla use during Baltars Trial at the end of Season 3, she is a bit too bitter and that is one of the thorns she has stuck in my side. There are others thorns that I will address over time. At this point he is still her ‘Captain Apollo’.

One last note, Sleeper Cylon Tyrol continues to cover for Sleeper Cylon Boomer and then Sleeper Cylon Saul Tigh tells Sleeper Cylon Boomer to break it off with Sleeper Cylon Tyrol. Of course none of them knows what we know they don’t know. You know? LOL

• Tom Zarek gets control of the Astral Queen and the Fleets primary source of Laborers.


• He gets in good with the other Civilian Captains


• They make him Minister of Saggitaron


• As Minister he gets the ball rolling on choosing a VP for Roslin


• This ties his story to Baltar when Roslin chooses Baltar for VP


• Zarek’s can now run for President


• Instead he persuades Baltar, with Head Six’s help, to run and keep Zarek as his VP. Which he does.

• Baltar convinces Adama that a nuke specifically the plutonium inside will help to complete his Cylon Detector.


• He does in fact create a working Cylon Detector in the episode Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down.


• He discovers that Sharon-Boomer is a sleeper Cylon. Head Six talks him out of telling her for fear Boomers program might cause her to rip Baltar’s head off to protect her mission.


• Baltar chooses to lie. He lies about how long each test takes and he lies about the results of at least Sharon’s test, possibly Tigh’s and Tyrol's as well. If they got tested before the shooting.


• Because Baltar didn’t rat out Sharon, she was able to Nuke a BaseStar for Fleet, bumping into her copies in the process.


• Being hailed as a hero, Sharon-Boomer was escorted to CIC to be thanked personally by the Old Man Cmdr Adama. She proceeded to put 2 bullets in his chest before being subdued. This is the season 1 finale.

• After this, it was just assumed that the detector was defective. No one ever accused Baltar of lying about the results.

• Lee Adama begins to stretch his wings and pull away from his father and into his own light by serving as the Presidents Representative and advisor on Military Protocol.


• He ultimately chose the side of the Articles of Colonization, something that will lead to his career in politics down the road.


• Unfortunately for Lee, he is constantly trying to be what his daddy wants and continues to chase after the military career.


• He nearly gets himself killed more than once. Moreover, he always seems more than willing to just die. He really only shines when he being diplomatic, logical, and righteous.

• Lee forms a bond with Zarek here on the Astral Queen. Later in season 4 that will be to Lee’s advantage when convincing Zarek to step back from the Presidency during Laura’s time with the Cylons.

Unfortunately that still doesn’t help us determine who is the last or why the 7 were told not to think about the 5 or why the 5 are in the Cylon afterlife/in between places as well as among the Colonials as sleepers.

Thank you for reading,

~99

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The Astral Queen is a FTL-capable former star liner 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 ret conned and increased to a count of 1,500 prisoners. It was captained by Wilkens.

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Thank you for reading,

~99

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