Battlestar Galactica s02e17 Episode Script

NARRATOR: Previously on Battlestar Galactica.
(GUN FIRING) Lee, you can't leave.
You have to stay.
You have to really stay.
GINA: You must betray Roslin and run for President in the upcoming election.
I know it's hard, but it's the only way.
Word of Fisk's murder has spread out through the entire fleet.
A crew can fall apart when their commander is killed.
The Pegasus lost two in a matter of weeks.
I'm putting Garner in command.
But he's an engineer, not a command officer.
He's the best they got.
Pegasus, Buster.
Dradis intercept training birds are away.
HOSHl: Buster, Pegasus.
Roger that.
Take station as briefed.
Be advised communications will suffer sporadic interruptions due to stellar EMI activity, acknowledge.
BUSTER: Pegasus, Buster.
Acknowledge.
Our communications suck.
It's gonna be like this all day? Big time.
Those binaries are putting out so much EMI, even the dradis is barely working.
Well, I'm gonna put a little distance between us and the fleet.
Get us out of this soup, see if we can get a cleaner dradis picture.
Hey! Whoever's in there, time's up! Let's go! Come on! Got a couple of tired Viper jockeys out here who want to sleep.
Go hit the showers, Duck.
We'll be gone by the time you get back.
(GROANING) How you feel? Oh, not great.
But Cottle's given me the thumbs-up, and it's been almost a month, so I guess it's back to work.
So you ready to go into the belly of The Beast? The Beast? Yeah.
That's what they call the Pegasus now.
Galactica's The Bucket.
(BOTH LAUGHING) The Bucket and The Beast.
Huh.
Don't we make a pair? Come on.
No, you come on.
Come on, come on, go.
Anyway, it's only a temporary assignment.
I should be back again in a couple of weeks.
Why'd the old man pick you? One word, Starbuck.
Is she in hack again? (CHUCKLING) Not yet.
But apparently she's been driving Commander Garner up one bulkhead and down the other ever since she took over flight training on, what did you call it? The Beast.
And since I won't be flying combat for a while, I APOLLO: Oh.
Were you gonna mention these? Oh, yeah.
I got promoted to Major.
Well, don't sound so happy.
Doesn't mean much.
I think it means a lot.
Oh, well, if you say so, then it must be true.
(MOANING) TYROL: So what's going on? We were unloading one of the containers and then one of the crates shifted.
So we looked inside and we saw that something was moving.
Did you call it in? Yeah.
We shut the door and the Marines are on their way.
Give me a light.
Chief, we don't know what we're dealing with here.
Don't you think we should wait? Just wait out here.
Chief? Is this the Galactica? Yeah.
Are you Doctor Cottle? (DISTORTED CHATTERING OVER RADIO) What the hell was that? I don't know.
We should call it in.
I'm gonna spin up the FTL drive just in case.
LYLA: Pegasus, this is Raptor 718.
(DISTORTED CHATTERING OVER RADIO) Say again, Shark.
Shark, repeat your last.
Did you declare an emergency? Buster, Shark, do you read? Shark, repeat your last.
Did you declare an emergency? OFFICER: Commander Garner on deck.
Buster, Shark, do you read? What have you got, Mr.
Hoshi? Not sure, sir.
I think Buster and Shark are declaring an emergency, but their transmission's garbled.
We've lost them, sir.
OFFICER 1: I want us to recheck that.
OFFICER 2: Okay, I need to check if we're getting some readouts on the problem.
Yeah? All right, I'll check again.
Welcome aboard, Major.
I didn't expect a welcoming committee.
Don't flatter yourself.
I was in the neighborhood.
Major Adama, sir.
Major Adama.
Commander Garner.
Glad to see you, Major, although I wish it was under better circumstances.
We have just lost contact with two of our Raptors out on a training mission.
What? When did that happen? Captain Thrace, perhaps if you were actually down on the flight deck and monitoring your Raptors, the way any training officer worth a damn would have done, you would know that four of our pilots were missing.
Major.
You with me, Major? Yes, sir.
They disappeared from the dradis about an hour ago.
They're gone.
Shut the hell up! We lose two Raptors in a training mission, and I only find out when the Commander throws it in my face? Don't all speak at once.
Sir, it's been made clear that discussing flight deck situations with anyone outside Pegasus crew is not allowed.
Sorry, sir.
And whose frakking bright idea was that? It was Garner, wasn't it? STARBUCK: Of course it was.
So barely competent and paranoid.
Huh.
There's a hell of a combination.
I've a problem.
That problem's name is Kara Thrace.
I know how to handle her, sir.
And for the record, she is one hell of a Viper pilot.
What, I should cut her some slack because she's good in the cockpit, is that what you're saying? Because nobody ever cut us any slack in the engine room.
I can tell you that right now.
But then, I don't know, maybe being a snipe is different than being a Viper jockey.
No flashy stunts for us.
No flying by the seat of our pants down there.
The engine room is like a finely-tuned watch, and everything in it needs to be monitored and maintained in a very precise fashion.
Nobody freelances.
Everything is done in the proper way, at the proper time, in the proper order.
Or there'd be no power, no lights, no hot showers for your flyboys.
You know, Major, I think some of the people around here could learn a thing or two from the snipes.
I'm sorry, Madam President, but it's that time.
Oh.
The campaign meeting.
Mmm-hmm.
You've been putting it off for weeks.
And we do have a presidential election coming up, unless you've decided not to run.
I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you, Tory.
I've thought about it a few times, but, no, I'm still here.
There's so much to do, so let's talk politics.
Great.
Here are the results from our first fleet-wide poll.
How did you manage this? I was precinct captain for the Federalist Party in Delphi for five years.
We did polls to see what the mayor should have for lunch.
For what it's worth, you've managed to walk a very fine line.
Your presidential bid has the support of both the military and the civilian fleet, and you've received enthusiastic endorsements from the Gemenese religious leaders.
Well, it helps when your only real rival is a convicted terrorist.
Am I capable of leading this fleet? Absolutely.
And for a time, I almost had a chance, until Laura Roslin ascended from politician to prophet.
The truth is, I can't win.
But you could.
You flatter me, Mr.
Zarek, really, but I'm not sure I'm cut out for a life in politics, as I find the vice-presidency and everything to do with it very tedious.
I would imagine carrying water for Roslin would get old after a time, but it's the office that makes you the perfect candidate, Doctor.
You're pre-sold.
Really? To whom? You'd be surprised how many people crave the assurances of cold science as opposed to the superstitious ravings of the Gemenese.
As a scientist, you offer hope.
Think about it.
And you, Tom? You'll just step aside, will you? I'm just happy to back a man of true conviction.
A man who remembers his friends.
CASE: Attention on deck.
APOLLO: At ease.
Where's Stinger? He's in hack for mouthing off to Garner.
Stepped on his precious little toes.
Frakking Garner.
(ALL LAUGHING) STARBUCK: He's such an idiot.
He's just All right, lock that up! Get something straight.
We got two missing Raptor crews who are gonna be out of oxygen in 36 hours.
That's all that matters.
So everyone knock off the schoolyard crap and start doing your frakking jobs.
Now, we need to start thinking outside the box.
Which is supposed to be what you do best.
Sorry, Major.
All right.
I wanna know everything there is to know about these missing Raptors and their crews.
I wanna know personal quirks, aircraft squawks, wireless transmissions, anything that might help.
Good.
Get to it.
How is she? Rya's four months pregnant and doesn't wanna be.
I understand the Gemenese have a problem with women terminating their pregnancies.
Tyrol said that she asked for you by name.
Do you want to tell me what that's really all about? Pretty straightforward, really.
I get a note that a girl is on the way, she arrives, I do my work, and she leaves.
I don't ask a lot of questions.
You're gonna start.
I wanna talk to her.
I'm Admiral Adama.
Don't worry, I've just come to talk.
It doesn't matter what you say.
I'm not gonna change my mind.
Your parents are a little worried about you.
They've contacted me through the Gemenon representative.
My parents? Oh, gods.
Do you have any idea what they would do to me? Please, do not send me back.
You're a stowaway aboard a military ship.
COTTLE: Some people might say she was a victim of political persecution.
Hell, she could apply for asylum.
Asylum.
That's it.
I want asylum.
Under Gemenon law, the girl is still the property of her parents, and they can deal with her once she's safely back on her ship.
To be honest, I'm more concerned with the broader implications of this matter.
Sarah.
I know you don't wanna hear this, but my people, my voters, are demanding action on this issue.
We have been through this.
Abortion was legal under Colonial law before the attacks, and so it is still legal today.
It's obscene.
The scriptures view abortion as an abomination in the eyes of the gods.
You cannot equivocate on this point if you want our support in the coming election.
Rya Kibby's petition for asylum is under review.
Thank you, Sarah, very much, for coming in.
I'm not turning that girl over.
I'm certainly not banning abortion.
TORY: Then don't.
But we have to move aggressively on this thing.
I'm gonna arrange a conference call with you and the Quorum, or this is gonna get out of hand, fast.
She's not Billy.
No, she's not.
(ADAMA SIGHS) What? I hate to say this because I know that this is a political issue.
The fact is, that number doesn't go up very often.
I have fought for a woman's right to control her body my entire career.
No.
No.
I'm just remembering what you said right after the Cylon attack.
That if we really wanna save the human race, we better start having babies.
Nothing, nothing, and more nothing.
Where is Shark's last transmission? Well, there's not much there.
"Eve, distress, bearing, wreck, "shuns, emerge, read.
" They're in distress.
They give a bearing requesting instructions, "It's an emergency.
Can you read?" Maybe.
But what's this "eve" fragment here? "Eve, distress.
" "Eve, distress.
" (WHISPERING) Distress call.
Eve.
Receive Received.
Received distress call.
Okay.
From who? I don't know.
But maybe that's where they went, to go find out.
APOLLO: Commander, Captain Thrace has a theory about our missing Raptors, sir.
That's good, considering she lost them.
Excuse me? Well, they were out on one of your so-called training missions, weren't they, Captain? My "so-called" training missions.
Okay, let's just take this easy.
That's when you're not boozing or sowing mutiny amongst the crew.
Mutiny.
Commander, we should take this to a private place.
Don't you think I know what's happening on my own ship? "Barely competent and paranoid.
" That was off the record.
I was just venting.
Accurately.
I'll have you court-martialed.
Commander, I'm not defending Captain Thrace's behavior Thanks, Major.
Captain Thrace, you're restricted to quarters until I can ship you back to Galactica.
You're Adama's pet.
Let him deal with you.
Major? Sir.
You've been onboard less than four days and you're already facing charges.
You don't waste any time, do you? Neither do you, Lee.
How's it feel being Garner's new playmate? I'm here to do a job.
Yeah, keep a loudmouth, disobedient, frak-up Kara Thrace in line.
Not doing such a good job, are you? Evidently not.
We don't have much time, those guys are running out of air.
Yeah, well, I tried, all right? All I have done since I got to The Beast is try and help, and all I've gotten is Garner's foot in my ass.
Well, maybe you need a kick in the ass! All right.
Here we go, finally.
What is your problem, anyway? What's my problem? What's my problem? Well, Kara, my problem is you.
You keep frakking up, and I keep having to clean it up, and I am officially sick of it.
Poor Lee, your life is so hard, isn't it? You mean since I got shot? You wanna hear what I think happened to Buster or not? Pegasus, Red Devil.
I'm nearing the last coordinates where our Raptors went missing.
SHARK: (ON RADIO) Repeat, emer There are RED DEVIL: Buster, is that you? This is Red Devil, man.
Is that you, buddy? Come back to me.
SHARK: (ON RADIO) Out of power.
Oxygen almost out.
By the gods, help! Sir, one of our search Raptors just picked a possible distress signal from near where Pegasus lost communications with Buster's ship.
Finally.
A possible distress signal.
There's a theory that Buster himself might have jumped away to run down a phony distress call.
It could be a trap.
A theory? Is this your theory, Major? This is Captain Thrace's theory, is it not? Mr.
Thornton, can you give us a fix on where this distress signal is coming from? Yes, sir, it's long range, over 40 SU away.
Then spin up the FTL drive and prepare to jump the ship.
Yes, sir.
Sir, this isn't just Captain Thrace's theory.
I think this is a Cylon trap, and And I disagree.
Now get Admiral Adama on the line.
I'm going to get our men.
Admiral, we've finally got the break we've been looking for, a bearing on the distress signal.
I can jump there inside of two minutes.
Commander, believe me, I understand how you feel.
The Cylons have been known to lure our ships into traps using fake distress calls.
Have you considered that? We have, sir.
It's a scenario we don't think likely.
We? Major Adama, do you concur? Sir, Captain Thrace and I are of the opinion that the first two Raptors may very well have been lured away by just such a trick.
An opinion I do not share, sir.
We'll send a recon mission in full force.
Five Raptors.
Three escort, two rescue.
You have your orders, Commander.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you, Major.
I'm sure your expertise is needed elsewhere.
Yes, sir.
Yes, I am curious.
Why the sudden interest in the fleet's demographic projections? An issue has emerged that may prove divisive to our administration.
I would like all the facts in hand before making my decision.
So now it's our administration.
She must be desperate.
Well, I'm a very busy man.
Luckily, I made an initial calculation on these figures over seven months ago when nobody seemed interested or concerned.
All I had to do was factor in the numbers from the Pegasus crew.
It took me hardly any time at all and I didn't mind.
Look, I'll save you the bother.
You needn't read the report.
If we continue on our present course, within the next 18 years, the human race will simply be extinct.
ROSLIN: (ON PA) Since assuming the Presidency, I've made it my mission to maintain the rights and freedoms we so enjoyed prior to the attack.
One of these rights has now come into direct conflict with the survival of the species.
And I find myself forced to make a very difficult decision.
The issue is stark.
The fact is that if this civilization is to survive, we must, must repopulate this fleet.
Therefore, I am issuing an executive order.
From this day forward, anyone seeking to interfere with the birth of a child, whether it be the mother or a medical practitioner, shall be subject to criminal penalty.
Thank you.
OFFICER: (ON PA SYSTEM) All flight deck personnel, please report to stations.
CASE: All right, come on.
Let's go! Let's go! Captain Case, what's going on? We've been ordered to scramble, condition one.
Ship's getting ready to jump, we're gonna launch on the other side.
Get down to the hangar deck.
What? Look, you're the best pilot we've got, so get down there, and find a Viper.
It's about time you admit that! Commander, what's our sitrep? This is a rescue mission, Major.
On whose authority? Mine.
I'm bringing my pilots home.
All due respect, sir, but if this is a Cylon trap, then we are entering blind.
We should send a force recon My pilots are dying down there, Major.
I'm going in.
I'm not waiting on recon.
Commander, this is in direct violation of the Admiral's orders.
Major, leave combat Making this an illegal action on your part, sir.
You are relieved, Major.
Sergeant of the Guard.
I am forced to take command of this vessel This man is in direct disobedience of an order under federal regulations and place you under arrest.
Sergeant, take him below.
Sergeant, the Commander has been properly relieved.
Escort him to his quarters.
This man is not a member of this crew, and you will obey a direct order that you have been given by me, and you will do it now.
Major, if you'll come with me.
Admiral, the Pegasus has jumped.
They're gone.
Dradis signal's clean.
Jump put us clear of any interference.
Sir, I show two Raptors.
Transponder codes match.
They're ours.
Mr.
Hoshi, tell the CAG to launch our recovery team, and let's bring our people home.
Aye, sir.
Pegasus, Red Devil.
Our two birds look intact.
I can't quite see inside yet.
Commander, we're unable to raise the Raptors on wireless.
Pegasus, both Raptor crews are dead.
I repeat, they're all dead.
(BEEPING) Sir, three Cylon Baseships just jumped into weapons range.
Oh, my gods.
They're launching nukes! Brace for impact! (GROANING) (ALARM BLARING) (GLASS SHATTERING) (CREW SHOUTING) Damage report.
Two Two nuclear detonations in the stern, sir.
FTL drive inoperative, sir.
We're stuck here, sir.
All right, Showboat, you take Red Squadron, hit them on the right.
Catbird, you take Green, hit them on the left.
The rest of you, follow me.
We're going straight up the gut.
Sergeant, I think you have better things to do.
Well, then the spinner's fine.
It's gotta be a sensor.
Just pull it.
No, no.
Listen to me.
Listen to me.
Just pull it.
Pull it! (ALL SHOUTING) Nuclear detonation.
There's structural damage along the topside heat exchanger.
They can't take much more of this, how long before those drives are back up? I don't know.
They don't seem to understand.
I need to go down there.
You have the con.
(PILOT SPEAKING ON RADIO) Yes, sir.
I have the con.
(ALARM BLARING) Make for the nearest Baseship, and roll us over to keep our topside out of their line of fire.
Hoshi, contact Starbuck and Case.
Tell them I've assumed command and to concentrate on protecting our topside.
Aye, sir.
Wilco, Pegasus.
We got your back.
Mr.
Gaeta, any contact? Negative, sir.
Give me this.
Can I get through there? Baseship dead ahead.
We're closing rapidly.
We can't keep taking hits like this, Major.
Helm, steady as you go.
Have the bow batteries stand by for salvo fire.
Target their center axis.
Yes, sir.
See if we can't cut down the odds.
We need those FTLs fixed soon or we're dead.
(EXPLOSION) Twenty-two hundred.
Main battery has a firing solution.
Fire.
CREWMAN: I wouldn't try it without a canteen, sir.
GARNER: Coolant pressure's off-scale low.
Primary inlet's choked.
The pressure's dropping.
We've got a hull breach in there somewhere.
Well, we gotta get in there and open the auxiliary valve.
We can't do that, sir.
We have to! Sir, that breach could vent all our oxygen into space! We don't have a choice.
Now open the hatch! (AIR WHOOSHING) Breathing gear? We used it all in fighting the fire, sir.
Give me a sledge and a number 12 spanner.
Okay.
Now, close this hatch behind me.
We're losing air.
Close the goddamn hatch! Close it! The Baseship's turning away.
He's He's frakking running, Major! But the other two aren't.
They're coming hard.
Helm, left full.
(LAUGHING) I'm at the manifold.
I'm gonna see if I can turn them.
(PANTING) (GRUNTING) (GROANING) There's definitely air escaping through a crack over the FCC relay.
Your breach is behind that.
Starbuck reports Vipers are skosh ammo, Major.
They're down to throwing rocks at the bastards.
We've got to haul ass outta here now, sir.
Sir! PILOT: Watch yourself, starboard side! Come on, Garner.
BELLAMY: O2's in the red, Skipper.
You're almost out of air.
(ALARM BLARING) You got it! The pressure's coming back up! Now get the frak outta there! Come on! Air's gone, Skipper.
Get out of there.
Skipper! Engineering reporting a green board, FTL drive online and ready.
Okay, commence jump prep.
Bring our birds home.
Pegasus, Starbuck.
Nobody behind me but toasters.
Now, get us out of here! Air wing's back on board.
Launch bays secure.
Jump.
You give Garner a lot of credit.
Well, it's all true.
He gave his life to save the ship.
Starbuck's report wasn't so kind.
Well, she had her perspective and I had mine.
In your opinion, off the record, what was Garner's flaw? He was used to working with machines.
Command is about people.
Remember that as you take command of The Beast.
Garner was my decision.
His failure's my responsibility.
Don't let me fail a second time.
Congratulations, Commander.
Madam President, word has it that you do not intend to prosecute the Gemenese girl on Galactica.
She has a name, Sarah.
And I think that Rya has suffered enough.
She's just been through an abortion.
I've granted her asylum aboard Galactica.
This is in total violation of the law.
My order came after she sought her procedure.
No laws have been broken.
The girl belongs at home with her parents.
I insist.
You have your pound of flesh, and I suggest you take your victory and you move on.
Ma'am.
(SIGHING) You realize you're screwed, right? All the pressure, the responsibility, the sleepless nights.
All the officers giving you a hard time.
Yeah, well, it could be worse.
You could be my CAG.
I'm gonna stay here and be Galactica's CAG.
Something about wanting to keep an eye on me.
Well, you and Colonel Tigh have a lot of fun at those early morning briefings, 'cause the XO's a lot of fun the first thing.
Great.
Congratulations.
Really.
Congratulations.
You deserve it.
I know why I was mad at you, Kara.
A simple thank you would've been sufficient.
Because you were doing what you always did.
Buck authority and get away with it.
I bucked authority once, and I almost lost everything.
So I guess when I showed up on Pegasus and there you were, doing it all over again I don't know.
It pissed me off.
Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? You should hear the way my brain works sometimes.
Are we okay? You have a brain? (REPORTERS ASKING QUESTIONS) Madam President, your decision to criminalize abortion has created a furor.
Do you think that's hurt your standing in the polls? Absolutely.
If I may, Madam President.
It is true, in the light of recent events, the President may have lost support in some quarters.
I would ask the people to understand that, if this is an extreme decision, we live in extreme times.
The decision has been made with good faith.
I, however, cannot with good conscience support it.
I'm so sorry, Madam President, but the Cylon have no understanding of the meaning of the word freedom.
How could they? They're programmed machines.
Every time you take away one of our freedoms, every time we restrict or curtail one of our rights, we become one step closer to being like them.
As the Vice President, I am bound to follow the administration's lead.
As President, I should have no such strictures.
Given the current situation, I'm afraid that I have no alternative but to announce that I am, as of now, a candidate for the Presidency.
(REPORTERS SHOUTING QUESTIONS)