Battlestar Galactica

There are those who believe

that life here began out there,

far across the universe,

with tribes of humans

who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians

or the Toltecs, or the Mayans,

that they may have been the architects of the great pyramids,

or the lost civilizations of Lemuria

or Atlantis.

Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man

who even now fight to survive

far, far away amongst the stars.

Noble delegates, I realize you're all anxious to get back to your ships

before our rendezvous with the Cylons.

But I think it appropriate to toast the most significant event

in the history of mankind.

I would like to raise my chalice to you,

not merely as the Quorum of 12,

representing the 12 Colonies of man,

but as my friends,

the greatest leaders ever assembled.

As we approach the seventh millennium of time,

the human race at last will find peace, thanks to you.

To peace.

Starbuck, he's coming. What are you going to say?

Zac, now just calm down. Why are you so nervous?

He still thinks of me as his little brother.

Yeah, well, you're acting like one.

Now, listen, it's just a routine patrol.

Why is it so important to you?

Because it is.

Look, I'm a Warrior. I earned that.

I want to prove that to him.

I know, Zac, but this may not be the best time.

It's a peace envoy! What possible trouble could there be?

That's not the point.

Starbuck, you promised. I know.

Hey, Starbuck, what are you doing? We're going on patrol.

Uh...

He can't make it. Starbuck's not feeling well.

Oh?

Yeah, well, it's, um...

Well, that's kind of short notice,

I mean, with everybody not wanting to go on this patrol.

Everybody wants to celebrate the armistice.

I wonder who I'm gonna be able to find.

Uh...

Yes, Zac, you have a suggestion?

Oh, come on, I've studied the coordinates from here to the Cylon capital.

My Ship's ready to go!

Well, that's lucky. Isn't it, Starbuck?

Yeah, that's a real stroke of luck.

Well, I guess you're just gonna have to pull Starbuck's patrol with me.

WOW!

Were we ever like that?

I don't know. I can't remember that far back.

Listen, maybe I ought to go along.

No, he's gonna be just fine.

I mean, it's not as if we're at war, right?

See you later.

Take care of the stomach. Yeah, I will.

Section 12, launch bay Alpha,

stand by to launch fighter probe.

Acknowledge input. Recorded and functioning.

Vector coordinates coded and transferred. Acknowledge.

Acknowledged. Ready to launch.

Core systems transferring control to probe craft. Launch when ready.

You forget how different it is out here.

This is nothing.

When the war is officially over, we may be able to get back to deep star exploration.

That's the challenge, Zac.

Let's roll over and take a look at Lianus Vector.

Baltar, my friend,

this armistice conference would not have been possible

without your tireless work.

You have secured for yourself a place in the history books.

That the Cylons chose me as their liaison to the Quorum of the 12

was an act of providence, not skill.

I see the party is not a huge success with all my children.

What awaits us out there is what troubles me.

Surely you don't cling to your suspicions about the Cylons?

They asked for this armistice.

They want peace.

Forgive me, Mr. President,

but they hate us with every fiber of their existence.

We love freedom. We love independence,

to feel, to question, to resist oppression.

To them, it's an alien way of existing they will never accept.

But they have, through Baltar.

They have sued for peace.

Yes. Of course, you're right.

Apollo, two targets on my scanner just above the old moon Cimtar.

It could be a storm. I think we'll be coming right through it.

Look, you hold positions and cover me while I take a look.

Let me get my turbos.

- Well, look at that. - What is it?

I'll tell you in a flash.

Warbook says a Cylon tanker. Scanner reads it's empty.

Apollo, I have a funny feeling about this.

Well, we came to look.

There's the other ship tucked in nice and neat.

I wonder what she's doing.

I can't read anything inside. She's jamming us.

Warbook says she's a freighter. My foot.

If she's jamming us, she's hiding something. I'm going around her.

Nothing but a harmless mist. Not heavy at all.

I don't see why they'd send up all that electronic jamming.

Let's get out of here. Why?

I'll explain later.

Colonial Viper in quadrant. Intercepting.

I see what you mean.

It's an ambush. And they've got enough firepower to destroy the entire fleet.

They're jamming our transmission.

We're not gonna make it giving them our backs.

How many of them can you make out? Four.

When I hit three, hit your reverse thrusters and maximum braking flaps.

We'll give them a little surprise. One, two, three.

Turbos, full forward thrust. Now.

Right here, you creeps.

Hey, not bad, little brother.

Okay, you go after the guys on the right.

Yahoo! Apollo, I'll get this one.

Zac, look out! Behind you!

I can't lose him! He's right on my tail!

Hang on, I'm coming.

Steady. Hurry, Apollo!

Steady.

Nice shooting, but they hit my high engine.

That's okay, little brother. We got all of 'em.

The day those guys can outfight us by a 10-to-one margin...

Apollo, better look at your scanner.

But 1,000-to-one, that's not fair.

What's it mean? It means there isn't going to be any peace.

There may not be much of anything if we don't warn the fleet.

Do it. I'm short an engine. You know! Won't be able to keep up with you.

Zac, I'm not going to leave you. You have to.

I'm putting my foot in the turbo. I'll make it back ahead of them.

Now go on. You've got to warn the fleet. I'll be all right.

You can fly with me any time, little brother.

Good luck.

Galactica Control, this is Commander Adama returning from Atlantia.

- Request permission to land. - Permission granted.

Something's wrong.

What is it?

I don't know. They just put the ship on alert.

Atlantia, this is Galactica Core Control.

Request assistance in communicating...

What's been happening? Our patrol ran into trouble.

We picked up some signals, but they're being jammed.

It could be smugglers, or pirates, or...

Get me the President, please.

Mr. President, our patrol is under attack. We don't know by whom.

As a precautionary measure, I would like to launch intercept fighters.

I should think that's highly inadvisable in view of the delicacy of our situation.

Quite right, Baltar.

Commander, as a precautionary measure, I insist upon restraint.

If this turns out to be an encounter with some outlaw traffic,

we could jeopardize the whole cause of peace

by displaying fighters when we are so close to our rendezvous.

Mr. President, two of my star fighters are under armed attack.

By forces unknown.

You are not to launch until the situation is more clear.

Sir, may I at least urge you to bring the fleet to a state of alert?

I will consider that. Thank you, Commander.

He'll consider it? He'll consider it?

It's all right.

I'm sorry, Commander. It's just that...

Well... Well, what?

The patrol is under the command of Captain Apollo.

Well, if I can't have confidence in my first-born son,

whom can I depend upon?

Commander, Zac is with him. It's his first patrol.

Thank you.

Come on, baby. Give me all you got.

Still no word from our fighters, sir.

Their transmission is being deliberately jammed.

If we don't launch...

We cannot launch. It's been expressly forbidden.

However...

This might be a very good time for battle stations drill.

Sound the alert, Colonel. Yes, sir.

You may never see another one, fellows.

A perfect pyramid. Unless there's a better hand, the pot's mine.

Wait, wait!

Wait, wait, wait! Come back! Duty calls!

Let's go!

Sir, our long-range scanner shows

a large number of ships headed this way at high speed.

A single patrol craft is approaching, Commander.

Get that pilot up here as soon as he lands.

Get me the President. Yes, sir.

What's going on? It's nothing to worry about.

Probably some kind of aerial salute for the President

while he signs the armistice.

Sure ruined a good card game.

Commander?

Mr. President, a wall of unidentified craft is closing in on the fleet.

Possibly a Cylon welcoming committee.

Sir, may I suggest we launch a welcoming committee of our own?

Mr. President, there remain many hostile feelings amongst our Warriors.