Recon Probe 3 to Galactica. l am under attack.
- We'll have to hide it. - He has a right to know.
Puppis can't go after the thing that killed his father,
spend his life as a warrior...
Boxey's lost one parent. He won't lose two.
- You don't scare me. - Do something. They'll kill him.
Bootes told me about your gun. lt's our only chance.
'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.
'Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man
'who even now fight to survive
'somewhere beyond the heavens.'
Recon Probe 3 to Galactica. l am under attack.
Repeat, l'm under attack. Will try to make it back to you. Send help!
Recon Probe 3. Where's Blue Squadron? l'm running out of time.
'Galactica, Recon Probe 3.'
Blue Squadron ready to scramble.
- There will be no scramble. - But sir, Apollo's in trouble.
l know what he's doing.
He's leading the Cylon patrol away from us.
You couldn't reach him in time.
lf you did, it would undo everything that he's risking...
'Recon Probe 3. Where's Blue Squadron? l'm running out of time.
'Where's Blue Squadron? l'm running out of time.'
He's not expecting any help, Boomer.
Those transmissions are for Cylon ears.
Flight leader to base. Pursuing Colonial viper,
Hatari sector, bearing Delta 9, Mark 7.
Pilot is attempting to reach Galactica.
lt's about time.
Surprise.
Full booster, run out of fuel. First lesson you learn as a cadet.
Thank you, Lord.
Colonial viper has turned away.
We have lost him on our scanner.
Forget him. He is trying to lead you away.
Continue on his original heading - Delta 9. Seek the Galactica.
l could have got him today if you hadn't growled.
- (Growling) - Yes, just like that.
l had that old lupus in my sights and you spooked him.
Don't you understand, Strider?
The lupus is killing our stock.
He's bad...like Red Eye.
- (Snarls) - No, no. Red Eye isn't coming.
Boy, if l could get that lupus in my sights...
(Viper approaching)
(Viper stops abruptly)
Puppis, no!
Captain, you are one lucky pilot.
(Breathing heavily)
You OK, mister?
Hey, l didn't mean to frighten you.
l won't hurt you.
- Where am l? - My mom's place.
- No, no, what planet? - Equellus.
Equellus?
Equellus.
Wow!
lt's beautiful.
You've never been close to a starship?
l've never even seen one.
Bootes told me about ships that fly in the stars.
l thought he was just making it up.
Do you fly in the stars?
Not very well without fuel.
- Who's Bootes, your father? - My uncle.
- My father's dead. - l'm sorry.
lt happened a long time ago, when l was a kid.
Oh. And you've never seen another ship?
No freighters, tankers, fighters?
Yours is the first. ls it a fighter?
Puppis, move away from him! Come here.
Take it easy. l'm not here to harm anyone.
Don't worry, my mom can't hit the side of a granary with a numo.
Puppis, get over here and light this torch now!
Yes, ma'am.
lf he wanted to, he would have shot you, Mom.
He's fast. And wait until you see his gun.
Would you be quiet and light that torch?
ls that really necessary?
Shut it off.
Thank you.
Get back in your ship and leave - quickly.
l'd like nothing better but l'm out of fuel.
Then we're going to have to hide it. lt and you.
- Cylons? - What are Cylons?
lf you don't know, then there aren't any around.
Be thankful for that. What are you afraid of?
Please, just do as l say. Let's hide it.
Now.
What's going on?
ls anything wrong?
Oh!
No. No, we're just...
trying to keep some of the slower ships in formation.
Hi, Starbuck, Boomer.
Hiya, kid. Checking up on your grand...commander?
Nope. Dad's on patrol. He told me to wait up for him.
Good Lord, l almost forgot.
Your dad asked me to tell you
that the patrol might go on longer than he expected.
Longer? How much longer?
Well, he landed on a planet to check it out.
- Right, Commander? - Yes.
He's going to be a little longer than we thought.
He asked if we'd let you spend the night in the bachelor officers' quarters.
- With the pilots? - Yep.
And we can have a couple...
fruit juices... fruit juices,
and talk shop
and maybe even a couple of hands of pyramid.
Can l, Grandpa?
Yes, you may, of course, if that's what your father wanted.
Oh, yes, he did.
Oh, boy, l get to spend the night with the Blue Squadron!
Let's go! All right!
- Thank you, Starbuck. - Right.
l've never seen a numo before.
- Fires on compressed air? - lt can kill a lupus within ten metrons.
- lt can? - Well, lf you hit it just right.
Mm. lt's very good.
How long has this man Lacerta been taking tribute?
Nearly ten yahrens.
He just lets us keep enough ovines to get by on.
- Somebody should stand up to him. - Red Eye'll kill 'em. Zap!
- He's the one with... - You're forgetting your chores.
- With the gun like yours. - Your chores.
Yes, ma'am.
Leave it! You don't need a numo to feed the layers.
- What if a lupus comes around? - l said leave it!
l thought you said the only guns here were numos.
What difference does it make? A gun is a gun.
l hate them all. lf it weren't for the lupus that attack the stock,
l'd destroy every numo, every...
My husband was killed by a gun like yours.
- l know how you feel. - Do you?
My wife was killed by a gun...like mine.
Someone's coming.
You'd better go in there.
(Woman) What do you want, Red Eye?
We heard a sound in town.
Lacerta sent me to investigate.
- Did you hear a sound? - No.
l did. l heard a lupus howl
and a nightflyer hoot down by the woods.
Those are not the sounds l am seeking.
They're not?
- You don't scare me. - Puppis!
Why do you people persist in foolish acts?
- You cannot hurt me. - l can try.
Did you hear the sound l seek?
(Man) Let 'em be.
(Red Eye) What are you doing here, Bootes?
Dropped by to see my sister... and l heard a noise.
A noise?
Yeah, it crossed over my place, passed over this way.
- Sounded like it went on into town. - ln town it sounded like it came out here.
Well, you know these hills at night.
Sound travels strangely. lt can deceive.
Humans deceive, not sound waves.
- Well, what is it? Do you know? - No, but l will find out.
lt would not go well for you to lie to me.
You are both behind in tribute as it is.
What is going on, sister?
lnside.
Uncle Bootes, this is Apollo. He flies one of the ships you told me about.
Am l glad to see you, Captain!
- You know who l am? - l know what you are.
A Colonial warrior - a captain! And that, bless my eyes, is a laser pistol.
And he's fast. Faster than Red Eye, l bet.
- Why didn't you destroy him? - He was afraid of hitting me or Mom.
Hold on. How do you know who l am? Puppis didn't, nor his mother.
Vella? Vella knew. She just never told the boy.
- (Puppis) Told me what? - That your father was a Colonial warrior.
A warrior? A pilot like Apollo?
Very much so.
Did he fly a fighter and wear a laser pistol?
Come on, Puppis, if l know you, you haven't tended the flock yet.
l want to know. l want to know about my father.
l'll tell you. Come on.
What happened?
Bootes found Martin wandering in the field
wounded and half-dead.
(Sighs) There'd been a battle up there among the stars...
and Martin crashed in the desert.
He must have wandered for Lord knows how long.
And l tended him.
lt took a long time. And we fell in love.
l think he was happy here with us.
l mean, as happy as he could be.
He was stranded with no way to get home.
But he never talked about it - except once.
The night before our wedding, Bootes brought a jug of home-made buzzer.
l was so mad l could've strangled both of them.
l guess he told my brother things that night he never told me.
But l knew.
l'd find him outside,
lying on his back, with Puppis on his stomach.
He was just a yahren then, staring up at the stars.
This...
Cylon, Red Eye -
he was wearing a Colonial pistol.
Martin's?
One day, Lacerta appeared with Red Eye. We'd never seen him before.
And Martin went crazy the moment he saw him. l couldn't stop him.
He ran into the bedroom where he kept his pistol
and when he came out...
That was nine yahrens ago and l can still see it like it just happened.
- And you never told Puppis? - No. And neither will my brother.
- He'll find out someday. - No.
- He has a right to know. - No!
Puppis can't go after the thing that killed his father,
spend his life as a warrior, fighting, killing, dying.
For what? Why did Martin go after him like that? Why?
Red Eye is a Cylon. They have one objective - to destroy all humans.
Your husband knew that.
But Red Eye, this Cylon as you call him, he hasn't destroyed all of us.
He only kills those who try to kill him.
(Apollo) That doesn't make any sense.
l don't know what's going on but l will find out.
How? By going after Red Eye with your laser?
Yes!
Puppis tells me the captain is faster than a lupus.
No. l'll avoid the Cylon.
l'll go into town dressed in clothes like yours, unarmed.
But you can kill him with your laser gun!
Where there's one Cylon, there's others.
lf they know l'm a Colonial warrior, they'll hunt down my ship.
Or worse, destroy every human inhabiting this planet.
When Red Eye killed Martin, he saw the laser pistol.
He took it. No one came to hunt us down.
l can't risk it.
No gun. You'll just have to understand.
l understand, Captain! lf you're not man enough to use it, give it to me.
No gun.
This fruit juice is just...
Great.
Yeah, it's, er... lt's terrific.
Quit stalling. Are you going to call or not?
(Starbuck) Give me a few centons, will you?
- You're eating your bet. - (Laughter)
(Sighs) All right, call.
- Three quarters of a pyramid. - That beats me.
- Me too. - l'm clean.
- Well... - Not so fast, Starbuck.
A full pyramid.
(Laughter)
- Your deal, Giles. - Thanks, kid.
- l'm glad we're not playing for cubits. - lf we had, it would've been different.
That does it! He should have been in bed centons ago.
And what are you hotshots doing
teaching him to drink and play cards and smoke?
- lt's only fruit juice. - He's winning.
- l'm not letting him smoke. - Oh, you're not?
Listen - to bed, young man.
Cassiopeia, just one more hand?
Now.
And no more smoking around Boxey.
But l'm sleeping in here tonight.
That's after you say your prayers
- and wash and brush your teeth, OK? - OK.
And recirculate the air in here!
Boy, that does it.
Next time you have a big game - don't call.
l'm going up on the bridge, see if they picked anything up.
They would've told us.
Yeah. We can't just leave Apollo out there,
we've got to do something.
Really? Any suggestions?
One - if we can get the Colonel and the Commander to go along.
- lf they don't? - Then we do it alone.
Boxey's lost one parent. He's not going to lose two.
(? Electronic music)
(Men whooping)
What's the wager, Marco?
Two bladers.
Make it 200.
l don't have 200, you know that.
Then fold.
But l've got you beat.
l know.
Vignon.
Aren't you going to apologise?
lf it will make you feel better.
The only way you stinking oviners will make me feel better...
is to stand downwind.
Don't tell me - you want me to move again, right?
Tell you what,
will it be OK if l sit with my friend?
Friend?
Oviners have no friends.
That one.
My name's Apollo.
- l don't suppose you want a drink. - l do not ingest consumables.
ln this case, you're not missing anything.
l've never seen anyone like you before.
- You are lying. - No.
l sense you want to destroy me.
- (Music stops) - You would not be the first.
Nine have died trying.
l cannot be destroyed by a numo.
l can see that. You seem to have run into a few dents.
Still, you will try.
- l'm unarmed. - That does not matter.
Red Eye, sit.
Lacerta wishes to see you.
Does everyone jump when he snaps his fingers?
That's fine for a machine but not for a human.
You owe me your life.
Perhaps l can return the favour.
- What are you drinking? - Vignon.
The barman can bring it. Thank you.
- Macy, who is he? - l don't know but he's different.
Thank you.
You have courage.
A foolish trait. lt gets men killed. Why are you here?
l heard of your Red Eye. l was curious.
- Another dangerous trait. - Where'd you find him?
Do not mistake my benevolent attitude...
for stupidity.
What do you want?
- To work for you. - Why didn't you say so?
- l had to impress you. - (Sniggers)
By Equus, you're right.
Come back tomorrow. l'll see what l can do.
(Music resumes)
Had to impress me.
(Guffaws)
(Growling and snarling)
Oh!
- What's wrong? - A lupus attacked.
Puppis was indoors but he went out a window.
- Which way? - Out near your ship, l think.
Hurry!
(Low growl)
(Growling)
l did it! l killed the lupus!
Yes, son, you killed the lupus.
- Feeling good? - l feel like l could fly.
Yeah, l know. But your mom's scared.
She's probably going to be very angry when she sees you.
You mean she'll treat me like a little kid?
Puppis, l know you're a man.
But your mom...
That's going to take a little time.
She loves you very much. Give her that time.
- l think l know what you mean. - l think you do too.
Apollo? l know you're not afraid of Red Eye.
(Footsteps)
Oh, Puppis. Oh!
You could have been killed.
Didn't l tell you never to go after them? Never!
- l'm sorry, Mom. - Sorry?
The scanners are still clean, sir. No sign of pursuit.
- Evidently, Apollo's ploy worked. - Yes.
Adama, they want to go after him.
- Starbuck and Boomer? - Every pilot on the Galactica,
- including me. - Don't you think l do?
l've been studying battle charts from the Hatari system for centons.
lt's filled with planets and asteroids.
lf Apollo hasn't been...
lf he hasn't been shot down, if he's eluded pursuit,
if he's been able to land on one of those surfaces,
if he hasn't run out of fuel,
then he could be within our range for a few hundred centons longer.
lf, if, if, if!
So many ifs it's incalculable.
But possible. Why not slow the fleet, buy him more time?
Send a patrol back.
Not deep enough to penetrate the Hatari system and risk detection,
just enough to lead him to us if he comes out.
All that effort and risk for the Commander's son.
That's utter feldergarb and you know it!
lf it was Starbuck or Boomer or a first orbit cadet, you'd do it.
Adama, don't diminish his chances because he's your son.
We can't bring the fleet to dead slow...
but launch a patrol when ready.
Bridge, Colonel Tigh. Launch patrol.
l guess there were two vipers ready.
- Hi. - Hi.
Did you two talk through the entire sleep period?
Yeah. He finally fell asleep a few centons ago.
l don't know how you stayed awake.
l think l dropped off a couple of times.
Boxey always used to keep me...
Boxey's my son.
Younger than Puppis but very much like him.
lt never occurred to me. You must miss him very much.
Very much.
That's why l have to find Lacerta's connection to the Cylon Empire.
Red Eye's proof they land here. They might have a fuel depot.
Stealing fuel is my only chance of getting back.
And l'm running out of time.
Apollo...
(Growling)
(Horse galloping)
lt's all right. lt's only my cousin Jason.
Red Eye showed up at Bootes' a while ago.
He took half their herd - tribute.
Bootes started drinking and then he rode towards town.
Do something. They'll kill him.
Bootes told me about your gun.
Your gun is the only chance we have.
l'll go into town but no gun.
Come on, come on!
(Yells)
A man can only be pushed so far.
He can't work and bleed
and turn everything over to some fat pig!
Pay tribute...
give up half your ovines...
perform like a trained daggit.
No more. Not this oviner.
You've had your last tribute from me.
- l think l have. - Right!
l'm not afraid any more.
One of these times,
one of us is going to penetrate that tin-plated machine with a numo!
- Maybe it will be you. - Yeah, maybe it will!
Bring it on, Marco!
No!
- Stop him, Lacerta! - The boy is armed.
Give me that gun!
Please.
Sit.
l hate you!
We won't give you any more trouble.
l hope the rest of you will learn from the example of Apollo.
He understands respect.
That's all l ask.
That...
and a little tribute.
- (Boomer) Halfway mark, Starbuck. - A little farther, huh?
A little farther and we might not get back.
- Chop your power. - Have you gone crazy?
'We can drift for 40 or 50 centons.'
We don't spot him by then... he'll be out of range for good.
- What do you say? - Chopping power.
- Vella, l'm sorry. - No.
They don't understand. l do.
You did the right thing.
l'm not so sure.
l am.
(Apollo.)
l don't have much time. He'll miss me.
What is it?
You're different.
We can all see that...except Lacerta.
You've blinded him by the way you talk to him, appeal to his vanity.
But not Marco.
You put him down, and he's working on Lacerta to kill you.
l know Lacerta. He won't stay blinded long.
- He'll unleash Red Eye? - No.
Marco wants to kill you
to get back in Lacerta's graces.
He used to be his right hand before we found Red Eye.
You found him? Where?
The mountains.
We were riding one night and we heard this roar and then an explosion.
Pieces of metal fell like rain.
Cylon fighter.
What?
What happened then?
We found two others like Red Eye - destroyed.
We got scared and turned the wagon to run.
That's when we saw Red Eye.
He had that awful dent in his head and... lt was strange.
He looked up at Lacerta and said, ''By your command.''
He's been doing what Lacerta says ever since.
- l gotta go. - Thank you.
Apollo, my man Marco wants a word with you.
Someone give this oviner a numo
so l can bury his smell.
That won't be necessary.
l, er... Maybe l was wrong.
Red Eye!
l knew he wasn't a coward!
Puppis!
Oh, my God. Not again.
Uh-oh.
- (Cheering) - Congratulations!
(Puppis) Zap! Zap! Zap!
Zap! Zap! Zap! Zap!
Bootes would have been proud of you, Apollo.
Red Eye was fast but you were faster.
Hey. Hey!
Hold it! Hold it, Boxey!
- Puppis. - Someday l'll be a hero like you.
- l will, Apollo. - Now, you listen to me.
Do you remember when you killed the lupus? Did you feel heroic?
- l felt scared. - That's how l felt against Red Eye.
- No, you... - Scared.
You killed because you had to, even though you were frightened.
That's all l did, something l had to do.
There was nothing heroic about it. There never is.
l pray to God it's something neither of us will ever have to do again.
Apollo...
l know where Martin's ship crashed.
l don't think it can fly but it may have the fuel you need.
lf it weren't for Boxey...
- (Boomer) 'He's out of time.' - Let's give him another centon.
We did that five centons ago, Starbuck.
l want to see him come out as much as you do
but if we don't leave now, we'll never get back.
Right. Firing my engines.
(Distorted) 'Galactica, Recon Probe 3, do you read me?'
- Apollo? - 'Do you read me?'
Apollo, is that you?
'Apollo? Apollo, is that you?'
Starbuck?
Got you on the scanner. Take an Omega 1 heading.
- Apollo, here we come. - Yee-haaa!
- What are you guys doing out here? - We just thought we'd take a little ride.
The stars are kind of nice in this galaxy.
We'd just about given up on you, buddy.
- (Beeping) - Where have you been?
Let's go home.
lt must be beautiful.
He'll be back, Mother.
Someday.
He promised he would.
Yes, he did.
Someday.
(Adama) 'Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny,
'the last battlestar, Galactica,
'leads a ragtag fugitive fleet
'on a lonely quest -
'a shining planet
'known as Earth.'
ST US By Tchen ..