Pegasus (episode)

Pegasus is an episode of the TV series, Battlestar Galactica, and aired during the show's second season. The human fleet encounters the Battlestar Pegasus, commanded by Admiral Helena Cain. She assumes command of the fleet. Gaius Baltar discovers that Pegasus crew members have been raping and torturing a Cylon prisoner. Cain sentences Helo and Chief Galen Tyrol to death after they accidentally kill a Pegasus officer who was preparing to rape Sharon. In response, Commander William Adama orders Vipers to escort Marines to Pegasus. Cain orders her own Vipers to intercept as the episode ends.
==Plot==
=== Teaser ===
President Laura Roslin, Commander William Adama and Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace discuss a proposed Raptor mission to rescue stranded civilians on Caprica, CIC reports a ship jumping near the fleet. As Galactica's Vipers move in to the target, DRADIS reports it as a Colonial military ship. After a brief radio interrogation, the ship is confirmed to be another battlestar, Pegasus.
=== Plot ===
Admiral Helena Cain boards Galactica with an armed escort and welcomes the crew "back to the Colonial Fleet." Cain relates to Adama and Roslin how she ordered a risky manoeuvre to escape the initial Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies. Adama recognises Cain as his superior and whom Roslin should work with from now, though Cain promises not to interfere with Galactica's internal affairs.
Cain declines to resupply the fleet's civilian ships and quickly goes against her promise, transferring Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama and Starbuck to Pegasus over Commander Adama's objections. Cain's executive officer, Colonel Jack Fisk, develops a rapport with Colonel Saul Tigh, and describes over drinks how he received a battlefield promotion to XO when Cain had his predecessor executed. Though he passes it off as a joke, Tigh believes it is true and warns Adama. Adama reiterates his willingness to follow Cain, to both Roslin and Tigh, and insists that Apollo and Starbuck obey their transfer orders.
With Dr. Gaius Baltar acknowledged as the Fleet's resident Cylon expert, Admiral Cain invites him to work on their own Cylon prisoner, a Number Six named Gina. Baltar is horrified to discover that the Pegasus crew have systematically tortured and raped Gina to the point she is now unresponsive. Baltar attempts to communicate with Gina by providing food and confessing to his involvement with another Six copy on Caprica.
Pegasus' Cylon interrogator and ringleader behind Gina's abuse, Lt. Alastair Thorne, visits Galactica to interrogate Sharon Valerii as to the identity of a ship in the Cylon fleet following Galactica. Sharon refuses to help him and pleads ignorance. Lt. Karl Agathon and Chief Galen Tyrol become concerned about Sharon's well-being when recently transferred Pegasus crewmen boast about their experiences with Gina. They arrive in the Cylon brig as Thorne prepares to rape Sharon, overseen by a Pegasus officer and a Marine. The two men storm the room and assault the two interrogators, accidentally killing Thorne in the process and are quickly held at gunpoint by the Marine and arrested. Cain denies Adama's request that Helo and Tyrol be given a jury court-martial and sentences them both to death for murder and treason. Adama demands that Cain return them to Galactica and orders Vipers to escort a Marine assault team to Pegasus. Cain refuses and sends the Pegasus Vipers to intercept Galactica's.
==Cast==
*Edward James Olmos as Commander William Adama
*Mary McDonnell as President of the Twelve Colonies Laura Roslin
*Katee Sackhoff as Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
*Jamie Bamber as Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama
*James Callis as Doctor Gaius Baltar
*Tricia Helfer as 
**Messenger Six
**Gina Inviere
*Grace Park as Sharon Agathon
*Michael Hogan as Colonel Saul Tigh
*Aaron Douglas as Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol
*Tahmoh Penikett as Lieutenant Karl "Helo" Agathon
*Paul Campbell as Billy Keikeya
*Nicki Clyne as Specialist Calandra Henderson
*Alessandro Juliani as Lieutenant Felix Gaeta
*Kandyse McClure as Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla
*Michelle Forbes as Rear Admiral Helena Cain
*Graham Beckel as Colonel Jack Fisk
*John Pyper-Ferguson as Captain Cole "Stinger" Taylor
*Sebastian Spence as Lieutenant Noel "Narcho" Allison
*Leah Cairns as Lieutenant Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson
*Fulvio Cecere as Lieutenant Alastair Thorne
*Mike Dopud as Specialist Gage
*Derek Delost as Specialist Vireem
*Vincent Gale as Chief Petty Officer Peter Laird
*Michael Jonsson as Pegasus Guard #1
*Peter-John Prinsloo as Lieutenant Mei "Freaker" Firelli
==Appearances==
===Characters===
*Lee "Apollo" Adama
*William Adama
*Karl "Helo" Agathon
*Gaius Baltar
*Anastasia Dualla
*Felix Gaeta
*Calandra Henderson
*Billy Keikeya
*Number Eight
**Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
**Sharon Agathon
*Number Six
**Messenger Six
*Laura Roslin
*Saul Tigh
*Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
*Galen Tyrol
===Locations===
*Cyrannus Star System
**Caprica
*The Fleet
===Species===
*Cylon
**Centurion
**Humanoid Cylon
**Raider
*Human
===Technology===
*FTL
*Wireless
===Vehicles and vessels===
*Basestar
*Colonial One
*Galactica
*Pegasus
*Raider
*Raptor
*Viper
===Organizations===
*Colonial Fleet
*Colonial Government
*Colonial Marine Corps
==Production==
=== Writing ===
The idea of Galactica running into another battlestar came from the 1978 TV series, which introduced Pegasus during the two-part serial, The Living Legend. That episode would portray a significant difference in the world views of the respective ships' COs, with Cmdr. Cain being more belligerent than Adama and willing to risk the safety of the fleet to go on the offensive.
==Reception==
"Pegasus" was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. It received favorable critical reviews.
== Notes ==
* Ronald D. Moore recorded a podcast, which can be found here.
==Sources ==
==External links==
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