Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 3

==Summary==
*Three Vipers, piloted by , Dash, and Ripper pursue an unknown craft of Colonial design. The craft engages in evasive maneuvers and disables Dash's Viper with a laser.
*Ripper and Starbuck try to intercept the craft before it reaches . Gaeta informs the Vipers that while the ship is at Condition One, computer problems prevent the alert Vipers from launching. Dualla reports that the flight pods cannot be retracted due to a mechanical failure.
*Ripper attempts to destroy the craft before it can make a combat landing, but the pilot uses his ship's thrusters to decelerate, forcing the Vipers to overshoot. The ship fires its laser and disables Ripper and Starbuck, who becomes enraged. Starbuck continues pursuing the ship, despite Ripper's orders in regards to the exercise they have been conducting.
*As the "hostile" vessel lands in Galactica flight pod, Starbuck rams her Viper into its side. She is then called to Commander Adama's office.
*Starbuck defends her actions in front of Adama and Colonel Tigh by stating that her Viper suffered only weapons failure, while the others had total electronics failure. Adama counters with the fact she disobeyed orders and damaged both the "hostile" vessel, which was a prototype, and her own Viper.
*After Starbuck leaves, Tigh warns Adama that protecting Starbuck could be hazardous. He goes on, saying the entire crew is becoming sloppy since Galactica "has fewer official duties than the shipping fleet."
*Adama replies that he has been distracted due to his divorce, which has made the past six months a blur for him. He mentions that he took only enough personal items to fill a storage pod, letting Carolanne have everything else, since he didn't care to fight her.
*Two days later, Colonel Tigh introduces Colonial Intelligence agent Nolan to seven pilots. She begins briefing the pilots on terrorist attacks that were apparently conducted by an FTL capable ship. Nolan's plan to capture the terrorists consists of putting Darja Purat, an imprisoned arms dealer who has been claiming responsibility for the attacks, on a ship to draw the attackers out, allowing the Viper pilots to disable it.
*One of the pilots asks why Galactica was selected for the mission. Tigh states that the whole operation is supposed to look routine, and since Galactica is one of the least active ships in the fleet, it would be logically assigned to such an easy mission. 
*Thirty-four hours later, near the Virgon moon cluster, Carrot and Ripper escort the ship with Purat on it, while Starbuck, , Jolly, and another pilot play cards. Nolan begins the final phase of the mission, while Carrot detects a transponder signal from Hotfoot's Raptor, which is deployed on the mission. Carrot tries to contact the Raptor, but when there is no response, Nolan calls for full alert.
*The derelict Raptor explodes, sending Carrot's Viper tumbling out of control. Two pilots arrive in the launch bay control room, which is ready to launch upon orders from the bridge. Starbuck and Helo prep outside the hangar bay, while Nolan orders the Vipers to launched before going to Purjat's cell. Upon arriving there, she kills the two guards present and frees Purjat before giving him a spacesuit.
*A ship jumps right in front of the launch bay where Dash is ready to launch. Starbuck tells him to open fire, but he fails to before the unknown vessel fires two missiles and destroys Dash's Viper and the control room window. As Nolan and Purjat escape, Helo spots his undamaged Raptor. Carrot, Ripper, and Jolly's Vipers return and begin firing on the enemy ship.
*The enemy vessel jumps away, but Starbuck and Helo pursue in their Raptor after getting a lock on the enemy's jump coordinates, despite Ripper's orders to not pursue it.
==Notes==
* This issue marks the first appearance of Anastasia Dualla.
* The divorce between Carolanne Adama and William Adama is now finalized; it has been six months since the events of "Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 2".
*The prototype vessel from the beginning of the comic has a distinctly non-military appearance and exposed ribbed sections near the engines, similar to Galactica. It also has the similar red pin-striping to the Viper Mark II.
*Galactica depiction in this issue of the comic is extremely faithful to the CGI model, since it appears to have been traced from publicity stills. However, it looks extremely out of place due to lighting.
* As with the previous issues, the Viper Mark II is used as the primary fighter craft; Mark IIs have been retired from service at this time, in lieu of the technologically advanced Viper Mark VII.
*The terrorist ship that attacks the prison ship bears a resemblance to Colonial Raptors, though it boasts heavier armaments, including missile launchers, and armor.
*Throughout this issue and the subsequent three, COLONEL Tigh and COMMANDER Adama are depicted as having the rank insignias for CAPTAINS on their uniform lapels.
*Lt. Gaeta refers to PETTY OFFICER Dualla as "Lt. Dualla" in this issue, an error that is repeated throughout the rest of the story arc.
== Analysis ==
* The scenes on the security ship between and Kara Thrace indicate a playful sexual tension between the two characters, particularly over the pyramid game.
==Questions==
*Why is the prototype on Galactica for the exercise?
*Why was Colonial Intelligence unable to find out Nolan's allegiance before the mission?
*Where did the terrorists get their ship, which appears to be of military design?
*How do Starbuck and Helo get a lock on the terrorist vessel's jump coordinates?
== Alternate covers ==
File:Season 0 -3 Batista cover.jpg|Adriano Batista cover.
File:BSGSeason03Sejiccovers.jpg|Stjepan Sejic foil edition cover.
File:BSGSeason03Photocover.jpg|The photo cover, featuring Katee Sackhoff as Kara Thrace, probably from a third season promotional photo.
File:BSGSeason03segoviacov.jpg|Stephen Segovia black-and-white cover. 
== See also ==
* Dominion: The Manifest Destiny of the Thirteen Colonies, a book Darja Purat is reading before being freed by Nolan.
== External links ==
* Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 3 - Regular Edition
* Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 3 - Foil Edition
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