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Sunday, June 12, 2016

My pitch for a trilogy of Galactica films

Fans of Battlestar Galactica likely heard the recent news that Universal has hired a new scribe and director to work on a feature film reboot of the show.  (Lisa Joy, writer-producer of the new Westworld show, and Francis Lawrence, director of a Hunger Games film, are attached.)  All indications are that it will be a variation on the original series and not a reboot of the recent series.

At this stage, I'm somewhat ambivalent because we know next to nothing about the film and how it will be handled.  But I've played in that universe before to some minor acclaim.  My wheels began to spin, and I crafted an outline for a trilogy of films that blend elements of both the original and reimagined series.

Now, I know.  Putting both the '70s and the '00s shows into a plot blender?  I bet it'll end up like this:


I would have said the same.

However, after having written this out, I could enjoy it.  Is it derivative?  Sure, but I think it has the potential to be an action-packed crowd pleaser.

Since there are SPOILERS for a movie that'll never get made, I'll post my pitch after the JUMP.


(Keep in mind that this is a "broad strokes" outline.  Nuances of character and theme would come at the scripting stage.  Also, keep in mind that if you don't like the presence of aliens, you can write them out and replace them with humans.  No biggie.)


**FILM ONE**

For the thirtieth anniversary of the end of the Cylon War, the last active-duty battlestar from that conflict, Galactica, tours the Colonies with a stop at Gemenon and a visit from planetary governor Laura Roslin.

On Caprica, government technical adviser and deputy minister of defense Gaius Baltar frantically searches communiques and reports for something.

At the border of Colonial space, a small patrol battlestar comes under attack by hundreds of robotically-piloted Cylon Raiders. After a few minutes of pitched battle, a Cylon virus finally breaches the firewalls, rendering the battlestar and Vipers defenseless.

On Galactica, Adama speaks about the mistakes that led to the war, including fighting among the Colonies and abuse of their technology. Gov. Roslin gives her speech, during which she thoughtfully prays to the Lords of Kobol, drawing odd looks from many in attendance.

On Caprica, Baltar leaves the government buildings and runs into the sexy Cassiopeia, a woman he knows and was involved in whatever he had been doing. She gets him to follow her and they leave the planet in a shuttle. Once in space, they see the approach of Cylon Raiders and Basestars.

With scenes from world to world, we see the Twelve Colonies under fire from Cylons and the occasional nuclear weapon. Commercial and passenger vessels flee from one world and they are escorted by Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama.

At Galactica, reports arrive and Adama prepares for battle. Gemenon comes under attack and the older Vipers from Galactica seem immune to the virus. Hotshot pilot Kara "Starbuck" Thrace manages multiple kills before several Basestars enter range and Galactica is forced to flee.

Baltar and Cassiopeia's shuttle is attacked by Cylon Raiders. Cassie is killed in the assault and Baltar is taken to a Basestar where he meets with the Cylon imperious commander (not a Centurion). Baltar speaks about his sympathies for robotic independence, after which the robot leader thanks him for his service and Baltar asks about his payment. As he does, he sees mushroom clouds on a viewscreen and is horrified. "This wasn't part of the bargain!"

Galactica arrives in the void of space between the Colonies and sends a coded message to any Colonial ship to join them there. Apollo picks it up and guides his small convoy of ships to that location. He arrives and finds that many other ships are approaching. There is a reunion between the Adamas, but it is tense. There was an accident some years before that killed Apollo's brother, Zac, while on Viper patrol with Lee, and father & son have been distant ever since. We find out via dialogue between Commander Adama and Col. Tigh that it was Lee who caused the relationship to wither.

Roslin addresses the gathered ships via radio after a signal comes in from Caprica. The president of the Colonies, the cabinet, and the Quorum of Twelve are dead. The next people in the line of succession are planetary governors. Roslin is the only one alive. She speaks of the Lords of Kobol and a plan for humanity.

Aboard the Cylon Basestar, a stunned Baltar asks the Cylon leadership about the attack and why it was more vicious than he had been told. In response, the Cylons torture Baltar for additional information.

A conference of ship captains from the gathered vessels reveals that the attack is thorough and devastating. Roslin recommends that they abandon the Colonies and search for a new home ... Earth, destination of the ancient Thirteenth Tribe. Roslin believes they can find it via Kobol, the origin of humanity. Adama and Roslin speak privately; clash of military and civilian philosophies. Roslin speaks of religious influence and Adama doesn't know how to respond, as most Colonials have adopted monotheism or become agnostic over time.

Starbuck and other Viper pilots finally land after a long stint around the perimeter of the gathered fleet. Thrace and Lee Adama meet on the landing bay, surprising Apollo. She begins to ask questions of him and Lee responds with a forceful, passionate kiss. She punches him and leaves.

Alone in his cell on the Basestar, Baltar manages to access a wall panel and lower the brig's security fields. He sneaks to a hangar deck and escapes aboard a Raider. After he gets away from the Cylons, he hears Galactica's signal and sets a course. Then Cassie appears and startles him. "Are you a clone or something?" She smiles, "Something."

Cylons converge on Galactica and the fleet. As Vipers and the battlestar hold back the Raiders, most of the civilian fleet are able to light-jump away to a predetermined location, but several ships without faster-than-light engines are left behind to be slaughtered.

The fleet is now orbiting a distant outpost, Ragnar, where human and aliens alike congregate and trade. The ships refuel and the Galactica crew seek to rearm themselves. While there, Roslin meets with a contingent of alien monks who speak of distant, beautiful worlds, one of which is abandoned and littered with ruins. Though convinced it is Kobol, Roslin is warned, "That one is haunted."

Tigh and Thrace have been tasked with finding food. Ragnar has little to speak of, but one alien, an Ovion, bids them come to its homeworld, Carillon.

In orbit, Baltar and the stolen Raider appear. He avoids being shot down by signaling the fleet, but soon after, a massive Cylon force jumps into the system. Baltar's Raider was tracked, but he is taken aboard, and the Galactica again briefly holds the attackers off as the human fleet light-jumps to Carillon.

There, shuttles begin bringing food to ships in the fleet, but some shuttles and their crews go missing. Starbuck is suspicious and investigates.

Baltar examines data from the Cylon attack at the behest of Adama and Tigh. Cassie appears and throws Baltar off. He acts oddly until she says that only he can see her. She warns him about the Ovions and how they are in danger if they remain at Carillon.

Starbuck discovers a Cylon garrison on Carillon and escapes after a brief ground battle to warn Galactica.

Roslin reads up on the tribes of man and Earth. She is confident that Kobol can show them the way and she orders Adama to take them there. They argue until Starbuck returns, telling them of the Ovions' treachery. They make preparations to leave when a massive Cylon fleet jumps into orbit.

Galactica moves to intercept, allowing the last food shuttles to return to their ships so the civilians can flee. The Cylons signal Galactica, and the imperious commander acknowledges Baltar, who is on the bridge, and thanks him for his service. Adama orders Baltar arrested. Then, two Cassie lookalikes enter view. The Cylon commander says, "We have adapted to your organic forms. Our differences are now negligible. We are among you. To retreat is to delay the inevitable." All of the crew are stunned by the revelation that the Cylons now have humanoid bodies. His Cassie says (again, visible to only him), "I'm not one of them. But don't worry. I will help you."

As the Galactica and Cylon forces battle, on the Cylon ship, other humanoid models appear and study the tactical maps of the engagement.

In space, Apollo and Starbuck (among other Viper pilots) destroy many Raiders while Colonial bombers make a run on the Basestars. As they escort the bombers, Apollo's Viper is damaged and Starbuck flies him back to Galactica.

On Galactica, Apollo and Starbuck reach the bridge as the last of the civilian ships light-jumps to Kobol. While Commander Adama prepares to order the ship to jump away, Lee shoots him. Chaos erupts on the bridge and Apollo is tackled as Starbuck and Tigh try to help Adama.

On the Basestar, several Cylon Apollos are seen working with the other humanoids and centurions.

The camera pulls back, revealing swarms of Cylons closing on the Galactica. A Basestar enters view and begins firing heavy missiles.

Credits.

Post-credits scene: human voices in the background as a computer screen shows distant blips. Off camera, two people speak. "Registry is ... Galactica." "Impossible." "Cross-checked and verified. It is Galactica." "Lay in an intercept course."



**FILM TWO**

Aboard Galactica, things are falling apart. Sparks fly, lights dim, bulkheads cave. Cylons are pounding the vessel and Commander Adama lays dying with Thrace and Tigh trying to help him. Lee Adama fights against security, unsure of what he did. Hull breaches are reported across the ship and Tigh struggles to pull himself away from his old friend so he can assume command.

Two Basestars close on the ship and Raiders flit about, firing their weapons. Suddenly, a larger, newer battlestar light-jumps to Carillon and fires its weapons, point blank, on the Basestars. One is destroyed and the other crippled. Vipers leave the new arrival and fend off the Raiders, circling Galactica. Once the Cylons withdraw, the Pegasus signals Galactica and Commander Cain offers assistance.

On a damaged Basestar, just after fleeing the battle, centurions report to the Cylon imperious commander that their spies have revealed that the human fleet is heading for Kobol. The commander is confused and knows of this dead planet, but it doesn't understand why they would want to go there.

Cain boards Galactica and meets with Tigh. Tigh seems out of his depth, but he is determined to press on for his friend. Roslin meets with Cain since she was stuck on board due to the Cylon attack. She tries to convince Cain that they need to go to Kobol so they can find Earth. Cain is dubious, to say the least, and she wants to use Galactica and Pegasus both to fight the Cylons. Roslin states that she is president now, to which Cain replies, "Of what? Ashes?" Cain makes it clear that the military is in charge.

Humanoid Cylons speak with two robotic Cylon commanders about Kobol. The organic Cylons seem to have memories of their old lives and they speak of Kobol's importance in religion and make mention of Earth and the Thirteenth Tribe. "This may work to our benefit."

In the brig, Baltar warily speaks with Apollo, who's in a different cell. Apollo doesn't remember shooting Adama. Baltar is still baffled by Cylons having humanoid forms. The spectral Cassie reappears and they discuss the gods' plan for humanity and for him. "You're not a Cylon ..." "No." Baltar asks, "What are you?" "My name is Lilith. I was once a Lord of Kobol."

Tigh convinces Cain that they should jump to Kobol if only to meet up with the fleet. Once there, they find that several ships have landed on the planet with the intent to settle there. Cain assumes command of the fleet and orders a contingent of warriors to go to the surface and get the people there to return to space. She is worried that the Cylons will return and wants to keep on the move.

After having been essentially removed from power by Cain, Roslin goes to the surface, too, and tries to convince the people there that this isn't their final destination, that Earth is the real endpoint. Kobol is lovely, though, and the people want to settle there. More ships begin to land and Roslin leaves them, dejected.

Adama needs surgery in the sickbay and Tigh confides to his unconscious friend that he needs help.

Starbuck is trying to round up the people on the surface when a Cylon Raider strafes them, killing several and destroying a ship. People gather near her and more Cylons come over the horizon, including some Heavy Raiders, which carry centurion squadrons.

Roslin comes to a collection of stone ruins in a plain and she sits on the ancient steps. As she thinks about what to do next, a light surrounds her and a being of light appears. It smiles and says, "Fear not, faithful one. Your diligence will be rewarded." "Who are you?" "I am Iblis and I was once a Lord of Kobol."

In orbit around Kobol, a Cylon Raider force attacks the fleet, stalling for the arrival of Basestars. As Vipers engage the Raiders and the Raiders attack the battlestar, power fluctuates, imperiling Adama's surgery.

Also, Baltar and Apollo manage to escape the brig together thanks to the power outages. Apollo goes to the landing bay and steals a shuttle. Once outside Galactica, the shuttle is damaged and it is forced to land on Kobol.

On the surface, Starbuck and her small group of warriors and civilians fight Cylon centurions by any means necessary.

Iblis leads Roslin to a cave, but he doesn't enter. "What is this place?" He eyes the entrance warily and says, "It is a tomb." She goes inside and turns toward him. He still won't enter. "Are you coming?" He shakes his head. "This is your journey." Roslin walks farther inside and sees about a dozen marble caskets surrounding the center of the tomb. As she steps on the ancient seal at the center, the door slams shut, and stars fill her vision. She seems to be floating in space, surrounded by constellations. She scans them all and suddenly realizes that she is no longer floating in space; she's standing in a field. "Earth."

Battle continues in orbit and the Raiders are nearly defeated when a Basestar appears. The battle resumes.

Apollo hears chatter of battle over the radio of the shuttle on Kobol's surface. He leaves Baltar and steals a Viper parked near the civilian ships landed there. Baltar, meanwhile, sneaks around and finds himself surrounded by Cylons.

In orbit, Apollo shoots down several Raiders. As he fights them, he realizes he is not what he thought himself to be.

On the surface, Starbuck and her people destroy the Cylon squadron escorting Baltar. "If I knew they had you, I wouldn't have bothered." Lilith reappears and says to Baltar, "You must leave Kobol. Now."

The Basestar has pulled away from both Galactica and Pegasus as most of its Raiders have been destroyed. Cain gives the order to pursue and Tigh balks, concerned about the civilian ships in orbit and on the surface. Eventually, Pegasus goes on without Galactica, but Cain promises disciplinary action for the colonel.

Adama's surgery is over and he awakens, saying, "I want to see my son."

On Kobol, Starbuck is herding people toward ships while Baltar pulls on her to get her to leave quicker. Lilith is yelling at him to hurry, but Thrace refuses to leave until the last civilian ship is airborne. Baltar picks up a rock and hits her on the head.

The two Cylon imperious commanders aboard one Basestar discuss their options. "The Colonies have fallen. Their worlds are ours, if we wish it." "We must pursue the humans. They created and enslaved us. They may attempt to subjugate us again." "They are in no position to do so. Prolonging the conflict will lead only to more Cylon deaths." "We will destroy them."

Pegasus has caught up to the fleeing Basestar and begins firing on it. Then, four Basestars enter the system. One more near Pegasus and three near Galactica.

Roslin is smiling and on a ship heading into orbit. Iblis sits with her and holds her hand, invisible to everyone else.

Starbuck awakens on a shuttle and sees Baltar sitting nearby. As he apologizes, she punches him.

Apollo lands his Viper since the fuel is near empty. He is detained by deckhands and taken to sickbay where he speaks with Adama. "What are you?" "I'm not sure."

Starbuck gets off the shuttle and immediately runs to a Viper. She launches and engages in battle with the new swarm of Raiders.

Roslin has drawn on papers and taped them up to the walls in a circle in a small room on a freighter. The pages depict the constellations she saw and she asks the freighter's navigator to study them to determine where the person at the center would be.

Tigh orders the civilians to jump to a preset safe location. Galactica tries to signal Pegasus but there's no response.

Adama recieves reports in sickbay about the battle and Apollo isn't helping interpret the Cylons' plans. "What are you?" "I don't know." "Are you my son?" Pause. "No." Adama takes the sidearm from a guard, shoots Apollo, and weeps.

Galactica is rocked by explosions when a large ship of light appears over the planet and moves closer. The Cylons halt their attack on the battlestar and turn toward the new vessel, but their weapons pass through it. Then, the ship of light vanishes. As the Basestars turn back for Galactica, the radio crackles and Cain announces that she's coming. On the viewer, Tigh and the bridge crew see Pegasus, heavily damaged and in flames, barreling toward the Basestars. It collides with one, destroying it, before debris sprays forward onto another, destroying it, too.

The last Basestar fires missiles. Nuclear alarms sound on Galactica. One of the missiles heads for Kobol's surface and strikes the area where the civilian ships had landed, destroying several and killing more than a thousand people.

Another missile is on course for Galactica. Starbuck moves in behind it in an attempt to shoot it down, but she runs out of ammo. Instead, she rams the missile with her Viper, and she is lost in the great explosion.

Orphaned Vipers from Pegasus stream into the battlezone and take over the conflict from the weary and ammo-spent Galactica fighters. After several strafing runs, a critical system on the Basestar is struck and it goes dark.

Tigh orders all the Vipers to land and Galactica jumps away. Adama and Tigh speak shortly after and the commander is still devastated over the loss of his son, realizing that the Cylons captured and replicated him years ago thanks to the patrol wherein Zac was killed. Adama decides to resign and names Tigh commander.

As the Basestar drifts, the ship of light reappears and moves toward it. Inside, the two robotic Cylon imperious commanders speak about pursuing the humans again. One suggests that it may be time for the Lords of Kobol to interfere in the development of mankind again. When the other commander turns to respond, it finds that its comrade has vanished.

On a freighter, Roslin studies her drawings and two navigators look up from their calculations and say, "We've found Earth."

Apollo opens his eyes with a jerk and screams, "Dad!" He sits up in a tub of translucent goo, touching his chest where Adama shot him. The room around him is dark, but he can easily see dozens of other humanoid bodies lying in tubs like his.

Credits.

Post-credits: in a white room, Starbuck opens her eyes. She sits up and looks around. From the brightness, a man's form coalesces. He smiles and says, "Kara Thrace, you have a very special destiny."



**FILM THREE**

At an alien outpost, the fleet and Galactica refuel and the people rest. Some people discuss settling on this planet if the natives would allow it. In one tavern, a group of Viper pilots drink and a man introduces himself as John. They are wary of this new guy. He reveals a suicide vest and detonates it. Elsewhere, a woman enters an open-air market and begins firing on the humans there. More scenes of this nature and then, as civilians and warriors scramble for shuttles, another John is in the uniform of a Colonial warrior and he pilots a fully loaded shuttle from the surface. Once it's airborne, he pushes the control stick forward and closes his eyes as it crashes.

The aliens signal Galactica and tell them to leave. They want no part of this war. Tigh orders the fleet to make a jump.

In his quarters, Adama (in civilian dress) is drinking and looking at pictures of his family. Tigh comes to speak with him but Adama tells him to leave. Tigh then visits the brig and sees Baltar. Guards bring in a dead Cylon humanoid and Tigh orders him to study it to see if there's a way to detect them. Baltar doubts he could help, but Tigh assigns a medical and technical staff to him to assist. A guard frees him and stays nearby.

The Cylon imperious commander from Kobol rejoins the Cylon fleet in a sparse asteroid field. There are two other Basestars there and the three commanders speak via viewscreen. We learn that the Cylon fleet is nearly eliminated thanks to the conflict and also the settling of Cylon forces and free robots on the former Colonial worlds. One of the three commanders suggest that they should return to the Cyrannus System to guard their new homes. The other two commanders vote that they continue the pursuit. The three Basestars ready a departure. On screen, Lee Adama appears and he says he is ready to aid in the hunt for his father. The Basestars leave a large asteroid and suddenly, engines on the asteroid fire up and it follows the ships.

The human fleet sits near a nebula and Tigh studies charts for their next jump. Roslin enters and speaks with him. Iblis is with her and he coaches her as she speaks. She gives him the coordinates of Earth. It is far and will take multiple jumps but with little else to go on, Tigh agrees.

Studying the Cylon body, Lilith speaks to Baltar. He tries to ignore her since he's surrounded by other people. She tells him he needs to get aboard a Cylon ship. He scoffs and attaches probes to the body's head. One of the other technicians finishes a scan of Galactica's security system and facial recognition returns multiple hits on known Cylons, including Cassies and Johns.

Baltar speaks to Tigh, telling him about the test he developed and the presence of other Cylons in the fleet. Security teams sweep the decks and find an officer who looks like one Cylon, but with dyed hair. She's arrested. A John Cylon fights back and is killed. In the lab, Baltar puts a metal cage-like device on his own head. The electrical resistance is high. One of the Cylons is brought to the lab, bound & gagged, and Baltar puts the device on his head. The electrical resistance is much lower.

On the bridge, Adama stands in the doorway and watches the crew at work. He sighs and sees a crewman he doesn't recognize at the comms station. A signal is sent out to the Cylons and the crew attacks the crewman.

With the nebula as a backdrop, Galactica readies for combat as the civilian ships prepare to jump toward Earth. One Basestar appears and launches Raiders. Vipers engage in combat, but one Viper comes from out of nowhere and begins picking off Raiders.

Heavy Raiders attack Galactica, crashing into the hull. Centurions run into the ship, firing on the crew and trying to secure key systems. Tigh recognizes the pattern as something he saw during the first Cylon War and he orders personnel to the computer core at the center of the ship and then to the rear of the ship in auxiliary engine control. If Cylons control either, they can control Galactica.

Two centurions escort Apollo through the corridors.

Tigh leads one of the warrior units, personally attacking Cylons heading for the computer core. When that group is wiped out, they move aft to aid the group fighting for engine control. They are nearly successful when two Cylons break through the lines and fire on the warriors. Tigh leaps forward and fires, stopping one centurion before getting shot in the chest. The second centurion explodes, riddling warriors (and Tigh) with shrapnel.

The Basestar retreats as the Raiders are wiped out. The Vipers, including the mysterious ace pilot, land on the Galactica. Kara Thrace emerges from the cockpit.

Tigh is brought to sickbay and Adama comes to find him. The two friends speak again and Tigh dies. A moment later, guards enter and ask for the commander. The doctor says he's dead. Adama wipes a tear from his eye and says, "I'm here."

The guards take Adama to a conference room. Apollo is standing there with two centurions, surrounded by a host of warriors. "Hello, father." "You said you weren't my son." "I'm not. But he is." One of the centurions pulls open a chest, dumping a disheveled Lee Adama onto the floor. He looks around and sees William Adama. "Dad?" The commander struggles to maintain composure and asks of the standing Cylon, "What do you want?" "Gaius Baltar."

In the corridors, Starbuck encounters Adama and smiles. Adama is concerned and has her follow them. In the lab, Baltar shows Adama how the Cylon detector works. They put it on Starbuck and it shows she's human. "I'm not sure what happened, but I know I can help." The smiling old man from her resurrection is there, too. Only she can see him.

Baltar is dragged from the lab. "They'll kill me!" Adama answers, "It'll save us the trouble."

In the landing bay, a single Cylon Raider sits. Roslin (with spectral Iblis) is there. Starbuck and her companion is there. Baltar is dragged to the Raider and Lilith walks close behind. The three spectral figures share a glance. Lilith smiles at Iblis and he returns it, but Starbuck's companion seems concerned. Adama puts the device on the haggard hostage Lee's head, revealing him to be human.  Cylon Apollo takes his seat at the center of the Raider's Cylon trio and it flies away with Baltar screaming in the cargo hold.

Roslin briefs Adama on Earth and they resume the trip. There's unrest in the fleet and Roslin addresses all ships over the radio, offering them religious-tinged comfort with coaching from Iblis. As the crew rests, Starbuck hums a song. Someone asks her about it but she says she doesn't know where she heard it. The spectral companion says, "When you hear it again, you'll know it's time for you to act." "What do I call you?" "My name is Jupiter. I was once a Lord of Kobol."

Adama tries to reconnect with Lee, but he suffers from PTSD and is slow to respond.

Aboard a Basestar, a robotic Cylon imperious commander speaks with Baltar, saying they could play him like an instrument, which is why the want him so badly. Under duress, Baltar reveals that the fleet is going to Earth. Lilith soothes him with her voice and touch, taking the edge off the torture. He doesn't know where Earth is, but Lilith tells him what to say. Baltar is then shuttled to the large asteroid ship. On board, he discovers hundreds of humanoid Cylons.

The fleet jumps. Earth is near. In Galactica's forward observation room, Roslin weeps at the sight. She thanks Iblis, but he ignores her, walking toward the window in a trance. Iblis smiles and says, "Billions and billions." "Yes! Praise the Lords of Kobol!" "No, praise ME!" Iblis turns and thanks Roslin for bringing mankind within his grasp. She doesn't understand, but Iblis tells her about the last days on Kobol, that he and Lilith broke away from the Lords of Kobol, and the war between them forced humanity to flee. "And now you have delivered the last remnant of humanity to me. Thank you." Roslin is horrified.

Three Basestars and the asteroid ship enter the star system. The human fleet nears Earth and Galactica turns. Adama gives a rousing speech to the warriors, speaking of their "last stand." Starbuck and Vipers launch and engage the Raiders.

On the asteroid ship, Baltar and Apollo (the one who had posed as Adama's son) speak. A Cylon commander appears on screen and tells Apollo that it's time to make their landing. "Landing?" Baltar asks. "Yes. We're going to land on Earth and then ... spread out. We'll rule the world in no time." The asteroid begins hurtling toward the planet.

Roslin goes to the bridge and tries to convince Adama that they need to leave Earth. "It's a bit late for that." "We have to go!" Iblis mocks her and Roslin is unsuccessful.

The battle reaches Earth's atmosphere. Starbuck's Viper brushes through high clouds and her comms picks up ground transmissions. Static, voices speaking gibberish, and then music. Her eyes widen, followed by a look of determination. The language that had been gibberish is now understandable.  She adjusts the tuning on her radio unit and the voice of Jupiter speaks, "Say what I say. 'Pentagon. Strategic Command gold code alpha, one, one.'" She transmits the message and Jupiter coaches her further.

Earth fighter jets scramble and are taken out quickly by Cylons.  Vipers swoop in and assist.  Raiders attack targets on the ground.  Vipers move to stop them, too.

As the Basestars fire on Galactica, the ship of light appears again, moving between the opponents. Not permeable this time, the ship of light takes damage and moves quickly away. The Cylons pursue it as Galactica falls back.

Baltar races through the corridors of the asteroid ship before finally reaching the core. Lilith is yelling at him, trying to get him to stop, but he won't listen. "Let this ship land!" "No!" He begins turning valves and opening switches. Lilith reaches for Baltar's arm but she won't grab him. She shakes and struggles with herself but then vanishes. The core overloads and the asteroid ship explodes.

Above Earth, a single missile enters space and Kara positions her Viper above it, magnetically attaching the landing pads and steering it toward the battle.

On Galactica, Adama watches the ship of light as it takes fire from the Basestars without returning it.

On Earth, inside a military command room, a general receives reports of ships in orbit and questions why a single missile was launched into space. "An order came from Strategic Air Command. The codes checked out." Iblis and Lilith watch as the general readies an order to launch more missiles. Then comes confirmation that the request for the launch came from orbit. The general, worried about further infiltration by these "aliens," orders missiles to be launched. Iblis shrugs and says to Lilith, "I would rather have used the Cylons to infiltrate this world, but annihilation won't be so bad." Then time slows. Lilith and Iblis are unaffected and Jupiter appears with several other beings of light. They reach into consoles, removing wires and sending energy through cables. Slowly, the launch condition on the monitors read "stand down."  Iblis & Lilith seem more stunned than angry. "You've ... you've interfered! Directly!" Jupiter nods, "It is long past time for us to interfere. Guidance and prodding can only go so far. We should leave humanity alone. For good." Two beings of light take hold of Iblis & Lilith. There's a flash and they are all now aboard the ship of light.

Kara releases the missile from her Viper and it cruises toward the three Basestars and the ship of light. It detonates, destroying the ship of light, and its shockwave engulfs and destroys the Basestars. The Vipers destroy the remaining Raiders.

Roslin and Adama on the bridge of Galactica look toward Earth and are worried about mixing the people of the fleet with the people of Earth.

In her Viper, Starbuck speaks with Strategic Air Command and requests a meeting.

Adama narrates a montage showing a meeting between Earth leaders and Adama & Roslin on the deck of an aircraft carrier with a Galactica shuttle and two Vipers parked on it. Starbuck acts as the intermediary since she is the only person who speaks English (thanks to her resurrection) and translates the conversation between the humans of Earth and the fleet. Refugees from the Twelve Colonies are given land to settle and they rejoice at having a home outside of their spacecraft. Different races of people and scientists from around the world are taken into space and given a tour of the Colonial ships and technology. "Maybe together we can escape the mistakes of our past." Adama and Lee are alone in a small cottage on an island in the ocean.

Credits.

Post-credits: black screen, then a single red light sweeps side-to-side.

THE END

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