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{{Character Data | {{Character Data | ||
|photo= Felix | |photo= Season 3 Felix.jpg | ||
| | |age= | ||
|colony= | |||
|birthname= Felix Gaeta | |birthname= Felix Gaeta | ||
|callsign= | |callsign= | ||
|seen= Miniseries | |seen= Miniseries | ||
|death= | |death= | ||
|marital status= | |parents= | ||
|siblings= | |||
|rank= | |children= | ||
|marital status= | |||
|role=Aide to President [[Gaius Baltar]], former [[Tactical Officer]], Senior Officer of the Watch, [[CIC]], [[Battlestar]] ''[[Galactica]]'' | |||
|rank= Lieutenant | |||
|actor=[[Alessandro Juliani]] | |actor=[[Alessandro Juliani]] | ||
| | |cylon= | ||
}} | }} | ||
Lieutenant '''Felix Gaeta''' ({{IPA| | Lieutenant '''Felix Gaeta''' ({{IPA|ˈgeɪ.ɾə}} or "gay-tah") is a young, capable officer in the Colonial military. For the three years prior to the [[Cylon attack]] on the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]], he has served as [[William Adama]]'s Senior Officer of the Watch aboard battlestar ''[[Galactica]]''. | ||
Prior to the attack, he was studying | Prior to the attack, he was studying biogenetics and planned to get a degree through the military extension program ([[Water]]). | ||
He exhibits a strong attention to detail and is highly efficient. These | He exhibits a strong attention to detail and is highly efficient. These tendencies and his overall ability have led William Adama to rely heavily on him as a member of ''Galactica's'' command crew, despite his relative youth and junior rank. | ||
As well as | As well as performing the role of Tactical Officer, Gaeta also manages the ship's [[FTL]] systems, including the calculation and initiation of Jumps. Gaeta also manages the needs of the various primary [[Computers|computer systems]] used on the battlestar. | ||
==Remarkable Brillance== | |||
Gaeta is | As a result of his studies in biogenetics, Lt. Gaeta is selected by Adama to assist Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] in the development of the much-needed [[Cylon detector]] following the Cylon attack ([[Water]]). During his time working with Baltar, Gaeta develops a certain respect and liking for the doctor - despite the latter's apparent eccentricities. When a woman called "[[Shelly Godfrey]]" arrives on-board ''Galactica'', Gaeta works hard to prove Baltar's innocence of the charges levelled against him ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). Although he is ultimately successful, Gaeta fails to follow-up on the fact that the photographic evidence supplied by "Shelly Godfrey" looked as if the evidence itself had been faked in a way that ensured it was exposed as a forgery. | ||
Gaeta shows his remarkable brilliance after ''Galactica'' mistakenly Jumps to a different set of coordinates than the rest of [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]] to escape a Cylon attack ([[Scattered]]). The [[FTL]] computers compensate for spatial changes, but due to the chaos after [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] is shot by [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]], Gaeta does not have time to synchronize the spatial positioning with the rest of the Fleet, whose FTL computers had collectively different information. Complicating the issue, if ''Galactica'' returns to their original position, the Cylons would destroy the ship before it could retrieve the correct Fleet coordinates using standard procedure. | |||
Gaeta blames himself (although [[Saul Tigh]] did not), but later realizes that by networking four computers of the ship (something Commander Adama may never have approved), he could reduce the coordinate calculation time from hours to minutes. Knowing the Cylons would try to crack his ''ad hoc'' network, Gaeta sets up five [[Wikipedia:Firewall (networking)|firewalls]] in the network to slow their progress while the ship's guns and Vipers buy the needed time to calculate. Unfortunately for Gaeta, the firewalls are not completely effective. Several power and CIC systems were disabled by a Cylon infection while [[Cylon Centurion]]s board the ship ([[Valley of Darkness]]). Gaeta scrambles to purge the systems of any remaining traces of the [[Virus|virus]]. | |||
Gaeta blames himself (although [[Saul Tigh]] | |||
==Under Pressure== | ==Under Pressure== | ||
Gaeta's calm exterior shows signs of wear when his interview with [[D' | Gaeta's calm exterior shows signs of wear when his interview with [[D'anna Biers]] shows him somewhat drunk, smoking, and brandishing a rather garish [[tattoo]] of a tiger ([[Final Cut]]). Viewers learn from the footage that Gaeta's first name is Felix. | ||
[[ | The Cylon virus rears its ugly head once more a few weeks later when shipboard malfunctions increase to a point where consoles begin to sputter and short out. Gaeta confirms that the same virus they thought they had removed from the formerly-networked computers had metamorphized into a heuristic program--a [[Logic bomb|logic bomb]]--that studied and probed flaws in the battlestar's computers and the hardware that each system manages. The logic bomb threatened to disable the ship's human control on a Cylon fighter's command--and a Cylon attack force was imminent. | ||
After Colonel Tigh's command to perform the daunting task of inspecting many lines of computer code for a Cylon virus, the young lieutenant completely loses his cool: | After Colonel Tigh's command to perform the daunting task of inspecting many lines of computer code for a Cylon virus, the young lieutenant completely loses his cool: | ||
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Gaeta has a solution for the logic bomb: Wipe all computer hard drives and restore them from backups made before the Cylon attack. The problem in doing this is that ''Galactica'' will be completely vulnerable to attack, save for her Viper fighters, for several minutes as her computers are rebuilt. | Gaeta has a solution for the logic bomb: Wipe all computer hard drives and restore them from backups made before the Cylon attack. The problem in doing this is that ''Galactica'' will be completely vulnerable to attack, save for her Viper fighters, for several minutes as her computers are rebuilt. | ||
Against his instincts and on [[Laura Roslin]]'s advice, Adama opts to use the unique abilities of the cooperative [[Sharon Valerii|Caprica copy of Sharon Valerii]] to aid them. Gaeta gives the humanoid Cylon a fiber-optic data link with access to the battlestar mainframe computer and the ship's communications. After a few tense moments, Valerii asks Gaeta to perform the computer hard drive wipe after taking into her computer/brain a copy of the Cylon virus. She manipulates it and transmits to the massive incoming Cylon fleet, disabling the entire Cylon fleet in the same way that the Colonials suffered in the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. The Colonial forces [[Great Cylon Turkey Shoot|destroy the entire Cylon force]] without a single Colonial casualty | Against his instincts and on [[Laura Roslin]]'s advice, Adama opts to use the unique abilities of the cooperative [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Caprica copy of Sharon Valerii]] to aid them. Gaeta gives the humanoid Cylon a fiber-optic data link with access to the battlestar mainframe computer and the ship's communications. After a few tense moments, Valerii asks Gaeta to perform the computer hard drive wipe after taking into her computer/brain a copy of the Cylon virus. She manipulates it and transmits to the massive incoming Cylon fleet, disabling the entire Cylon fleet in the same way that the Colonials suffered in the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. The Colonial forces [[Great Cylon Turkey Shoot|destroy the entire Cylon force]] without a single Colonial casualty ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]). | ||
Gaeta is among the tense officers and crew in CIC that witness a standoff between their battlestar and the heavily-advanced battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', whose commander, Admiral [[Helena Cain]], has opted to execute two ''Galactica'' crew members after she tried them herself and against Adama's requests for the rights of his crew to have a fair, open trial | Gaeta is among the tense officers and crew in CIC that witness a standoff between their battlestar and the heavily-advanced battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', whose commander, Admiral [[Helena Cain]], has opted to execute two ''Galactica'' crew members after she tried them herself and against Adama's requests for the rights of his crew to have a fair, open trial ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]). | ||
== The Presidential Election and New Caprica == | == The Presidential Election and New Caprica == | ||
During the presidential election, Gaeta is assigned to aid and oversee the ballot counting process on ''Galactica''. He also aids in thwarting Roslin's plans to steal the election (though he apparently never knew - or indicates any knowledge of - who exactly is behind it, other than Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]) by discovering the illegitimate ballots from the ''[[Zephyr]]''. The only reason he realizes that the ''Zephyr'' | During the presidential election, Gaeta is assigned to aid and oversee the ballot counting process on ''Galactica''. He also aids in thwarting Roslin's plans to steal the election (though he apparently never knew -- or indicates any knowledge of -- who exactly is behind it, other than Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]) by discovering the illegitimate ballots from the ''[[Zephyr]]''. The only reason he realizes that the ''Zephyr'''s ballots were tampered with is due to the fact that the ''Zephyr''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s original, valid ballots had misspelled Gaius Baltar's name -- the fixed ballots did not share this error. (Gaeta had authorized the go-ahead to use the misspelled ballots due to the lack of time to print new ones prior to the opening of the polls.) | ||
Due to this happenstance discovery, Baltar, who had been rightfully | Due to this happenstance discovery, Baltar, who had been rightfully voted as President-Elect, was sworn in as president and ordered the Fleet to colonize [[New Caprica]]. | ||
A year later on [[New Caprica]], Gaeta seems to be an adviser to President [[Gaius Baltar]]. His previous post on ''Galactica'' is assumed by | A year later on [[New Caprica]], Gaeta seems to be an adviser to President [[Gaius Baltar]]. His previous post on ''Galactica'' is assumed by [[Karl Agathon]]. While Gaeta is pleased that there had been no Cylon attacks during Baltar's presidency, he disapproves of Baltar's womanizing and is secretly infuriated at Baltar's devil-may-care attitude towards the New Caprica City Worker's Union and the Quorum of Twelve. Gaeta later brings news of the Cylon invasion to the president and is present when Baltar surrenders New Caprica to [[Caprica-Six]] and [[Number Five]]. ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]). | ||
Gaeta is also the [[New Caprica Resistance]] inside source into the inner workings of the Cylons. He seems to favor an assassination of President Baltar as he provides the group with information that he is going to attend the [[New Caprica Police]] force graduation, which is disrupted by [[Duck]]'s suicide bombing. However, upon learning that Baltar would not attend, he rushes to contact the group to warn them Baltar that is not going to be there | Gaeta is also the [[New Caprica Resistance]] inside source into the inner workings of the Cylons. He seems to favor an assassination of President Baltar as he provides the group with information that he is going to attend the [[New Caprica Police]] force graduation, which is disrupted by [[Duck]]'s suicide bombing. However, upon learning that Baltar would not attend, he rushes to contact the group to warn them Baltar that is not going to be there. ([[Occupation]]) | ||
== Inside Man == | == Inside Man == | ||
Being the "inside man" allows him to help the [[New Caprica Resistance]] understand the inner Cylon related activities and security procedures on [[New Caprica]]. For him to contact the group, he flips [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake]]'s yellow bowl upside down and leaves a note or information packet in a nearby tool bin for the [[New Caprica Resistance|resistance]] to find. [[Galen Tyrol]] does not know that he is the "inside man" and when they talk, Tyrol accuses him | Being the "inside man" allows him to help the [[New Caprica Resistance]] understand the inner Cylon related activities and security procedures on [[New Caprica]]. For him to contact the group, he flips [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake]]'s yellow bowl upside down and leaves a note or information packet in a nearby tool bin for the [[New Caprica Resistance|resistance]] to find. [[Galen Tyrol]] does not know that he is the "inside man" and when they talk, Tyrol accuses of him being a collaborator. ([[Precipice]]) | ||
== End of the Baltar Administration == | == End of the Baltar Administration == | ||
As the Cylons are preparing to evacuate during the [[Battle of New Caprica]], Gaeta pulls a gun on a distraught President Baltar, clearly intending to kill him. [[Caprica-Six]] attempts to dissuade Gaeta from this course of action. In contrast to his companion's feelings, Baltar seems fully willing to die; but he tells Gaeta that he is the only one who could stop a [[Number Three]]-model Cylon from detonating a nuclear weapon hidden somewhere in the city of New Caprica. This convinces the reluctant Gaeta to let Baltar go, giving the disgraced leader a chance to redeem himself. Gaeta | As the Cylons are preparing to evacuate during the [[Battle of New Caprica]], Gaeta pulls a gun on a distraught President Baltar, clearly intending to kill him. [[Caprica-Six]] attempts to dissuade Gaeta from this course of action. In contrast to his companion's feelings, Baltar seems fully willing to die; but he tells Gaeta that he is the only one who could stop a [[Number Three]]-model Cylon from detonating a nuclear weapon hidden somewhere in the city of New Caprica. This convinces the reluctant Gaeta to let Baltar go, giving the disgraced leader a chance to redeem himself ([[Exodus, Part II]]). Gaeta is presumably on Colonial One when it leaves the planet and is in ''Galactica'''s hangar during the post-battle celebration. | ||
== Return to Duty == | == Return to Duty == | ||
Gaeta is initially isolated from ''Galactica'''s crew and those who were on New Caprica. Because of his high position in the collaborationist government, they believe he carried out the will of the Cylons. When he arrives in CIC to help with repairs on the communication systems damaged during the recent battle, former resistance leader Colonel Tigh is openly hostile towards him. Gaeta attempts to defend his actions in a tense conversation with | Gaeta is initially isolated from ''Galactica'''s crew and those who were on New Caprica. Because of his high position in the collaborationist government, they believe he carried out the will of the Cylons. When he arrives in CIC to help with repairs on the communication systems damaged during the recent battle, former resistance leader Colonel Tigh is openly hostile towards him. Gaeta attempts to defend his actions in a tense conversation with [[Kara Thrace]] by revealing himself as Tyrol's mysterious informant. Starbuck doesn't know about the informant, since she was a captive of [[Leoben Conoy]] during the four-month Cylon occupation. She mocks her crewmate and dismisses his revelation as a poorly fabricated lie. | ||
When Gaeta's name comes up for review in the [[The Circle]], he is convicted of the crime of collaborating with the enemy and sentenced to death, despite the lack of evidence against him. The six-person tribunal takes him to a Viper [[launch tube]] to face his sentence. When asked to defend himself, Gaeta says that he already did and refuses to beg for his life. This infuriates Starbuck, who lashes out at him in a physical attack and resumes the mocking she started in the mess hall. Upon hearing Starbuck repeat information about the dog bowl, Galen Tyrol realizes that Gaeta was indeed the informant from inside the Baltar administration. Gaeta is released and sent allowed to go. He resumes his duties as a Lieutenant, still shunned by most of his crewmates except Tyrol ([[Collaborators]]). | |||
==Note== | |||
*While Gaeta is described as the "Tactical Officer", his role is closer to that of the US Navy's CIC Watch Officer (CICWO), combining it with elements of the Tactical Watch Officer (TAO), a role also partially fulfilled by [[Saul Tigh|Colonel Tigh]], both under the command of [[William Adama]]. According to the official SciFi.com character data file, Gaeta's title is "Senior Officer of the Watch", although the title of Tactical Officer may have a better "ring" to the ears of most viewers. | |||
*The name "Felix" means "Happy" in Latin; the connotations of the Latin word imply being fortunate, lucky, prosperous, or "favored by the gods". It first appeared in the episode ''[[Final Cut]]''. | |||
*[[Wikipedia:Gaeta|Gaeta]] is the name of a small seaport and resort in southern Italy. This goes well with his Latin first name. | |||
*His counterpart in the original "Battlestar Galactica" is Sgt. [[Omega]], a [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]] native. | |||
*In the [[Miniseries]], Gaeta's name is usually pronounced "Guy-tah" {{IPA|ˈgaɪ.ɾə}}. However, in all subsequent installments of the regular series, everyone pronounces it as "Gay-tah" {{IPA|ˈgeɪ.ɾə}}; however, Col. [[Saul Tigh]] seems to vacillate between {{IPA|ˈgeɪ.ɾə}} and {{IPA|ˈgaɪ.ɾə}}. | |||
*There is speculation among fans that Gaeta is another [[Cylon agent speculation|Cylon infiltrator]]. | |||
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[[ | [[Category:A to Z|Gaeta, Felix]] | ||
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