Zarek (disambiguation)

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Primary ContinuitySeparate Continuity

Tom ZarekArts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies#Tom Zarek's book

Zarek (disambiguation)
[show/hide spoilers] Spoilers hidden in infobox by default only.
Name	{{{name}}}
Age	{{{age}}}
Colony	Sagittaron
Birth place	{{{birthplace}}}
Birth Name	Thomas Zarek
Birth Date	{{{birthdate}}}
Callsign	{{{callsign}}}
Nickname	{{{nickname}}}
Introduced	Bastille Day
Last Known Appearance	[[{{{lastseen}}}]]
Death	Executed by firing squad, c. 4 ACH (2003BYR) (TRS: "Blood on the Scales")
Parents	{{{parents}}}
Siblings	{{{siblings}}}
Children	{{{children}}}
Marital Status	Single
Family Tree	View
Role	Vice President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol Former President of the Twelve Colonies Former representative of Sagittaron on the Quorum of Twelve
Rank	{{{rank}}}
Serial Number	{{{serial}}}
Portrayed by	Richard Hatch
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Cylon
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Final Five Cylon
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Human/Cylon Hybrid
Zarek (disambiguation) is an Original Series Cylon
Related Media
Additional Information
[[File:|300px|Zarek (disambiguation)]]

Thomas Zarek, commonly known as Tom Zarek, was a political activist for more than thirty years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. He was a charismatic, eloquent, and ideological political agitator who turned to terrorism, and was eventually incarcerated for blowing up a government building on Sagittaron. His twenty-year incarceration culminated in a sojourn on Astral Queen, an FTL-capable prison ship, while in transit to parole hearings. Assigned the prison number of 893893, Zarek is under consideration for parole at the time of the Cylon attack. Afterward, he is elected the Sagitarion delegate to the Quorum of Twelve, before being appointed vice president of the Twelve Colonies under Gaius Baltar. He serves as president for several days before transferring power to Laura Roslin and in turn becoming her vice president. In punishment for leading a coup against the civilian government, Zarek is executed for murder and treason alongside Felix Gaeta.

Biography

Zarek came from Sagittaron, a colony known to be mistreated by the other eleven Colonies. Through his experiences on that colony he became an advocate of freedom from slavery, and proclaimed himself a voice for the disenfranchised. Along with publishing a book that was virtually banned throughout the Colonies, Zarek actively sought to combat injustices with the aid of his group, the S.F.M.

Though some consider him a terrorist for his often violent tactics (which include the destruction of a government building that results in unspecified casualties), others see him as a freedom fighter and a hero. He believes in the efficacy of violence as a means of change, going as so far as to go to prison over a "matter of conscience" by refusing President Richard Adar's politically motivated conditional pardon: the pardon being issued in return for a public apology and pledge to give up violence as a means of change.

Some of his fellow Sagittarons have an intense dislike of him, including Anastasia Dualla. Despite this, he became a public figure whose name had weight and almost became legendary, thanks to public opinion ^{(TRS: "Bastille Day")}.

After the Fall of the Colonies

Zarek in his cell ^{(TRS: "Bastille Day")}.

As the Cylons attack the Twelve Colonies, Zarek is on a prison barge called Astral Queen, headed to Caprica for parole hearings with several hundred other inmates. Hiding out in the atmosphere of Ragnar with the rest of humanity's survivors, the captain of Astral Queen suggests that the inmates be euthanized, but his wish is overturned by President Roslin's humanitarian decision to keep all of humanity's remnants alive ^{(TRS: "Miniseries")}. This leaves Zarek with time to plot his escape.

With the discovery of a planet that could replenish Galactica's lost water, Commander Adama, Colonel Saul Tigh and President Roslin reluctantly decide to ask the prisoners to volunteer as badly needed manpower, under the condition that they would not be treated as slaves and they would agree of their own volition ^{(TRS: "Water" and "Bastille Day")}.

After Lee Adama's unsuccessful attempt to persuade the prisoners to help in the recovery efforts, Zarek's springs the prisoners' escape plan. The prisoners, under Zarek's command, usurp control of Astral Queen, and takes her crew and Galactica's visitors as prisoners. Zarek states his terms for release of the prisoners: the resignation of Laura Roslin and her administration, and the start of free and open elections for a new President. Zarek deems Roslin's presidency as illegitimate and illegal.

However, Zarek's aims are not in keeping with his demands; he wants a bloodbath to ensue, believing that all that people understand is violence, and that a bloodbath would destroy any credibility that Adama and Roslin have.

When the situation deteriorates near the point of catastrophe for all involved, Zarek, ready to sacrifice his life for his beliefs, is swayed by Lee Adama's promise that he would uphold the Articles of Colonization and hold open elections for a new president, once Roslin had served the remainder of President Adar's term (as dictated by the Articles and Case Orange), as well as give the ship over to the prisoners as a show of good faith ^{(TRS: "Bastille Day")}.

Attempts for Political Power

Tom Zarek in debate with Quorum members.

With a degree of freedom obtained by the prisoners - including control of Astral Queen - Zarek engages in a steady effort to gain the goodwill of others of influence within the Fleet. This effort includes physical acts of support for other ships, such as fixing the air filtration system on the ship occupied by Marshall Bagott, a politician from Virgon.

Zarek's efforts result in a nomination as Sagittaron's representative on the Quorum of Twelve. From there, Zarek makes a bid for the position of vice president using the support of those he assisted, and possibly badgered ^{(TRS: "Colonial Day")}.

While Zarek's attempt at the vice presidency fails after Roslin replaces the somewhat unlikeable Wallace Gray with the charismatic Doctor Gaius Baltar as an alternative candidate, Zarek makes it clear to Roslin that he will be standing against her in the elections. Zarek remains possibly the most powerful and popular representative in the Quorum of Twelve.

When he is interviewed by the press aboard Cloud 9, he makes several comments consistent with a collectivist-oriented political ideology ^{(TRS: "Colonial Day")}. Whether these comments reflect Zarek's actual ideology, or if they are a cover he is using for his own purposes, remains unknown.

Breakaway from the Fleet

The schism created by Commander Adama's unlawful arrest of President Roslin^{(TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I")} and Colonel Tigh's declaration of martial law presents Zarek with an opportunity to convince others that Adama is after total control of the Fleet. Zarek likely sought to use Tigh's inexperience with dealing with the government and press against the military powers. Zarek and the Quorum soon learn of Roslin's terminal cancer, after Tigh permits the Quorum of Twelve to see her in Galactica's brig ^{(TRS: "Fragged")}.

After the Gideon incident, where four civilians die, some Galactica crew members orchestrate Roslin's escape. Lee Adama, knowing they would be hunted throughout the Fleet, enlists Zarek's assistance in secreting Roslin away from Tigh and Commander Adama ^{(TRS: "Resistance", "Resistance" and "The Farm")}. Roslin is initially dismayed to be greeted by Zarek, but realizes that Zarek, no friend to either Adama or Tigh, is "the enemy of my enemy."

Zarek and Roslin attempt to use appeals by recorded wireless messages to sway favor in the Fleet to return to Kobol. Zarek convinces Lee Adama at first to create a dissenting message against Galactica's rule, but Lee changes his mind. After Roslin plays the "religious card" to sway support for her cause in the Fleet, Roslin and Zarek lead a separatist fleet back to Kobol to await Kara Thrace's return with the Arrow of Apollo, for use in unlocking the Tomb of Athena.

Zarek, with his associate Meier, plan to eliminate the young Captain Adama on Kobol, using the rationalization about Zeus' warning that any return to Kobol would "exact a price in blood". Zarek feels that removing the young Adama would create a political power vacuum, allowing Zarek to take the position as leader of the fractioned Fleet, while Roslin would remain president ^{(TRS: "Home, Part I")}.

Zarek abandons the assassination plan when Commander Adama arrives on Kobol to mend fences with Roslin. However, Meier privately revises the plan outside of Zarek's knowledge, now with the goal of eliminating both Adamas by soliciting the help of the Caprica copy of Sharon Valerii that returned with Karl "Helo" Agathon and Thrace. Unfortunately for Zarek, Caprica-Valerii double-crosses Meier, killing him at the entrance to the Tomb of Athena. While none in the group immediately consider Zarek as a suspect in Meier's assassination attempt, Commander Adama remains guarded and leaves Zarek and several others outside of the Tomb under the watchful eye of Chief Tyrol while they unlock its secrets ^{(TRS: "Home, Part II")}.

After the Fleet's Reunification

Zarek later gives Lee Adama information regarding the black market, initially claiming not to be a part of it because he needs to keep his hands clean, but ultimately points out that the black market does get supplies where they are needed. Nonetheless, Zarek mentions the central hub of the black market, Prometheus, a ship so lawless that it is practically "off the grid," as well as the name of a "businessman," Phelan. However, soon after Phelan's death at the hands of Captain Adama, Tom Zarek is seen walking through a crowd on Prometheus with one of Phelan's old henchmen in tow. It is unknown how much involvement Tom Zarek has with the organization ^{(TRS: "Black Market")}.

Despite being the presumed opponent of Roslin in the upcoming presidential election, Zarek decides not to run against her because he realizes he probably won't win the election. However, he encourages Vice President Gaius Baltar to run in his place ^{(TRS: "The Captain's Hand")}.

Baltar's Election Campaign

When Baltar announces his run for the presidency, Zarek assumes a position as his campaign manager. For all Zarek's personal political talent he has a hard time managing Baltar's campaign and faces the tough issue of whether Baltar is an electable candidate. After being trounced in the first debate by Roslin, Baltar's political future is in deep jeopardy and Zarek is left looking for a stronger wedge-issue other than Roslin's ties to the religious Gemenese. With the accidental discovery of New Caprica, an issue presents itself that they can get on the supposed right side of: the colonization of the newly found planet and a safe-haven from the Cylons. Zarek presses Baltar to pick up this issue and run with it and as soon as he does his political fortunes turn around dramatically. Like he predicted, the people rally around the idea of colonization; Baltar sails out of the final debate with a wide lead on Roslin ^{(TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II")}.

With his job of campaign manager all but over on election day, there isn't much for Zarek to do but sit back and wait for the results to come in. When the initial tallies come in suggesting Roslin scored a remarkable come-back victory he says to Baltar that he's seen enough elections to recognize a fixed one. Baltar admonishes Zarek, maintaining that, whatever Laura Roslin is, she is above fixing an election.

Later, with Baltar as president, Zarek becomes his vice president.

The Occupation of New Caprica

After Baltar's surrender of the Colonial government, Zarek disagrees with the planned collaboration with the Cylons and is sent to a detention camp for four months.

Along with former President Laura Roslin, he and about 200 other dissidents are driven to the Pergamus Flats where they are to be executed by an order Baltar was forced to sign. After exiting the truck, Zarek asks Roslin directly whether she had attempted to steal the past election. After Roslin admits that she had, both agree that they wished she had succeeded. The group of detainees are soon faced with Cylon Centurions preparing to fire, and Zarek pulls Roslin back from the front of the crowd ^{(TRS: "Precipice")}. However, members of the resistance successfully prevent the execution.

Zarek attends the final meeting of the resistance to review the plan to escape New Caprica. Zarek and Roslin evacuate together towards their ships, though Roslin chooses to escape on Colonial One. Before departing for his own ship, Zarek gives a gun to Jammer and tells him to protect Roslin ^{(TRS: "Exodus, Part II")}.

Presidency and the new Roslin Administration

After the escape of the colonists from New Caprica, Zarek assumes his office as President, succeeding the missing Baltar. He brokers an agreement with Roslin, whereby she is elected as vice president and he steps down, returning her to the office she has held since the Cylon invasion. She would then appoint him as Vice President to her. He asks her to give him a position in the new government and she offers this job to him herself citing his courage in standing up against Baltar. Unknown to Roslin and Adama, Zarek has signed into law an executive order authorizing a secret six-person group tasked to find, charge, try, and execute collaborators and traitors. Sometime after disclosing this to Adama and Roslin, Zarek does go through with his plan, allowing Laura Roslin to resume her role as president. Despite condemning his actions and pardoning collaborators who collaborated with Cylons on New Caprica ^{(TRS: "Collaborators")}, Roslin is true to her word and appoints Zarek as her vice president.

Genuinely afraid of the consequences of trying Gaius Baltar after his capture on the algae planet, Zarek argues with Roslin about instituting martial law throughout the Fleet during Baltar's trial, citing potentially dangerous and destructive civil unrest and work stoppages throughout the Fleet ^{(TRS: "The Woman King")}.

When Cowen, the Caprican delegate to the Quorum of Twelve, dies, Zarek nominates the recently retired Lee Adama to the post, because of his dedication to finding the truth during the Baltar trial. In a benevolent attempt to keep the government from becoming a dictatorship, Zarek wants Adama on the Quorum to question some secretive decisions made by President Roslin. Zarek explains that this is not an attempt to manipulate Roslin in a malevolent way, but to deter her from the temptation of taking away the rights and power of the people for the sake of security. He acknowledges that he still supports Roslin and believes that even her most controversial decisions have been made for the good of the Fleet ^{(TRS: "The Ties That Bind")}.

Several months later, Zarek finds himself in direct conflict with Lee Adama and his father. After President Roslin is taken away from the fleet by the rebel basestar (TRS: "Guess What's Coming to Dinner"), Zarek asserts his legal right as vice president to serve as acting president--an assertion that is ignored by Admiral Adama. The younger Adama, after backing his father's decision, convinces Zarek to give grudging approval to a search for another acting president--a search that ultimately puts Lee Adama himself into the position ^{(TRS: "Sine Qua Non")}.

Post Earth/Coup d'etat

Following the discovery of a ruined Earth ^{(TRS: "Revelations")}, both Adamas advocate a plan for a permanent alliance with the rebel Cylons, a plan that will extend full citizenship and Quorum representation to the Cylons. Zarek angrily opposes the plan, and instead musters near-unanimous support in the Quorum for a law requiring prior permission from the people of each ship in the fleet before any Cylon is allowed to board. Admiral Adama retaliates by forcibly boarding Colonial One and placing Zarek under arrest. Adama compels Zarek to reveal the coordinates of a ship that had left the fleet in protest.

While in prison, Zarek meets with Lieutenant Felix Gaeta and wins his cooperation in resisting the Cylon alliance ^{(TRS: "A Disquiet Follows My Soul")}. Sometime later, Zarek is secretly freed from Galactica brig by Gaeta and several of Gaeta's co-conspirators. They are blocked from taking off in a waiting Raptor by deck chief Peter Laird, but Zarek kills Laird with a wrench before the latter can call for confirmation. Zarek returns to Colonial One in the midst of a stormy meeting of the Quorum led by Lee Adama. The vice president explains his surprise release as part of the admiral's decision to finally abandon democratic governance in favor of a military dictatorship: with democratic institutions such as the Quorum now cut off from power, Zarek is supposedly no longer a political threat and is therefore not worth keeping under arrest. While this is occurring, Gaeta's mutiny aboard Galactica continues until the CIC is secure and the senior staff are detained. Zarek calls Gaeta, and expresses his own surprise at the fact that Adama has not been killed ^{(TRS: "The Oath")}.

During his and Gaeta's rebellion, Zarek uses violence to gain the power he wants. When the Quorum do not support him and order him to leave--addressing him as Vice President rather than President--he orders their execution by the marines outside the door. After the order is carried out, he summons Gaeta, who reacts in horror and says that now all they had were "lies and murder."

He acts as judge in a court-martial for Adama, finds him guilty of treason, and as he had intended all along, orders his execution. When Roslin calls from the Cylon baseship demanding that he and Gaeta surrender, he refuses, claiming that Tigh is dead already and that Adama is going to be executed. His call for Roslin to surrender in order to end the bloodshed infurates her to the point of turning the baseship's weapons on Galactica. Zarek wants to fight, but Gaeta tries to jump away, only to be foiled by Tyrol's sabotage of the FTL drive. Zarek is shocked by Gaeta's order to stand down all weapons. Seconds later, Zarek and Gaeta are arrested by Adama and his supporters, ending the rebellion.

Zarek is later executed by firing squad for his actions alongside Gaeta. He offers Gaeta a smile before the squad opens fire ^{(TRS: "Blood on the Scales")}.

Character Development

Creation and Naming

Toni Graphia and Carla Robinson were responsible for naming Tom Zarek. Graphia recalls: "We knew we probably wanted something starting with a 'Z' for his surname, because a 'Z' sounds strong and futuristic. And we wanted him to have a religious-sounding name for his first name, so we looked at a number of Saints' names. His original name was Peter Zarek, but that didn't clear with our legal department. So we changed it to Tom."

Character Conception

Writer Toni Graphia conceived Tom Zarek as a complex figure, not a straightforward villain. Ronald D. Moore initially described the character as a "Nelson Mandela-style prisoner of conscience." Graphia elaborated on this approach:

"We saw Tom Zarek as someone who had created a lot of trouble for the 'right reasons.' He had committed terrorist acts in the name of preventing his colony and his people from being exploited. Zarek is not a moustache-twirling villain. He's a something of a rogue hero, and he's supposed to be very likeable."

Moore added further insight into Zarek's psychology: "Tom Zarek is idealistic in his own way. But I think he has more personal ambition than even he would care to admit."

Richard Hatch's Interpretation

Actor Richard Hatch, who portrayed Zarek, shared this view of the character's complexity and embraced the moral ambiguity:

"I play Zarek as a heroic and idealistic character who is struggling to deal with his dark side and the pain and anger of his past. In my mind he's got idealistic motivations, but sometimes his high ideas and personal flaws can lead him to do things that can be interpreted as bad."

Hatch praised the show's approach to character development: "Ron Moore is extremely good at creating complex, interesting characters who aren't just all good or all bad. So Tom Zarek is ultimately just a very complex human being, like we all are in real life."

Casting Process

When Ronald D. Moore offered the role of Tom Zarek to Richard Hatch, the original series star had previously declined a cameo appearance as the then-male Elosha in the Miniseries. However, he was intrigued by Moore's description of Zarek and quickly signed on to play the potentially recurring character.

Hatch later reflected: "Prior to that episode, I had told Ron that if there was a wonderful and challenging role for me, I would be open to doing that. When he told me about Tom Zarek, I thought the role sounded terrific and I agreed to do it."

Despite his initial opposition to the reimagined series, Hatch came to embrace the project.

"I fell in love with the original show and I spent a lot of time and money fighting to bring it back, so it was a painful process for me to accept that the studio was going ahead with a re-imagining instead. I would have loved Universal to have made a continuation with Ron Moore and David Eick and most of their cast and crew. But I had to come to terms in a very painful way that I didn't own Battlestar, and I had to move past my own frustrations to appreciate the new show on its own merits."

Working Relationships

With Mary McDonnell

When Zarek returned for "Colonial Day," Richard Hatch had the opportunity to work extensively with Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin). Hatch was thrilled with this professional relationship:

"What was nice about that episode is that my character gets taken off the prison barge and gets put in a position where he can fight within the system, rather than from outside it. He gets the chance to represent Sagittaron and go up against President Roslin, and you're still not quite sure what his motivations really are. I enjoyed coming back, especially because I got a chance to work with Mary McDonnell, who is a brilliant actress. For me, that episode was a pure joy."

McDonnell was equally complimentary about their screen partnership: "I thoroughly enjoyed working with Richard on that episode. He's succeeded in creating a great role for himself. I think we have a great chemistry and he's a pretty powerful nemesis for Laura."

Interestingly, McDonnell had no prior knowledge of the original Battlestar Galactica when she joined the reimagined series, but came to appreciate Hatch's contribution: "I have complete respect for the old show, especially after I got to meet [original series star] Richard Hatch. I love working with Richard and he does a terrific job of playing Laura's nemesis, Tom Zarek."

Impact on the Series

Hatch ultimately viewed his participation in the reimagined series as professionally and personally rewarding:

"It's wonderful to be playing a really interesting character on a show that I think is going to end up as a brilliant science fiction series. What I love about the new show is that they're exploring the core premise in ways we weren't able to do twenty-five years ago. The show has also reminded me what's it like to play a challenging, complex and rewarding role. It has actually rekindled my love of acting."

Notes

• Tom Zarek is portrayed by actor Richard Hatch, who portrayed the original Apollo in the Original Series. Hatch is the only actor to have had roles in both Battlestar Galactica series.
• A separate continuity comic book series, starting with Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 1, gives a non-canonical tale about this character's more rebellious life.
• Ronald D. Moore noted that President Roslin's first public encounter with Tom Zarek was loosely inspired by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin during the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993.
• Moore described "Colonial Day" as their "West Wing episode," designed to explore the political nature of the show and see how Laura functions as President while giving them an opportunity to bring back Tom Zarek.

References

Preceded by: unknown	Sagittaron delegate to the Quorum of Twelve	Succeeded by: unknown eventually Jacob Cantrell
Preceded by: Gaius Baltar	Vice-President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol	Succeeded by: Laura Roslin
Preceded by: Gaius Baltar	President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol	Succeeded by: Laura Roslin
Preceded by: Laura Roslin	Vice-President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol	Succeeded by: Lee Adama

The Twelve Colonies, like most civilizations, have a rich historical record of arts and literature as well as other works. Their democratic republic gives its citizens many freedoms of expression in addition to freedom of the press. Colonials have paintings, abstract designs and a variety of musical traditions.

Additionally, many functional items produced on the Colonies adhere to an aesthetic, even at a cost to efficiency.

Part of the series on The Twelve Colonies of Kobol (Re-imagined Series)

Arts & Literature Ecosystem Government History Language Law Race & Ethnicity Sexuality Religion

Literature

Autobiographical

The Man Who Could See the Future

The Man Who Could See the Future is the autobiography of Daniel Graystone, published as of YR42.

Baxter Sarno references it in his show's monologue, joking that it should have instead been titled Wow, I Didn't See That Coming following the public revelation regarding Zoe Graystone's involvement in the Maglev 23 bombing ^{(CAP: "Reins of a Waterfall")}.

Religion

My Place in Heaven

Lacy Rand moves aside a copy of My Place in Heaven while searching through Zoe Graystone's desk ^{(CAP: "Pilot")}.

A copy of My Place in Heaven resides on Zoe Graystone's desk, and is often moved aside by Lacy Rand when attempting to find the e-sheet that allows her to access the V-Club and the last remnant of Zoe ^{(CAP: "Pilot")}.

The Physics of Religion and Spirituality

A copy of The Physics of Religion and Spirituality is included in the package of Zoe Graystone's personal effects that Natalie Stark gives to Amanda Graystone at Apollo Park ^{(CAP: "Rebirth")}.

Political

Tom Zarek's book

Tom Zarek's book is a political book of Tom Zarek's beliefs, which he wrote while imprisoned. The manuscript is smuggled from his prison and published, but due to its yet-unspecified content, the book became banned in certain places throughout the Twelve Colonies, particularly the fleet academy.

During the incident on the Astral Queen, Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama tells Zarek that he read the book and that it challenged the way he thought about things on the Colonies ^{(TRS: "Bastille Day")}.

My Triumphs, My Mistakes

Main article: My Triumphs, My Mistakes

After returning to the The Fleet months after the exodus from New Caprica, Gaius Baltar wrote his manifesto, in which he criticizes the Colonial government system and highlights the class factions between the "Caprican elite" and the lower classes in the Colonies. Much like Tom Zarek's book, Baltar's manifesto was smuggled out by his lawyer and published, despite attempts to ban and destroy the book by Laura Roslin and her supporters ^{(TRS: "Dirty Hands" and "The Son Also Rises")}.

Prose

Dark Day

Edward Prima is the author of the novel Dark Day.

William Adama, who had Dark Day in his personal library on Galactica, gives it to Laura Roslin as a gift ^{(TRS: "Water")}. She considers it to be "one of those classics I've never gotten around to reading." Given the context of their conversation, notably Roslin's reference to A Murder on Picon, it is likely a mystery.

Roslin returns the book, to Adama's consternation, after the prognosis of her illness sharply worsens ^{(TRS: "Flight of the Phoenix")}.

The French Lieutenant's Woman

A copy of The French Lieutenant's Woman.

The French Lieutenant's Woman is part of William Adama's formidable library of books on Galactica.

It is located on the shelf behind the couch in Adama's quarters ^{(TRS: "Black Market")}.

A Murder on Picon

A Murder on Picon is a mystery novel, apparently taking place on Picon.

Laura Roslin brought the book with her on the trip to Galactica prior to its decommissioning ceremonies ^{(TRS: "Miniseries" and "Water")}.

Blood Runs at Midnight

A mystery novel given to William Adama by President Roslin as a gift ^{(TRS: "A Day in the Life")}.

Love and Bullets

A murder mystery written by Nick Taylo that is set in Caprica City. Adama reads part of the book to Roslin when she lies in Galactica's sickbay to receive Doloxan treatments ^{(TRS: "The Ties That Bind")}.

See The Ties That Bind#Noteworthy Dialogue for an excerpt.

Searider Falcon

Adama's singed copy of Searider Falcon ^{(TRS: "Sine Qua Non")}.

Another book Adama reads to Roslin. Adama calls it a classic, and both say that it is one of their favorites ^{(TRS: "Escape Velocity")}. Roslin takes it with her when she visits the rebel baseship ^{(TRS: "Guess What's Coming to Dinner")} and Adama finds it shortly later in a derelict Raptor that escaped from a battle with the Cylons. When Adama decides to stay behind the Fleet in a Raptor in order to find Roslin, he takes the book with him ^{(TRS: "Sine Qua Non")}.

The raft was not as seaworthy as I'd hoped. The waves repeatedly threatened to swamp it. I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside. I couldn't feel anything. And that's what scared me. You came into my thoughts. I felt them. It felt good.

Poetry

A Poet's Dream

A Poet's Dream, Kataris' memorable collections of poetry.

A Poet's Dream is a compilation of poems from the Caprican poet Kataris. Lieutenant Palladino owns a bound edition of this book and threatens Colonel Tigh with lines from a poem within:

From the darkness you must fall
Failed and weak, to darkness all.

At least one of the poems from this compilation is quite well-known amongst Colonials. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace recognizes the above quotation, recalls from which piece it comes, and knows the poem's quality relative to his other works. D'Anna Biers identifies Palladino's copy on sight in a recording she is editing ^{(TRS: "Final Cut")}. Later, Gaius Baltar has a copy of this book in his cell on Galactica ^{(TRS: "Dirty Hands")}.

Children

Muffit's Really Big Adventure

A copy owned by Clarice Willow's family.

Featuring the character of Muffit, this book was written by Vincent Uytdehaag and illustrated by Shay Hilliard ^{(CAP: "False Labor")}.

Dragon Fighters of Kobol

A fantasy book, Dragon Fighters of Kobol featured dangerous monsters as part of its story. Zoe Graystone was a fan of the book as a child ^{(CAP: "Here Be Dragons")}.

Periodicals

Pre-Armistice

True Confessions

A copy of the True Confessions periodical in Clarice Willow's hands circa 58 BCH (42YR) ^{(CAP: "Rebirth")}.

A periodical of interest to Clarice Willow, who picks up a copy at a news stand across from a dive bar ^{(CAP: "Rebirth")}.

Post-Armistice

• Aerelon Gazette
• Caprica Times
• Caprican Life
• Nymph
• Picon Star Tribune
• Scorpia Paragliding

Law books

Caprican Criminal Codes is a multi-volume collection of Caprican law ^{(TRS: "A Day in the Life")}.

Trial Tactics and Strategies and Law and Mind: The Psychology of Legal Practice are two books about the the practice of law, written by Joseph Adama, William Adama's father ^{(TRS: "The Son Also Rises" and "Crossroads, Part I")}.

Visual Arts

Representationalist

Monclair

A Monclair original.

Monclair was a Colonial painter. One of his original paintings, a stylized depiction of the Cylon War, adorns William Adama's quarters on Galactica. He is apparently of considerable renown, given Gaius Baltar's impressed reaction to the piece ^{(TRS: "Bastille Day")}.

Notes

• In Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 4 (which exists in a separate continuity), Colonial Intelligence agent Levin comments on the painting, noting Adama's "expensive tastes". Additionally, Levin knowingly mentions that the painting was a gift from Julian DiMarco, Adama's friend and former commander.

• According to Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion, the painting hanging in Adama's quarters was made by additional art director Ken Rabehl.

Abstract

Kara Thrace

Abstract paintings by Kara Thrace.

Between tours of duty, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was an enthusiastic painter. Karl "Helo" Agathon is surprised to discover this side of her when they visit her apartment in Delphi ^{(TRS: "Valley of Darkness")}. Curiously, a specific design that Thrace has doodled as a child would be found more than two years later inside an ancient temple of the Thirteenth Tribe, without Thrace or Helo understanding why she would be aware of the design ^{(TRS: "Rapture")}.

Film

The Tauron Line

The Tauron Line is a war film produced several decades before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. It is possibly set during the Tauron Civil War.

The plot of the film is unknown. At one point in the film, the antagonists booby-trap an item with explosives, then wait for the protagonists to pick it up and take it somewhere before detonating it. Samuel Anders uses this scene as inspiration for the Caprica Resistance's first attack on the Cylons ^{(TRS: "The Plan")}.

According to Serge's Twitter Account, Daniel and Amanda Graystone are fans of the film.

Tattoos

Tauron Tattoos

Ruth's tattoos on her right upper forearm, signifying her children and grandchildren as of YR42 ^{(CAP: "Reins of a Waterfall" deleted scene)}.

Many Taurons sport tattoos, from which can be read essential aspects of their life stories, including familial connections. The most extensive tattoos are found among members of the Ha'la'tha crime syndicate, and many Capricans associate the practice with the Ha'la'tha ^{(CAP: "Gravedancing")}. However, members of the Heracleides militia were also illustrated ^{(CAP: "The Dirteaters")}.

Kara "Starbuck" Thrace & Samuel Anders

Samuel Anders and Kara "Starbuck" Thrace's wedding band.

Instead of wearing wedding rings, Samuel Anders and Kara Thrace created tattoos on their arms that, when they embrace, form a unified circle with wings. The symbol for the colony of Caprica is also in view.

From a behind-the-scenes perspective, Michael Trucco adds that it is their wedding band, but that this is never fully explained in the show. Further, these matching tattoos are applied by the makeup department.

Other

Felix Gaeta displays a tattoo of a rather large tiger during his interview with D'Anna Biers ^{(TRS: "Final Cut")}. Gaeta indicated he was quite inebriated with ambrosia to minimize the pain of the tattoo.

Socinus has a tattoo of an Aries design on his right arm ^{(TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I")}.

An unnamed pilot has many tattoos on both upper arms, depicting a tiger and a dragon, among other things.

Vireem, specialist aboard the battlestar Pegasus, has a complex tattoo on his left bicep, featuring a Chinese-style dragon and glyph ^{(TRS: "Pegasus" and "Resurrection Ship, Part II")}.

• 
  Gaeta's tiger tattoo ^{(TRS: "Final Cut")}.
• 
  Socinus's tattoo ^{(TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I")}.
• 
  The unnamed tattooed pilot seen throughout the series.
• 
  Vireem's tattoo ^{(TRS: "Resurrection Ship, Part II")}.

Sculpture

In addition to the Arrow of Apollo, the Delphi Museum of the Colonies contains a large collection of ancient pottery. Located in numerous display cases in the exhibit halls spanning the museum's levels, this large collection of vases, jars, pots and stone fragments form a rough outline of the Colonials' artistic history. Many of the artifacts and art pieces are quite elaborate and appear to be in the detailed Corinthian Style.

Music

Dreilide Thrace

Dreilide Thrace was a pianist. His daughter Kara kept recordings of some of his piano arrangements in her Delphi apartment ^{(TRS: "Valley of Darkness")}. At some point in his career, he recorded an album, Dreilide Thrace: Live at the Helice Opera House ^{(TRS: "Someone to Watch Over Me")}.

Colonial Anthem

The Colonial anthem is heard as a short fanfare over the Viper flyby during Galactica's decommissioning ceremony and as a background music at the beginning of Baltar's television interview ^{(TRS: "Miniseries")}. Its third, and longer, appearance is as background music for the rousing closing speech of D'anna Biers's documentary on the Colonial military ^{(TRS: "Final Cut")}.

Caprica-Era Musical Traditions

During the pre-Fall period on Caprica, distinct musical traditions developed that reflected the planet's sophisticated urban culture. Composer Bear McCreary noted that Caprican society represented a civilization "at its most decadent and opulent peak," which influenced the musical styles of the era.

The musical palette of Caprica was deliberately crafted to contrast with the "urgent, tribal, primitive and mystical elements" that would later characterize the post-Fall period during the Battlestar Galactica era. Instead, Caprican musical culture was characterized by:

• Chamber Orchestra Traditions: The sophisticated urban environment of Caprica City supported intimate, contemporary chamber orchestras that performed at venues like concert halls and private gatherings.
• Lyrical Harmonic Language: Caprican compositions featured rich, lyrical harmonies that were "far more lyrical and rich than the simple drones and dissonant clusters" that would emerge during the survival-focused post-Fall period.
• Gamelan Influences: Traditional Caprican music incorporated gamelan instruments alongside Western orchestral elements, creating a unique cultural fusion that reflected the planet's cosmopolitan nature.

Tauron Folk Music

Musical traditions from Tauron maintained a distinctly ethnic, modal character that drew inspiration from Russian folk music traditions. These pieces were typically performed on acoustic fiddle or Chinese membrane flute, creating what composer Bear McCreary described as music intended to "capture the mood of Tauron" in the same way that Nino Rota's "Godfather" theme evokes Italy.

The Tauron musical style represented the ancestral heritage and cultural identity that Joseph Adama and his family maintained despite their integration into Caprican society. This musical tradition served as a connection to the "old country" and the values of Tauron culture.

Cultural Evolution

The musical sophistication of pre-Fall Caprica was part of a broader cultural phenomenon. McCreary noted that the restrained, elegant musical style reflected how "Daniel Graystone and Joseph Adama are restrained characters, even during the most turbulent of family crises," with emotions "kept hidden, out of sight from their peers and visible only to those closest to them." This musical restraint represented the controlled, civilized surface of Caprican society that concealed deeper moral and emotional complexities.

The eventual transformation from this sophisticated musical culture to the more primitive, percussion-heavy traditions of the post-Fall period represents one of the many cultural losses suffered during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

Popular music

Popular Colonial music can be heard in Boomer's apartment on Caprica in the episode "Downloaded" and in Joe's bar in "Taking a Break From All Your Worries". Another song is playing as Lee Adama enters the bar on Prometheus ^{(TRS: "Black Market")}.

In addition, a popular sing-a-long song is "99 Bottles of Ambrosia", which Marcia Case throws out there as a recommendation after Kara "Starbuck" Thrace comments on the humdrum of their up-until-then-uneventful search and rescue mission for a missing Raptor ^{(TRS: "Razor")}.

Roughly 60 BCH, musical styles emerged on Caprica and Tauron, themselves later repeated more than 150,000 years later on the second Earth; these include alternative hip-hop, of which the only known artists are Tauron ^{(CAP: "Reins of a Waterfall")} as well as forms of punk rock and dance music ^{(CAP: "Pilot")}.

Scoring Philosophy and Techniques

The episode "33" provided an early showcase for Bear McCreary's approach to combining action and drama through music. McCreary explained his technique for the climactic destruction of the Olympic Carrier: "At a surface level, that sequence looks like an action scene, so I put it against a backdrop of driving frame drums and taikos. But as the scene ultimately boils down to the terrifying decision that the main characters must make, I layered in dark orchestral textures and ambient soloists to play more to the drama and less to the spectacle. The result was one of my favorite cues for the entire series."

Aesthetics

Production Design and Philosophy

The overall aesthetic of Caprica was guided by a philosophy of realism and dramatic focus. Executive producer Ronald D. Moore stated that they wanted to carry over the sense of truth from Battlestar Galactica and avoid distracting sci-fi elements like "silly chairs and silly hair," ensuring the show was a "drama first and foremost." This approach influenced several key visual choices:

• Period Piece Feel: The show was designed to feel like a period piece relative to Battlestar Galactica. This is reflected in the fashion, such as the prevalence of hats and suits in Joseph Adama's world, creating a sense of an older, more formal society.
• Grounded Technology: The production team deliberately chose to use recognizable, real-world cars rather than futuristic "air cars" to maintain a "touchstone of familiarity." The mandate was to use exotic or vintage models that would look unfamiliar to American audiences.
• Formal Cinematography: Director Jeffrey Reiner employed a more staid and formal camera style compared to the visceral, handheld look of Battlestar Galactica. This was intended to visually represent the stability of Caprican society before its eventual fall.
• V-Club Inspiration: The visual design of the V-Club was inspired by a photograph from David LaChapelle, which had a "sacred vibe with almost an apocalyptic party feel to it."

Musical Aesthetic Philosophy

The musical aesthetic of Caprica reflected director Jeffrey Reiner's overall vision for the series' emotional landscape. Reiner emphasized the importance of music that could "drive the story in an unrelenting manner, but evoke the inner emotions of the characters without falling into schmaltz."

This aesthetic philosophy resulted in musical choices that were:

• Restrained and Subtle: Rather than making "overt or obvious emotional statements," the music allowed "the drama on screen to unfold naturally," matching the reserved nature of characters like Daniel Graystone and Joseph Adama.
• Bittersweet and Elegant: The score captured the moral ambiguity of the characters through harmonic progressions that had a "slippery, seductive quality" where "you can never quite tell where it's going emotionally."
• Strategically Emotional: Sweeping, emotional phrases were reserved "for only the most important moments," creating greater impact when they occurred.

This musical aesthetic directly supported the series' exploration of characters who were "deeply flawed" with "no 'hero,' in the traditional sense," requiring music that could reach "beneath their muted exteriors and reveal the longing, brooding emotions within."

Colonial Heraldry and Symbolism

Flags of the Twelve Colonies

The flags of the Twelve Colonies represent a sophisticated heraldic tradition that reflects both individual colonial identity and shared cultural heritage. Each colony's flag follows a consistent design template featuring a circular emblem at the top containing what appears to be a stylized representation of the Sacred Scrolls' sacred symbols, with each colony's unique identifying symbol displayed prominently on the banner below.

The flags were created to represent:

• Virgon - Features a geometric angular design
• Picon - Displays a stylized temple or building structure
• Caprica - Shows what appears to be a phoenix or bird motif
• Tauron - Contains a bull's head or horned design reflecting the colony's name
• Gemenon - Features twin or paired symbols
• Scorpia - Displays a scorpion-like design matching the colony's astrological association

• Aerilon - Features an agricultural or farming motif
• Leonis - Shows a lion-related heraldic design
• Canceron - Contains a crab or crustacean symbol
• Sagittaron - Features an archer or bow design
• Libran - Shows balanced scales representing justice
• Aquarion - Displays water-bearer or aquatic symbolism

These flags first appeared prominently during the service for the dead in the Miniseries and, later, Colonial Day ceremonies held aboard the luxury liner Cloud Nine, marking both a celebration of colonial unity and a forum for political discourse within the Fleet.

Octagons

Colonial printouts, photographs, videos, and data discs are rarely rectangular; the corners are trimmed at 45 degree angles, creating snub rectangles, i.e. octagons. This design choice developed out of discussions between production designer Richard Hudolin, Ronald D. Moore, David Eick, and director Michael Rymer, who felt that cutting the corners of most documents was an easy way to make the look "a bit unconventional and unfamiliar" to audiences. The reasoning for this within the Colonial universe is likely based on their cultural aversion to right angles, as rectangles are, particularly for paper, more efficient from a practical standpoint.

This design choice is also evident in Colonial computer systems with windows and menus often having clipped corners.

Hexagons

In the Re-imagined Series, hexagons feature significantly as dog tags, playing cards, glass bottles and many other objects. This likely reflects both the dislike of right angles and the simplicity of polygons over curved shapes.

Pentagons

While not a part of Colonial society per se, pentagons play a large part in the architecture of the lone Thirteenth Tribe structure encountered by the Colonials thus far, the Temple of Five. Much like the Colonials, it appears at least the ancient members of the Thirteenth Tribe were also wary of right angles.

Architecture

Federal Period

Some Federal Period architecture in Caprica City

This style was mix of older and newer trends, utilizing traditional stone facades along with glass and steel. This architecture was found throughout Caprica City, Delphi, and other unnamed cities prior to the Cylon attack.

Several buildings in Caprica City had the form of a pyramid, but the cultural significance of this design choice is unknown.

Ancient Kobol

Bird's eye view of the City of the Gods and its architecture

The stone ruins of the Opera House

In "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I," Roslin looks at schematics for the City of the Gods on Kobol. Its buildings, such as the Temple, Forum, and the Opera House, were made of stone and range in shape and size, and resemble classical Greco-Roman architecture.

Later, the ruins of the Opera House are seen when Gaius Baltar and others crash-land nearby. The building was made of stone and utilized decorative columns and pillars. While there, Baltar has a vision which may have represented the original appearance of the Opera House before it fell into disrepair.

Polygonal Architecture

Many places and objects within Galactica reflect early aesthetic choices that eschew right-angular forms. Many corridors, including ship bulkhead doors, are hexagonal. CIC elements, particularly the Command & Control Center table, the tactical station table, and even the alignment of the displays of the DRADIS console, form a hexagonal appearance.

This aesthetic appears to have waned during the construction of more advanced battlestars such as Pegasus, which uses far fewer hexagonal shapes.

References

Production History

Social Media and External Sources

Continuity and Behind-the-Scenes

Tom Zarek (alternate)Karen ZarekJerome ZarekBattlestar Galactica: Zarek

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Dynamite Comics separate continuity, which is related to the Re-imagined Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Zarek (disambiguation)
[show/hide spoilers] Spoilers hidden in infobox by default only.
Name	Karen Sue Zarek
Age	{{{age}}}
Colony	Sagittaron
Birth place	{{{birthplace}}}
Birth Name	{{{birthname}}}
Birth Date	{{{birthdate}}}
Callsign	{{{callsign}}}
Nickname	{{{nickname}}}
Introduced	Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 1
Last Known Appearance	[[{{{lastseen}}}]]
Death	Assassinated during a protest on Sagittaron (Comics: Battlestar Galactica: Zarek #1)
Parents	{{{parents}}}
Siblings	{{{siblings}}}
Children	Tom Zarek
Marital Status	Widowed, Jerome Zarek†
Family Tree	View
Role	{{{role}}}
Rank	{{{rank}}}
Serial Number	{{{serial}}}
Portrayed by	{{{actor}}}
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Cylon
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Final Five Cylon
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Human/Cylon Hybrid
Zarek (disambiguation) is an Original Series Cylon
Related Media
Additional Information
[[File:|300px|Zarek (disambiguation)]]

Karen Sue Zarek is the mother of controversial revolutionary Thomas Zarek and the driving force behind the Citizens for Sagittaron Labor Reform.

Prior to the First Cylon War, she marries Jerome Zarek and works in the nitrassium production factories in Sagittaron City.

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Dynamite Comics separate continuity, which is related to the Re-imagined Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Zarek (disambiguation)
[show/hide spoilers] Spoilers hidden in infobox by default only.
Name	Jerome Randal Zarek
Age	{{{age}}}
Colony	Sagittaron
Birth place	{{{birthplace}}}
Birth Name	{{{birthname}}}
Birth Date	{{{birthdate}}}
Callsign	{{{callsign}}}
Nickname	{{{nickname}}}
Introduced	Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 1
Last Known Appearance	[[{{{lastseen}}}]]
Death	Killed by Colonial Marines 10 years after Tom Zarek's birth (Comics: Battlestar Galactica: Zarek #1)
Parents	{{{parents}}}
Siblings	{{{siblings}}}
Children	Tom Zarek
Marital Status	Married (Karen Zarek)
Family Tree	View
Role	{{{role}}}
Rank	{{{rank}}}
Serial Number	{{{serial}}}
Portrayed by	{{{actor}}}
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Cylon
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Final Five Cylon
Zarek (disambiguation) is a Human/Cylon Hybrid
Zarek (disambiguation) is an Original Series Cylon
Related Media
Additional Information
[[File:|300px|Zarek (disambiguation)]]

Jerome Randal Zarek is the father of controversial Sagittaron personality Tom Zarek.

Prior to the Cylon War, Jerome marries Karen Zarek, a fellow worker in the nitrassium processing plants in Sagittaron City. Living in Sagittaron's capitol city in near destitution, he would, as a form of recreation, play cards with a fellow worker named Taylor, and inevitably always wins the remnants of Taylor's meager paycheck.

Eleven months into the Cylon War, Jerome and Karen decide to have a child, taking advantage of the Colonial government's re-population incentive program, which awards couples to conceive children as a "patriotic effort"; Karen is hesitant, but Jerome convinces her that there will never be a "right time," and it's best to conceive a child while they still can. As a result, Thomas J. Zarek is born.

Two years after Tom's birth, Jerome's fellow workers go on strike while Jerome himself does not. In addition to having to provide for Tom, Karen develops symptoms due to nitrassium exposure that require an expensive medicine called aelotol to properly treat. As the medicine is not covered under the company's insurance, he works extra hours, despite the harassment of the strikers. When asking for a raise, he is turned down due to financial issues incurred by the strike, but is instead able to negotiate a life insurance plan for himself.

Eight years later, as Karen still struggles with having proper amounts of aelotol, Jerome finds that the local clinic cannot give them any more aelotol. As his wife runs out of the medication, he finds himself robbing the Sagittaron City Pharmacy during the night before the 9:30 curfew. He is subsequently killed by a Colonial Marine who believes that Jerome is a looter about to take out a gun.

As a result of an assessment into the incident, the Colonial military admits that "some degree of error" resulted in Jerome's death and the Colonial Fleet provides a payout of a small amount of money and a life-time supply of aelotol to the widowed Karen ^{(Comics: Battlestar Galactica: Zarek #1)}.

This 2006 miniseries explores the history and origins of Tom Zarek.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 1
2. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 2
3. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 3
4. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 4

For direct navigation sans the tabbed navigational aid above, please select one of the following article links:

• Tom Zarek
• Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies#Tom Zarek's book
• Tom Zarek (alternate)
• Karen Zarek
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• Battlestar Galactica: Zarek