Trays

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch continuation separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Trays is a young Colonial Warrior and Viper pilot serving aboard Galactica. He is characterized by his arrogance, cocky attitude, and disrespect toward older, more experienced Warriors—traits that frequently bring him into conflict with his superiors and fellow pilots.

Background

Trays is part of the younger generation of Warriors who lost their parents at a young age and grew up without proper discipline or upbringing. This background contributes to his difficult personality and his tendency to be hard to control. He is handsome and bears a striking resemblance to Starbuck in both appearance and personality, leading some to speculate about deeper connections.

Despite his youth and attitude problems, Trays demonstrates genuine piloting skill. He is confident in his abilities—perhaps overconfident—and believes that younger pilots like himself are superior to the older generation, dismissing veterans as past their prime.

Personality and Attitude

Trays exemplifies the arrogance and sense of entitlement common among the youngest Warriors in the Fleet. He openly mocks older pilots and questions the abilities of legendary Warriors like Commander Apollo, Boomer, and Sheba. He sneers that "the older pilots can't fly worth beans any more" and insists that with the loss of so many Warriors, younger pilots will finally get their chance to show how good they are, declaring "It's our time."

His arrogance extends to disrespecting those he views as beneath him. When elderly pilot Bojay—working as a technician after memory loss—repairs Trays' Viper, Trays commands him imperiously: "Hurry it up, old timer. I have to fly patrol, and I can't do it with you on my wing." This casual cruelty toward a veteran Warrior who has forgotten his own identity reveals Trays' fundamental lack of respect for those who have sacrificed for the Fleet.

Apollo confronts Trays about this behavior, physically grabbing him and warning that Bojay "could make you eat his vapor trail." Apollo delivers a stern lecture to Trays and his friends about respect, noting that they "don't hold a candle" to pilots like Bojay who have given everything for the Fleet.

Trays also displays a mocking, sarcastic sense of humor. He makes inappropriate jokes even in serious situations, such as when exploring ancient ruins on Paradis, quipping "Don't you mean in pieces?" when discussing ruins left in peace.

Relationship with Dalton

Trays becomes romantically involved with Dalton, daughter of Starbuck and Cassiopeia. This relationship creates tension with Lieutenant Troy, who has loved Dalton since childhood. Troy observes that Trays is "much like Starbuck—this new, arrogant pilot"—and wonders if Dalton is trying to work through ambivalent feelings about her father by dating a younger version of him.

Dalton frequently touches Trays' handsome face and laughs with him during training sessions, behavior that makes Troy miserable. However, the relationship appears superficial, with Dalton using Trays partly to make Troy jealous or to prove something to herself about being unworthy of love.

Starbuck is aware of Trays' interest in his daughter and disapproves strongly. During preparations for battle, Starbuck publicly humiliates Trays by replacing him with Bojay, then privately threatens him: "If you ever lay another hand on my daughter, I'll personally rip your pogees off and fire them into the nearest sun… got me?" Starbuck applies painful pressure to Trays' shoulder nerve cluster to emphasize his point, demonstrating that despite his age, he still has plenty of fight left.

Service Record

Training and Early Missions

Trays serves under Major Boomer and Major Sheba during a period when the Fleet desperately needs pilots. The last clash with the Cylons and Chitain has diminished Warrior ranks greatly, forcing Boomer to accept cadets who are either too old and past their prime or little more than children. Trays falls into the latter category, though he possesses sufficient natural talent to graduate.

During training, Trays watches Starbuck practice on flight simulators with the other cadets. Despite Starbuck being a legend—second only to Apollo among pilots—Trays maintains his dismissive attitude toward the older generation.

Battle Against Cylons and Chitain

When Apollo organizes a desperate Viper attack against a Cylon basestar, Trays is working on a Viper in the launch bay. Apollo approaches and asks if the fighter can fly. When Trays confirms it can, Apollo orders him to join the mission immediately. Trays lets out "a cry of joy" and bounds onto the wing, swinging into the cockpit with enthusiasm.

Apollo commands the small squadron to keep in tight formation and specifically orders Sheba to "keep an eye on Trays," warning the young pilot: "If you say one word, I'll order you back to Galactica… am I clear?" Trays responds with uncharacteristic brevity: "Clear."

Starbuck later gives Trays a field promotion during the battle, demonstrating that despite his attitude problems, Trays possesses genuine combat ability when properly supervised.

Trapped in the Ur Cloud

Trays participates in a desperate long-range patrol into the Ur cloud alongside Troy and Dalton. The mission becomes critical when the Fleet becomes trapped in the bizarre region of space-time where normal physics do not apply. Starbuck "borrows" fuel from civilian ships to give the three young pilots enough range to penetrate deep into the cloud searching for an exit.

During the mission, the three pilots run critically low on fuel and air. In these desperate circumstances, Dalton suddenly confesses her love for Troy over the comm system. Trays, hurt by this revelation, cuts off communication in anger. His voice carries clear pain despite his attempts to maintain a deadpan delivery.

Troy pleads with Dalton to try getting Trays back on comm, noting "He'd walk on Borellian glass for you, Dalton." When Trays finally responds, he tries to cover his hurt with sarcastic humor, joking about how ugly Troy and Dalton's future children will be. When Dalton protests that she used her remaining fuel to reestablish contact with him, Trays calls her "incorrigible" before pausing and admitting: "I just really wanted to say… you're a lucky guy, Troy."

This moment reveals a more vulnerable side of Trays beneath his cocky exterior—he is capable of genuine feeling and, when circumstances demand it, of putting others before himself.

The three pilots are eventually rescued by Valor of the Sky, who tows them to the wreckage of Pegasus floating in the Ur cloud.

Discovery of Pegasus

When Trays and Dalton explore the destroyed Pegasus, they find fuel cells and food supplies that will help sustain the Fleet. However, the experience profoundly affects even Trays' cocky attitude. Confronted with floating bodies of Warriors killed in battle—many of them friends—Trays becomes subdued. When he tries to dismiss them as "just dead guys," even he realizes how shallow he sounds.

The young pilots discover the body of Commander Cain himself, caught by his blue cloak on a jagged shard of metal. Trays identifies the legendary commander, and for once speaks with respect rather than mockery.

Later Service

Trays continues serving as a Viper pilot during the Fleet's missions to various planets. He flies numerous supply runs during the reconstruction efforts on Paradis, ferrying goods and materiel from the planet to orbit and to the Fleet's foundry ship.

When exploring underground ruins on Paradis with Sheba, Troy, and Dalton, Trays maintains his sarcastic attitude even when confronted with evidence of the Thirteenth Tribe's ancient civilization.