Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 5

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Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 5 An issue of the Dynamite series.
Issue No.	5
Writer(s)	Dan Abnett Andy Lanning
Illustrator(s)	Cezar Razek
Penciller(s)
Inker(s)	{{{inker}}}
Colorist(s)	Vinicius Townsend
Letterer(s)	Simon Bowland
Editor(s)
Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
Cover Artist(s)	Alex Ross (Main Cover and Variants) Chris Eliopoulos (Subscription Cover)
Adaptation of
Published	September 18, 2013
Collects
Collected in	Battlestar Galactica Volume 1: Memorial
Reprints
Reprinted as
Pages	32
ISBN	725130204622
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
Chronology
Previous		Next
Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 #4	Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 5	Classic Battlestar Galactica Vol. 2 #6
Purchase
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Starbuck and Apollo must help the beleaguered human resistance fighters against overwhelming odds as they face extinction at the hands of the all-pervading Cylon empire. it's [sic] all or nothing for our time-displaced heroes as winning may jeopardize their chances of returning home.

Plot

• Cylon Raiders descend upon Cache while the Colonial Resistance scrambles its fighting forces.
• Aboard Baltifer's basestar, Adama and Apollo emote their fury against a gloating Baltifer.
• Aboard Galactica, the temporally displaced Starbuck nurses his head, having been briefly knocked out by Captain Starbuck's henchmen. Captain Starbuck is content to sit out the battle under the sensor shield's cloak, while Lieutenant Starbuck advocates that they fight to save the remaining human race from destruction.
• Meanwhile, Doctor Zee verifies Apollo's story and Baltifer becomes enthused by the possibility of the Cylons being the masters of two realities.
• Apollo organizes a stay of execution for Baltifer's attack on the remaining humans, offering to recreate the event that brought himself and Starbuck into the reality.
• While Baltifer remains true to his word, Apollo launches in his Temporal Viper (upon which the tech spiders cling, so they may ensure Apollo remains true to his word) and enters the eye of the temporal storm Zee recreates using the chronal cannons.
• As Apollo's temporal drive overloads, Galactica engages the baseship.
• This change of events enrages Baltifer, who orders the remaining humans killed—including Adama.
• The signal disruptor is employed, disabling the Cylons around Baltifer as the resistance rallies to make their counterattack.
• Serina heads to Apollo, but is warned off due to the impending destruction of his overloading drive. Apollo is unable to eject due to the tech spiders having sealed his canopy.
• Lieutenant Starbuck arrives in his own Temporal Viper, destroying the spiders in a volley of laser fire, and allowing Apollo to eject before his Viper explodes. As Starbuck retrieves his friend, the explosion begins another temporal warp.
• The Cylons begin recovering from the affects of the disruption. Adama takes the opportunity to claim a Cylon laser rifle for himself, and slays Baltifer. He then places the rifle against Zee's temple, demanding that the cells holding the human prisoners be opened.
• The human prisoners begin reclaiming weapons from fallen Cylons, and claim the basestar.
• Apollo now rides tandem in Starbuck's Temporal Viper, as Baltifer's basestar opens fire on the remaining Raiders. Before they can celebrate, the combatants are drawn into the temporal storm.
• The combatants find themselves in the Nebula Ambush, just as the temporal battery overloads aboard the prime reality's Galactica. The temporal shockwave has wiped Galactica's systems, where Colonel Tigh reports that it'll take at least an hour to reboot.
• Out of options, salvation arrives in the form of a basestar and another Galactica from the alternate reality, readily dispatching the attacking Cylons.
• The ambush ends with the enemy Cylon basestar going up in flames, and their saviors head back into the temporal rift before it closes. Apollo gives his farewells to both Adama and Serina, while Starbuck bids farewell to his alternate, who is excited at the prospect of claiming riches aplenty when the Colonies are reclaimed.
• Apollo and Starbuck return to Galactica with a story to tell, and Starbuck dissuades Zee from continuing his work on temporal weapons.

Notes

Publication Releases

• A version of this issue, the Battlestar Galactica #5 Exclusive Subscription Variant, released in September 2013. Per the publisher:

  A super-special, exclusive Chris Eliopoulos Cute cover, only available to comic shop subscribers and limited to initial orders!

• This issue concludes the "Memorial" arc.

Miscellany

• The comic eschews the Colonial terminology for time units, namely "hour" (centar) and "months" (quatron).
• Despite Lucifer's appearance on the cover, it is never seen in this issue.

Analysis

• The end of "Memorial" is designed to not only provide readers with a fun "what if" romp, but also highlights the difference Galactica's existence makes. Apollo and Starbuck's return to their reality allows them to regale the denizens of the Fleet with a tale meant to renew hope, the erosion to which is highlighted in the first issue.
• Baltifer's death at Adama's hand signifies a key difference between not only those characters, but their dynamic. It contrasts greatly with the primary reality's dynamic between Baltifer and Adama in "The Hand of God," where Adama is willing to release Baltar in return for helping them destroy a basestar.
• The alternate Adama quips a Pre-Mortem One-Liner before killing Baltifer.
• Captain Starbuck's reconsideration of interviening just at the precipitous moment in order to save Apollo from certain destruction provides a cathartic "big damn hero" moment.
• The relationship between the alternate Serina and Apollo is not allowed to bloom, and thus is brushed off with a variation of the "Train-Station Goodbye" where both character's thoughts remain unsaid outside of some vague hint of "another time." As the comic doesn't examine just how deeply it affects Apollo, it also leaves to question how this encounter will affect his pursuit of a relationship with Sheba.
• Apollo and Starbuck's return to their reality, and the fact that the timelines diverge after righting what once went wrong, is a variation of the The Fellowship Has Ended.

Questions

• What is the alternate Zee's fate?
• How much of Apollo's time with an alternate Serina reignited his feelings over their short marriage?
• What lies ahead for the rag-tag, fugitive Fleet?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• The Starbucks exchange barbs over helping the remaining humans:

  Lieutenant Starbuck: Come on, are we just going to watch while the Cylons execute the human race? We're the same person, Starbuck! Fate can't have squeezed every shred of decency out of you in this timeline!

  Captain Starbuck: I fight when I want to. My battles. Not... that kind of suicidal felgercarb. There's no percentage.

  Lieutenant Starbuck: Right. Funny you can't even look me in the eye when you say that.

• When Galactica attacks Baltifer's basestar:

  Baltifer: A battlestar? A battlestar? Is this a trick of yours, Adama?

  Adama: I wish it was. Fate is kind today.

  Baltifer: Counter attack! Destroy all the humans and that wretched ship! And kill Adama!

  Centurion: By your command.

  Adama: If death means I can stop listening to your madness, Baltifer, fate is still being kind to me to--

• The lead Raider commander reaches out for support:

  Centurion: Lead raider to basestar. Request battery support against the human fighters.

  Adama: Here's your battery support. (Basestar's weapons batteries destroy the Raiders.)

• Following Apollo and Starbuck's return to their reality:

  Zee: The temporal battery has burned out, but I feel confident I can repair it. I'll need--

  Starbuck: Zee, you see, it's all about risk and reward. No more time weapons... It's not worth it.

  Zee: Oh.

Related Imagery

Covers

• 
  Main Cover
  Art: Alex Ross
• 
  Virgin cover.
  Art: Alex Ross
• 
  Subscription Cover "Cute Exclusive"
  Art: Chris Eliopoulos

Preview Pages

Please Note: These are used for promotional purposes by the publisher, and are provided here in the same vein.

• 
  Page 1
• 
  Page 2
• 
  Page 3
• 
  Page 4
• 
  Page 5

External links

• Dynamite.com: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #1 (web.archive.org backup link)