Puck

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.

Puck is a member of the Quorum of Twelve at the time of Adama's death. He formerly served as Scorpius' Ambassador to Caprica, retaining the title even after his ascension to the Quorum. He is later murdered by Count Iblis on Agro-3, after which the malevolent entity assumes Puck's identity and form to pursue power over the Fleet.

Puck is a man who has not aged well. He possesses an unhealthy pale complexion, a stooped stance, and pink eyes. In an apparent attempt to distract people from his appearance, he wears brightly colored valcron garments in shades of orange and blue. His manner of dealing with people is dismissive and insulting, and he views President Tigh and Adama's surviving family with contempt.

Power Vacuum

Political maneuvering

Following Commander Adama's death, Puck positions himself as a candidate for the fleet's command post. He approaches President Tigh and questions whether Lieutenant Commander Apollo possesses Adama's natural leadership and wisdom, suggesting that Apollo lacks the qualities necessary for command. When Tigh mentions that the Gemon Matriarchs are nominating Lieutenant Colonel Athena, Puck dismisses her candidacy as well, stating that neither of Adama's children has truly earned the distinction and that they are popular only by virtue of their heritage as descendants of Kobol.

Puck officially announces his own candidacy for the position of commander, noting that only basic military service is required for the appointment. He plans to move his quarters from Scorpius Ascendant to avoid accusations of living in luxury, claiming he wants to be "a man of the people."

Fleet-wide unrest

Puck's candidacy sparks significant political turmoil throughout the fleet. He proves to be a persuasive speaker, and support for his leadership springs up almost overnight across numerous vessels. His followers begin spreading rumors that Apollo has betrayed the fleet and rendezvous with the Cylons, effectively undermining Apollo's candidacy.

The situation escalates dramatically as protests erupt on more than one hundred ships throughout the fleet. Work stoppages occur, including a refusal by Galactica's Viper crews to perform their duties. Most alarmingly, Scorpius Ascendant declares its independence from the fleet, with Captain Patroclus insisting he will only take commands from Puck. A bomb is planted aboard Hephaestus, the fleet's repair and manufacturing vessel.

Arrest and confinement

When Puck refuses to address the fleet via unicomm to calm his supporters and defuse the crisis, Athena—now acting as Interim Commander and newly elected to the Quorum in her father's seat—orders his arrest. Puck is confined to his chambers aboard Galactica with all communication access diverted from his quarters.

Murder on Agro-3

Unknown to the fleet, the real Puck is murdered on Agro-3. His body is burned beyond recognition, making identification extremely difficult. Troy and Dalton discover the remains during an investigation, though the charred condition of the corpse initially prevents positive identification.

Cassiopeia, working in the medical laboratory, struggles to identify the victim through genetic testing. The genetic samples repeatedly produce gibberish results rather than a proper genetic map that could be matched with fleet records. After extensive analysis and multiple deep tissue samples, she finally determines that the murdered individual is Ambassador Puck himself.

When Athena orders sentries to bring the confined "Puck" to the bridge, she learns that he has mysteriously disappeared from his guarded quarters. She realizes with horror that if the corpse on Agro-3 is the real Puck, then the individual who had been confined to Puck's quarters—and who had been stirring up the fleet—is someone, or something, else entirely. Both Athena and Cassiopeia quickly deduce that Count Iblis has murdered Puck and assumed his identity.

Iblis as Puck

Assuming Puck's form, Count Iblis successfully manipulates fleet politics and sows discord among the population. The ersatz Puck campaigns aggressively for command of the fleet, using Puck's position on the Quorum and his persuasive abilities to turn significant portions of the fleet's population against the Adama family. His true goal, however, extends beyond mere political power—Iblis seeks to corrupt the House of Kobol and tempt the pure-blooded descendants of his ancient enemies.

Apollo eventually confronts Iblis, revealing that he knows about Puck's murder and Iblis's impersonation. During this confrontation aboard Hephaestus as the fleet faces a Cylon attack, Iblis admits to murdering Puck to assume his place, just as he had attempted to gain power eighteen yahren earlier against Adama.

Succession aftermath

Following the resolution of the Cylon crisis and the exposure of Iblis's deception, the Quorum fills the vacant Scorpius seat left by Puck's death. In a unanimous decision, they elect Major Sheba, daughter of the legendary Commander Cain, to the position. Sheba's mother was from Scorpius, making her eligible for the seat despite her father being from Gemini.