The Tombs of Kobol

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The Tombs of Kobol A book of the Berkley Books line
Book No.	3
Author(s)	Robert Thurston
Adaptation of	Lost Planet of the Gods, Parts I and II
No. of Pages	{{{pages}}}
Published	September 1980
ISBN	0425049922
Chronology
Previous		Next
The Cylon Death Machine	The Tombs of Kobol	The Young Warriors
Paperback Version
Available at Amazon.com – Purchase
Available at Amazon.co.uk – Purchase
Available at BOOKSAMILLION.COM - Purchase
Available at Half.com by eBay - Purchase
Audiobook Version
Available at iTunes – [{{{itunes}}} Purchase]

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

[[Category:Separate continuity ({{{universe}}})]]

Overview

This book answers a question that the TV series never did. How did Baltar survive when Imperious Leader had ordered him to be executed? (And those who only saw the theatrical version had to be even more confused - Baltar was sliced open with a sword!) We learn that Lucifer intervened and saved Baltar's life. We also get to see several scenes where a grieving Apollo is listening to some recordings that Serina made before she died.

Summary

• Lucifer saves Baltar from being executed. Lucifer is not considered to be a Cylon because he is a machine, and the Cylons in the novel are organic underneath their armor. Lucifer houses a soul inside his left shoulder which he created. He is constantly able to reprogram and improve himself. Lucifer hides Baltar away for awhile and forces him to exercise and get into shape. Baltar finds the regimen to be torture. When Imperious Leader gives Baltar a base star to command, he orders Lucifer to be programmed to obey Baltar no matter what. Lucifer is upset about this and quickly regrets saving Baltar's life.

• All Cylons, including Lucifer, have a secret name that they never reveal.

• When humans are executed, the Cylons place their heads in the chopping block face-up, not face-down.

• Apollo proposes to Serina at the dinner after being pushed by the others. In the episode, Apollo and Serina had already made the decision to wed.

• Boomer and Jolly never bother to wear gloves on the asteroid, and the result is that their hands get wet. As it turns out, even with the gloves they still would have caught the disease.

• It is revealed that the Sentries (Council security guards) did not exist before the holocaust; the new council created them. The Sentries consist of men who don't qualify to be Colonial warriors, and the jealousy they feel helps explain why they always cause so much trouble for the warriors.

• Serina reveals that she traveled throughout the Colonies as a journalist and was offered numerous awards. She turned them all down, apparently so she would not feel obligated to be biased towards the people who awarded her.

• Serina has many bad dreams about being killed by a Cylon ever since starting her cadet training, but she never tells Apollo.

• Adama also tries to talk Serina out of being a cadet, but she refuses.

• Cassiopeia's career as a socialiator ended because the fleet outlawed most luxury occupations because there were so many other jobs needed to survive in a rag-tag fleet. It is revealed that some of the songs a socialator sang were composed to deal with specific emotional problems. At one point, Cassiopeia sings to Starbuck a song called "The Death That Is No Death, The Life That Is No Life" shortly after the pilots fall ill.

• One of the female cadets named Gemi has a huge crush on Starbuck. She does everything she can to get his attention, but he never really notices her. Gemi is killed in the space battle above Kobol.

• During the Viper simulation training, instead of Athena shooting down Starbuck, Brie shoots Dietra.

• The cadets have a slight advantage over the Cylons at first because they do not fly in typical flight patterns which throws the Cylons off.

• Kobol was a world of peace. According to the Book of the Word, power struggles over land and wealth were conducted without treachery or combat.

• Lucifer enjoys Starbuck's company on the Cylon basestar, preferring him greatly over Baltar. Starbuck teaches Lucifer how to play pyramid and beats him. Lucifer is baffled by the concept of "luck" as Starbuck describes it.

• Starbuck tells Lucifer that he can't act on calculation, that most of his heroic feats were performed on impulse. Later, this inspires Lucifer to act on impulse and launch the Cylon attack despite Baltar's orders.

• Serina carries a recorder with her into the tomb which breaks right after Baltar reveals himself.

• Athena saves Starbuck from a pinwheel attack in the battle above Kobol.

• The laser battle in which Serina is killed involves a lot more than two Cylons. Lucifer had arrived on the surface and brought a number of Cylons with him.

• Lucifer rescues Baltar from the tomb. He has incredible strength as he is able to single-handedly lift the pillar off of Baltar. He conducts a quick "med-scan" which reveals Baltar has a couple of broken bones. Lucifer assures Baltar he can mend them very quickly back on the basestar.

Notes

• Excerpts taken from Sheba's Galaxy - for the whole review, go here.