Ortega

Flight Sergeant Ortega was an immature Warrior and loner who was aggressive and engaged in illegal activities, but somehow managed to keep his mouth shut about personal points. He had previously met Lieutenant Starbuck at the Colonial Academy, probably at flight training, and loathed him ever since. He was a member of the Battlestar Galactica Viper corps, and was teamed up with Flight Sergeant Barton, who personally disliked him but played with him in Triad because he wins, and tolerated it because he was assigned to him by an executive officer.

During the loading of the Rising Star, Ortega bribed three people for places aboard the starliner -- places reserved for children and their caretakers. These people were Karibdis, Elias, and Riftis, and he rather unwisely blackmailed them thereafter. Riftis, who had taken on the name of Chella, worked as a dealer at a chancery table on the Star, which Ortega sat at quite often and extorted money from. During a long recon mission sometime before his death, Ortega revealed to Barton that the only person with enough gall to terminate him was Karibdis (who had taken on the name of Pallon).

Before Ortega's termination by Karibdis, he managed to eject himself as well as Starbuck out of the Triad game. Karibdis, who has obviously watching and sick of the continual blackmail, used Starbuck's laser pistol and terminated Ortega before the corrupt Warrior had a chance to fire. Ortega, suffice it to say, would be missed by no one, but still given a proper burial. (Murder on the Rising Star)

Portrayed by Frank Ashmore