Karl Agathon

File:Bsg-helo-1.jpg

Karl C. Agathon (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)

Overview

Rank: Lieutenant (Junior Grade)

Call sign: Helo

Serial: PK-789934

Age: late 20's

Marital Status: Single

Children: None

Currently Listed: Missing in Action, presumed dead

Former Post: Raptor ECO, Raptor 478, assigned to Battlestar Galactica

Last known location: Caprica

(Played by: Tahmoh Penikett)

Agathon was the ECO aboard Raptor 478, piloted by Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii. He is in his mid-twenties, loyal, capable, resourceful and somewhat attracted to Valerii.

Biography

At the time of the Cylon Attack, Agathon and Valerii were on patrol with the Galactica's last fully-operational Viper squadron, and witnessed the destruction of the squadron by Cylon Raiders, after the latter had used the Command Navigation Program (CNP) to disable the Vipers.

Following the attack, Agathon and Valerii attempted to return to Galactica, avoiding Cylon patrols, but were unsuccessful: their Raptor was damaged during a Cylon missile strike, and Helo received a wound in his leg. As a result of the damage received, the Raptor was forced down on Caprica, where Valerii made emergency repairs, and the ship was mobbed by civilians desperate to get off the planet.

With limited space for survivors aboard the Raptor, Agathon volunteered his seat to Dr. Gauis Baltar Wduring the Cylon attack on the 12 colonies, he opts to remain in Caprica in order that Dr. Gaius Baltar, in the hope that Baltar would be of benefit to the Colonials in their renewed fight against the Cylons.

After Boomer's departure, Helo apparently separated from the surviving refugees and fled from the Cylon ground forces. After six days on Caprica, suriving on anti-radiation medications from his survival pack, he was captured after noticing a version of the Cylon called Number Six.

He was then "rescued" by a copy of Sharon Valerii/Boomer, as part of an elaborate (if potentially hastily-conceived) plan / experiment designed to make Valerii the object of Agathon's affections. Several situations are engineered to make this happen:

• A "honey trap" offering reasonably-secure accommodation (a "fall-out shelter") together with sufficient supplies for two people beneath a restaurant Act of Contrition
• Engineering Valerii's capture to test Helo's loyalty towards her (You Can't Go Home Again / Litmus)
• Establishing a further (long-term) "honey trap" for Helo and Valerii in the wilderness of Caprica.

However, the Cylon plan goes awry when Valerii appears to fall in love with Agathon, and she forces them both on the run once more, this time genuinely seeking to escape from Caprica via the military base at Delphi, now under Cylon control.

During their attempts to reach Delphi, Agathon witnesses a troop of Cylon Warriors being lead by Number Six - the woman he considers to have been killed when Valerii rescued him. This draws him to the conclusion that the Cylons are using human clones they have created {Colonial Day). Once at Delphi, Agathon receives another shock: not only are further versions of Six on-hand - he also comes face-to-face with another Valerii, thus revealing the truth about "Boomer" to him. Believing he has been lured into a trap, Agathon goes on the run, leaving Valerii at the base.

Notes

Note on the origin of "Agathon"

The new Battlestar Galactica plays heavily on Greek mythology / history (the Olympian Gods, use of names such as Delphi, etc.). Therefore it might be interesting to note that "Agathon" may be derived from Agathos Daimon - meaning good spirit, one of the group of spirits (daemons) that lie between the gods and mortals. Also, the name Helo bears some similarity to Helios/Helius, the greek god of the sun.

Note on Helo

Helo's full name (or even his fate) wasn't revealed until "33". He was initially intended as an expendable character; Penikett's performance in the mini-series convinced TPTB otherwise.