Ortega

Flight Sergeant Ortega confronts his killer.

Biography

Flight Sergeant Ortega is an immature Warrior and loner who is aggressive and engaged in illegal activities, but somehow manages 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 is a member of the Battlestar Galactica Viper corps, and is teamed up with Flight Sergeant Barton, who personally dislikes him but plays Triad with him because he wins, and tolerates working with him because he was assigned to him.

During the loading of the Rising Star, three people bribed Ortega 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 has taken on the name of Chella, works as a dealer at a chancery table on the Rising 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 manages to eject himself as well as Starbuck out of the Triad game. Karibdis, who is obviously watching and is sick of the continual blackmail, uses Starbuck's laser pistol and terminates Ortega before the corrupt Warrior has 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