Look-In Magazine: Storyline 2

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[[File:{{{image}}}|250px|Storyline #2]]
Storyline #2 An issue of the Look-In Magazine Press series.
Issue No.	#4 (1980) to #16 (1980)
Writer(s)	Angus P. Allan
Illustrator(s)	{{{illustrator}}}
Penciller(s)	Martin Asbury
Inker(s)	Martin Asbury
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Editor(s)
Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
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Adaptation of
Published	26 January 1980 - 19 April 1980
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Pages	{{{pages}}}
ISBN	[[Special:Booksources/|]]
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
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Storyline 1	Storyline #2	Storyline 3
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Plot

While investigating a planet that appears to be a perfect new home, the crew of Galactica encounters a mysterious, silent alien vessel and a woman whom only Apollo can see, leading to a test of the Fleet's character with far-reaching consequences.

Summary

Strip #1

• The Fleet continues its journey, but one of the ships suffers a gyrotron malfunction, forcing a convoy-wide "heave-to" for repairs.
• In the Viper pilots' rest-room, Starbuck is enjoying a winning hand at cards before he is interrupted.

Strip #2

• Athena uses the downtime to perform a deep survey and discovers a promising planet with a breathable atmosphere, vegetation, and a stable crust.
• Adama decides to investigate personally, leaving six Vipers to guard the convoy while Galactica jumps into hyper-drive to reach the planet alone.

Strip #3

• As Galactica drops out of hyper-drive near the planet, a massive, unknown spaceship appears directly in its path without any warning from the sensors.
• Tigh immediately suspects it is hostile.

Strip #4

• The alien ship remains silent and unresponsive to all communication attempts.
• Adama launches Blue Squadron, consisting of Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer, to investigate the vessel.

Strip #5

• Blue Squadron makes several passes over the alien ship but detects no force-field and provokes no reaction.
• A frustrated Starbuck makes an extra-close pass to "needle 'em," but the ship remains inert.

Strip #6

• Puzzled by the ship's inaction, Adama decides to proceed with the planetary survey. He detaches an exploration shuttle with Apollo flying escort.
• Starbuck and Boomer are retained on Galactica.

Strip #7

• The shuttle and Apollo's Viper enter the planet's atmosphere, which appears to be an unspoiled paradise, a "good thing."

Strip #8

• After landing, Apollo wanders off on his own and is suddenly confronted by a mysterious, ethereal woman who tells him not to be afraid.

Strip #9

• The woman introduces herself as Sarany, leader of the Peoples of Thar. She is unable to answer Apollo's questions about the silent ship or why scanners showed no life, and instead questions him about the Colonials' intentions.
• The crew of the shuttle, first observed by Kovash, see Apollo seemingly talking to himself.

Strip #10

• As Apollo tries to introduce Sarany, she vanishes. The shuttle crew, believing Apollo has had a breakdown, report the incident to Adama.
• Adama dispatches Starbuck in a relief shuttle to fly Apollo's Viper back.

Strip #11

• Back on Galactica, Apollo is examined by the surgeon, who can find nothing medically wrong with him. He insists to Starbuck that Sarany was real.
• Sarany reappears to Apollo, again visible only to him, and asks him to come back to her planet to understand everything.

Strip #12

• Apollo, under Sarany's influence, heads for the Viper bays. Starbuck tries to stop him, but Apollo outranks him and takes off in his Viper.
• Adama orders Starbuck and Boomer to pursue him for his own safety.

Strip #13

• En route to the planet, Sarany tells Apollo not to panic and to prepare for his controls to be taken over.
• As they descend, a massive, futuristic city appears where there was previously only empty countryside.

Strip #14

• In the same instant that the city appears to Apollo, Starbuck and Boomer witness Apollo's Viper vanish in mid-air.
• Aboard Galactica, a stunned Adama convenes a Council of War.

Strip #15

• Apollo learns the truth from Sarany: the Tharians have the power to alter the dimension of time. His friends saw the planet as it was a thousand years in the past, before the city was built. Sarany explains that only Apollo was shown the truth because she knows he is a man of peace.
• On Galactica, the Council of War, led by a hawkish member, votes to attack the alien ship, overriding Adama's objections.

Strip #16

• Apollo is given a magnificent welcome in the Tharian city. He learns they have an ideal civilization with no war or crime.
• On Galactica, Athena correctly theorizes that Apollo may be in another dimension.
• Starbuck and Boomer make a dummy pass at the alien ship and notice there is no shock wave, suggesting it isn't solid.

Strip #17

• Adama, trusting Athena's intuition, calls off the attack, declaring the ship an "hallucination."
• Apollo is questioned by the Supreme Council of Thar. They reveal that the silent ship is an extra-dimensionally projected image, enlarged ten thousand times, designed to test the Colonials' patience and reactions.

Strip #18

• Starbuck decides to prove the ship is an illusion by flying straight at it.
• At the last moment, he loses his nerve and attempts to pull out, causing his Viper to break up from the stress.

Strip #19

• A recovery shuttle is launched for Starbuck. Boomer, mistakenly believing Starbuck was shot down by the alien ship, commences an attack on the image.
• The Tharian council sees this as the act of aggression they feared.

Strip #20

• Boomer's laser blasts pass harmlessly through the ship. The image then breaks up and vanishes completely.
• The Tharians declare that the Colonials have failed their test.

Strip #21

• The Tharians tell Apollo that because his people resorted to violence, there is no place for them on Thar.
• Boomer explains his actions to Adama, stating he thought Starbuck had been hit.

Strip #22

• Sarany appears on Galactica's main viewscreen, formally telling the "intruders" to resume their journey. She bids a personal farewell to Apollo, whom she had asked to remain with her.
• Apollo chooses to return to his family and his duty, and flies back to Galactica, leaving the beautiful mirage of Thar behind.

Notes

• The Tharians possess incredibly advanced technology, allowing them to manipulate the dimension of time and project solid-looking, interactive illusions across vast distances in space.
• Sarany has a hypnotic quality, able to put Apollo at ease and influence his actions. She is also able to appear to him selectively, making her invisible and inaudible to others.
• The story highlights a key philosophical conflict: the Tharians' absolute pacifism versus the Colonials' survival instinct, which includes aggression born from fear and misunderstanding.
• The concept of a Council of War suggests a more democratic, or at least oligarchic, command structure within the Fleet than is typically shown, as Adama's command can be overruled by a vote.

Analysis

"Storyline #2" is a departure from typical Cylon-focused plots, presenting a "first contact" scenario with a moral and philosophical test at its core. The "beautiful mirage" of the title refers not only to the projected alien ship but to the planet Thar itself—a paradise that is ultimately unattainable for the Colonials due to their inherent nature.

The story serves as a powerful allegory about perception and reality. The Tharians literally control the dimension of time, showing the Colonials a past version of their world while Apollo is shown the present. This creates a central conflict based on incomplete information and mistrust. Apollo is caught in the middle, trusted by the Tharians but disbelieved by his own people.

The climax is tragic and ironic. The Colonials fail the test not out of malice, but out of a chain of fear, misunderstanding, and misplaced loyalty. Starbuck's fear causes his crash, which Boomer misinterprets as a hostile act, leading him to attack. This single act of violence, aimed at an illusion, confirms the Tharians' fears and seals the Fleet's fate, forcing them to continue their lonely search for a home. The story poignantly underscores the idea that the Colonials' warlike past and survival-driven instincts are a prison from which they cannot easily escape, even when offered a peaceful alternative.

Questions

• What is the nature of the Tharian people? Are they corporeal beings, energy beings, or something else entirely?
• How does Sarany's ability to appear selectively to Apollo work? Is it telepathic, technological, or a combination?
• If the Tharians are so advanced, why did they not simply communicate their intentions to the Fleet from the beginning instead of staging such an elaborate and ambiguous test?
• What would have happened if Boomer had not attacked? Would the Tharians have welcomed the entire Fleet?
• Does Sarany's request for Apollo to stay with her imply a personal, romantic interest, or was she merely seeking a kindred spirit to bridge the gap between their peoples?
• Given their power, could the Tharians have aided the Fleet in their struggle against the Cylons?