The Temple of Hopes

The Temple of Five is a special temple built on the Algae planet by the Thirteenth Tribe approximately 4,000 years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

Based on Laura Roslin's research from the Sacred Scrolls, the five pentagonally-shaped pillars inside the temple were fashioned after the five priests devoted to "The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken."

The temple is rediscovered by Galen Tyrol, who mysteriously senses the temple's presence in a nearby mountain side.

The Cylons are interested in the location as well, guided by a Hybrid's cryptic information on the location of the Eye of Jupiter, an artifact that supposedly points the way to Earth. One Cylon, a Number Three, believes a correlation exists with the Temple and five missing Cylons lost to memory. The Colonials note that the Temple is related to five priests in some way, but Roslin's full detailing of their human connection is interrupted by another crisis by Admiral Adama.

The Eye's location, its form or purpose is sought by the Colonials and Cylons. Chief Tyrol studies the circular decorations, or mandalas, as well as ancient glyphs located on the central spire.

In fear of the Cylons capturing the site, the Colonials place multiple G-4 packs around the central spire for use in the event of the Temple's imminent compromise (The Eye of Jupiter).

After the algae planet's star begins to nova, Tyrol and other Colonials, watching the event after evacuating the Temple, realize that the dying star's appearance greatly resembles the Temple's mandala, indicating that the Eye of Jupiter is the star itself. Tyrol is ordered to detonate the explosives and destroy the Temple, but he is unwilling to do so, expressing a strong emotional reaction. During Tyrol's delay, a Cylon party has entered the structure moments earlier and removes the detonation caps from the explosives before Captain Adama can use the detonator.

The star's light or other effect soon activates the mechanisms inside the Temple. A Number Three enters a shaft of light created by the Temple. She witnesses a persistent image of five beings she believes are the missing five Cylons. The 5 beings stand on 5 white drapes. A sixth drape at the end is vacant. (A production still reveals the figures are not standing between the drapes, but on them.) The three goes up to one figure and recognizes it, saying, "You... Forgive me, I... I had no idea."

Gaius Baltar attempts to use the now-inactive vision system after Three's death from the use of the mechanism, but is captured by Chief Tyrol and returned to Galactica.

As with much in the star system, the Temple of Five is destroyed as the nova shockwave obliterates the surface of the planet. A review of the event by the Fleet's leadership determines that the Thirteenth Tribe used the Temple of Five (and its star) as a visual reference to the next waypoint to Earth, the remains of a similar nova in the Ionian system (Rapture).

Notes

According to the episode's podcast, the interior of the Temple of Five is an abandoned factory, the same set used for the large ordnance storage room of Ragnar Anchorage (where Aaron Doral is left behind in the Miniseries).