Tom Zarek was a political activist for more than 30 years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. He is a charismatic, eloquent and ideological political agitator who was incarcerated for destroying a government building on Sagittaron. His 20-year incarceration culminated in a sojourn in the Astral Queen, an FTL-capable prison ship, whilst in transit to parole hearings. Assigned the prison number of 893893, Zarek is under consideration for parole at the time of the Cylon attack.
As the Cylons attack the Twelve Colonies, Zarek is on a prison barge called the Astral Queen. Zarek manages to secure the release of the prisoners, and is put in command of the Astral Queen. Zarek engages in a steady effort to gain the goodwill of others of influence within the fleet, resulting in his nomination as the Representative of Sagittaron on the Quorum of Twelve. Zarek makes a bid for the position of Vice President, ultimately losing out to Gaius Baltar. Zarek eventually becomes Baltar's vice president, then president after the exodus of New Caprica. He then brokers a deal with Laura Roslin, allowing her to assume the presidency and being appointed her vice president.
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