Pre-Blood & Chrome:
Battle of Caprica |
Fall of Djerba |
Operation Clean Sweep
Blood & Chrome: Battle of Sector 12 |
Battle of Djerba |
Ghost Fleet Offensive
Final Day:
Operation Raptor Talon |
Gaeta's Mutiny
From Battlestar Wiki, the free, open content Battlestar Galactica encyclopedia and episode guide
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| Gaeta's Mutiny | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Conflict: | Gaeta's Mutiny | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date: | Approximately 4 years after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Episode(s): | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place: | Battlestar Galactica | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Result: | Mutiny ends in failure, Assassination of Quorum of Twelve (sans Lee Adama) by Zarek, Gaeta and Zarek executed for their crimes, All other mutineers imprisoned, Colonial-Cylon alliance maintained. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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In a covert plan, Tom Zarek, Felix Gaeta, a handful of Marines, civilians and members of the Galactica crew in key positions set in motion their mutiny:
Causes
After the disappointment following the discovery of Earth, Roslin's power as a religious icon diminishes. Admiral Adama, proposes an alliance with the rebel Cylons. Despite the fact that the Quorum of Twelve voted against allowing Cylons into the various ships of the fleet, the Admiral declares the matter a military decision, and orders them to permit these upgrades (The Oath). Zarek attempts to stop the alliance by arranging for the Tylium ship jump away from the fleet, rather than submit to Galactica's authority, but Adama blackmails him into giving up the location of the ship (A Disquiet Follows My Soul). Gaeta, disgusted with the actions of his commanding officer, meets with Zarek to plan a simultaneous mutiny and political coup.
Beginning
Having already felt out those he can trust, Gaeta walks into the Brig and with the help of sympathetic Marines, frees Vice President Zarek and escorts him to the Hanger Deck. On the hanger deck, Lt. Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson, convinces the deck crew and assembled civilians that her Raptor is leaking fuel, and that one spark could set off an explosion, orders them all to evacuate the Deck. This in turn allows Zarek to approach the Raptor unseen, but they are interrupted by Deck Chief Laird. Laird speaks up that the Raptor is on hold for emergency medical transport and not any bogus VIP shuttle. While Gaeta unsuccessfully attempts to try and explain the group out of this unexpected hurdle, Zarek manages to sneak up behind Laird and picking up a wrench, hits him over the head killing him. Gaeta is visibly angered by this killing, but Zarek warns him that Laird won't be the only victim.
When Gaeta reports for duty, Hoshi notices that there is a launch in progress and that he doesn't have any scheduled in the flight log. Gaeta responds that maybe it is an error and that he should look over the flight log for an update by Laird. When he finds none in the flight log, he suggests calling down to the flight deck. Gaeta stops him and points out that there is no Transponder signal and when Tigh questions Gaeta, his response is that it is probably a dradis ghost. The Admiral and XO fall for it and Zarek escapes to Colonial One where he surprises Lee and the Quorum of 12 when he walks in on their meeting.
In CIC, everything is going according to plan as an alarm sounds indicating a fire on C Deck near the Main Antennas. Adama orders in the DC units, but Gaeta points out that the fire might not be an accident and that they will be in the dark if the antenna array goes down. Adama orders a Marine detail to escort the DC units, thus allowing more Marines to join the mutineers in the forward section of C Deck raiding the small arms locker. Unknown to them is that Kara Thrace has seen all this. Starbuck arms herself and tries to warn CIC, but Gaeta refuses to let her speak to the Admiral.
Back aboard Colonial One, Zarek suggests to Lee, who is having trouble getting a hold of his father on Galactica, that the admiral only released him because he didn't believe the civilian government posed a threat to his authority. Lee leaves to prove Zarek wrong, thus leaving the Quorum to Zarek.
In the CIC Gaeta informs Adama and Tigh that they lost communications ship wide as well as backups. On the Hanger Deck, Lee is greeted by Marines and Charlie Connor who proceed to rough him up and take him hostage. Before they are able to do anything more, Starbuck interrupts and kills the marine pointing a gun at Lee's head then shoots Skulls in the shoulder. She forces the others to release Lee and the two escape.
Elseshere, the mutineers begin to systematically take hostage all the Cylons and those they know are their friends or lovers or otherwise supporters of the current alliance on Galactica. Those taken and locked away in the Cylon brig are Caprica-Six, Athena, Helo, their daughter Hera, and one of the Final Five, Anders. Galen Tyrol, however avoids capture so far.
Back in the CIC, Hoshi realizes that the devices used to scan for carbon monoxide sensors should be going through the roof, but he only reads normal levels. Adama is tired of being blind and sends a Private Jaffee to go to C Deck and report back. Once he returns and reports what he has found, Gaeta suddenly orders the Marines to take Adama, Tigh, Hoshi and the senior staff into custody. Rebel Marines draw their weapons and surround the Admiral and his staff. A brief firefight ensues in which Jaffee is killed. Adama reluctantly orders his men to stand down. He and Gaeta then exchange harsh words, both accusing the other of betraying their oaths to defend the ship and her crew. Before he is escorted off the CIC, Adama warns that there will be no forgiveness for those involved in the mutiny.
Meanwhile, Thrace and Lee Adama find Roslin and inform her of the situation. Roslin decides to come out and publicly address the Fleet in hopes that they will listen to her. However, with communications down, they have no way to contact the rest of the Fleet. Roslin knows of one way they can get a message out.
Thrace, Roslin, and Lee make it to Baltar's compartment, where Galen Tyrol is organizing a defense against the mutineers. Tyrol informs them that the admiral has been captured. Starbuck and Lee rush off to find the admiral, while Roslin tries to convince Baltar to let her use his pirate transmitter. Elsewhere, Adama and Tigh overcome their marine escorts, killing one and taking the other hostage. The admiral and Tigh run into Thrace and Lee at the brig where others are being held. The brig is too heavily guarded, so they decide to regroup with Tyrol at a secondary airlock. Meanwhile, Roslin uses Baltar's transmitter to broadcast a partial message to the Fleet before Gaeta jams the signal.
The Adamas, Tigh, Thrace, Tyrol, Roslin, and Baltar all meet up at the secondary airlock where a Raptor is waiting. Roslin and Baltar board the Raptor which heads off for the rebel Basestar, while Admiral Adama and Tigh stay behind to cover the president's escape. Thrace, Lee, and Tyrol head off to continue their fight elsewhere.
End
President Roslin and Gaius Baltar manage to escape Galactica on a Raptor to the Cylon baseship. Gaeta tries to have her shot down, but after she identifies herself, Hotdog, apparently not in on the mutiny, hesitates and allows Roslin to make it to the baseship safely despite Narcho's attempts to destroy the Raptor. Tigh and Adama are captured by marines after being knocked out by a stun grenade, Adama having decided to stay behind to try to retake the ship and Tigh supporting him.
Zarek tries to convince the Quorum, but when Sagittaron delegate Jacob Cantrell asks him to leave, apparently supporting Roslin, he has them murdered. The Cylons move their ship further into the Fleet for protection but Gaeta scatters it. Roslin manages to make a broadcast about the mutiny, asking the civilian ships to shut down their FTL drives just before she is jammed again. 10 ships follow her orders. Lee Adama and Kara Thrace, still free, manage to break into the brig and rescue the Cylons and Helo and they join the two in the battle to retake the ship. Anders is seriously wounded and Kara stays behind to get him to Doctor Cottle for medical treatment.
Admiral Adama is tried for various crimes with Gaeta (now a Commander) as the people's representative and Zarek as the judge with Romo Lampkin as Adama's lawyer. He refuses to betray his beliefs and is sentenced to death by firing squad. Meanwhile Tyrol crawls through the ship's vents to an arms locker where he's ambushed by former LSO Aaron Kelly, but Kelly lets him go, his support of the mutiny faltering. The Cylons on the baseship decide to flee, but Roslin manages to convince them to stay and support Adama and calls Galactica to demand Zarek and Gaeta's surrender. Gaeta has a firing squad led by Narcho take Adama to a launch tube to be executed and in an attempt to get her to surrender Zarek claims to Roslin that Tigh was killed escaping and Adama was executed, but this only strengthens her resolve and has the baseship's weapons turned on Galactica.
Gaeta gets confirmation that Adama was executed, but in reality he was rescued by Lee and the released prisoners who take Narcho and the firing squad captive having learned where they were from Kelly out of remorse for joining the mutiny. Kara tries to get Anders to sickbay but struggles on her own, however Lampkin manages to escape, killing a marine with a pen and she convinces him to help her. Adama convinces the firing squad to aid him in recapturing the ship, but Narcho refuses to help as despite his respect for the Admiral, he refuses to help anyone who won't fight the Cylons. Adama stops Tigh from executing Narcho on the spot and instead has Narcho tied up .
Adama, Lee, Tigh, Helo, Athena, Kelly, the marine squad, and a gathering crowd of other loyalists make their way towards the CIC. Gaeta tries to jump, but Tyrol manages to manually disable the FTL drive. Specialist Gage turns Galactica's weapons on the baseship, but Gaeta, realizing he's lost, orders him to stand down and seconds later the Admiral and his men storm CIC and retake it without firing a shot, ending the mutiny. Adama contacts the baseship and gets Roslin and the Cylons to stand down now that he's back in command again. Gaeta later admits to Baltar that he's okay with the fact that he lost. Gaeta and Zarek are later executed by firing squad for their crimes.
In the Podcast for "Deadlock", RDM states that those mutineers - including Racetrack and Skulls - who did not rejoin Adama have been imprisoned on Zarek's old ship the Astral Queen.
Aftermath
Ironically, the mutiny ends up accomplishing the exact opposite of what it was intended to do. With a considerable number of Galactica's crew dead or imprisoned, the Colonials start flying joint CAPs with the rebel Cylons. In addition, there is a shortage of marines on Galactica. Adama refuses to let Centurions on board the ship and instead decides to arm Baltar's cult to help control the civilian population in Dogsville. (Deadlock)
Furthermore, it is during the final stages of this mutiny that Tyrol discovers ominous signs of wear and tear on Galactica. Admiral Adama reluctantly agrees to allow Tyrol to use Cylon bio-technology and Cylon work crews from the Baseship to fix the damage. (No Exit)
The annihilated Quorum of Twelve is replaced by the Quorum of Ships' Captains - which is comprised of delegates representing the individual ships of the Fleet rather than the extinct Twelve Colonies. The Cylons are allowed to send their own representative to this new Quorum. (Someone to Watch Over Me).
Known Participants
Galactica crew
- Lieutenant, later Commander Felix Gaeta - Military Leader † (executed)
- Captain Aaron Kelly - Defected to Loyalists
- Lieutenant Noel Allison - In custody
- Lieutenant Margaret Edmondson - In custody
- Lieutenant Hamish McCall - In custody
- Lieutenant Paolo McKay - In custody (presumed)
- Ensign Diana Seelix - In custody (presumed)
- Sergeant Allan Nowart - In custody (presumed)
- Lance Corporal Maldonaldo † (killed by Admiral Adama)
- Specialist Gage - In custody
- Specialist Vireem - In custody
- Marine Parr † (killed by Romo Lampkin)
Civilians
- Vice President Tom Zarek - Civilian Leader † (executed)
- Charlie Connor - In custody (presumed)
Known Loyalists
Galactica crew
- Admiral William Adama - Military Leader
- Colonel Saul Tigh
- Captain Kara Thrace
- Captain Karl Agathon - Wounded in action
- Captain Aaron Kelly - Defected from Mutineers
- Chief Petty Officer Peter Laird † (murdered by Zarek)
- Lieutenant Louis Hoshi
- Lieutenant Sharon Agathon
- Ensign Samuel Anders - Seriously wounded in action
- Private Stewart Jaffee † (killed in action)
- Galen Tyrol
Civilians
- President Laura Roslin
- The Quorum of Twelve † (assassinated on Zarek's orders)
- Lee Adama
- Jacob Cantrell †
- Dahlia †
- Reza Chronides †
- Eight unnamed delegates †
- Dr. Gaius Baltar
- The Cult of Baltar
- Romo Lampkin
Cylons not part of Galactica's crew
On Galactica:
On the Baseship:
- Misc. Number Two copies
- Misc. Number Six copies
- Misc. Number Eight copies
- Tory Foster