Colonial Warrior (TOS-RH)

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch Novelizations separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Colonial Warrior is the military designation for combat personnel serving in the Colonial Fleet and its defensive forces in the aftermath of the Cylon holocaust. Warriors serve as pilots, soldiers, and defenders of the Fleet during its exodus toward Earth.

Characteristics and Philosophy

The Warrior Code

The concept of a Colonial Warrior extends beyond mere military training to encompass a comprehensive philosophy of discipline, honor, and sacrifice. According to Gar'Tokk, the Borellian Nomen warrior who serves as a guardian and mentor within the Fleet, a true warrior must possess specific qualities that distinguish them from ordinary soldiers or civilians.

A warrior must genuinely care enough for those they protect to be willing to die for them, and more critically, to kill for them when necessary. Beyond physical capability, warriors must possess honor, gallantry, and dignity. They must commit themselves completely to their cause with their whole heart, and cannot make life-and-death decisions without embracing the duty of leadership.

Gar'Tokk emphasizes that anyone can fight when filled with enough grog or anger, but a warrior must believe in their cause. From this belief comes true bravery. Warriors experience fear like all living things, but they transform that fear into a weapon to serve their destiny.

Emotional Control

A crucial distinction exists between warriors and civilians in their relationship with emotions. While warriors possess emotions and can express them, they are not controlled by them. Caran articulates this principle when she explains that warriors like Apollo, Starbuck, and Gar'Tokk all have emotions, but none are guilty of being controlled by those emotions. She notes that a warrior without emotions would be a Cylon, while a human controlled by their emotions is merely a civilian.

This philosophy of emotional discipline does not mean warriors lack humor or passion. Starbuck exemplifies the ideal warrior who maintains good humor and daring while still exercising proper control. Observers might confuse his demeanor with emotional impulsiveness, but this represents a misunderstanding of the warrior spirit.

Training and Requirements

Physical and Mental Demands

Colonial Warriors must meet both physical and mental requirements that go beyond standard military training. The physical demands include proficiency with weapons, combat skills, and the ability to pilot Vipers and other spacecraft. However, Gar'Tokk makes clear that the mental and spiritual requirements are equally important, if not more so.

Caran, despite believing she could manage the physical requirements to become a warrior, recognizes she could never meet the mental challenge. She observes that warriors tend to form relationships primarily among themselves, suggesting a shared understanding of the demands and sacrifices inherent in the warrior lifestyle.

The Warrior Tradition

Colonial Warriors trace their lineage through the ancestral line from Parnassus, through Kobol, to Caprica. This code of honor, passed down through generations, includes principles such as refusing to take the life of an enemy who can no longer fight back. This code distinguishes Colonial Warriors from other martial traditions, including those of the Borellian Nomen.

When asked whether being a warrior in the tradition of one's forefathers is sufficient, young Koren responds that his biological father was only a revolutionary, not a warrior, suggesting a distinction between political resistance and the warrior path.

Uniforms and Equipment

Standard Uniform

Colonial Warriors wear distinctive uniforms that include flight jackets made of bova-leather, typically in crimson color with shining buckles. These flight jackets serve both practical and ceremonial purposes, marking the wearer's status as a trained pilot and warrior.

Warriors are issued standard equipment including:

• Laser pistols as standard sidearms
• Flight helmets (referred to as "helms")
• Communications equipment integrated into flight suits and Viper cockpits

Rank and Insignia

Warriors observe military hierarchy with ranks including:

• Commander (fleet command position, such as Apollo)
• Captain (squadron leader)
• Major (senior officer, such as Sheba and Boomer)
• Lieutenant (junior officer)
• Ensign (entry-level officer)

The traditional salute of a Colonial Warrior involves touching one's forehead.

Role in the Fleet

Combat Operations

Colonial Warriors serve as the primary defensive force for the Fleet, engaging Cylon raiders and base stars, as well as other hostile forces encountered during the exodus. Warriors pilot Vipers in space combat, maintain security aboard ships, and conduct ground operations when necessary.

During periods of crisis, Galactica and the Fleet operate under martial law, with Warriors authorized to issue direct orders to civilian personnel. This authority reflects both the military necessity of maintaining order during emergencies and the trust placed in Warriors to exercise judgment and restraint.

Launch Operations

Viper launch operations require coordination between Warriors and service crews who handle technical preparations. Without crew support, Vipers cannot launch, regardless of pilot readiness. This interdependence occasionally creates tension when civilian crews stage demonstrations or work actions.

Distinction from Civilians

Warriors maintain a distinct identity from the civilian population of the Fleet. They form a subculture with its own values, social patterns, and expectations. This separation sometimes creates friction, particularly when civilians question whether Warriors remain necessary after prolonged periods without Cylon contact, or when military necessity conflicts with civilian autonomy.

Civilians occasionally express distrust of Warriors in civilian roles, suggesting they might succeed as technicians, craftsmen, or workers only with extensive training and discipline. This attitude reflects underlying tensions between military and civilian culture within the Fleet.

Notable Examples

Exemplary Warriors

Several individuals exemplify the warrior ideal:

• Apollo: Commander Apollo represents the highest standard of the Colonial Warrior, having learned advanced techniques from Gar'Tokk while maintaining traditional colonial values. He leads by personal example, refusing to ask others to face dangers he would not face himself.

• Starbuck: Despite his outward demeanor of casual humor and risk-taking, Starbuck embodies the warrior spirit through his courage, skill, and dedication to his comrades. His good humor masks but does not diminish his warrior discipline.

• Boomer: A career warrior who exemplifies both combat proficiency and the moral complexity of the warrior's burden. Taking human life weighs heavily on him, demonstrating that warriors retain their humanity even when forced to kill.

• Sheba: Daughter of the legendary Commander Cain, Sheba inherited her father's philosophy of favoring action over explanation. She serves as a major and squadron leader, demonstrating that women serve equally alongside men in the Colonial Warrior tradition.

Aspirants

Koren, Apollo's adopted son, aspires to become a warrior despite lacking warrior heritage through his biological father. His desire to learn from Gar'Tokk represents the challenge of transforming from civilian adolescent to disciplined warrior. Gar'Tokk cautions him that maturity alone does not guarantee the necessary qualities, particularly the ability to master emotions rather than being controlled by them.

Warrior Culture

Social Patterns

Warriors demonstrate strong bonds of friendship and loyalty with fellow warriors. This camaraderie extends beyond mere professional relationships into genuine brotherhood. The sense of shared purpose and mutual dependence in combat creates connections that often transcend other social divisions.

Warriors tend to form romantic relationships primarily with other warriors, though exceptions exist. This pattern reflects shared understanding of the demands, sacrifices, and uncertainties inherent in warrior life.

Values and Priorities

The warrior ethos prioritizes honor, duty, and the protection of others above personal safety. Warriors take seriously their role as defenders of the Fleet's civilian population, even when that population questions the necessity or conduct of military forces.

Unlike civilians who might act from anger or revenge, warriors are expected to fight from principle and belief in their cause. This distinction matters profoundly in the warrior code - anyone can fight when angry, but only a true warrior fights from conviction.

Cross-Cultural Exchange

The presence of Borellian Nomen like Gar'Tokk within the Fleet creates opportunities for cross-cultural exchange in warrior traditions. While Colonial Warriors and Nomen warriors share certain values like honor and courage, they differ in specific practices and codes. Apollo's willingness to learn from Gar'Tokk while maintaining colonial warrior principles demonstrates the evolution of warrior culture through contact with other martial traditions.

Challenges and Controversies

Recruitment and Retention

Following major battles and after settling on Paradis, the warrior corps faces recruitment challenges. Many older warriors who survived previous battles express desire to retire to civilian life, no longer seeing need for military careers. This trend threatens the Fleet's defensive capabilities.

Some civilians argue they could handle defensive duties themselves if properly armed and trained, questioning the necessity of a dedicated warrior class. This sentiment reflects both overconfidence and misunderstanding of the discipline and training required for effective military operations.

Civilian-Military Relations

Tensions periodically arise between Warriors and civilians over issues of authority, resource allocation, and the proper role of military forces in governing the Fleet. During crises, Warriors exercise considerable authority through martial law, but this authority can be resented during calmer periods when civilians question its necessity.

Service crew demonstrations and work actions occasionally interfere with military operations, revealing the essential but sometimes contentious interdependence of military and civilian elements of Fleet society.

Moral Burdens

Warriors bear heavy moral burdens, particularly when forced to take human lives. While trained to fight Cylons and alien threats, confronting armed human opponents - whether seditionists, cultists, or other dissidents - creates emotional and ethical complexities that weigh on even experienced warriors.

See Also

• Colonial Fleet (TOS-RH)
• Viper (TOS-RH)
• Borellian Nomen (TOS-RH)
• Apollo (TOS-RH)
• Galactica (TOS-RH)