Karibdis

Karibdis on the shuttle with Chella and Elias.

Biography

Code-named Proteus, Karibdis was Lord Baltar's pilot and top electronics expert during the Colonial war with the Cylons, and apparently in on the plan to use the Cylons to have Baltar obtain power. In turn, it is probable that he was also promised great things upon Baltar's ascension to dictatorship. Karibdis greatly assisted Lord Baltar's plans for domination by disabling the defensive equipment on Caprica, thus allowing the Cylon holocaust to occur without at least some defensive action. Left unchecked, the Cylons decided to wipe out everything, leaving Karibdis in a precarious situation. Of course, like Riftis (alias: Chella) and Elias, he bartered his way to The Fleet that Adama had instituted by bribing Flight Sergeant Ortega.

He took on the name Pallon and managed to hide himself within the bowels of the assemblage of refugees. No one knew of his existence, as he apparently managed to keep himself out of the public eye -- which is probably the reason that Baltar kept him on in the first place -- in the Fleet. However, Ortega made a mistake of blackmailing him, and as a result Karibdis kills him -- pinning the blame on Starbuck, using Starbuck's sidearm while the warrior is in the Triad prep locker's turbowash.

Of course, being an unknown, Adama is unable to physically identify Karibdis -- though the Commander is instrumental in pointing the way to Ortega's killer and allowing Apollo to request Baltar's services. En route back to Galactica, after Baltar's transfer to the shuttle from the Prison Barge, Karibdis (Pallon) reveals himself and, in stereotypical criminal style, divulges everything over an open comline that the Tribunal enters into evidence.

During this, Baltar wants Karibdis to remove his cuffs, however Karibdis wants to kill them both, making it look like they both killed each other. A logical presumption on Apollo's part, and it influences Baltar to make his move and disarm Karibdis (Murder on the Rising Star).

We can presume that he is spending some very valuable countless centars with Baltar and others on the Prison Barge.

Portrayed by Lyman Ward

Notes

• It would have been quite interesting if we had seen Karibdis make way for the Cylons to conduct their holocaust upon the Colonies in "Saga of a Star World". Pity we only got to see him once, and then ejected to the Prison Barge with the rest of the "Grid Rats".
• Karibdis' assistance in Baltar's initial scheme (dominion of the Twelve Colonies) does validate Baltar's need for accomplices; who evidently were bribed into assisting him, presumably with extravagant wealth, partners of their choice, and other typical felgercarb.
• The name "Karibdis" is a variant (more accurately translated from Greek) of Charybdis, the whirlpool/sea-monster that attacked such heroic Greeks as the Argonauts and Odysseus.