Cult of the Serpent

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch continuation 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.

The Cult of the Serpent is a Sagittarian religious cult operating within the Pit aboard Ursus and is the most powerful group in that vessel's underbelly. The cult is led by Tybalt, who styles himself as the "high priest of the Serpent."

Organization and influence

The Cult of the Serpent wields considerable power within the Pit, with many members maintaining jobs and functions throughout the fleet. Despite having the financial means to leave the Pit, many cultists choose to remain, leading Captain Morgan to wonder what they are hiding from. The cult may even have Colonial Warriors among its ranks, though they do not live in the Pit itself.

The cult's devotion to Tybalt is absolute. Morgan notes that any one of the cultists would give their life for their leader without hesitation, demonstrating an intense fanaticism that both impresses and disturbs the captain of Ursus.

The inhabitants of the Pit genuinely fear the Serpent Cult, keeping their distance from the cult's quarters, which are located in the cleaner, more organized sections of the Pit. The cult's living area is secured by a coded tech-lock on an iris door.

Activities and beliefs

The cult maintains ritual practices, including crude etchings on the floor of their quarters arranged in a circle where members gather. These markings suggest ceremonies that extend beyond simple prayer.

Political agenda

The cult becomes a militant force supporting Ambassador Puck{{'}s campaign for command of the fleet following Commander Adama{{'}s death. Tybalt describes the cult as "a special interest group, looking out for our special interest, which, as I've said, is the appointment of Ambassador Puck to the position of commander."

Connection to Iblis

The cult operates under the influence of Count Iblis, who appears to Tybalt as a shadowy figure in the darkened Pit. Lieutenant Troy observes Tybalt receiving instructions from "a silhouette there, the size of a man, though it seemed to blend in with the other shadows."

When Troy publicly questions whether the serpents the cult worships are connected to the reptilian Cylons, Tybalt reacts with desperation, and several of his own followers begin to doubt him. One Tauran woman asks, "Are the serpents you have us praying to some kind of Cylon gods?" Tybalt's violent response—killing the woman—and his inability to adequately deny the accusation causes his followers to turn against him.

Violent actions

The cult engages in murder and terrorism to further its goals:

• The cult murders Terence, an agro-worker from Agro-3, decapitating him to silence him as a potential witness to Puck's murder by Iblis.

• When Colonial Warriors Troy and Dalton investigate Terence's whereabouts, the cultists ambush them, killing several of Morgan's crewmen by slitting their throats.

• The cultists take Troy, Dalton, and Captain Morgan hostage, binding them and moving them to a wider area of the Pit where Tybalt prepares to execute them as part of a fleet-wide broadcast.

• Tybalt murders Captain Morgan in cold blood during the broadcast, shooting him through the head to demonstrate the cult's seriousness.

• Using a skyeye to broadcast throughout the fleet via TransVid and unicomm, Tybalt issues an ultimatum demanding the Quorum vote Puck in as commander within one centon, threatening to execute Ensign Dalton and Lieutenant Troy if his demands are not met.

Downfall

When Commander Athena leads a rescue force into the Pit, a fierce laser battle erupts between the Warriors and the cultists. Despite being outnumbered, the Warriors' superior training allows them to hold their own against the untrained cultists.

Troy's accusation about the cult's connection to the Cylons creates dissent among Tybalt's followers. When Tybalt kills one of his own followers for questioning him, Athena shoots him through the chest with a laser blast, killing him. The skyeye broadcasts his death throughout the fleet, and the surviving cultists quietly surrender.