Laura Roslin

Laura Roslin is in her mid-40s with some 20 years of political experience behind her. Effectively the the 43rd in-line for the Presidency of the 12 Colonies should anything happen to President Adar, she was serving at Education Minister at the time of the renewed Cylon attack on the colonies.

File:Bsg-roslin-1.jpg

William Adama (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)

At the time of the Cylon attack, Roslin was aboard the Colonial government cruiser Colonial Heavy 798, having just attended the decommissioning ceremonies for the [Battlestar]] [Galactica]]. On hearing of the attack, she discovers that, other than herself, all members of President Adar's government have apparently been killed or are missing, and she is duly sworn-in as President.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Roslin undertook a rescue mission, using Colonial Heavy 798 to round-up all vessels that had escape destruction and gather as many survivors as possible together, hoping to save the remnants of humanity from total annihiliation. Taking her small fleet to the Ragnar Anchorage, she successfully pursuaded Commander William Adama away from his original intention of mounting a counter-attack against the Cylons, and towards helping the fleet make its escape.

Since the initial flight from the 12 colonies, Roslin has estalished a fledling civilian government within the fleet, and has agreed to abide by civil law regarding her term of office (Bastille Day). The size of her cabinet is unclear, but it is based aboard Colonial Heavy 798, none officially recognised as Colonial One.

In leading the fleet, Roslin has an uneasy understanding with William Adama that shes her responisble for all civil leadership issues among the surviving humans, he is responsible for all military decisions (Mini-Series) - but the dviding line is not always clear between the two.

Immediately prior to the attack, Roslin had been diagnosed with breast cancer (Mini-Series), which had advanced far enough as to be inoperable. She apparently contracted it some time following her last test, some five years before (Act of Contrition). Since the attack, she has started undergoing both recognised treatments for the sickness and more "radical" treatments - such as Kamala Extract (Act of Contrition). This latter treatment has lead her to having prescient dreams (Flesh and Bone), in which she foresaw the arrival of Leoben Conoy in the fleet, and waking hallucinations (The Hand of God).

As a result of the latter, Elosha, the fleet's priestess, has revealed the writings of Pythia to Roslin, which foretell the exile of humanity from their homelands, and their jounry to a new home under the guidance of a leader who has a vision of "two and ten" snakes, and who has a "wasting disease".

Despite being thrust into the role of President in highly usual and streesful circumstances, Laura Roslin continues to prove herself both tough and capable within the role. Initially in awe of William Adama, and worried he did not hold her in high regard (Water), she has quickly overcome her doubts and fears to be able to make the required decisions at the right time, and also stand up to Adama himself (You Can't Go Home Again). She is also prepared to put the safety of the ship first, no matter what the cost of her actions (Flesh and Bone), but she is also able to recognise her limitations. One of these is understanding military terminology and protocol. As a result of this, she initially asked Lee Adama to become her Special Advisor so she might better understand military requirements (Water).

Such is her trust in Lee, that he became only the second person in the fleet to know of her medical condition (Bastille Day), after Billy Keikeya.

Re-imagined Series definition: used to signify a civilian transport vessel over a certain gross weight/mass, i.e. Colonial Heavy 798