Talk:Louanne Katraine/Archive 1

Discussion page of Louanne Katraine/Archive 1

Character Guide Pic[edit]

I wonder if there wouldn't be a couple of pretty good character pic opportunities for her during "Final Cut". --Steelviper 10:22, 24 January 2006 (EST)

I would think "Scar" would have even better opportunities; hopefully someone will step up. --Spencerian 16:22, 8 February 2006 (EST)
Dr Bat's Source has an interesting one of her doing the "equilibrium" firing drill (under the "Episodic" photography). However, it's not much of a face closeup, and I'm not 100% sure on the copyright status of those shots (as cool as they are). They look too good to be screenshots, so if they are really promo photos then I think we'd be ok. --Steelviper 16:40, 8 February 2006 (EST)
From Dark Thoughts: "All Battlestar Galactica images and videos © NBC and Universal Television.", which means the copyright is the same as for screenshots, so go for it. --Undc23 04:40, 15 February 2006 (EST)

What did Kara Realize?[edit]

I think I agree with Ricimer The Merovingian. Kara didn't realize that she was being destructive because of Anders... Anders is fraking up her normally destructive mentality. She didn't realize jack while in the cockpit. All she knew at the time was that she chickened out. Later, while sparing with Karl, he pinpointed why she chickened out. It's not like Kara was normal before meeting Anders. Before meeting him, she'd have gone on in and been blown up. After meeting him, she's become a bit more sane and she doesn't know how to handle that. I'll wait for responses before reverting, but I think The Merovingian (who sorely needs a name I can call him that's much shorter) and I had identical interpretations of the final few minutes of "Scar". --Day 00:48, 8 February 2006 (EST)

A) Agreed. I don't think Spencerian's assesment was right: Starbuck "chickened out" (prudently protected her own life) because, as they stated in dialog at the end, she has Anders to live for now, etc. etc.
B) Why? You seem to have little difficultly in typing "The Merovingian" at present. --The Merovingian 00:55, 8 February 2006 (EST)
Re: B - Well, I use "Day" partly because it is a short, short word. You may've noticed I refer to Joe Beaudoin Jr. as simply "Joe", Peter Farago as simply "Peter", Spencerian as "Spence" and Steelviper as "SV". That may be a bit too many examples, but I'm trying to establish a pattern of typing laziness. If push comes to shove, I may start calling you "M" or something... "The Frenchman" is just as long, see... Anyway. That's the long answer. I guess the short answer would be, "Because I can't be bothered." *wink* --Day 01:21, 8 February 2006 (EST)
Frenchy? ;) --Redwall 07:39, 8 February 2006 (EST)

All: There's no problem in updating or revising my intepretation, especially given the insightful explanation in this thread. Please, just type it in so that it doesn't read like my 9-year old son wrote it, thanks.

And I have already selected "Merv" for the M's short name, which is very obvious to me (and any Matrix fan). --Spencerian 09:39, 8 February 2006 (EST)


Indeed. Yes, "Club Hel" scene, mexican standoff bit, etc. etc. --The Merovingian

Acting CAG?[edit]

Admittedly I am no expert on military nuances so correct my confusion if you can: Kat was leading the Vipers sent against Pegasus in Resurrection Ship part I, but does that mean she was the actual, promoted "CAG"? I mean, a pilot cannot be awake or expected to be capable of flyint 24 hours a day, so logically, at times they lead flight missions during which the actual "CAG" is not "leading the planes". We don't really know who Galactica CAG was after Apollo got transfered. Just thought I'd bring it up. Of course, I actually think the current idea of saying she was "presumed" in the link box is actually our best choice of action, and I actually don't see a better way of saying any of this. Just thought I'd bring it up. --The Merovingian (C - E) 22:34, 25 March 2006 (CST)

Kara was stationed on pegaus at the time. If the leader of a sqaud is not contacted who is then? A polit with less rank? She must have been acting CAG or even just CAG after the transfer. --Shane (T - C - E) 00:14, 26 March 2006 (CST)
Well I guess that would depend on whether we consider Starbuck acting CAG during "Bastille Day" for example, but I don't think so. --The Merovingian (C - E) 00:19, 26 March 2006 (CST)
I would say she was a CAG at that time. She is conducting the meeting, and that who the CAG is... someone even if it is so such a short time... bears that title. everyone keeps their title, even past retirment. (i.e. Retired Soilders keep their rank, unless revoked by a Dishonarble Dischange.) It's almost like if I were the Governor of a State, and after I left office, I would still be called Governor. --Shane (T - C - E) 00:22, 26 March 2006 (CST)
I would say the difference between Kat in "Resurrection Ship" and Starbuck in "Bastille Day" is that in RS, Kat's superiors had been transferred off-ship in an official capacity and weren't realistically expected to return; whereas the hostage crisis in "Bastille Day" was probably expected to be defused one way or another. Thus, in my mind, Kat was actually acting CAG in "Resurrection Ship", whereas Starbuck was just filling in in "Bastille Day". --Peter Farago 09:39, 26 March 2006 (CST)
...No, CAG is nothing like that. It's a position not a rank; note that when Apollo is no longer CAG at various times, he is not called "CAG". --The Merovingian (C - E) 00:29, 26 March 2006 (CST)
In the Navy, CAGs don't fly every mission. Any of the experienced pilots can lead missions, even if it was an Alpha strike (every attack and fighter craft launching to attack one target). CAGs do tend to fly missions just to keep up there flight hours. A good book that really shows the life of a CAG is Stephen Coonts' "Final Flight." CAG is as much an administration post as a combat one. Kat wouldn't have to be a CAG to command a mission like that. Also, if a CAG is unable to perform, and another is unavailable, the senior squadron commander would fill his shoes. --Talos 07:00, 26 March 2006 (CST)
Thank you, Talos. Hm, you have a book source and that sounds kind of official to me, so I guess I'll edit the article. --The Merovingian (C - E) 19:53, 26 March 2006 (CST)
Because everything has to be spelled out and everyone has their own option,
Commander, Air Group, or CAG, refers to the senior officer responsible for air operations aboard an aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy. The term traces its origins to 1938 when the first Carrier Air Group was formed. Air Groups were redesignated as Carrier Air Wings, or CVWs in the 1970s, but the head of the air wing is still referred to as the CAG.On a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, the equivalent is the Commander (Air).
Anyone, even if are acting is considered reponsible. I beleive she was the one asking for permission to fire. Not other pilots. --Shane (T - C - E) 20:07, 26 March 2006 (CST)
That just means she was the leader of the mission. If Starbuck was leading a flight of 10 Vipers and Apollo was on Galactica doing paperwork, she wouldn't be CAG but would still lead the flight. Now Kat could be the CAG but we are just never told one way or another. --Talos 20:15, 26 March 2006 (CST)
By that time Lee (Lt.) was in a Raptor, and Kara was coming back from the Reserrection Ship Recon. How could any one of those two people be CAG while they were not even on board Galalcita nor under Galalcicia control at the time? --Shane (T - C - E) 20:27, 26 March 2006 (CST)
I'm saying that Kat was a junior pilot. Any of the surviving pilots from before the attack would be more senior than her. If she wasn't the CAG, it's quite possible that it was a Raptor pilot. For all we know, Cain assigned a Pegasus pilot as CAG and he refused to fight his own ship (just speculation). --Talos 20:36, 26 March 2006 (CST)
Fair point. --Peter Farago 21:11, 26 March 2006 (CST)
Good points, Talos. --The Merovingian (C - E) 21:31, 26 March 2006 (CST)


Smug?[edit]

"Kat chides Starbuck once more in the pilot's recreation room as she held the Top Gun mug. Starbuck pours champagne in the mug and tells Kat, "You've earned it." Kat's slight smile in response was not that of __smugness__, but that of honor--for Starbuck to tell her that she was (at least for the time being) the best--is pleasing as a master would compliment a student (Scar). Kat's __smugness__ was short-lived, as Starbuck offered a toast to all the pilots who have died during their flight from the colonies. Overwhelmed with the memory of lost comrades, Kat nearly burst into tears. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Niethan (talk • contribs)." To clarify: is she smug or not? Niethan 11:53, 20 June 2006 (CDT)

That was my interpretation of the matter. Emotions were running high there, and even Commander Adama is grinning there, apparently aware of the mercurial nature of having to hand over the Top Gun mug when you're bested. Kat's grin might be more of "smug satisfaction" than merely the "nah-nah" teasing grin that Starbuck uses. The differences are small, I'll admit. --Spencerian 12:05, 20 June 2006 (CDT)
Saying she isn't smug then saying the opposite ten words later is plain bad style, not a matter of interpretation ;) Niethan 12:19, 20 June 2006 (CDT)

Kat's rank[edit]

Does anyone have a screenshot of her with Captain's insignia? I only have relatively low-res video files, but in "Torn" when she walks across the hangar deck at the beginning, she wears Lt. pips as far as I can tell.

If I remember correctly, Kat's Viper Mk VII was marked "Lt. Louanne Katraine" during the mock dogfight scene. --Talos 16:44, 9 November 2006 (CST)
Are Lt.s and Lt. JG's marked differently on Vipers? For, in this picture - which was probably taken during the production of early season 3 episodes - Kat wears Lt. JG insignia. - Pedda 16:48, 9 November 2006 (CST)
Watching over the mock dogfight scene, her rank/name/callsign are never shown on the Viper. It still looks to me like in the hangar deck and in the pilot's lounge, she's wearing Captain insignia. However, based on the above photo and no hard evidence that she's a Captain, I'm putting her rank in the article back to Lieutenant. - Ratamacue 17:42, 9 November 2006 (CST)
I was specifically looking for her rank on friday when I watched it last, and I'm sure you can barely see her rank, at least a -T. --Talos 21:37, 9 November 2006 (CST)
You can see her name plate for a very short while, but you need a high quality source to decipher anything on it --Serenity 10:34, 10 November 2006 (CST)
Yes, the only nameplate you can clearly see is Apollo's. -- Joe Beaudoin So say we all - Donate 10:51, 10 November 2006 (CST)
Look at the promo picture from "The Passage" - I see some chevrons sticking out of the pin, but I can't tell if it's full Lieutenant or Captain. -- Spike 22:21, 16 November 2006 (CST)
Good catch. (I got carried away by the wonderful looks and composition, and totally missed the pin.) There are two chevrons sticking out on each side, so Kat's either Captain or Major. I think we can assume she will be Captain, because there are only four people in the fleet who hold a rank of Major or higher (Bill, Saul, Cottle, Lee). --Pedda 02:09, 17 November 2006 (CST)
It's a Captain's pin. Major is 3 chevrons. So I'd say she's promoted some time in the next few episodes --Serenity 07:49, 17 November 2006 (CST)
I think she was promoted to Captain some time ago, only we don't know about it yet (Helo's case, anyone?). Every Galactica's or Pegasus' CAG was either Captain (Apollo, Starbuck, Stinger) or Major (Apollo, Ripper) and Kat was Galactica's CAG for a few months, too. -- Spike 13:06, 17 November 2006 (CST)