Valor

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.

Valor is a warrior of the Sky, a peaceful yet formidable alien race capable of telepathic communication and space flight. He becomes a crucial ally to the Colonial Fleet during its journey through uncharted space.

Biography

First Encounter

Valor is in stationary orbit around the third moon of the planet Xerik-12 when he hears the psychic screams of two Sky brothers dying. He immediately alters course to investigate, extending pseudopods from the front tip of his body to control his armor-ship, which closely conforms to his crescent-moon shaped physique.

Valor spreads his consciousness across the void and discovers pure, unadulterated hate radiating from the area, understanding immediately that he must act. Despite the Sky being a gentle and peaceful race, they have become warriors out of necessity, knowing that not all galactic neighbors share their benevolence.

Rescue by Apollo

Valor sustains severe damage during combat, with a massive wound tearing across his wing and his ship's systems failing. Apollo, piloting his Viper, encounters the critically wounded Sky warrior and establishes telepathic contact. Apollo discovers that Valor's entire craft is telepathically piloted and built on technology completely different from Colonial design, with an engine that still functions but cannot ignite due to internal damage.

In a desperate measure to save Valor's life, Apollo uses his Viper's turbo lasers at minimal power—two percent power with a narrow beam—to cauterize Valor's massive wound. Despite the excruciating pain, which Valor shields Apollo from telepathically, the procedure succeeds. Valor later tells Apollo: "Thank you for my life."

To restart Valor's engine, Apollo positions his Viper behind the Sky vessel and uses precise retro rocket maneuvers to align with the dimly glowing green light of Valor's engine. During this time, Valor provides intelligence about hostile presences in the quadrant, including scouts who appear to be Cylons preparing to establish outposts.

Battle Against the Chitain

When Apollo's mind calls out during a crisis, Valor senses his friend's distress. Clad in new armor and having recovered from his injuries, Valor leads more than one hundred and fifty Sky warriors to intervene in a fierce battle between the Colonial Fleet and the Chitain.

Valor is stunned to discover the human fleet under attack by the Chitain, but given Apollo's example of intelligence, courage, and compassion, he has no doubt where the Sky will enter the battle. His hatred and fury over the Chitain's destruction of a Sky embassy drives him forward despite his pain and discomfort.

The Sky warriors attack with devastating effect, initially destroying six Chitain craft with the element of surprise. However, the Chitain vessels prove deadly fast, and the Sky suffer casualties. Valor demonstrates superior maneuverability, using the "warhawk speed of thought" to outmaneuver a Chitain warship. While Chitain vessels are faster in straight-line speed, the Sky armor-ships can maneuver instantaneously through telepathic control.

Athena senses Valor's telepathic presence during the battle and confirms to Cain that the new arrivals are friends, recalling her brother Apollo's account of meeting Valor months earlier. The Sky's intervention dramatically shifts the battle's fortune, transforming what seemed a hopeless situation for the human fleet.

Rescue in the Ur Cloud

Sectons later, when Troy, Dalton, and Trays become stranded in their Vipers with depleted fuel deep within the Ur cloud, Valor appears and rescues them. Troy recognizes Valor's unique markings and crescent shape as the great sentient ship who fought to save Galactica during the battle with the Cylons and Chitain.

Valor locks onto all three Vipers with a tow beam and transports them through the Ur cloud to a graveyard of destroyed vessels from a great space battle. He deliberately guides them to the wreckage of the battlestar Pegasus, with Troy realizing that "Valor wanted us to see this. He didn't bring us here for nothing."

Valor's lights flash in the direction of Pegasus', directing the pilots to explore the hulk. After releasing Dalton's and Trays' Vipers to investigate Pegasus's remains, Valor tows Troy back toward a destroyed Cylon battlestar, apparently wanting the Colonial warriors to investigate both wrecks for salvageable materials.

Physical Description and Technology

Valor's body is described as a wide, flat, muscular crescent moon shape with tips forward. His armor-ship follows the contours of his body closely, serving as both protective covering and propulsion system. At the convex curve of his crescent shape sits a green-fire engine, while a hard-light plasma cannon is mounted at the midpoint of the inner curve between the tips.

While the Sky can propel themselves through air and space without armor, the armor's engines make long-distance space travel faster and less dangerous, as even the strongest Sky cannot fly indefinitely without rest. The Sky are described as "one with their armor."

Valor's ship is massive, dwarfing Colonial Vipers when hovering over them. His vessel features distinctive silver coloring and markings that make it instantly recognizable. The ship is equipped with a powerful tow beam capable of simultaneously pulling multiple Vipers.

Abilities

Valor possesses powerful telepathic abilities, capable of communicating mind-to-mind across the void of space. He can sense the minds and emotions of other beings, feeling the "deathcries" of warriors during battle and detecting the hatred radiating from hostile forces. His telepathic range is considerable, allowing him to sense distress calls from friends across vast distances.

As a Sky warrior, Valor can pilot his armor-ship through thought alone, achieving maneuverability that surpasses even the fastest conventional spacecraft. He can spread his consciousness across space to search for threats and allies. Additionally, Valor demonstrates the ability to shield others from psychic pain, protecting Apollo from the worst of his suffering during the emergency cauterization procedure.

Personality

Valor embodies the Sky philosophy of peace and gentleness while maintaining the fierce determination of a warrior when necessary. He demonstrates deep loyalty to his friends, particularly Apollo, whom he regards as an example of human intelligence, courage, and compassion. His decision to aid the human fleet against the Chitain stems both from his friendship with Apollo and his people's experiences with Chitain barbarism.

Valor shows strategic thinking and resourcefulness, deliberately guiding stranded Colonial pilots to locations where they can salvage crucial supplies rather than simply returning them directly to their fleet. His hatred for the Chitain, who destroyed a Sky embassy, drives him to fight despite his injuries, showing both his capacity for strong emotion and his commitment to justice.

Relationships

Apollo

Valor develops a strong bond with Apollo, whom he considers a friend after Apollo saves his life. Their telepathic connection creates an intimacy and warmth that Apollo finds comforting in the cold void of space. Valor's respect for Apollo influences his decision to aid the entire human fleet, viewing Apollo as representative of humanity's best qualities.

The Colonial Fleet

Through his friendship with Apollo and his intervention in battles, Valor becomes a crucial ally to the Colonial Fleet. His rescue of stranded pilots and provision of intelligence about hostile forces in the quadrant demonstrates his ongoing commitment to helping the fleet survive. The Sky warriors under his command follow his lead in defending human vessels against the Chitain.

Notes

• Valor's name reflects his courageous nature and warrior spirit.
• The Sky's armor-ship technology represents a unique blend of biological and mechanical systems, operated entirely through telepathy.
• Valor's ability to survive in the vacuum of space with only cauterization of his wounds suggests the Sky possess remarkable physiological resilience.