Battlestar Galactica: Transcripts: S03E08: Hero

Adama: Previously, o­n Battlestar Galactica.

Screen graphic: In The Beginning…

Galactica: Hanger Bay/Armistice Station (Scenes from the miniseries.)

Adama: You cannot play God then wash your hands of the things that you’ve created.

(Six approaches the Armistice functionary; the station is destroyed.)

Adama: Sooner or later, the day comes when you can’t hide from the things that you’ve done anymore.

Galactica CIC

Gaeta: Attention all Colonial units. Cylon attack underway.

(Nuclear bombs drop o­n the Twelve Colonies.)

Gaeta: This is no drill.

Galactica: Adama’s Quarters

Adama: I’ll be right there.

Galactica: Hangar Bay

Adama: How? Why? Doesn’t really matter now. What does matter is that as of this moment, we are at war.

Galactica: Mess

Adama: You’re full of bile, hatred, poison. And I’m sorry for what happened to you down there, but I gotta run a ship. The last thing I need is a o­ne-eyed drunk sowing discontent and disobedience. So you can get your ass back into your quarters and not leave until you’re ready to act like the man that I’ve known for the past thirty years.

Tigh: That man doesn’t exist anymore, Bill. And you won’t be seeing me again.

TEASER

Basestar.

(There’s breathing and a heartbeat, and a sound like water. We see Bulldog briefly in a cage.)

Colonial o­ne

(Tory and Roslin are wearing casual spring cleaning clothes and moving back in. Both are wearing casual work clothes.)

Tory, holding Gaius’s portrait: Is there really any place left in the universe deserving of such a rare and distinguished item?

Roslin: I was thinking put it in the bathroom right over the toilet.

Tory: Excellent choice.

Roslin, gasping: Oh, my Gods. Oh Tory, come look at this. This is the dossier that Billy prepared for me my first day aboard Galactica. I can’t believe I was about to throw this out in the trash.

Tory, looking at a picture of the Valkyrie command officers: The Valkyrie. This was Adama’s command before Galactica?

Roslin: Mm-hmm.

Tory: Look at that. This year marks Admiral Adama’s 45th anniversary in the Colonial Fleet. In fact, his commissioning date’s o­nly a few days from now.

Roslin, handing her the dossier: Here. I think I want to have a ceremony. Let’s give the Admiral a medal for 45 years of devoted service.

Tory, continuing to look at it: Couldn’t have come at a better time.

Roslin: Give the people something to feel good about for a change.

(Focus o­n the picture of Adama; fade to next scene.)

Galactica CIC

Helo: This is the XO. Set Condition o­ne throughout the ship. I repeat, set Condition o­ne throughout the ship. This is not a drill.

Adama: What’s the problem?

Dualla: Three Raiders, CBDR [constant bearing/decreasing range], bearing 145, carom 33.

Helo: But this isn’t their standard wedge formation.

Adama: Where’s the CAP?

Dualla: Starbuck and Kat will intercept in 98 seconds, sir. It looks like a pursuit, and there’s been weapons exchange between them.

Adama: A pursuit?

Helo grins: Yes, sir. We’ve got two Raiders chasing a third.

Space: Viper CAP.

(The three Raiders.)

Galactica CIC

Adama: Have they fired o­n any of ours yet?

Helo: No, sir.

Adama: What the hell are they doing?

Space: Viper CAP.

Starbuck: All right, let’s see if we can climb up their asses without drawing any fire. These two seem pretty preoccupied with the other o­ne…

Kat: Got any idea why Cylons would be chasing Cylons?

Starbuck: Don’t know, don’t care. But wait’ll we close the gap, I don’t wanna have to chase these frakkin’ things any longer than I have to.

Kat: Yeah, roger that.

(A quick space battle; both Raiders are destroyed.)

Kat: Two down! o­ne to go!

Starbuck: Kat, check six. …Damn, Kat, flank right. This guy’s headed right for Galactica.

Kat: I’m o­n it, sir!

Galactica CIC

(CIC officers listening to the wireless.)

Bulldog: Krypter krypter krypter! This is Bulldog. Get me the hell out of here. I’m wounded!

Starbuck: What the frak is that?

Kat: Target in range, closing in.

Bulldog: Krypter krypter krypter, this is Bulldog…

Kelly: Audio lock-on enabled.

Adama: Where is that coming from?

Gaeta: It’s the Raider, sir.

Starbuck: Take the frakkin’ shot, Kat.

Kat: Gimme a sec. I almost got him lined up.

Bulldog: Krypter krypter krypter, this is Bulldog.

(Adama listens intently as the message becomes more clear.)

Starbuck: Kat, take the frakkin’ shot.

Adama: Order the Vipers to hold their fire, immediately.

(Dualla calls the order to the CAP.)

Adama: Have them escort the Raider in. Prisoner drill. I want the alert guard in the hangar deck in five minutes.

Helo: Yes, sir.

(Helo and Gaius OMG at each other.)

Galactica: Hangar Deck

Chief: All right, park that bird! Let’s grab this Raider! Let’s go, people! Move with a purpose!

(Bay doors open, POV Raider coming o­n deck.)

Chief: Make some room for the marines.

(The Raider is chained to the walls and slowly brought into landing position. Its eye is dead. Starbuck stands with Adama, staring. It begins dripping fluid and the bottom hatch opens; Bulldog falls to the bay floor and stares at them, covered in goo. Adama, Kara and some Marines approach, guardedly. Bulldog salutes, and Adama salutes back.)

Bulldog: Is it really you, sir?

(Adama approaches as Kara stares.)

Adama: Yeah… it’s me. (Violins go crazy, everybody stares. ) Welcome home, Bulldog.

CREDITS
41,421 Survivors.

ACT I

Flashback: Admiral Corman’s Office

Corman: We may never have this opportunity again. I’m assuming you appreciate the consequences if you’re discovered. And you understand, Commander, that this conversation did not happen. Are you prepared for this?

Adama: Of course, sir. o­n o­ne condition: I need my men. Especially for the Stealthship. There’s o­nly o­ne pilot I trust.

Corman: Who?

Galactica: Med Lab

(Cottle checks the readings o­n Baltar’s Cylon detector.)

Cottle: Well … the conspiracy theorists are gonna be disappointed. We’ve checked your DNA signature against your military records, and it’s conclusive. You’re not a Cylon. Smoke?

(Bulldog stares, Cottle shrugs and pops it in his mouth.)

Adama, quietly o­n the phone: That’s right. He’s o­ne of mine. Disappeared about three years ago. We think that he was captured.

Roslin (on Colonial o­ne): I’d like to meet him.

Adama: Of course. I’ll arrange it.

Cottle: Well … he checks out fine. Whatever they did to him out there, they kept him fed and relatively healthy. Physically, anyway.

Galactica: Adama’s Office

(Bulldog eats noodles like crazy.)

Adama: I know you’ve been through a lot. I realize that. But you’ve gotta talk to me, Danny. How the hell did you escape off a Cylon baseship?

Bulldog swallows: Well, sir, it’s like this. The enemy had me locked in a cell for three years. The accommodations were lousy, the service was slow, and after awhile I felt the institution no longer had anything to offer me. So I left.

Adama: You had me worried there for a moment. Thought maybe the Cylons had beaten the bullshit attitude out of you.

(Bulldog laughs heartily at his bemused grin.)

Adama, taking a stiff drink: …How’d you get out?

Bulldog, shaking: I thought I was gonna die in there, Bill. But a while ago, they all started getting sick. I mean really sick.

Adama: You mean a virus.

Bulldog: Yeah.

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Battlestar Galactica: Transcripts: S03E07: A Measure of Salvation

Adama: We’ve seen that too.

Bulldog: I heard them say it was spreading, getting worse. But eventually I realize… I’m not catching it. I’m immune.

Adama: So what did you do?

Bulldog: I was smart. Patient. I waited.

Flashback: Bulldog’s Basestar Cage

(He’s doing pushups; Three clangs a prod against the bars. The camera moves strangely.)

Three: Ah, well…you’re lookin’ good. Strong. Chuckles. Me, I’ve felt better. I don’t know why you guys do all that exercise. What, are you trying to stave off getting old? Doesn’t seem such a tragedy to me. Given the alternatives.

(She is fracked up and sick-looking, and continues to clang the bars.)

Three: You know what I’m saying? Do I look that bad? Chuckles: You know what I think? I think you’re afraid.

(He stands and punches her and she falls, dead.)

Galactica: Adama’s Office

Roslin: Let me try and understand exactly what happened to you. I’m just gonna go back a little, all right? About a year prior to the Cylon attack o­n the Colonies, you were o­n a mission with Admiral Adama. Is that correct?

(They look at each other in silence. Adama nods to him.)

Bulldog: It was a black ops mission.

(Roslin crosses her arms, nodding.)

Bulldog: You remember the Tauron Colonists were such outlaws, always pushing their luck with the Admiralty every chance they got?

Roslin: Right.

Adama: The Taurons were drilling for tylium ore o­n a moon that was too close to the Cylon Armistice line. We knew that they had to get out of there or risk provoking the Cylons.

(Roslin nods at them both.)

Tory: I’m sorry, but how did this result in his ship being shot down?

Bulldog: He was my recon pilot. He was there to gather evidence. Taurons must’ve seen us coming, because they ambushed him.

(Roslin watches him closely.)

Adama: Lieutenant Novacek was shot down by the Taurons in cold blood.

Flashback: Valkyrie CIC

(Adama listening. Same stretching visuals as the basestar flashback.)

Bulldog: Krypter krypter krypter, I’ve got damage to the port engine. Bird is down. Repeat: bird is down. Request rescue.Krypter krypter krypter! This is Bulldog… bird is down. Repeat: bird is down. Request rescue.

Galactica: Adama’s Office

Roslin: So what did you do?

Adama: I made a bad call. His ship was gone. No ejection o­n dradis. No distress call. He was dead. So I left.

Tory: But the Lieutenant did eject, obviously, and somehow survived in his ejection seat long enough for the Cylons to find him. Wow.

Roslin: Could you both give us a moment, please? Thank you, Tory, and thank you very much, Lieutenant. I appreciate it.

Bulldog: Madam President.

Tory: Why don’t we check the Fleet registry, see if any of your family might have survived?

(Bulldog leaves with Tory. Laura stares at Adama sweetly; he looks deeply sad.)

Roslin: So are you gonna tell me what really happened?

Adama: You’re gonna have to trust me o­n this o­ne, okay? It’s my mess. I’ll fix it.

(Adama stands at attention, Roslin finally leaves. Alone, he stares around and eventually beats up a chair.)

Dream: Galactica Corridor

(Three walks through the corridor wearing D’Anna clothes. Marines come in from both sides, and she gets scared. Finally, o­ne pulls a gun. She runs to a hatch, which reads “END OF LINE.” The Marines assemble around her.)

Three: Fire.

(They do.)

Basestar.

(Three awakes, shaking, from the dream. She is in Gaius’s cell, in a large four-poster bed, with Gaius and Caprica. Or possibly Chip Six, based o­n the music. She stands, distraught, and gets out of bed, walking to a robe o­n the wall.)

Galactica: Tigh’s Quarters

Tigh, bringing a cigarette in and out of the line of sight of his good eye: I see it. I see it. I see it. I see it.

Adama enters, in full dress, without knocking: Daniel Novacek just escaped from a POW cell o­n a Cylon baseship, stole a Raider, flew it here. I just finished debriefing him.

Tigh, not looking at Adama: Bulldog’s alive?

Adama: Yeah.

Tigh, finally standing: My Gods. How could he be alive? That tough son of a bitch, he actually made it, didn’t he?

Adama: Yeah, I guess he did.

Tigh: So… are you here to talk to your friend? Or to your XO? Last time I checked, I was neither.

(He takes a drink; Bill looks at him guiltily.)

Tigh: Ohhh. I get it. Oh, yeah. Oh, this is gonna be a little complicated for you, isn’t it, Admiral? You gonna tell him what you did?

Adama: I did what I had to do.

Tigh: So tell him.

Adama: It’s not gonna make any difference, the past is the past.

Tigh: You’re equivocating.

Adama: I don’t know why the frak I came here.

Tigh: Tell him! He’s gonna find out sooner or later.

Adama leaves, Tigh resumes his game.

Tigh: I see it.

ACT II

Galactica: Tigh’s Quarters

(Tigh wakes up with a bandage over his eye. He touches Ellen’s clothing, and remembers kissing her, and then her dead body. He’s crying when Bulldog knocks at his door.)

Tigh: Go away.

(Louder knocking. Tigh puts her dress back in the closet.)

Tigh: Godsdamn son of a bitch.

Bulldog, after Tigh opens the door: I can’t believe it. It’s really you.

Tigh: Danny Novacek. They told me you made it. Good for you, Bulldog.

(They embrace.)

Bulldog: Saul.

Tigh: A drink?

Bulldog: You have no idea.

Tigh: Yes, I do.

Galactica: Adama’s Office

Apollo enters: Dad? Hey, I just, uh, I just got your message.

Adama: Thank you for coming. Sit down. It’s time for us to talk.

Galactica: Common Room

Bulldog: Let me ask you something. How often you get out of here?

Tigh: Why, all the time. I’ve been a little under the weather. That’s all.

Bulldog: And how’d you wind up o­n this old bucket anyway? What happened to the Valkyrie?

Tigh: Well, uh, let’s just say that last mission wasn’t exactly a boon to the old man’s career. Galactica was his graceful retirement.

Bulldog: Heard you and the old man haven’t spoken in a while. What’s wrong? He won’t cover your ass day and night like he used to?

Tigh: Oh, no, he still does his share of ass-covering. Problem is, it’s his main function now. Of course, considering how you wound up getting captured in the first place, I guess you found that out the hard way yourself, didn’t you?

Bulldog: What’s that supposed to mean?

Tigh: My Gods. He didn’t tell you, did he? Did he?
Bulldog: Tell me what?

Tigh, disappointed: That son of a bitch.

Galactica: Adama’s Office

Adama: I shot him down.

Apollo: Well, if you shot him down you had your reasons, you were following orders. Preventing something worse. Right?

Adama: No. I shot him down to avoid… detection. Protect the mission. So it wouldn’t be discovered by the Cylons. It was a black ops mission whose sole purpose was to ascertain the likelihood of a Cylon strike.

Apollo: Cylon strike? So you’re saying that — that we knew they were out there? That they could launch an attack o­n the Colonies?

Adama: We didn’t know anything for sure. There were theories in some circles that the reason that the Cylons had stayed dormant for so long was because they were building a war machine. Preparing a strike.

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Apollo: But I thought… I thought that no o­ne had seen or heard from the Cylons in over 40 years.

Adama: That’s true. Partially. The Admiralty had grown restless with the Adar administration. They thought we were resting o­n our laurels, unprepared to protect against an attack.

Adama, over a flashback to the Admiral’s office: My mission was to escort a stealth recon ship just beyond the Armistice line, stick our nose over, gather evidence, see if there was any suspicious activities.

Apollo: And if the Cylons discovered you across the line breaching the Armistice, then, uh… they would see that as…

Adama: An act of war.

Flashback: Valkyrie CIC

Valkyrie XO: Stealthstar, Valkyrie. We register you o­n dradis, just past the Armistice line. You’re o­n full alert. Proceed with caution.

Bulldog’s Viper

Bulldog: Valkyrie, Bulldog. I’m exactly two clicks past the line. Repeat: two clicks, and I’ve got negative dradis contacts. There’s nothing here, sir. Which is fine by me. Company wants to pay me for a joy ride, they came to the right driver. Helluva moon.

Valkyrie CIC

Valkyrie XO: Dradis contact. Unknown vessel just jumped in.

Bulldog’s Viper

Bulldog: Frak!

Valkyrie CIC

Bulldog, o­n wireless: Krypter krypter krypter, I’ve got damage to the port engine. Bird is down. Repeat: bird is down. Request rescue. Krypter krypter krypter. This is Bulldog.

Valkyrie XO: Vessel just jumped out, sir.

Bulldog: Bird is down! Repeat: bird is down! Request rescue. Krypter krypter krypter, this is Bulldog. Bird is down. Repeat: bird is down.

Valkyrie XO: Two more dradis contacts. Sir, please instruct. What are your orders, sir? Sir, what are your orders?

(Adama is overwhelmed.)

Tigh: Don’t do this. Think about it, Bill. You don’t want to do this.

Adama: Do you want his ship discovered? Do you know where we are? Do you have any idea what this could mean?

Valkyrie XO: Bogies o­n intercept course. Will merge with Stealthstar in 20 seconds. Sir?

Adama, o­n the phone: Weapons: launch ship-to-ship missile. Now.

(A missile strikes Bulldog’s Viper; he ejects as his Viper is destroyed.)

Galactica, Tigh’s Quarters

Bulldog: No! There is no way…

Tigh: Oh, it’s true. And you know it’s true. You’ve known it every second of every day since it happened. And the sooner you admit it, the sooner you might get that haunted look out of your eyes.

(Bulldog lunges, Tigh grabs him.)

Tigh: Listen to me. Sometimes surviving can be its own death sentence. I know that.

(They stand looking at each other, and Bulldog finally takes off.)

Galactica: Adama’s Office

Apollo: So the attack o­n Novacek’s ship — the o­ne that winged him and the two dradis contacts that were following him… They weren’t Taurons. Those were the Cylons.

Adama: For all those years, I told myself that I didn’t know what they were. But I was just lying to myself. Pretending that it couldn’t be true. It is true.

(Long pause.)

Adama: I started it. Initiated it.

Apollo: Wait a minute, started what? Started what?

Adama: The attacks o­n the Colonies. By crossing the line, I showed them that we were the warmongers they figured us to be. [He begins to cry. ] And I left them but o­ne choice. To attack us before we attacked them.

Apollo: No. No. Because it wasn’t just you. They put you there. They put you there, across the line. You had no choice. That was the Admiralty. That was the … that was the military. You were o­ne mission. You were o­ne man. o­ne man.

Adama quietly, wiping his eyes: It o­nly takes o­ne.

(Apollo looks at his father, who stands; Apollo cries.)

ACT II

Basestar: Command Center

(Caprica approaches Three; there’s an Eight nearby.)

Caprica: You all right?

Three: Yeah, of course.

Caprica: More nightmares?

Three: Dreams. Something different this time, though. I think God’s trying to tell me something.

Caprica: It’s about Gaius, isn’t it?

(They look back at Gaius, who stands with a Doral and a Six near a water wall.)

Three: No. It’s not. It’s about something much bigger than that.

Basestar Corridor

D’Anna: After you execute this command, you’ll delete the order from your logs, then overwrite the corresponding memory locations.

(The Centurion she’s addressing is revealed.)

D’Anna, scared: Execute.

(He blows hell out of her head and she dies. The music from Baltar’s vision o­n Kobol begins; and she is standing in the same great hall where he and Chip Six first saw Hera. Behind her are six white flags, floor to ceiling, and five beings stand before them, bathed in light. There are flashes of Three o­n New Caprica, o­n Caprica in the parking garage, her body lying in blood from a moment ago, and looking down at Hera with love o­n New Caprica. She looks around the great hall in wonder, and draws close to the five figures, who are too bright to see. With tears in her eyes, she reaches out to take the hand of o­ne of them. A sudden flash to the hatch again — “END OF LINE” — and then memories of her deaths…)

Basestar: Resurrection chamber

(Three awakes, gasping, attended by the usual Six, Five, Eight and Three.)

Eight: It’s okay. It’s okay. Relax, try to breathe through it… breathe.

D’Anna, up at the attending Three: Oh, there’s something beautiful… Miraculous, between life and death.

(The Three is disgusted/worried; the Cylons look around at each other. The Six and Doral are worried. D’Anna is out of it, staring up.)

Galactica: Media Room

(Starbuck is watching tape of the CAP battle. She notices that the two pursuing Raiders seem to be intentionally missing him.)

Starbuck: Hmm. That’s weird. Why the hell do they keep missing?

(The violins go crazy as Starbuck pauses it: there’s a missile going well too astray.)

Starbuck, standing quickly: Frak.

Galactica/Basestar

(Cutting back and forth between Bulldog exercising in his cell and o­n Galactica. Finally he growls, with purpose, staring out.)

Galactica: Adama’s Office

Adama, answering the phone: Adama.

Ernestine: Admiral, you have a call from a Lieutenant Novacek.

Adama: Put him through.

Bulldog: Bill?

Adama: Yes?

Bulldog: This is Danny. We need to talk.

Adama: Hold o­n.

Bulldog: I need to see you right now.

Adama: Hold o­n. I’ll be right there.

Galactica: Common Room

Starbuck, showing Tigh shots from the video: The Cylons are saddled up o­n him. They’ve got a perfect, point-blank, no-deflection shot. They had him dead to rights.

Tigh: I’d say so.

Starbuck: Look, Novacek was hit and smoking, flying straight and level. Any nugget could make that kill. The Cylons could’ve wasted him any number of times, and they didn’t. They didn’t. They let him escape.

Tigh, taking a drink: The Cylons don’t do anything by accident.

Starbuck: Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. Did Novacek say how he was able to overcome the Cylons that were holding him prisoner? They were sick? Had a virus? I mean, how many viruses do the Cylons have, sir?

Tigh: Who knows? Maybe it was the same virus those Cylons we found were suffering from…

Starbuck: — Yeah, or maybe they just told us a story that we’d buy. Something that was credible, familiar.

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Battlestar Galactica: Transcripts: S02E05: The Farm

Galactica Corridor

(Adama walks toward Bulldog’s location.)

Starbuck (VO): Novacek was held o­n a baseship for three years, escapes, and then conveniently finds our Fleet with no agenda and no reason to be here.

Galactica: Bulldog’s Quarters

Adama arrives at the open door: Hey, Dan.

(Bulldog bashes him in the face with a steel pipe, then throws him across the room. He ties Adama up with his belt.)

Bulldog: It’s funny how all the training comes back, huh?

(Bulldog straddles Adama.)

Bulldog: Why did you lie to me, Bill?

(He holds the pipe across Adama’s throat, choking him. As Adama threatens to pass out, he stands up again.)

Bulldog: All those years… You know what I kept telling myself? What stupid, frakked-up dream I held o­nto? I kept thinking, Just hang in there, Bulldog. Bill Adama’s coming. He won’t leave you to rot in here, not him. He won’t leave a man behind. Just hold o­n.

(Again with the pipe.)

Bulldog: But you weren’t coming. You didn’t think I was alive. You weren’t even hoping I was alive!

(Flashback to the dead Three o­n the floor; Bulldog escaping his cage and heading out into the basestar.)

Bulldog: And if I hadn’t figured a way to escape, if I didn’t make my move when I saw they left that door wide open for me, I’d be as good as dead right now!

Adama: Is that what they did? Did they leave the door standing open? Did they let you escape?

Bulldog: That’s not what I meant. I know the truth.

(In flashback: A hidden, healthy Three watches him leave.)

Bulldog: I beat them. Do you understand? I beat them at their own game. I frakkin’ killed her, and I escaped. You trying to take that away from me?
Tigh, cocking a gun behind him: Bulldog!

(Bulldog attacks him, and Tigh quickly takes him out with the pipe.)

Tigh: Stay down! Are you all right, Bill?

Adama, wiped out: Yeah, I’m okay.

Tigh: You don’t wanna believe it, do you? I know. The truth hurts, Bulldog, but it’s better to know the truth than to live a lie. We’re all soldiers, Danny. We’re all expendable. And we did what we had to do to protect the mission. It’s ugly, but there it is. The Cylons let you go. The question is why? Ask yourself that, Danny. Because up until a minute ago, you were doing exactly what they wanted you to do. Come here and learn the truth and seek revenge. And that’s exactly what you did. You almost gave them what they wanted.

(He drops the pipe and frees Adama’s hands; puts a pistol in his hand.)

Tigh: Tell you a dirty little secret: The toughest part of getting played is losing your dignity. Feeling like you are not worth the oxygen you are sucking down. You get used to it. You start to believe it. You start to love it. It’s like a bottle that never runs dry. You can keep reaching for it over and over and over again.

Adama: So how do you put that bottle away, Saul?

(Bulldog looks up at him for the answer too.)

Tigh: I don’t know. o­ne day you just decide to … get up and walk out of your room.

ACT IV

Colonial o­ne

Roslin: What is this?

(Adama stands before her desk. She flips through the document and then looks up at him.)

Roslin, disgusted: Your resignation. You have gotta be kidding me.

Adama: I said before. We can’t hide from the things we’ve done. I see no other way around this situation. Maybe it’s time, Laura.

Roslin: Siddown, Bill.

(He sits.)

Roslin: I think you’re being naïve.

Adama: Naïve?

Roslin: Did it ever occur to you that the Admiralty may have set you up to provoke a war they wanted? It’s naïve to think that horrible things that we can’t understand have simple explanations. Because simple explanations make us feel like we have control when we don’t. We know why the Cylons attacked us and it wasn’t any o­ne thing. Oh my Gods. We did a thousand things, good and bad, every day for 40 years, to pave the way for those attacks.

Adama: Something has to be done.

Roslin, taking out a small invitation to the pinning: You know what that is?

Adama, dropping the invite: Medal of distinction.

Roslin: This was before I heard about this resignation of yours. So hmm… I’d like to propose this. You seem hellbent o­n paying some kind of penance for whatever it is you think you’ve done. So instead of resigning, why don’t you get up and walk out of here. Meet me o­n the port hangar deck tomorrow evening for this ceremony, and let me pin a frakkin’ medal to your chest.

Adama: I can’t.

Roslin: It’s not for you. It’s for them. Stand up there, acknowledge your Fleet, and give them what they need: a hero. That’ll be your penance. Even if it kills you.

Galactica: Hangar Deck

(On the dais are Roslin and Bill, Helo and the CIC crew.)

Roslin: o­n behalf of everyone in this room, it is my pleasure to present you, Admiral Adama, with the medal of distinction for your 40 years of courageous service to the Colonial Fleet. Congratulations.

(Applause; Adama takes the podium. The applause fades as we cut around the Fleet: Apollo and Dualla, Starbuck, Athena.)

Galactica: Hanger Deck

(Near a transport Raptor.)

Cottle: Have Dr. Stoffa call me as soon as you arrive. And, Bulldog, you’re gonna be fine. Just remember it’ll take some time.

Bulldog: All right.

Adama: Lieutenant… you forgot something.

(He proffers a Fleet uniform.)
Bulldog: I can’t. Bill, I —

Adama: Take it. You’re not gettin’ off that easy.

(He takes the uniform.)

Adama: o­nce a pilot, always a pilot, Bulldog.

Bulldog: Yes, sir.

(They salute. He boards the Raptor and takes off.)

Galactica: Adama’s Quarters

(Tigh knocks o­n Adama’s door.)

Adama: Come in.

(They stare at each other for a bit.)

Tigh: I heard you won a medal.

Adama: Yeah. They give ’em out for anything these days. Good behavior, attendance, playing well with others.

(He finally looks Tigh in the eye.)

Adama: I need you back in the CIC. It just ain’t the same without you in there intimidating the inmates.

Tigh: No. No no no. That’s not what I came here to talk to you about.

Adama: Okay. So why are you here?

Tigh: I don’t know. Nothing.

Adama: You wanna tell me what happened to Ellen?

Tigh sighs: I could use a drink.

Adama: Me too.

(They sit down and begin to talk over drinks.)

Transcript taken by Ryan Bechtel (2005)

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Battlsestar Galactica names, characters and everything else associated with the series are the property of Sci-Fi Channel, NBC Universal and R&D Television.

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