The Long Patrol is an episode of the TV series, Battlestar Galactica.
Plot[]
- The following is taken from Wikipedia, and can be found here.
Act 1[]
The Galactica leads the fleet through a void of asteroid dust into another galaxy, leaving the galaxy in which the Twelve Colonies once existed. Amid this Lt. Starbuck has volunteered to test a new prototype Viper fitted for extended-range reconnaissance, but before embarking on this mission, he takes Cassiopeia aboard the luxury ship, Rising Star when Athena turns him down due to work. Starbuck pays the hips maitre d' handsomely to arrange a private room with ambrosia for Cassiopeia, but when Athena makes a surprise visit he is forced to make a second set of reservations to keep the two apart. Before anything can happen with either woman, Starbuck is given orders to report back to Galactica, and pays off the two with trinkets in the hopes of keeping them distracted, but they soon run into each other and realise the deception.
Starbuck dons a black flight suit so as not to be identified as a Colonial warrior by potential Cylon allies, and flies off in the new fighter – which has superior speed and manoeuvrability, but lacks laser generators. The ship is also equipped with a computer called C.O.R.A. which the Galactica crew programmed to flirt with him as well as take the craft on autopilot. Running recon ahead of the fleet, Starbuck detects two ships, which C.O.R.A. takes the Viper out to intercept.
Act 2[]
On closer inspection, Starbuck identifies an 6th Millennium starfighter chasing a small cargo shuttle. He intervenes by distracting the fighter so that the shuttle can escape. The fighter breaks off and Starbuck follows the shuttle to a nearby world and finds the pilot, who claims to be shipping farming equipment, but which is actually 500 yahren old ambrosia. The man interrogates Starbuck, and works out the advanced fighter is a scout ship for a warship. He knock him out with an ambrosia bottle and commandeers the Viper. When he refuses to tell C.O.R.A. where Starbuck is, the computer transmits an unencrypted signal using an unknown code which is detected by the Cylons. Commander Tigh supposes the recon Viper is under Cylon control and Starbuck is dead, and Commander Adama has Apollo and Boomer set out to destroy it.
Starbuck regains consciousness and, seeing his Viper gone, takes off in the smuggler's shuttle. Upon reaching orbit, he is attacked by the same fighter he drove off earlier. The fighter pilot calls him "Robber", but Starbuck eventually convinces him that he is not the man he thinks he is. The fighter orders Starbuck to follow him to a nearby planet. Upon landing, guards inspect the shuttle and find the ambrosia. They arrest Starbuck for bootlegging despite his pleas of innocence.
Starbuck is thrown in a cell and given the new name of "Bootlegger 137". After conversing with other prisoners – who are likewise named for their crime and a number (such as Assault 9, Forger 7; Embezzler 10; Adulteress 58, etc.) – Starbuck learns they are actually the descendants of the original inmates and being held for the crimes committed by their ancestors. He then realizes he is on a long forgotten Colonial penal colony called Proteus. The prison uses penal labor to manufacture munitions for the Colonial military seven hundred yahrens ago, but after supplies ran out switched to producing massive quantities of ambrosia.
On Galactica, Cassiopeia learns of Starbuck's situation. She also recognizes the unfamiliar signal as an old Arien merchant code. With help, Athena deciphers the message as being a human civilian message sent to Cylon-occupied Aries, rather than a Cylon agent. Consequently, orders to intercept and destroy are countermanded. Apollo and Boomer track the Viper to a primitive village and are caught up in a moving firefight with the smuggler, but the presence of his wife and daughter ends the fight with the smuggler giving up. Robber explains to the two that he stole the Viper due to the star system's lack of ships that could get back to Aries, and knew that if he were captured his daughter Tanya would continue his ancestor's sentence. Apollo and Boomer learn of the inhuman conditions on Proteus and that Starbuck has been taken there. They convince the smuggler to help rescue Starbuck and fly the prototype Viper with them to Proteus.
Just as Adama had feared, a Cylon patrol has traced the transmission back to the advanced Viper, which is now on its way to Proteus. Galactica changes course straight towards the planet.
Act 4[]
Back on Proteus, Starbuck has an altercation with a guard and realizes the locks on the cell doors haven't worked in generations and the prisoners remain because they know nothing else. Starbuck insists that the ambrosia hasn't been collected in years and that the Twelve Colonies no doubt gave up Proteus as lost long ago, with their prison labour being for nothing. The Guards return and try to silence him, but Starbuck persuades the inmates to rebel, and they quickly seize control.
Out at the docks, the people see three Vipers fly over. Starbuck gloats about their newfound wealth, but changes his stance when he hears that Galactica cannot be found and Cylons are on their way. Starbuck; Apollo and Boomer fly out to intercept the patrols, but lacking any lasers Starbuck is there only as a distraction. The Warriors succeed in their fight, but a Cylon raider crashes into the docks and ignites the ambrosia supply
Once the fleet arrives at Proteus, Starbuck's safe return is celebrated with a dinner aboard the Rising Star. There Boxey presents his father with a drawing of Earth's solar system as described to him by Adama. When Starbuck sees the drawing he points out Earth being in the wrong position, realising after he had seen a map of the Earth's star system once before. Robber explains that the drawing were made by a man dubbed "the silent one", who was found lost in space and enslaved long ago. Adama wonders if the man, now long dead, had found Earth.
Production[]
Cast[]
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard Hatch | Captain Apollo |
| Dirk Benedict | Lieutenant Starbuck |
| Lorne Greene | Commander Adama |
| Herbert Jefferson Jr. | Lieutenant Boomer |
| John Colicos | Count Baltar |
| Maren Jensen | Lieutenant Athena |
| Noah Hathaway | Boxey |
| Laurette Spang | Cassiopeia |
| Terry Carter | Colonel Tigh |
| James Whitmore Jr. | Robber |
| Ted Gehring | Croad |
| Sean McClory | Assault 9 |
| Arlene Martel | Adulteress 58 |
| Ian Abercrombie | Forger 7 |
| Sarah Rush | Flight Corporal Rigel |
| David Greenan | Flight Officer Omega |
| Robert Hathaway | Enforcer |
| Nancy DeCarl | Slayer |