From Starship Captains to Galactic Rebels by Kimberly Yost

Author:Kimberly Yost
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2012-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

One year after the election and settling on New Caprica, Baltar enjoys using his power, as evidenced by what Felix Gaeta, a former lieutenant on Galactica and now Baltar’s chief of staff, terms “hot and cold running interns.” Baltar is pleased with being the president, even though he has little patience with actual governing, drinks heavily, pops prescription drugs, and makes decisions based on his own personal convenience without full regard for the needs of the people. He does not understand why the people are complaining when there have not been any further Cylon attacks. His isolation behind the privilege and benefits of his office, coupled with his lack of relational skills, skew his perspective on the quality of life on New Caprica.[53]

The next extreme crisis of his presidency occurs when the Cylons discover the humans through the trace radiation of the nuclear warhead Gina detonated and arrive on New Caprica with the hopes for a truce and reconciliation with the humans. However, their understanding of a truce is their own occupation and control of the planet and the human population. Once again, Baltar’s need for self-preservation motivates him to surrender the planet and the remaining humans.[54] In essence, he has no other choice but surrender because he does not have a working relationship with or a full-strength military (as evidenced by Adama’s inability to defend New Caprica and subsequent retreat) or a cohesive populace able to resist. In effect, he has made no Plan B. The only plan was to have the title of President and settle on a planet.

The only thing worse than what the New Capricans experienced under Baltar’s administration is the occupation of New Caprica by the Cylons with Baltar’s collusion. During the Cylon Occupation, Baltar is incapable of persuading the populace to stop their protests and insurgent bombing attacks. He signs arrest warrants and tries to get an imprisoned Roslin to persuade the insurgents to stop, but to no avail. He becomes further isolated through his own behaviors and attitudes, including the absence of Angel Six. And yet, Baltar finds a shred of decency and his old obstinate arrogance when he is asked by the Cylons to sign the death warrants for nearly two hundred people believed to be the leaders of the resistance. He flatly refuses and they literally place a gun to his head. One of the Cylons shoots Caprica Six as an expression of his serious intent to shoot Baltar. Angel Six returns and tells Baltar to sign the document. Shaking and in tears, he eventually signs the paper and sinks into further depression. The presidency is not what Baltar had naively envisioned it to be.[55]

Adama returns and the humans are rescued from New Caprica, but Baltar is spirited away with the Cylons as he realizes the humans will not be happy to have him in their midst. At this point, Baltar truly thinks he might be a Cylon; one of the five Cylon models yet to be identified. Baltar’s desire to be a Cylon derives from his need for absolution of his crimes.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.