The
Lost Warrior
Classic Battlestar Galactica: Episode Six
The
Lost Warrior
Airdate: October 8, 1978
Writer: Donald P. Bellisario from a story by Donald P. Bellisario and Herman Groves.
Director: Rod Holcomb
Guest Cast:
Kathy Cannon (Bella) / Lance LeGault (Bootees) / Claude Earl Jones (LeCerta)
Red West (Marco) / Johnny Timko (Puppis) / Rex Cutter (Red Eye)
Story Synopsis:
Apollo is marooned on a
Wild West-like planet where he befriends a widowed woman and her
son. The woman's husband was
killed by Red Eye, the gunman thug of the evil LeCerta. LeCerta
extracts money from the townspeople by
demanding tribute, lest they face Red Eye. Apollo learns
that Red Eye
is, in fact, a Cylon Centurion who was damaged in a crash and
believes that LeCerta is Imperious Leader. Apollo decides to challenge the Cylon to a duel.
Armed with a Colonial
blaster that belonged to the young woman's husband, a Colonial
warrior also marooned, Apollo meets the
Cylon in the town square. Only the fastest draw will win.
Plot Summary:
Captain
Apollo is on a solo recon mission in his Viper when he comes across a Cylon
patrol. Apollo flies away from the Fleet, hoping to draw away his
pursuers. Losing the Cylons, and running low on fuel, Apollo
finds a habitable planet and glides down to land. He is soon
discovered by mother-and-son farmers Vella and Puppis. Though Puppis is thrilled
with Apollo's arrival, Vella is wary, and insists the Viper be concealed in the
brush. Once done, the homesteaders welcome the warrior back to their farmhouse,
which is located on a world they call Equellis.
Suddenly, a strange horse and rider approach outside. Everyone is surprised to see a battered Cylon centurion, who the locals call Red-Eye, riding an armor clad horse. Apollo hides inside the house as Vella greets Red-Eye. The Cylon was sent by the town leader, LeCerta to investigate a strange disturbance in the night sky. Just then, Red-Eye is startled by another strange horse. The apparently malfunctioning Cylon swiftly draws a Colonial blaster to greet Vella's approaching brother, Bootees. Red-Eye warns all of the homesteaders not to defy LeCerta's will; and mentions that their "tribute" is overdue. The menacing centurion rides back into the town.
Back
inside the house, Vella introduces Bootees to Apollo. Bootees is ecstatic at the
notion of a Colonial warrior-- a flight captain, no less --who is armed and can
rid the village of Red-Eye. Vella explains that Puppis' father, Martin, crashed
his fighter in the desert. Vella nursed Martin back to health, they married, and
she bore their son. When Puppis was still very young, Red-Eye appeared and the
Cylon killed Martin for his blaster. Townspeople who challenged the LeCerta's
centurion enforcer with the local air-powered weapons ultimately wind up dead.
On the bridge of the Galactica, young Boxey visits Adama while Starbuck, Tigh and Boomer worry at the thought that Apollo may not return.
Donning local garb, and leaving his pistol
behind, Apollo sets out on horseback for the town, determined to learn more
about Red-Eye. In the town saloon, LeCerta spots Apollo immediately, and
dispatches henchman Marco to size him up. But Apollo insists on sitting in the 
corner
with Red-Eye. The obviously malfunctioning Cylon is instantly suspicious of
Apollo, and starts threatening violence. The exchange catches LeCerta's
attention. The boss invites Apollo over for a drink. It becomes clear the
centurion follows LeCerta's every command. Apollo offers to work for the town
boss, much to the gangster's amusement.
In the pilots' barracks aboard the Galactica, Starbuck, Boomer, Jolly and Greenbean are playing cards with Boxey, who beats them all. Cassiopeia scolds the warriors for drinking, smoking and playing cards in front of the boy, who is staying up too late.
In Adama's quarters, Tigh insists that Adama is bending over backwards to avoid the appearance of wanting to rescue the "Commander's son." The Galactica will only be in range a short time if they are to attempt a recovery. Adama relents, and Tigh immediately walks over to a comm. panel and orders recon Vipers to launch. Starbuck and Boomer are in flight almost immediately.
As Apollo returns to Vella's ranch, he finds Puppis, who just barely managed to shoot a wolf-like "lupus" with his air-gun. Apollo is proud of the boy. Once back in the house, they learn that Bootees' livestock were raided by LeCerta as tribute. Vella is worried that her brother will get into a confrontation.
True to form, Apollo enters the saloon, unarmed, in time to see a drunken Bootees die in a gun fight with Red-Eye. Apollo quickly grabs any loose air-guns and surrenders them. This outrages Puppis, but it also stops the violence. Apollo learns from one of LeCerta's ladies that Red-Eye was found damaged in the crash site of a downed Cylon fighter. The centurion has regarded LeCerta as if he were a Cylon commanding officer ever since. Vella is about to depart with a resentful Puppis in a horse-drawn wagon when Apollo has second thoughts.
The
warrior retrieves his blaster and, much to Vella's chagrin, confronts LeCerta.
Red-Eye appears, and Apollo wins the gun draw.
The
Cylon falls in a shower of sparks.
Back at the ranch, Apollo must dampen Puppis' enthusiasm by reminding him that the "heroic" gunfight with the Cylon was no different than the confrontation the boy had with the lupus. Vella offers to show Apollo the crash site where Martin landed; maybe the ship still holds some fuel.
In space, Starbuck keeps encouraging Boomer to stretch their probe a little further in pursuit of Apollo. Boomer warns that they are nearing the point of no return when Apollo's ship returns from Equellis, and the three warriors head back to the Galactica.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, April 20, 2005