Battlestar Galactica 6: The Living Legend by Nicholas Yermakov
Adapted from the episodes written by Ken Pettus and Glen Larson.
Prologue + 13 Chapters, 180 pages
A Berkley Book, First printing April 1982
In a narrative device not used in any subsequent novel, this novel begins with a short prologue set at an undetermined time in the future. Commander Adama is dead and Troy is now commander of the Galactica. Troy begins to listen to Adama’s journals. He starts with Cain.
Years before, while on patrol, Apollo and Starbuck are found by the assumed destroyed Battlestar Pegasus, last survivor of the fifth fleet. They are brought onboard and meet the legendary Commander Cain.
After a joyous reunion with the Galactica, including Cain’s reunion with his former love Cassiopea, the fleet discusses military strategy. Cain wishes to use the might of the two Battlestars to take the fuel yards on the Cylon outer capitol of Gomoray, former home of the Delphian race. Adama is reluctant as he has a fleet to protect. Being so low on fuel, Adama agrees to a strike on a Cylon fuel transport in the hope of securing a tanker. However Cain intentionally destroys the tankers in order to give Adama no choice but to attack Gomoray. Adama calls his bluff and instead relieves Cain of command and orders the Pegasus’ fuel reserves spread through the fleet.
As tensions between the crews mount, a Cylon force attacks the fleet led personally by Baltar. The Cylons retreat upon being surprised by the presence of two Battlestars. Cain realizes his earlier plan was wrong and a new plan is formed. Cain will lead the Cylons away with the Pegasus while the Galactica lands a ground party on Gomoray to secure its fuel depot. Unbeknownst to the Colonials, The Cylon Imperious Leader is visiting Gomoray.
The ground assault goes well, with the team destroying several buildings and securing the depot. The Pegasus keeps Baltar’s raiders occupied while the Galactica’s vipers attack Gomoray and get the fuel they desperately need. Gomoray’s raiders offer only token resistance because the Cylons are mostly concerned with getting the Imperious Leader to safety. The Leader is injured, but escapes.
With all injured and non-essential crew transferred to the fleet, Cain orders the Pegasus to fly straight at the three Basestars under Baltar’s command. When Baltar realizes Cain is coming for him, he orders all raiders return from their intended attack on the fleet and drops his Basestar behind the other two. Starbuck and Apollo return to help the Pegasus and fly right between the Basestars knocking out several of their lasers. The Pegasus follows and opens fire with all missiles. A tremendous explosion blasts the stars as the two Baseships are destroyed but there is no sign of the Pegasus.
Back aboard the Galactica, Adama welcomes Cain’s daughter Sheba to the family.
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The prologue notwithstanding, this novel stays pretty close to the script and televised episode. There’s very little in the way of “new” scenes as with other novels with a couple of exceptions. The Imperious Leader has a chapter with a lot of internal dialogue as he arrives on Gomoray (see below) but for the most part the novel is a straight adaptation of what we saw on TV. A fun, quick read, Three Stars!
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CONTINUITY NOTES
Adama says in the prologue that he was been the sole commander of the Galactica since it was commissioned on Caprica. As we know from the series that the Galactica was 500 yahrens old, this can not be true.
Also in the prologue, Adama mentions Troy’s name as being found for him when he began to hate being called Boxey. His real name was never found because, as in the first novel, Serina was not his real mother.
According to Apollo, the fleet contains 120 ships. It is mentioned that some ships have been cannibalized to maintain the others, but 100 ships seems high.
Cassie remembers her first meeting with Cain as an 18 year old socialator, having met him right after his wife died of an illness while Cain was away.
The Delphian civilization is described as being a race of artists and architects before they were wiped out by the Cylons. The buildings on Gomoray are left from the Delphians.
With the exception of the IL Series (of whom Lucifer was the first) the Cylons are described as organic beings. The novel uses the “one/two/three brain” hierarchy as mentioned in the first novel.
Cain’s nickname is “The Juggernaut.”