Battlestar Galactica 10: The Long Patrol by Ron Goulart
Adapted from the episode written by Donald Bellisario
29 (short) Chapters, 171 pages
A Berkley Book, First printing November 1984
As the fleet leaves its home galaxy for a new one, Starbuck prepares to scout the area in the new Recon Viper. The Recon Viper is considerable faster than the standard one at the expense of weaponry. IT also has an onboard, self-aware computer called CORA for Computer/Oral Response Activated.
Shortly into his patrol Starbuck comes across a sixth millennium fighter chasing an equally as old shuttle craft. Using his vipers speed to scare off the fighter he follows the shuttle to its landing space on a nearby planeload. There he meets the pilot of the shuttle, a woman named Robber, who thanks him and gives him a bottle of ambrosia that Starbuck enjoys very much. Starbuck shows Robber his viper but when his back is turned she hits him over the head and then steals the viper.
Onboard the Galactica Starbuck’s viper is picked up broadcasting an unknown signal over open channels. Fearing Cylon interference Apollo and Boomer are dispatched to find the Recon Viper and, if unable to make contact with Starbuck, to destroy it.
When he comes to Starbuck has an altercation with Enforcer Croad, the pilot of the sixth millennium fighter who has landed in search of Robber. Starbuck manages to subdue Road and takes his fighter to a nearby green planetoid in search of his viper and Robber. Finding his viper, CORA tells him Robber has set off on foot so Starbuck goes to look for her. He finds the planetoid to be a former agro community with the remnants of many farming tools, robots and buildings. Seeing signs of a scuffle he continues to look for Robber but ultimately falls in to a big pit trap set for trespassers. A woman named Candy taunts him until she herself is knocked unconscious by a man with a robotic arm named Scrapper. Scrapper rescues him from the pit and together they again set off in search of Robber.
Apollo and Boomer track the Recon Viper to the planetoid. Finding it, CORA fills them in on what has happened and they go off in search of Starbuck. People do a lot of searching in this book. 🙂
Robber meanwhile is held captive by two men, Psycho and Threetime. Using an old farming robot as a distraction, Starbuck and Scrapper subdue the two men and rescue Robber.
Far away on a Cylon Basestar, the Imperious Leader is informed by a Centurion that a transmission from the Hohne System to the planet Aeries has been monitored. Despite the planet Aeries having been conquered by the Cylons the Imperious Leader dispatches a patrol to destroy whatever humans are in the Hohne System.
Apollo and Boomer find the remains of the farming colony but before they can continue to look for Starbuck, another enforcer finds them and demands they surrender. They manage to quickly overpower him and continue on their way.
Starbuck, Robber and Scrapper return to the landing site where they discover the two additional vipers as well as a second sixth millenium fighter. Starbuck tries to talk to CORA about Apollo and Boomer’s wherabouts but he is captured by Croad and taken to the penal planetoid of Proteus.
Apollo and Boomer meet Scrapper who tells them of Starbuck’s capture. In his cell on Proteus, Starbuck meets other inmates including Assault, Forger and Adulteress. He learns that they make Ambrosa for the Colonial Warriors but surmises the Colonials have long ago forgotten about this planetoid. Starbuck is surprised to learn that all the prisoners are there for crimes of their ancestors and further surprised when he realizes his cell is open. He is told the locks haven’t worked in generations.
Apollo and Robber take the second old fighter to Proteus with Boomer and Scrapper landing nearby. Robber tells Apollo about the message she sent from the Recon Viper and he realizes Cylons might be on the way.
After informing his prison mates that the ambrosa they’ve been making hasn’t been picked up in hundreds of yahren, Starbuck leads an uprising against the enforcers and all the prisoners leave their cells. Outside the prison Starbuck is reunited with the others and learns of the incoming Cylons. Starbuck takes his viper and engages the Cylons in orbit. He manages to surprise and elude them with his superior speed but they give chase. With Starbuck distracting help, Apollo and Boomer are able to destroy the Cylon Raiders.
Back on Proteus, about two dozen of the former inmates decide to join the Galactica’s fleet. The rest, including Scrapper, choose to stay behind. Robber tells Starbuck she will go to try it out but doesn’t commit to staying. She agrees to fly one of the shuttles of refugees to the Galactica.
Onboard his Basestar, the Imperious Leader is informed of the destruction of his raiders. He sends three more. They attack the caravan from Proteus, but again the Warriors make quick work of them.
Arriving safely on the Galactica, Starbuck says goodbye to CORA as Adama welcomes the refugees. Robber cleans herself up and tells Starbuck she now wishes to be called Roberta as he escorts her to the celebration thrown to welcome the newcomers. At the party, Jolly and several other Warriors gather around Roberta, much to Starbuck’s chagrin. As the party is in full swing, an alert is called. A full scale Cylon attack of fifty fighters is inbound.
The Warriors launch and engage the Cylons but are surprised to find that they’re not fighting back. It then becomes apparent that their goal is to ram and destroy the Galactica. A few raiders to get through and ram, damaging the Galactica and trapping the refugees in a recon lounge without any air.
Roberta, with the help of Forger, is able to get the refugees to safety but collapses from lack of oxygen.
Ultimately the Cylons are defeated, the Galactica is repaired and Roberta recovers. The novel ends with Starbuck taking Roberta to dinner aboard the Rising Star.
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This book is an odd duck. It differs so wildly from the televised episode (hence the longer than usual synopsis) that’s it’s hard to classify it as an adaptation rather than an original novel. It’s not a bad book, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as others in the series. Two stars.
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CONTINUITY NOTES
There are no anecdotes about Colonial Fleet life or history in this novel that weren’t in the episode. Even if there were they’d have to be classified as non-canon like the rest of the novel.