Battlestar Galactica Season Three, Episode "Maelstrom", Page 2
Maelstrom Recap: Scene 4
The camera zooms past the Battlestar Galactica, joined by the rest of the fleet, all in high orbit over a planet. The scene switches inside, to show Anders and Starbuck talking in their quarters, where he says, "I'm onshore in half an hour. Ask for your leave and come with me. You could use the down time." Starbuck, who is lying on her bunk, replies with, "Sounds tempting." Anders encourages her with, "Let's do it! No strings, ok? We don't even have to talk about our relationship.", but Starbuck is not very enthusiastic with her reply, "I'll think about it." A disappointed Anders, gets to his feet and says, "Which means, no. You know I hate to say this, but that wack job Oracle? She's got a point. You're mother Fracked up your head, long before Leoben ever got to you." Starbuck defends her mother by saying, "She was dealing with a lot, Sam. She told me that I was different ...from other kids. That I needed to be a warrior, like her. Taught me, that fear gets you killed ...and anger keeps you alive." A frustrated Anders replies with, "Well, she gave you plenty to be angry about, didn't she? She splits your head open with a broom stick handle, because you didn't make your bed?" Starbuck replies with, "Did I ever tell you, how I got back at her?" Anders replies, "No." and she continues to tell the story, "During the first Cylon War, she was stationed with the first marines on Madrah. Stinking jungles, you wouldn't believe. She had the phobia of insects, for the rest of her life ...hated the damn things. So, I go out and buy a bunch of rubber bugs and I slip into her closet and I put them all over her shoes." Impatiently, Anders encourages her to go on, "And?", so Starbuck continues, "She screamed her Fracken head off. I go in and she's trying to smash them with her shoes, but that's just making them bounce around, even more." Anders moves over to sit with her on the bunk and says, "You must have caught hell for that." Starbuck, sadly replies, "She grabbed my hand, held it in the door jam, and slammed the door." Anders sighs with empathy and says, "Oh, Frack me!", as he shakes his head in disbelief. After a short pause, Starbuck shows satisfaction in her reply, "It WAS worth it, though."
Maelstrom Recap: Scene 5
The fleet has been in orbit around the planet for four days, while refueling operations continue. As the camera zooms past the Battlestar Galactica, to show another ship is docked for refueling, the Galactica radios, "We've had a couple valve failures, we're restarting the unwrap." Just then we see two Vipers fly by and Starbuck radios her wingman, "That's just great. Hotdog? Settle in, we're going to be out here another three hours."
The camera follows the two Vipers around, as they fly another CAP. Hotdog is a little antsy, so he flips his Viper over upside down, to look down on the planet and Starbuck radios, "Hotdog!? What the hell are you doing?" Hotdog replies with, "Enjoying blue skies again. About the only thing I miss about New Caprica." It only takes a second for Starbuck to do the same, as they both look over a beautiful horizon. Suddenly, Starbuck sees a Heavy Raider go screaming by and she yells over the radio, "Galactica? Starbuck. Show time! In the soup at 45. Committing." Hotdog radios, "Starbuck? Hotdog. No joy. Press!"
The scene quickly switches to the CIC aboard the Battlestar Galactica, where Admiral Adama gives the order, "Abort the unwrap. Unhook those fuel lines, immediately." Dee, gets on the radio and says, "Refueling Ships. Galactica. Immediate. Seize all underway replenishment ops." Then, Gaeta reports, "Sir? We've got both Starbuck and Hotdog on Dredis, but no contact on the bogey." After which, Colonel Tigh asks the admiral, "What about you? Do you see anything?", as he carefully examines the Dredis readout. He continues to say, "That planet's radiation has been kicking the crap out of every Dredis in the fleet, since we got here." Admiral Adama replies with, "The price you pay for a good place to hide, to refuel the fleet." and the colonel remarks, "Looks like it's also, a good place for hiding a Cylon Raider."
When we return to the action, Apollo approaches Hotdog and Starbuck from behind and radios, "Starbuck? Apollo. What do you got?" and she replies, "Apollo! We got one turkey, playing hide and seek in the clouds. No Sparrows. Engage a defensive."
Back in the CIC aboard the Battlestar Galactica, Colonel Tigh makes the comment, "One Heavy Raider, no fighter escort." and Gaeta reports, "Still no bandits on Dredis." Then, Colonel Tigh advises the admiral, "If that bastard jumps, the Cylons could be all over us in minutes." With those words, Admiral Adama gives the order, "Alert the fleet to stand by, for an emergency jump."
Back to the action, we see both Vipers flying in and out of the clouds, then Hotdog radios with urgency, "Starbuck? Hotdog. No visual on the radar and I'm losing you! Damn it Starbuck! Blind! I say again. I lost you in the clouds!" Starbuck, disobeys protocol and doesn't answer, as she puts all of her focus into hunting down the enemy ship. Suddenly, Starbuck comes out of the clouds right on top of a gigantic planetary storm, similar to the red spot on Jupiter. She looks down to see the Cylon Raider, flying directly into the eye of the storm. As Starbuck looks on, Apollo radios, "Starbuck? We have no Dredis contact on your bogey. Do you have visual?" and she replies with, "Affirmative. He's hiding in the clouds. He just ducked into the storm system." Apollo replies, "Do you see him!? Do you see him!?" Then, Starbuck gets a big smile on her face and radios to the CIC, "Galactica? Starbuck. Weapons hot!", as she opens fire on the Raider and follows him into the eye of the storm. As she does, however, the Raider goes screaming by her in the other direction and she's hit. Her ship starts to shake from the turbulence, while the Viper's alarm goes off and Starbuck radios to the CIC, "Galactica? Starbuck. Took a hit! Still quiet!" Apollo radios, "Starbuck? How's your ..." Starbuck replies, "Caught me under the chin, but everything is great."
The scene, briefly, switches back to the CIC, to show Admiral Adama ask the question, "Where the hell is that Raider?" Then, Gaeta reports, "Sir? Starbuck's dropping close to the planetary hard deck. If she stays on course, the atmospheric density will keep her from reaching orbit, again." Colonel Tigh looks at the admiral and cautions, "Then, the pressure will crush her like a cheap soda can."