Battlestar Galactica Season Three, Episode "Crossroads Part 2", Page 4
The camera pans around the room to show the crowd's shocked yet silent reaction, then shows Dr. Baltar's gaze change from disdain to admiration, as Apollo continues, "And me? Well, where do I begin? I shot down a civilian passenger ship, the Olympic Carrier. Over a thousand people onboard. Forgiven. I raised my weapon to a superior officer ...committed an act of mutiny! Forgiven! And then, on the very day that Baltar surrendered to those Cylons, I as Commander of the Pegasus, jumped away! I left everybody on that planet alone, undefended, for months! I even tried to persuade the admiral, never to return! To abandon you all there, for good! If I had had my way, nobody would have made it off that planet. I'm the coward. I'm the traitor! I'm forgiven! I' ld say, that we're very forgiving of these things. We make our own laws, now ...our own justice and we've been pretty creative at finding ways to let people off the hook for EVERYTHING, from theft to murder! And we've had to be, because ...because we're not a civilization, anymore! We are a GANG! And we're on the run! And we have to fight to survive! We have to break rules, we have to bend laws, we HAVE to improvise! ...But not this time, no ...not this time. Not for Gaius Baltar." He pauses for a moment, points at Dr. Baltar and then continues, "No! You have to die! You have to die, because well ...Because we don't like you very much! Because, you're arrogant, because you're weak, because you're a coward! And we the mob, we want to throw you out the air lock, because you didn't stand up to the Cylons and get yourself killed in the process! That's justice, now! You should have been killed back on New Caprica! But, since you had the temerity to live, we're going to execute you NOW! That's justice!"
After hearing Apollo's BRAVELY PROFOUND words, the crowd starts to make loud objections and the lead tribunal judge pounds her gavel down, in an attempt to bring order to the courtroom. She yells, "Order! Order!" Apollo looks around the courtroom, shakes his head, then continues, "This case ...This case is built on emotion ...on anger, bitterness ...vengeance, but most of all, it is built on SHAME! It's about the shame, of what we did to ourselves, back on that planet. It's about the GUILT of those of us, who ran away ...who ran away. ...And we're trying to dump all that GUILT and all that SHAME on to one man! And then, flush him out the air lock and hope that THAT, just gets rid of it all! So, that we can live with ourselves. But, that won't work ...that won't work. That's not justice ...not to me ...not to me." When Apollo has finished his testimony, Lampkin quietly says, "No further questions." and walks back to his seat. The prosecutor gets to her feet and says, "Your Honors? I wish to reiterate my strong exceptions in the defense counsel's testimony." The lead tribunal judge replies, "Exception noted. Did you want to cross examine the witness?" and the prosecutor replies, "I have no questions for the defense's counsel.", so the lead tribunal judge excuses Apollo from the witness stand, then turns to Lampkin and says, "Do you want to call any other witnesses?" Lampkin gets to his feet and says, "Your Honors? I don't wish to belabor this any longer. The defense rests.", so the lead tribunal judge says, "Very well. This court will adjourn to consider a verdict." During the recess, the president walks up to the prosecutor and says, "You did a great job."
As the tribunal returns from the short recess, the bailiff yells, "All rise!" and each judge takes their presiding seat, in preparation to deliver the verdict. The lead tribunal judge begins with, "Before I read the verdict, I' ld like to make one thing clear. Like everything human, justice is imperfect, it's flawed ...but, it's those very imperfections that separates us from the machines ...and maybe even makes our species worth saving." She then looks toward Dr. Baltar and gives the order, "The defendant will rise." He slowly rises, knowing all too well, that the decision of whether he lives or dies, will be forced upon him, as soon as he is standing. With a haunted and desperate look on his face, he gazes at the one who wields the Sword of Justice, as she continues to read the verdict, "Gaius Baltar, after carefully weighing the evidence, this tribunal ...on a vote of 3 to 2, finds you not guilty."
As the decision is handed down, the crowd starts screaming for both joy and protest, then we see the president leaving the courtroom, with a very disappointed look on her face. Meanwhile, Dr. Baltar cries tears of joy and relief, as the media surrounds him to hear his first statement as a free man, "The fact that I have been acquitted shouldn't disguise the fact that this trial has been a total ..." The crowd is starting to get hostile, so Apollo yells, "Admiral!? We gotta get him out of here!" Then we see a civilian push a guard out of the way, in an attempt to attack Dr. Baltar, but he winds up being beaten to the ground. We hear Apollo yell, "Get him out of here! Get him out of here!"
Crossroads Part 2 Recap: Scene 11
Still onboard the Battlestar Galactica, Dr. Baltar is brought to safety and we see him talking to Apollo and Lampkin, "I knew right from the start, that if there was a way to demonstrate ...shear ...what's the word I'm lookin for? Hypocrisy! Hypocrisy is the word I'm looking for. Hypocrisy of the prosecutions case, then really the judges had no other option, but to find me not guilty." Lampkin replies, "Well, your boundless confidence, provided us with great solace throughout the proceedings." and Dr. Baltar says, "Look. I want to thank you, both. Truly. From the bottom of my heart. I am very very grateful, for all you've done. On a personal note, if I could have seen the admiral squirm just a little more, it wouldn't have hurt." Apollo gets defensive and says, "Listen! Don't push it, doctor." and he replies, "Fine." Then turns to Lampkin and says, "Romo? Umm ...perhaps we could have a chat? I thought about maybe giving a book tour around the fleet. Then there's the publishing rights. I want you to see about my security. Where I'm going to live, what I'm going to do. Since, we've forged this great friendship during the trial, I thought ...you know, who better than ..." Lampkin replies, "Actually, now that the fleet's legal system is in place, my not so in-considerable talents are required elsewhere. So, I'm afraid this is the end of our journey.", as both he and Apollo turn to leave the room. Dr. Baltar pleads him, "Wait ...Wait a minute. What about me? Wait a minute, Wait please. I mean think about this for a second. Where am I going to live? What am I going to do? How am I going to survive?" Lampkin smiles and says, "As much as I hate to use a 'cat metaphor', doctor. I think you'll land on your feet." and both he and Apollo leave the room.
In the hallway, Apollo asks, "Romo? One thing ...When you put me on the stand, did you know what was going to happen?" Lampkin stops walking, turns to Apollo, and says, "I knew you were an honest man, Mr. Adama. Much unlike your grandfather." They both smile at each other, while Lampkin pulls his sun glasses out and casually returns them to his face, then walks away. Surprisingly, when Apollo looks down, he see's Lampkin's cane leaning up against the wall.
Crossroads Part 2 Recap: Scene 12
Still onboard the Battlestar Galactica, Admiral Adama and the president are talking in the CIC, when she says, "Gaius Baltar is innocent. This is something that makes my skin crawl." Admiral Adama tries to comfort her by saying, "Not guilty, is not the same as innocent." The president looks him straight in the eye and says, "It must have been, particularly, difficult for you. What? You couldn't get the other two, to budge?", but the admiral doesn't answer. He bows his head for a moment and when he looks back up, she says, "You voted for his acquittal, didn't you?" Admiral Adama replies, "I hate to say it. The defense made their case, the prosecution didn't." The president puts her hand on his shoulder and whispers her reply, "Gaius Baltar, is a traitor. We both know that, regardless, of the outcome of this trial." Admiral Adama replies, "No one is asking anyone to forget ...or to forgive ...but, we have to look to the future." Then, he turns to give the order, "Mr. Gaeta? Commence jump prep. We're going to the Ionian Nebula." and Gaeta replies, "Yes, sir."