ship of lights

[Senmut]

Originally Posted by Captain Chirri

Thank you. Now I understand.

There was always something that bugged me about that episode, come to think of it.

The question of why the other pilots were taken was never really answered and I always wondered why they did it?

Was it to protect them from Iblis' influence? Was it to secretly place info in their heads pertaining to Earth?

Just why did Baltar rendevous with the Galactica in the first place if he knew that the first thing they'd do was stick him on the Prison Barge?

And why did Iblis want to seduce Sheba of all people?

My take was that they were flying into the region where the battle took place that resulted in Iblis' ship being destroyed. I doubt the Vipers could have weathered that. The SOL dudes essentially had compassion on a bunch of primitives, then realized that the Fleet was heading right into the area.
As to Baltar, his mind was totally under someone else's influence, by the time he told Lucifer he was going to Adama. Also, let us never forget that Baltar was a malignant narcissist. Deep down inside was the abiding and eternal belief that Baltar was always right. The whole universe revolves around Baltar. So, a little nudge from Iblis might be all it took to get him to go to Adama. After all, he's BALTAR!!!! Right?????!

[LZaza]

Originally Posted by Senmut

My take was that they were flying into the rgion where the battle took place that resulted in Iblis' ship being destroyed. I doubt the Vipers could have weathered that. The SOL dudes essentially had compassion on a bunch of primitives, then realized that the Fleet was heading right into the area.
As to Baltar, his mind was totally under someone else's influence, by the time he told Lucifer he was going to Adama. Also, let us never forget that Baltar was a malignant narcissist. Deep down inside was the abiding and eternal belief that Baltar was always right. The whole universe revolves around Baltar. So, a little nudge from Iblis might be all it took to get him to go to Adama. After all, he's BALTAR!!!! Right?????!

Funny, I always had the impression that Iblis' ship, or the one he'd tried to commandeer, had crashed a long time ago. It looked like an old wreck to me. No particular reason, I suppose. Just thought so. Interesting take, Sen.

I thought taking the initial Vipers was just a plot device that hadn't been very well thought out. "We must introduce an element of power and danger, so we'll start by taking the patrol." I guess my BSG scanner would interpret that as the SOL Beings wanting to take a closer look at our heroes. Stick them in those recliner chairs and poke and prod them a bit. After all, if they felt the need to restrain Starbuck later on, they must not have had total power over him. Actually, that scene was kind of weird, now that I think of it. What were they afraid Starbuck would do?

I have a different take on Baltar. Baltar was acting out of fear. I believe him when he said that he went there of his own free will. Then again, I tend to believe that the decisions we make are our own, and no one else is to blame for them. He thought that this new force could overcome both Cylons and Colonials, and that surely Adama would see that as well, and decide to band together with him. Iblis didn't force Baltar to go there, he only knew that Baltar's fear and desperation would drive him there. Iblis [I]understands[I] Baltar, he doesn't control him.

[Senmut]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......................maybe.
But as I said, Baltar is a malignant narcissist. That he could go to Adama, and be believed, even after betraying billions, proves he is totally mental. Iblis wouldn't need to "control", as in 100% total brain implants, but Baltar long ago gave himself over to evil. Iblis already has certain priviledges, as it were.
As to the wreck of Iblis' ship...Tigh spoke of the scanners picking up an explosion of some sort. The area around the crash site was still covered in ash when they got there. An old, overgrown wreck would have been a dead giveaway, when Iblis said he'd survived the destruction of his ship. After all, how long had he been there, if the "radion field" was still strong?

[LZaza]

I didn't think the wreck was "old and overgrown", just not very recent. I had the feeling he'd been there a while. And the "radion field" was nonexistent, as it turned out. Starbuck, Apollo and Sheba merely believed Iblis when he first warned them about it.

I didn't recall the explosion that Tigh mentioned. That memory of yours is amazing, Sen. So if there was nothing to indicate a recent crash, other than the wreck itself (ie. no traces of radion), there's a bit of a contradiction it seems. How surprising!

[Senmut]

Yes, but then Iblis has made a career of lying. Just enough truth to make it seem likely.

[LZaza]

Yes, the most convincing lies have an element of truth. And Iblis' confidence, of course, helped.

[Senmut]

Well, confidence is a given. After all, he's even more of a narcissist than Baltar.

[Jubal]

Beings of Light.... a sorority of "good guys" of both an advanced race, and those that they find worthy to join them.

Apparently their medical technology is advanced enough to undue some effects of dying and death, as we saw with Apollo.

I got the impression that their reality was dimensionally shifted away from regular reality. That they had to bring people over, and even then, images had to be given to represent their forms in ways visitors would understand.

I never got the impression that they "created" humanity, so God is kinda out of the question to me with the BoL, but the "Lords of Kobal" is a possibility as either ancestors that could have become the BoL, or inducted into the race of the BoL at some point.

The fact that Starbuck in the Galactica 1980 series was intended to become one of the BoL would lend credence that other worthy people could become part of the BoL. Apparently to be added, as mentioned before in this thread, a test is given. Apollo passed this test, but was brought back to regular life. Starbuck passes that test, and is implied that he is taken up with the BoL.

If the BoL are comprised of members that were formerly living humans, it is possible that their interest in the colonials and Terra to be that of interest to that similar to family or relatives.

Ibilis is apparently someone once inducted into the sorority of the BoL who has decided to pursue other objectives.

But as a race they are impressive, advanced, but not so different from other alien races that the Colonies must have faced. Luckily their intensions seem to be in the Colony's better interest.

[Senmut]

Originally Posted by LZaza

I didn't think the wreck was "old and overgrown", just not very recent. I had the feeling he'd been there a while. And the "radion field" was nonexistent, as it turned out. Starbuck, Apollo and Sheba merely believed Iblis when he first warned them about it.

I didn't recall the explosion that Tigh mentioned. That memory of yours is amazing, Sen. So if there was nothing to indicate a recent crash, other than the wreck itself (ie. no traces of radion), there's a bit of a contradiction it seems. How surprising!

It made sense, from their perspective, that there might be considerable radion from the crash. But given that Iblis & Co. are very different sorts of beings, their ships might use a totally different form of propulsion. Or the destruction of his ship might have been a lure, to draw the Colonials in.
Iblis' mind is like wheels withing wheels within wheels.

[Jubal]

You know, I always wanted to see what Apollo would not let Sheba see... in the wreckage that is.