Opinion by Kajsa Berg
Once upon a time the battlestar Galactica
ran into Commander Cain of the battlestar Pegasus and his daughter Sheba. At that
time the fleet badly needed fuel. They were also headed straight for the Cylon capital on
Gamoray. Cain is obsessed with the idea of taking the planet. Adama only wants enough fuel
to save the people of the fleet. Several attempts are made to secure that fuel. None
succeeds. Finally they are forced to take what they need directly from the Cylons on
Gamoray. The mission is completed and the fuel captured. But Cain sacrifices his life and
battlestar for the fleet, leaving his daughter behind on the Galactica.
A grand and beautiful tale, right? Unfortunately, that is probably
all it isa tale. Somehow Cains own actions dont fit into the picture. Is
what happens all that brave, beautiful and noble? It may take a closer look at Cain and
his strategic genius to figure that out. Does he really, as he states, know how to
win a battle (which, as it happens, is tactics, not strategy)?
Well, the first battle we hear of is Molecay where Cain loses the
entire Fifth Fleet and gets whipped so badly that he does not even dare attempt returning
to the Colonies. Luckily for Cain the Colonial military code is different from those
common on Earth. Here he would have been court-martialed for deserting in the face of the
enemyhardly brave behavior.
Then we have the attack on the Cylon tankers. Cain knows where they
are. Brilliant? Yes, on the part of his intelligence officer. Cains own claim to be
able to smell the Cylons is probably nothing but good information and good
timingsmell doesnt travel though vacuum. Courage? When he doesnt even
dark to take out the tankers while Blue Squadron is still around? Had he had the nerve to
try that his attempt on the honor and reputation of Blue Squadron might have been more
successful.
As for pulling the Pegasus out at Baltars attack and
utilizing the surprise value it is so obvious that no brilliance whatsoever was needed. It
is clear that Adama had already thought about it when Cain comes up with it. I cant
help thinking that Adama used the attack as an excuse to give Cain back his command, thus
gracefully backing out of an untenable situation. And it does keep Cain safely out of the
battle for the greater part of it.
That leaves us with the final attack on Gamoray. It is Cains
plan all right. Again it is fairly obvious. They have to attack to get fuel and they also
have to protect themselves. The plan follows naturally.
Unfortunately, it doesnt work. Baltar has for example a really
good chance of destroying the fleet early on. What stops him? Neither Cain nor his plan
but Imperious Leader. Since Baltar has to protect this glorious gadget he cant spare
fighters to destroy the fleet. This is an unforeseen circumstance that saves both the
fleet and Cains reputation. Quite a coup for Impy!
And then Cains final great sacrifice. To give up his life and
battlestar in an attempt to get Baltar. Very brave, and extremely foolish. And Cains
claim that the Cylon fighters will have nowhere to land is felgercarbthey have a
whole planet! And the way to that planet goes straight through the fleet, the Galactica,
and the teams on Gamorays surface. Some protection!
But if this is how it is, how come the Colonials see it differently?
They see Cain as a brilliant tactician and a great hero, dont they? All of them?
Tigh, for one, doesnt. He obviously finds Cain obnoxious and irritating. However, it
is possible to claim Tighs dislike is based on envy. But it seems unlikely. But even
if it is so, why would a sensible person like Tigh feel envy if Cain had gained a higher
position thanks to better qualifications? If Cain, on the other hand, had been made
commander despite lacking these qualifications it could explain Tighs feelings.
And then we have Adamas reaction. At first he is elated. But
is it because of Cain? Wouldnt he have been just as happy over any other surviving
Colonial battlestar? Later it is obvious that he keeps his feelings and his temper under
strict control, until he loses his temper and relieves Cain of his command. It is clearly
not a wise decisionit creates bad feeling and detracts from the morale Adama works
so hard to build up and maintain. Combine that with the little talk Adama gives Apollo
before the attempt on the Cylon tankers and you might begin to suspect that Adama suffers
Cain for the mans morale value, his PR.
But Cains warriors adore him and so do the Galactica
warriors (with the possible exception of Boomer). Even after Cains attempt to blame
the loss of the Cylon tankers on Blue Squadron, Apollo still admires and follows the man.
So what is his magic? He clearly does not know how to win a battle. His plans do not
always work. But he manages to make people think so. Actually, all of his actions seem
calculated to make people see him as the great hero. And not only as a great hero but as a
brave and brilliant leader who is still just a simple warrior despite the
necessities of rank.
Just take the way he dresses. Not in the blue of the other
commanders but in an embellished version of a pilots uniform with the silk scarf to
show dash and daring and the crop to mark his rank. But the way he enters a room is meant
to remind everyone of his being a hero, a legend in his own time; the gloved honor guard
following him everywhere and the way he clearly expects everyone to rise. It cant be
standard protocol since Commander Kronus does not insist on it, nor berate Adama for not
using it. So it must be Cains own idea. Since he doesnt need them for
protection, showmanship seems the logical explanation. Even the way he speaks, in short
sentences, simple words, very straightforward. Under stresslike when he says good
bye to Shebahe sounds rather different. His voice and speech are just another tool
in creating a living legend.
Cain appears as a hero to his followers but he is playing a role, a
role that obviously does wonders for morale. Compare that to Adama and Tighs
reactions to the man to the warriors reactions to him and to the mans real
accomplishments and you get a mediocre warrior whose rise to power is good military PR. If
you add the Councils and the civilians opinions of wars and warriors it seems
more like that was the audience the living legend was created for. At some
time Cain made a name for himself and High Command decided to make him their resident
hero. And so the myth was created.
It is hard to tell if Cain himself believes in the legend or just
plays along. He is good at playing the role he thinks fits the moment. Like when he is
faced with blowing the Cylon tankers up: "I did what I thought was necessary for the
survival of our people." Survival of the people indeed. It is the first and only time
he shows any consideration of that nature and I keep getting this nagging suspicion that
he is putting on an act to convince Adamaand fails miserably. But he doesnt
fail as the living legend; playing that he is quite convincing. Maybe he has
been playing it so long he has even convinced himself.
The glimmer of hope for a real man beneath all the acting is the
very real affection both Cassiopeia and Colonel Tolen seem to feel for him. Even if Cassie
has made it a habit to fall for phonies we know she sees right through them and loves them
for what they are. And Tolen gives an impression of shrewdness and integrityif he
loves Cain it is for real and it is the real man he cares for.
But the obsessive adoration from his warriors is something else,
from an intense belief in the legend. They clearly suffer from the weakness Starbuck
describes in War of the Gods: Everyone is trying to find someone or something
to believe in, with the silent addition, instead of facing reality and trying
for themselves. To the warriors Cain is that someone. And one of those warriors is
his daughter. Maybe that is the saddest part of all. She never lovedor even
knewher father. All she ever saw was the legendary Commander Cain. He put himself on
a pedestal and now he cant get down. And not even his own daughter can climb up to
him.
Originally published in ANOMALY 12