The Passage - Recap

The food stock aboard Galactica used to feed the fleet has been contaminated. Their only source of food is algea on a planet. The problem is that standing between them is a star cluster giving off a dangerous dose of radiation. When Athena returns from a scouting mission, she reports a successful find of the planet and its content. However, reaching it will be difficult and dangerous. Two jumps are necessary to reach the other side of the cluster and circumnavigation is not a possability. Due to insufficient shielding, the navigation computers on the civilian ships would not be operational and because of the intensity, there is little time to assess the situation before absorbing too much radiation. With no way for Galactica to navigate all the ships at once and too little time to bring all the food back to the people, the only choice is to use Raptors which have more appropriate navigation systems. All but neccessary crew will be transferred to Galactica while a Raptor guides an appointed ship to the other side.

Lee and Kara brief the pilots on their mission and the danger of the radiation. To keep track of how much they take in, they are given white badges to measure their intake. Anyone whose badge turns full black, will be pulled from duty. Stims are also provided but as Kat points out, they amplify one's metabolism, which is dangerous given everyone's stated of hunger. Because of this their use are up to each pilot's discretion.

While civilians are boarding aboard Galactica, a man named Enzo confronts Kat, calling her "Sacha". She defensively tells him that her name is Louanne Katraine. Later, the two talk in private where he acts very familiar with her, trying to remind her of her past. She rejects any companionship with him.

Hesitant at first, Colonel Tigh enters the CIC and is greeted with applause with the exception of Gaeta. He, of course, reminds everyone that they have "jobs to do," which is to oversee the jump of the civilian ships. Within the radiation cluster, everyone has their ships except Hot Dog who loses the Adriatic. Four trips have been made with one to go, but Kat lost another ship, the Carina. Afterwards Kara notices Kat having a seemingly personal confrontation with Enzo. After talking with him, Kara confronts Kat and she confirms that the name "Louanne Katraine" actually belonged to a girl who died before the Cylon attacks. Using it, Kat was able to get by the background check. Her previous life was that of a drug runner. She also helped truck in people, which Kara believes might have helped the Cylons infiltrate the Colonies. Kara urges her to accept who she really is, but Kat wants to be the one to tell Adama the truth.

To make matters worse for Kat, she pulls out a clump of her hair, a telltale sign that she is succumbing to radiation poisioning. With little left to loose, she switches her radiation badge with that of Helo's and returns to shepherd another ship through the radiation cluster. Once inside, even Galactica cannot stand up to the heat and everyone must jump, but Kat has lost her ship. Defying the command to jump, she stays behind, determined to find her ship. On the other side of the cluster, everyone on Galactica awaits her turn. After a few tense moments she and her accompanied ship show up on the DRADIS. When she lands, she is greeted with applause, but it is short-lived as she soon collapses.

While in sick bay, Kara visits her and the two reconcile after their last encounter. She even provides Kat with sleeping pills to ease the oncoming pain that radiation sickness will bring her as it takes her life. As Kara leaves, Adama enters and instead of coming down on her, he offers her the position of CAG even though she will never make it out of her bed. She accepts the promotion, but wants to first tell him about her past. But Adama doesn't care because he believes that it won't change her selfless act for the fleet. He stays by her side and talks with her some more about the birth of his sons and how he would have liked to have had a daughter.

Later the pilots gather silently as Adama places Kat's name in the position of CAG on a pilot chart. Meanwhile, Kara places an image of Kat in a memorial hallway among those of other lives lost since the Cylon attack. Lee watches from a distance as she holds back tears.

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