"No Place Like Home" Battlestar Galactica: Season III #1 (Realm Press) Written by James A. Kuhoric Illustrated by Chris Scalf and Robert Scott Cover by Chris Scalf June 1999

Baltar’s ship is intercepted by aliens; the Council wants to stop the fleet’s journey and settle a nearby star system.

Story Summary

It has been six months since the fleet has encountered any Cylons, but Commander Adama insists on a high state of readiness from his warriors, scheduling repeated combat simulations for his Viper pilots.

Meanwhile, in an unknown system, a ship of the alien Apshaidians has intercepted the Colonial shuttle used by Baltar to escape the fleet. Now, they awaken him from a strange pod.

Elsewhere, the Imperious Leader reveals that he somehow knows the location of the human fleet and orders Lucifer to put them and all basestars in the sector on an intercept course. Lucifer follows his orders, but secretly plots the time when he will be in command of the Cylon Empire.

Back in the fleet, the Council votes, against Adama's wishes, to settle on one of the two habitable planets in the system they have just entered rather than continue the search for Earth.

Later, in an attempt to renew their relationship, Starbuck goes on a date with Athena.

CONTINUED IN BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: SEASON III #2

Didja Know?

For their Season III series, Realm Press seemed to have gained rights to use the likenesses of actors Richard Hatch (Apollo), Dirk Benedict (Starbuck), Herbert Jefferson, Jr. (Boomer), and Anne Lockhart (Sheba), though the other characters are still depicted differently.

The title of this issue is a common colloquialism in the English language, originally inspired by the last line of the 1822 song written by John Howard Payne "Home! Sweet Home!", Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Didja Notice? 

Page 1 of this issue is a slightly modified version of the longer BSG preamble spoken by actor Patrick MacNee at the beginning of the pilot episode, the 3-hour "Saga of a Star World". Notice that mention of the lost civilization of Lemuria has been dropped.

During the pyramid game in the officers club of the Galactica on page 2, Starbuck remarks, "I love it when a plan comes together!" This is a reference to the same line often used by the character of Hannibal Smith (George Peppard) on the 1983-1986 TV series The A-Team; actor Dirk Benedict, who plays Starbuck on BSG, was also the character called Face (or Faceman)on The A-Team.

Starbuck's bet with Sheba in the pyramid game is similar to his come-on to her in "The Living Legend" Part 2.

The image of Viper pilots being rushed to the launch bay on a stand-up transport on page 4, panel 2 is essentially a direct borrow from a scene witnessed many times in TV episodes.

On page 6, Omega tells Commander Adama they are approaching a star system that is not on any of the charts they have compiled. Aren't they far enough out now that none of the systems they come across would be on their charts?

Omega remarks that the new system has two stars. Later, the narrative on page 8 informs us that the Apshaidian ship which has intercepted Baltar's shuttle is "behind the second sun of an unknown system". This may be an indication that Baltar and the Apshaidians are in the same system the fleet is now entering.

On page 6, panel 6, the main viewport on the bridge of the Galactica seems to be much larger than is seen in the TV episodes.

The basestar carrying Imperious Leader is not the super-basestar seen in "The Law of Volahd" Part 2. Possibly that basestar was actually a starbase and essentially non-motile.

On page 10, Imperious Leader makes reference to the two brains that IL-series Cylons have, just as previously stated in several of the BSG novelizations. (The Imperious Leader himself is said to have three brains in these novels.)

Page 12 reveals that the IL-series Cylon in command of one of the basestars is named Scalv. This does not seem to fit the usual pattern of IL-series names being a familiar Earth word or name associated with evil.

Page 12 hints that Imperious Leader may have had a tracking device implanted in Baltar's body and that may be how he has recently tracked the human fleet. This seems to later be confirmed by Lucifer in "Fire in the Sky". (A somewhat similar trick is used in the later Richard Hatch BSG novels in which the reformed Baltar's presence on the Galactica gives the fleet's location away to Imperious Leader.)

Page 12 also suggests that Lucifer is scheming to replace the Imperious Leader at some point and hints that he might dismiss the hunt for humanity.

On page 13 Adama records into his log that it has been nearly half a yahren since the fleet last encountered the Cylons.

As Adama reminisces on recent events on page 14, we see an image of a Somnian, a Cylon, an unknown hooded man with glowing red eyes, and someone who appears to be Starbuck with glowing green eyes. The two "glowing eyes" images must be from events that were part of Realm Press's plans for Season Two which were not published.

As Adama hopes to uncover a new clue to lead the fleet closer to Earth, the image in panel 3 of page 14 is actually of Earth, as revealed by the shape of the continents through the clouds.

Pages 16 and 17 introduce some kind of spider- or crab-like creature which has infiltrated the Galactica. We never learn what this was as Realm Press folded before the plotline was picked up again.

Council Security Officer Reese is seen here for the first time since "Baltar's Escape".

The first of the habitable planets in the system is named Domia by the astronavigators. Apollo comments that "domia" is the Kobolian word for "home". Possibly, writer James Kuhoric based this word on our own English word "domain" (Latin dominium).