Episode Name: Maelstrom Episode Number: 316 Written by: David Weddle & Bradley Thompson Directed by: Michael Nankin Original Air Date: 3/4/07 on SciFi Channel Survivors: 41,400
Act 2:
Kara climbs out of her Viper and wants to know where the damage is. Tyrol says that he hasn't found any damage. Kara looks it over herself and notices the same thing.
The pilots review Kara's gun camera footage, which shows no Raider. Athena, Helo, Lee, Racetrack and Hot Dog discuss where the Raider could have gone. Racetrack finally suggests that it might not have been there at all.
In Adama's quarters, Lee and Adama talk. Adama wants to know if he's going to ground her. Lee says that Cottle says she's physically ok, but an emotional basket case. He says even so, she's the best Viper pilot he has. He figures the persona of ace pilot is the only thing holding her together, so he's afraid what would happen if he grounds her. Adama says that everyone gets rattled, but what matters is if she can handle combat.
Lee finds Kara in the memorial corridor. Kara says that she wants to be put beside Kat. Lee says that he'd like to go next to Duck and Nora. They make a deal that whoever bites it first will make sure the other's picture goes in the right place. She wants to know if Adama grounded her. Lee says that Adama said that it's Lee's call as CAG. She wants to know if they think she went off the deep end. Lee says that he trusts her eyes over dradis any time. He adds that she is crazy. She looks down to see what looks to be the mandala in sand on the floor.
Kara walks with her head down past Adama and Roslin, who are discussing that the refueling will be done in less than ten hours. He asks her, "what do you hear?" which is the first thing he asked her in the miniseries. She says, "Nothing but the rain." She asks how things are going. He says that they almost done so they can jump out of the system.
Roslin then asks how it is "out there." Kara says that it's a great view. She then gives him the figurine, which is Aurora, goddess of the dawn, as a figurehead for his model ship.
On the hangar deck, Kara and Tyrol inspect a Viper. She looks in the cockpit and sees a little girl looking back at her. Tyrol asks if she's okay. She says needs a minute. A closer look at the girl reveals that has a bloody nose.
Flashback #1:
Kara's mother smokes as a little girl can be heard screaming. A hand is slammed in a door. Four versions of the mandala (a child's painting, the apartment mandala, the temple mandala and a mandala in space) then flash by.
Kara looks at the empty cockpit.
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Act 3:
On the hangar deck, Kara sits by her Viper. She doesn't look well at all. Lee and Tyrol talk about how she's still there. Lee asks if he's talked to her. Tyrol tells Lee to talk to her. | Lee sits down next to Kara. After sitting in silence for a few moments, she asks him if he's, "feeling sorry" for her. Lee answers that everyone gets rattled, even the best. She tells him that she's "not going back out there because she doesn't trust" herself. He tells her to trust him and he'll fly her wing. She scoffs at the idea of the CAG flying as a No. 2. He looks right at her and says, "Whatever it takes." She asks how things are going with Dee . He mumbles that they are, "you know, good." He then adds that they are the best that they have ever been. Kara says that she's happy for him and that she really means it. She then points out that they are right back where they started [in the miniseries]: he's CAG and she's his troublesome hotshot pilot. She adds that is all they'll ever be. Lee just looks at her.
On CAP, Lee flies along side Kara. She says she's doing well and he says that they have thirty minutes left before heading back. As she looks over at him, she sees the Raider peak out and then disappears into the clouds. She breaks to attack.
Dee reports nothing on dradis. Adama still orders the fleet to condition one and suspends refueling operation.
Starbuck drops off of dradis.
As Starbuck single-minded flies after the Raider, Lee wants to know her position. The Raider flies right in front of her. She pursues deeper into the clouds. Suddenly, there is a collision and Kara is knocked unconscious and her Viper flies out of the control.
Flashback #2:
Kara's alarm goes off. She hits snooze and the radio comes on. She wakes up her in apartment on Caprica. Leoben is there. He says that they have a big day ahead. She says that she's not there and that she's either unconscious in her Viper or on a Cylon ship in his mind games. He says that it's her destiny. She says that she writes her own destiny. He says that he didn't paint the mandala, she did. He says that she saw it in the clouds, but didn't tell anyone. He says that she refuses to fly into the abyss of death because she's afraid of the unknown. He says that's been the case since that day. She wants to know what day.
Flashback #3:
Leoben takes her back to her mother's apartment. He tells her that it's all happened before and will happen again. A knock is heard and Kara watches a younger Starbuck walk in. Leoben dates the memory as from six years ago. Her mother says that she's managed to be the first officer in the family and has been told that Kara's a natural. Kara is proud to be a Viper pilot. Her mother then says that she only finished 16 th in her class. Kara says that rank is out of a class of 117 (?) Her mother says that she should have finished first, because she's special. Kara tells her to cut out the "special" crap. Her mother says that she's always been a quitter and undisciplined. Kara says that she can't help it that her mother never became an officer and can't make up for her mother's lack of achievements. Just then, Kara notices a paper. It's a medical report. No treatment can be done because her mother is terminal. Kara sits down and tries to reach out to her mother, but her mother pulls her hand away and doesn't want her pity. Her mother adds that Kara needs another motivation because she won't be around anymore. Kara starts to tear up and her mother rips her for starting to cry. That sets Kara off. She says that she's leaving and her mother can look at the door every day until the end. Younger Kara then leaves as her mother calls after her.
Flashback #3 Con't:
As younger Kara runs outside, Leoben says that she ran and kept running for blocks. Meanwhile, her mother sits in her apartment and smokes.
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