While attending an award ceremony for Kronus, the iron-fisted commander of the Celestra, Starbuck spots someone he thought long dead—Aurora, a woman he was once in love with, but thought had been killed during the Cylons' attack on the Colonies.
When Starbuck enlists Apollo's aid in helping him set things right with Aurora, they become involved in a power struggle between Kronus and Kronus' power-hungry junior officer Charka, and the Celestra's mutinous freedom fighting crew who want to remove the commander from power under the mistaken impression that it was he, not Charka who had been oppressing them.
Charka uses the opportunity to seize the Celestra for himself, nearly killing Starbuck and Apollo by trying to send their shuttle into deep space. Starbuck, Apollo and the commander attempt to enlist the distrustful mutineers into joining them in stopping Charka. Eventually both Kronus and the mutineers learn the truth of Charka's deception agree to work together. Meanwhile, Starbuck and Aurora talk, eventually Starbuck not only reconciles with Aurora, but convinces that man who she is currently in a relationship with that he has nothing to fear from him.
Kronus sacrifices his own life in the final battle to retake the Celestra from Charka, who is arrested along with his compatriots and sentenced to the Prison Barge.
Tropes:
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: When Starbuck runs into Cassiopeia after the crisis on the Celestra is over. He learns that she exchanged the two concert tickets she'd gotten earlier, for a new pair so that they could still go together.
- Asshole in Sheep's Clothing: Charka appears loyal to Kronus, but turns around and gets mean at the workers once the commander leaves the ship to him.
- The Determinator: Kronus.
- Harmony Versus Discipline: Aurora's group vs. Kronus, or so that's what we're led to believe.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Starbuck is less flirty in this episode, as he is more upset that Aurora is among the mutineers on the Celestra. He even has a pep talk regarding her with Damon, her current lover.
- The Mutiny: Instigated by Charka, bolstered by (false) claims of oppression.
- The Neidermeyer: Kronus means well, but he comes across as this to all those around him.
- Officer and a Gentleman: Commander Kronus is of the older breed of officers.
- Retired Badass: While Kronus does command the Celestra, he was already retired from active duty before the destruction of the colonies.
- Stealth in Space: The Starscream sends his captain off in a shuttle in the wrong direction to the fleet, 'goes dark' by shutting down the navigational beacons, scanners and running lights, then flies off using the thrusters so the shuttle can't find its way back. They do find their way back, and thanks to the scanners being turned off the mutinous crew don't know it.
- A Taste of the Lash: Charka, as we learn, seems to have a soft spot for torturing people who fail to fulfill their work quotas, though he'd usually starve entire families before beating anyone. What a nice guy.
- Working with the Ex: Starbuck finds himself working with his former flame, Aurora, when he and Apollo helps the rebels liberate the Celestra from Charka and his goons.
