Commander Cain - "The Living Legend"

"The Living Legend"

Cain appears in the original series two-part episode, "The Living Legend", where the Pegasus meets up with the Galactica, under the command of Commander Adama, and its refugee fleet. After a joyous reunion, commander Cain's hope for a offensive against the Cylons is dashed: Although the Galactica and her fleet are suffering from critical and immediate fuel shortage, Commander Adama allows only a small raid against a Cylon tanker convoy. Cain desires much more and proposes the two battlestars attack the planet Gamoray (occupied by the Cylons) to capture all the fuel stores of the enemy on the planet.

Adama, more concerned with his quest for Earth and the protection of the refugees, refuses to agree to Cain's reckless plan. When Cain succeeds in deliberately interfering with the fuel raid (by destroying captured Cylon tankers) to force the attack on Gamoray, Adama comes up with a last and most desperate plan: To distribute the Pegasus's fuel reserves amongst the refugee fleet in order to sneak off Gomaray. The plan is desperate as the Pegasus fuel is too little to supply the fleet and Adama has no idea where to find any other fuel. As Cain opposes Adama's plan publicly, Adama relieves Cain of his duties as Commander of the Pegasus. Cain's successor as authority of Pegasus, Colonel Tigh, is ordered by Adama to distribute the Pegasus's fuel reserves amongst the refugee fleet as fast as possible. The Pegasus crew members nearly mutiny at the treatment of Cain. Despite this, Cain does not support the mutiny attempts and even explicitly accepts Adama's superior rank explicitly, but the fleet is perilously close to a small civil war.

Count Baltar suddenly attacks with a large force of Cylons to destroy the Galactica and interrupts the colonial dispute in the face of the common enemy. Adama restores Cain to his Pegasus command while Cain concedes that the refugee fleet would have been helpless at this moment had his offensive been carried out.

Although outnumbered, the commanders decide on a pincer movement where the Galactica occupies Baltar's attention while Pegasus maneuvers around for a surprise attack. In the ensuing engagement, the Galactica suffers heavy damage, and its landing bays are crippled to prevent its Vipers from refueling. Just as Baltar expects the battlestar to fall, the Pegasus makes its attack run with its Viper complement deployed to relieve the sister ship and the traitor is caught completely off guard. Stunned with the unexpected appearance of a second battlestar and alarmed by its fresh reinforcements about to attack his depleted forces, Baltar orders a retreat.

Cain eventually convinces Adama to get the permission for a near-suicidal attack on a duo of Cylon Basestars. In the ensuing battle the Cylons are destroyed and possibly Cain and his ship as well, although nobody is able to determine their fate: Although eye-witnesses of the battle Apollo and Starbuck see only explosions and clouds of debris from the battle that are too intense to determine what happened to the Pegasus. (The Pegasus's fate remains unknown).

Cain eventually convinces Adama to let him return to command of his Battlestar, which he takes into a near-suicidal attack on a duo of Cylon Basestars. In the ensuing battle, the Cylons are destroyed and possibly Cain and his ship as well, although Apollo is unable to determine their fate as the explosions and clouds of debris from the battle are too intense. (Their ultimate fate remains unknown.)

In the two part episode War of the Gods the evil Count Iblis promises Cain's daughter Lieutenant Sheba a re-union with her father Cain. This may be seen as a hint for the survival of Cain and the Pegasus; But it is also possible that Count Iblis lied.

Cain subsequently appears in series star Richard Hatch's re-launch novel series, having led the Pegasus to a planet where he and his surviving crew founded a new colony and began construction of two new battlestars and were preparing to resume the war with the Cylons.

He also appears in the Maximum Press Battlestar Galactica comic book series. Due to image licensing restrictions, he sports a mustache and bears no resemblance to Lloyd Bridges.