'Daybreak' (Parts 2 & 3) Story Code: '420' & '421' by Ronald D. Moore

As the rest of the Fleet heads for safety under the command of the newly appointed Admiral Hoshi, the Galactica prepares for the dangerous mission to rescue Hera from Cavil. Number 6 reassures Baltar that he is fulfilling God’s plan; Roslin thanks Doctor Cottle for his efforts in keeping her alive long after she expected to die; Helo readies his Raptor team for combat; Admiral Adama and the Cylons plan their combat strategy for the forthcoming battle, with the Galactica’s C&C now augmented with Cylon technology and Anders linked to the battle computers. As the final civilians leave the battlestar, Apollo sees President Lampkin safely aboard his shuttle, and Baltar surprises his followers by electing to stay and fight alongside the Colonials. The time for battle arrives: the Galactica jumps into the gravity well of the black hole where Cavil’s Colony is located, materialising right in front of the Cylons’ base and immediately coming under fire from the enemy’s guns. After Anders links to the Colony’s Hybrids, overpowering their systems and deactivating the base’s defences, Adama launches all fighters – and then gives the order for the Galactica to ram the Colony, breaching its walls to provide a way inside for the assault teams. Leading squads of Colonials and Cylons, Apollo, Starbuck, Helo and Athena desperately try to locate Hera. Meanwhile, Boomer finally makes a choice, killing Cavil’s scientist before he can experiment on Hera, and then rushing the girl to safety. Learning of Boomer’s betrayal, Cavil decides to go on the offensive by boarding the Galactica. On the front line, Baltar and Caprica 6 join forces and are astonished to learn that they each see visions of the other. Having run into Starbuck and her team, Boomer hands over Hera to her parents, only to be shot down by Athena. Starbuck and the others rejoin Apollo’s team, and together they return Hera to the Galactica; however, they are ambushed by Cavil and his Cylons, and in the confusion Hera panics and runs off. As both Roslin and Athena search desperately for the lost child, they each realise that their visions are coming true – as do Baltar and Caprica, who, having found Hera, suddenly find themselves inside the Opera House; then their surroundings resolve back into C&C – just as Cavil seizes command at gunpoint from Adama. The final standoff begins, with the life of Hera, the key to the survival of both humanity and the Cylons, at stake – and unless both sides make a leap of faith, it will be a confrontation that no one will survive…

Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), Katee Sackhoff (Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace), Jamie Bamber (Major Lee 'Apollo' Adama), James Callis (Doctor Gaius Baltar), Tricia Helfer (Caprica 6 / Number 6), Grace Park (Lieutenant J.G. Sharon 'Athena' Valerii / Boomer / Number 8), Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh), Aaron Douglas (Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Karl 'Helo' Agathon), Michael Trucco (Samuel Anders), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Donnelly Rhodes (Doctor Cottle), Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster), Darcy Laurie (Dealino), Colin Corrigan (Marine Allan Nowart), Iliana Gomez-Martinez (Hera Agathon), Colin Lawrence (Hamish "Skulls" McCall), Leah Cairns (Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson), Tiffany Lyndall-Knight (Cylon Hybrid), Leela Savasta (Tracey Anne), Brad Dryborough (Lieutenant Hoshi), Lara Gilchrist (Paulla Schaffer), Kerry Norton (Layne Ishay), Mark A. Sheppard (Romo Lampkin), Rick Worthy (Simon), Bodie Olmos (Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza), Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy), Dean Stockwell (John Cavil), Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral), Kevin McNulty (Frank Porthos), Simone Bailly (Shona), Dan Payne (Sean), Richard Jollymore (Marine #1), Holly Eglinton (Stripper), Anthony St. John (Marine #2), Tobias Mehler (Zak Adama), Dan Payne (Sean), Kevin McNulty (Frank Porthos), Ronald D. Moore (Man Reading Magazine)*(Uncredited)

Directed by Michael Rymer
Produced by Ron E. French and Michael Rymer
Co-Executive Producers Michael Angeli, Jane Espenson, Michael Taylor and Mark Verheiden
Executive Producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick
Consulting Producer Glen A. Larson

TX (US - Sci-Fi Channel):
20th March 2009 @ 10.00 pm

Notes:
*Featuring Admiral Adama, Colonel Tigh, Captain Starbuck, Lieutenant Athena, Apollo and Laura Roslin

*This season finale is a double-length episode