Commander Cain

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This article is about the character from the original Battlestar Galactica. For the re-imagined character, see Helena Cain.

Cain
Lloyd Bridges as Commander Cain
Race	Human
Gender	Male
Portrayed by	Lloyd Bridges
Rank	Commander
Affiliation	Colonials

Commander Cain is a fictional character in the original Battlestar Galactica science fiction TV series, portrayed by Lloyd Bridges. He is the commander of Battlestar Pegasus, the father of Lieutenant Sheba, and former lover of Cassiopeia.

Cain is one of the greatest heroes in the Colonial military; his battle strategies are legendary throughout the fleet. However, he is also known to be rather impulsive and a maverick. He inspires near-fanatical loyalty amongst his crew on the Pegasus.

Under his command, the Pegasus went into unknown territory during a battle, out of contact with the Twelve Colonies and thus was spared destruction at Baltar's betrayal to the Cylons.

Eventually the Pegasus meets up with the Galactica, under the command of Commander Adama, and its refugee fleet just as it is experiencing a fuel shortage. After a joyous reunion, Cain offers to solve the fleet's difficulty by raiding Cylon tankers. However, Cain desires much more and proposes the Battlestars attack the planet Gamoray, occupied by the Cylons, in an effort to take the offensive against the enemy.

However, Adama, more concerned with his quest for Earth and the protection of the refugees, refuses to agree to Cain's reckless plan. When Cain is discovered deliberately interfering with fuel raids to force the attack he wants, Adama relieves him of duty in favor of Colonel Tigh assuming authority of Pegasus with orders to distribute its fuel reserves amongst the refugee fleet. The Pegasus crew nearly mutiny at this treatment of Cain and the fleet is perilously close to a small civil war.

However, 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 immediately restores Cain to his command while Cain immediately concedes that had his offensive been carried out, the refugee fleet would have been helpless at this moment.

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. However, just as Baltar expects the battlestar to fall, the traitor is caught completely off guard as the Pegasus makes its attack run with its viper complement deployed to relieve the sister ship. 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 let him return to command of his battlestar, which he takes into a near-suicidal attack on a duo of Cylon basestars. Cain, his crew and ship are subsequently lost in battle and are never heard from again (although their ultimate fate remains unknown).

Glen A. Larson, producer of Battlestar Galactica, attempted a revival in the late 1990s with a feature film project using Commander Cain and the Battlestar Pegasus.