Artsy matching shot of Adama's eyes framed by...well, equipment. Stuff. Tigh asks what's delaying the Vipers. Dualla explains that most of them are refueling, and says, "Hotdog and Apollo are in the tubes."

Voom! Apollo launches. Voo-frrtz. Hotdog's launch is aborted due to technical difficulties. Hotdog says, "Frack! Fraaack, frack-frack!" Heh.

Muppety Apollo says, "I guess I'm goin' solo."

CIC. The Prez wonders why there's only one Cylon. Tigh guesses it could be on a reconnaissance mission, "or the vanguard for a Cylon base ship about the jump on top of us." I guess I like Tigh because he's so cheerful.

Apollo starts firing at the Raider. Starbuck zig-zags out of the way and grumbles, "You idiot! Didn't anybody teach you intercept protocol?" Apollo tries and fails to hit the zippy Raider.

Gaeta says that the ships are approaching the fleet, and adds, "Port guns have a firing solution." Adama's cool with that.

Starbuck continues just barely dodging Apollo's fire. No, I have no idea how she's doing this when her vision is so limited. Oh well. Starbuck grunts, "Just a little bit closer." Apollo manages to hit the ship a glancing blow, and she shouts, "Not that close!"

Apollo closes in on the Raider, which suddenly slows and swings under him. And vanishes. Apollo tells the Galactica that he can't see the Raider.

Gaeta reports that the radar blips for the two ships have merged. Dualla says they'll be able to launch another Viper in forty-five seconds. Adama says, "This'll be over in forty-fiveseconds." See, at this point Adama may figure he's about to lose Apollo on top of everything else. Not that I expect him to have yet another freak-out here, but if they'd had more time, they could have maybe spared a moment on that aspect.

The Raider is behind Apollo now. Apollo looks up as the Raider suddenly appears right on top of him. He shakily tells the Galactica, "The Cylon is now flying in formation with me, right above my head. This thing is acting weird."

Adama tells Dualla to put him through to Apollo.

The Raider moves slightly further up and rolls over, then moves down again to display the yellow tape reading "Star" on the bottom of one wing and "Buck" on the other. Apollo thinks, "Buck star? Why would anyone want to -- oh!" Then he whoops and starts laughing as he tells the Galactica that it's Starbuck.