| Phaethon Kosta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Played By: Michael Fassenbender | |
| Birth Date | 4/18/1975 |
| Age | 29 |
| Colony | Caprica |
| Callsign | Helios |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Position | Viper Pilot |
| Parents | Cylmene Kosta (Mother)
Unknown (Father) |
| Siblings | Heliades Kosta (Half Sister) |
| Marital Status | Single |
Phaethon Kosta is a Viper Pilot in Hyperion's Air Wing. He is a fighter ace who has fought in more engagements since the Fall than any other pilot in the entire Fleet. He currently serves as the wingman to the CAG, Drake Wolfe, and the number two of Knights Squadron.
Civilian History[]
Phaethon was born to a single mother on Caprica. Life was tough growing up. His mother barely made enough to feed him and his sister. Young Phaethon did his best to help out but as he got older and began to work his mother got sicker from having worked herself near death so the economic state of the family remained about the same. As a result of a life of poverty and the need to work from a young age, Phaethon never had much schooling and would be classified as illiterate for the greater part of his life.
At 17 and a half he decided to join the military for a better future. He hated to leave his family but it was the best option for him in terms of steady employment. The government would take care of feeding and housing him while all the rest of his pay could be sent home to take care of his mother and sister. That plan worked for a few years until his sister fell in with some bad people and then dropped out of contact with the family. A couple years later his mother died.
Prior Service Record[]
Battlestar Erasmus - 1993-97[]
As a poor, unconnected, and illiterate recruit, Phaethon's options were fairly limited going into military service. He soon found himself assigned as a deckhand aboard the Erasmus working on the Battlestar's Air Wing. Kosta was not an exceptionally gifted mechanic but he had a winning personality and some leadership potential which soon earned him promotion up to Petty Officer Second Class.
While serving aboard the Erasmus, Phaethon finally began his education in earnest. The deck was busier than most other parts of the ship even during peace time and there was always something to do while on watch, but work times were strictly regulated and Phaethon found himself with many hours to himself without the need to work. With the help of a few caring crew-mates, both superior officers and even some junior enlisted on his deck team, Phaethon finally learned the basics.
Picon Flight School and OCS - 1997-98[]
After losing his mother, on the advice of some of his comrades to "take his mind off things", Phaethon took the pilot's exam. The barely literate man with no knowledge of Vipers beyond how to fix them and what he observed from the pilots he worked with miraculously passed the preliminary test and was invited to train as a Viper Pilot.
On Picon he was taught to fly and excelled as one of the top of his class. He had "the gift" for flight. His high scores in the practical portions of flight school managed to offset his low scores in the written portions and soon the kid that had grown up in poverty found himself as an officer in the Colonial Fleet.
Battlestar Erasmus - 1998-2004[]
Phaethon was assigned back to his old ship, the Erasmus, now as an officer flying the very Vipers he had previously worked on. Some were upset at seeing the poor deckhand so elevated, both jealous enlisted and elitist officers, but most were supportive. Over the next few years he progressed up the ranks even further to Lieutenant where he would most likely remain for the rest of his career, not being educated enough or having enough leadership skill to get into the higher ranks of service.
Hyperion History[]
The Fall[]
Like everyone aboard Hyperion, Phaethon was a recent transfer to the new ship. He was paired with Drake Wolfe, a man who would soon be elevated to CAG. When the Cylon attack occurred, Phaethon rushed to the deck as part of the second wave of Vipers. He thus escaped the fate that befell the entire first wave which was paralyzed by the CNP.
Phaethon was put in one of the recovered Mk IIs that did not have the CNP installed and flew the first CAP while the Fleet was regrouping at Phoebe. He and Drake diverted from CAP to provide air cover to the Phoebe Operation saving it from disaster. Later that day, Phaethon also fought in the Battle of Phoebe to defend the Fleet from a trio of Cylon Basestars.
The Phoenix Incident[]
Phaethon was part of the force scrambled when the Athena's Light and its fleet unexpectedly arrived at the Fleet's coordinates. It was Phaethon who first picked up the radiological pings coming from the Tylium ship, Phoenix, and reported it. The threat of Mellorak unfortunately scrubbed any recovery mission and the source of the radiation was lost.
The Mutiny and Aquaria[]
Phaethon was aboard the Hephaestus during the mutiny and was thus scrambled with the others to secure the "air" as the Gunstar moved to board Hyperion. Phaethon luckily did not have to fire upon his fellow Colonials during the engagement although a few others were not as lucky. He was instrumental in merely talking a few of the Hyperion pilots down and into joining their side.
During the Aquaria Campaign, Phaethon was once again in the first wave. He was part of the force that intercepted the Hermes and then part of the force that assaulted the air field in advance of the Gunstar's landing. Phaethon was out patrolling the Aquarian countryside when the operation fell to pieces. He quickly rallied back to the air base with Drake and then engaged in a large air battle with the Raiders of the Cylon Basestar before being ordered to disengage from combat.
With the Gunstar retreated from Aquaria and Drake presumed dead, Phaethon found himself as the senior officer not just in the two squadrons of Viper pilots but in the entire thousand man strong force. With the help of Lieutenant Frost of the marines, he maintained control of the precarious situation and kept the stranded Colonial force hitting enemy positions for a week until rescue arrived.
Mark Eight and Caprica[]
As one of the leading pilots of the Air Wing, Phaethon was hand picked to be one of the two first test pilots of the new Mk VIII Viper. Phaethon fly the Mk VIII in the opening wave of the Battle of Caprica in which it and its pilot performed well until the vehicle was critically damaged. Phaethon was forced to make an emergency landing and rejoin the battle in his old Mk VII.
Military Awards and Honors[]
Star of the Colonies Second Order[]
05/09/2004-05/18/2004, Lieutenant Phaethon Kosta, for assuming command of the Aquaria operation.
Personality[]
Like most pilots, Phaethon is very confident in his abilities and generally itching to get out and fly. However, Phaethon differs from the stereotype in that he is rather quiet and reserved. His confidence does not cross the line into overconfidence nor does it ever stray to insubordination. He is respectful of the chain of command and generally provides realistic advice and advocates caution over reckless bravado.
The military is not just a second family, but an only family for Phaethon even before the Fall. He never had much to begin with and what was left of his family died or disappeared years ago. He is thus dedicated to his ship and his comrades more than most. It is the only home and the only family he has. Simultaneously he hasn't felt the loss of the destruction of the Colonies as much as others since his home, the Hyperion, still exists.
Phaethon is deeply religious and it is not uncommon to see or hear him praying to the Lords of Kobol. He, however, doesn't truly understand his own faith or the history of the religion, part of his lack of any education. Since joining the military he has progressed far enough to read at a middle school level but his education hasn't strayed outside of reading and writing or Vipers. He is a master of the one field but largely ignorant of everything else from history to basic sciences.