Battlestar Galactica: The Wildly Varied Career Of Lee "Apollo" Adama

From the start of the Cylon crisis, Lee Adama bonds with the newly appointed President Roslin. When she asks him to become her military advisor, Lee is reluctant, until she clarifies that she is not looking for input on military decisions, but rather for advice on how to understand military protocol. This role brings Apollo into occasional conflict with his father, but he learns to balance it with his responsibilities as Galactica’s CAG.

Lee's relationship with President Roslin leads to him being chosen to head up a mission to the prison ship, Astral Queen, to seek help from convicts for critical mining operations. One radical prisoner, Tom Zarek, violently seizes the opportunity to gain a political advantage, but Lee is able to diffuse the situation in a way that avoids unnecessary loss of life, whilst making a promise to ensure the President abide by democratic principles.

This is the first of many times where Lee demonstrates a conviction to his conscience that creates friction with both his father and the President, as much as they both respect him.