Madilyn Willows-Cavanaugh

Lieutenant Colonel Madilyn Willows-Cavanaugh

Natasha Henstridge as Madilyn Willows-Cavanaugh

Personal

Alias:	—
Age:	40
Features:	Tall; blonde & blue
Colony:	Caprica

Professional

Rank:	Lieutenant Colonel
Department:	Marines
Position:	Commanding Officer

"He walked out in the gray light and stood and he saw for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless circling of the intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running. The crushing black vacuum of the universe. And somewhere two hunted animals trembling like groundfoxes in their cover. Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it."
— Cormac McCarthy, "The Road"

Background

Born into Caprican wealth and a (former) wife and mother of two, Madilyn Willows-Cavanaugh is a woman that seems as unlikely a candidate as there may be for the role of Marine Company Commander. However, she thrives on a challenge, and believes in a policy of social responsibility accompanying such wealth and privilege. Relying on training as much as maternal instinct, Madilyn prides herself on leading the Bravo Company marines with a softer touch than some of her male counterparts. This puts her at odds with several other members of the fleet, as on more than one occasion Madilyn has demonstrated greater concern with the here-and-now survival of the species rather than the lore and mystery surrounding 'salvation' being found in ancient relics and text.

+ Show Background

Madilyn Willows was born into the upper-crust of Caprican City well-to-dos. Her father, the consummate professor of Colonial history at Caprica University, and her mother, the stay-at-home, overbearing housewife, strove to provide a home environment rich in logic and excellence, augmented with surface-understanding of theology (more in-depth should the child elect to pursue such interests). Academic achievement was highly valued in the Willows family, and as such, the parents made whatever provisions were necessary to send their children to the most prestigious academies from the age of 4 onward - a year earlier than most children, to assure their advanced academic development.

Pursuant to their academic endeavors, both children were enrolled in extracurricular activities to, as their parents would say, round out their character. Fine arts and sports were required by their parents to complete the picture of Caprican civility, success, and wealth. Madilyn elected to take piano lessons and gymnastics, while Vincent chose to pursue violin and tennis. To compare and contrast the individual children, Madilyn showed more promise athletically and Vincent more promise academically, though neither child was, by any means, a slouch.

At age 17, Madilyn was admitted to the Colonial Fleet Academy: Scorpia, whereupon CMC academy training began. After four successful years at the CFA, Madilyn was awarded a BSc in Systems Engineering, with a four-year commission at the rank of Ensign suspended for two years to pursue graduate studies.

The next two years were spent back on Caprica and close to home, attending Caprica University to pursue, and obtain, a non-thesis MSc degree, also in Systems Engineering. More importantly, during this time, she was to meet her future husband, Andrew, a TA in another university department, two years older than herself and pursuing his own graduate degree.

Before filling the terms of her military contract, Madilyn proceeded to Fort Cestus on Picon to complete mandatory CMC Boot. Two rounds of AIT (Rifle, Assault Engineering) followed. At age 23, her service contract officially began, having been adjusted to the starting rank of LTJG (having an MSc).

Years of service were significantly interrupted only a handful of times: two of these times were standard maternity leave following the birth of each of her two children; once owing to a broken leg suffered in mock combat exercises in hot LZ entry; once more on medical leave for treatment of Tis breast cancer (DCIS).

Immediate Family

"I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, 'Mother, what was war?'"
— Eve Merriam

Unlike some, Madilyn doesn't hold hope that her family survived the events of Warday; her entire immediate family was on Caprica that day. As such, all family listed here are presumed dead by Cylon attack.

Name	Relation	Notes
Andrew Cavanaugh	Husband	41, aspiring novelist, married 16 Jun 2025 AE
Olivia Cavanaugh	Daughter	7, aspiring princess, born 05 Oct 2033 AE
Timothy Cavanaugh	Son	4, aspiring artist, born 28 Jun 2036 AE
Daniel Willows	Father	Professor of Colonial History, Caprica University
Morgana Willows	Mother	Caprican socialite and busybody
Vincent Willows	Brother	Caprican banker with a hobby of tackling math problems for fun

Education

• Colonial Fleet Academy: Scorpia - 4 years; earns BSc in Systems Engineering; leaves commissioned at rank of Ensign
• Caprica University - 2 years; earns MSc (non-thesis) in Systems Engineering
• CMC Basic Training - 9 weeks
• CMC AIT: Rifle - 21 days
• CMC AIT: Assault Engineering - 96 days

Service Jacket

"There will one day spring from the brain of science a machine or force so fearful in its potentialities, so absolutely terrifying, that even man, the fighter, who will dare torture and death in order to inflict torture and death, will be appalled, and so abandon war forever."
— Thomas A. Edison

Tours of Duty

Year	Rank	Station	Notes
2026 AE	LTJG	Gunstar Phobos (CG-23)	Entered at rank of LTJG having earned an MSc degree
2028 AE	LT	BS Volans (BS-23)	Bravo Platoon Leader
2033 AE	LT	BS Ilium (BS-49)	Marine S4; 2033 service year abbreviated by birth of her first child
2036 AE	CPT	BS Corvus (BS-78)	Marine XO; 2036 service year abbreviated by birth of her second child
2041 AE	MAJ	BS Cerberus (BS-132)	Bravo Company (1/9 BN) Commanding Officer
Apr 2042 AE	LT. COL	BS Cerberus (BS-132)	Bravo Company (1/9 BN) Commanding Officer

Mission History

Post-Warday
02 Jun 2041 AE	Part of the group relieving Admiral Abbot of command
30 Sep 2041 AE	Part of an scout team investigating the Quinn Farmstead on Aerilon
22 Oct 2041 AE	Leads a marine fireteam in the SAR operation for the missing marine XO
26 Nov 2041 AE	Oversees the execution of John Borenstein
05 Dec 2041 AE	Accompanies a team to Tauron, following up on a dream
08 Jan 2042 AE	Trades the dagger with a Cylon Five in exchange for marine and civilian hostages
09 Jan 2042 AE	Participates in a simulated EVA training session
13 Jan 2042 AE	Oversees the execution of Admiral Abbot
29 Jan 2042 AE	Takes part in simulated Areion boarding ops
15 Apr 2042 AE	Gets kidnapped as part of Kepner's plan for revenge on the Cylons

Medical Record

When	What	How
18 Aug 2031 AE	Broken right tibia	Misstep in Raptor exit during hot LZ training
05 Oct 2033 AE	Maternity leave	Daughter Olivia born
28 Jun 2036 AE	Maternity leave	Son Timothy born
25 Apr 2041 AE	Donated blood (B+)	A Drop in the Bucket
15 Apr 2042 AE	Two light (superficial) bullet wounds to right upper arm	Divided We Fall
15 Apr 2042 AE	Abrasions near left eye; possible concussion	Divided We Fall

Physical Features

Madilyn Willows-Cavanaugh stands 5'11" tall. Her hair is a naturally dirty blonde, a little beyond shoulder length, though often worn in a tight bun at the back of her head (think Seven of Nine style); her eyes are a pale yet clear blue, the color of Caprica's sky on any given day. Her frame is solid, neither thick with muscle nor thin from lack of work. There's no hiding the fact that she's a woman, and a mother twice over, with ample bust and wide, feminine hips. The years of military and domestic service show on her face, with age lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes, accentuated when she smiles.

Miscellaneous Details

RP Hooks

Widow and Mother: This is certainly not unique among the crew of, well, any ship in the fleet. She doesn't brood on it, and attempts not to dwell on it, but the simple fact is that you can't just ignore this if it happens to you. Don't be surprised if Madilyn starts to get watery-eyed or excuses herself if the topic comes up! Systems Engineer: She spent 6 years in college and grad school to earn a master's in systems engineering. What is that? Well, you could ask! (If you're lazy? It means she's pretty decent at coming up with mathematical models of things and crunching the numbers in a computer - it doesn't mean she knows the fields, just the governing equations). Music (Piano): Several years of her past life were spent religiously attending piano lessons at the behest of her mother. Back in the day, she was quite good. Though her skill has dropped off over the years, she's got enough muscle memory and knowledge left that she could pretty easily eek out something coming close to the right melody without much of a hassle.

For Olivia

Trivia

• Following the events of Warday, Madilyn began using the hyphenated form of her name; in her own way, it reflects her memory of family, while also pressing forward.
• Pursuant to the first bit of trivia, Madilyn wears her wedding band and engagement ring on a simple chain about her neck (regulations and operations permitting).
• Like many others on board, she has with her a music player.
• Smokes occasionally.
• Seems to prefer her coffee a little weaker/lighter than most crew.

Personality Profile

Madilyn's Myers-Briggs personality type is ISTJ - 'The Inspector.'

"Effusive expression of emotional warmth is not something that ISTJs do without considerable energy loss…" - found here.

ISTJs thrive on organization. They keep their lives and environments well-regulated. They bring painstaking attention to detail in their work and will not rest until a job is well completed. They are often dissatisfied with unresolved issues, whether in life or in fiction.

ISTJs are faithful, logical, organized, sensible, and earnest traditionalists. They earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Shutting out distractions, they take a practical, logical approach to their endeavors. Realistic and responsible, they work steadily toward their goals. They enjoy creating order in both their professional and personal lives.

Introverted (I) 75% | Sensing (S) 59% | Thinking (T) 90% | Judging (J) 68%

---

On the Grid

"We must remember that we are no longer alone. We are in the midst of a great company. Three-quarters of the human race are now moving with us. The whole future of mankind may depend upon our action and upon our conduct. So far we have not failed. We shall not fail now."
— Winston Churchill

Known Associates

Marines

1st Battalion 9th Marines ("The Mountaineers"): Bravo Company
Headquarters Unit
	Captain Zane Mathers: I'm still trying to get a read on this man. He seems casual if not quite flippant under most circumstances, but I've yet to find problems with his work. Given the upheaval associated with the prior XO, I hope this one sticks around long enough to figure him out.
	Captain Corrath O'Hare: Coming soon!
	Captain Natalie Vandenberg: Oorah, mother frakker. That seems to sum up her attitude fairly well, I think. She's the brains behind the operations, and so far, they've worked. Ballsy, but they've worked. She may be a little gung-ho for my taste, but I chalk that up to a difference in experiences.
Able Platoon (Military Police)
	Lance Corporal Cadmus Maragos: A very capable officer with what seems like an infinite stack of work on his desk. I feel bad that he's saddled with so many reports of sabotage, but it's given him a chance to rise to the occasion and put his professional police skills on display. Duty above all else, in the face of horror.
	Corporal Eleftherios Constin: If you mentioned the CMC to me in my youth, this is the sort of marine I would've pictured. He's big and burly, menacing…and that's not a bad thing. I'm really quite glad to know that he's pointing the rifle at the same person I am, not the other way around.
	Corporal Daniel Kincaid: Coming soon!
	Sergeant Samuel Blaine: Coming soon!
Charlie Platoon (Marine Rifle)
	Lieutenant Raine Lunair: Enthusiastic, if not absent-minded. The habit of keeping track of everything related to her work on sticky notes is somewhat aggravating (and offends my sense of order within the offices). If you want coffee made though, she's the one to talk to.
	Sergeant Garret Lysander: Coming soon!
Dog Platoon (Training)
	Sergeant Christopher Richards: Coming soon!

Air Wing

CVW-14 "Carrier Fighter Wing ONE FOUR"
	Major Cidra "Toast" Hahn: My counterpart in Cerberus' Air-Wing. She seems as calm and collected as you could ever want out of the ship's CAG. Polite, formal, places value on firearms skill as a pilot. Little personal contact to date.
VF-154 "Black Knights"
	Captain Khloe "Poppy" Vakos: Coming soon!

Medical

Doctors
	Lieutenant Gracious Bia: Something of a kindred spirit. Obviously, I try to avoid meetings with her in sickbay, but during the recent blood drive, we discovered certain family matters (as well as grief and pain) that we both have in common.
Navy Corpsmen
	Crewman Circe Lagana: Coming soon!

CIC

Command
	Major Clive Tillman: Marine-turned-XO. Like the others involved in the arrest of the admiral, duty always was first on his mind. I have no doubt that we did the right thing. The loss of life was (and continues to be) unfortunate, but I truly feel that once the XO makes things public, the crew will once again be whole. We cannot thrive with a divided crew, nor could we thrive with a CO who, evidence indicates, is an enemy collaborator.
Tactical
	Captain Cora Nikephoros: Coming soon!

Civilians

Miss G. Rose Ibbhanas: First, I loaned her my music player when she was first rescued and in a bad way. Then she recovered, helped start the hydroponics bay on Elpis, and gives a read on the pulse of the civilian mood. Now, she's a playing prophetess. I still haven't told her how much she reminds me of what my daughter might have grown to be, whether it's true or not. It's a feeling, nothing more.

The Deceased

	Lieutenant Alessandra "Lucky" Sophronia: She's shown great bravery and sense of duty in bringing back incriminating evidence against the CO from Leonis. Despite knowing what the punishment would be for failure, she helped keep every crewman and civilian aboard Cerberus safe. My hat's off to her for risking everything.
	Ensign Tisiphone "Money Shot" Apostolos: Coming soon!

Recent Logs

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out and meet it."
— Thucydides

PHD #490: EVENT - Article 106a
(ciro constin event jenkins khloe logs madilyn north sofia vandenberg)

PHD #483: Every Last One
(hydra logs madilyn npcs social)

PHD #478: Detaching
(decumius logs madilyn social vandenberg)

PHD #448: Breakdown
(logs lunair madilyn social)

PHD #447: Logic of Faith
(logs madilyn rose social)

---

Jukebox

This is a small sample of the things you're likely to find stored on Madilyn's digitial music player, along with what she might say about each piece/song.

-1-

Frédéric Chopin - "Waltz Opus 69 No. 2 in B minor"

This is a wonderfully expressive song, and among my all-time favorites.

I find it difficult, at best, to listen and not be simultaneously happy and sad.

There was a point where I would've considered myself talented enough to play
this with some degree of skill, though now, I can only hope to dabble in playing
bits and pieces at this level.

The images it evokes are reminiscent of elegant romantic dinners by firelight that
are, of course, doomed to never lead to any significant romantic attachment.

-2-

W.A. Mozart - "Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626): Lacrimosa"

It's only fitting to include amongst these songs a movement from a requiem mass.

The lyrics go something like this:

Lacrimosa dies illa
Qua resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus.

Tearful will be that day
on which from the ashes will rise
the guilty man for judgment.

Somewhere, in whatever afterlife we may find, the parties guilty for all the events
that have transpired will be brought to justice, and then we may find closure.

-3-

L. von Beethoven - "Symphony no. 7 A major, Op. 92: II. Allegretto"

This piece has an organic quality about it; the instrumentation
is like a living being in the way that it plays out.

Somber at the beginning, serious, reserved, but building.
The sound and the melody grows and swells,
it dies, it builds back to even greater levels.

Then, after everything builds, after everything plays out,
the end is just the same as it begins, somber and quiet.

-4-

J.S. Bach - "Fugue for Organ in G minor, BWV 578 (transcripted and played by the Canadian Brass)"

-5-

Verdi - "Requiem Mass: II. Dies Irae"

-6-

Shostakovich - "Jazz Suite No. 2 (Suite for Variety Stage Orchestra): VI. Waltz 2"

Regal, yet at the same time jovial. Serious, yet not above evoking a carnival-feel.

This song reminds me of the family into which I was born. This is something I can
envision my mother dancing to at high-society festivities which she often frequented.

As such, it's impossible not to listen to this and be reminded of the life I left behind
in order to join the CMC and do more with my life than my mother.

-7-

Claude Debussy - "Clair de lune"

-8-

Jeremiah Clarke - "Prince of Denmark's March (Trumpet Voluntary)"

It should be fairly straightforward why this song is here.

I leave it to you to figure that reason out.

I'll say merely that this song will always and forever be
tied in memory to one of the most important days of my
entire life, past, present, or future.

-9-

Joseph Haydn - "Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major: III. Finale-Allegro"

-10-

J. S. Bach - "Canone all'ottava (Die Kunst der Fugue, BWV 1080)"

Perhaps you could call this naive, but when I hear this the two voices,
separated by an octave, remind me of what I had before everything turned to shit.

When I listen to this, I can't help but think of married life.
The romance, in particular. Courtship, my mother would tell me to say.
I would tell her, in the most polite way, to go frak herself.

I can say with no hesitation that those were, by far, the best years of my life.

-11-

Pavel Chesnokov - "Salvation is Created"

-12-

Frederic Chopin - "Prelude Op. 28, No. 15 in D-flat minor: 'Raindrop'"

-13-

Flyleaf - "Arise"

Hold on to the world we all remember fighting for;
there's still strength left in us yet.
Hold on to the world we all remember dying for;
there's still hope left in it yet.

Sing, sing!
Arise!

Arise and be!
All that you dreamed.
All that you dreamed.

Gallery