Eric,
A thought about the patrol. What if this
was a solo mission? If we run with the idea that Martin's ship was from the Pegasus, perhaps Adama and/or Tigh were aware of a Pegasus mission, in this quadrant prior to the attack on the Colonies and were investigating the various planets / systems for information about the mission. Adama may have been aware that the Pegasus survived the Battle of Molocay and was secretly searching for it. Finding a patrol ship, from the Pegasus, may lead to discovery of the Battlestar which would greatly enhance their chances of survival.
Regarding it being a "solo" patrol, who better to "keep things quiet" than Apollo? Adama may have wanted to keep this muted as much as possible until they had evidence about the Pegasus.
btw, I do like the idea of tying in Martin with the Pegasus. (Bet you couldn't tell!)
