Christopher Blair (film)

Biography

Christopher is a calm, handsome fellow who descends from 40 generations of a family of Blairs, which maintained a tradition of wealth, influence and public service. He was originally born on Earth (or possibly Nephele, though at least spent most of his life there). His parents were Arnold Blair a great military hero and warrior of the Terran Confederation and Devi Soulsong from Peron, from whom he inherited the Pilgrim talents.

The infant Christopher was smuggled off Peron and sent to live with the family of Jennifer Blair, his aunt, and Uncle Samuel. When he was four his parents were both killed in the Peron Massacre, during his father's unauthorized attempt to rescue his wife. As many people orphaned in a young age, he developed feelings of rejection and guilt over his parents' deaths, having the belief that he caused them to "go away" and for this he pursued correct behavior growing up to remedy his crime.

During the post-war era, young Christopher learned to hate Pilgrims as evil enemies. He was filled with pride about his father who died as a war hero and was lionized by his playmates because of this. In school his grades were excellent. But that was until a reporter published a sensational story to the sector news-nets titled "War Hero's Secret Pilgrim Romance" revealing his wife's origins and their son.

This created a scandal in the rural conservative community, resulting to prejudice against young Christopher who was only 8 years old; parents pulled their children away from the Pilgrim kid, he lost his friends and started to be mocked by them. This incindent caused a second significant trauma and revived his early feelings of guilt and abandonment, feelings that he would remember in detail until his adult years. During this period his grades plummeted (possibly because of his teachers' prejudice and reduced expectations and negative reports), and he began to become withdrawn, stubborn and destructive.

On his eighth birthday, his uncle took him to his mother's grave on Nephele to console him to explain that his mother was a good person, and that not to believe all the stories that were told. Blair was given the Pilgrim Cross by his uncle which was found on his mother's body. Blair believed he had heard his mom's voice call out to him from beyond the grave. However, at following that in anger he may have thrown the cross the ground and stomped on it before picking it up.

But as the community got over the initial shock, Christopher was able to resume his emotional development (although the scars retarded his progress) and over the years his grades and conduct showed a steady increase. When he was 13 he determined to move beyond his parentage. The Pilgrims were no more considered the monsters they were after the war, being replaced by the Kilrathi in the collective conscience, the media were more objective and even the Terran Confederation's motivations and ethics in the conflict were questioned. In that context Christopher channeled his rebelliousness and intelligence into a pursuit for knowledge; he read voraciously on the Pilgrim Conflict, even radical revisionist propaganda and militaria, a fascination that continued to his adult years, helping him to cope with his traumas. He started to wear secretly the Pilgrim cross.

In high school his grades again rose and became a class leader and successful athlete. He was argumentative in class and kept and intellectual individualism, holding unconventional/unpopular views in his conservative community.

Blair did not opt to avoid his military training, but rather volunteered for fighter training because he wanted to gain flying experience although his parents objected to that decision. He decided to apply for the Academy the day of the deadline.

Cadet years

He did not want to become an officer until he was "certain he was 100% behind it"; but once he determined, he committed himself completely to his goal.

“Maverick” had suited him well during academy training, an ironic moniker since Blair had established a reputation of flying by the book. During his time at the academy Maniac tried to convince Blair to promise to take off his pilgrim's cross.

Marshall and Blair were transferred to the TCS Formidable, where they spent the latter six months of 2653 on board for flight training (CSF Flight School) near Sirius. Blair had been on the bridge only a few times but had seen enough to fill his heart with awe. He was berthed with 17 other pilots.

Blair and Maniac would go to the Hilthros system in late 2653, shortly before or after the Formidable was transferred to the Vega Sector; during a routine training flight near the Hilthros system's nebula, they surprised and destroyed a Kilrathi blockade-runner.

This information from the Handbook is generally seen as a reference to the events of Red and Blue, which is supported by the novel. Therefore Blair's training in the Flight School might refer to a much earlier timeframe, near the beginning of the TV cartoon series. The novel would appear to merge the flight school and senior year into one as both are said to be in the first half of senior/graduate year in the latter half of 2653. The given dates overlap with each other. Star*Soldier places Red and Blue in 2653, but most of the other episodes mid 2654

During his training on Sirius, he was approached by Dr. Jillian Ickes (on 084, .092, .099) who seemingly conducted a research study into the early motivational factors of pilot candidates. In reality Ickes had been tasked by Tolwyn to discern whether Blair's sensitivities about his family and Pilgrim heritage might be exploited by the enemy.

Blair's Academy record

Maverick scored a record high composite flight score (97.4) and the first graduate of this institution to ever achieve a perfect score in Navigation. He graduated Fighter Pilot training with Distinction, as a member of the Q1 class of 2654.

Christopher Blair officially graduated from Hilthros in February 2654.

While most of his class to his jealousy and chagrin had been awarded prestigious assignments, he had been shuffled around for nearly a month on ships including a brief 30 hour stint on the TCS Gilgamesh, before being ferried back to the academy. The commandant had asked him to give several testimonial speeches to the new classes. But Blair felt that his wisdom had fallen on the deaf ears on the new students.

Subsequently he was assigned to the Fighter Squadron of the TCS Tiger's Claw and Gonsalas recommended Blair and Marshall assigned together for their first combat tour.

Pilgrim/Kilrathi Alliance

Piloting the Diligent

Finally as a 1st Lieutenant, he and Maniac were transferred to the Claw in the Vega Sector as replacemnet pilots. While being transported by the Diligent, he received a call from Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn, transmitting him top secret information and ordering him to deliver the encrypted communications chip to Captain Jason Sansky. Tolwyn also mentions that he fought with his father in the Pilgrim Wars. Hearing these news, Captain James Taggart decides to arrive earlier than scheduled and sets course for the gravitic anomaly Scylla which connects directly with the Vega Sector. Blair displayed his dormant Pilgrim talents by instinctively punching the correct coordinations to jump the dangerous anomaly, making their way to Enyo and the Claw.

At the Claw

First unhappy meeting with Angel

On the Claw, Blair delivered Tolwyn's communique to Sansky, and was met with some scepticism because of his Pilgrim heritage, especially by XO Commander Paul Gerald. In the hangar he boarded his Rapier and was provoked by a woman, whom he thought a technician, before realising she was Lieutenant Commander Jeannette Devereaux, his Wing Commander. Blair found a hard time to understand the custom of "disremembering" dead pilots, like Bossman whom he came to replace and he caused some friction between Hunter and Devereaux.

After these events, Maniac reminded him to remove the Pilgrim Cross, which Blair already had promised, as it brought him trouble. Blair decided to visit Taggart in his quarters who told him more about the Pilgrims. Taggart invited Blair to the bridge where he displayed his experience (actually Pilgrim talents) to jump a pulsar and lead the Claw at the Ulysses Corridor.

Blair and Angel against the ConCom.

Blair flew under Angel to investigate the debris of the Pegasus Station in the D-5 asteroid field, but they revealed their presence to a Kilrathi Thrakhra-class ConCom. On the Claw, Blair was considered responsible by Gerald, even as a traitor; Sansky ordered a new operation against the ConCom. Blair was assigned to the Baker Wing with Hunter, but as he denied to fly with a Pilgrim as his wingman, Blair was assigned Baker 2 under Angel. Then it was realised that Kilrathi capital ships were moving against the Claw. Angel then changed her plans and Blair with Maniac covered Broadswords against a Sivar-class battleship which Taggart managed to destroy. However on the way back Forbes lost control of her Rapier and crashed outside the corridor. Blair held Maniac back while he was running towards the vacuum, and then dissuaded Angel from shooting Maniac as responsible.

The Claw descended in an asteroid crater and launched a decoy to lead the Kilrathi battle group away while it performed repairs. However a Destroyer nuked every crater at random, causing the hangar door to breach sucking Blair towards space; pilots acted nonchallant and Maniac had to save him alone. Blair then convinced Angel to forgive Maniac, as his talents were useless with Forbes' death in his conscience.

When the ConCom approached the Claw's hideout, Taggart organized a boarding mission. Pilots and Confederation Marines boarded the Diligent and broke into the ConCom to steal fuel cells. Following Taggart's instructions, Blair discovered the Pegasus Navcom A.I. and understood that the Kilrathi had the coordinates to Charybdis and a way to Sol Sector.

This information would give the advantage to the TCS Concordia battle group as they would know where exactly to anticipate the Kilrathi. However the drones could not be programmed, so Blair was asked by Taggart to pilot a fighter and jump the Charybdis. To give him courage, he revealed his Pilgrim's Cross. When outside, Angel leaves Blair, as she had to hunt down a cloaked skipper missile running towards the Claw. Angel managed to destroy it moments before hitting the Carrier, but damaging her fighter severely, and ordered Blair to continue with his mission.

Reluctantly, Blair complied and jumped the quasar, making it to the Sol sector, followed by the Snakeir-class KIS Grist'Ar'roc. Blair transmitted the coordinates while evading its fires. As Tolwyn was targeting at the coordinates, he could not afford sending support to Blair. Blair however lured the Snakeir towards Scylla; the Kilrathi Admiral Bokoth, thinking that he leads them towards the Terran fleet followed Blair, only to be sucked by the anomaly, too late to reverse the engines.

Meeting Tolwyn

Kilrathi ships emerged from the jump point one by one just to be destroyed under the fire of the Confederation ships. Blair was soon tractored and taken to the Concordia to meet Tolwyn. He learned that the Claw arrived to Sol and Angel had been rescued. Blair arrived to the hangar where Paladin brought Angel; as soon as she recovered shed shared a kiss with Blair, before being taken by the medics.

The Olympus Incident

On 2554.088, Blair, Maniac and James Taggart are captured and brought on board the CS Olympus. They are would still be there on the 2654.112 two days after the official start of the Vega Campaign on 2654.110, and thus missed out on the Enyo Series.

Blair and Maniac would escape leaving Taggart behind on 2654.128. They were left in orbit around Earth wondering what happened to Taggart, and if the Pilgrim Threat and continued threat of Kilrathi could be ended.

The Claw returned to Earth for a short period and Maverick and Maniac transferred briefly to the Concordia with Tolwyn.

The Return of Ivar Chu McDaniel

Blair and Marshall leave the Concordia and returned to the Claw, which was ordered to station over Netheranya.

Angel would forgive him for his time with the Pilgrim Karista.

As the Pilgrim uprising begins to cool down, shortly after returning to the Tiger's Claw from the CF-229d spacecraft ferry, they had been stuck on for four days the Claw returns to Netheranya the same day, on the return the peace between the Pilgrims and the Terran Confederation is finalized.

The Return

At some point in the distant future; One day long after people thought he was dead, but he wasn't. He lived to see the vision from his youth, given to him by his ascended mother (a vision he could not remember). Returning from the wormhole to his own galaxy. His hair had thinned and grown white. Age spots dotted his wizened forehead. His shoulders slumped and his chest sagged. Washington D.C., Earth had become a scarred and blackened landscape. Pilgrim fighters and bombers streaked overhead, dropping unceasing salvos. Fires raged around him. Pillars of smoke supported a dusty blanket of sky. The attack was not his fault.There was nothing he could do to stop it.

Personality

Blair had an orphaned, complicated childhood. He had a deep sense of personal ethics. He was reserved, especially in personal questions, and was very sensitive to comments and inappropriate remarks about about his family. Although reserved, he used to speak his mind. Because of his difficult childhood, he did not welcome personal questions.

As a pilot, Maverick was confident, focused, disciplined and creative and responded well to criticism. Although he understood teamwork, he performed best when allowed to take the initiative. His talented flighting suggested leadership potential, although not a natural leader. He was controlled and disciplined in the cockpit but loved to have a reasonable degree of mission autonomy.

Maverick saw Maniac both as his closest friend and a personal rival, feeling mutual respect and trust; their cooperation brought out the best in the other, making a remarkable flight team, assuming they are unbeatable.

Portrayal

• In Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom, Wing Commander: Prophecy, and the animated television series Wing Commander Academy, Blair was played and voiced by veteran actor and Star Wars star Mark Hamill.
• In the 1999 Wing Commander film, Christopher Blair is played by Freddie Prinze, Jr.. The movie takes place right when 2^nd Lt. Christopher Blair is assigned to the Tiger's Claw along with fellow pilot Todd Marshall and James Taggart. In the movie, Blair is a half-Pilgrim, a group of people known for their innate sense for spatial navigation and a few other special abilities.