Written by: Rik
Date posted: April 3, 2005
Col. Christopher ‘Maverick’ Blair: Your old buddy Maniac turns up to announce that the Confederation needs you again – but even he doesn’t really know why. Tolwyn seems to be putting a remarkable amount of trust in you, but even after a few missions it’s not really clear what he’s looking for: skirmishes with Border Worlds rebels reveal very little about the big picture. Still, you’re stationed on a flash new carrier, the TCS Lexington, with a few familiar faces.
Adm. Sir Geoffrey Tolwyn: Has putting an end to the Kilrathi war finally won Tolwyn over? He personally approved your recall to service, although it seems more than a little odd that he sees you as a trusted ally, the man to keep an ear close to the ground. And if Tolwyn doesn’t know what’s going on, why should you? It has to be said Malcolm McDowell is in his element here, fusing plausible authority with unsettling strangeness.
Capt. William Eisen: Eisen’s reward for his part in the war effort was the helm of the TCS Lexington, a brand new Confed cap-ship with all the requisite bells-and-whistles. He’s glad to see you back in the cockpit, but otherwise seems strangely distracted. Thinking of retirement, perhaps?
Sen. James ‘Paladin’ Taggart (Maj., ret.): Paladin’s called it a day, and instead presides over the Confederation Assembly. The move into politics is appropriate, especially with John Rhys-Davies in the role, but it does mean you don’t really see him between the game’s opening and end sequences. He does have a very important role to play in the story’s outcome, though.
Lt. Winston ‘Vagabond’ Chang: Another pilot surprised to be back in action, Vagabond is wishing he’d never remained on call. But while he remains a little suspicious about Confed’s motives, he’s survived enough scrapes thus far to know there’s little point worrying about the future.
Maj. Todd ‘Maniac’ Marshall: After being a little under-used in WC3, Maniac is given a bigger role here, taking stage as your right-hand man. A little of the bitterness remains from the previous game, but thankfully he’s a more balanced character this time around. Maniac never left the Space Corps after the Kilrathi war, but he remains in the dark about the escalating situation with the Border Worlds. And that promotion remains elusive.
Lt. Troy ‘Catscratch’ Carter: The token rookie, Catscratch is new onboard the Lexington. Of course, he quickly takes a shine to the hero of the Kilrathi war, which means you frequently get the chance to offer either words of encouragement or snappy lectures about taking war seriously. It’s a shame you can’t tell him to ditch that callsign, though – it’s rubbish, frankly.
Capt. Hugh Paulsen: You’ve barely been on the Lexington five minutes when Confed flies in Paulsen and makes Eisen take a back seat. Just like a few of the other characters played by John Spencer, he’s quite an odious sort, barking orders at you and offering nothing in the way of explanation.
Seether: The plot thickens when a mysterious thug you encountered in the game’s opening scene arrives on the Lexington. Known only by his callsign, Seether’s a pretty handy pilot, but there’s something more than a little odd about him.
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