Wing Commander in Real Time - Day 3 - 0900 Zulu

Script

197 EXT. TIGER CLAW - MOON CRATER

The stricken ship bleeds air and debris into the void.

198 INT. TIGER CLAW - SANSKY's QUARTERS

Sansky is propped up, very weak. IV tubes are sticking

out of his arm. He seems almost relieved -- Like the

eight of command is lifted from his shoulders.

A grim GERALD stands over him.

GERALD

Sir, they have known our every move

before we make it. And all since

Paladin...Commodore Taggart, Marshall,

and Blair have come aboard. Then the

ULF signals. There is a traitor on

board the Tiger Claw--

PALADIN (O.S.)

Make your point, Mr Gerald.

GERALD and SANSKY look at the door, see PALADIN standing

there.

GERALD

The boy's a Pilgrim

PALADIN

And in your eyes, that makes him guilty

of treason?

GERALD

...Yes, sir, it does.

PALADIN

(Shakes his head, disgusted)

Lt. Blair risked his life to save mine

today. He's as good a s they get. And

I've fought with the best. He can fly

on my wing any mission, any time. Now

I urge you to get over that damned war,

Commander. We have another to fight.

GERALD

(Spits the word out.)

Commodore. Sir. With all due respect

to your apparent rank. You are a Naval

Intelligence officer. You don't know a

damned thing about space combat,

strategy, or war.

PALADIN

I knew enough not to send Deveraux's

wing on a wild goose chase while the

Tiger Claw was attacked.

GERALD

And if we had been destroyed, you would

have been safely out of harms way.

SANSKY

(Breaking in.)

None of this maters now. What does,

is our survival and our mission....

Welcome aboard, Commodore. Do you have

any orders for me?

PALADIN

Sir, this is your ship. I offer you

every assistance in the current crisis.

SANSKY looks at Paladin, nods.

SANSKY

As matters stand we need all the help

we can get. The ship has suffered

massive damage, and we have almost no

operational fighters left.

PALADIN

The Kilrathi will be at the jump point

in three hours and we still don't know

their capabilities or plan of attack.

(Touching the bulkhead)

I think this old lady's got a little

fight left in her yet.

GERALD

...Engineering took a direct hit. Our

fuel cells are ninety percent gone. We

don't have enough power to keep up with

the air pumps let alone get under way.

Barring a miracle, we've failed.

PALADIN

Failure is not an option, Commander.

And if it's a miracle we need, I

suggest we find a way to make one.

Understood?

GERALD

...Yes, sir!

Novelization

CHAPTER 22

UNITED CONFEDERATION CARRIER TIGER CLAW

ULYSSES CORRIDOR

MARCH 17, 2654 0900 HOURS ZULU TIME

4 HOURS FROM CHARYBOIS QUASAR JUMP POINT

"The destroyer has moved on, sir," Falk said, observing its

progress on his radar screen.

Gerald released an inaudible sigh, then rubbed his tired eyes.

"Mr. Obutu? Give me the numbers."

"Reports are still incomplete. Thirty-five confirmed dead.

One hundred and twenty-three wounded. We're still venting

atmosphere on decks eleven and twenty-one. The breeches in

Engineering and Secondary Ordnance have been contained. The

flight boss reports hangar doors inoperative. No estimate yet on

repair time. And he's still tallying up the damage to our fighters

and bombers. It doesn't look good, sir."

"No, it doesn't. You have the con." Gerald pushed himself up

and headed off the bridge.

As he turned into the corridor, Obutu's report rang in his

ears. How the hell did it come to this?

And his answer kept falling upon the arrival of three

individuals.

He found his way to the lift and took it down to the living

quarters. Someone accosted him, but he marched by, not

looking up, the rest of his journey a blur until he reached

Sansky's hatch.

Inside, he found the captain propped up in bed and

connected to a half-dozen tubes and wires that snaked into a

small rolling tower of sensors. The doctors had successfully

cleared the blockage of his coronary artery, yet they could not

understand why his condition had not improved. "He says he

wants to live," one doctor had said. "But somehow I don't

believe him."

Gerald stood over the captain, whose eyes had trouble

focusing. "How are you, sir?"

"They say the man is the ship, the ship the man."

"That bad, huh?"

Sansky managed a wan grin. "Tell me."

After giving the captain a capsule summary of the Claw's

present condition, Gerald folded his arms over his chest and

waited for a reaction. And, to his astonishment, Sansky looked

relieved. "Mr. Gerald, we could have sustained even greater

losses were it not for your leadership. Thank you. I'm resuming

command."

"Aye-aye, sir. But if I may speak frankly, we wouldn't have

sustained any losses if—"

"I know where you're going, Paul. Stow that argument."

"Sir, they know our every move before we make it. And all

since Commodore Taggart or Paladin or whoever the hell he is

came aboard with that half-breed and his reckless buddy. Then

there's the question of the ULF signals. We didn't send them,

yet Blair detected them. He's trying to throw us off his trail. In

any event, it is my firm belief that there is a traitor aboard the

Tiger Claw."

Sansky opened his mouth, but a ring came from the hatch

bell. "Enter."

Taggart straightened and ran his finger along the sliding

door. "This hatch is wearing a little thin, Mr. Gerald. Sound

tends to carry right through it. So make your point."

"The boy's a Pilgrim. Could my point be any more clear?"

Grinning crookedly, Taggart crossed to the bed. "So he's a

Pilgrim. In your eyes, that makes him guilty of treason?"

"Yes, sir. It does."

"Barring the lieutenant's blood, do you have any other

evidence that suggests he's a traitor?"

"We don't need any more evidence, sir. He arrives on this

ship and things go to hell. That's not a coincidence. It's a fact."

But Taggart wasn't buying the facts. "Lieutenant Blair risked

his life to save mine today. He's as good as they get. And I've

fought with the best. He can fly my wing any mission, any time.

Now I urge you to get over that damned war, Commander. We

have another to fight."

"Commodore," Gerald spat. "With all due respect to your

apparent rank, you're a Naval Intelligence officer. You don't

know a damned thing about space combat, strategy, or war."

"I knew enough not to send Deveraux's wing on a wild-goose

chase while the Tiger Claw was attacked."

"And if we had been destroyed, you would've been safely out

of harm's way. Tell me, sir, was it just intuition that you knew

about the Kilrathi diversion? Or are you withholding

information?"

"Commander, I can stand here for hours trying to justify my

loyalty to you. I could tell you that I flew off this ship during

Custer's Carnival, remind you that I carry Admiral Tolwyn's

ring, but what difference would that make? You've made up

your mind."

"Gentlemen," Sansky interjected. "None of this matters now.

What matters is our survival and our mission."

"Both of which are threatened by this man's presence,"

Gerald said.

Sansky glared back. "Enough!" He proffered his hand to

Taggart. "Welcome aboard, Commodore. Do you have any

orders for me?"

Tensing, Gerald could not watch his captain shake hands with

the half-breed's champion, a handshake that might seal their

fate.

"Sir, this is your ship," Taggart said. "I offer you every

assistance in the current crisis."

Gerald nodded. "Assist us by leaving."

"As matters stand, we need all the help we can get," Sansky

said, lifting his voice, then lapsing into a cough. "This ship has

suffered massive damage, and we have almost no operational

fighters left. If you have any suggestions—any at all—I'd be glad

to entertain them."

Taggart paced before the bed, eyes narrowed in thought. "The

Kilrathi will be at the jump point in just under four hours, and

we still don't know their capabilities or plan of attack." His

hand brushed along the bulkhead. "I think this old lady's got a

little fight left. All she needs is a little coaxing."

The man's naivete astounded Gerald. "Engineering took a

direct hit. Our fuel cells are nearly gone. We don't have enough

power to keep up with the air recyclers, let alone get under way.

Barring a miracle, we've failed."

"Failure is not an option, Commander," Taggart said. "And if

it's a miracle we need, I suggest we find a way to make one.

Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed, Commander."

Wanting to throttle the man instead of saluting him, Gerald

went through the motions, spun on his heel, and got the hell out

of there.

It was high time that he had a talk with the command staff.

High time, indeed.