           The REAL \X/ing Commander Keys by Information Society
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------.
            |     S H I P  F U N C T I O N S                                 |
     A      |  Toggle Autopilot ( fast flight, will stop when u encounter    |
            |  enemies or arrive at a waypoint )                             |
     C      |  Send a messy to the enemy or to your wingman 
            | *You must do this in order to land at the Claw ship *
     G      |  Cycle thru cannons                                            |
            |  Also select Gun Screen
     D      |  Damage Screen
   Space    |  Fire the cannon                                               |
   Return   |  Shoot rockets or mines                                        |
     T      |  Target                                                        |
     L      |  Lock onto a target                                            |
     N      |  Next waypoint ( place to fly to )                             |
  2x N      |  Map                                                           |
  SpaceBar  |  MAP : Next waypoint                                           |
   Return   |  MAP : Select waypoint                                         |
     P      |  Pause the game                                                |
     W      |  Choose missle / mine                                          |
    ESC     |  Exit ( any choice, for instance, exit map display )           |
            |  Also abort animation sequences                                |
   ArrowS   |  Ships controll                                                |
     +      |  Increase Speed                                                |
     -      |  Decrease Speed                                                |
     ,      |  Roll left                                                     |
     .      |  Roll right                                                    |
  TAB or *  |  Afterburner ( temporary )                                     |
 Shift/F1   |  Toggle music  on / off                                        |
 Shift/F2   |  Sound effects on / off                                        |
 Shift/F3   |  Video camera autozoom on / off                                |
 Shift/F4   |  Text ( message ) speed 1-2-3-4-5                              |
 Shift/F10  |  Abandon ship ( give up )                                      |
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------|
            |                   V I E W S
     F1     |  View forward                                                  |
     F2     |  View left                                                     |
     F3     |  View right                                                    |
     F4     |  View back                                                     |
     F5     |  View Enemy                                                    |
     F6     |  Outside View ( Kinda suxx )                                   |
     F7     |  View Tactic                                                   |
     F8     |  View Missile                                                  |
     F9     |  View enemy again                                              |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
===============================================================================

                  Wing Commander - The Manual from Origin


                   NOW HEAR THIS: WORDS FROM THE EDITOR
                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Space is a new-vacuum, as all good Academy graduates and most
two-year-old children know. Anf if you ask, "If I drop a pebble into space
like I do into a pool of water, will it cause ripples?" you'll get some
strange looks from everyone.
   Nevertheless, someone dropped a pebble in space not too long ago, and
we're still encountering the ripples.
   Last month, two very good pilots (Lt. Larry Dibbles and Captain R.A.
Skinner) went out on a routine mission and didn't come back. Here in Vega
sector, it happens all the time. You sit for awhile; you look at your pal's
empty bunk; you think about where he's gone and hope you won't soon follow
his lead; you probably get drunk. Then, it's back to work.
   Yes, it happens all the time. But it's been happening a lot lately - and
not just routine casualties, but casualties caused by soppiness,
over-eagerness, and a  variety of other fatal diseases. The ship's
statistical resources show that avoidable casualties are up 5% over this
time last year... and are up 9% over axpected optimum performance. So,
we're seeing ripples.
   Here's one ripple: two pilots are gone and won't be back.
   Another: This issue, we've asked one of the ship's most experienced
pilots, Major James Taggart (aka Paladin on the flightline) to talk about
The Basics: Basic tactics, goals, and maneuvers. Even if you're sure you
know The Basics, read what he has to say, and remember that Paladin is
still going strong after twenty-plus years as a combat jockey... and even
if he doesn't wear his Ace of Aces ribbon, it's still there.
   Another: You won't be seeing Hornet's Nest from here on in. The strange
and silly adventures of the TCS Hornet's Nest - a carrier which bore an
unfortunate and unmistakable resemblance to the Tiger's Claw - were the
product of an artist and pilot who went by the moniker of Tooner. We like
to remember Tooner as having a deft wit and a diseased mind, but all we can
do is remember him. He was also known as Lt. Larry Dibbles. R.I.P.
   Then, it's back to work. Also in this issue, we have the latest Vega
Sector update from Joan's fighting Spacecraft, including the most
up-to-date data on the Kilrathi ships we're facing; an excerpt from
Borger's new survey of Terran and Kilrathi weapons systems; and our usual
assortment of news, facts, trivia, and profiles. Enjoy them... but think
about them.


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                                COMM RELAY
                                ~~~~~~~~~~
          News from the Terran Confederation Armed Forces CommNet

                            TCSO Show Scheduled

    (Tiger's Claw, TCAFCN) - There's good news for servicemen aboard the
TCS Toger's Claw: The TCSO (Terran Confederation Service Organization) will
send an entertainment unit to the much-decorated carrier as early as next
month.
    The TCSO troupe includes dancers (normal and zero-g), singers,
comedians, and the Confederation's best cyberlink illusionists.
    Vidstar Saranya Carr, 25, stated, "You bet your life i'm happy to be
working with the TCSO. I mean, you see Luna Jones blowing Kilrathi fuzzies
out of space every week, but Saranya Carr doesn't know a nav computer from
a dialogue transceiver. Since I can't help our fighting forces directly,
I'm proud to be able to entertain and build morale. Besides," she adds,
"I'm not completely unselfish. Perhaps I can persuade someone to give me a
ride in one of those new Rapiers..."

                         News From Earth (Sol III)

   (New York, North American States, Terran News Services) - One 2654.080,
representatives of the Committe for Interaction with Alien Intelligences
announced contact with a new alien race.
   CIAI spokesman Iola Jonson made the following statement: "The CIAI
regularly launches unmanned probes to uncharted jump-spheres; these probes
contain our most sophisticatedtranslation and interpretation equipment.
Eight days ago, Probe number H227 reappeared in a Terran jump-point
carrying data and artifacts from a species we are currently referring to as
the Double Helix.
   From the information we have so far been able to interpret from H227's
records, the Double Helix are a sentient race possessing space travel, and
we are not ruling out the possibility they possess FTL drive technology.
Physically, they appear to be carbon-based anthopods wich communicate
through scents and pheromones. Their name is derived from the double-helix
shape of their spacecraft."
   World Science Foundation officials believe this to be the most
significant contact with an alien species since the discovery of the
Kilrathi, and hope that contact will remain friendly.

                          Tiger's Claw Promotions

                  To Lieutenant: S.E. (Broadway) Sarasin
                    To Captain: Fatima (Cymbals) Haroud

                            Toger's Claw Awards

                    Ace: 2nd Lt. Todd (Maniac) Marshall
             Bronze Star: Captain Jeannette (Angel) Devereaux
             10-Mission Ribbon: 1st Lt. Tanaka (Spirit) Mariko


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                             TAGGART'S TACTICS
                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  How To Go Out There, Accomplish Your Objective, and (Best of All) Come
                             Back Home Again.

   Here's a simple question from a simple test. Every fighter-jock answered
hundreds of these at the Academy.
   Hypothetical Situation: You and your wingleader, flying Scimitars, are
on a Strike mission against a Ralary-class destroyer. En route, you see two
damaged Jalthi-class heavy fighters, the survivors of an engagement which
must have just ended.
   Ordinarily, you would not wish to engage the larger fighter-craft.
However, both of these crafts are in dire straits. One is tumbling
helplessle, all stabilization hardware destroyed; the other is limping
away, his thrusters blasting intermittently, his maneuvering obviously
impaired. One target lies a few seconds to port of your flight path, the
other a few seconds to starboard.
   Your wingleader is not inclined to go after either of these marks; he
presses on, plodding toward the strike objective.
   Question: Do you (a) keep with your wingleader, ignoring these easy
marks;  (b) roll out for a couple of seconds to destroy the completely
helpless fighter;  (c) roll out for a brief engagement with the seriously
damaged fighter;  (d) go after both damaged enemies;  or (e) none of the
above?
   If you answered (e), do the corps a favor: Resign your commission and
stay away from civilian piloting jobs. Indecision kills faster and more
reliably than making the wrong decision.
   If you answered (b), (c), or (d), well, everyone who's ever put on an
acceleration suit knows how you feel... but you know it's the wrong answer.
It's not "by the book," as boring as that may sound; you've left your
wingleader unguarded for a few critical seconds.
   If you answered (a), you deserve congratulations... but perhaps you
don't deserve many. It's easy to pick the right, by-the-book answer when
filling out a test in the placid atmosphere of your own quarters or a
testing hall. It's a little tougher in the cockpit during an actual
mission. In the field, the urge to mark up a couple more kills - especially
safe ones, and especially when you're only one or two kills short of your
Ace classification - will often overcome your Academy-drilled, by-the-book
impulses.
   Of course, this is only a hypothetical situation. Unfortunately, it's
only hypothetical for you: It was real for Captain R.A. ("Mule-Skinner")
Skinner and Lt. Larry ("Tooner") Dibbles.


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                         Truth From the Black Box

   A month ago at the time of this writing, Captain Skinner and Lt. Dibbles
went out as part of a strike team assigned to destroy the Ralari-class
destroyer Rathtak. They launched from Tiger's Claw at ship's 2300 hours. At
2321 hours, the carrier bridge received transmissions from Skinner to
Dibbles, ordering him back into position. This was the last transmission
from either man. Ever.
   Follow-up crews were eventually able to find the remains of Skinner's
Scimitar and its "black box" flight recorder, and were able to reconstruct
what happened from its record of radar images.
   The real scenario unfolded exactlly like our hypothetical situation
above. Mule-Skinner and Tooner ran across the scene described. Tooner
decided for a quick kill, and spun out to engage the damaged, but still
active, Jalthi-Class fighter. Mule-Skinner ordered him back into position
and, either presuming that Tooner would immediately turn back, or just
unwilling to abandon or delay his mission because of a somewhat flaky
wingman, pressed on toward the objective. Tooner did not immediately turn
back, probably planning to make just one strafing run before turning back
to rejoin his wingleader.
   Unfortunately, the painful truth was that neither Jalthi-class fighter
was damaged.
   When Lt. Dibbles came within a reasonable assault distance of his
target, that target abruptly rolled out in controlled flight and engaged
him. Simultaneously, the "dead" Kilrathi fighter powered up, stopped
spinning, and moved into position behind Captain Skinner.
   To Lt. Dibbles' credit, he was able to hold off his opponent for a
dogfight with one Kilrathi, the other was destroying his wingleader.
Skinner's flight recorder blacks out - owing to the destruction of his
fighter-craft - with the radar showing Dibbles still in desperate combat
with his opponent.
   Even without the benefits of Dibbles' unrecovered flight recorder, it
doesn't take too much creativity to reconstruct what hap-


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pened next. The second Jalthi moved in to engage Dibbles. Between the two
of them, they blew Dibbles out of space.
   "Sometimes you've got to throw the book away." I hear this from pilots
both young and old... and sometimes, maybe, it's true. But was it true in
this case? No. Dibbles didn't have to throw the book away. He wanted a
kill, another bright spot on his personal record, and to obtain it he
endangered the mission objective.
   What were the results of this decision? The carrier lost two pilots with
several years' worth of combat experience. The carrier's commander had to
write the appropriate letters of condolence. The overall strike mission
damaged, but did not finish off, the destroyer objective... and while it is
not conclusive that the presence of Skinner and Dibbles would have resulted
in Rathtak's destruction, it is at least possible. Last of all, this error
cost the Tiger's Claw a great morale-booster: Dibbles was the writer and
artist of Hornet's Nest, the wonderful comic-strip which appeared in every
issue of Claw Marks for the last two years-Terran.
   The "Book" you're trained to go by was written for a reason. It's a good
book, one worth following. It's worth reviewing now.

Basic Tactics: A Review

   Let's go over the basic, Academy-standard tactics you're supposed to
follow in the field.

Individual Objectives

   Here is the simplest thing in the world to remember - if you're willing
to remember.
   Wingleader Objective: Accomplish the mission objective.
   Wingman Objective: Protect your wingleader. If he is eliminated, you
must accomplish the mission objective yourself.
   There's not much room for variation here. Oh, a seasoned wingleader may
decide to trade roles with his trainee wingman, or he might decide to send
his wingman to protect a buddy who's being swarmed, while he, the
wingleader, goes after another swarm. But in all these cases, nobody is
solo. If the two trade roles, we still have a wingleader and a wingman. If
the two spilt up to


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help fiends under siege, the two are acting temporarily as wingmen to
temporary wingleaders. The buddy system is still intact.
   Obviously, the important thing here is to maintain the buddy system. We
live by that system. Without it, we die.

Mission Objectives

   Mission objectives vary with the different flight mission types. On
Tiger's Claw, 98% of our flight missions fall into these five categories:
   Defend: You are assigned to guard a stationary position - a capital
ship, base, or jump point. Orbit that position at a distance of 2,500
meters. Do not, repeat, do not break to engage oncoming enemies until they
reach a distance of 5,000 meters from the position you're protecting.
That's not 5,000 meters from you.
   Escort: You are assigned to guard the larger ships on rendezvous
assignments. Fly parallel to the ship you're escorting at a maximum
distance of 2,500 meters, and keep your eyes open. In the face of oncoming
hostiles, don't

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                           --- 25 Years Ago ---

                  Exploration and colonization ships of
                  the Terran Confederation increase their
                  penetration into Vega Sector.
                     On 2629,105 (3/15/2629 Terran
                  reckoning), the exploration ship Iason
                  encounters a spacecraft of unknown
                  origin. Iason commander Jedora
                  Andropolos beams the standard wide-band
                  non-verbal greeting designed by the
                  Committee for Interaction with Alien
                  Intelligences.
                     Captain Adropolos keeps Iason
                  motionless for twenty-two minutes
                  standard  while the alien vessel waits.
                  Finally, the alien vessel opens up with
                  all guns, utterly destroying Iason and
                  all hands.
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break and engage too soon: The best time to break formation is when the
hostiles have penetrated within 5,000 meters of the ship you're protecting.
   Intercept: You are assigned to seek out and engage enemy vessels in a
particular area - an anticipated Kilrathi jump point, or a halfway point
between oncoming enemies and the ship you're protecting. No particular
tactics are called for, except the standard tactics for keeping yourself
and your wingmate alive.
   Patrol: You are assigned to a flight pattern through unsecured territory.
You can decide whether to engage the enemy or to head on in to base. This
is where a lot of novice (and some experienced) pilots make lethal errors:
Nobody likes to back down. Well, tough. Nobody wants to talk to your widow
or widower, either. Consider the situation carefully before engaging the
enemy.
   Strike: You are assigned to destroy an enemy target, usually a capital
ship. Obviously, the idea is to get in quick, launch missles, blow the
thing up, and get out quicker. Unfortunately, the enemy usually decides to
defend any target worth destroying. This is where the wingleader/wingman
relationship becomes especially critical: The wingleader must get his
missle displaced, and the wingman must keep him alive so he can do it. This
means that, at the cost of his own personal objectives, the wingman must
stick to his wingleader like glue, take out oncoming fighters before they
can take out his wingleader, and only drop his own missles if he has a
clear opportunity.


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First Contact

   When you first encounter a flight of enemy fighter-craft, they will
almost always be flying in formation. Once initial contact has been made,
they will break formation, in pairs, at roughly four-second intervals.
Generally, you should likewise break formation to match and engage them.
   All of this leads to the question of what to do once you've engaged the
Kilrathi. The Book has something to say about that, as we discuss
immediately below.

Maneuvering

   Twenty years of fighting the Kilrathi have shown us some basic
maneuvering tactics which im-

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                           --- 20 Years Ago ---

                  On 2634.186, war is formally declared
                  by the Terran Confederation on the
                  Empire of Kilrah for countless acts of
                  piracy and unwarranted assault.
                     On 2634.228, Confederation
                  cryptographer Ches M. Penney partially
                  decodes the current Kilrathi cipher.
                  The intercepted message refers to a
                  punitive strike being launched against
                  the Confederation, starting with the
                  colony on McAuliffe and the space
                  station Alexandria in orbit around it.
                  Confederation High Command launches a
                  counter-offensive twice the size of the
                  anticipated enemy fleet; it is to reach
                  the McAuliffe first and ambush the
                  attackers.
                     On 2634.235, the Kilrathi fleet
                  reaches McAuliffe. It is four times the
                  predicted size; the incomplete
                  translation of the intercepted message
                  had underestimated the size of the
                  Kilrathi offensive. So begins the
                  McAuliffe Ambush engagement.
                     In several days of bloody combat, the
                  Terran fleet is all but obliterated,
                  leaving a still-sizeable force of
                  functional Kilrathi spacecraft. But the
                  Kilrathi, momentarily daunted by the
                  ferocity of the Terran resistance, turn
                  back to regroup and repair. The first
                  large-scale Terran-Kilrathi engagement
                  ends with the Kilrathi spearhead
                  momentarily broken.
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prove your chances of survival. In other words, until your personal flying
instincts give you a tactic for every situation, go with these
"by-the-book" maneuvers and you'll have a better chance of making it home
in one piece. All the Book can do is tip the odds a bit in your favor, but
the record shows that this slight improvement in your chances is worth the
embarrassment you may feel about doing something the way you were taught at
the Academy.

Standard Maneuvers

   You learned all of these in basic flight training, but let's review them
here. In addition to standard turns, rolls, dives, and climbs, you become
familiar with these:
   Burnout: Hit the afterburners and increase speed until your pursuer is
no longer gaining on you and your afterburners finish their burn. Then
perform as tight a 180 degree turn as you can handle; if your target is
within your cone of fire, open up on him.
   Fishhook: Calculate the new heading you want. Turn to a heading which is
at 180 degree angle off that figure, then almost immediately make a 180
degree turn to your course of choice. For instance, if you are on a 0
degree course and want to make a 90 degree left turn, you first make a 90
degree right turn, then follow up immediately with a 180 degree turn.
   Hard Brake: Reduce forward velocity as quickly as you can. If you brake
sooner, harder, and better than your pursuer, he will overshoot you and
enter your cone of fire. Open up on him.
   Kickstop: Make a hard 90 degree turn in any direction and hold your new
course for a moment. If your pursuer overshoots and doesn't turn in your
wake, do a


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180 degree spin back and open fire.
   Roll: Close on yoru target while performing a corkscrew roll.
   Shake: Also called Zig-Zag. Perform back-and-forth 45 degree evasive
maneuvers while closing on a target. Varying between Shake and Roll tactics
while closing is usually termed a Shake, Rattle, and Roll.
   Sit-'n'-Kick: An evasive maneuver especially useful against large ships.
Make a 90 degree turn in

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                           --- 15 Years Ago ---

                  On 2639.033, Kilrathi occupation forces
                  land on the human-occupied world Enyo,
                  put a quarter of a million human
                  prisoners under orbital guns, and await
                  Terran reprisals. So begins the Enyo
                  Engagement, a tactical sitaution made
                  difficult by the presence of so many
                  hostages.
                     Phase One of the Enyo Engagement
                  involves bringing in an attack force
                  against the Kilrathi fleet at Enyo. The
                  attack force consists principally of
                  Raptor-Class heavy fighters
                  reconfigured to carry extra Porcupine
                  Space Mines and practically no missles.
                  The force is small enough that Kilrathi
                  forces at Enyo are certain of victory.
                     The Phase One forces drop their
                  Space Mines in one region of space near
                  Enyo and engage the enemy. Kilrathi
                  ships maneuver to get out of the mined
                  region and turn their attention to
                  destroying the invaders.
                     By the time the Kilrathi navigators
                  realize that the mined region
                  corresponds to Enyo's principal jump
                  point, it's too late: Phase Two has
                  begun. A single radio signal detonates
                  all the specially-modified Porcupine
                  mines, and moments later the remainder
                  of the Terran fleet appears at that
                  jump point, in the middle of the
                  engagement.
                     The Terran fleet strikes first
                  against the gunships threatening the
                  human colonies. The enemy ships are
                  destroyed with minimal loss of life
                  among the colonists. Then the two
                  fleets settle in for a pounding match.
                     The Enyo Engagment ends with the
                  Kilrathi in retreat. Losses have been
                  nearly identical between the two
                  fleets, but the Kilrathi have been
                  forced to abandon a strategic position.
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any direction. Shut off engines and spin to face your target; open fire.
Then, make another 90 degree turn and hit your afterburners.
   Sit-'n'-Spin: Kill your engines and perform a 360 degree spin, firing on
any targets that enter your cone of fire. Once you've spun to your original
course, re-engage engines and continue.
   Tail: You all know how to tail a target ship. But don't forget: Until
you're sure of your most effective tailing range, try to maintain a range
of 1000 meters, the "by-the-book" range.
   Tight Loop: Perform a minimum-radius turn in any direction until you
resume the course you held at the beggining of the maneuver. Properly
performed, this will put you behind your pursuer, or at least shake him off
your tail for a moment.
   Turn-'n'-Spin: This is like the Kickstop, except that you also kill
engine power.

Evasion Tactics

   With that review of maneuvers fresh in our mind, let's review evasive
tactics for combat situations. Yes, aggressive tactics will let you rack up
the kills... but evasive tactics will keep you alive so that you can rack
up the kills.
   Here's the situation: You have an enemy to your reare, and you're in his
sights. What now?
   If you have a critical target in your sights, and you know that your
pursuer's guns are not going to crack your shell with one hit, then its
permissible - barely - for you to take that hit, drop your load, and then
come around to deal with your attacker. In any case, don't do this unless
you're within 2,500 meters of your target.


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   If you don't have that critical target in your sights, or you don't know
that you can take a direct hit, then evade.
   Evading involves a pretty complicated series of decisions you have to
learn to make by reflex.
   If you have better maneuverability than your pursuer, try a Tight Loop,
Kickstop, or Fishhook. If you're hurt, though, and prefer not to mix it up,
you can try to evade with a Turn-'n'-Kick or any hard turn... if your
acceleration is better than the enemy's. If it isn't, try any number of
hard turns and rools, and hope for the best.
   If your pursuer has better maneuverability than you but you have
superior acceleration, try a Burnout or a Hard Brake... and prepare to be
very accurate with ship's weapons.
   If your pusuer has better maneuverability and acceleration

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                            --- 5 years Ago ---

                  Terran ground forces launching an
                  attack on a fortified Kilrathi colonial
                  position are routed by unexpected
                  Kilrathi fightercraft support. The
                  Terrans quickly reform and advance back
                  into Terran space, their lightly-armed
                  transports pursued by Kilrathi
                  warships. TCS Tiger's Claw is detached
                  from its previous station and sent to
                  the Terran fleet's path.
                     Tiger's Claw fights a delaying
                  action, subsequently called Custer's
                  Carnival, to allow the Terran fleet
                  time to reach Terran-controlled space.
                  Though swarmed and badly damaged by
                  Kilrathi fighter-craft, the carrier
                  occupies the kilrathi forces until the
                  Terran fleet reaches safety. The Claw
                  is able to limp back into Terran space,
                  though three-quarters of its engines
                  are destroyed and half its pilots are
                  listed as casualties.
                     Subsequently, two Gold Stars and
                  numerous other medals are awarded to
                  Tiger's Claw personnel, and the carrier
                  spends six months in spacedock being
                  repaired and refitted.
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than you, you have a problem. If you want to make it a slugging match, try
a Sit-'n'-Spin or Turn-'n'-Spin. If you're already hurt, try any sort of
evasive maneuver you can - zig-zags, hard turns, and rolls in succession of
different directions... and pray, because you're going to need some divine
intervention.

Last Notes

   There's no sure way, no sure tactic, to keep you alive on a combat
mission. You may be good, but so are the Kilrathi. Somebody's got to win,
and somebody will probably die.
   The Book, sneered at by up-and-coming aces, is nothing more than a
manual which teaches you how to slant the odds in yoru favor. It says
nothing more than this: "protect your wingman and he'll protect you. Learn
these tactics and they'll improve your chances." That's all.
   And just remember: You're not the only one who wants your chances to be
improved. Your wingman does. Your commander does. Your family does.
Ultimately, the entire Terran Confederation does. Because if we fail, our
people and our planets will end up "protected" by pilots who proved
themselves better than us, fliers who showed they could beat us: The
warriors of the Empire of Kilrah.


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                               FRIEND OR FOE
                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        Joan's Fighting Spacecraft

                    Vega Sector Supplement For 2654.092

This is the latest update for Joan's Fighting Spacecraft, specifically
revised for Terran personnel in the Vega Sector. This supplement contains
the latest specifications on both Terran and Kilrathi spacecraft,
particularly the types of craft most commonly encountered in this sector.
   All servicemen are urged to familiarize themselves with these
specifications.
   Computer files of this material are available in the ship's library, at
>>Reference>>Technical>>Hardware>>Joan's>>.
   Here is a quick guide for those of you unfamiliar with the Joan's system
of evaluation:

Maximum Velocity/Cruise Velocity

These are the settings to which a ship's speed-givernors are set. This is
always a relative velocity; a ship's computer sets it relative to (a) the
flagship, (b) an escorted vessel, (c) a nearby planetary body, (d) a
Confederation beacon, or (e) a value derived from radar positions of all
visible ships. The velocity is expressed in kilometers per second.

Acceleration

This shows the Joan's evaluation of the ship's acceleration rate, described
as "Bad," "Poor," "Average," "Good," or "Excellent."

Maximum Yaw, Pitch, and Roll

These characteristics are expressed in degrees per second (dps).

Ship's Armor

Joan's evaluation of a ship's defensive armor is expressed in centimeters
thickness of Durasteel. Fore and Aft shield values are given in values
equivalent to centimeters thickness of Durasteel.


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HORNET (Confederation Ship)
 
Class:            Light Fighter
Length:           20 meters
Mass:             12.5 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 420 kps
Cruise Velocity:  300 kps
Acceleration:     Good
Maximum Yaw:      8 dps
Maximum Pitch:    9 dps
Maximum Roll:     8 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Laser Cannon (2), Dumb-Fire Missles (2), Heat-Seeking
                  Missle.
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 3 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 3 cm
                  equivalent.
                  Front: 3 cm; Right: 3 cm; Left: 3cm; Rear: 3cm


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Rapier (Confederation Ship)

Class:            Medium Fighter
Length:           24 meters
Mass:             13.5 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 450 kps
Cruise Velocity:  250 kps
Acceleration:     Excellent
Maximum Yaw:      10 dps
Maximum Pitch:    10 dps
Maximum Roll:     10 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Laser Cannon (2), Neutron Guns (2), Dumb-Fire Missles (2)
                  Spiculum IR (Image Recognition) Missle, Pilum FF (Friend
                  or Foe) Missles (2).
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 7 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 7 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 5 cm; Right: 3cm; Left: 3 cm;
                  Rear: 4cm.


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Scimitar (Confederation Ship)

Class:            Medium Fighter
Length:           25 meters
Mass:             16 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 360 kps
Cruise Velocity:  150 kps
Acceleration:     Good
Maximum Yaw:      6 dps
Maximum Pitch:    6 dps
Maximum Roll:     7 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Gatling Mass Driver Cannon (2), Dumb-Fire Missles (2),
                  Heat-Seeking Missles (3)
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 4 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 4 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 6 cm; Right: 5 cm; Left: 5 cm;
                  Rear: 6 cm.


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Raptor (Confederation Ship)

Class:            Heavy Fighter
Length:           36 meters
Mass:             20 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 400 kps
Cruise Velocity:  250 kps
Acceleration:     Good
Maximum Yaw:      6 dps
Maximum Pitch:    5 dps
Maximum Roll:     6 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Neutron Guns (2) Gatling Mass Driver Cannon (2),
                  Heat-seeking Missles (2), Spiculum IT (Image Recognition)
                  Missles (2), Pilum FF (Friend or Foe) Missle, Porcupine
                  Space Mine
Ship's Armor:     Force Shield: 7 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 7 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 8 cm; Right: 6 cm; Left: 6 cm;
                  Rear: 8 cm.


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Venture (Confederation Ship)

Class:            Corvette
Length:           80 meters
Mass:             1,000 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 200 kps
Cruise Velocity:  150 kps
Acceleration:     Poor
Maximum Yaw:      3 dps
Maximum Pitch:    3 dps
Maximum Roll:     3 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Laser Cannon (2), Pilum FF (Friend or Foe) Missle,
                  Heat-Seeking Missles (2).
Ship's Armor:     Force Shield: 10 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 10 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 9 cm; Right: 8 cm; Left: 8 cm;
                  Rear: 8 cm.


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Drayman (Confederation Ship)

Class:            Transport (configurable as either Freighter or Tanker)
Length:           96 meters
Mass:             2,000 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 150 kps
Cruise Velocity:  100 kps
Acceleration:     Bad
Maximum Yaw:      2 dps
Maximum Pitch:    2 dps
Maximum Roll:     2 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Classified
Ship's Armor:     Force Shield: 9 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 9 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 8 cm; Right: 6 cm; Left: 6 cm;
                  Rear: 8 cm.


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Exeter (Confederation Ship)

Class:            Destroyer
Length:           360 meters
Mass:             8,000 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 150 kps
Cruise Velocity:  100 kps
Acceleration:     Poor
Maximum Yaw:      2 dps
Maximum Pitch:    2 dps
Maximum Roll:     2 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Classified
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 25 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 25 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 22 cm; Right: 20 cm; Left: 20 cm;
                  Rear: 20 cm.


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Tiger's Claw (Confederation Ship)

Class:            Bengal - Strike Carrier
Length:           700 meters
Mass:             80,000 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 130 kps
Cruise Velocity:  100 kps
Acceleration:     Poor
Maximum Yaw:      1 dps
Maximum Pitch:    1 dps
Maximum Roll:     1 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Dual Laser Turrets (8)
Ship's Armor:     Force Shield: 21 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 21 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 24 cm; Right: 25 cm; Left: 25 cm;
                  Rear: 20 cm.

Fighter Complement: 104


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Salthi (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Light Fighter
Length:           24 meters
Mass:             12 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 480 kps
Cruise Velocity:  300 kps
Acceleration:     Excellent
Maximum Yaw:      14 dps
Maximum Pitch:    12 dps
Maximum Roll:     12 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Laser Cannon (2), Dumb-Fire Missle.
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 3.5 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 3.5 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 3 cm; Right: 1.5 cm; Left: 1.5 cm;
                  Rear: 2 cm.


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Dralthi (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Medium Fighter
Length:           28 meters
Mass:             14 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 400 kps
Cruise Velocity:  230 kps
Acceleration:     Good
Maximum Yaw:      10 dps
Maximum Pitch:    14 dps
Maximum Roll:     10 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Laser Cannon (2), Porcupine Mines (3), Heat-Seeking
                  Missles (2).
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 5 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 5 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 4.5 cm; Right: 3 cm; Left: 3 cm;
                  Rear: 3.5 cm.


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Krant (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Medium Fighter
Length:           32 meters
Mass:             16.6 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 360 kps
Cruise Velocity:  200 kps
Acceleration:     Good
Maximum Yaw:      7 dps
Maximum Pitch:    10 dps
Maximum Roll:     7 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Laser Cannon (2), Friend or Foe Missle, Heat-Seeking
                  Missles (3).
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 8 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 8 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 9 cm; Right: 8 cm; Left: 8 cm;
                  Rear: 10 cm.


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Gratha (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Heavy Fighter
Length:           26 meters
Mass:             18 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 320 kps
Cruise Velocity:  200 kps
Acceleration:     Average
Maximum Yaw:      6 dps
Maximum Pitch:    6 dps
Maximum Roll:     6 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Laser Cannon (2), Mass Driver Cannon (2), Image
                  Recognition Missle, Heat-Seeking Missles (3),
                  Porcupine Mines (2).
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shiled: 11 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 10 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 15 cm; Right: 10 cm; Left: 10 cm;
                  rear: 14 cm.


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Jalthi (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Heavy Fighter
Length:           32 meters
Mass:             22 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 280 kps
Cruise Velocity:  200 kps
Acceleration:     Average
Maximum Yaw:      5 dps
Maximum Pitch:    5 dps
Maximum Roll:     5 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Neutron Guns (3), Friend or Foe Missles (2), Heat-Seeking
                  Missle, Laser Cannon (3).
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 16 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 16 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 20 cm; Right: 17 cm; Left: 17 cm;
                  rear: 10 cm.


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Dorkir (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Transport (configurable as either Freighter or Tanker)
Length:           104 meters
Mass:             2,000 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 150 kps
Cruise Velocity:  100 kps
Acceleration:     Bad
Maximum Yaw:      2 dps
Maximum Pitch:    2 dps
Maximum Roll:     2 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Turreted Laser, Porcupine Mines (3)
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 17 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 10 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 9 cm; Right: 9 cm; Left: 9 cm;
                  Rear: 6 cm.


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Ralari (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Destroyer
Length:           344 meters
Mass:             18,000 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 150 kps
Cruise Velocity:  100 kps
Acceleration:     Poor
Maximum Yaw:      2 dps
Maximum Pitch:    2 dps
Maximum Roll:     2 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Turreted Lasers (6), Porcupine Mine.
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 20 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 12 cm 
                  equivalent. Front: 20 cm; Right: 18 cm; Left: 18 cm;
                  Rear: 9 cm.


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Fralthi (Kilrathi Ship)

Class:            Cruiser (configurable as Cruiser or Light Carrier)
Length:           500 meters
Mass:             20,000 tonnes
Maximum Velocity: 180 kps
Cruise Velocity:  120 kps
Acceleration:     Poor
Maximum Yaw:      2 dps
Maximum Pitch:    2 dps
Maximum Roll:     2 dps
Ship's Weapons:   Turreted Lasers (6)
Ship's Armor:     Fore Shield: 27 cm equivalent; Aft Shield: 17 cm
                  equivalent. Front: 28 cm; Right: 26 cm; Left: 26 cm;
                  Rear: 14 cm.

Fighter Complement: 20


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                                  WEAPONS
                                  ~~~~~~~
                     of the Terran and Kilrathi Fleets

What Joan's does for ships, Ivan Borger does for weapons systems. The
following excerpt from Borger's All The Sector's Weapons Systems is
presented as a crash course for those new to the fighting front.

DUMB-FIRE MISSLE - The Dumb-Fire Missle is a point-and-shoot weapon - just
aim it at a traget and hope the target can't get out of the way. With no
homing capability, the Dumb-Dire is most effective in the hands of a pilot
who can anticipate the target's reactions. When possible, it should be
reserved for use in close quarters or against slow-moving targets.

HEAT-SEEKING MISSLE - The engines of a modern space fighter or capital ship
generate a lot of heat, a fact the heat-seeking missle uses to great
advantage. All a pilot has to do is park himself on an emey's tail, wait
for the heat-seeker to lock, and then fire. (NOTE: if the target shakes a
heat-seeker, the missle locks onto the nearest heat source, perhaps even
the ship that originally fired it!)

Image Recognition Missle - To fire an image recognition missle, the pilot
must keep the target in view for several seconds, after which the missle
memorizes the ship type in the pilot's sights. Once the image recognition
misssle locks it doesn't let go - it tracks the targeted ship like a very
lethal bloodhound...

Friend or Foe Missle - The friend or for missle locks onto the nearest
enemy ship. Capable of identifying the distinctive signal broadcast by all
Terran ships, the freind or foe makes a beeline for the nearest ship that
isn't broadcasting. (NOTE: This weapon will target friendly ships whose
communications systems are damaged. Even the firing ship is not safe!)

Laser Cannon - Lasers don't do a lot of damage. Still, nearly all pilots
have at least one story in which the long range of the laser allowed them
to get first strike on a foe. Despite their low damage potential, lasers
are reliable, versatile, and effective - they have probably accounted for
more enemy kills than any other weapon.

Neutron Guns - Neutron guns do heavy damage, but only at close range. No
other projectile weapon provides an equivalent level of destructive
capability. The down side is that neutron guns heat up rapidly and eat up
power at an alarming rate. Also, the neutron gun's lack of range has led
many fool-hardy or underskilled pilots into close-quarter combat for which
they were ill-prepared. Some of those pilots never make it home.

Mass Driver Cannon - The basic fighter weapon - medium range, medium
damage, nothing special. The mass driver cannon is reliable and accurate.
Heat build-up and power drain are minimal. Though lasers and neutron guns
are more effective in certain situations, no pilot ever went wrong
activating a mass driver.

Porcupine Mines - These deadly devices have limited homing capability and
built-in proximity sensors - detonation doesn't require contact. If there's
a Kilrathi on your tail, just open your rear doors and drop a Porcupine in
his path. He'll be off your tail in no time. Or he'll be dead... If you
ever see one of these irregular spheres tumbling your way, punch the
throttle and steer clear.

Flak Guns - Fighters provide the bulk of a capital ship's defense, but the
largest ships in the Terran and Kilrathi fleets lay down heavy flak
barrages which can bring down any ship in space.

Turreted Lasers - Terran and Kilrathi destroyers, cruisers, dreadnaughts,
carriers, and bases are equipped with heavy, turreted lasers linked to
advanced targeting systems. Only the most maneuverable ships have any
chance of surviving concentrated fire from these formidable weapons.


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                              PILOT PROFILES
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Unstoppable Force

1st Lt. Tanaka Mariko goes by the tag od Spirit - a rough translation of
Mai, as she's called by the Japanese pilot instructors responsible for her
initial training. In the cockpit, Spirit is known for her deceptive,
defensive piloting, her ability to sense and avoid incoming fire, and her
habit of creeping in as close as possible to a target before cutting loose
with ship's weaponry.
   A native of Sapporo on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, Tanaka is a
third-generation military pilot. Her father, Major Tanaka Shun
(affectionately remembered as Go-Devil), died twenty years ago in the
brutal McAuliffe Ambush of '34.
   The 24-year-old ace explains, "I did not join the armed forces for
revenge, I have no fantasies of personally gunning down the pilot who
killed my father. It is a matter of tradition and duty. The tradition is my
family's, and the duty is to the Earth... I am often asked if I think of
myself as a modern samurai. The answer is no, I am a military pilot, not a
feudal retainer. But there is nothing to keep a modern pilot, Japanese or
not, from trying to adhere to the best elements of the warrior-codes of the
past: The code of the samurai, the code of the knight-errant, any code of
honor and service."


Loose Cannon On Deck

Captain Ian St. John, or Hunter to the spacecrews, is one of the bext
pilots in the service. and has racked up an impressive number of kills in
the years he has been stationed on the Tiger's Claw. He's known as a
seat-of-the-pants flier, and Kilrathi opponents tend to be baffled by his
unpredictable, spontaneous flying style.
   The 27-year-old native of Brisbane, Australia is sometimes accused of
excessive independence and a casual attitude toward regulations. "Maybe
so," he explains, "but I'd never leave my wingleader hanging. However,
every [expletive deleted] thing we're given - ships, weapons, training, an'
standing regs - is there for us to push to the limit, an' maybe a little
further, if we're going to get the job done. Notice I say 'push to the
limit' an' not 'break.' Maybe there's not much of a difference, but it's
usually the difference between dusting a furball an' sucking vacuum.


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Leader By Example

Major Chen Kien is known as Bossman to the spacecrews, but that wasn't
always the case. "When I was young - er, younger - they called me Ripper;
my old friends still do. I was a lot like Hunter, pushing everything to the
limit. But I might have been a little too good, or at least luck, at it.
Replacement crews coming in, bright young second looies, took my lead...
and got themselves shot to hell. When I started burying young pilots who
had been killed for behaving like me, I decided to give them an example
that would not get them blown out of space. It is sort of a vicious cycle:
You try act as an example, and young pilots start coming to you for advice.
That is when they started calling me Bossman. I do not regret all these
changes... bu there are times when I miss the old days."
   The 39-year-old native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has a degree in
aeronautical engineering from the Confederation Net university system. He
is married to ergonomics engineer Chen Mingxing and, last March, became the
father of a baby girl.


Ace of Aces

Major Michael Casey, or Iceman to the crews, has racked up more confirmed
kills while serving on the Tiger's Claw than any other pilot in the
carrier's history. In the cockpit, he is known for calm under fire,
letter-perfect flying technique, and deadly aim with ship's weapons, a
combination which guarantees disaster for Kilrathi opponents.
   Angel, frequent wingman for Iceman, described flying with him: "You must
learn to listen for Iceman. On the comm unit, in a large engagement,
everyone is either shouting o at least very excitable; Iceman is
whispering. You have to strain your ears to hear him. It's always terse
little statements: 'Moving in.' 'Rolling right.' 'Target in sight.'
'Objective accomplished.' 'Head for home.' And I will tell you: He talks
ten times as much in the cockpit as he ever talks on the carrier."
   Iceman is 31, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia.


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By the Book - Or Else

"I cannot stand 'rebels,' or hot-doggers, or any of these so-called
intuitive know-it-alls," explains Captain Jeannette Devereaux, who goes by
the cockpit moniker of Angel. "We have used flying craft in warfare since
1914. As a race, we have nearly eight centuries of combat flying
experience, and we've had nearly eight centuries to define, refine, and
perfect the rules by which we fly. These are rules designed to keep us
alive, keep our wingmen alive, and win our wars, n'est-ce-pas?
   "But every class that comes out of the Academy is stuffed full of these
talented fliers who think that, because they can do new and interesting
things with their machines, they must be smarter than eight centuries of
military thinkers... and so the rules don't apply to them. They shut up
fast when they start seeing their classmates eat missles... and it is at
that point they join the human race and begin to contribute to winning this
war."
   The 28-year-old Devereaux is a ntive of Brussels, Belgium. She is widely
knon for her marksmanship: Her accomplishments with ship's weapons dot the
Tiger's Claw performance records.


New Kid on the Block

Fresh from the Academy is 2nd Lt. Todd Marshall, known as Maniac by his
graduating class.
   Marshall, 23, tries hard to live up to his moniker. "Plodding along with
your joystick in one hand and a copy of the naval regs in the other is not
going to impress the Kilrathi," he says. "They know our regs. They know the
Nook, they know how we do things. If we're going to put them on the ropes,
we have to adapt our rules, tactics, and flying styles. We have to outfly
them, outfight them... we've got to want it more. And I want it.
   "I'm a Proxie - homeworld Leto, Proxima Centauri IV. When the
colonization started, anyone with any brains or skills gigh-tailed it off
Earth, and most of them ended up on Leto. That's why Proxies kick homeborn
Terrans around in the ratings."
   Despite his creative interpretation of colonial history and comparative
Naval Academy standings, Marshall was one of the highest-rated Academy
graduates of the '54 class and promises to be a worthy addition to the
Tiger's Claw pilot roster.


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A Professional's Professional

"The laddies coming out of the Academy think I was born old," says Major
James Taggart, who is known as Paladin to the spacecrews, "But when I took
my commission - not too long after we discovered the Empire of Kilrah - I
was just a kid. I was charged up on stories of knight-errantry, on The
Death of Arthur and The Song of Roland. So when we ran into the Kilrathi, I
knew I was going to grab up a lance, hop into the cockpit, and change the
course of history. Naturally," he jokes, "I did."
   Taggart, 45, is a native of Ares, the self-sufficent space station built
in permanent orbit around the planet Venus; his parents were terraforming
engineers from Wick, Scotland.
   Though an effective wingleader, Taggart is especially appreciated for
his wingman skills. He has a reputation for protectiveness when flying
wing. On an average of three times a year, pranksters get to his
space-craft, scrape the name "Paladin" from his cockpit and replace it with
"Mother Hen."
   "Appreciate it while you can," he grins. "Combat flying is a young man's
game, and I'm having trouble convincing the medics that I'm still 25. I'll
be flying a desk before too long... if I can find one with afterburners and
smart missles."


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Reliability Under Fire

Captain Joseph Khumalo, known to the crews as Knight, admits that his
piloting accomplishments don't dot the record books. "I'm not a cockpit
genius like Hunter or a marksman like Angel. I'm an ordinary man. I'm a
pilot. It's my job."
   Yet wingleaders tend to breathe a sigh of relief when they draw Khumalo
as wingman. Knight has a reputation of utter reliability in combat. "I got
my nickname in the Enyo Engagement. The Kilrathi were swarming like flies.
I was a second looie assigned as wingman to Captain Maria 'la Dona'
Alvarez. We were hugging the deck of this transport and strafing it, did a
tight turn going from its back to its belly, and ran right through a swarm
of fighters headed the other way. Any defensive maneuvering in those
querters would've cut me off from la Dona, so I just fired as fast as I
could, and got lucky: I was an ace coming out of that pack, and had picked
off a couple of fighters going after my wingleader. La Dona put on her
thickest accent and said, 'Ooh, eet's my White Knight,' and the name stuck.
   "But, honestly, I don't feel that way. I'm not a knight-errant. I'm a
soldier. Not all of us can be geniuses... but I'm going to do the best I
can with what I can." Khumalo, 36, hails from Kroonstad, South Africa.


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Keen Competitor

Best-known among the Kilrathi aces is Bhurak, called Bhurak Starkiller. He
is regarded as the best living pilot among the Kilrathi in this sector. He
flies a Salthi-Class Light Fighter.
   Strengths: Bhurak's an excellent pilot and shot. He has optimal reflexes
and there are no serious weaknesses to be detected in his flying style.
   Weaknesses: Psych profiles indicate that Bhurak is probably addicted to
speed, thrills, and sport. Though a courageous pilot, he is not without a
survival instinct: A sufficent number of opponents or a sudden turn in
fortune could panic him into retreat.
   Tactics: Bhurak likes a dogfight. He prefers a maneuverable foe and
standard dogfight tactcs. He almost always uses his ship's laser cannon,
reserving his standard dumb-fire missle for stationary targets.
   Recommendation: If possible, put several pilots on him at once; deny him
a fair fight or anything he would consider fun. He might become disgruntled
and choose another target, or rout. If you're forced into single combat
with him, don't try to outfly him: You might do best by going stationary,
spinning to keep him in your sights, and trading licks. He doesn't appear
to consider that fun and may choose a new objective.


Cold as Vacuum

Khajja the Fang is not-so-affectionately called "the Machine" by Terran
intelligence. He is the most efficent, mission-oriented pilot the Kilrathi
have. he pilots a Krant-Class Medium Fighter.
   Strengths: Khajja's greatest asset is his clear thinking. He never
panics or falters and appears to have utter confidence in his wingmen. He
is not vulnerable to taunts, goads, or insults.
   Weaknesses: Khajja's faith in his wingmen may be misplaced. Analysis
indicates that some Kilrathi pilots may be afraid of him. He will
single-mindedly ignore incoming ships in order to concentarte ona  strike
objective, meaning that he might ignore you.
   Tactics: Khajja prefers straight-in, straight-out strafing approaches.
He uses his laser cannon for most encounters, saves his heat-seekers for
mission objectives or particularly troublesome enemies, and saves his
friend or foe missle for emergencies.
   Recommendation: If he's approaching a mission objective, you might get a
free shot by eluding his wingmen. If he's moving in on you, utilize classic
dogfight tactics: Try to outfly and outshoot him, or lead him toward
unengaged friendlies. He doesn't like bad odds.


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Extreme Prejudice

Dakhath, whose name translates literally as Deathstroke, is one of the most
dangerous pilots alive. According to our (incomplete) records, he has 55+
confirmed kills on file. He pilots a Dralthi-Class Medium Fighter.
   Strengths: Dakhath appears to be utterly without fear. He never retreats
from an engagement until every enemy within 1,000 klicks is destroyed, and
will not abandon a wounded enemy until that enemy is destroyed. This
courage and lack of self-preservation instincts make him particularly
dangerous. So does his apparent affection for inflicting pain.
   Weaknesses: Dakhath lives only to kill and will not retreat or change
targets until his first target is dead. If at all possible, use his
single-mindedness against him... if only by leading him away from a
strategically-important target so that he can concentrate on you.
   Tactics: Dakhath launches his missles at maximum range (he appears to
like explosions), then closes for the kill on one target. He will cling to
that target until he destroys it, then choose another, as methodical as
clock circuits.
   Recommendation: It might be possible to lead him into the path of fire
friendly to you, and is equally possible that he won't notice new pursuit
on him until it's too late. (Important Note: If your ship takes a lot of
damage and looks shaky, do not eject if you're in the vicinity of Dakhath.
One of his hobbies is target practice against ejecting pilots.)


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Danger and Disdain

Bakhtosh Redclaw is a rash on the comm units; he is best-known for
extremely sarcastic gloating during combat engagements. It appears that he
belongs to an aristocratic Kilrathi family and has been trained in the
politics of superiority from birth. He flies a Jalthi-Class Heavy Fighter.
   Strengths: Bakhtosh is the best Kilrathi shot in vega Sector, bar none.
His accuracy with ship's guns is becoming legendary even among Terran
pilots, which is another strength: Some Terrans feel intimidated when
confronting the legendary Bakhtosh, and consequently their flying suffers.
Additionally, he is a master of the crowning insult, the patronizing
remark, and the racial slur. He often goads Terran fighters into bad
tactical errors.
   Weaknesses: Bakhtosh's piloting is nothing special. Like one legendary
figure of Terran combat aviation, the Red Baron, he is an excellent
marksman but a mediocre flier. Additionally, his insults and
better-than-thou attitude are not a pose; he believes himself to be
superior ro all Kilrathi as well as all humans.
   Tactics: Bakhtosh prefers to fire at a distance. he will get at the
maximum effective range for his weapons and chew his target to pieces. The
extra distance allows him a little time to cope with the maneuvers of
superior fliers. If forced to close with a foe, he will launch one of his
missles.
   Recommendation: Close, firing continuously, then try to outfly him in
standard fashion. Do not be daunted by his substantial reputation.


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                          NEW on the FLIGHT DECK
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
               The Month: Medal Recognition for New Recruits

Can you recognize, on sight, all the medals awarded by the Terran
Confedeartion Navy? Don't be caught out when a seniot officer tells you to
identify all the "chicken guts" he's wearing. Instead, learn the medals
shown below.

Clockwise from top Left:

The Bronze Star: Awarded for exceptional bravey under fire.

The Gold Star: Awarded for exceptional bravery against hopeless odds.

The Silver Star: Awarded for exceptional bravery against overwhelming
opposition. When a recipient wins an additional Silver Star, an extra bar
is affixed to the top of the ribbon area.

The Terran Confederation Medal of Honor: Also nicknamed the "Pewter
Planet," this is the highest medal awarded to military personnel.

The Golden Sun: Awarded for surviving the destruction of one's ship. The
Golden Sun is awarded only once. The subsequent loss of ships gets you only
the requisite, especially intensive, debriefing sessions and performance
evaluations.


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                          PLAYING WING COMMANDER

                      The 3-D Space Combat Simulator

Starting the Game

After loading, the title/credit sequence appears. The credits repeat until
you press a key. Then you will be asked if you want to "Start New Campaign"
or "Continue Campaign." First-time users should select "Start New
Campaign." If you have already played Wing Commander and wish to continue
with a saved character, choose "Continue Campaign."
   You begin the game seated at the controls of the TrainSim unit in the
bar of the Tiger's Claw, the carrier on which your character serves. Almost
immediately, your ship will explode and the words "Game Over" will appear
in the view window of the TrainSim. You will be congratulated for a high
score, and asked to input your name. Enter the last name and callsign you
want your character to go by during the game. Then return to the view of
the bar on the Tiger's Claw.

In the Bar

The bar i sthe favorite gathering spot for the crew of the Tiger's Claw and
the perfect place to hear the latest scuffle-butt on current events in the
Vega Sector. While in the bar, you can select from the following options:


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   The TrainSim: At the far left of the bar is the TrainSim unit, a video
game/training simulator. Select it and you find yourself in the simulator's
hot seat. After viewing the top scores, you are presented with a screen of
four Kilrathi enemy fighter-craft. Select the foe you want to fight. This
sets the difficulty level of the game - the Salthi (upper left) is the
easiest opponent, followed by the Dralthi (lower left), and the Krant
(upper right). The Gratha (lower right) is the toughest enemy ship type in
the TrainSim. Select your opponent and you find yourself on a training
flight against the Kilrathi.
   The TrainSim unit is a safe, painless opportunity to learn the basics of
flying and combat. Certain game functions (e.g., navigation and
communication) are disabled in the TrainSim, but it's still a good way to
brush up your skilss, try a new manequver, or just fly for the fun of it.
TrainSim missions are timed and you receive bonus points for destroying
waves of ships quickly. Try to beat your wingman's high scores. For details
on using the cockpit equipment (most of which appears in the TrainSim
cockpit as well as in the real ships), see In the Cockpit, below.
   Talking to People: You'll always find the bartender an, usually, one or
two pilots in the bar. Talk with everyone you can - you never know who will
have clues and information helpful to you. The table reserved for wingmen
is on the right side of the screen.
   The Pilots' Scores chalkboard: Above the table is a blackboard. Select
it to see how the game's pilots are doing in the campaign game, relative to
one another. The number of missions flown and total kills are displayed.
   Barracks Door: On the far right of the bar is the doorway leading to the
barracks. Select it to get to the next stage of the game.

In the Barracks

Bar: On the far left of the barracks is the hallway leading back to the
bar. When you want to return there (to use the TrainSim, engage in
conversation, and so forth), select this area.
   Bunks (Saved Games): In the middle of the barracks are eight bunks.
They're not just decoration: They're the means to save and load games.
   Airlock: In the rear wall of the barracks is an airlock. Moving your
pointer over it brings up a message asking if you ant to quit the game.
Selecting the airlock returns you to your computer's operating system.
   Mission Hangar: To the far right is the doorway to the Mission Hangar.
Selecting it takes you to your next combat mission.

Mission Hangar

Selecting Mission Hangar puts you into the briefing room. There you
receiver orders from Colonel Halycon, including yoru objective, your
navigation route, and your wingman assignment. In WING COMMANDER, you're
always the wingleader... and as long as you


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keep your wingman alive, you'll always have a wingman.
   Don't worry about writing down details of your navigation route; it'll
be loaded into your ship's computer automatically.
   After being dismissed from the Mission Briefing, you go into a cinematic
sequence that takes you to the ship's hangar, into your fighter, and
through the launch sequence.

In the Cockpit

Now you're in your fighter's cockpit. The wide array of information screens
available to you may seem a little intimidating at first, but reading them
quickly becomes second nature.
   When you launch, you see space through your ship's front viewscreen. You
can also select side and rear views, as well as chase plane, missle,
tactical, and cinematic views.
   During a WING COMMANDER campaign, you will have the opportunity to fly
four types of ships. Though each cockpit has a slightly different
arrangement for information screens, they all have the same screens. Refer
to the diagrams in this section for the layout of each cockpit.
   Viewscreen: The viewscreen and Heads-up Display provide a clear view of
space directly ahead of you. A circle with crosshairs shows where your
ship's guns are aimed; brackets indicate the position of the ship you
currently have trageted. Naturally, you'll want to maneuver so that the
crosshairs overlap the brackets when you fire your ship's


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guns. When other vessels communicate with you, colored brackets appear
around them.
   Radar Display: The circular screen in every cockpit is its radar
display. Unlike most radar displays, this one doesn't show you how far away
targets are but, instead, how far you have to rotate to bring them into
your front viewscreen.
   The radar display is divided into six sections. Radar contacts are
displayed as dots. The outermost ring shows the position of enemies behind
you; the center circle shows the position of enemies ahead of you; and the
four middle sections represent enemy positions alongside and above or below
you.
   Tactical Tip: To head toward a target, select the dot representing that
target on the radar display and maneuver your ship until that dot is
centered in the inner-most circle of the display. A dot centered in the
radar display represents a ship directly ahead of you in your viewscreen.


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   Left VDU (Video Display Unit): On the left VDU is a profile of your
fighter, showing your ship's status.
   You can cycle through screens displaying damage your ship has taken.
Damaged systems appear in a different color, along with a description of
the system.
   You can change your ship's active gun, if you have more than one to
choose from. The "Full Guns" option fires all guns at once.
   You can also change your active weapon delivery system (missles or
mines), if you have more than one to choose from.
   Right VDU (Video Display Unit): The right VDU has several functions.
Here, you can display the Targeting screen, which indicates the status of
the ship you are currently targeting. This screen appears automatically
when you fire your ship's guns or when you select the targeting feature.
   In addition, you can display range information when navigation mode is
active.
   Finally, the right VDU functions as a Communications Screen, showing
both your communications options and, on some systems, incoming video from
other ships when they talk to you. See In-Flight Systems for details.
   Armor and Shields Indicator: Small bars on this screen indiacte the
status of your ship's armor and shields. These bars disappear as armor and
shields take damage. Shields gradually regenerate unless the shield
generator


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is destroyed. Once damage gets through the shield, armor begins taking
damage and won't regenerate.
   Fuel Indicator: This bar shows how much fuel you have; the bar becomes
shorter as you use up fuel. Afterburners boost yoru speed dramatically, but
use up fuel at a ferocious rate, so use them sparingly. If you run out of
fuel, you will only be able to coast on reserves at a speed of 50 KPS.
   Speed Indicator: The Speed Indicator may be one gauge or two, depending
on your cockpit type. "Set Speed" shows the speed your fighter will try to
maintain on its own (like the cruise control on an automobile). "KPS" shows
your ship's current speed, in klicks (kilometers) per second.
   Tactical Tip: The safest speed for negotiating asteroid fields is 250
KPS.
   Blaster Indicator: This gauge shows the power level of your ship's
active gun. Frequent use of the gun runs down your blaster power. Your guns
will not fire if you have no blaster power. Guns recover power gradually,
and recovery is slowed if your shields are also regenerating.
   Eject Warning: This light flashes if your ship has sustained significant
damage. When the eject warning starts flashing, you must decide how serious
the situation is and whether to eject or not. If you decide to eject, the
Confederation will suffer from the loss of a starfighter, but you will live
to fight another day.


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                             In-Flight Systems

   Targeting System: When the Targeting Screen is up, it displays a profile
of the ship you have trageted, along with any damage the traget may have
sustained.
   To target a ship, position it in the center of your view screen and
activate the ship's targeting feature. Brackets appear around the enemy
ship. Normally, you lose the lock on a target you are no longer facing. If
you want to keep a target locked even when you're not facing it, select
"Lock Target."
   Tactical Tip: If you've just dispatched an enemy in the midst of a
crowded dogfight, and you don't want to divert attention from your
viewscreen to look at the radar, just set your fighter into a spin or right
turn. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see whenever the right VDU
switches from its neutral status to the Targeting Screen. Even if the next
traget is so far ahead of you that you can't see the trageting brackets, or
it is just out of sight (left, right, up, or down from where you're
currently looking), the Targeting Screen will come up and you'll know
you're facing an enemy.
   Navigation System: In Navigation Mode, the Nav screen shows your
currently selected Nav point and the distance you must travel to reach that
objective. Selecting Navigation a second time brings up the full-screen
Navigation map, so that you can give it a good look. When you're in the Nav
Map, game time is suspended - you can study the mission in as much detail
as you want, for as long as you want.
   Each mission you fly consists of several objectives at different Nav
points. You can move the pointer to any Nav point in your current mission.
When you point at something, it will be highlighted, and notes about it
will appear on the left side of the Nav map. You can also scroll through
the Nav points (and the information about them).
   You may examine any Nav point, but when you have highlighted the
objective you are expected to tackle next in your mission, the words
"Mission Flight Path" appear on the right side of the Nav map.
   When you return to the cockpit screen, the last nav point you selected
becomes your new destination automatically.
   When you reach a Nav point, the navigation computer intelligently (and
automatically) selects the next assigned Nav point for you. You can either
fly there (or anywhere else) manually or activate the auto-pilot and let it
take you to the next objective.
   Tactical Tip: The Nav map is drawn in only two dimensions, so it is
possible for your ship to appear right on a Nav point while your ship's
systems tell you you're thousands of kilometers away from your objective.
This simply means that you are "above" or "below" the Nav point.


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   Autopiloting System: When you activate Navigation Mode, crosshairs appear
on your radar display and in your heads-up display. The crosshairs on the
radar screen represent the location of the current selected Nav point
relative to your starfighter. To reach your selected destination, maneuver
your ship until these crosshairs are centered in their respective displays.
You can fly to the destination manually, by keeping the crosshairs centered,
but this may take a while.
   You can shorten the trip by activating the autopilot if their are no
hazards (enemy ships, asteroids, or mines) in the area. When this is the
case, the autopilot light *amrked "auto") goes on. Select autopilot, and
yoru ship, wingman, and any escorted ships form up and proceed to the
destination automatically. If you encounter any enemy vessels or hazards
(asteroid, etc.) on the way, you leave the autopilot mode before you
encounter the hazards.
   Autopilot automatically diengages a few thousand meters from your
destination.


                           Communications System:

When you activate the Communication Screen, you are presented with a screen
showing a menu of potential recipients for your message.
   Select a receiver, and another menu appears listing the messages you can
send. The communications system intelligently determines who is eligible to
receiver a message from you and what messages you can send. If there is only
one pilot who could receive your communication, no menu is presented and the
message goes to the sole eligible recipient.
   When other pilots decide to send a message to you, a box appears around
their ship in your veiwscreen.
   Wingmen sometimes disobey, but you can give them the following oredrs:

1) Break and Attack - A command to leave formation and engage enemy ships
   within 12,000 meters.

2) Keep Formation - Denies a wingman's request to break and attack on his
   own initiative.


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                             Pride of the Fleet
                            The TCS Tiger's Claw

        2642: The Confederation military command, determining that need
    exists for a heavy space cruiser, authorizes design of the Bengal-
    class carrier line. Trojan Four Spaceyards wins the assignment to
    build the new line of carriers.

        2644: The newly-launched TCS Tiger's Claw, on its shakedown
    cruise, carrying a minimal spacecrew and an under-experienced
    command, finds itself in the path of a surprise Kilrathi invasion
    force. The ship's unexpected presence along the Kilrathi flight
    plan, clever tactics on the part of the command crew, and
    performance above and beyond the call of duty by the spacecrews
    rout the superior Kilrathi force. Shortly thereafter, Tiger's Claw
    is given permanent assignment in the Vega Sector.

        2645: The second Bengal-class space carrier, the Kipling, is
    launched. Owing to design modifications, the Kipling and all
    subsequent Bengals are 10 meters shorter and several tonnes less
    massive than the Tiger's Claw, making the Tiger's Claw the biggest
    space carrier in its class.

        2649: Tiger's Claw performs a delaying action to allow
    Confederation  transports carrying ground troops to retreat out of
    Kilrathi-occupied space. The engagement, known as Custer's
    Carnival, concludes with Tiger's Claw seriously damaged but able to
    return to port. The carrier is in spacedock undergoing repairs and
    refitting until early '50.
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3) Form on My Wing - Return to formation and follow your vessel.

4) Return to Base - A command instructing your wingman to return to the
   Tiger's Claw immediately. Note: If obeyed, your wingman will not be
   available to you for the duration of this mission.

5) Help Me Out Here - A command to your wingman to engage the enemy
   attacking you.

6) Attack My Target - A command telling your wingman to engage the enemy
   you have currently targeted. This is the only way your wingman will
   attack an enemy capital ship.

7) Keep Radio Silence - Prevents your wingman from talking to you until a
   "Broadcast Freely" is sent.

8) Broadcast Freely - Allows your wingman to talk to you; negates
   "Keep Radio Silence."

9) Never Mind - Disregard communication.

    Activate Communications when you have an enemy ship targeted and a menu
of taunts appears. Select one of these and your insult is sent to the
target.

    Tactical Tip: Taunts sometimes attract enemy ships to you, drawing fire
away from a ship you're protecting or, perhaps, saving a wingman whose ship
has been damaged.


                                  Landing

Once your mission is done, head back to the Tiger's Claw. When you are ready
to land, target the Claw, approach from the front of the carrier, and use
the Communications system to signal the ship's traffic control officer to
"Request Landing." If you have met any of the following conditions, the Claw
will clear you for landing and your ship's in-flight computer will initiate
the auto-landing sequence when you get close enough to land. You must have
accomplished one of the following:

a) traveled to any Nav point

b) achieved any mission objective

c) killed at least one enemy ship.

   If your ship is heavily damaged, you will be granted emergency clearance.
If there are any active enemy vessels in the same area of space as the
Tiger's Claw, however, you cannot land until they are destroyed or have been
routed.
   Landing takes you back to the hangar, where you can see what damage your
ship has sustained. From the hangar, you go to a debriefing where your
performance during the mission is evaluated, and every significant mistake
or achievement is noted by Colonel Halycon. Afterward, if you've done
anything particularly notable, you're taken to the Colonel's office for
congratulations or a chewing-out.


                                The Campaign

As mentioned earlier, each campign has its own plot and conclusion. Each
series of mission you fly - and whether or not you're victorious - affects
the Confederation chances for ultimate victory in the Vega Sector.
   After several missions, you'll be presented with Campaign Progress
Screens, story updates which describe what's happening in the war. Do badly,
and forces of the Terran Confederation take a beating. Do well, and Terran
forces will prevail. Do very well, and you may be responsible for
Confederation victory in the Vega Sector.


                                THE END