Christopher Blair (Academy)

Biography

His father was a pacifist and chairman of StarPeace, while his grandmother was a member of the Confederation Council.

Blair did not opt to avoid his military training, but rather volunteered to do his duty at the Space Naval Academy although his parents objected to that decision.

Cadet years

After months of being a by-the-book cadet, for a first time he had to bend a rule, and Maniac jokingly told him "you are a real maverick, aren't you?" The ironic nickname "Maverick" was adopted as a callsign to contrast with his exemplary loyalty.

Maniac considered himself the best pilot and would not let go any opportunity to dare Maverick, as in during a simulation when he invited Blair to attack a Kilrathi Carrier with a Hellcat, despite the objectives of the exercise, until the simulator crashed. Blair however would not always pay attention to Maniac's games.

Bullying Blair.

During his time on Hilthros he developed some interest for his coed Victoria who agreed to study Kilrathi Psychology with him.

Commodore Geoffrey Tolwyn, during his visit to the Academy, noticed the competition between the two Cadets and assigned them as leaders of opposing teams during an exercise. Maniac invited Maverick to a private dogfight far from the exercise. To teach him a lesson, Maverick kept him occupied while sending his vector trail to Victoria, allowing his Blue Team to win Maniac's Red Team. Things got complicated with a sabotage which made the ships fire lethal shots, and the presence of a Kilrathi Blockade Runner. Maniac and Maverick jointly attacked and destroyed the ship. After the exercise Tolwyn announced them that they'd continue their training on the TCS Tiger's Claw/Academy under his command. Maverick was saddened when Victoria announced to him that she'd quit her studies after realising that she can't take lives in the War.

Following this action he and Maniac were offered transfers over the Tiger's Claw to continue their cadet training

Tortuga Mission

On 2654.131 just after returning to Earth, Maverick served under the Cadet Wing on the Claw'. Maniac continued to dare Maverick, as in "who will reach the briefing room first". One of their first joint missions assigned by Tolwyn was to scout the M4-21a system. During that mission they witnessed a pirate raid against a Kilrathi Transport, and are captured and taken to Tortuga Base.

Being a guest of Karnes.

Maniac was amazed to see that their leader was his childhood hero, Daimon Karnes, turned pirate. In the dungeon the two pilots engaged in another brawl about who was responsible, until Karnes invited them to join a raid, which Maniac seemingly accepted. The raid however turned out to be a Kilrathi trap; when the Kilrathi boarded the Base, Maverick hid his Confederation Navy uniform, and was taken to Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka. He would allow him to live to tell the Confederation about what happens to anyone who attacks the Kilrathi. Alone in the base, he begun repairing his Scimitar and was soon joined by Maniac. Tolwyn revealed that the Confederation knew the truth about Karnes but kept this information secret as this revelation would be bad for the people's morale. He ordered them never to mention their adventure.

According to Star*Soldier The Last One Left occurs during the period between the end of Pilgrim Stars and the start of Pilgrim Truth

Dioscuri Incident

In the Netheranya system, on the 2654.162, Maniac with Maverick and Grunt were sent on a mission to investigate Kilrathi influence on Dioscuri II, Maverick was dared by Maniac to split up and investigate alone, as his wingman, Bowman, was unavailable because of her shock having to kill Blizzard. Maniac's tactic proved too risky as Maverick was attacked by Dralthis and he had to eject to the planet where he was captured by the native Dioscurans. Maniac soon followed and they were taken to a temple where they started arguing. In vain he attempted to explain to the Shaman that they are not the "Lords of Darkness" the Kilrathi told them. The two cadets then were transported to an altar to be sacrificed to the "Lords of the Sky". Then the Kilrathi emerged to receive the "sacrifice" and make the two pilots to carry the food offerings for them.

Maverick, Maniac and Grunt fire at the dome.

They escaped with help from Grunt. Maniac collected two Kilrathi rifles fell from their pursuers and the trio went to destroy the station which sent the activation signal for the Dioscuran Dralthis. They were surrouned by Kilrathi until Archer came and destroyed the installation dome. When Confederation fores arrived, Grunt was taken to an ambulance saying that they performed like Confederation Marines.

Lords of the Sky occurs on a short down period between the last chapter and the epilogue of Pilgrim Truth.

Maverick was preparing for a mission to lead an exploration wing to a binary star system. Then the Claw was attacked by Grikaths and Maverick with the other pilots fought them off. While outside, he was affected by a solar flare, along with Maniac, Goetz and Price. This caused them to have delusions and hallucinations. Hearing that Payback had seen Kilrathi on the ship, he went to report it to Tolwyn, when he saw a hallucination of him talking to 3 Kilrathi.

The four paranoid mutineers.

With the other three they hid in a room sharing delusional ideas believing that the Claw was overran by Kilrathi and planned to destroy the ship and escape on Broadswords. They were hunted by Archer and Hyena. Hyena managed to shoot Maverick, and the shock restored his brain functions. Later, Guthrig Andropolos did bio-electric stimulation restoring the others'. Maverick had a mission with Hector Paz to explore a system, where he got the chance to know the former Confederation Marine better, and contrast their views on the war: Maverick thought that a tactical move, such as hitting the Prince's flagship, would be more important than killing 1000 troops. The two pilots engaged Kilrathi forces and Maverick had to crash on the planet, after having collected Grunt's ejection pod. Grunt suffered from neuroparalysis and Maverick had to protect him. The planet was inhabited by tentacled monsters, and he kept hostage a Kilrathi survivor, Commander Krulan nar Ragitagha. Against Grunt's reservations, Maverick attempted to befriend Krulan so that they could fight off and escape the monsters until help arrived. The trio started moving towards a volcano, not approached by the monsters.

Betrayed by Krulan.

Krulan asked for his weapon, and turned against them. The Kilrathi force came first and Krulan ordered them to hunt down the 2 Terrans. However a rescue team from the Claw arrived soon after and eliminated the Kilrathi and rescued the two pilots. Confronting Krulan, Maverick told him to surrender instead of throwing his life away. Nonetheless he jumped down so that not to be dishonored by his mercy. Grunt confirmed to Maverick that it would be impossible to make peace with the Kilrathi, as all of the are equally evil.

Maverick had the opportunity to save Maniac's life when he was hunted by a Kilrathi jump buoy's defense systems and Maverick mocked Maniac for this, to which Maniac replied that he won't ever need him. Later, the pilots volunteered to fly a pulsar jump hypernode reconnaissane with Broadswords. Maverick was chosen with Payback. Envious, Maniac complained that Tolwyn showed favoritism to Maverick because of the Blair family connections. Preparing for the jump, tech specialist Maya McEaddens showed very concerned for this dangerous mission.

While in the other side of the jump hypernode, Maverick ordered Payback to keep the Kilrathi occupied while he'd calculate the course for the return. Payback she disobeyed Tolwyn orders of non-engagement and lost her Broadsword. Maverick quickly rescued her in her pod and jumped back. The jump route was to long and the life support systems would not last. Once they arrived, they did not detected the Claw to collect them. Maniac was unable to rescue him as this would ruin the ambush plan.

Rescuing Maverick and Payback.

His helpless ship was an easy target for a last Dralthi, but during a hallucnation with his father, he activated the ship's firing systems, destorying the Kilrathi and notifying Maniac he is alive. Maniac tractored the Broadword back to the Claw. In the sickbay, Blair narrated his experience to Maniac and Payback, about seeing his father, and then imagining that Maniac saved his life, which Maniac denied. Maverick told a different story to Tolwyn about how Payback lost her ship, and swore in his family name.

Learning leadership with Tolwyn.

Stationed near that pulsar's hypernode, he was ordered by Tolwyn to be with him in order to learn what it means to command: Leaders don't share the dangers of those under their command, but their role to be right is even harder, as war doesn't forgive mistakes. Once more he was teased by Maniac for staying on the bridge during the ambush and "polishing Tolwyn's brass". Upon the arrival of Admiral Rhea Bergstrom, Tolwyn was ordered to participate in a foolish plan, using the Claw as a bait. Not trusting that Tolwyn would carry out her orders, ordered cadet Blair to spy him for her.

Blair saw that Tolwyn was not intending to carry out the orders, so during an attack mission, he revealed it all to Tolwyn, we ordered retreat, and grounded Blair. However Tolwyn soon found out that the Kilrathi had already prepared a trap on their own, and Bergstrom's task force was under attack. Tolwyn complied to her request and assisted her right before its destruction. Blair participated in the battle and rescued Bergstrom's escape pod. After Tolwyn's risky escape plan from the Kilrathi ambush, he told Blair that every time he gives an order, he doesn't know its outcome, he just risked whether the Kilrathi would retreat to allow them to escape.

Maverick led a Wing to lend support to the Hospital Ship Pleiku which was ambushed by a Kilrathi advance force and escort it to the Claw. When Maverick picked a ship in his sensors, he left Maniac behind to guard the ship and miss the action, knowing that this would infuriate him. That ship was the Confederation Fighter Transport TCS Morgan and they soon realised that it was captured by Kilrathi and attempt to retreat, during which Maverick destroyed the Morgan. Then they went after Confederation ships that the Morgan launched against the Claw and joined the defense.

Maverick was among those that were angered with Maniac, considered him responsible for abandoning Emil Zoharian to score a killing, which resulted to his death. When the Claw and its convoy of Achilles-class were under attack, Maverick led the force which eliminated the threat; they didn't notice a Strakha which made short work of the convoy while the pilots were celebrating.

Being mocked by the pilots of TCS Trafalgar for his failure.

As a result Maverick was also grounded and he with Maniac asked the opinion of Maya McEaddence. As Tolwyn would not listen to their claims of a stealh ship, they decided to act on their own. Maya feigned a malfunction in the derelict transport TCS Suffolk and Maverick with Maniac used it as a bait for the stealth fighter.

Arguing who is whose wingman.

Indeed, once the transport was attacked by the Strakha, the two piots emerged and disabled the Strakha. The Kilrathi pilot refused to surrender and self-destroyed his ship. The duo were soon engaged by Sarthas. Maverick was shot but Maniac refused to leave "his wingman" behind. They were joined by Payback and Grunt. Tolwyn admitted his mistake of not believing their reports, and decided to forget the event.

While the pilots were ready to descend to Oasis for a shore leave, an alien emerged from a Sleep Ship in the Claw demanding to use one of their craft. After attacking Maniac and threatening Tolwyn, Blair took a weapon to stop the alien. They fought hand-in-hand together but the alien stopped as he found Blair familiar. He was shot and took to the brig.

On Oasis

Listening to the Oasian legend of the Maker, Maverick wondered if it was related to the alien. He ignored Maya's romantic plans for tonight and flew to the Claw. He asked the permission of Guthrig Andropolos to inquire the alien, who, learning that his Orb is on the planet, broke the door and took Maverick as a hostage to fly a Scimitar to the planet. He flew to the summit of a spire where the Sphere was kept. They fought off Sarthas who came to steal the Sphere. Maniac lost his ship, but the Kilrathi forces were destroyed by the alien's power.

Maniac with Maverick and Archer were sent to Greenhouse to investigate if the sciene base there is safe. On their way they encountered some Grikaths which Maniac happily engaged. One survivor made it to the planet with an eject pod. Not finding his trace, they spent some time in the base, and the two male pilots were infatuated by the striking leader, Bronwyn Sing, who kept the pilots occupied by encouraging their competitiveness and jealousy, and their wish to impress her. Archer noticed Sing's game and while investigating for the Kilrathi. One night, Maverick and Maniac found Archer fighting with Sing, who revealed her plan to end the war by spreading a plague among the Kilrathi, who would infect the others by escaping on Maniac's ship. They pursued the Kilrathi, who was shot down by Archer.

Helped by Bokh.

When Maverick and Clipper were patrolling for the presence of a Kilrathi Carrier, he crashed on a planet. He tried to hid from the Kilrathi looking for him, but was found by Bokh nar Ragitika, who protected him, and expressed his motivation against Thrakhath and his wish to defect to the Confederation. Maniac, disobeying Tolwyn's orders, proceeded to the planet, so as to save Maverick "and remind it to him every day for the rest of his life". Maverick, contacted Maniac and coordinated an attack on the Kilrathi force so that he can escape. He told Tolwyn the news about the Kilrathi defector, but Tolwyn was sceptical, considering it an old trick to ascertain the location of the Claw. He rather set the plan for an ambush to surprise the Kilrathi Carrier. Tolwyn was angered when Blair insisted that the Kilrathi defector would prove useful, and even put him in charge of the task force. Blair even received bitter remarks from Payback, who wondered how he could lead them, being a Kilrathi sympathizer. Indeed, Blair "betrayed" Bokh and the Carrier was successfully destroyed. Tolwyn then considered to believe the information Bokh gave Blair and turn it against Thrakhath, telling him not to be troubled over a dead Kilrathi traitor.

On Dolos

Saying farewell to Maya.

On around 2654.293, Maverick participated in Tolwyn's ruse to enter the Dolos system undetected, by luring the Kilrathi guards to their destruction without reporting to the Kilrathi force. He and Grunt were assigned by Tolwyn to fly a captured Kilrathi ship to Dolos and instigate an uprising among the enslaved Dolosians before the invasion of the Marines to liberate them. Maya once more showed her concern for Maverick, who gave her a diskette with a message for his father, insisting that he wants her to do this in case he would not return. On Dolos Maverick and Grunt approached the Dolosians, however after arranging a meeting with the Dolosian leaders, they were betrayed by Vidkun and taken to Agon Ra Sivar.

With Vidkun.

However Tolwyn's main objective was to destroy the flagship, not liberate the Dolosians, and as a result, Maverick revealed mistaken information to Prince Thrakhath. During the assault to the flagship, Maverick, Grunt and Vidkun escaped and reached the Dreadnaught's bridge, and steered it towards the Kilrathi force on the planet, before escaping in a pod.

Reluctantly receiving the medal.

Maverick was awarded the Gold Wings of the Cadet Wing Commander for his bravery, initiative and ability. Feeling he had be used as a bait on a suicide mission, he denied the award, and threw it into space, saying that the dead of the battle deserve it.