"Paladin"
James Taggart
Rank	Brigadier General/President of Confederation Senate
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Born	2609
Birthplace	Venus (Born on Ares Space Station)
Affiliation	Terran Confederation
Appearances
First appearance	Wing Commander I
Last appearance	Wing Commander: Prophecy

James Taggart also known as Paladin was a half-Pilgrim, and experienced pilot during the Kilrathi War.

Personal BiographyEdit

Taggart was born on Ares, the orbital station around Venus. His parents were terraforming engineers from Wick, Scotland^[1] and one of them was a Pilgrim.^[2] He was a kid when the Confederation discovered the Empire of Kilrah and when he took his commission. Enchanted by the medieval fairy tales, he considered himself a knight-errand and write his own history.^[1] He used to fly with Shotglass before the Kilrathi War.^[3]

While he was serving on a cruiser, some years before 2654, he had an encounter with Bakhtosh nar Kiranka.^[4]

He was a Commodore in naval intelligence under Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn. Tolwyn gave him an ancient heirloom, a ring kept by his family for 16 generations, which Taggart should show to gain the trust in urgent situations. He posed as a civilian pilot of the Diligent on which he carried pilots Christopher Blair and Todd Marshall to the TCS Tiger's Claw.^[2]

On the TCS Tiger's Claw Major Taggart usually plays the part of the sage old man considering retirement.

One time, while flying with Dragon escorting a tanker, they encountered Khajja nar Ja'targk, who destroyed the tanker. At some other time, he encountered Salthis over Accord when he discovered that they always make specific movements.^[5]

He flew with Christopher Blair in the McAuliffe System.^[6]

Taggert retired from active duty. However, rather than leave military life for good, he transferred to Special Operations to work as a spy and under cover operative for the Confederation. During the intervening years he participated in a number of actions, including the Ghorah Khar incident, in which the Kilrathi colonists on the planet successfully rebelled against the Empire of Kilrah. During the entire course of his service in this field, he operated out of a heavily-modified Free Trader-class Transport named the TCS Bonnie Heather.

Paladin played a big part in Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi, advising Admiral Tolwyn on the situation within the Enigma Sector. After the attack on K'tithrak Mang, Christopher Blair joined Paladin to participate in a number of special operations.

Paladin continued to rise in prominence with the special services, eventually heading up a number of black projects designed to win the War against the Kilrathi swiftly and decisively. At the end of Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, he personally commanded the operation that led to the destruction of Kilrah and the end of the war, thanks to the use of the new Temblor Bomb. Taggart had recruited Angel to help him do vital re-con work for the project and he was aware of her death on Kilrah long before Blair. Paladin insisted that he withheld the truth from Blair to "protect him from himself".

Taggert's prominence after that battle gave him enough political clout to where he was elected president of the Confederation's Senate by the events of Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom. Despite his numerous complaints about the political backbiting involved in the job, he proved to be an able leader, guiding the Confederation through a crisis with the Union of Border Worlds, and the attack of the Nephilim. It is likely that part of his success as a politician is due to the close ties that he still maintains with his old friends in the intelligence service.

CharacterEdit

An effective wingleader, especialy appreciated for whis wingman skills. He has a reputation for protectiveness when flying wing. Pranksters often scrape the name "Paladin" from his cockpit and replace it with "Mother Hen".^[1]

MediaEdit

• James Taggart is one of the most important characters appearing in all five games of the main continuity, as a senior pilot (Wing Commander), a special operative (Wing Commander II), a general (Wing Commander III), a Senator (Wing Commander IV, and in Wing Commander: Prophecy). He also has significant appearances in many of the Wing Commander novels by Mercedes Lackey, Ellen Guon and William Forstchen.

• Paladin, as portrayed in WCIII, WCIV, and Prophecy, was played by John Rhys-Davies.

• In Wing Commander movie, Paladin was portrayed by Tchéky Karyo. James Taggart is half-Pilgrim, like the young Christopher Blair, and his presence foreshadowed the strong influence that he and Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn would have on young Blair's future career.

ReferencesEdit