Display MoreThe original Claw Marks opens with a 'letter from the editor' written by Aaron Allston's fictionalized version of himself. In a few paragraphs, it establishes a massive amount about the Wing Commander universe with a story about how the Tiger's Claw recently lost two pilots and the impact of their deaths is having on everything else. It talks about how this sort of tragic stalemate is now the state of the war and it genuinely colors everything else we ever think about the Wing Commander universe. The movie's story about World War I style replacements and veterans who've taught themselves not to feel comes directly from this page!
Space is a near-vacuum, as all good Academy graduates and most two-year-old children know. And 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 sloppiness, over-eagerness, and a variety of other fatal diseases. The ship'sstatistical resources show that avoidable casualties are up 5% over this time last year... and are up 9% over expected 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 ships 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, its still there.
Another: You won't be seeing 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.Later in the issue, Paladin explains what happened to Skinner and Dibbles in his Taggart's Tactics article, itself an excuse to teach you 'in universe' how to fly and thus play the game. Here we learn about how Dibbles was too eager and attacked a Kilrathi fighter that was pretending to be bait... and hey, that's something else that made it to the 1999 movie!
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 exactly like 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 some- what flaky wingman, pressed on towards the objective. Tooner did not immediately turn back, probably plannig 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 quite a while. But while he was in 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 benefit of Dibbles' unrecovered flight recorder, it doesn't take too much creativity to reconstruct what happened next. The second Jalthi moved 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 spon 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 Thiger'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.
Dibbles and Skinner aren't mentioned again in Wing Commander I. But if you squint just after you enter your callsign there's just a (tragic) hint...
In 1996, Kilrathi Saga added a little more to the story spinning off of that mention. You can read through the signatures in Blair's Academy yearbook where you'll find a note from him! Apparently Dibbles lost a trainsim match to new replacement pilot Maverick and now has to eat his flight suit... but he won't start until after his patrol. Hah, hah, hah. This is all extra fun to think about if you take into account the movie: this all must've happened off screen before the Pulsar Jump.
Yes that's right, Dibbles is mentioned in the Wing Commander movie! He's not in the original script but some dialogue was ADR'd in to Maniac and Rosie's first patrol. So he's already dead at this point!
So... who is this Dibbles guy? Or Dibber? Maybe just Dibbs. To answer that question, we're going to have to head to the Britannia System to talk to a farmer named Phillip. Here's how that went!
You see a sweaty and soiled farmer.
> HELLO
> Aye up lad, what's goin' on?
> NAME
My name is Phillip
> JOB
I work these fields, with me chum Dibbs.
> DIBBS
That's just me nickname for Christopher.
> CHRISTOPHER
He works the fields with me.
> FIELDS
It's an 'ard grind, but I shan't be doin' it long.
> LONG
I've plans to become an artist!
> ARTIST
'Till then I'll just keep workin' 'ere!
>GOODBYE
Cheerio!
Ah, so Dibbs is his nickname for... Christopher! Say, didn't CHRISTOPHER Roberts work on Ultima V? Let's see if he's around and ask him...
You see a dashing young farmer.
> HELLO
G'day, Avatar !
> JOB
I fiddle in the fields to keep me fed.
> DIBBLES
I see thou hast been speakin' with Phillip.
> PHILLIP
He's me mate!
> MATE
Friend.
> FIELDS
I pride myself in a job well done, even if one does not enjoy it.
> ENJOY
What I really enjoy is writing works of fantasy.
> WRITING
I'm currently working on an epic called 'Times of Lore!'
> TIMES OF LORE
I hope to have it published soon.
> PUBLISHED
Through Origin, of course.
Wilt thou buy it?
> YES
Good!
Enchanted, I'm sure, to have met such an enlightened soul.
What a nice chap thou art.
or
> NO
Then I'll be of little help to thee in the future!
> GOODBYE
Goodbye: Ta, mate.
So there you have it! The Dibbles who died before Wing Commander I and who Digital Anvil namedropped into the movie and the Dibber who set the top score in the Train Sim and the Dibs farming just outside Lord British's castle is Chris Roberts. It must have been his nickname before he became 'Maverick' after Wing Commander I! Dibbs reappears as... LIEUTENANT (!!!) Dibbs in Ultima Martian Dreams, but like the other Origin avatars transported to Mars his dialogue is no longer written as a stand in for the real person.
