Jacqui offered another explanation - the 'battle' was an illusion created by Zen
and wondered if the whole battle could be a means for the Liberator to 'get more crew'? The Liberator could be programmed to do this as part of its self-repair mechanisms ('Damage? Repair it. No crew? Get more.')
David The image of the battle seems to reflect a real battle in space. It opens with an image of five items (X's) on the periphery of an area of space
. . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /|\ . . . . . . . X . . . . . . .|. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . X . . . . . . .|. X . . . . | | "Our course takes us right through it." - Artix.
The image is static. Leylan tells Raiker the blast is coming from the top right-hand section, which is then zoomed in on. The new image is moving. The shot at the end is something like this:
_ _ . . . .. ./. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . / . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . / . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . / . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Three comet-like objects are seen in movement. Then a new sort of video is used (+ signs v. dots .), and five objects are seen to be moving. The first shot is:
____________________________________________________________ | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | |_| + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + + _ + + + + + |_| + + | | _ |_| | | + + |_| + + + + + + + + + | | |L| | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | |____________________________________________________________|
Each |_| is the head of a comet-like object. L is the fastest and the most noticeable. It executes a circular manoeuvre with great speed. The reason for the manoeuvre is not clear. The navigation controls are locked? The lifepods need to be launched while the ship is accelerating?
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It does this as two others approach and collide ____________________________________________________________ | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + _ + + + + + + + + + | | |_| | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + + + + + + +|L| + + + | | |_| | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | |_| |_| | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | |____________________________________________________________|
____________________________________________________________ | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + |_| + + + + + _ + + + | | |_| | | + + _ + + + + + + + + + + | | |_||_| _ | | + + + + + +|L| + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | |____________________________________________________________|
Having performed its circle, L is back roughly where it started when the collision (X) occurs. ____________________________________________________________ | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + + _ + + + + |_| + + + | | |_| | | + |X| + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + + + |L| + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | |____________________________________________________________|
____________________________________________________________ | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | /-----\ _ | | + / \ + _ + + + + |_| + + + | | | | |_| | | +| |X| | + + + + + + + + + | | | | | | + \ / + + + + + + + + + | | -----/ | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + + + |L| + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | |____________________________________________________________|
One of the colliding ships survives. Five ships have become four. L moves further away from the blast but now in a much straighter course. A dis-abled ship would move in such a fashion. ____________________________________________________________ | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + |_| + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + + + + + + + |_| + + | | _ | | + |_| + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | _ | | + + + + + + + |L| + + + + | |____________________________________________________________|
L then disappears off the bottom edge, the edge of the screen closest to the London, leaving only three craft, as shown in the following diagram. Leylan orders the London be taken around the area with a margin of 3 units wide
____________________________________________________________ | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | |_| | | + _ + + + + _ + + + + + + + | | |_| |_| | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | | | | + + + + + + + + + + + + | |____________________________________________________________| | |\ | | \ | |L| | Three | \ | Sub-Secs | \ | / | _| |/ | | | /======>> |London| | | // | | || | | || |
"Take us round it, with a three subsec margin from the outer limits of the action." - Leylan
London's new course is in effect an about-face because the shock waves that push the presumably disabled Liberator also push the London. In response they both adopt a course directly away from the centre of the action. This makes their courses either parallel or almost parallel and converging.
Blake and Avon now do the "You are a civilised man, Avon" scene; the outer hull gets punctured astern; and the vision panels cut out. Blake and Avon then do the Army-Of-Five scene; there is a shock wave in which Nova dies; and Avon knocks out the scanners. Raiker gets the prisoners to surrender. Then they encounter the Liberator. It all seems in accord with the idea that the battle was real, and that the Liberator was damaged in battle.
DC