Laurel Buckley

Laurel "Cobra" Buckley was a fictional character who appears in the fictional Wing Commander game series. She only appears in Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger (1994).

Laurel Buckley was a citizen of the Terran Confederation, and she lived with her family on the planet Enyo. When she was only ten years old, the Kilrathi attacked her planet, possibly in the infamous Enyo Engagement of 2634. Laurel and any surviving members of her family were then enslaved in labor camps, where Laurel would remain until she was twenty years old. She managed to escape from the Kilrathi after ten years of imprisonment, but her family was gone, and Laurel would forever be disturbed from the terrifying memories she had of the treatment she received from the Kilrathi.

Following her escape, Confed medical specialists and psychiatrists tried to cleanse Laurel of her painful memories, but a great deal of them still remained. Laurel forever held a deep hatred of the Kilrathi, and insisted that only total annihilation would ensure their total and well-deserved defeat. Afterwards, Laurel joined the air force, and with her brutal flying style against the Kilrathi, she rose through the ranks and became a popular wingman. By 2669, she had reached the rank of Lieutenant and was assigned to the TCS Victory, which was under the command of Captain William Eisen. Laurel's flying style earned her the callsign "Cobra", meaning that she was a lethal and dangerous foe. While on the Victory, Cobra could almost always be found sharpening her dagger, in the case that she should meet a Kilrathi face-to-face.

During the last months of the Kilrathi War in 2669, Cobra was forced to serve alongside Colonel Ralgha nar Hhallas, or "Hobbes", a Kilrathi pilot. Cobra despised Hobbes and insisted that he was not trustworthy. This put a strain on her relationship with her commanding officer, Colonel Christopher Blair, since he regarded Hobbes as a loyal friend. Throughout the game, Cobra took part in numerous campaigns against the incoming Kilrathi invaders, such as the campaign in the Tamayo System, the offensive in the Kilrathi-owned Ariel System, and the escort mission for the TCS Behemoth. Cobra was more than ready to see Kilrah be obliterated by the Behemoth, prompting Colonel Blair to ask Cobra about her terrifying life history. After the Behemoth was lost in combat against the Kilrathi while en route to Kilrah, Cobra investigated Hobbes' activities alongside Lieutenant Ted Rollins, the ship's paranoid comms officer. She believed that Hobbes transmitted the Behemoth's weak spots to the Kilrathi fleet since the Kilrathi seemed to know where to hit the poorly-shielded vessel. Many crew members did agree with Cobra that Hobbes was a threat, but Blair and some other pilots thought differently. Blair once again told Cobra to lay off of Hobbes, insisting that he was innocent.

While in the Alcor System, where the Terran Confederation prepared to field the Temblor Bomb to use in Confed's final attempt to destroy Kilrah, Cobra's suspicions about Hobbes proved true. Hobbes betrayed Confed and fled on a Thunderbolt 7-class Heavy Fighter to rejoin the Kilrathi. Cobra tried to stop him, but Hobbes slashed her with his claws on the flight deck. Blair, Captin Eisen, and Lt. Mitchell "Vaquero" Lopez found her, and she presented them with a datadisk she stole from Hobbes. It proved that he spied on Blair while he was briefed on the technical specifications of the Temblor Bomb, also proving that he provided the Kilrathi with the Behemoth's weak spots. Cobra told Blair to chase Hobbes, and then died from her wounds. Cobra's body was flown into space in a traditional space funeral. Colonel Blair later regretted doubting Cobra about Hobbes' true nature. Cobra was only thirty-eight years old, and is survived by no known family members.

Behind the Scenes
In the FMVs, Cobra was portrayed by B.J. Jefferson.