Star Wars and all related characters and concepts are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm. No profit is made, or copyright infringement intended, through this work of fiction. All original characters are my own creation.

Stars snapped into focus as his X-Wing dropped out of hyperspace and Wedge Antilles looked ahead of him. He knew that many fighter pilots immediately looked at their instruments when emerging from hyperspace, but he preferred to see things with his own eyes first. Ahead of him, he could make out the boxy shape of the freighter Blue Nova several klicks away. And she was under attack. Even from this distance, he could make out the small shapes flitting around her and the staccato pulses of laser fire. Dropping his visor into place, he keyed his comm.
'Rogue Leader to Squadron, set your S-foils to attack position.' He ordered, matching actions to words as he flipped the switch on the side of the cockpit, the wings splitting into the distinctive shape that gave his fighter its name. Designed by the Incom Corporation, it's was armed with four laser cannons and two proton torpedo launchers which, combined with its rugged balance of speed and durability made it a versatile combat craft. While considerably more expensive than Imperial TIE Fighters or Republic ARC-170's, they could easily hold their own against superior numbers of their contemporaries.
'One and Two Flights, with me.' Wedge ordered and Biggs replied. ''Rogue 5, acknowledged.'
'Three Flight, cover our six.'
'Rogue 9 copies, Leader.' Hobbie Klivan said, with a repressed sigh and Wedge pushed his throttle, leading the other seven fighters down towards the Blue Nova. Now, he consulted his sensors, identifying two different types of craft flitting around the freighter. The first were Z-95 Headhunters, 'little brothers' to the X-Wing, a common sight in security forces and local militias. It took him a moment to identify the others as Supa Fighters. They were a modern fighter design, having quickly been adopted by pirate and mercenary groups. Despite only having three laser cannons, they were more heavily armoured that the X-Wing, with only slightly less manoeuvrability.
'Listen up, Rogues.' He said. 'Two Flight, break left and circle around. One Flight, pick your targets, but don't engage targeting locks yet. I want to catch them by surprise. Two Flight, break left and circle around. When we've got their attention, hit their flank.'
'Rogue 6, acknowledged.'
Biggs said, leading his Flight around towards the freighter to use it as cover on their approach. As they approached, Wedge picked out the fighter nearest to him and placed his crosshairs over it, counting down the seconds until they were in optimal firing range.
'One Flight, fire on my mark.' He ordered. '3, 2, 1, mark.'
He squeezed the trigger, a hail of red bolts lancing out to pepper the fighter, its shields sparked for a second, the bolts punching through to the fuselage and it exploded. A quick glance at his sensors showed that three more Supas had also been destroyed, the rest abandoning their attack on the freighter's escorts and turning to intercept them.
'Evasive manoeuvres.' Wedge ordered, peeling off with Kirst behind him, dodging the incoming fire from a pair of Supas. Then, they both detonated, two X-Wings sweeping through the expanding fireball and Wedge allowed himself a grim smile, catching sight of Biggs giving him a cocky salute. The manoeuvre had got them a few early kills, but there were plenty of Supas left to deal with.
'Break by pairs.' He ordered. 'Engage at will.'
This was the most dangerous part of any dogfight, when the initial pass was over and it could quickly get very complicated. Well, they would just have to cut the odds a bit.
'With me, Two.' Wedge said, pairing his lasers and diving into the dogfight. While not as powerful as a quad linked shot, the greater rate of fire would fare better against the well-shielded and agile Supas. Diving down, he opened up at maximum range, stitching his target with laser blasts, an explosion ripping across its frame, shearing off one wing.
'Leader, break right.' Kirst yelled and Wedge rolled out, a Supa fighter blasting past him with Kirst hot on its tail. She fired a quad burst that punched through its shields and a second that clipped its wing, sending it into a spiral.'
'Leader, Nine. New contacts launching from Blue Nova.' Hobbie said.
'Type?' Wedge
'Not sure. Slow moving. Low acceleration curve. Transports?' He said and Wedge nodded.
'Makes sense. They've been raiding the freighter. Rogue Nine, intercept them.'
'Acknowledged, Leader.' Hobbie said. 'Three Flight, with me.'
Wedge dove back into the fight, shooting down another Supa fighter and
Wedge shot down another Supa, as Hobbie reported.
'Sorry, Leader. They've jumped to hyperspace and the fighters are bugging out.'
'Acknowledged, Nine. Rogue Squadron, form up. We'll fly cover for the Blue Nova until they jump to hyperspace.'
He cut the comm and shoved up his visor.
Dammit...

YAVIN IV

Wedge shut down his X-Wing and climbed down the ladder to the hanger floor, nodding towards the Technician and looked around at the other Rogues, standing around chatting in small groups or leaning against their fighters with their eyes closed. They looked at tired as he felt. He turned to Biggs, who put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly.
'Good flying, Rogues.' Wedge said, as the noise died away. 'We'll debrief in two hours. Dismissed.'
The Rogues broke up and wandered away, muttering about sleep and food, and Wedge watched them go before wandering out of the Hanger, not really caring where he was going. He knew that there was nothing that he could have done to stop the Pirates making off with the cargo, and that they had saved a lot of lives, but he never liked to fail. His wandering took him to one of the ramparts that ran around the outside of the Temple and he leant against the stone, enjoying the wind on his face. Despite having grown up on his parent's refuelling station in orbit around Corellia, he enjoyed feeling the wind on his face and the sun warming his back. He took a deep breathe, letting his anger drift away as he stared out at the forest. There was nothing he could do about it now.
'Wedge?'
Hearing the voice, he turned, his face breaking into a grin.
'Luke? I didn't know you were here. When did you get back?' He asked, enfolding his old friend in a quick, backslapping hug. With his mop of sandy hair and earnest expression, he still looked like a Farmboy, despite the lightsaber at his waist.
'A couple of hours ago. I'm just stopping over on my way to Fest. One of our agents hasn't checked in. It's probably nothing, but I need to check it out.'
Wedge nodded. Alliance agents were covertly operating across the Outer Rim and they sometimes needed to lie low to avoid detection.
'You got time for a drink before you head out?' Wedge asked and Luke nodded.
'My X-Wing's still being refuelled. Come on.'

Biggs snagged a mug of ale from the tray that Jek had just placed on the table, taking a deep swig and wiping the foam from his beard, looking around at the others. Across from him sat Plourr Ilo, his face set into her perpetual scowl as she looked around the room, her muscular shoulders flexing. On either side of her sat Dak Ralter and Kirst Meridian, her long blonde bangs and serious expression a counterpoint to his dark hair and cheeky grin. Finally, there was Jek Porkins, heavyset and stocky, with a cheerful, good natured expression that never failed to leave his face.
'We sure showed them, huh?' Dak said, clapping Kirst on the shoulder and she scowled at him.
'Yeah, apart from the fact that they got away, and we couldn't do anything to stop them.'
'We shot down twelve fighters today.' Dak countered. 'That's pretty good. And we'll deal with the rest of them.'
'Yeah, but what good has it done?' Kirst said. 'The Empire and the Republic don't care about what happens out here, as long as it doesn't affect their territory. It's down to them that Black Sun and the Hutts were able to get so powerful in the first place.'
'It's not that simple.' Biggs said. 'There's plenty of powerful planets in the Outer Rim; the Hapans, the Tion Cluster, Corellia. If the other galactic powers came in heavy handed to restore order, it could cause a civil war.'
'Then, why did you defect from the Empire?' Dak asked.
'I didn't defect.' Biggs said, an edge creeping into his voice. 'I finished my tour and was discharged. And the Alliance can do more here than the Empire or the Republic. Many of the independent worlds support us and we can go where the Empire or Republic can't.'
'Subtlety isn't their strong point.' Jek agreed. 'But, what we're doing here isn't easy. Many worlds do business with the Hutts and Black Sun has eyes everywhere. If they could, they'd move against us.'
Biggs' Datapad beeped and he glanced down at it.
'Drink up.' He said, picking up his mug again. 'We've got a mission.'

Wedge stood in the middle of the briefing room as the Rogues filed in, watching as they took their seats. Of the 12 members of the squadron, four of them were veteran members of Red Squadron, Wedge's first unit; namely, Jek Porkins, Biggs Darklighter, Cesi 'Doc' Eirissi and Ans Nesni. Of the rest, Plourr Ilo, Dak Ralter, Ten Numb, Hobbie Klivan and Standro Jcir had all been with the Rogues for over a year and each had proven themselves. That left Jolk Kavvar and Kirst Meridian. Both were new transfers to his squadron, on their first assignment after the Academy. Jolk was a human male from Bespin whose experience with their native Cloudcars made him a skilled atmospheric pilot, although he still struggled a little in deep space operations. Kirst was a human female from Centares with a headstrong nature and tough exterior who kept her squad mates at arm's length. They both had potential, but needed a few rough edges knocked off. Wedge waited until they were all seated and then dimmed the lights, activating the holoprojector, displaying an image of the Supa Fighters that they had engaged, along with a red glyph that hung in the air next to them.
'Alright. Let's get started. Intelligence has reviewed the footage from our flight recorders and they've identified the Pirates that attacked the Blue Nova. The sigils on their fighters belong to the Cutters, a pirate group operating from Bestin IV. Over the last six months, they've confined themselves to attacking Bestin's shipyards and orbital facilities. This was considered a matter of local security, but the attack on the Blue Nova changed that.'

Wedge manipulated the holo-projector, display the images of two figures, side by side.

'This is Darc Karian, a former pilot in the Bestin militia.' Wedge said, pointing to the taller of the two figures dressed in military fatigues, his blond hair cut extremely short.

'Our Intelligence is sketchy, but we do know that Darc was shot down on a mission a year ago and presumed dead by his Commanders. How he survived is unknown, but it's reasonable to assume that he formed the Cutters to get revenge against the Government that abandoned him.'

Wedge gestured to the other figure, a shorter man with tattered clothes and a sharp face.

'This is Gann Sooda, Darc's right hand man. He was a small time mercenary and smuggler until he was hired by Sooda. Alliance High Command has authorised us deploy to Bestin, locate the Cutters and destroy their operation. Briefing packages have been transmitted to your Astromechs. We'll depart in one hour. Dismissed.'

Wedge checked his sensors as they roared down through Bestin's atmosphere, picking up no sign that their entry had attracted any undue attention. Unlike the systems controlled by the Empire or the Republic, the only law in Wild Space was what the local governments provided, so a squadron of snubfighters would not attract any undue attention. As long as they kept their speed low, the sensor operators would assume that they were lower performance craft rather than a squadron of X-Wings. However, in the Outer Regions, there were people that would not see the arrival of the Alliance as good news, so they would have to be careful. However, there were other worlds that were allied with them and provided them support, like Darc, Kashyyk and Ryloth. While neither the Empire nor the Republic officially sanctioned them, they didn't care much about what went on beyond their borders as long as it posed no threat to them.
'Got a bearing for us, Gate?' Wedge asked and his Astromech beeped indignantly, making him grin as the numbers appeared on the screen.
'Alright, alright. Good work.'
Checking his sensors again, Wedge adjusted his heading to the new bearing, the island quickly coming into view ahead of him and his HUD flashed as Gate located the cave entrance. Wedge led the Rogues through the rocky cavern, guiding them into land in a large cavern that could easily have housed two squadrons. Wedge activated his comm, keeping his engines running.
'Biggs, you're in charge here. Get everything set up. Dak, Plourr and Kirst, you're with me.

Wedge led his impromptu flight towards Korak, the nearest spaceport. Even though they could have landed there first, this way they concealed their full numbers. After getting permission to land from the bored sounding flight controller, they set down on the landing field and Wedge clambered out of his cockpit, pulling a leather jacket on over his flight suit.

'Alright. We need to get the lay of the land and try and gather some local Intel. Priorities are spare parts, fuel and any charts that you can find. Information about the Cutters is a bonus, but don't blow our cover by pressing too hard. We'll rendezvous back here in an hour.'
The Rogues nodded and they split up, each heading their own ways and Wedge smiled to himself. He'd chosen each of them specifically for this assignment due to their experiences of backwater worlds. Both Dak and Kirst had grown up in similar places and, while Kirst was still new to the Squadron, he suspected that they would both blend in. While he knew less about Plourr's history, she was more than capable of handling herself and few people were brave enough to lie to her. Wedge waited until they were out of sight and then strolled after them, his hands shoved into his pockets, feeling the reassuring weight of his blaster under his jacket. Spaceports were seedy places and if the odd drifter turned up dead in an alley, then no-one would pay much attention. But, if anyone tried anything with his pilots, they'd quickly come to regret it. As he wandered across the landing pad, he saw a T-47 Airspeeder come into land, two heavy cannons mounted on the front and he watched as the cockpit opened and two dark-skimmed youths climbed out. They removed their helmets revealing and he saw that they were twins, one green haired and one blue.
He watched them go and then shook his head, carrying on his way. They couldn't have been much older than sixteen years old.
Like you were any older when you first started flying.

Wedge stepped into the mechanics shop, the air filled with the whine of tools and the smell of machine oil. The room seemed to be deserted, except for the pair of boots sticking out from under an S-37 Landspeeder. As he walked over, a voice said.
'Alluvial dampeners are totally shot, Ghia. Where's those hydrospanners?'
The figure crawled out from under the Landspeeder and Wedge recognised one of the girls that he'd seen at the spaceport. Her blue hair and dark-skinned face, as well as her overalls, were streaked with grease and oil. Seeing Wedge, she frowned and got to her feet.
'Hang on. Ghia!' She shouted, stamping past him, nearly bumping into the other girl as she emerged from the back room, a toolkit in one hand. Despite her green hair, Wedge saw the similarity between them and realised that they were twins.
'Keep your shirt, Tia!' Ghia snapped. 'I was only gone thirty seconds.'
'Whatever. Take over.' She said, gesturing with her thumb towards the speeder and turned towards Wedge.
'What do you need?'
'Snubfighter parts and fuel.' Wedge said.
'Oh, yeah. I saw you at the Hanger. T-65 X-Wings, right?' She said, chewing her bottom lip. 'Fuel, that's no problem, we can help you there. As for spares parts, you might as well forget it. We've got a couple of junked T-47 Skyhoppers outside, but most of the good parts have already been scavenged.'
She met Wedge's gaze evenly and he shrugged.
'Alright. Do you know anyone else that...?'
Wedge's head snapped up as he heard the roar of engines, a second before a fighter swooped overhead, raining laser fire down on the spaceport. Instinctively, Wedge ducked, drawing his blaster pistol, even though it was useless against starfighters. He watched as the fighter swooped round, laser cannons firing again and something exploded, the street lights failing around him.
Damn. They took out the power generator. Surgical strikes, which means they want the place intact. For now.
Another explosion rocked the city and Wedge stood up, bracing to make a run across the street. It would be a dangerous trek back to the spaceport, but he didn't have a lot of choice.
'What are you doing?' Tia asked, at his side. 'You're not going out there?'
'I've got to get back to the Hanger.' Wedge said and she grabbed his arm.
'Wait. There's another way. Come on.' She crossed the workshop floor and pulled open a grill in the floor, just as Ghia appeared carrying two backpacks. They strapped them on and Ghia dropped through the grate, disappearing into the darkness.
'Go.' Tia said and Wedge followed Ghia down, his boots ringing on a metal grating as he landed, Tia dropping down after him and closing the grill. Without a word, they set off along the tunnels and, loosening his blaster in its holster, Wedge followed. He didn't know where they were going, but anywhere was better than being topside right now.
'Where are we?' Wedge asked, and one of the Tia glanced over her shoulder.
'Maintenance tunnels. They run all under the spaceport, but hardly anyone uses them anymore.'
'You're telling me.' Wedge said, brushing a trailing cable out of his way. 'Do they connect to the Hanger?'
'That's where we're going. Our T-47's there.'
'You're going to make a break for it?' Wedge asked. 'Those fighters will shoot you down before you get two klicks.'
'They can try.' She said. 'Besides, do you have a better idea?'
'Maybe.'
'Wait here.' Wedge whispered, prying open the grate and dropping to the hanger floor, looking up into the business end of four blasters.
Uh-oh...

'Wedge?' Plourr's voice came from the shadows and the blasters were lowered. 'How'd you get here?'
'I had some help.' Wedge said, getting to his feet as Tia and Ghia emerged from the grate. 'What's the situation?'
'The Cutters have disabled the power to the spaceport and they've landed transports to the west, but we're not sure why.'
'The warehouses.' Tia said. 'They'll steal whatever they can and destroy what they can't.'
'Alright. We need to get out of here. What's our status?'
'We're good to go. What's the plan?'
'Dak, you're with me.' Wedge said. 'Plourr, Kirst, wait 30 seconds and then launch. Stick together and keep the fighters off the spaceport.'
Wedge climbed into his cockpit and pulled his helmet on, grateful that Gate had already run the pre-flight checks.
'Thanks, Gate.' He said. 'Let's go, Rogues.' He punched his throttle and blasted out of the hanger with Dak close behind. Below him, several fires were burning throughout the spaceport and Supa fighters darted around, strafing indiscriminately.
'Cover my six, Seven.' Wedge ordered. 'Let's give them something else to think about.'
He stooped into a dive, opening fire on a Supa fighter from range, his shots clipping its engines and the pilot pulled up. Then, his damaged drives overloaded and his fighter exploded, spiralling away to splash down in the sea. Laser fire sparked on Wedge's shields and he rolled left, but the Supa fighter stayed with him, another shot bringing down his rear shields. Chopping back his throttle, Wedge rolled out and reversed course, blasting head on towards the Supa fighter, dual lasers punching through its shields and severing a power conduit, the explosion blowing off one wing and he allowed himself a grim smile. Supa fighters had a longer, narrower profile compared to the X-Wing, but that worked against them in a head to head pass.
'This is Eight. We're in trouble, here.'
'With me, Two.' Wedge ordered, his HUD marking Plourr's location and he saw her and Kirst skimming low across the spaceport, four Supas hot on their tail.
'Eight, maintain your course. We're on your six.'
Wedge pushed his throttle forward and dived, linking his lasers to single fire and opening up from maximum distance, scattering laser fire across the Supas. Being so intent on their targets, the pilots were caught unawares and they reacted on instinct, pulling up to get out of the field of fire. However, they were flying too close and one Supa fighter struck another, clipping its wing and sending both of them into an uncontrolled descent. Kirst and Plourr were quick to capitalise, pulling up after the remaining Supas and gunning them down.
Wedge pulled up above the battle and looked around, frowning as he spotted the Airspeeder making an attack run on one of the Supas.
What in the name of the Force are they doing?
The Airspeeders' oversized cannons fired twice, punching through their shields and ripping the fighter apart. However, another Supa dropped on their tail and began opening fire. The Airspeeder dodged left, its rear cannon sparking against the Supas shields and Wedge bit back a curse. The T-47 had no shields. One direct hit and they were dead. Pushing his throttle forward, Wedge linked his cannons for dual-fire and closed with the Supa fighter. He'd only have one chance at this. The Airspeeder jinked and dodged, keeping one step ahead of the Supa, but it was only a matter of time before the pilot got lucky. At nearly point blank range, Wedge's finger tightened on the trigger, stitching the Supa fighter with fire and, as its shields collapsed, he fired a quad burst that destroyed it.
'Gate, get me their comm frequency now.'
Gate beeped an affirmative and the frequency popped up on Wedge's screen. Angrily, he punched the number into his comm unit.
'T-47 A1, return to the Hanger immediately.'
However, there was no answer, so he keyed his comm again.
'Tia. Ghia. Get back to the Hanger, now. It's too hot out here.'
'This is our home.' Tia shot back. 'We're not going to let these guys destroy it.'
She cut off the comm and Wedge switched back to the Squadron frequency.
'Rogues 8 and 11 escort T-47 A1 and get them out of here.'
They acknowledged, just as Dak came over the comm
'Leader, Seven. Transports have lifted off from the other side of the spaceport and the fighters are pulling back. Shall we pursue?'
'Negative, Nine. We've done all we can here and we're burning fuel. Rogue group, form up on me.'
'What about the spaceport? They've been hit hard.' Kirst asked and Wedge shook his head.
'There's nothing we can do, Rogue 11, and our mission comes first. Transmit a distress call to the nearest shipyard and launch an emergency beacon. Hopefully, they'll offer assistance.'
He hesitated for a second, before switching his comm to the Airspeeders frequency.
'...Tia? Ghia?'
He waited a second, but there was no answer.
'They'll pay for this, I promise. But, we need to go. There's nothing more we can do here.'
To his relief, he saw the Airspeeder turn around, forming up with the rest of the group.
Yes, they'll pay...

They left the spaceport behind, four X-Wings and one Airspeeder, returning to their base, where they were greeted by Biggs.
'Wedge? Thank the Force. We were about to come looking for you. What happened?'
'We had a little trouble.' Wedge answered. 'I'll fill you in later. What's our status?'
'Main power's been restored and we've found a fuel processor on the lower level. Karl's trying to get it operational, now. Ten and Jek are on watch, everyone else is getting some downtime.'
'Good.' Wedge said, turning to Dak, Plourr and Kirst, gesturing them over.
'Well done.' He said, keeping his voice low. 'There was nothing else we could have done. Get some rest.'
Wedge watched as they left the Hanger, his gaze lingering on Kirst as she trailed behind the two of them, her hands shoved in her pockets.
'Wedge?' Biggs asked, snapping him out of his reverie. 'Who are they?'
Biggs glanced towards Tia and Gia who had already opened the access panels on the fuselage of their Airspeeder and were tinkering inside.
'Survivors from the spaceport.' Wedge answered, dismissing Biggs and walking over to them.
'You flew well out there.' Wedge said. 'I'm sorry we couldn't do more.'
'It's okay.' Tia said, without looking up. 'We'll just need to make a few repairs and we'll get out of your way?'
'Where will you go?' Wedge asked and Ghia shrugged.
'We'll figure something out. We always do.'
'Why don't you stick around for a while?' Wedge said. 'I could use another couple of mechanics here and we've got plenty of spare bunks.'
'Really?' Tia asked, and Wedge nodded.
'Really. Chief Donalyll.' Wedge called and his Chief Mechanic approached, wiping his hands on a rag.
'Captain?' He said, saluting.
'I've got some extra hands for you.' Wedge said, ushering Tia and Ghia forward.
'Give them a crash course in X-Wing maintenance, will you?'
'...yes, sir.'

Two hours later, Wedge gathered the Rogues, along with Tia and Ghia, in their makeshift briefing room. Surreptiously, he glanced at the twins, who were huddled together, pouring over X-Wing holoschematics. Kirst sat next to them, looking harassed as they kept asking her questions, but at least it was taking her mind off what had happened yesterday.
'Let's get started.' Wedge said, the chatter dying away as the Rogues looked round, although Kirst had to nudge Ghia in the ribs.
'We need to find out where the Cutters are operating from and what their next move will be. To do that, we'll need to infiltrate their organisation. According to the information we managed to gather from our enquiries at the spaceport, we have a lead.'
He activated the holoprojector, displaying the image of a seedy looking tavern.
'This is the Den. According to the information that Plourr managed to gather, it's a frequent haunt for drifters, smugglers, mercenaries and assorted low-lifes. While we're not likely to run into the Cutters there, we may well find someone who knows them. This is the plan. Myself and Kirst will pose as mercenaries, saying that we're looking for work and are not afraid to get our hands dirty. Dak and Jek will act as back-up during that phase of the operation. Hopefully, word will get back to the Cutters and we'll be able to make contact. If successful, we'll try to infiltrate their organisation and learn what they're planning. Biggs, you'll be in command until I get back. If you don't hear from us in 24 hours, scrub the mission and return to Yavin. Is that clear?'
'...Yes, Wedge.' Biggs said.
'Alright. Any questions?'
'Hang on.' Hobbie said. 'Why would the Cutters risk something like that?'
'They've take losses and they'll be looking for new pilots.' Wedge replied.' That gives us a way in.'
'What about us?' Tia asked and Wedge frowned.
'You're to stay here and assist Chief Donalyll.'
'But, we can help you.' Ghia said. 'We know our way around The Den and...'
'You'll stay here.' Wedge repeated. 'Dismissed.'

'Corellian ale.' Wedge said. 'For two.'
The bartender scowled until Wedge laid two credit chips on the bar, pouring two shots. Taking a shot of his ale, Wedge looked around the dingy bar, resisting the urge to check that his blaster was still in its holster. Turning back to the bartender, he took out a larger credit chip and held it up.
'I hear that there's work to be had for pilots around here.' He said.
'Try the shipyards.' The bartender said, without looking up
'That's not the sort of work I had in mind.' Wedge said, meaningfully. The bartender regarded him for a moment and then picked up the cred chip and walked away without a word. Wedge took another sip of his whiskey, looking around the crowded, dingy bar. He couldn't see Jek and Dak anywhere and he had to hope that was a good thing. A shadow fell across Wedge and he looked up to see a blond haired man standing over him. He was wearing a faded flight jacket with the Cutters' crossed-dagger emblem emblazoned on his sleeve, Wedge recognising him from the Intel files as Vin Sooda, Darc's right hand man.
'I hear you're looking for work.' Vin said and Wedge nodded, taking another swig of his whiskey.
'That's right.'
'And why should I trust you?' Vin asked.
Wedge stood up, meeting his gaze and Vin held it for a second, barking a short laugh.
'Good answer. As it happens, we've got an opening. But, you'll have to prove yourself first. We've got a little job going down now and we're a little short-handed. You up for it?'
Wedge resisted the urge to glance around for Jek and Dak, feeling his stomach go cold. This wasn't part of the plan, but it was too good an opportunity to miss. He turned to Kirst, who nodded, pushing her seat back and standing up.
'We're in.'

Wedge and Kirst left the cantina with Sooda and followed him outside to an old Airspeeder, and he gestured to the backseat.
'Get in.'
Wedge exchanged a glance with Kirst and opened the door, climbing inside. Kirst followed him inside and closed the door, sitting back in the seat with her arms folded across her chest. Wedge had to admire her composure; she may still problems with her discipline, but she was playing her part well.
If it is an act.
Wedge didn't know much about her background, but she'd spent some time bouncing around some rough places, so she may have been in similar situations before. Hopefully, he'd get the chance to ask her sometime.
Wedge shook himself clear of his musings as Sooda climbed into the front and the Landspeeder set off, taking a convoluted route through the backstreets that Wedge recognised as an attempt to shake off any pursuit. After a few minutes, they pulled up and Sooda said
'We're here.'
Wedge and Kirst climbed out, finding themselves in the middle of a large hanger. Clearly, the Cutters were hiding in plain sight.
Old tricks are the best tricks. Wedge thought.
Standing in the centre of the hanger was Darc, watching them with his arms folded as they approached.
'Impressive.' Wedge said. 'Supa Fighters?' He asked and Darc nodded.
'Yes. Ever flown one before?'
'Once. Out in the Corporate Sector. Private security for the Viraxo. Tough ships.'
'Yeah, they can take a pounding. Now, we're on the clock here. Get suited up.' He said, gesturing to the doorway behind them and Wedge lead Kirst inside. Grabbing two flight suits from a locker, he passed one to Kirst and struggled into the other.
'Follow my lead out there, Eleven.' He said, passing over her helmet and she nodded.
'I'm on your wing, Leader. Let's do this.'

I've got to admit. Wedge thought, grudgingly. Whoever designed these knew what they were doing.
While the Supa fighter was slightly less well-armed than the X-Wing, its speed and manoeuvrability were easily comparable and its armour was superior. If this mission hadn't been so dangerous, then he might have been enjoying himself. They had left the Hanger behind, maintaining comm silence as they headed out of the city and over the ocean. Darc was flying in the lead, his fighter decorated with a stylised skull on the cockpit. Then, Wedge's sensors pinged and he looked out of the viewport, spotting a craft ahead, recognising as a trawler boat. They were commonly used by the shipyards to transport cargo between their facilities.
'Listen up.' Darc said, his voice crackling in his headset. 'Our target is the trawler boat. Cutter-Two, with me. Three and Four, watch our backs.'
Wedge clicked his comm in acknowledgement, watching as Darc and his wing man swept away towards the trawler, his hand tightening on the control stick.
Can't warn them without blowing our cover.
As Darc swept towards the trawler, Wedge saw something rising from the deck, recognising it as a deck gun. If he kept quiet, then they might smoke Darc, but if he didn't, then he wouldn't trust them.
'One, break off.' He ordered. 'Mounted gun, rear deck.'
Darc and his wingman rolled out, pulling up as the gun fired, green laser fire slicing through the air where they had just been. Then, the main hold of the trawler opened and two Z-95s shot skyward, zeroing in on Darc.
'What are you waiting for?' Darc snarled. 'Get these guys off us!'
'Three, they're just doing their jobs.' Kirst said and Wedge felt his throat tighten, knowing what had to be done.
'Kill or be killed, Four.' He replied. 'Us or them.'
Wedge swept towards the two Z-95s and targeted the first one, hesitating for a second. This was just a pilot who'd been paid to fly for a living. He wasn't Wedge's enemy.
So? Another part of him said. Most of the people you've shot down weren't your enemy, they were just on the other side. Smugglers. Spice runners. Imperial pilots. You knew that this was part of the job when you signed on. And there's more at stake here than two lives.
Gritting his teeth, Wedge tightened his finger on the trigger, his first shot punching through the Z-95s shields, the second hitting the engine pod, the explosion tearing it apart. Even before the second Z-95 could react, Kirst's fire destroyed it and Wedge keyed his comm.
'You're clear, One.'
'Copy.' Darc said, swooping down towards the Trawler and firing, a pinpoint shot that destroyed the deck gun and he keyed his comm.
'Cover the deck, Three.' He ordered, he and his wingman sweeping their fighters in to land on the front of the deck. Wedge saw them emerge from beneath the fighters, blaster pistols drawn. They headed for the wheelhouse, Darc kicking the door open and there was a flash of blaster fire.
'Leader...' Kirst said, her voice sounding pained.
'I know, Eleven.' Wedge said. 'Stay focused.'
Looking out of the viewport, he saw the Trawler turning around and Darc came over the comm.
'We're done here. Follow us.'
'Acknowledged.'

'Keep it down.' Ghia hissed, as Tia's boot clunked against the side of the air vent. 'Do you want to give us away?'
Tia stuck out here tongue and Ghia grinned. It had been easy enough to slip away from Karl, hotwire one of the Landspeeders lying around the Hanger and follow Wedge and Kirst to the Cantina. When they'd seen them leave with the Cutters, they'd followed them here.
This'll show Wedge that...huh?
Ghia stopped crawling, Tia bumping into her with an indignant grunt.
'What are you...?
'Sshhh!' Ghia pressed her finger to her lips and beckoned Tia forward, pointing down through a grill to the Hanger floor. Below them, one of the Cutters was yelling at another.
'...supposed to have finished those checks by now.'
'I was just getting to...'
'Nerfbrain! If we miss the convoy tomorrow because these fighters aren't ready, then Darc's going to space us both. Now, come on.'
He gave him a shove and Ghia sat back, grinning at Tia.
'C'mon. We need to get back and let the Rogues know.'
Quickly, they retraced their steps, returning to the access panel they had used to get in. Ghia gently popped and it and Tia slipped through, closing it behind them.
'Now, let's get...' She started, just as a shadow fell over them and she looked round to see Sooda aiming a blaster at them.
Uh-oh...

Wedge guided his Supa fighter into the hanger and shut down the cockpit systems, opening the hatch beneath his feet and climbing down, feeling bone tired. Kirst had also disembarked and was leaning against her fighter's landing strut, a trace of pain visible in her eyes for a second. Wedge was tempted to go and talk to her when Darc appeared, his hands tucked in his belt.
'Good flying.' He said, pulling out two credit chips and pressing them into Wedge's hand. 'I've got another little job tomorrow, if you're interested.
'What sort of job?'
'That's my business. You want paying, be back here tomorrow at 0800. Otherwise, beat it.'
'We'll be here.'
Wedge pocketed the credit chips and returned to Kirst, putting a hand on her shoulder.
'Come on. Let's get out of here.'
She nodded, then her eyes widened.
'Look.' She said, quietly, looking over his shoulder and Wedge followed her gaze, his heart leaping into his throat.
What the hell...?
Across the Hanger, he saw Tia and Ghia being shoved through a doorway by Sooda, his blaster trained on them.
Sithspawn...

Wedge strolled across the Hanger towards the door that he'd seen Tia and Ghia taken through and opened it, stepping through casually. At the end of the corridor, he saw Sooda shove them through another doorway, sealing it shut and slipping the code key in his pocket. Sooda turned and saw Wedge, his eyes narrowing into a scowl.
'Whaddya you want?' He snarled and Wedge brushed past him, thumping the bars, making them jump.
'You!' He growled. 'You little rats picked my pockets last night.' He said, glancing at Sooda. 'Hey, how about giving me five minutes alone with them?'
'Boss says nobody's to go near them.' Sooda said, folding his arms. 'He'll deal with himself, you can bet on it.'
'Okay.' Wedge said, with a shrug. 'Worth a try.'
His punch struck Sooda across the jaw, knocking him against the wall. Faster than Wedge expected, he recovered, swinging a punch towards his head. Wedge turned the blow aside and grabbed Sooda's arm, taking him down with a shoulder throw. He tried to rise and Wedge's boot struck him across the jaw, knocking him out cold. Quickly, Wedge grabbed the code key from his belt and unlocked the cell, gesturing to Tia and Ghia.
'What are you two doing here?' He yelled
'We were...' Tia began and Wedge cut them off.
'That was a rhetorical question.' He snapped. 'Come on.'

Wedge eased open the door and walked quickly across the hanger to the Supa fighters, with Tia and Ghia following behind him when a shout rang out.
'Hey! Where are you taking them?'
Shoving Tia and Ghia past him, Wedge's snatched his blaster from inside his jacket and snapped off a shot that caught the man in the chest, pitching him backwards.
'Move.' Wedge ordered, urging the twins ahead of him, glancing back to see Cutters running towards them with blasters drawn and he pulled out his comlink.
'Kirst, now.'
Laser fire from Kirst's Supa fighter chewed across the hanger deck, making the Cutter's dive for cover. Wedge sprinted after the twins, reaching the underside of the Supa fighters.
'Ghia, with Kirst.' He snapped, urging her up the ladder into her fighter and dragging Tia with him.
'Go on.' Wedge said and she scrambled up the ladder, Wedge following right behind her and Wedge flinging himself into the pilot's seat, Tia was already strapping herself in and he punched the quick start, keying his comm.
'You all set, Kirst?'
'Good to go, Leader.'
'Alright. Punch it.'
Kirst lifted off and Wedge followed, ruddering round and targeting one of the other fighters, squeezing the trigger. The laser blasts punched through the fuselage and the fighter detonated, the fireball sending several Cutters flying and he ruddered round, punching out of the hanger. Catching up to Kirst, he checked his sensors, seeing no sign of pursuit.
'Stay low, Kirst.' He ordered. 'We need to get clear before we make the run back to base.'
'Copy that, Leader.' She said and Wedge turned to Tia and Ghia.
'You alright?' He asked and they both nodded.
'Good. Hang tight. We'll be clear soon.' He said, managing to keep the anger from his voice with an effort.

Wedge parked the speeder in the middle of the hanger and shut down the engine, just as Biggs came running over.
Wedge climbed down from his cockpit, as Biggs came running across the hanger.
'Wedge, we've got a problem. Tia and Ghia have...oh.'
Biggs stopped as Wedge jerked his thumb backwards as Tia and Ghia descended from the cockpits.
'Over here. Now!' He barked as Biggs gestured to Kirst, the two of them leaving the Hanger.
'You've blown this entire operation. You do realise that, don't you?' Wedge said.
'There's no way we'll be able to try again. The Cutters will be on the lookout now and they may even move their operation. And we've still got no idea what they're planning.'
'Actually, we do.' Tia said and Ghia nodded. 'When we we're sneaking around, we heard one of the Cutters say something a convoy and needing to be ready by tomorrow.'
'Are you sure?' Wedge asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 'There's a convoy due to reach Bestin tomorrow, carrying refined ore for the shipyards.' He said, his face breaking into a grim smile.
'We've got them. Alright, you two. Go and get something to eat. But, if you ever do anything that stupid again, I'll have you two stripping down and cleaning all the X-Wings hydraulic systems. Is that clear?'
'Yes, sir.'

Wedge left the Hanger and headed for the Mess hall on a hunch, finding Kirst sitting on a table by herself, a half-eaten plate of food in front of her. Grabbing a cup of coffee, Wedge sat down opposite and she looked up, a haunted expression in her eyes.
'You okay?' Wedge asked and she shook her head.
'I killed him. Shooting down pirates or smugglers, that's one thing. But these were just ordinary people paid to do a job.'
'It's never that black and white, Kirst.' Wedge said, with a sigh. 'Yes, we shoot down pirates and smugglers, but we still kill them. And they have friends and family who'll mourn them, or people who are depending on them. Every action we take has consequences.'
'Then, why do we do it?' Kirst asked, her voice breaking. 'What's the point?'
'Because, we've got a job to do. When we joined up, we knew that we'd be required to kill. What we do isn't easy and it isn't always simple. To protect, sometimes we have to kill and we have to accept that. It won't go away overnight, Kirst, but we need to keep what we do in perspective. It's an extreme job and sometimes we have to do bad things in a good cause.'
'And that makes it alright?'
'No. We all have to face up to the consequences of our actions. The bad and the good. Yes, we killed two civilian pilots today. But we also got one step closer to putting the Cutters out of business. And that will save lives.'
Kirst gave him a sad smile and reaching out to squeeze his hand.
'Thanks, Wedge.' She said and he stood up, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
'That's...okay. Get some rest, Kirst. We've still got work to do.'
He turned and left, a soft smile on face, unable to resist the urge to glance back at her.
Whoa. Focus, Wedge. You've got a job to do, too.
Pulling out his comlink, he spoke quickly.
'Biggs, grab Hobbie and meet me in my office. We've got work to do.'

An hour later, Wedge assembled the Rogues back in the briefing room, looking around at his pilots.
'Listen up, Rogues.' Wedge said. 'We have a mission. Information provided by Tia and Ghia has given us an opportunity to get the drop on the Cutters. At 0800 tomorrow, a convoy will be arriving with a shipment of ore for the shipyards. We believe that the Cutters intend to hijack the shipment and sell the ore on the black market. Either way, this means we know we're they'll be.'
Wedge manipulated the holoprojector, displaying an area on the far side of Bestin.
'The convoy will exit hyperspace here and start transferring their cargo to the planet's surface by transport. That's when we expect the Cutters to strike.'
'That's the major shipping lane.' Tenn put in. 'It'll be hard to separate the Cutters from the civilian traffic.'
'True.' Wedge said. 'But, that'll work in our favour, too. We can split into wing pairs and hide amongst the traffic until they arrive and catch them unawares. The Cutters will probably try to force the transports to surrender or simply dock and board them. Either way, defending the transports will be our primary objective.'
He paused, looking around the room, before continuing.
'We'll need as many hands as we can out there, so I'm assigning Tia and Ghia as Rogues 13 and 14.' He said and the twins nudged each other, grinning.
'This isn't a game.' Wedge snapped. 'It's for real. Now, we can use you out there, but it's going to be dangerous. We could all get killed. If you want out, no-one will blame you.'
Both Tia and Ghia shook their heads and Wedge nodded.
'Alright. We're expecting the Cutters' full force here, which makes this our best opportunity to cripple them. But, I don't want any glory hunting. Stick to your objectives and May The Force Be With You. That's it. Assemble in the Hanger in one hour. Dismissed.'
The Rogues filed out and Biggs approached, waiting until the room was clear.
'You sure about this? They're just kids.'
'So were we when we started flying.' Wedge pointed out. 'And they've got the moves.'
'...okay.'

Wedge strapped on his life support pack and ran it through a quick diagnostic, the lights pulsing green. Around him, the Rogues were making last minute checks or exchanging handshakes and back-slapping hugs.
They know this is the last time they could see each other. No-one wants any regrets.
Wedge made eye contact with Biggs, who gave him a cheeky grin and he nodded at him. Over his shoulder, he saw Kirst give him a sad smile before climbing into her cockpit and pulling on her helmet. He stared at her for a second before shaking himself out of his thoughts.
Get it together. She's your subordinate and you've got a job to do.
Wedge turned away with an effort and walked over to Tia and Ghia, who were huddled beneath their fighters, looking around apprehensively.
'I still remember my first combat mission.' Wedge said. 'It's okay to be scared. We're all feeling it. But, when it comes to it, you'll know what to do.' Wedge said, putting a hand on their shoulders. 'May the Force be with you both.'
Tia managed a small smile and hugged her sister, which she returned fiercely and Wedge headed for his cockpit.
This is it...

Wedge and Kirst cruised through the space lines, threading their way through the traffic, keeping comm chatter to a minimum. Wedge resisted the urge to check his sensors, knowing that he'd never be able to differentiate the Cutters from the mass of ships around them.
Or the Rogues. We'll just have to rely on visual observations.
Despite the anticipation, Wedge couldn't help glancing left at Kirst's fighter, remembering the look she'd given him, a faint smile crossing his lips.
Focus, Wedge. He reminded himself, sternly. Ahead, he saw the transport opening her cargo doors, shuttles descending towards the planet, just as Janson came over the comm.
'Heads up, Leader. I've got visual contacts approaching from the planet.'
'Acknowledge, Rogue Three. Two Flight, cover the shuttles. One and Three flights, engage at will.'
Wedge accelerated, weaving through the traffic and dropping down towards the planet, where he could see the Cutters rising towards them and he counted at least twenty fighters. This was going to be rough. Wedge switched his lasers to dual fire and dived into the swarm, firing whenever he got a clean lock, four fighters being destroyed by sustained fire and then they were past the head-to-head and in the clear.
'With me, Rogues.' Wedge ordered, sweeping back around and giving chase.
'Leader, break right.' Kirst shouted and Wedge rolled out, a laser bolt sparking off his shield and a Supa fighter shot past him. The Cutters had clearly split their force, leaving a rear guard to hold off the Rogues while the rest went after the shuttles. Well, they weren't going to play that game.
'Break through them, Rogues.' Wedge ordered. 'Two Flight, cover us.'
They accelerated to attack speed, racing towards the approaching Supa Fighters and Wedge linked his lasers to quad fire. Two bursts brought down one of the nearest Supas shields, three linked shots from Kirst destroying it and they were through. Ahead, he could see the shuttles racing towards the planet's atmosphere, Supa fighters and X-Wings swarming around them, green and red laser fire flickering like fireworks.
'With me, Rogues.' Wedge ordered, diving down towards the nearest shuttle, spotting a Supa bearing down on it.
'Cover me, Two.' Wedge said, linking his lasers for dual fire and squeezing the trigger. Two bolts struck home before the Supa pilot rolled and dived, putting the shuttle between him and Wedge.
'I've got him, Leader.' Kirst said, barrelling past him, her lasers firing, a true shot that ripped through the Supa's fuselage. Kirst rolled out and dove towards another Supa fighter, Wedge sweeping around to cover her. Then, Gate screamed a warning as a laser blast struck his rear shields, Wedge looking back to see a Supa right behind him. He rolled left and dived, but the Fighter stayed with him, his shields starting to fail under the onslaught and he bit back a curse. Kirst was too far away and she was still defending the shuttle. If she peeled off, it was dead.
'Hold on, Leader.' Kirst said. 'I'm on...'
'Negative, Rogue Two.' Wedge said. 'Stay on target.'
'But...'
'That's an order, Rogue Two.' Wedge snapped. 'The big picture, remember?'
'...Acknowledged, Rogue Leader.' She said, just as Wedge's aft shields collapsed and he braced himself for the end. Then, a hail of laser fire struck his pursuer and he peeled off, two Supa fighters hard on his tail.
'You're clear, Rogue Leader.' Tia said, as combined fire from her and Ghia destroyed the Supa fighter.
'Thanks, Thirteen.' Wedge said, pulling up and assessing the battle. The majority of the shuttles were now reaching the atmosphere, the remaining Supa fighters harassing them. However, something else caught Wedge's eye. A Supa fighter was accelerating towards him, a familiar emblem splashed across the front of the fuselage.
Darc. Wedge thought, as Kirst dropped back onto his wing.
'Two, take Thirteen and Fourteen and assist the Rogues.' Wedge ordered. 'I've got some unfinished business here.'
'Leader...'
'Darc's the driving force behind the Cutters. If I can take him out, then we can end this.'
'Acknowledged, Leader.' Kirst said, after a moment's hesitation and the three fighters peeled off, heading back towards the planet. Wedge took a deep breathe, settling into his seat.
Alright. Let's finish this.
He rested his hand lightly on the stick, switching his lasers over to dual fire with a flick of his thumb, settling his crosshairs on Darc's fighter and waiting as they closed with each other. Darc broke first, his cannons firing, but Wedge had anticipated the attack and rolled left, his return fire hitting home with deadly accuracy. Sparks erupted along the body of Darc's fighter and it heeled sideways into a spin, one of its engines disabled.
'Gate, get me his comm frequency.' Wedge said and Gate beeped an affirmative, his comm unit crackling.
'Darc, this is Rogue Leader, Alliance Starfighter Command. Your fighter is crippled. Order your forces to surrender and I'm willing to offer assistance.'
'Over my dead body, Rebel.' Darc said, shutting down his crippled engine and swinging back round towards Wedge, his cannons firing.
Wedge rolled left and tightened his finger on the trigger, his laser blast punched through Darc's remaining shields, his fighter exploding. Wedge took a deep breath and keyed his comm.
'Rogue Five, report status.'
'The Cutters are pulling back, Wedge, and the shuttles are outbound.'
'Acknowledged, Five. Head back to base, I'll rendezvous with you there.'
Wedge cut the comm, sitting back and pushing up his visor, squeezing the bridge of his nose. He'd sympathised with Darc, but he'd made his choice in the end. He could help admiring him, a little. He'd done his duty and look where it had got him.
Duty. It gets you in the end, one way or another.

THANK YOU FOR READING. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT. ANY COMMENTS, REVIEWS AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.