The next morning Corran wandered blearily into the cafeteria for breakfast. Mirax had woken up early to make sure no-one had messed with her ship, and she still hadn't made it to breakfast before he did. He hoped there weren't any problems, especially not with Wedge's contraband hidden in one of the smuggling compartments.

Over at one of the far tables, he saw Gavin reach up and wave him over. Several of the other Rogues were there as well, including Ooryl, Myn, and Asyr. He waved halfheartedly back and took a second to fill a cup of caf before heading over.

"Good morning," Ooryl greeted him quietly as he pulled a chair up to the table.

"Morning." He winced at the screeching noise the chair made on the ground, and then deposited himself in it with a thump. "What's for breakfast?"

"I think it's leftover machine oil," Asyr sniffed, looking pointedly at the brown mass on her plate. "You're better off with the pastries."

"I think I'll stick with just caf for now, thanks," Corran decided.

Looking tired and unshaven himself, Gavin looked over with bleary interest. "Is Mirax coming?"

"Yeah, she was checking on the Skate." Corran paused when he heard familiar voices, and twisted in his seat to look around. "Hey, what are the old-timers doing over there?" He made out two familiar figures getting food from the kitchen and standing with another woman. They were too busy talking to take a seat.

"Ooryl thinks that Lieutenant Janson and Lieutenant Klivian are getting breakfast with someone else."

"Well, yeah, I gathered that much. Who's the woman?"

"You don't know?" Gavin looked surprised. "That's Plourr Ilo. You know, one of the old Rogues before the reformation?"

"What, really?" Corran peered over with new interest. "An old Rogue, huh? I recognize the name, but how come I don't recognize the fa...oh, wait."

"Recognize her?" Asyr asked curiously.

"Oh, I recognize her. It just took me a while because of the longer hair. She's hard to forget."

At that moment he saw Mirax's dark-haired figure enter the cafeteria, but just as he was raising his hand to get her attention, she recognized Plourr. They watched as Mirax threw up her hands and shouted a greeting, and the two trotted over to talk with each other. Corran realized it made him feel a bit peevish. He turned around to the table and slumped in his chair with his caf.

The others were too busy watching the reunion to notice. Asyr looked a bit star-struck. "Is it true she's a princess? I heard that she left the squadron to take control of an entire planet."

Ooryl nodded, his mandibles clicking. "Ooryl heard she could take a grown Weequay in a fight, with no weapons. For a human female, that is quite impressive."

"Yeah, well, I saw it happen and it wasn't that impressive," Corran informed him.

The group turned to blink at him in surprise, and Corran shrugged dismissively. "I met her while I was still with CorSec. We had to rescue them after they got in a fight with some local trouble." He shrugged again. "Let's just say it was a good thing Iella and I showed up when we did."

Myn frowned. "Well, local trouble or not, taking down a grown Weequay is no small feat-" he stopped and Corran looked up to see the other group walking towards them. Plourr and Mirax were talking together as they walked behind Wes and Hobbie.

"Hey, guys," Hobbie said. "Mind if we join you?"

"Well, since it looks like there aren't any more seats in the cafeteria, please do." Gavin scooted his chair over to make room, his attempt at humor referring to the largely empty cafeteria.

Hobbie responded with a wry smile, before nodding at the newest arrival. "Has everyone met Plourr? She flew with the Rogues a couple years back."

"No." "Good to meet you." "It's an honor."

Plourr shook hands and learned their names with a smile, and the group finally situated themselves around the rectangular white table. "Good to see the company the squadron keeps these days."

"Improved company," Hobbie intoned, and either Plourr didn't hear or pretended not too.

Corran was pleased to get Mirax back by his side. She grabbed his hand and smiled warmly at him. There was still a strong sadness in her eyes though the busy act of socializing helped keep the underlying reason for their reunion camouflaged.

Plourr noticed their hands and cocked an eyebrow at Mirax. "You're with a Rogue? What? I thought you were the sane one."

Mirax sniffed. "Don't worry, Plourr, this new batch of pilots is much saner than the old one. And the men are cuter."

Corran stiffened at the searching and judgmental look Plourr was raking him with. "Really. Cuter than Hobbie? I don't know if that's saying much. And I really don't know about this one, Terrik. He looks a little...rigid."

Mirax looked defensive at Plourr's questioning. "He's a very fine boyfriend, thank you very much, Plourr."

Corran continued to glower as recognition slowly rolled across Plourr's face. "Hey...CorSec!"

"That's right. Former CorSec. We've met."

Plourr gaped first at Mirax, then at Corran again, then at Mirax. "You're going with CorSec? What, have you gone mad?"

Feeling Corran's grip tighten in protest, Mirax sent him a warning look before turning back to Plourr with a smile. "Not mad. I like to think that between my illegality and his legality, we find a nice middle-ground of normality. Kind of...Gavin level."

"We've passed him, Plourr," Hobbie informed the incredulous woman. "He's alright. Right, Wes?"

"Hm? Oh, right. Yeah, Horn checks out." Corran realized he had been expecting the phrase 'Wedge approves,' but it seemed none of them had the heart to say it.

Plourr still looked ornery, but she finally seemed to accept Mirax's choice. "Alright. I guess if...Celchu thought he was alright, he's alright." She extended a hand across the table to Corran. "Truce?"

Corran noticed that Gavin was trying very hard to contain laughter by holding a mug in front of his face. He resisted the urge to kick the young man under the table. Instead he reached out and cautiously shook the proffered hand. "I'm not sure what the truce is for, but I'll take it."

"The truce is me deciding not to flay your CorSeckian ass if you do anything to make Wedge's kid sister unhappy, that's what."

Gavin couldn't help it, and sprayed liquid back into his cup with a snort. Asyr tried to secretly admonish him by jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow.

Wes rolled his eyes. "Ignore her, Corran. She's a diplomat now. All scary words and no punch."

"She can still punch, but she won't, because it's below her professional dignity." Tycho had walked up to the group without them noticing, and the table greeted him with tired smiles and 'good mornings'.

He nodded sedately in return. "Good morning. Can you make room for one more?"

When the chairs had squeezed tighter, he leaned forward with his hands clasped and his elbows on the table. "I wanted to tell you first thing that the mission is on. Iella and Winter worked out all the details last night. We're leaving tonight."

The entire table gawked in various degrees of amazement.

"Tonight?" Asyr leaned around Gavin to look at the captain. "But we don't even have all the X-wings ready."

"They'll be ready," Tycho asserted. "And we're even going to be able to get spare parts onto the shuttle."

"So," Mirax let go of Corran's hand and leaned forward on the table as well, all business. "What should I do to get the Skate ready?"

Tycho winced. "Currently, the plan has you being orbital backup. Boring, I know, but the Millenium Falcon is better armed than the Skate."

Mirax didn't complain. "If I'm helping out, I'll do it. Though any chance you could get a few more radio-controlled blasters on the top deck? If you want me as military backup, you at least need to get me some batteries."

"I'll work on it. I'll ask Han, actually."

Plourr blinked. "Wait...Han Solo? What's he have to do with it?"

Tycho brushed some hair off his forehead. "He's coming with the Falcon. They'll be the main backup for the shuttle and commandoes on planet. Winter is working up some sort of hull camaflouge- wait, there she is, actually."

The white-haired woman noticed them and began striding purposely in their direction. Corran cheered at the sight of their old acquaintance, and many of the other Rogues, who had worked with her on Coruscant as well, sent her happy smiles of greeting.

She smiled in return. "Good morning, everyone. Good to see all of you again. Ooryl, Myn, Corran. Plourr? I haven't seen you in quite some time. It's good you could come."

Plourr reached over and shook her hand in greeting. "I had to convince my council that the planet wouldn't implode if I left for awhile, but it's good for them. So, what's my assignment?"

Winter didn't bother pulling up a seat to the packed table, and she winced. "You're not going to be happy with... wait, backtrack." She gave Tycho a look. "Did you screen for listening bugs?"

Tycho looked up from the cup of caf he had stolen from Gavin. "What? Oh...oops."

Winter gave a long-suffering sigh and pulled a scanning device out of her breast pocket. She turned it on and waved it slowly over the table, finally nodding in satisfaction and putting it back where it came from. "Where was I? Oh, Plourr. We need you waiting with Mirax and the Pulsar Skate in the asteroid belt."

"What? What the hell sort of good can I do back there?"

"The Skate needs fighter protection, Plourr. We're getting you an A-wing."

"An A-wing?" Plourr looked like she'd rather pilot a diseased mynock.

"Yes, an A-wing. Don't panic, it does you X-jocks some good to experiment with different ships. Keeps you sharp. And besides, since the Skate is officially a civilian ship, it wouldn't check out to have a New Republic military escort. Which is why having a retired Rogue is perfect."

Corran couldn't help it. He smiled at Plourr. "An A-wing's speed will help compensate for the speed you've lost in retirement."

Mirax kicked him hard with her heel in the shin, and trying to hold his grin through the pain, he tried to match the death stare Plourr was directing his way. He could take her in a fight. Who did she think she was, strong-arming her way back into a squadron that she had abandoned years ago?

"Corran, cool it." Tycho admonished. "You too, Plourr. You may not officially be in the squadron, but if you want to be a part of the mission you need to behave yourself."

Plourr sent him a withering look. "Behave myself? Well, I suppose that won't be too hard when I'm stuck floating around a rock the entire time. Even if it is better than council meetings."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The entire group soon got up to leave, with Tycho doing his best to mediate the acidic comments passing between Corran and Plourr, and Gavin and Asyr in not-so-silent stitches over the exchange. In the end Hobbie and Wes sat at the table alone, surrounded by abandoned mugs and half-eaten breakfasts.

Hobbie shook his head in disbelief at the departing figures. "Well, that was unnecessary. I thought Horn and Ilo had gotten over rookie ego-clashing. I haven't seen Corran that bad since..."

"Bror Jace."

"Yeah. Or Plourr that snappy since she first met Elscol."

"She's just upset. They'll calm down later."

"I hope Tycho can keep them in check." Hobbie looked worried. "Corran might listen to him, but the only person who could actually get Plourr to-"

"Yeah, I know. Tycho's doomed."

"You're starting to sound like me, Wes."

"Yeah, and you sound like me. You're just Mr. Chatty lately."

Hobbie tried not to show how much his friend's tone of voice stung. "I'm just trying to compensate for your lack of conversation."

"Ah."

"You don't need to be an asshole."

"Fine." Wes looked up with sudden rancor. "What do you want me to say? That Wedge is alive and can keep things running? Sithspawn, Hobbie, you know full well things are going to fall apart. The Rogues are a bunch of miserable washups and egomaniacs, and the only reason it worked was because of Wedge."

"It will still work, Wes, we've got Tycho-"

"Sithspawn, Hobbie, you know Tycho's falling apart without Wedge. He's on farking autopilot. We're going back because none of us can think about anything else. We're worthless right now."

Hobbie didn't say anything as he sat with his arms crossed and his eyes smoldering.

"I saw what he did with the Wraiths, Hobbie." Wes was leaning forward with his muscles bunched and his eyes smoldering back. "They were a bunch of washed-up nothings, just like Plourr was, and Inyri was, hell, even Myn Donos was a lost cause. He made them into something. They listened to him, Hobbie. They actually listened to him. We can't do that. Tycho can't do that. Without Wedge, we just dissolve back into a bunch of overcharged personalities that can't work as a team. Everyone will leave or get picked off one by one until we're left teaching nerf-herders how to turn on simulators."

Hobbie shook his head. "Sorry, Wes, I don't see it that way. We're not going to fall apart, and if we are, we've got one mission left to find out. I say if we come out of this working as a squadron, then we're still the Rogues. If not, then maybe you're right and we're just a pair of war relics past their expiration date. But we can't know yet, not until we've done this."

They were quiet for a while, Wes still bunched and tense and Hobbie returning the look stubbornly. The standoff lasted for at least twenty seconds, until the anger finally started to melt out of Janson's frame. He sagged in his seat and his eyes unfocused as he stared at the half-eaten pastry on the table. Then, to Hobbie's complete surprise and relief, the corner of his mouth turned up with a hint of amusement. "You know, we really are starting to sound like each other."

"Yeah. The same thing used to happen to me when I spent too much time with my mom."

Wes sat back and laughed, and Hobbie smiled in surprise, pleased to see his friend show some of his normal self. But the laughter faded too quickly and Wes' posture revealed a man that looked beaten and exhausted. "Let's go back. If we don't, I think it's going to eat at me until I'm permanently as cheerful as Myn Donos."

Hobbie graced that idea with a look of displeasure. "Never. Two Myn Donos wouldn't be able to carry that gunner comedy show you had planned."

"The 'Two Snipers and a Gun of Fun' show?" Wes fiddled with a mug and then smiled again. "I'd forgotten about that. You still think Viacorp would pick up the scenario for syndication?"

"Not if there were two Myn Donos in it."

"Good point. Well, I think I know what the first episode would be."

"What?"

"'Myn and Wes journey back to ensure their enemies enter a living hell.' The hilarity begins tonight at twelve."

"I don't think I'd watch. The name is too long. And it doesn't sound very funny."

"Oh, it'll be funny. Just not for the people who get in the main character's way."