Chapter 11: Wedge I

Summary:

The final days of Hosnian Prime, as they were lived by those who provided aid from the shadows. Or alternatively: answering WHERE IN FORCE'S NAME Rogue Squadron was during TFA cause I know for a fact none of them would abandon the cause.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Years from now General Antilles will recall with a heavy heart how the whispers started a day after tracking down Lor San Tekka. Day in and day out the chant Leave Hosnian Prime, Leave the Hosnian system before it's too laterung loud and clear, at least to former Rebels and Church of the Force believers. The first time Wedge hears it he's enjoying dinner with Iella & Myri: the latter of these had been granted leave from CorSec, so a get-together was mandatory. When his daughter asks what he's been doing outside of work and married life he lies to her face. He's not proud of it, no halfway decent parent would ever choose falsehood as an instruction manual but rumors are spreading about the "Knights Of Ren", dark-side users strong enough to tear minds apart for knowledge. In his experience "word on the street" is more reliable than the Official Story so he'll use everything in his power to prevent his brave, wonderful children's mind-rape. They're deciding what to order for dessert when the murmur begins. All three of them look around to see if anyone else is hearing the strange command. Only a Twi'lek child whom he and Iella suspect to be Force-Sensitive reacts, begging her mother to do what the lady's voice said and go really far away. Outside the roaring crowd seems divided between those who remain deaf and those who listen to the not-so-subtle utterance, on the way home the voice doesn't stop. It claws at his dreams, growing more and insistent until finally the woman's voice morphs into Luke's. His old friend beckons him to abandon Hosnian Prime, or if his loyalty forbids it then at least transport his wife and children to safety.

Wedge wakes up in a cold sweat, calls his brother in law and arranges for Iella and Myri to leave with Soontir Fel for Naboo, under the pretense of attending the Festival of Light. Naturally, his wife starts digging around instead of leaving peacefully and finds out he's working with Leia. It's a testament to their love that she doesn't kill him for taking advantage of the loophole in his promise to her. Iella begs him to come with them, he refuses out of duty. Someone has to stay behind and be Leia's ears inside the Capital especially now when the threat of Civil War shrouds their future. There's been too many traitors lately and that leaves a limited number of trusted informants. Come morning the Holonet is filled with stories of people over flooding the spaceport in a desperate attempt to leave the planet. Activists are quick to signal police brutality, police droids investigate the would-be stowaways (hundreds of whom managed to board and escape Hosnian Prime) confirm that most of the trespassers are disciples to the Church of the Force. In response the government chalks down the "incident" to hallucinogens placed in the water supply by "the delusional radicals who preach the love of Jedi over law" and carries out a witch hunt to unearth members of the underground faith. After an undefined number of Force-believers are taken into the fair custody of our Republic (If Luke is anything to go by the proper term would be violation of Force-acknowledger's rights) the voice quiets down as if whatever prompted it has given up. For some reason his mind pictures Luke, crying in the middle of nowhere. Has his old friend grown powerful to reach out to such a large population? Would Luke be capable of contacting force-nulls as well as force-sensitives? Wedge's unsure what to believe until he's given the most harrowing message regarding the voice (Which he receives from Talon Karrde himself. The fact he came out of hiding to personally hand Wedge the disk makes it a priority.) In the security holovid an old woman in a blood-drenched-straightjacket beseeches the New Republic to see the truth laid out before them by Master Skywalker: the noble soul that's trying to save them, in spite of the sacred oath they left defiled.

He sends the holovid to every surviving member of Rogue Squadron within range. Ten Numb ends his aerodynamics class early and heads to the Rogues without making a fuss. Janson, dramatic yet loyal to his friends till the bitter end commands his Yellow Aces to abandon their posts at Hosnian Prime in favor of his private (possibly illegal) base in Coruscant yelling "Kids you can either stay here and protect this spiraling chaos that passes for democracy or leave with me to serve under a group worth living for!". Not one member of Wes's volunteer fighter squadron stays behind, they fly to Coruscant and await further instructions. Guess he grew up after all, only took him fifty years. Klivian hurls the Togruta prostitute off his lap once his old Commlink to Rogue Squadron starts beeping, he fumbles out a crinkled wad of credits to pay her and picks her up (he's a bachelor not a savage) before he runs. The eternal playboy halts for a moment, turns around and steals a kiss for good luck then he runs faster. Tycho and Winter Celchu both canceled all their meetings for the next month once they saw it and invited all former rebels to their apartment through a secure network so they could decide the next course of action. It would be insulting to assume any of them needed to be called twice: Secularized politicians might deem this events an unusual phenomenon but every rebel worth his/her skin knows this is the Force showing it's will. Yet they keep thinking that their so-called scientific advancements will provide a logical explanation, kriffing idiots.By midday the Original Rogues are mostly reunited (The meeting tingles with the absence of Luke Skywalker, Shara Bey and on a lesser note Han Solo.) Winter, ever the model Alderaanian gentlewoman addresses them first.

"Gentlemen: my husband and I thank you for coming during these troubled times. Before we start would anyone like to add something? Yes Hobbie?"

"My Lady: If the Force is warning us to leave the planet shouldn't we be petitioning the government to launch a full-scale evacuation?"

"Who would listen? Ever since the truth of Commander Skywalker's parentage was made public everyone associated with either Luke or Leia has become a political pariah. We all saw how the princess' warning ran through deaf ears in the Senate: Leia had visible proof, we have only our intuition. Something no politician will risk their career for. The Alderaanian survivors have already left the planet at my behest, save those under custody. We can't waste time trying to persuade those willingly blind, all we can do is save as many people as possible."

"In that case I would like to evacuate the war refugees in Immigration, it'd be easy to transport them since the government loathes their presence. Harder to convince folks there's no war brewing with them after all."

"Excellent. Ten Numb, I want you and my husband to break those poor souls out of jail. Wes, you and Wedge head to the orphanage and subsequently the National Archives. Should the planet fall, we must ensure the First Order does not erase our history and literature as they see fit. You seem displeased by my proposal General Antilles. Would you care to tell us why?"

Still calling me a General Winter? Is this your way of distancing yourself from the New Republic or just a show of personal loyalty? "My Lady I know what you're trying to do. Someone has to stay behind when the Invasion or Nano-virus or whatever they're sending towards us arrives, you're trying to make sure it's you."

"It's not illogical Wedge. My years as an Intelligence Officer during the Rebellion make me a suitable candidate for espionage. Besides, the First Order follows the Empire's misogynistic hierarchical bearing. A beautiful woman will be mistaken for a bed-warmer in the upcoming military occupation."

"My gut says this won't be a mere occupation. Whoever stays behind will be most likely achieve martyrdom. Besides, you're far more qualified for preserving Ancient Lore and calming down frightened children than me and Janson."

"Are you saying I'm not willing to die should the First Order play a violent hand? Because if you are then I find your lack of faith in me discouraging."

"I'm saying you're the closest thing to a sister General Organa ever had and we both know she can't afford another heartbreak."

Winter's eyes soften as her famous stoicism abandons the Princess's foster sibling. She reluctantly accepts Wedge's decision to stay as the Resistance's mole and fabricates the story of yet another charity mission so the Police Droids allow her to leave with tens of thousands of children. Tycho and Ten Numb are branded criminals for enacting a planet-wide prison break. Both pilots escape to the Outer Rim and authorities reassure the public they'll be brought to justice. As if rookie pilots, boot-lickers and yes-men droids will be able to find adaptable, multi-lingual, decorated soldiers Admiral Thrawn had a hard time tracking. A bad feeling tells Wedge the decree won't matter soon enough. Janson stays behind with him, claiming he wants an excuse to kill bucket-heads indiscriminatelylike the old days. Antilles lets the real reason slide, if he's going to die then Wes is a pretty good choice for the last face he'll ever see. The two friends are investigating the sudden leave of the First Order's representative when Leia informs them of Poe's capture and Lor San Tekka's death. Funny how the humanoid heart can still break after all the blood's been drained out of it time and time again. They inform Kes of his only son's possible death, the retired soldier is unable hold back the tears and tries to find comfort in the knowledge that should Poe Dameron perish he'll be reunited with Shara, Lando Calrissian Junior and young Ben Solo. Just like that, the last of the boys who grew up believing their parents fought the war to end all wars is probably lost to them. Where did it all go wrong? What happened to the dream carved out by Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and Padme Naberrie Amidala? Did it vanish with the populace's inability to forgive the wounds of old or was it twisted to an unrecognizable vision in Prison cells, in Senate hearings, in bombardments, in funerals and war-torn fields?

His contact says that BB-8 reached Takodana, Kor Sella smiles when he and Janson inform her of Poe's escape. At least one of those boys may outlive them yet. Sending a whole squadron for a small bot is a tad excessive in his opinion. Then again if the bot is as big a trouble magnet as R2-D2 they'll need it to save the little droid from whatever army, cannibals or mercenary group he/she managed to piss off. It seems strange that once more Freedom's last hope resides in a droid. Somewhere in Heaven General Dodonna must be laughing at the improbability of it all circling right back to where they started: a rebel astromech droid braving the sands in search of a legend, a Legacy captured, Janson grounded besides Antilles and the Jedi reduced to fairytales. Perhaps the Force has a sense of humor, it certainly has a flair for drama. A feeling of dread creeps up through his spine for reasons he cannot explain. (Luke had always joked he was secretly Force-Sensitive due to his uncanny survival instincts. Every one of them is on full alert right now in a way they haven't been since the battle of Endor.) Wedge serves himself a glass of Corellian whisky to calm his nerves, no use getting cold feet now. The man's made his bed, it'd be cowardly not to lie in it and Corellian are plenty of things but yellow ain't one of them. He looks down on his half-empty glass and sees crimson reflected upon the glass, as if there were blood beneath the sky. The red spreads to the walls, the ceiling, it's everywhere-

"Wedge, you gotta see this!... Tell me that's not what I think it is."

The Force wasn't warning us of an invasion, it was trying to stop us from getting blown up. We're gonna die like Bail and Breha Organa. What can I say to you my dear old friend: I've survived two Death Stars Janson, there's no way I can deny what's coming. " Look at the bright side Wes, they finally got rid of that vomit-green color."

"Goodbye Wedge it was an honor to be a Rogue."

"The honor was mine."

Both veterans stand tall as the impending wave of death comes closer, heat increasing off every beam. The earth quakes violently as buildings catch fire from the massive radiation. He holds onto Wes so he doesn't lose sight of him when the angel of death takes them towards the final judgment. The blazing ashes crackle against his skin, fragments of metal, stone and glass cut at them both, reminiscent of his torture at the hands of Ysard. Damnit it all, he's not afraid to die. In all honesty death is a far gentler mistress than life: she harbors no prejudice, no war, no torture and no dictatorial regimes. But he hates the thought of Iella's tears when she finds what happened, he'd promised her they would die together, that she wouldn't be a widow twice and now that promise will be rendered null. Wes faints from the blood loss or maybe it was the heat, he shifts his old friend's weight against his shoulders. He closes his eyes and feels... hyperborean mountain air?! What in Sith Hell just happened?! The unforeseen change of temperature disorients him so badly he nearly drops poor Wes. His legs buckle as he fails to keep his balance with Janson weighing down on him and falls on the hospital? bed. It's not clear what place they're in: his eyesight is spotted, his arms hurt so badly that he's barely capable of holding onto Wes but he smells salt and he can hear the waves crashing the shore. The ocean's tranquilizing lull provides a startling contrast to the panicked wails of Hosnian Prime. Where are they? How did they get here? Is this heaven, hell, purgatory? A metallic hand touches his shoulder, either that hand is warmer than standard prosthetics or he's fucking freezing. Still, it's a nice sensation: he feels warm and safe and indisputably loved as the hand bandages his arm. The stranger's hands glide over him and Wes indistinctly, the pain lessens and his headache clears up. Now if this fruit-smelling healer could just tell him-

"Hello Wedge, long time no see."

Could it really be him after all this time or is this just my traumatized brain picturing a happy ending while I writhe in agony? "Luke?"

"What's left of him. Mind letting go of Janson or do I have to warn Iella you're hiding a boyfriend?" How did you rescue us? Is this the first Jedi Temple you were seeking?

"What planet are we on? Does Leia know that Wes and I are alive? Is Kor Sella here?"

"Rest old friend, all will be revealed in time. For now get some shuteye before Janson wakes up."

Sleep is the last thing on his mind at the moment. A milliard of questions are sitting at the top of his mind, begging to be clarified due to decades of irresolution. His now-working eyes perform a quick evaluation of the most sought after specimen. Luke's hair has grown back into his preferred mane, turned silver grey with no gold in sight. The desert's tan is dulled, though not completely gone. Perhaps it's never gone if you know where to look. He dons a beard, a morbid part of him wonders if it's a mere aesthetic change or a way of hiding the scars from the force-feeding. A bit of both probably, Luke was never vain but he was conscientious. Either way it veils the scarred tissue perfectly. Skywalker's gaze is old, tired beyond all reason. Wedge can still see the goodness shining out of his pale blue irises, the incorruptible heart that never learned how to stop loving but the confidence has vanished. What have they done to you Luke? How can someone's gaze bear so much love and sorrow, such compassion and despair, gentility and hopelessness all at once? Please talk again, please let me know you're somewhat okay. Let me know you missed us as much as we missed you. If Luke is reading his thoughts, he's not responding to them. The Jedi remains stoic as he magically heals away the burns. Well that skill would have been useful on Vrogas Vas or Ryloth or anytime at the Rebellion really. Why didn't the oh so powerful Yoda teach Luke how do THAT on Dagobah instead of lifting rocks standing upside down!? Force-healing is an infinitely more practical skill, especially in wartime. Suddenly he feels very drowsy, like he needs to sleep more than anything in the world. He tries to combat this inexplicable tiredness but it's like the desire to rest has developed a will of its own. Great Luke gave me a sleeping suggestion. By the time he wakes up Luke's moved him and Janson to different beds. Wes looks a lot better than he did before. Standing is easy now that he's patched up, though his ribs are still a little sore when he walks over to Janson's bed. Luke is tucking Wes into bed after mending his spine. From what he can gather his friend is sleeping peacefully, shame.

"Janson, Janson wake up."

"Wedge? No offense to heaven but I wanted a supermodel to escort us to heaven, not a hermit standing at the foot of a bed."

"That any way to talk to Rogue Leader Janson?" The look on your face Wes. I can't wait to see how everyone reacts when I tell them you called Luke a hermit.

"Luke! Oh we missed you buddy. There's nobody to quote boring Jedi anecdotes without you... Hey wait a minute Luke you robbed me of my poetic death scene! Seriously Commander Skywalker what do you want me to die of: old age?!

"My apologies Wes I thought no one logical would want to get blown up by Death Star 3 or whatever they're calling it. That stupid planet-killer's been giving me nightmares all week. Of course the mass persecution caused by my attempts to stop the onslaught only made them worse so that was a no-win situation. Sorry I forgot how crazy you are. Next time I'll just save Wedge and leave you to smithereens. Also I do not quote traditional Jedi anecdotes all the time."

"Yeah right, and Leia's head of the new Pacifist Movement."

Luke shakes his head in amusement as a wry little curl on his lips appears. It's a safe bet to wager that's the closest he's come to a smile in years. Janson drops the angry facade and hugs Commander Skywalker with a grip fit for a Wookie. Skywalker tenses for a moment, panic fills his eyes to the point Wedge doesn't doubt that Luke's unwillingly reliving something painful. The Jedi fakes a grin that's too believable for his liking, he's visibly relieved when the embrace is finished. Not in the "how boring" way, rather the "thanks for not hurting me" expression often visible in long-time prisoners of the Empire. That burns even deeper than exposure to the death of Hosnian Prime: Luke was the one who taught him the value of a hug, the man always had one ready for whatever shit-storm came their way. Hell, one of his most prominent memories of Biggs is the Tatooine pilot claiming that when his buddy Luke "the gold-hearted kid with a meteor mouth" hugged you it was like you were touching a star but knew instinctively the light could never hurt you. If Wedge was force-sensitive, then he would have probably had a brush with the dark side right about now because he's glad those ungrateful vermin are gone. This wasn't like Alderaan where peace had reigned for centuries, where the Jedi were respected and even loved. Hosnian Prime was a world of vipers, their venom stole the stars off Luke's soul. They were given a chance, multiples chances to survive. Princess Leia offered a chance, they refused to aid her Resistance out of spite. Not even the Voice of Ashla herself taught them to listen. Ironically, they were destroyed by the very thing that would have finally convinced them to declare war on the First Order. Too much, too little, too late in his opinion.

"I'll take you home now. Leia will need you both in the coming battles."

"Are you gonna work your new voodoo- whatchamacallit skills on us again?" Wes, stop it. You're an embarrassment to the Rebellion.

"Nope, you're leaving this planet the good old-fashioned way: on a spaceship."

"Oh come on Luke! What's the point of superpowers if you don't get to use 'em?."

"Force teleportation from long distances is highly draining, rescuing your sorry ass took a lot of energy Janson but if you wanna tell Leia I died cause you wanted a quick transport then I'll be happy to comply."

"Go get the ship please." Amazing, dare him to fly into a black hole and he'll do it fearlessly. Warn the same man he'll anger Leia and he internally cowers in fear.

Once Luke leaves their train of sight Wes asks him if there's any hope that their Jedi comrade-in arms will fly home with them. He tells him the unvarnished truth: nothing short of a miracle will convince Skywalker to return. And even if he does come back there's a good chance he won't play along when they set the bar too high for him just like last time. Because this time there won't be a Han Solo to save him when no search party is issued, no over-enthusiastic Dak Ralter to make him laugh when the base is infiltrated, No Mara Jade to hold the pieces of him together. Just a lone Jedi, bleeding out in mournful silence while tending to everybody else and the few who'd notice are either dead or scattered. (That's what really broke him in the end: everyone asked for impossible hopes again and again. He accomplished them for the most part, he gave them everything and smiled whilst receiving the bare minimum for himself. In the end he had nothing left and they butchered him for it. That was his breaking point.) Acknowledging this fact is a whole new level of depressing. Luke comes back and tells them the engine's ready to go. He leads them to a cargo ship, apparently he took a random smuggler's shuttle to lead others off his trail. Wes begs his Commander to come back as he sets the coordinates for hyperspace. Shouts that the galaxy needs him, General Organa needs him, they need him. It was actually having some effect until the New Republic was mentioned. (Blast it all, why didn't Han and I tell anyone what they did to Luke. So what if old Rebels would have killed a bunch of people, they all died anyway.) Funny, the coordinates are for Malastare. Not too far to reach the Resistance base on D'Quar but just far enough to avoid suspicion. Guess Leia's not the only Skywalker Twin keeping tabs on loved ones.

"Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive Commander. For curiosity's sake: what it would take for you to come back?"

"I'd come back for Mara, after she gives me hell for a while. It was good to see you, hopefully next time we'll meet under happier circumstances."

"Likewise, though Leia's gonna chew us into bits for not bringing you home. Still I've got the coordinates to you here so maybe she'll leave some part of us intact."

You're hugging me Luke. Your hugs still fit Biggs's description though the star feels sadder than sorrow itself. "Don't worry: neither of you will remember enough for that to happen."

"What?"

Hours after Starkiller Base has been destroyed General Wedge Antilles and Colonel Wes Janson are found by Resistance scouts tracing a homing beacon often found in smuggler's ships on Malastare's forests. When asked for their latest memories both men state Hosnian Prime's obliteration is the last thing they remember clearly. None of them know how they survived or how they got here. Wedge claims in his statement he gets fragments sometimes: a silver hand offering relief, the smell of salt, a warm embrace that filled him with peace and melancholy. The Resistance chalks their survival down to the will of the Force.

Elsewhere, on the seaside cliffs of Ahch-To Luke Skywalker's chest bleeds red as the Last Jedi mourns Han Solo's demise.

Notes:

Hands out tin cup: Comments please?