32
The anger Tycho had felt towards Ackbar had dissolved beneath his sense of duty. He had sworn an oath to the Alliance, then the New Republic, and he was obliged to follow orders given to him by his superiors. He didn't always agree with those orders, but he followed them, even if it meant sacrificing himself or his pilots. This case, when was all was said and done, was no different.
Tycho was sure that the Council and Admiral Ackbar believed they were doing what needed to be done for the good of the New Republic. And he also knew that they were privy to all kinds of details that he, as only a Colonel, was not. Most likely there were reasons that he would never know of for what they had done, part of a greater holo that he couldn't and didn't want to see. He was a more effective tool if he didn't consider the politics behind his orders.
And Admiral Ackbar did everything he could to help us, including letting us have Wes, Hobbie and the Wraiths. He is on our side.
Tycho looked out at the pilots arrayed before him in the small briefing room on the Paladin. Most of the pilots had just arrived from the Venture in Rogue Squadron's shuttle and would be returning the same way after the meeting. They looked tired and a little ragged, especially with the loss of Arata Voran and the uncertainty of Wedge's future hanging over their victory.
The seven surviving pilots of Venture Squadron had joined them and would remain under Tycho's command until their small fleet headed for Thyferra. Face and Kell were also in attendance, sitting together at the back of the room, apart from the rest of the group. Tycho had managed to get a quick report from them before holding the meeting; he didn't know how the ground mission would have turned out if not for those two men.
Ajene Tuvora remained in the medical bay, partly because of the wound to her leg, but mostly because she refused to leave Wedge. Tycho could understand that, and he would check in with her later.
"I'm sorry to drag you all here so soon after our return, especially since you would all like some rest and await news about Wedge, but I wanted to let you all know where we stand and how we'll be proceeding from here." Tycho took a deep breath, knowing this would not go over well. "I'm afraid that we are going to be heading out on patrol in about thirty minutes, which is the time it will take to get our ships fueled and re-armed."
A loud groan, starting with Gavin and working its way through the rest of the pilots, pulsed through the room. Tycho held up his hands to forestall further complaints. "I know, I know, but there are still pockets of resistance on the planet, and we're going to be strafing some targets for Elscol and the ground teams. Also, a six ship element made up of Venture Squadron and commanded by Mr. Jace will remain on patrol in orbit in case any ships decide to come in to take a closer look at what's happening in the system."
Off to the left of the room, an Ensign in the blue of the Thyferran Home Defense Corps entered through the side hatch and looked over towards Tycho. She stopped several meters from him and cleared her throat to get his attention. When he glanced over, she beckoned to him. He joined her by the door and she whispered a message in his ear. He nodded to her, and she turned and left the room the way she had come.
Tycho returned to the center of the room, letting out a long breath as he went. He looked up and smiled at his pilots. "I've just had some good news. The Thyferran medics have pronounced that Wedge is out of danger. He should make a full recovery and be coming out of the tank in four or five days.
A cheer went up, starting this time with Wes Janson and quickly spreading. It washed over Tycho, easing some of the strain that he felt across his shoulders and neck. He could see the same relief in Corran as he slumped back into his seat.
Tycho waited a few moments then held up a hand in an attempt to return everyone's attention to him. "On that note, here are our plans for the foreseeable future. I've spoken with Admiral Ackbar and he's sending in a small fleet to take possession of the planet, and once they arrive we will be released from duty here and will escort the Paladin, Provider, and the Errant Venture to Thyferra. There, Wedge will continue to undergo treatment. We'll get some downtime there and stay for at least a week before returning to Coruscant and our regular assigned duties."
"So, if there are no questions or comments..." He glanced around the room, making eye contact with several pilots. "No? Then head for your ships. Form up by flight off the Paladin, and Rogue Control will supply data as to where we'll be heading. Dismissed."
As the pilots all rose to leave, Tycho caught Face's eye and waved him over. Kell trailed behind him, accepting a handshake and a few words from Wes Janson as he passed him.
"Face, I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes if I could," Tycho said.
The former actor smiled. "Well, since we don't have any fighters of our own here, we can't go flying with you, so you have our full attention."
"Will you be coming with us to Thyferra or heading back to Coruscant?"
"Back to Coruscant. We're kind of on loan, you know. General Cracken has arranged for a freighter to swing by and pick us up. It should be here in about two hours or so, take us as far as the Huntoor system, then probably at least one more stop before we arrive back on Coruscant."
"Well, before you begin your trek home, I just wanted to thank you for putting your lives on the line. What you did was...well, stupid, really. But it worked." Tycho let his face droop into a fair imitation of the scowl that Wedge was so practiced at giving. "Wedge was right, you Wraiths never do anything the easy way."
Face feigned a hurt expression, but they all laughed. "If you ask me, Heblon deserves most of the credit," he said. "Without him, Wedge would have been dead days ago."
Tycho thought hard, trying to place the name. He looked from Face to Kell then back again. "Remind me, who's Heblon?"
Face frowned as he looked at Tycho. "He's the Imperial who was working for us on the inside. You haven't met him yet?"
Tycho shook his head. "No, not yet. I know that Elscol kept talking about the man on the inside, but she never mentioned him by name, possibly as a security precaution. I mean, she never even told us about you two."
Kell chuckled, then crossed his long arms across his chest and leaned on the edge of a table. "Heblon's the one that was taking care of Wedge the whole time. He used to be a doctor, which is a good thing, with the way they treated the General down there."
Face nodded towards the door. "He should still be in the medical bay if you want to meet him. He was hit in the shoulder when Tchlinda got the drop on us by the monument. From my vantage point, it looked like he stepped in front of a bolt meant for Wedge."
"The medical bay is my next stop. I want to check on Ajene and Wedge anyway." He offered Face, then Kell his hand, and both men accepted it. "The next time you see General Cracken, give him my thanks."
"Will do," Face said as he headed for the door behind Kell. With a jaunty wave, he was gone.
Tycho looked at his chrono. He had about twenty minutes before he would have to climb back into his X-wing, so he headed straight for the medical bay at a jog.