~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 6
Sitting in his office with his feet propped up against the desk, Wedge Antilles stared out the viewport, surveying the beauty of the stars before him. One wouldn't think as they looked at them that a war of gigantic proportions was being fought on the planets of their systems at that very second.
Absorbed in his contemplation, Wedge didn't notice the shuttle approaching until the ship's intercom crackled.
"Wedge, approaching shuttle has requested docking bay clearance. The pilot claims to be shuttling Chief of State Pwoe and the Advisory Council to meet with you." Tycho's voice snapped Wedge out of his reverie.
Muttering obscenities under his breath, Wedge reached over and keyed the intercom. "Tell the pilot to land in Docking Bay 251," he instructed. "And notify all Insiders to gather in Conference Room AA65."
"Sure thing, Wedge." Wedge broke the connection and sighed. I'm too old for this. ************************ The Insiders were all present in the conference room with the exception of Han and Leia, who were away setting up Insider cells all around over the galaxy. They were seated at a large table in the center of the room, sipping water and conversing quietly. Wedge was at the head of the table with Tycho on his right and Gavin on his left. Jag and Jaina were seated side-by-side further down, talking softly with Luke and Mara. All conversation cut off abruptly, however, as the door hissed open and the Quarren Pwoe swept in followed closely by his aides-de-camp and the rest of the Advisory Council.
"Councilor Pwoe, how kind of you to come see us," Wedge said, an artificial smile plastered on his face.
"Antilles, what is the meaning of this?!" Pwoe was too incensed to notice Wedge's deliberate misaddress.
"What's the meaning of what?"
"This-this-insubordination!" Pwoe shouted. "You were ordered to stay Borleias and defend it! How dare you disobey my direct orders!?!"
"Oh, come off it, Pwoe," Jaina said exasperatedly. "We all know the reason you're so angry at Wedge is because we all didn't die on Borleias like you had planned."
"That-that's ridiculous!" Pwoe blustered. "We needed the Pyria system to stage an attack to reclaim Coruscant when that situation presents itself."
"Coruscant doesn't exist anymore."
Pwoe whirled at the sound of a new voice. Tahiri was standing behind him, her face impassive. "What did you say young lady?"
"I said Coruscant doesn't exist anymore," Tahiri replied. "It's Yuuzhan'tar now. It will never be Coruscant again."
At this, all of Pwoe's comrades exploded into excited, panicky chattering. "That's nonsense! Of course Coruscant exists! Antilles, what's this new treachery you have instilled in the youth?" Pwoe demanded with a false bravado. He turned to the frightened faces of the beings that formed the Advisory Council. "The Jedi whelp is lying!" he cried. "It's utter nonsense! Coruscant is still there, waiting for us to reclaim it! It is a planet! It cannot change."
Tahiri snorted. "Yuuzhan Vong shapers are extremely adept at what they do," she said. "They are able to accomplish things you would not think possible."
Wedge could feel his patience disintegrating. "And how many people would you prefer to die reclaiming a world that has been irreversibly altered? Tens of thousands? Millions?"
Pwoe drew himself up. "If that is what it takes, then yes. At least they will have had the honor of dying in battle for Coruscant!"
An angry uproar erupted from those present at Pwoe's answer. Wedge pushed his chair back and leaped to his feet. He grabbed Pwoe by the collar of his ostentatious robes and shook him. "The New Republic no longer exists, if this is how its citizens are to be treated. Millions of lives thrown away by a scheming, corrupt leader that cares more for his own glorification than the lives of his subjects?" He let go of the Quarren's robes and gave him a shove.
Pwoe rose unsteadily to his feet and waved a tentacled appendage at the irate General. "Antilles, this is treason! You are hereby exiled from New Republic space and stripped of your command. You will remove yourself from this position of honor or be arrested and tried in a military court of the New Republic."
Wedge drew himself up. "You can't strip me of my rank. I resign my commission here and now. I can no longer serve a government as corrupt as this." With that, he stripped his rank insignia off and threw it in the Quarren's face. "You will now remove yourself from my presence immediately or I will be compelled to shoot you."
Pwoe narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."
Wedge dropped his hand to caress the blaster hanging at his side. "Try me," he breathed.
Pwoe took one look around the room at the angry faces of the Insiders and visibly flinched at the hostility directed at him. He turned and all but ran for the door. Before he left, however, he called back over his shoulder. "Antilles, you haven't heard the last of me! I'll be back, and you will hang for treason!" With that, the door hissed shut.
Wedge closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Iella came up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You did the right thing, Wedge," she whispered. "I'm proud of you."
Shaking his head sadly, Wedge turned to face her. "I never thought I'd live to see the end of the New Republic," he murmured. "We fought so long, so hard, in the Rebellion for this?" He gestured in the general direction of the door. "For scheming, grasping politicians to send people to their deaths for their own glorification? No, Iella," he continued in a stronger voice, "Not for this." He turned to face the rest of the Insiders still seated around the table. "We're moving up the departure time to one standard hour from now," he ordered. "Squadron leaders, prep your people. We're going to Basulen!" ************************ Precisely an hour later, Wedge stood in the hangar bay of the Rebel Dream facing all the pilots of the Rogues, Blackmoons, Spikes, Vanguards, Yellow Aces, and countless other squadrons: all pilots that stood and fought at Borleias, all absolutely loyal to Wedge and the ideals the Republic stood for. Wedge was willing to trust any one of them with his life.
"Some of you already know," he addressed them, "of Chief of State Pwoe's visit earlier. During our meeting, he formally accused me of treason, and I resigned my commission from the New Republic Military." He paused as the pilots broke out into shocked murmuring, but he then continued. "I came to the conclusion that the New Republic no longer functioned after Pwoe said he willing to throw away millions of lives in a futile effort to regain a Coruscant which is changed and mutated beyond all recognition. We have been declared renegades and traitors, and Pwoe expects us to fall apart and come crawling back to him after existing for a few months in disorganized chaos. There is something he did not know, however." He spotted Iella making her way to the front of the crowd, smiling up at him with love and support radiating from her face. He smiled back before continuing. "For some time now, ever since we occupied Borleias, a secret council has been in place conducting a rebellion against Pwoe and his advisory council. Now that we have been formally exiled, however, there is no more need for secrecy. We have formed a new Rebel Alliance, a new government with Intel cells scattered all across the Known Regions, and more being set up every day. You, loyal sons and daughters of the Republic, are the new Rebellion."
Thunderous cheering and applause erupted at Wedge's stirring words. Wedge looked over the crowd with bittersweet feelings. He regretted taking this necessary course of action against the government he had helped put in place nearly three decades ago, yet he was filled with pride that the new Rebellion would be conducted by a group of such dedicated, brave people. This truly was a fighting force to be proud of: it was the return of the Rebellion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope you liked. Please review!! :D Now you see where the title comes from, don't you? ;)
Sitting in his office with his feet propped up against the desk, Wedge Antilles stared out the viewport, surveying the beauty of the stars before him. One wouldn't think as they looked at them that a war of gigantic proportions was being fought on the planets of their systems at that very second.
Absorbed in his contemplation, Wedge didn't notice the shuttle approaching until the ship's intercom crackled.
"Wedge, approaching shuttle has requested docking bay clearance. The pilot claims to be shuttling Chief of State Pwoe and the Advisory Council to meet with you." Tycho's voice snapped Wedge out of his reverie.
Muttering obscenities under his breath, Wedge reached over and keyed the intercom. "Tell the pilot to land in Docking Bay 251," he instructed. "And notify all Insiders to gather in Conference Room AA65."
"Sure thing, Wedge." Wedge broke the connection and sighed. I'm too old for this. ************************ The Insiders were all present in the conference room with the exception of Han and Leia, who were away setting up Insider cells all around over the galaxy. They were seated at a large table in the center of the room, sipping water and conversing quietly. Wedge was at the head of the table with Tycho on his right and Gavin on his left. Jag and Jaina were seated side-by-side further down, talking softly with Luke and Mara. All conversation cut off abruptly, however, as the door hissed open and the Quarren Pwoe swept in followed closely by his aides-de-camp and the rest of the Advisory Council.
"Councilor Pwoe, how kind of you to come see us," Wedge said, an artificial smile plastered on his face.
"Antilles, what is the meaning of this?!" Pwoe was too incensed to notice Wedge's deliberate misaddress.
"What's the meaning of what?"
"This-this-insubordination!" Pwoe shouted. "You were ordered to stay Borleias and defend it! How dare you disobey my direct orders!?!"
"Oh, come off it, Pwoe," Jaina said exasperatedly. "We all know the reason you're so angry at Wedge is because we all didn't die on Borleias like you had planned."
"That-that's ridiculous!" Pwoe blustered. "We needed the Pyria system to stage an attack to reclaim Coruscant when that situation presents itself."
"Coruscant doesn't exist anymore."
Pwoe whirled at the sound of a new voice. Tahiri was standing behind him, her face impassive. "What did you say young lady?"
"I said Coruscant doesn't exist anymore," Tahiri replied. "It's Yuuzhan'tar now. It will never be Coruscant again."
At this, all of Pwoe's comrades exploded into excited, panicky chattering. "That's nonsense! Of course Coruscant exists! Antilles, what's this new treachery you have instilled in the youth?" Pwoe demanded with a false bravado. He turned to the frightened faces of the beings that formed the Advisory Council. "The Jedi whelp is lying!" he cried. "It's utter nonsense! Coruscant is still there, waiting for us to reclaim it! It is a planet! It cannot change."
Tahiri snorted. "Yuuzhan Vong shapers are extremely adept at what they do," she said. "They are able to accomplish things you would not think possible."
Wedge could feel his patience disintegrating. "And how many people would you prefer to die reclaiming a world that has been irreversibly altered? Tens of thousands? Millions?"
Pwoe drew himself up. "If that is what it takes, then yes. At least they will have had the honor of dying in battle for Coruscant!"
An angry uproar erupted from those present at Pwoe's answer. Wedge pushed his chair back and leaped to his feet. He grabbed Pwoe by the collar of his ostentatious robes and shook him. "The New Republic no longer exists, if this is how its citizens are to be treated. Millions of lives thrown away by a scheming, corrupt leader that cares more for his own glorification than the lives of his subjects?" He let go of the Quarren's robes and gave him a shove.
Pwoe rose unsteadily to his feet and waved a tentacled appendage at the irate General. "Antilles, this is treason! You are hereby exiled from New Republic space and stripped of your command. You will remove yourself from this position of honor or be arrested and tried in a military court of the New Republic."
Wedge drew himself up. "You can't strip me of my rank. I resign my commission here and now. I can no longer serve a government as corrupt as this." With that, he stripped his rank insignia off and threw it in the Quarren's face. "You will now remove yourself from my presence immediately or I will be compelled to shoot you."
Pwoe narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."
Wedge dropped his hand to caress the blaster hanging at his side. "Try me," he breathed.
Pwoe took one look around the room at the angry faces of the Insiders and visibly flinched at the hostility directed at him. He turned and all but ran for the door. Before he left, however, he called back over his shoulder. "Antilles, you haven't heard the last of me! I'll be back, and you will hang for treason!" With that, the door hissed shut.
Wedge closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Iella came up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You did the right thing, Wedge," she whispered. "I'm proud of you."
Shaking his head sadly, Wedge turned to face her. "I never thought I'd live to see the end of the New Republic," he murmured. "We fought so long, so hard, in the Rebellion for this?" He gestured in the general direction of the door. "For scheming, grasping politicians to send people to their deaths for their own glorification? No, Iella," he continued in a stronger voice, "Not for this." He turned to face the rest of the Insiders still seated around the table. "We're moving up the departure time to one standard hour from now," he ordered. "Squadron leaders, prep your people. We're going to Basulen!" ************************ Precisely an hour later, Wedge stood in the hangar bay of the Rebel Dream facing all the pilots of the Rogues, Blackmoons, Spikes, Vanguards, Yellow Aces, and countless other squadrons: all pilots that stood and fought at Borleias, all absolutely loyal to Wedge and the ideals the Republic stood for. Wedge was willing to trust any one of them with his life.
"Some of you already know," he addressed them, "of Chief of State Pwoe's visit earlier. During our meeting, he formally accused me of treason, and I resigned my commission from the New Republic Military." He paused as the pilots broke out into shocked murmuring, but he then continued. "I came to the conclusion that the New Republic no longer functioned after Pwoe said he willing to throw away millions of lives in a futile effort to regain a Coruscant which is changed and mutated beyond all recognition. We have been declared renegades and traitors, and Pwoe expects us to fall apart and come crawling back to him after existing for a few months in disorganized chaos. There is something he did not know, however." He spotted Iella making her way to the front of the crowd, smiling up at him with love and support radiating from her face. He smiled back before continuing. "For some time now, ever since we occupied Borleias, a secret council has been in place conducting a rebellion against Pwoe and his advisory council. Now that we have been formally exiled, however, there is no more need for secrecy. We have formed a new Rebel Alliance, a new government with Intel cells scattered all across the Known Regions, and more being set up every day. You, loyal sons and daughters of the Republic, are the new Rebellion."
Thunderous cheering and applause erupted at Wedge's stirring words. Wedge looked over the crowd with bittersweet feelings. He regretted taking this necessary course of action against the government he had helped put in place nearly three decades ago, yet he was filled with pride that the new Rebellion would be conducted by a group of such dedicated, brave people. This truly was a fighting force to be proud of: it was the return of the Rebellion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope you liked. Please review!! :D Now you see where the title comes from, don't you? ;)