Chapter Thirteen – Vanguard Squadron

Raoul Solo's X-Wing touched down smoothly on the docking bay. A slightly surprised look crossed his face as he realized that he was the first there. Not that it mattered to him. The Jedi merely got out of his craft, threw his helmet into it, and then headed towards the building. As he walked down the hallway toward the 'office', his thoughts fell back onto the orders he had received. Jag was always so serious, especially when it came to squad-wide messages. One almost had to wonder what exactly his aunt saw in the military-stiff, Chiss-raised pilot... However, he wasn't in Vanguard to express his views on Jaina's choice of boyfriends.

He made sure all the lights were on as he walked into Jag's office, taking a seat in one of the randomly placed chairs. Then his thoughts returned to his younger sisters.

One of them hadn't activated herself in military service yet... and he was almost grateful. Unfortunately, it hadn't been the younger. Ari had informed the New Republic maybe a week earlier that she was ready to activate her position on Rogue squadron's roster. Hopefully Wedge knew what he was doing, though he wasn't going to doubt his father or grandfather.

Unconsciously, he realized that Asyr Sei'lar had just landed. His gaze remained far off even as he looked out the window. Asyr was flying in from Wraith headquarters, he knew that. It was almost a surprise that she hadn't gotten here first. But it really was no matter. The Jedi Knight walked through the door to Jag's office a minute later at which point she smiled to Raoul. He nodded his reply, but didn't say anything. Instead, it was Asyr who broke the silence.

"Hey there," her voice could hardly be called loud, but it carried.

"Hi, Asyr," was Raoul's reply.

Tyria Sarkin was next to appear, albeit a few minutes after silence had subsided in the room again. Raoul had taken a seat nearer to Jag's desk, while Asyr had chosen to stand at the back of the room. Tyria, it seemed, was finding it a bit amusing. She nodded to Raoul's watching face then went over to stand by Asyr.

"Hey, Asyr. Nice seeing you again," the pilot broke the silence that had been hanging dully for over five minutes.

Raoul could see Asyr was ready to reply, but instead silenced herself when the militarily strict and precise Jagged Fel entered the room. Well, Raoul thought, here we go. Now we're going to be whipped into shape for talking outside military orders. Oh well.

* * * * *

Jag walked into the office, his steps never faltering as he nodded to the squadron members already present. He was hardly surprised to see that they're faces lost their joking motives as entered. But then again, it wasn't really his concern. No, his concern was making sure the squadron made it out with the least amount of deaths possible, preferably none... and to make sure both he and Jaina lived through it. Perhaps the second motive was more selfish, but it was true.

His face once again drew a blank slate over the smile that was beginning to show on it; he couldn't have his squad thinking he was a softie, now could he? A chuckle passed Jag's thoughts and he looked up in time to see Gavin Darklighter enter the room. A quick nod was sent to the pilot, which was returned, and then he saw the pilot go and sit by Raoul.

Ganner could be seen through the window talking to the agitated-looking Sienn Securra. Well, Jag thought, at least my squad's not as disrupting as Rogue squadron's members are. He watched as Ganner reached to open the door, then stopped to wait for Sienn to catch up. The A-Wings and the X-Wings docked were slowly becoming silhouettes as the dawning sun rose over the horizon, creating the shadows that made the direct images black and the background an orange-yellow glow.

Another few seconds later, and Sienn and Ganner were making their way inside together. Jek's X-Wing landed just after the two disappeared inside. The former two were in the office within the minute, Jek following suit in slightly more time. Jag looked around the half-filled room, nodding to the new occupants, but then returning to his datapad. He wasn't going to start only to have to repeat himself. Besides, the pilots could always get their side talk out while they found seats.

Kalten's and Syal's entrances caused him to look up once more, his face a bit less forgiving now that he had been interrupted due to noise more than twice. Oh well. That was how New Republic pilots were. He couldn't do anything about that... especially since he was in love with one of their Colonels. About to comment on their noisy entrance, he bit back both the words and the smile that was close to emerging due to Syal's annoyed-looking face and Kalten's innocently-trying one. Two pilots were missing. Another X-Wing, the Blackmoon, landed and Jag quickly edited his thoughts to only one pilot missing.

Jace, the pilot in question, could be heard hurrying down the hall, muttering what sounded like curses at his padawan. Asyr and Raoul could be seen laughing from the corner of Jag's eye. While he wasn't a Jedi to speak of such problems as padawans himself, he'd heard enough about the Jedi 'younglings', as Master Yoda delicately put it, to know that some of them most assuredly could be less-than-perfect. Jaina's account of her padawan years were a testament to that. Stealing an X-Wing indeed.

Vana Sage, his twic, was the last member to walk in. Jag was pleased in spite of himself when she walked straight over to his desk, not waiting to bother with greetings of the others. At least one other person in his squad realized that this wasn't time for dilly-dallying. The 17-year-old Jedi and pilot stopped just in front of Jag's desk, reporting.

"Couldn't get anything else out of Wedge; he said he'd send everything we need to know. Other than that, we know from Adra Tallon that Daala has put death marks on her own and Tyria Tainer's heads."

Rather than offer a verbal reply, Jag merely nodded while she talked. When his twic was finished, he spoke in his usual impassive voice, only it was to the entire squad.

"Alright everyone. I've just forwarded the attack plan to you. Review and get it down in your head."

He knew without having to say anything else that his squad would understand. They'd been fighting under him and his orders too long for them not to know that his orders elaborated into more than he stated at times. Raoul was the first person to finish reading his instructions, at which point he nodded to Jag once in an informal salute and then he went out to, Jag assumed, check his X-Wing over once more before the rendezvous with the Imperials. In spite of himself, Jag couldn't help thinking of them like that. Even when he did come into the fight wearing Imperial colors. It wasn't his fault that the Chiss used to be on loan to the Imperial forces before the New Republic offered a far more sane deal.

As he looked back down his datapad, Asyr Sei'lar walked over to where Vana still stood. Jag could tell that she wasn't there merely to collect her friend, so he put the datapad down once more, resigning to the fact that nobody would let him finish reading the information. As his gaze met the sight before him, he saw Asyr shaking her head with a slight smile. Knowing she was going to be talking to him, he waited.

"You know, I find it rather amazing, Colonel, that the Goddess, who seems to be permanently stuck on hyperdrive, could see past this amazingly serious wall you're so good at putting up. Maybe I only see you as a commanding officer, but I mean, come on Jag. We're all not that serious. You could at last give us some sort of good humor so we don't feel like we're flying to our deaths; even if that's how you see it."

Jag sighed inwardly. Unfortunately, more than half the squad enjoyed commenting on that. It was always the same: 'How the Sith did Jaina Solo end up dating you, Jagged Fel?' Outwardly he showed no sign of emotion, but on the inside several very un-Chiss-like emotions rose in him- namely anger and annoyance.

"Lieutenant, I was raised among the Chiss. Those who were not serious and who did not concentrate were killed by our enemies. If the way I run my squadron offends you, feel free to transfer out. And as for Jaina Solo," here, to Jag's chagrin, he felt both his expression and his voice soften, "As for Jaina Solo, you'd have to ask her about that. Now if you'll excuse me, Lieutenant, Captain," he gave a dismissing nod to both of them before finishing, "I have work I need to do." And with that, he stood up, preparing to go check on his clawcraft.

Asyr, it seemed, wasn't ready to end the discussion though. She visibly raised an eyebrow, and then managed to keep a straight face. Jag could almost see her biting back the smart remarks that she was dying to dole out. And, apparently, she failed to restrain them.

"Alright Colonel, but if I didn't know better, I'd say you're using paperwork and craft inspection as a way to get out of talking." Then she quickly turned tail, running out to the docking bay and her X-Wing. Jag followed her out to the docking bay, going over to his own craft, yet made no outward sign he'd noticed her words when she looked over at him to see his reaction. Quite frankly, he was giving her the same amount of attention he gave to most politicians: none. If Asyr chose to call flying around with Jaina, getting into fights with the Sith, attempting- key word of the thought- to train the Vanguards, and working on simulators 'paperwork', then he honestly didn't want to see what was.