Entry Into the Saga

Chapter 2

Wedge looked up from the holoprojector to question his two XOs. "Well? What do you think?"

Janson spoke up quickly, a small grin on his face. "Check his record. Any red marks on it?"

Wedge looked over Torin's file on his datapad. "It says here that he's got several counts of gross insubordination and a 'lack of logic.'"

"PERFECT! We'll take him! Another screwup for Wraith Squadron!"

Narwara Ven chuckled at Janson's comment as Wedge ran his hand down his face in frustration.

"Wes, you're hopeless."

"Yeah I know. Isn't it great?"

Wedge slid a hand down his face and turned to question the Twi'lek officer. "Lieutenant Ven? What do you think?"

The Rogue Squadron XO leaned back in the ejection seat and shrugged. The look suggested indifference, since Wraith Squadron was famous in the New Republic Starfighter Command for helping the hopeless get back on track.

"This is Janson's field of expertise. The Rogues are the recruitment poster models, remember?"

Janson smirked. "He's got a point there."

Wedge sighed. If Cole Torin was anything like some of the other pilots that Wedge had chosen for Wraith Squadron, he'd fit in perfectly.

- - - - -

Torin, freshly changed and drying his hair with a towel, walked out of the refresher station. Voss was gone. Cole wasn't surprised. Tiger's probably off harassing some poor young female somewhere. Torin turned walked over to his terminal and turned it on. A message flashed up on the screen. It was a priority message for all graduating pilots. There was a final simulator one-on-one competition between the graduates in thirty minutes. All pilots were invited to attend. It was signed by Colonel Mora. Torin decided that he could use a little fun, and he quickly opened the door to his quarters and ran in the direction of the simulator room.

- - - - -

Colonel Mora entered his office and sat down his private terminal. After finishing his message to General Antilles, Mora had gone off to arrange a sort of "graduate competition" to give his pilots a few stress-free moments of fun. Mora turned on the screen to find a priority message from Starfighter Command. It was a priority message from General Antilles. It simply read:

Confidential...Security Level – Secret

Pilot Candidate Cole Torin is to report to Wraith Squadron's base-of-operations at 1400 hours in six day's time.

Message authorized by General Wedge Antilles, New Republic Starfighter Command

Mora smiled. Torin would be in excellent care after his graduation. The colonel turned off his terminal and got up from his desk and left his office, walking in the direction of the simulator room.