Title: Inner Demons, Outer Evils
Summary: A tragic event sets Rogue Squadron on the path to the truth...and sends one of the Rogues on a collision course with himself.
Disclaimer: Star Wars is, quite clearly, not mine, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is not written for profit.
A Note: I know a lot of people will take issue with what I do with the main character, but it is entirely plausible. Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and Hobbie have all, at this point, spent fifteen years fighting to survive – and taking lives in the process. They've all lost friends and/or family, and all just push their pain (and guilt) aside. Sooner or later, that would be bound to catch up with at least one of them.
* * * * *
Chapter 3: Falling
* * * * *
Four nights later Wedge and Jesina, the Rogues' temporary XO, were reviewing orders for Lusankya's task force, named Nebula Task Force. They'd been in Wedge's office but she'd grown tired of the close confines and the two were now sitting cross-legged on the floor of the hangar just outside the door.
Jesina frowned. "I get the distinct impression that there's something they aren't telling us."
Wedge heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I got that feeling as soon as they said they were committing the Lusankya and two Star Destroyers – among others – to a diplomatic envoy."
"Do we even know who we're escorting?"
"No, I–" Wedge began but broke off as he heard footsteps echoing through the hangar. Looking up, he saw a face he'd not expected.
Tycho's face was pale, and his civilian clothes did nothing to conceal the fact that he'd lost a significant amount of weight. Add to that the fact that he was visibly trembling, and both could see that something was very wrong.
Jesina jumped to her feet and helped the shaking man to the nearest seat, a mechanic's bench. "Can I get you anything, Tycho?" she asked gently.
He shook his head and fixed his eyes on Wedge. "You told me when you came over that night that I could come to you, anytime, no matter what."
Wedge leaned forward, concern filling his brown eyes. "Of course. It's always been that way."
"Well, I," he began, looking pleadingly at Wedge, begging for understanding. "I need help, and I don't know where else to go." He drew a deep, ragged breath. "I almost – I almost killed myself tonight."
Wedge's breath caught in his throat. This was not what he'd expected to hear. He glanced at Jesina and opened his mouth, but she beat him to it.
"I'll comm Leia, tell her what's going on, and ask her to get a message to Winter," she said quickly. She headed to her own office – Tycho's office, normally – and put a call through to the Solos. Leia answered right away and knew immediately, probably from the strained expression on Jesina's face, that there was some kind of trouble.
Jesina wasted no time with pleasantries. "Leia, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to get a message through to Winter Celchu."
The Chief of State hesitated. "Jesina, you know..."
"I know the protocols. Yes, that's true. But I don't have time to go through the proper channels." Unbidden, her voice took on an imploring tone. "Leia, you know I wouldn't break Intelligence policy like this unless I had no choice. I know how dangerous it can be."
Leia studied Jesina's face. The pilot had been an intelligence agent for over a decade. She did know the rules, which told Leia just what kind of emergency this had to be. "All right. I'll do what I can, but you've got to give me a reason."
Jesina decided to ignore the request for a moment, figuring her next question would give Leia her answer anyway. "What's the best mental health facility on Coruscant? For military personnel, I mean?"
"Corusca Naval Hospital," Leia answered without having to think. Then, suddenly, the strange flow of this conversation fell into place. "Tycho?" she asked softly.
Jesina nodded. "Wedge and I were going over orders in the squadron's hangar when Tycho showed up."
"Why wasn't he with you already?" Leia interrupted.
Jesina frowned. "Oh, that's right. You weren't told."
"Apparently not," Leia replied. She didn't like the sound of this.
"Wedge relieved Tycho of active duty. He wasn't coping well with having had to shoot Corran down."
"I had no idea."
"Wedge didn't want you to be told. Having anyone outside the squadron know he had to be removed from command was a danger to his reputation – and to his career – so Wedge kept it out of his records. But now that's a moot point."
"Oh?" Leia arched an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
Jesina told her what he'd said and watched as the color drained from the other woman's face. "I'll contact General Cracken and have him get a message to Winter as soon as possible. What do you want to tell her?"
"That she's needed here as soon as possible. And that I'll meet her upon arrival."
Leia nodded. "And I'll call Corusca and make arrangements. Even if Tycho isn't bad enough off to warrant being admitted, I want him evaluated, whether he agrees or not."
"Leia, given the way he came here tonight, I doubt that that will be a problem. He was really scared. Frankly, so am I, and so is Wedge."
"I am too," Leia admitted. "I'll make those calls. Oh, and have Wedge stop by here before he goes home tonight."
"I will." Jesina suspected she had an idea of how Leia's conversation with the Corellian would go. "Dreis out." The image faded and she returned to the hangar.
Wedge was kneeling in front of Tycho, speaking to him softly. Jesina's trained eye noticed instantly that both men's blasters were on the floor several meters away. She removed hers and set it down beside the others before moving to be near her friends.
Dropping down to sit beside Wedge she said, "Leia's going to have Cracken get Winter back here, and I'll meet here when she gets here. I thought that would be best, in case you weren't able to," she finished, meeting Tycho's eyes.
Wedge forced a smile. "Glad you thought of that, because he's not going to be able to. Jes..."
"It's being taken care of as we speak." She rested a hand on Tycho's knee. "Leia's making arrangements at Corusca Naval Hospital. She said she wanted you to go in, at least for evaluation, whether you wanted to or not. I told her I didn't think you'd really fight us on it."
Tycho just shook his head, unable to speak, as Wedge stood and Jesina followed suit. "They'll be expecting us," she said softly, taking his hand and drawing him to his feet.
Summary: A tragic event sets Rogue Squadron on the path to the truth...and sends one of the Rogues on a collision course with himself.
Disclaimer: Star Wars is, quite clearly, not mine, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is not written for profit.
A Note: I know a lot of people will take issue with what I do with the main character, but it is entirely plausible. Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and Hobbie have all, at this point, spent fifteen years fighting to survive – and taking lives in the process. They've all lost friends and/or family, and all just push their pain (and guilt) aside. Sooner or later, that would be bound to catch up with at least one of them.
* * * * *
Chapter 3: Falling
* * * * *
Four nights later Wedge and Jesina, the Rogues' temporary XO, were reviewing orders for Lusankya's task force, named Nebula Task Force. They'd been in Wedge's office but she'd grown tired of the close confines and the two were now sitting cross-legged on the floor of the hangar just outside the door.
Jesina frowned. "I get the distinct impression that there's something they aren't telling us."
Wedge heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I got that feeling as soon as they said they were committing the Lusankya and two Star Destroyers – among others – to a diplomatic envoy."
"Do we even know who we're escorting?"
"No, I–" Wedge began but broke off as he heard footsteps echoing through the hangar. Looking up, he saw a face he'd not expected.
Tycho's face was pale, and his civilian clothes did nothing to conceal the fact that he'd lost a significant amount of weight. Add to that the fact that he was visibly trembling, and both could see that something was very wrong.
Jesina jumped to her feet and helped the shaking man to the nearest seat, a mechanic's bench. "Can I get you anything, Tycho?" she asked gently.
He shook his head and fixed his eyes on Wedge. "You told me when you came over that night that I could come to you, anytime, no matter what."
Wedge leaned forward, concern filling his brown eyes. "Of course. It's always been that way."
"Well, I," he began, looking pleadingly at Wedge, begging for understanding. "I need help, and I don't know where else to go." He drew a deep, ragged breath. "I almost – I almost killed myself tonight."
Wedge's breath caught in his throat. This was not what he'd expected to hear. He glanced at Jesina and opened his mouth, but she beat him to it.
"I'll comm Leia, tell her what's going on, and ask her to get a message to Winter," she said quickly. She headed to her own office – Tycho's office, normally – and put a call through to the Solos. Leia answered right away and knew immediately, probably from the strained expression on Jesina's face, that there was some kind of trouble.
Jesina wasted no time with pleasantries. "Leia, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to get a message through to Winter Celchu."
The Chief of State hesitated. "Jesina, you know..."
"I know the protocols. Yes, that's true. But I don't have time to go through the proper channels." Unbidden, her voice took on an imploring tone. "Leia, you know I wouldn't break Intelligence policy like this unless I had no choice. I know how dangerous it can be."
Leia studied Jesina's face. The pilot had been an intelligence agent for over a decade. She did know the rules, which told Leia just what kind of emergency this had to be. "All right. I'll do what I can, but you've got to give me a reason."
Jesina decided to ignore the request for a moment, figuring her next question would give Leia her answer anyway. "What's the best mental health facility on Coruscant? For military personnel, I mean?"
"Corusca Naval Hospital," Leia answered without having to think. Then, suddenly, the strange flow of this conversation fell into place. "Tycho?" she asked softly.
Jesina nodded. "Wedge and I were going over orders in the squadron's hangar when Tycho showed up."
"Why wasn't he with you already?" Leia interrupted.
Jesina frowned. "Oh, that's right. You weren't told."
"Apparently not," Leia replied. She didn't like the sound of this.
"Wedge relieved Tycho of active duty. He wasn't coping well with having had to shoot Corran down."
"I had no idea."
"Wedge didn't want you to be told. Having anyone outside the squadron know he had to be removed from command was a danger to his reputation – and to his career – so Wedge kept it out of his records. But now that's a moot point."
"Oh?" Leia arched an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
Jesina told her what he'd said and watched as the color drained from the other woman's face. "I'll contact General Cracken and have him get a message to Winter as soon as possible. What do you want to tell her?"
"That she's needed here as soon as possible. And that I'll meet her upon arrival."
Leia nodded. "And I'll call Corusca and make arrangements. Even if Tycho isn't bad enough off to warrant being admitted, I want him evaluated, whether he agrees or not."
"Leia, given the way he came here tonight, I doubt that that will be a problem. He was really scared. Frankly, so am I, and so is Wedge."
"I am too," Leia admitted. "I'll make those calls. Oh, and have Wedge stop by here before he goes home tonight."
"I will." Jesina suspected she had an idea of how Leia's conversation with the Corellian would go. "Dreis out." The image faded and she returned to the hangar.
Wedge was kneeling in front of Tycho, speaking to him softly. Jesina's trained eye noticed instantly that both men's blasters were on the floor several meters away. She removed hers and set it down beside the others before moving to be near her friends.
Dropping down to sit beside Wedge she said, "Leia's going to have Cracken get Winter back here, and I'll meet here when she gets here. I thought that would be best, in case you weren't able to," she finished, meeting Tycho's eyes.
Wedge forced a smile. "Glad you thought of that, because he's not going to be able to. Jes..."
"It's being taken care of as we speak." She rested a hand on Tycho's knee. "Leia's making arrangements at Corusca Naval Hospital. She said she wanted you to go in, at least for evaluation, whether you wanted to or not. I told her I didn't think you'd really fight us on it."
Tycho just shook his head, unable to speak, as Wedge stood and Jesina followed suit. "They'll be expecting us," she said softly, taking his hand and drawing him to his feet.