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.

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Chapter 9: Briefing

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Four hours later Wedge stood at the front of a large meeting room. The meeting with Myn Donos about Kirney Slane had gone better than expected, and Wedge was glad. Kirney had gotten close to Myn when she'd served with the Wraiths as Lara Notsil. However, when her true identity – as former Imperial Intelligence officer Gara Petothel – was revealed, she fled after Donos, whose squadron had been wiped out by her actions during her Imperial service, had fired on her.

Wedge didn't know how she'd ended up working with the Wraiths again, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. He glanced out at the people waiting for him to speak. Commanding and Executive officers from all the squadrons about Lusankya, as well as the ship's captain and first officer were present, as were all the Rogues and Wraiths. "Attention please," he called.

Instantly all eyes were on him. "I know that none of you have any clue what our mission is. I'm going to clear that up for you as best I can. Lusankya, Emancipator, and Rebel Savior are heading for a rendezvous point just outside Tatooine space. Rogue and Wraith Squadrons will be heading on from there to complete the mission this whole trip is geared toward. But, for the rest of you, there are some things you need to know."

"There is no major Imperial presence in or around Tatooine. However, there is at least one Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit around the planet Zhar. We don't know if they have a larger complement than that at Zhar, or anywhere in the vicinity. And we don't know if they know where we're going to be. We also don't know what kind of reaction the Rogues and Wraiths' mission is going to provoke. So from here on in, your job is going to be simply to be prepared – for literally anything. We're on alert from now on. Any questions?"

"Are the Rogues and Wraiths going to need air support?" That question came from Pash Cracken, and Wedge knew he was hoping the answer was yes. Waiting around was not his thing. No such luck for the Aces.

"Taken care of," Face Loran replied from his seat to the left of where Wedge stood.

"I take it we don't get to know where you're headed?" Iline Jesmin, the major in charge of Legacy Squadron, another A-Wing unit, called out.

"Wedge glanced in her direction. He was glad to have her and Pash aboard. Pash had been a Rogue at one point, and Iline had been on Hoth when Rogue Squadron was there. They were two people whose strengths he knew well. And he could count on both of them to run the show here while he was off rescuing whoever the target was. "That's need to know, major." He made a mental not to add Iline and Pash to the list of people who needed to know. "Anything else? No? Good. Now, with the exception of Rogue and Wraith Squadrons and Majors Cracken and Jesmin, you're dismissed."

He watched Iline speak softly to her XO before heading toward him, and was struck by a resemblance he saw in her features to another woman with whom he'd interacted recently. "Iline, are you any relation to a Doctor Ishana Lur?"

"She's my youngest sister, sir. Why?" Then recognition dawned in her eyes. "Oh yes. Colonel Celchu."

He looked at her sharply. "You know about that?"

"Ah, sir, it's been the biggest item in the sludgenews for a while now. I think it's safe to say that the whole galaxy knows."

"And that's how you found out?"

"Well, no. The night she found out she'd be treating Tycho, she called me. She wanted a professional opinion on his capabilities from someone whose judgment she was familiar with."

"And what did you tell her, if you don't mind my asking?"

Iline hesitated. "I told her that he was one of the best officers – most fair, and most competent – I've ever had the good fortune to serve with or under. And I told her that even now, knowing he's got some problems, I wouldn't hesitate to follow him into any situation." She paused again. "That's the truth, Wedge. He's always been the kind of man who built the Alliance. And he always will be, whatever happens."

"Thank you, Iline."

"Was that all, sir?"

He noticed the shift back into the formality of professional conversation. "No, it wasn't. How do you feel about the possibility of leading twenty fighter squadrons into battle, Iline?"

She blanched. "I do hope you're joking, sir."

He just smiled. "Have a seat, people, and the venerable Commander Loran will fill us in on how were going to achieve our objective."

Face offered a low bow, and then straightened. "First off, I'd like to say that I have no idea why you two," he pointed at Pash and Iline, "are here. That said, down to business."

"We're heading for the planet Zhar, where we're supposed to rescue someone."

"Someone?" Gavin Darklighter repeated. "Don't we get to know who?"

"Ah, no. All we know is that it's important that we get him, and that we'll recognize him when we see him. Great, isn't it?" He was met with a chorus of groans.

"This is where he's being held, a vacant industrial complex." The same hologram that Face had shown the senior Rogues earlier appeared. He pointed to the set of buildings he'd indicated earlier, and then gestured to another set. This is going to our base of operations. It's the oldest section of the complex, the most run down and generally the most ignored."

Wedge took advantage of the pause to pass around the Ids and information datacards. "These are your identities for what Face is about to explain."

"Were putting a couple of teams on the ground. The first is the smallest – Myn and Inyri as a married couple and Hobbie as Inyri's brother who are moving to the planet for reasons explained in your character information. The other is bigger. It's Jesina and Wes as a wealthy married couple who own an interplanetary company looking to expand outside the core. Gavin, Kell, Tyria and I will be their advisors. Any questions?"

"Yeah. What happens when Wes forgets he's married and goes home with someone else?" Hobbie asked, snickering.

Face shrugged. "Jesina does what any self-respecting wife would do – beats him to a pulp." He turned to Jesina. "But try not to completely incapacitate him, all right. We do need him." She just smiled, and Wes looked slightly nervous.

"Now, the rest of you don't get off easy. There are two other teams. One is ground support. Kirney, Piggy, Shalla, Elassar, and Runt will be responsible for, among other things, picking us up after we go in – we're operating under the assumption that our target won't be able to participate much in his own rescue – and for getting us out." He paused. "Kirney is going to be in charge of that since she's been doing most of the setup for this mission and knows what has to happen when." There were nods of approval and agreement throughout the group.

"The last team is air support. Wedge, Ooryll, Duryll, Ensa and Dia will either come in over the complex if needed or they'll cover our run from the planet, or both."

"How are we getting on and off planet?"

Face told them about Elscol and Mara. "Mara's been known to ferry passengers from time to time, as long as they're willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money, so that won't get a second glance. Teams one and two are going with her. The ground team is going with Elscol when she gets to us at Tatooine. They're going in early to make sure everything's set – and to find us another way out. Elscol's willing, but she has her own agenda and I don't want us to screw it up for her."

"All right," Wedge said when Face had finished. "Now, the reason I asked Pash and Iline to stay. With the Rogues gone, you two are ranking Starfighter officers. Now, I'm placing Captain Ackrand in command of the task force itself." Dehra Ackrand was the Lusankya's captain. "But if fighters come this way, I want you two in command of the fighters. You're the two officers I'm most familiar with, and you know how I like things done. And I know I can count on you."

"We'll do our best, Wedge," Pash said. He had no questions about his own capability to lead, but it was still a tall order to fill and a lot of people to manage.

"I know you will. Dismissed."

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The rest of the trip to the Tatooine system was uneventful. Until Elscol arrived, that is. He greeted her warmly, but noticed how tired she looked. She apparently saw the same in him. "It's really taking a toll on you." It wasn't a question.

"What is?" he asked as they walked down the corridor that was the quickest route between the main hangar bay and Wedge's office.

"Oh, command, Horn, Tycho." She touched his arm as he entered the code to open his office door and he turned to look at her. "I was sorry to hear about Tycho. Though I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that I wasn't surprised."

His eyes widened as he sat down behind his desk. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "There's a reason you and Tycho are best friends, and there's a reason Janson and Hobbie are as close as they are. You're two different sets of two of a kind. Hobbie and Janson let things roll off them. That's how they manage to keep going. They don't let themselves take everything to heart. They don't have as much baggage as you and Tycho. Of course, that's partly because they don't have as much responsibility. But that suits them." Abruptly she stood and walked over to the table where Wedge kept a pot of caf hot. Do you mind?" He shook his head. "Want some?"

"Sure." He took the mug she offered and took a sip. It was bitter and strong – the kind of caf brewed only in Senate and CorSec offices and pilot lounges. In short, the kind of caf he'd lived off of for the better part of thirteen years. "You were saying?"

She swallowed and smiled. "You and Tycho, on the other hand, have always had a lot of responsibility on your shoulders – whether or not you should have. You two never had the opportunity to be carefree. And you've always taken things to heart because you've had to."

He shook his head. By your logic I should have put a blaster to my head a long time ago."

"But there's a difference between you and Tycho. First, and most obvious, you don't have the burden of having fought against the Alliance – and for the people who killed your family." She took another sip of caf. "Also, you have less trouble talking to people than he does. You hold things inside long enough, something's got to give sometime. Horn's death was the breaking point for him."

Wedge shook his head again. "I was never very good at psychology. Anyway, what I really want to know is why you're on Zhar."

"Why am I ever anywhere?"

"I know that." He frowned and swallowed the last of his caf. "But there's no Imperial presence on Zhar, other than the one we're going in to remove. And for the life of me I can't see why the Imperials would even be interested in Zhar at all."

She, too, drained her mug. "I could really use something stronger than this." Then she shrugged. "To answer your question, two months ago I was asking myself the same thing. But then I learned that whoever it is that's running the Empire now has somehow gotten the idea that there was another lab, very similar to the Maw Installation where the Emperor had people working on a very special project. Two, really, according to whatever reports they've apparently unearthed."

Wedge felt his stomach twist into knots. "What kinds of projects?"

"One was a weapon that, theoretically, would be more powerful than the Death Star, though how they could do that I have no idea. The other was a biological agent that was powerful enough for a small amount to wipe out whole worlds – but controlled enough to be used to assassinate a single person."

The knot in Wedge's stomach grew tighter. It seemed that that was happening a lot lately. "And this lab is on Zhar?"

She nodded. "If it exists, yes. Though no one knows if it does or not. But on the off-chance that it does, Imperials are taking steps to find it."

"How could he keep a lab like that, located on a populated world, a secret?"

"The man buried a Super Star Destroyer on the most populated planet in the galaxy without anyone knowing about it. Nothing amazes me anymore."

"Very true," Wedge conceded. "So you're organizing a resistance effort?"

"And helping you people out."

"We appreciate it."

"I know you do. But I doubt Cracken would, which is part of the reason I'm doing it."

Wedge shook his head. "You really don't like him, do you?"

Elscol laughed. "Not in the least. I was thrilled to hear about Booster Terrik getting to keep an ImpStar Deuce."

"To tell the truth, so was I," Wedge said with a laugh.

"Good." Elscol stood and stretched. "It was good talking to you, but I hope I don't see you again in the vicinity of Zhar. That would mean something went wrong."

"I second that." Wedge stood and hugged her. "Now, go collect your charges."

"Tell Tycho I'm thinking of him."

"I will." Then she was gone and Wedge stood a long time staring at the door and thinking about how his life had taken such a different path from hers – and that only a decade ago they'd been at the exact same place.