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 17: Never Saw Him Coming

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"Try his comlink one more time," Wedge said, his voice more urgent than the last time he'd made the request of Wes – five minutes before.

"Wedge, I've tried Face six times and Jes five. He's not going to answer this time."

Wedge nodded and sighed. "I know. But I was hoping, anyway." He shook his head, shoulders slumped, but abruptly straightened. "Pull everyone out of their fighters. Send them out, paired up, to look for any sign of Face, Jesina, or Lonciez."

Wes nodded. "Where you going?"

"To the bridge," Wedge replied over his shoulder as he walked away. "I'm going to have them send a message to the planet that we're going to be delayed. I'll comm you in a few minutes."

As Wedge left the hangar, Wes switched to the squadron-wide frequency. "Launch is postponed. Everybody out. Come on, people, move it. Now!" His tone grew more earnest with every word, as his concern for Jesina increased with every moment.

As they gathered around him over the course of the next few minutes, he relayed Wedge's instructions. "Ooryl and Inyri, start on the top deck and work down. Tyria, Dia, start on the bottom deck and work up. Ensa and Duryll, start a third of the way up and work up. Stay in constant communication. The second anything happens, LET US KNOW. IMMEDIATELY. The same goes if you find any sign of Jesina, Face, or Vayl Lonciez. If you see them, pursue them only so far as you need to in order to keep them in sight. We're operating under the assumption that Lonciez is responsible for whatever's happened. Do not engage him, but defend yourselves if he initiates. And whatever you do, DO NOT endanger Loran or Dreis." He paused momentarily. "Any questions?"

"Who do we communicate with? You or Wedge?"

"Me, until further notice. Anything else? No? Dismissed."

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"Wes? Come in, Janson," Inyri's voice came over his comlink.

"I'm here, Forge. What do you have?"

"We found Face. He was lying unconscious outside Jesina's quarters. He's starting to come around."

Wes started to jog toward the turbolift. "Can you get him to the med center?"

"Ooryl's already picked him up. We'll meet you there?"

He nodded, and then remembered that she couldn't see him. "Yeah. I'll comm Wedge," he told her as he stepped into the lift. "Out."

"Out."

Before Wes even had a chance to comm Wedge, he heard his CO's voice. "You have anything?"

"No sign of Jes or Lonciez. But Inyri and Ooryl found Face. He was on the floor outside Jes' quarters."

"Alive?"

"Yes."

"How bad off is he?"

"I don't know. They're taking him to the med center now. I'm heading there."

"Comm everyone and tell them we've found Face, and we'll let them know when we know something. I'll meet you in the med center. Out."

"Out."

Wes reached the med center about ten seconds before Wedge did and they walked in together. Face was sitting up on a cot sipping a cup of what Wes guessed was medicinal water. His face was pale and he seemed to be having a little trouble focusing.

"How you doing, Loran?" Wes asked him. He just shook his head.

"He was stunned," the doctor told them. "Standard blaster on a maximum setting. Whoever it was wanted to make sure he wasn't getting up anytime soon."

"Lonciez?" Wedge asked, directing the question at Face, who nodded.

"I think so, anyway. Didn't actually see him."

"What happened?"

"I got to the Colonel's quarters and she opened the door. I told her..." he shook his head. "I told her you wanted everyone in the fighters. Before...before she even said anything, I heard a noise, and then I hit the ground." He blinked furiously. His head was swimming. "I don't know what happened after that."

"Great," Wedge muttered. "We know nothing."

"I'm sorry, Wedge," Face said softly. "I never saw him coming."

"It's not your fault," Wedge told him. "The person I'm going to murder is Cracken, not you."

"I'm going to go look for her," Wes said. His voice was soft, but firm enough that Wedge knew arguing with him wouldn't work.

"Go. But keep your comlink on and keep in contact constantly."

"Will do." Wes started to leave but stopped and turned around. "You two, go to engineering and see if they can tell you anything about places that people could hide for a while on board."

Inyri looked at him blankly. "Wes, this is a Super Star Destroyer."

"I know. There are a million places to hide. I know that. But see if engineering can help you narrow it down. If you come up with anything, comm me to let me know and meet me somewhere. I don't want Lonciez to tap into our frequency." Then he left.

"Inyri," Wedge said after he was gone, "You go to engineering." He glanced at the Gand findsman. "Ooryl, you go with him. Tell him its my orders and if he doesn't like it he won't be looking for her at all."

Inyri hesitated. "Is he all right?"

Wedge shrugged. "I think there's a thing with them or something. He'll be okay. As long as we find her."

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Wes heard his comlink buzz, startling him out of his thoughts. "Janson."

"Wes, I've got something for you." She paused. "Where are you?"

"Just finished checking through the squadron's quarters," he replied. He'd gotten an override code that allowed him into every living quarters on the ship.

"I'll meet you in mine. Be there in a few minutes." She cut the transmission before he could even acknowledge.

Wes paced back and forth across the floor of Inyri's room, not stopping even for a second when Ooryl protested, "Ooryl thinks you will soon be walking on the deck below." Continuing to pace without faltering, Wes just shot his squadron-mate a withering glare.

Inyri was out of breath as she slipped into her quarters. The first thing out of her mouth was, "there are about 10,000 places to hide on this ship. But there was one thing that the folks down in engineering said that caught my attention. On this deck, and the far end from us, is another set of living quarters that were never fully restored. They're sealed off, and there's no power to that part of the ship, but you can get in there, and it isn't vacuum. Life support systems are fully functional."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Something about structure and wiring. To cut off life support to that area only would have been complicated, so they just didn't do it."

"This would be where he is," Ooryl said suddenly.

Wes glanced curiously at the Gand and nodded slowly. "Inyri, comm Wedge, find out where he is, and tell him where we've gone."

"Yes, sir. But don't you want to know how to get into that area? It is sealed off."

Wes looked sheepish. "Yeah, that'd probably help."

She motioned him and Ooryl over and held up a datapad. On the screen was a schematic of the deck they were on. "We're here." With a finger, she circled the general area where the Rogues and Wraiths had been assigned quarters. Then she traced her finger down a corridor and around a few corners. "There's a maintenance access door here. Once you're inside, there'll be no light. So take a couple lamps or glow rods or something. That's the only way in or out, short of cutting a hole through the wall somewhere else, which the boys on the lower deck advise against."