Can't Look Dignified

Disclaimer: Anything remotely distinguishable from the Star Wars universe, whether places, people, or things, obviously don't belong to me but to their wonderful creators. I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

Summary: Wes Janson knows he's going to die. Doesn't mean he's not going to accept it.

Characters: Wes Janson, Kell Tainer, Face Loran, Wedge Antilles

A/N: Written for the challenge over on The New Downtime thread. Kill Wes, it said. Well, I did.

-

Wes Janson was dying. He didn't need to go see that Two One-Bee droid to tell him that. This was going to be it. There was no way he would be getting out of this one alive. It was time to start packing, to prepare himself for that final journey up into the stars. The galaxy would be lacking its shining star, its ray of hope and joy. In a word, it would become a boring place.

He hopped up off the cold durasteel table and saluted the droid. Reaching across to the chair, he grabbed his dark green tunic and yanked it over his head. Why did he even bother coming to the medic center in Denon's military base. This was embarrassing. How could Wes Janson be dying when he had so much left to live for? So many more pranks to pull, so many more pilots to harass. It wasn't fair.

Then again, no one ever said that the galaxy was ever fair.

He suppressed a saddened sigh as he left the room, resisting the urge to shake his head in disgust. He quietly closed the door behind him and began to walk down the hall. There was no stanging way he was letting anyone else know. This was going to be his secret. It was his death. No one else needed to know.

Sithspit, it was his death.

Wes Janson knew he was going to die. Knew it as well as he knew his own name, as well as he knew the hijinks of his own squadron, as well as he knew every manner to irritate Wedge. He was dying. But that didn't mean he'd have to look dignified doing it.

-

"Death by Ewok."

"Repeat that," General Wedge Antilles ordered, incredulous. He had known the Wraiths to make jokes in the past, but this was ridiculous. Ewoks don't kill people he thought.

"What Explosion Boy said, sir," Face Loran replied, his expression completely serious. "Death by Ewok."

"Are you playing a joke over Colonel Janson's death, Face?"

"He's completely serious this time," Kell Tainer added in. "The explosion was a beauty."

"Death by Ewok?" Wedge repeated, still not quite comprehending the concept.

"Yes. Do I need to give you a schematic? Performance even? When it comes down to it, the concept's not that hard to understand. Don't get why you're having such a hard time."

Wedge blinked and looked towards Kell. "You said there was an explosion?"

"Yes."

Wedge tilted his head to meet Face's gaze. "And you said that he was killed by an Ewok."

"Correct."

"Explain."

"I already offered to, Wedge," Face said with a mocking sigh. "We found his E-wing orbiting the Endor moon. And before we had a chance to comm him, an X-wing appeared out of no where and blasted the ship."

"Blasted doesn't cover it, Poster Boy," Kell interrupted. "The pilot did as good a job as I would've."

Ignoring Kell's interjection, Wedge frowned. "Continue."

"As I was saying, the ship destroyed Wes', and over the comms we heard a battle cry of 'yub yub'. And I swear we're not making this up."

"The pilot spoke Basic and told us his name was Kolot. An Ewok. So, in a nutshell, death by Ewok."

Wedge leaned his forehead into an arm and shook it back and forth. For some reason, this just didn't seem surprising. Leave it to Wes to be killed by an Ewok.

"We did find this," Face continued, causing Wedge to look up towards the two pilots in his office. The Wraith leader pulled out a metal cube from his jacket pocket and placed it on the desk. "It's a holocube," he explained unnecessarily.

Wedge nodded and pressed the play button. Instantly, a small holo of the now deceased pilot sprung to life, smiling at Wedge, Face, and Kell as if it didn't have a care in the world. Five seconds later, it began to speak.

"—Well, I'm assuming if you are seeing this, I'm dead. Hopefully, I found some way to go that was more interesting than that kriffing disease the Two-onebee droid said would get me in the end. I was thinking Ewoks…did that work-" The image shrugged its shoulders."—I hope it did. Jay had told me about rumors he had heard during his time with the NRI of a rogue pilot living on Endor – one that might've been an Ewok itself. Figured if I couldn't get Lieutenant Kettch to do the job for me, that guy would have to do.-"

A brief pause brought silence to the room. "—So I'm dead. Guess the galaxy has seen the last of Wes Janson. Shame, really.-" His normally sarcastic and amused grin faltered and the Wes in the holo became unusually serious. "—I hope none of you will miss me too much, but I couldn't sit around and do nothing while this disease destroyed my body. I needed to do something that I'd be remembered for. Figured death by Ewok would be a guaranteed shoe in.—"

The cocky smile returned as the figure chuckled nervously. "—So wish me luck. Then again, by the time you're watching this, I guess I won't need it anymore. Wedge, Hobbie, and everyone? You've been the best pilots I could have ever served with, and the best of friends a man could ask for. I love you.-"

"-The Taanab Yellow Aces? I know Anndi isn't anywhere as accomplished as I am, but listen to him. He won't be nearly as fun or witty, but he'll make a good squadron leader.-"

"-And Lea? I know you're wondering. Yes, you can have the Reckless Abandon. Left the codes for her in my office. Enjoy.-"

"—Just try to make sure that the wisdom of a wise man never dies. You can't look dignified when you're having fun. Not even when you die.-"