Aboard the MC80 Star Cruiser Home One

Wedge and his five remaining pilots were leaving the sims when Agent Retrac found them. "Report to the briefing room, pilots. There is a possible mission ahead."

They all followed her at a run, piling in behind the intel agent. General Rieeken's eyes widened slightly. "That was quick. Well done, Agent Retrac. Listen up, Rogues. We just received some new intel that suggests that there might be a prison facility in the Maw and, if there is, it's more than probable that some prisoners from Hoth went there considering the number of successful raids on the Kessel prisons. We are going to send three X-wing's and three Y-wings. If it's found out that there is a facility, you will scout around and report back. Any questions?"

"What if we do find that there are rebel prisoners?" asked Wedge.

Rieeken gave him a very stern glare. "You will report back and wait for instructions. That's it, Rogues. Any other questions?"

There were no forthcoming questions and the general said, "Alright, go get a meal and get out there. We're counting on you."

Rieeken departed and Wedge looked at his pilots. "Alright, Rogue group, let's go eat and get ready."

They were less than enthusiastic as they headed towards the mess. Hoth had taken some of the wind out of their sails, as it were. Wedge watched them go on ahead of him and sighed. He needed to find a way to bring their spirits back up. "Wedge, a moment, please;" said Winter from behind him.

Wedge slowed his pace and they waited for the Rogues to get further ahead. "What's up, Winter?"

"I'm just checking on you, Wedge. Is everything okay? Your squadron is definitely dispirited."

Wedge scowled. "We just suffered at least five losses, possibly even six and a crushing defeat - the first since our foundation after Yavin. Our first in three years as a matter of fact! We need a mission to come back from. This scouting mission is just making us feel like we're being put on the back burner. Makes me wonder if Command has lost confidence in us and that's not fair."

Winter took his hand and squeezed it. "They are still confident in you, Wedge. I promise they are. But you are at half strength and we are all still reeling from the loss of Echo Base. They are taking things carefully and slow and that's what we need right now. You can understand that."

Wedge blew out a breath and said, "Yeah, I guess. Join us for dinner?"

"Of course."

Asteroid Field just outside of the Maw

"Alright, Rogue group, angle all deflectors forward. We're going to take this nice and slow. No need to do anything crazy;" said Wedge from the cockpit his one-man BTL-A4 Y-Wing. His pilots readily complied as they just cruised between the floating rocks, their electronic and visual scanning on full. For almost two hours, they continued, not seeing anything but drifting rocks. Just as Wedge was about to order a return to base, he saw something out of the corner of his eye and his heart started to beat just a little faster. To confirm that he wasn't going crazy, Tycho excitedly said, "Rogue Leader, this is Rogue Four, I have seven Imperial tankers and one Imperial Lambda shuttle point one-one-five!"

"I see them, Rogue Four. Alright, one quick sweep, nice and easy, boys and girl."

As they approached, their scopes suddenly lit up with enemy ships. "I have fighters coming in, Rogue Leader;" called Rogue Eleven.

"Alright, Rogues Four, Six and Eleven, keep them off our backs while I go in for a closer look. I can see one really big asteroid but it looks like there might be something between us and it."

While the X-wing's engaged the TIE's the three Y-wings continued forward, picking up their pace just enough without being reckless. It quickly became very clear what was between them and the massive asteroid. It was a linked shield system, hundreds of mines and dozens of automated turbolaser drones. The drones fired in predetermined patterns which were fairly easy to avoid and the Rogues just blasted any mines that were too close. "Alright, switch to ion cannons and target the shield couplings. Pick your targets."

In a quick, one-two-three, the Y-wings fired their ion cannons and knocked out a section of the barrier shield. As they flew through, it became clear that the rumor was quite true. The large asteroid had a large facility of some kind and, judging by the towers, rail systems, search lights and the patrolling groups of specially upgraded AT-PT's, it was a large prison. Wedge immediately powered up his long-range communications unit. "General Rieeken, this is Wedge. We have eyes on the prison."

"Great job, Rogues! Return to Home One and we'll put a rescue operation together."

Wedge was about to turn about when the emergency frequency. "Attention! If anyone can hear me, this is Rebel Alliance pilot Karie Neth and I've organized a prison break! We need help! Is anyone out there?"

Wedge was shocked for just a moment before sputtering, "Karie Neth, this is Rogue Leader, what is your current position?"

Over their private channel, Tycho said, "Wedge, we have our orders."

"They changed when our fellow rebels are attempting to escape right now! If we don't help them, there's every chance they'll just be executed."

Over the emergency comms, Neth said, "We're heading for the hover train but if we don't take out those guard towers, they'll just destroy the train and kills us."

"We're on it. We'll clear a path for you as best as we can;" said Wedge firmly. "X-wings, keep the TIE's off of us. We're going for the towers."

Using proton torpedoes, they leveled the towers and they used their laser cannons to take out some of the patrolling AT-PT's. "We're clear for the moment, Rogues and we're heading for the armory right now."

"We'll have those towers clear for you too;" said Wedge.

The space above was getting a little to busy for his like. Several TIE fighter squadrons were trying to bring them down but the X-wings kept them busy. Even so, Wedge was forced to clean one or two off of one of his fellow Y-wing pilots. The towers quickly began to target the rebel fighters instead which was both a relief and an added stress. "X-wings, target their comms and sensors array;" snapped Wedge, cursing himself for not thinking about it earlier. "We'll be fine until you're done."

"We have weapons, Rogue Leader;" called Neth. "Heading towards the docking port. There should be a Sentinel-class shuttle there. We just need the skies clear and a way out."

Wedge gritted his teeth, determined to be successful in this mission. More and more towers went up in flames. Clusters of pod walkers were floating space debris as the train pulled up next to the docking area where a shuttle was perched. "We're boarding the shuttle now, commander. How are the skies looking?"

"Crowded;" said Wedge as he rolled ponderously in his heavy fighter, attempting to avoid the two fighters on his tail. "Even so, I'd blast off and go. Make sure you evenly distribute the power between shield and engines."

The shuttle was even slower than the Y-wings and a dozen TIE's broke off and angled towards the escapees. Severally were destroyed by the shuttle's weapons but the others were taken out by the X-wings. As they reached the energy shield barrier, the Y-wings used their ion cannons to open up and larger gap between the couplings. TIE's were still in hot pursuit. The X-wings and Y-wings were out of torpedoes. "Damn, I wish Luke was here;" muttered Wedge.

Luke could use the force to improve his senses and shred fighters without his targeting computer. His ability to maneuver due to his strength in the mysterious force would allow him to pull off unbelievable, borderline stupid, feats. The rest of the Rogues were bound by their not inconsiderable skill.

The shuttle was making it through the field, cutting dangerously close to asteroids and squeezing between them just before they collided. Wedge paid just enough attention to acknowledge that, whoever the pilot was, they had great skills, operating the shuttle like they would a fighter and yet, knowing the shuttle and understanding it well enough to be able to avoid destruction. "Wedge, the TIE's are turning back!" called Kasan, relief evident in her voice.

Wedge noticed she was right and sighed with relief. His comms chimed on a common Alliance channel. "Thanks for the assist, Commander. We would have been dead on that rock without you."

"It was our pleasure. Are you flying that thing, Neth?"

"Yeah that's me;" replied the leader. "I was shuttle a freighter pilot before I was captured at Hoth."

"Well you sure seem to know your way around a stick. How would you like to try out for Rogue Squadron?" asked Wedge.

The reply was quick in coming. "Absolutely! I've missed being in a starfighter."

Aboard the MC80 Star Cruiser Home One

As Wedge stood before the members of High Command, he concluded that his invitation for Karie Neth to join may have been a tad premature. When this was over, there was every chance he may no longer be in command or even in a fighter's cockpit. Since High Command was scattered after Hoth, most of them were holographic representations. Somehow, though, it didn't make them any less intimidating. Mon Mothma remained silent as a scowling General Rieeken spoke. "Commander Antilles, what were your orders on the mission to the Maw?"

Wedge cleared his dry throat and replied, "My mission was to scout out the area and report back before returning to the Home One."

"And you did that, right up until I gave you the order to return. What happened after that, Commander?"

"Rogue Squadron was contacted on the emergency line by a large group of rebel prisoners from Hoth and before. They were in trouble, Sir and if we hadn't jumped in to help, they would have been dead in space. Any reason to launch a rescue would have died with them."

General Rieeken considered. "We'll be debriefing the prisoner you were in communication with. Don't go too far because you still have some questions to answer."

Wedge saluted and headed out to the hall way. There stood a young woman in Alliance military khakis, lieutenant bars on her lapels. "So, Lieutenant Karie Neth, I presume." he said with a grin.

She smiled and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you and thank you in person, Commander Antilles. What's the word?"

"I'm not demoted yet but I'm guessing they'll be calling you in next."

Karie chuckled. "Then I'll put in a good word for you. It's the least I can do."

"I'm not really worried about it;" said Wedge with a shrug. "Considering the situation, and the things Luke and I used to do while he was the commanding officer, this is nothing but a rebel officer exercising his initiative."

"I sure hope so;" she replied. She was going to say more when the droid opened and Rieeken called, "Enter, Lieutenant Neth."

"Alright, wish me luck;" she said and headed in.

Wedge chuckled. That lady didn't need luck. He had a feeling she would do just fine. Now all he needed was a mission to present itself so that he could test her fighter piloting metal.