Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

04:23 Hours

Telona 7th, Galactic Standard Time

Wedge sat and waited. 

There was little else that he could do. The interrogation room that he’d been locked in was dimly lit and had nothing inside of it with which he could try and occupy his time and his mind with. There was just a clock on the wall, slowly counting the minutes that went by. Two hours had passed in silence; there were no indicators that anyone would be arriving to talk to him anytime soon and despite knowing it was nothing more than a scare tactic, it was still doing a good job of setting him on edge. 

He could appreciate that he hadn’t been restrained to the desk, if nothing else. Wedge sighed, pushing his chair back away from the table and walking idly around the room for a few minutes to try and kill some of the buzz.  

It didn’t work. 

He just wanted to get this over with. It was going to be bad. He’d known it from the start that this interrogation was going to be bad. They were going to dig hard and deep and make his life hell until they were satisfied with what they got and then they were probably going to do it all over again. 

Wedge just wished they would get it over with. Circumstances be damned, he wasn’t their enemy. This waiting game, this… this act that was designed to try and make him nervous and trip him up from the get-go so he’d be more honest was bullshit. He’d already promised High Command that he would be upfront about everything to the best of his abilities. 

But the rebellion didn’t fuck around where the Empire was concerned. Frustrated, Wedge sat back down, casting a half glare at the window that served as a two-way mirror against the far wall. He hoped anyone watching was just as bored as he was. 

…more than that, he hoped that Luke was doing alright. 

It had been a bittersweet parting, a goodbye in more ways than one. Wedge leaned forward so that his elbows were resting on the edge of the table, tangling his fingers in his hair. Everything had kind of moved in a bit of a blur after Luke and Vader had left. The Imperials hadn’t been impressed with him interrupting Vader’s departure, even if there hadn’t been any consequences for them because of it. But their irritation had been enough that Wedge had slunk back to the med tent not long after the shuttle had disappeared and then stayed there, just to avoid their glares. 

Wedge hadn’t been particularly eager to stick around and test whether or not they would be able to leave but Beren had made it very clear to him, under no uncertain terms, that Cesi wasn’t ready to travel. He needed some additional time to heal and Wedge hadn’t been about to risk his life in order to argue with her. There hadn’t been much else to do except watch over the others and sleep. In total, they stayed behind for an extra day and a half. Just long enough for Cesi to be able to get to his feet without looking like a stiff breeze would knock him over. 

The Imperials had been clearing out the entire time, returning to their garrison and leaving the bare minimum amount of people to stay behind and keep an eye on them. Wedge had taken Tycho on the morning that they decided to leave and together they had strip searched the ships, looking for any trackers or signs of tampering. Nothing had come up and in the end, Luke’s promise had held true. They really had been allowed to leave with no more pomp or circumstance than a polite farewell from Captain Deklan and a warning to keep their heads down on the battlefield. 

Wedge had a suspicion that Vader must have had to spin quite a lie in order to make any of it possible. That, or perhaps it was all nothing more or less complicated than it being a situation of whatever Darth Vader decreed would be what happened.

He was certain that he would never know which it was.

Leaving the planet had felt surreal.

Coming out of hyperspace and realizing that there was a small part of himself that desperately wished he hadn’t come back to the rebellion at all had surprised him. Being dead or taken captive by the Empire would have been an easier fate than having to face everyone with the truth of what had happened. Death notifications would need to be made, official reports written, questioning, an inquest, probably even a court martial; all he knew was that the next few weeks of his life were going to be a different version of hell the second that they touched base and he wasn’t looking forward to any of it. 

Wedge had made first contact, announcing their call signs to the base below and getting the permission that they needed in order to land without any issue. They had been very late for a check-in and there was a rather large gathering of sentients waiting for them on the landing pad when they finally arrived. They were all people that he’d known and trusted for years and yet the sight of them now made him feel uneasy. It was the same feeling that he’d had in the camp of Imperials; waiting for someone to pull the trigger and shoot him. 

Fortunately, he knew and had had several hours in hyperspace to rehearse what was going to happen next. Wedge removed his flight helmet and when the pressure in the cabin released and the top of his X-wing slid back, he immediately stood up. There was already a ladder in place against the side of his ship, waiting for him to climb down. 

“Wedge!”

“We’ve been trying to reach you for days!”

“- where are the others?”

He ignored the many greetings and concerned questions that were being directed his way about the whereabouts of everyone else and quickly barked a few orders instead. 

“Medical to Red Nine,” he snapped, starting to push his way to Zach’s - now Cesi’s - X-wing. “Lieutenant Collins is injured and needs medical attention. He’ll need help getting out and then you’ll need to get him to the infirmary as fast as you can.”

Despite the crowd, Wedge got to Red Nine ahead of the on sight medical technicians and scrambled up the ladder himself just as the top of Cesi’s ship slid back. He was conscious but when Wedge placed a hand on his forehead, he was shaken by the fever he felt. 

Cesi blinked up at him, his head lulling on his shoulder. “We back?” He asked hoarsely, coughing slightly. 

“Yeah, we’re back home now. You’re going to be alright.” Wedge promised quickly. 

“...s’good.” Cesi nodded tiredly and then licked his lips. “Skywalker… Skywalker… he -”

Zach’s astromech twittered suddenly and a moment later, Wedge felt someone climbing up the ladder behind him. Wedge turned and was greeted by an unfamiliar but concerned face. “What the hell happened to you guys?” The med tech asked, his brow furrowed. 

Wedge moved to the side as much as was possible and let the man up the rest of the way. “Trust me, you don’t want to know,” he muttered. “Lieutenant Collins is the most injured of the three of us.”

“Holy shit - is he missing his arm?” 

Wedge nodded. “Get him to the infirmary,” he said quietly, before telling him that surgical care had been provided and that he had the release forms, as well as the name of the antibiotic that he was on before beginning his descent down the ladder.

He immediately got jostled by the crowd waiting below, questions and greetings coming at him from every direction. He pushed his way through, trying to make his way over to Tycho’s ship when a shockingly familiar face in the crowd threw him off. Wedge felt his heart skip a beat in response and he could feel the blood draining from his face and felt the chill of the mines against his skin and heard the now familiar though far away sound of Caleb’s dying screams. 

It sent a gross wave of nausea to his stomach and Wedge knew with an awful sort of certainty that he would be hearing those screams for probably the rest of his life as he found himself unexpectedly staring into Caleb’s face. Except it wasn’t Caleb.

It was Quinn. 

Caleb’s identical twin brother. 

“Captain Antilles,” Quinn greeted him with a bright, if distracted smile. The younger man craned his head to try and see over Wedge’s shoulder and through the crowd of people surrounding Cesi. “Where’s my brother? They didn’t announce his call sign when you entered atmo but I figured you would know where he… where….”

Quinn trailed off, looking back at him intently. Both he and Caleb were - or had been - very sharp people; the two of them had been successful small time thieves and very few things ever seemed to escape their notice. It was one of the things that made them both such great flyers. Quinn could tell from Wedge’s expression alone that something was wrong.

“Wedge…?” He asked, looking nervous now. “Where’s Caleb? Where’s my brother?”

I’m sorry. 

It was all that he had been able to say. The look of confusion that Quinn had given him had slowly given way to understanding when he realized what Wedge was saying. It would haunt him for a long time. 

Then he had been being pulled away, security insisting that High Command needed to speak to him immediately and there had been nothing he could do to protest. And if he were being honest with himself, he hadn’t wanted to stay a second longer. If High Command would let him, he would go and find Quinn later and apologize more professionally. But at that moment, he wasn't ready.

Wedge set his elbows on the table in front of him and buried his face in his hands at the thought of the painful memory. There was no amount of mentoring or training that could ever prepare a person for how heavy the burden of duty and responsibility actually was. He wasn’t a stranger to loss or grief but he was new to being the source behind it and it hurt in an entirely different way.

That was something that he never wanted to have to do ever again. He would rather get shot than have to watch that same look of realization and horror that had crossed Quinn’s face when he realized that his brother wasn’t ever coming back. Wedge only hoped that Quinn would be spared the details of what had happened to his brother. That he wouldn’t have to live with the knowledge that Caleb had been torn apart and eaten by a monster and that there had been nothing anyone could do to save him. No one should have to live with that in their head.

After being led out of the hangar bay, Wedge had immediately been taken to their Skyfighter Squadron Headquarters to report to his direct supervisor and give his official report on the still missing rogues. It had been a short but tense meeting and the entirety of it could be summed up in fifteen words or less:

Zachary Harris: Killed in Action.

Caleb Cashbal: Killed in Action.

Luke Skywalker: Alive. Whereabouts unknown. 

He’d hesitated on Luke. The words hadn’t wanted to come out of his mouth and no matter what he said, Wedge had known that it was going to sound bad. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to call Luke a deserter - that wouldn’t have been fair since Luke only left because of their actions. But lying was also out of the question and in the end, all he could do was tell the truth and say that Luke had left them and gone with the Empire. 

The truth had put him in here: an interrogation room. Isolated and tired. He wasn’t certain what kind of panic was happening among the leaders of High Command but he imagined that it was a sight to see. 

Minutes ticked by and then before long, another half hour had passed in agonizing slowness. He was just contemplating the idea of trying to doze off for a little bit when the door finally opened and a beam of light briefly split across the floor before disappearing just as quickly once the door closed. 

Wedge sat up, lowering his hands into his lap and saw an older man that he’d never seen before step into the room. He was holding a datapad, a recording device, and was wearing a crisp, clean uniform. The expression on his face was cold and uninviting; Wedge knew and understood immediately that he wasn’t here to be anyone’s friend - least of all his.

The door clicked shut behind him and then he crossed the floor and sat down in the chair across from Wedge. There was a squeaking sound as he shifted closer to the table, staring at him with the same uninviting expression.

“Let’s get started, shall we?”

Wedge swallowed but nodded his head. “Lets,” he agreed.

The interrogator nodded and placed the recording device on the table and switched it on. The blinking green light on the top seemed to mock him somehow and Wedge wondered how many people were watching and listening from behind the two-way mirror.

“Start from the beginning.”

The interrogation went even longer than Wedge had expected it to. 

He had been ruthlessly pressed for every single detail of what had occurred. No question went unasked and he had been ordered to repeat the details of certain events more than once. Particularly the events surrounding the reveal of Luke’s parentage and everything that had happened after Vader’s appearance and the events at the Imperial Base. He related everything that he could remember until he thought his head would explode or his temper would finally get the better of him. 

It wasn’t as if it was that hard to understand. Unexpected, maybe - but it had been five hours, going on six now, since the start of all of this. He had said everything he could think of to say. Had explained how Zach and Caleb had died and the whereabouts of their ships and everything else in between. All Wedge wanted to know in return was how his people were doing and what was happening with them now - but any questions he tried to ask were completely ignored.

He’d known this would be a lot for anyone to take in - hearing that Luke Skywalker was Darth Vader’s kid was going to be a punch in the gut to anyone who heard it and believed in Luke as their symbol of hope. What Wedge hadn’t expected was for the interrogator to act as though he was lying about parts of the story. He had, perhaps naively, thought that his answering all the questions being presented to him would demonstrate his honesty about what had occurred. 

But there were points in the story that were clearly of some concern or suspicion for either the interrogator himself, or whoever was listening on the other side of the glass. The questions just kept coming.

“How did you escape the planet?” The interrogator demanded for the third time. 

“I already told you how we got off the planet,” Wedge groaned, frustrated and angry. “They let us go.”

“Why?” 

“Because Vader told them to!”

“Why would Darth Vader let members of the rebellion walk free?” The interrogator demanded once again. “Surely, you see the problem I have with your ‘explanation’? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Wedge breathed out through his nose in an effort to stay calm. Keep it short and simple, he reminded himself fiercely. Only tell the truth. 

“Luke Skywalker asked him to let us go.”

“Luke Skywalker,” the interrogator had said Luke’s name with a hint of sarcasm ever since Wedge had told him the reason they had left Luke behind in the mines. The change in opinion about who his friend really was had started already and it made Wedge uneasy about everything that was still coming. “Vader’s son.”

“Yes. I don’t know how he did it but he must have arranged for our release from Imperial custody.”

The interrogator shook his head. “You said previously that Skywalker had only recently learned of this… relationship between him and Lord Vader. Isn’t that correct?”

“Yes. At Bespin. Vader told him the truth on Bespin. That’s all that I know. I’ve told you this already.”

“But he felt comfortable enough with Lord Vader to ask him for a favor. This is the same man that was reported to have cut off his hand, if I am not mistaken.”

Wedge pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know what to tell you,” he stressed. “But yes. All of that is true.”

The interrogator jotted something down on his datapad - there was a screen protector on it, so Wedge had no idea what it was that he was writing. Maybe he was keeping track of how many times Wedge repeated the exact same story. Or perhaps jotting down what he considered inconsistencies. Asshole.

“There is another option,” the interrogator said after a moment, looking back up at him. “Perhaps, given your Imperial background, you and Skywalker were working together undercover in the rebellion, rising in the ranks of our top fighter squadron, and -”

“I am not a spy,” Wedge snapped at him before he could finish, slamming a hand down on the table. It made his palm sting fiercely but he didn’t care. This was a line that he would not allow anyone to cross. Not after all the shit he had gone through in order to come back. “The simple answer is this; Darth Vader let us go for no other reason than because Luke Skywalker asked him to. Neither I, Cesi Collins, or Tycho Celchu are spies for the Empire. You don’t have to like it but it’s still the truth.”

If the interrogator was startled by his outburst at all, it didn’t show. Instead, the man kept a calm, detached expression while Wedge glared daggers at him, both of them refusing to bend to the other.

“You have a remarkable disregard for the severity of what is happening here.” The interrogator finally said, tapping his fingers slightly on the table. Maybe it was just the way these guys were trained, but the way the interrogator was looking at Wedge made him feel as though he were dirt on the ground. 

Wedge felt his blood begin to boil. He had done nothing to warrant this kind of treatment. “You think I don’t know how big this is?” He hissed, pushing his chair back and standing up on his feet. “I lived it. I went to that planet and ran that damn mission for the sake of the rebellion and I lost my best friend and watched two of my men die in the process. It wasn’t my fault the Empire was already there or that someone else sucked at their job when they scouted the planet! It wasn’t my fault Vader showed up or that Luke is his kid and it sure as hell wasn’t anything that I did that convinced the bastard to let us go in the end. Now I’ve told you what happened. More than once already and I’m not answering any more of your damn questions until I know how my men are doing.”

“Captain Antilles -”

“No,” Wedge snapped immediately. “I. Am. Done. So either let me leave or get the hell out.”

The interrogator was quiet, his expression switching to one of irritation for the first time. Silence stretched for a few long moments but whatever the man saw on Wedge’s face must have convinced him that he wasn’t going to win this fight. With all the dignity that he could muster, the interrogator quietly gathered his things and stood up, crossing the room and exiting through the door. 

Wedge watched as it closed behind him and heard the click of the deadbolt lock engaging. It took a few seconds of fuming before he could let out a slow breath. He ran another hand through his hair and began to pace again, frustrated and angry and cursing everyone that was responsible for putting him through this under his breath to all the nine hells. 

He knew this was big. He’d known there were going to be questions and that he was going to get his ass chewed out for what had happened. Wedge just hadn’t expected his stay with the Imperials to be the more pleasant and least frustrating experience. It hardly seemed fair.

It wasn’t very long before the door opened up once more. This time, it was a somewhat familiar face - one of the official aides that was usually following a member of High Command around, and a silver protocol droid standing behind him. Wedge didn’t know his name and right now, he didn’t care to ask and find out. 

“Is someone going to let me out of here?” He demanded. “Because if you’re all that convinced that I’m a spy, you should just arrest me now and get it over with.”

“Captain Antilles,” the aide said placatingly, raising his hands. “I understand that this has been a long and frustrating process for you. I am here to inform you that you are being restricted to base and are hereby being relieved of active duty until further notice. Lieutenant Collins is in the infirmary and Private Celchu is being interrogated now. We ask that you avoid speaking to either of them for the time being. You will be notified when High Command is ready to speak to you. I suggest that you take the time between now and then to eat and get some rest.”

Relieved of duty. 

It felt like a punch in the gut. Who knew how long 'further notice' would be? Even if he wasn’t being arrested or kept in a detention cell, it could very well signal the beginning of a court martial and the end of his career. He tried to breathe through the stress for a moment. He had had a good idea of what to expect when he got back. This exact scenario hadn't been outside the realm of possibility. He'd just have to deal with it.

“What about Tycho? When will he be done?” 

“They are wrapping up his interrogation now. That is all that I am allowed to say.”

Wedge nodded his head curtly. “I understand,” he said tightly. Then he pushed past the aide and made his way to the door, slamming it shut behind him.

He stopped by his quarters for a few minutes to shower and change into clean clothes. Once he was finished, Wedge briefly considered taking a nap but found that he wasn’t as tired as he had been last night upon arriving back home. Too much stress and adrenaline. Plus, there was more traffic in and out of the barracks than he was comfortable with at the moment and a lot of whispers and stares in his direction when people thought he wasn’t looking. 

It was beyond irritating. No one was really doing anything wrong but it was irritating. Wedge didn’t want anyone coming up and asking him any more questions about what had happened either. So, he grabbed a few things to keep himself occupied and then pointedly left to wander the base for a while. 

There was no particular place that he wanted to be - being idle just sounded awful. It left too much time for thinking and Wedge thought that if he had to relive anything that had happened at Cimiento one more time, he'd lose his mind. But, it turned out that being alone wasn’t much better. At least in the interrogation room, he’d had something to look forward to, even if it had sucked. Now there was just nothing. Going from pure survival mode to literally nothing wasn't an easy transition and Wedge honestly just felt lost. Aimless and more than a little useless. What he really wanted to do was check in on Tycho and Cesi and orders be damned, he'd intended to do that. But he'd met security as he'd rounded the corner to the infirmary and they were quick to tell him to leave, barring any entrance inside.

All he wanted was to make sure that his people were doing alright but he wasn’t even allowed to do that. Assholes.

After an ordinary mission, there would have been a few days of off-time before being given a new assignment. If the mission had gone the way that it was supposed to have gone, then right now, he would have been preparing for the new mission. He would have been doing flight checks on his ship and spending time with the squadron, swapping stories and boasting of new accomplishments or something else along those lines.

Now there was nothing except waiting around, drowning in his guilt and wondering just how fucked he was going to be at the end of this. Which wasn’t exactly productive but he wasn’t certain how to stop either. As the day progressed into the afternoon, he mostly found himself doing everything he could to avoid as many people as possible. Wedge had no doubt that if he dared to check his email, that there would be a mandatory order from his superiors to go get a psych eval at the first available opportunity. It was mandatory for everyone whenever there was a death involved on a mission. 

If the interrogation had been bad, Wedge was certain that a psych evaluation would be even worse. At the moment, he'd rather rebreak his ribs or get shot in the leg than sit through that.

At some point in his wanderings, he did spot some official looking people and heard whispers of his name in the air. As much as he wasn’t enjoying having nothing to do, Wedge wasn't interested in anything they wanted right now. He quickly ducked his head and slipped into the growing lunch crowd, hoping to avoid them.

Fortunately, the mess hall was busy and he doubted that anyone would chase him in here even if they had seen him enter, which he was certain that they hadn’t. Looking around, Wedge recognized a few of his friends - Wes, Derek, Hobbie, and a few others - all sitting at their usual spot in the mess hall. He hesitated for a moment, staring at them before looking away again. The last time he’d seen them, they’d been congratulating him on his first mission as team leader. Now, a quarter of their squadron was gone forever and it was all because of him.

Wedge got in line, wondering what they would think of him after all the details of the mission were released. He grabbed a food tray from off the line and didn’t even bother to check what it was. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t eating for pleasure. It was just fuel, at this point. He grabbed a cup of ice water and then looked around before ducking his head and meandering his way through the mess hall towards a secluded table sitting in the corner. 

It felt like people were parting the way for him as he walked. He didn’t dare look up and see if it were true. He only focused on getting to the table and sat down instead, placing his food tray in front of him. He wondered if this was what Luke would have felt like, had he stayed in the rebellion. A spectacle to be judged and stared at. 

As bad as it felt right now, Wedge couldn’t shake the thought from his head that Luke would have had it a thousand times worse. The name Skywalker would have gone from being a symbol of hope to a symbol of fear. Who knew what type of shit he would have had to endure from people he had done so much to help? How many people in here would have turned on him - how many would have looked at Luke and saw Vader instead? It was sentient nature to react to something that wasn't easily understood with anger and distrust.

None of it would have been Luke’s fault but it would have been a heavy burden to bear and his alone. 

Wedge hated even thinking about it. He knew that Luke was a good man and he had done so much for all of them - he always seemed to put the safety of others before his own, no matter what the situation was. It wasn’t fair that this would have been his reality. Maybe… maybe going with Vader really had been the safer option in the end. 

Hard to say or know for sure. The Empire wasn't exactly a friendly place to be.

Wedge turned away from those thoughts, feeling depressed and sad. He ate and tasted nothing. 

After a few minutes, he sensed more than saw some movement coming in his direction from the corner of his eye and briefly looked up to see what it was.

It was Hobbie.

He came and sat down across from him. Wedge paused mid-bite, surprised that he had separated from a group of his friends to come sit with him. Or… or maybe he’d just drawn the short straw and was the one being sent to get more details out of him for the sake of gossip. That particular idea immediately set him on edge; he lowered his food (a sandwich, he realized) and stared at the other man for a long moment, waiting with an awful sort of resignation for the inevitable to happen.  

He didn’t know how much anyone else currently knew. The fact that Zach and Caleb were dead would have spread by now. No one who hadn’t been involved with the interrogation would know anything about Luke except for the fact that he wasn’t dead. Him going off on his own to do his Jedi stuff wasn’t uncommon - it was why he’d given up command of rogue squadron to begin with - but the circumstances being what they were… he should have returned this time. 

Anyone with half a brain cell would know that something was wrong. 

...being the man to throw Luke Skywalker out of the rebellion wasn’t going to be fun.  

Hobbie didn’t say anything, barely even looked at him, and just took a big bite of his food, acting as though there wasn’t anything wrong at all. There were no words of judgment or any accusing stares. Hobbie wasn’t even asking questions. He was just eating his food and offering his company.  

Something tight and coiled inside Wedge loosened after a minute or so and he slowly took another tasteless bite of his sandwich, settling into the silence. It was only the clinking of their silverware between them and the distant murmurs of others eating their meals at different tables. Hobbie had been a good friend of his for a long time now. He was older by several years and had a reputation for being super quiet. His features were sharp and handsome, as far as men went, and some of the ladies in the rebellion who found him especially attractive had nicknamed him “Stoneface”. 

Apparently, they were comparing him to marble statues depicting a perfect man or some other such nonsense. The other guys in the squadron, many of them dead now, had found it hilarious and the name had stuck. Wedge had always liked Hobbie immensely. 

It wasn’t long before their food was gone entirely. Wedge barely remembered eating most of it; it had been there and now it wasn’t. He didn’t feel any more or less hungry than he had earlier. It seemed like such an inconsequential thing to think about. He remembered that he had experienced the same disconnect from food when his mother and father had both died, respectively. It would come back, eventually. 

Hobbie stood up first, grabbing both their empty trays and taking them over to the trash and disposing of everything before coming back and tapping him on the shoulder. 

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said, tilting his head towards the exit.

Wedge paused, grimacing. “I’m kind of hiding right now,” he admitted quietly. 

“Psych eval?”

He nodded. 

“Bastards,” Hobbie tossed him his lieutenant cap. “This crowd won't last forever. Just keep that on and walk next to me. I’ll cover you.”

Wedge glanced around once more and then nodded. He was good with getting away from all the staring for a while and heaved himself to his feet, pulling the cap down low over his eyes. They crossed the mess hall together and Wedge felt acutely aware of everyone else watching him as he walked. It was probably the worst feeling he’d ever known.

Hobbie was good though, avoiding the larger crowds and groups of people like a true pro. Wedge only hesitated when it became obvious that they were going outside.

“I'm not allowed to leave the base.”

Hobbie rolled his eyes. “I know that. You’re not a prisoner though, Wedge. You can go outside for fresh air. And no offense, but you look like you need it.”

Not a prisoner. He felt something like a prisoner. He hadn’t been on the rebellion’s bad side before and the last time he’d had to sit around and wait on pins and needles like this was when he had first defected from the Empire. 

Wedge pursed his lips. “Yeah, well… maybe not. But I’m still in some pretty deep shit, man.”

“Which is why a walk outside will be good for you. Come on,” Hobbie said firmly, pushing him towards the closest exit. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Wedge sighed, reluctantly allowing himself to be manhandled. “You know, I think I like you better when you don't talk as much. You're a lot less bossy.” 

Hobbie only chuckled and then they stepped outside into fresh air. The planet they were on was fairly lush and green and it had already cycled into summer, which meant that it was nice and warm outside. It wasn’t a main base like the one they’d had on Hoth. High Command had kept the fleet scattered since then, deciding that it was too risky to completely centralize like that again. Instead, they had been organized into cluster groups and would gather together only when necessary. This one was only referred to as the main base because the majority of High Command was assembled here. 

Immediately, there was a lot less staring than there had been inside. Mostly droids and some outside security doing their rounds. Some of the remaining tension he felt slowly began to ease up as they walked towards a garden type area not far from the flight landing pads. There was a walking path that followed the fence line and they gravitated towards it without words. The sound of the ships coming and going was a familiar one and it would be enough to keep prying ears from hearing anything they said unless they got particularly close.

“How much of this is just formalities?” 

Wedge looked up at Hobbie and then shrugged, kicking a rock with his shoe and watching it skip and roll away. “It’s pretty damn serious.”

“You want to talk about anything?”

“Like what?”

Hobbie shrugged. “Whatever you want to talk about.” 

Was there anything he wanted to talk about? Not particularly. But at the same time, he recognized that there was also a clawing need building up in his chest to try and explain some of what had happened to a friend. Not necessarily to be questioned or interrogated like earlier but to… to have someone listen and maybe not judge or hate him for what he had to say. Someone who could just… offer some support, instead of looking for any sign or hint of betrayal or wrong-doing. 

Wedge huffed, having another unwanted realization that Luke had probably felt something similar at one point after Bespin. He could also understand exactly why Luke hadn’t dared say anything to anyone at all. Hindsight was a bitch.

“What do you know?” Wedge asked hesitantly. 

Another shrug. “Some. But nothing from the interrogations. Those haven’t been released yet. Probably won’t be for a few days, if they ever are. Cesi is in the infirmary. He hasn’t been questioned yet - High Command decided to wait while med staff tried to get his fever down. I went to see him with a few of the guys a few hours ago and he… said some stuff. Not a whole lot but… it was something. We got kicked out not long after.”

Wedge blinked. “Ah,” he said awkwardly. He hadn’t thought about that. Cesi had come out of surgery with the Imperials as well as he could have. There hadn’t been any complications and the antibiotics that they had been given were supposed to help stave off the post-op fever and infection. Just enough to get Cesi back home. Flying in his condition wasn’t exactly recommended but it was the situation they had found themselves in. Zach's astromech droid had been able to do the brunt of the flying while he rested in the cockpit, in any case. “How’s he doing? No one would let me check on him."

“He seems alright. Quiet, for the most part. Hard to tell if it’s because of his arm or because of Zach. Those two were really close.”

Wedge felt his mouth go dry. Shame and regret curled in his gut all over again. “Yeah… yeah, they were,” he agreed hoarsely. 

Hobbie paused, looking very apologetic. “Sorry. Bad topic.”

“I just don’t want to talk about Zach or Caleb right now.”

“I understand that. There’s no pressure.”

Wedge nodded and they continued walking along the dirt path that probably circled the air base. The silence was a little more solemn than it had been previously. Fifteen or twenty minutes had gone by and Wedge found himself talking about the mission without even realizing it - the building coming down around them and his snap decision to run for the mines for safety. 

“It was the only safe place to go,” Wedge said quietly, kicking another rock. “There wasn’t anything around us for two miles. I didn’t know that… that there was something inside.”

“How could you have?” Hobbie agreed. “Sounds like it was the right decision under the circumstances.”

“Yeah, but everything else went to hell right after.”

“I don’t see how any of that is your fault. Like you just said, you didn’t know there was anything inside the mines.”

Wedge tilted his head. Technically that was true but, “Luke knew.” 

And he should have listened from the get-go.

Hobbie paused. “Did he know or was it just one of his feelings?” He asked flatly.  

“It’s always a feeling with Luke.”

“You can’t run a mission based on someone’s feelings,” Hobbie continued, but managed to say it without it sounding like a lecture. “It doesn’t work like that. High Command would never accept that kind of excuse, even for him. Luke probably knew that too. You were sent out there to do a job and abandoning it wouldn’t have done you any favors.”

“But what if I was just trying to prove that I deserved a promotion -”

“Alright, shut up,” Hobbie said firmly, stopping for a moment and pointing a finger at him. “I’m going to stop that train of thought and I don’t want to hear it again. You did your damn job. Some people died and others didn’t - the blame for that doesn’t fall on you.”

“You can’t know that! You weren’t there and you don't know the decisions and mistakes that I made!”

“But I know the kind of person you are and I know that you would have done everything you could have possibly done. You did, didn’t you?”

Wedge hesitated. “Yes, but -”

“But nothing. If you did your best, then that’s what counts. Don’t crucify yourself - there’s going to be more than enough people willing to do that for you and you need to be able to defend what you did. Stand up for yourself. You really think there’s someone better than yourself that can take over this squadron and not royally fuck it up? You have more experience than any of us - hell, you're one of the best damn flyers that I've ever seen and you actually give a damn about the team, not just yourself. We need you and if you don't handle this the right way, then you're fucked and so are we." Hobbie shot at him ruthlessly. They both paused for a moment, letting a random person pass by them on the path. Once she was far enough away, Hobbie continued. "It might sound harsh man, but pull your head out of your ass. This is war and I'm not trying to sound insensitive but you don’t have time to sit around and be this damn miserable just because something didn’t go the way you wanted it to. Not when you still have a team to look after that needs you.”

Wedge stood still, his heart pounding at the end of the brutal rebuke. It felt like getting punched in the gut. Hobbie continued to glare at him, raising an eyebrow like he was daring Wedge to challenge him.

He couldn’t. 

We need you.  

All day he'd been feeling useless. It had felt like everything was over the second that he'd come back and all he could do was be resigned to what happened. Damn it, but Hobbie was right. He did have his head up his ass. Getting back home wasn’t the end of everything. Being relieved of active duty wasn’t the end of everything and losing Zach, Caleb, and even Luke wasn’t the end of everything either. He still had people under his command. He still had a job to do. He was still needed - and dear Force, he hadn't realized how badly he had needed to hear that.

The mission was over but his job was still to fight. 

Wedge slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling the recording pen that was still in his pocket with the very tip of his fingers. He might not be on the battlefield or in the skies for a little bit... but Luke was going to need people on his side. After everything that he'd done for them, Luke deserved to have people on his side. 

Convincing whoever would listen and saving Luke's reputation could be his fight now. 

“You're right,” Wedge said, pinching the bridge of his nose and then releasing a steady breath, trying to shrug the tension out of his shoulders. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He met Hobbie's eyes and gave him a curt nod. "I'm sorry."

“I don’t like people ragging on my friends,” Hobbie said firmly. “And I’m not interested in flying under anyone else’s command.”

Wedge nodded. "I understand."

“Good.” 

They began walking again and this time, Wedge took the next few minutes of silence to try and get his head straight. Hobbie was right - and things like this were what made him such a good friend. There wasn’t time for Wedge to sit around and be miserable. He needed to be thinking clearly. He wasn’t going to be able to do anything meaningful if he was a pathetic mess of emotions that no one would want to listen to or take seriously. 

They circled the flight path twice in silence, both lost in their own thoughts for a while. Wedge felt some of his earlier exhaustion coming back but he also didn't mind so much. He was feeling more like himself than he had felt like in days and it was a nice change. He'd have to buy Hobbie a few drinks later as a thank you.

“I don’t want you to think that I have ulterior motives or anything for dragging you out here,” Hobbie said, once close to thirty minutes or so had gone by. The expression on his face was cautious and Wedge could tell that whatever was on his mind was something serious. “But can I ask you a question?”

Wedge felt his stomach clench uneasily. He was quiet, steeling himself and then he nodded once. 

“Cesi said something else when we were in the infirmary. I know he had a fever and probably wasn't himself but it was... big. It was about Luke and if it’s not true, then I want to put a stop to it before it gets too far. Otherwise, I wouldn’t ask. You know me. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Go for it.”

Hobbie paused, looking around to ensure that they were alone. “Is… shit, it sounds stupid to even try to say out loud,” he ran a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. “Is Luke… damn, is he actually Vader’s kid?” 

There it was. 

Wedge hesitated, staring at Hobbie for a long moment. Luke and Hobbie had been good friends - he wasn’t certain how that would hold up with Vader entering the picture but if he was going to convince anyone that Luke hadn’t betrayed them, he could try and start here. Wedge nodded his head again, the words of confirmation getting stuck in his throat. 

Hobbie’s eyes grew large. He turned around, scrubbing his jaw in with an expression of pure disbelief. He seemed too stunned for words. Wedge could tell that he hadn’t expected it to be true in the least and he could honestly say that he understood the feeling entirely. He waited, giving his friend what time he needed to process and wondering what would happen after. It was a little sad that he could only hope that Hobbie responded better to Luke’s parentage than he and the others had. Minutes ticked by while Hobbie paced a short distance back and forth. 

Finally, his friend turned back to him. “You’re serious about this?”

“I wish I wasn’t. But yeah… it’s true. Luke confirmed it himself.”

Another silence stretched between them before Hobbie blew out a slow breath, running his hand through his hair. “Wow,” he said quietly. His gray eyes stared at him for a long moment. “I, uh… take it that that didn’t go over very well?”

Wedge huffed, shaking his head. “No, it didn’t.”

"No offense but... what the hell happened on your mission?" 

He spent the next few minutes explaining the monster in the mines and how the information about Vader had all come about, as well as the split second decision that he had made to try and keep the group from falling apart. The decision that he had made, knowing it was the easiest way out but hoping it would keep Luke safe somehow. He kept waiting to see judgment on Hobbie’s face as he talked and to his relief, it never appeared. Stoneface was living up to his name for now.

“I never should have left him behind,” Wedge said quietly. “He hadn’t done anything wrong, man. I just… panicked. And in the end, despite everything we did and said… he still came back and saved us.”

They were both quiet and he took a few moments to pause and catch his breath. They had circled the flight path multiple times now and he was getting tired. The barracks weren't terribly far and Hobbie noticed him looking in that direction.

“Come on,” Hobbie said, tapping him on the shoulder. "I told Wes and Derek to clear it out for you. No one will bother you there and you look like you can use the rest. If you don't want to sleep, then we can have a few drinks instead. I know I need one right now." He began walking in the direction of the barracks and after a few seconds, Wedge followed after him, feeling touched by the gesture.

“You serious?”

“Absolutely.”

"Yeah. Just be prepared for some more questions. Trust me, I have a lot of them right now."

Wedge sighed in resignation. "Fair enough."

As promised, the barracks had been mostly empty. There was even a sign that had been posted on the door reading, 

The Captain of Rogue Squadron kindly requests that you all leave him the hell alone. 

Violators of said request will be punched in the face.

Wedge felt a smile on his face at the sight of it, shaking his head in reluctant amusement. He was willing to bet that Wes had been the one to put that up. He had a fiery personality and enjoyed nothing more than a good brawl. Wedge had lost count of how many times Wes had come back from leave with a broken nose and a black eye because he couldn't stop himself from hanging out in the fight clubs. His response to their exasperation was always something along the lines of, "You should see the other guy."

Hobbie locked the barracks door behind them as they entered and Wedge was greeted by the sight of two of his other squad mates - Derek and Wes - playing a rather intense game of Sabaac at the rec table, surrounded by snacks and a decent amount of alcohol.

"There they are!"

"Perfect timing - we can deal you guys into the next game. Derek just lost for the second time and Simon and Pepper had to bail a few minutes ago to report to their mandatory night shift. Sucks to be them right now."

"We all did our time on nights. It's a right of passage. And Sabaac is not my game and you know it." Derek groused, tossing his cards on the table. "Play me at pool and I'll win every time."

"Yeah, that's why we're playing this instead." Wes snatched the cards up and began shuffling the deck. He was good at it and took his time showing off his admittedly impressive skills while Hobbie grabbed two extra chairs so that they could sit down. 

"Thanks for keeping the room clear," Hobbie said, nodding his appreciation at the others. 

Wes smirked. "You know me, I'm always down to tell people to beat it. And for Wedge? It was my genuine pleasure."

Wedge rolled his eyes as Wes started dealing out the next hand. "I'm touched."

"As you should be."

It was silent for a minute or so as everyone took a moment to examine their cards and rearrange them the way that they liked. Wedge's cards weren't great but they weren't the worst either. He might even be able to make a few credits if he played them right. He'd known these guys long enough to know some of their more obvious tells. Derek didn't count because he really did suck at cards and his facial expressions gave him away every single time. There was a little more art and skill involved in playing with the others present though.

The first game went by and the only conversation to speak of was light chatter about nothing important. No mention of anything about Cimiento though Wedge could tell that Wes and Derek were both curious to know what had happened. The lack of conversation about any of it was blaringly obvious, even though it was appreciated. He needed to say something but he wasn't certain how to start. The game was an easy distraction - it took them a while and he lost in the end. 

He bit the inside of his cheek as Wes began shuffling the deck once more, trying not to be distracted by the fact that Hobbie was distracted. Usually he played better than this. Wedge knew he had questions and he was thinking... maybe he could start trying to preserve Luke's reputation among friends first. Snacks, cards, and alcohol - what better atmosphere than right here, with enough distractions to soften the blow? Maybe. Hopefully. 

Only one way to find out.

Wedge took an unsteady breath, trying to calm his nerves and then just began to talk. From start to finish, he explained what had happened. It was different than explaining it all to the interrogator. There was less pressure this time and his friends let him explain at his own pace, keeping silent and not asking questions. He couldn't make himself look anyone in the eyes when he told them about Luke; he wasn't certain that he was ready to see what their reactions would be. It was even harder to talk about Caleb. He downed a shot of Derek's Corellian whiskey after finishing that part of the story and then jumped straight into the rest, deciding to just be done with it as fast as he could. 

Luke and Vader showing up together. The fight with the monster. Zach's death. Luke agreeing to go with Vader and their plan to kill Palpatine. The Imperial Base. Cesi's arm and Wedge's plea for Luke to come back with them and then his refusal to do so. 

He had halfway expected to feel the same way he had after the interrogation - but this time, instead of feeling frustrated and angry at himself, he felt like there was a weight lifted off of him. It was a release instead of a punishment. The silence that followed was heavy and poignant but... it didn't bother him as much as he'd thought it might. He knew his plan going forward - to defend Luke, no matter what. And if there was pushback, then he'd deal with it. But it wasn't going to prevent him from doing what he needed to do. 

After a few minutes, Wes blew out a breath, dropping his cards on the table - the game had been abandoned not long after Wedge had started talking - and running a hand through his hair. After a moment, he stood up entirely, walking the length of the room and then turning around and coming back. "I'm not going to lie to you, Wedge... that's a lot to take in," he admitted. 

Wedge nodded, "I know."

"Yeah, I don't really know how I feel about any of that," Derek added hesitantly. "I wasn't there, obviously... but if nothing else... I don't think Zach or Caleb were your fault."

Wes turned around from his pacing, pointing a finger at him. "I don't think that either," he assured quickly. "That was just... really, really bad luck. But it could have happened to anyone else."

"But the rest of it with Luke...." Derek shook his head in disbelief. "That's... a lot."

"I know," Wedge repeated. "Trust me, I know."

"I can't believe that Vader just let you guys go." Hobbie added in for the first time. He'd kept his questions to himself and Wedge wondered how many of them he'd answered while just talking. When he glanced at the clock on the wall, he saw that it had taken him a little over an hour to get it all out. 

"Trust me, you and I both." Wedge admitted. "I thought for certain we were dead men. That, or prisoners in the best case scenario."

Wes came back to the table and sat down again, grabbing some whiskey and drinking straight from the bottle. "I'm starting another game," he said, stealing all their cards and reshuffling the deck. 

Wedge glanced at Hobbie and they both shrugged, deciding to roll with it. If they had questions, they could ask. But there was no yelling or even expressed anger. He'd take what he could get for now and just let it play out. They got about twenty minutes into it, none of them playing particularly well this time, before Derek spoke again. 

"You're certain that Luke didn't betray us?"

"I'm sure," Wedge said firmly, glancing up from his cards and meeting Derek's brown eyes. "I could see it on his face. And... and there was no reason for him to come back for us and risk his life going up against that creature if he'd always been Empire, you know? Besides... the way that they talked to each other... you could tell that they didn't know each other."

“And what did Luke think about that? You know, that they’re… family?” Wes added in, taking another sip of whiskey. His eyes were a little hard but he was listening for now. 

The echoes of Luke’s desperate pleas for understanding came to mind with a terrible sort of ease. Words from a conversation that Wedge didn’t think he could ever forget. 

He’s my father. I came from him. Everything that is good about me… some of it came from him. I know it did.

“Complicated.” Wedge finally said with a shrug. “I think... you know, without being a psychologist or anything... that Luke is trying to protect himself by trying to see something good in him.”

Wes snorted. "Yeah? And is there?"

Wedge paused for a moment. Was there anything good in Vader? A week ago, he'd have said hell no. But now... his thoughts going back to the fight and how Vader kept putting himself between Luke and that damn monster. "I don't know, man. I think he's a mean bastard that has done horrible things that he deserves to die for... but I also think he cares about Luke. I don't know if that really means anything in the end or not though." He shrugged, not sure how he felt about any of what he just said. It came way too close to feeling like he was defending the man. "Pass me that bottle. I need a drink."

Derek reached across the table and snatched the whiskey from Wes, handing it to him. "This hand sucks," he groused, looking at his cards with frustration. 

"Dude, even if you had a good hand to play, it would still suck." Hobbie threw at him, snatching a handful of peanuts from a dish and tossing them in his mouth. They ribbed each other for a few minutes, letting the tension ease up a little as they all tried to turn some of their attention back to their game. 

“So what was it like?” Wes finally asked, leaning towards him from across the table. Some of that hardness was still in his eyes but he seemed curious as well.

“What was what like?” 

“Come on, Wedge,” Wes said pointedly. “Vader. Fighting with him.”

Oh.

Wedge shrugged, thinking back to the mines. He’d only covered Vader to give the bastard a chance to try and save Luke. If he was being honest, it was Tycho who did the brunt of the work in that regard. He doubted that Tycho would be willing to talk about any of that though.

“I didn’t… it wasn’t really fighting with him. I just covered him for a few minutes. He and Luke did everything else.”

Wes made a mocking face, repeating his words with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Dude, shut up. You covered Darth Vader in a fight. How many people can say that?"

"I just did it to try and save Luke," Wedge admitted.

"Still. Covering the Empire's supreme commander in a fight." Wes offered him a reluctant smile. "That makes you a damn legend in my book.”

It wasn't so much of an olive branch as it was Wes doing his best to make peace with everything that he'd heard. It was his way of saying that he didn't blame Wedge for what had happened and that he was glad that he was okay at the end of it all. 

“Short book,” Wedge said, giving his friend a half smile. “The guy is scary as shit though,” he added after a moment. “I’m pretty certain he wanted to kill me at one point.”

“Yeah? What did you do?” Derek asked, patting him firmly on the back in support before throwing a few credits on the table. “Look at him the wrong way?” 

“No, I asked him a question.”

Wes snorted, choking on a laugh for the first time. “The audacity, man. What the hell were you thinking?” 

“Clearly I wasn’t.” 

“Bet.” Hobbie said, tossing a credit chip into the pile before shaking his head in amazement. “Damn, what a prick. How does Vader lead anyone if he's that uptight? I can't believe he’s actually Luke’s father. Those two literally couldn’t be any more different.”

Wedge stared at his cards for a moment before playing his next turn mostly on autopilot. “Trust me, once you see it, you can’t unsee it.”

The room and the atmosphere grew a little more solemn. Everyone's reactions were a hell of a lot better than they could have been and he was grateful that they had heard him out. It would probably take some time for them to sort out their more complicated thoughts but... they were sticking by him and that meant a lot to him.

He paused, putting his cards down on the table and looking around at the others. They watched him, waiting for him to speak.

“Listen, I - I know that it might be a lot for me to ask… but I really need you guys to believe me when I tell you that Luke is still on our side. No matter what happens or what other people say about him when this all comes out… I just need you guys to know that he’s one of us. He saved my life and I'm going to stand by him, no matter what. I won't think any less of you if you won't or can't... but I really hope you'll all help me with this."

It was quiet.

No one seemed to have anything to say and if he was being honest, Wedge was tired and ready to get some sleep. He tossed the rest of his credits into the pot and stood up. "I'm out. I'm going to sleep. But thank you for hearing me out. I appreciate all of you more than you'll ever know." He nodded his head to them and then turned, making towards his bunk but not getting very far before Hobbie called his name. 

Wedge turned, feeling his heart pound a little in his chest.

"We've all been through a lot of shit together and our team motto has always been to stick together," Hobbie said simply. "Luke has never done me wrong before and if you say that he's still one of us, then that's good enough for me. I'll follow you to the end of the galaxy."

Wedge swallowed thickly, touched and relieved more than he could say. Wes and Derek both glanced at each other and then nodded silently at Wedge. 

"We stick together," Derek agreed. 

"Through all the levels of hell and some very unexpected family revelations." Wes added, lifting his bottle of whiskey and tilting it in Wedge's direction. "I don't understand all of it... but I agree with Stoney. If you say Luke is one of us, then I believe you. And I'll fight anyone that says otherwise."

Wedge huffed a laugh at that. "Thank you," he said hoarsely. "Really. Thank you."

"Now go get some sleep, Captain." Hobbie said with a nod. "We'll hold down the fort for you."

They did and while it wouldn't be true for every night moving forwards, Wedge went to sleep and his nightmares didn't follow him.

Wedge received his official summons the next morning to appear before a private inquest that would be taking place in a week's time. The next five days passed by slowly, with the only noteworthy thing to happen being his psych eval, which he passed, and two other additional interrogations in order to go over certain aspects of his previous statement, as well as the news that Cesi had been released from the infirmary. Everything else was quiet, both at the base and in the galaxy as a whole. Knowing what he knew now, he felt that it would be safe to assume that no news was probably good news. 

On Telona 12th, Wedge was woken up before dawn and escorted to the meeting by two security officers. When the door to the conference room opened, he stepped inside and saw that both Tycho and Cesi were already seated and waiting. It was the first time that he had seen either of them since they’d come back and he couldn't stop himself from taking in the sight of them, needing the visual confirmation that all was well. To his utter relief, they looked alright. Healthy, though Cesi seemed more tired and haggard than Tycho did. The left sleeve of his shirt had been rolled up and pinned closed and hung limply at the shoulder. Wedge wondered if there was any chance that the rebellion would be able to get him a prosthetic as a replacement. The quality wasn't always great, but they were usually able to make accommodations like that if people wanted it. 

He wondered if Cesi would blame him for the loss of it and then hesitantly decided that it didn't matter. Cesi could hit him or curse him out for it if he needed to. That was okay - Wedge could take it but considering the circumstances and how quickly the creature's venom had killed Zach... he also felt more sure that having the Imperials take it off was the right choice. He only hoped that Cesi would forgive him for it in the end.

Wedge stepped forward as an aide gestured him towards a chair beside Tycho. He sat down, nodding at his friend and received a half smile and a nod in return.

The entire council was present in the conference room, as well as a good number of aides and security members. Around the table, Wedge recognized Mon Mothma, General Ackbar, Leia Organa, General Cracken, General Ria, and Admiral Ho’ror’te, among many others. It seemed like everyone of importance was here. The atmosphere itself was solemn and there was no mistaking how serious this meeting was being taken by everyone present. 

Wedge tucked his hands in his lap, flexing his fingers slightly in anticipation. He was nervous as hell and had no idea of what to expect. High Command was whispering among themselves as the rest of the people arrived, and Leia Organa especially seemed to be glaring daggers at him from across the room. There was enough anger in her eyes to light everything on fire. Wedge ducked his head and tried not to make eye contact with her. 

Finally, the doors behind them closed for the final time and Mon Mothma waited for everyone to finish taking their seats before standing up and addressing the room.

“Thank you all for your attendance today," she said calmly. "There are many things which we will be addressing that are of a serious nature. However, before we move into those subjects, I wish to take a moment to remember those who are no longer with us. Many of you doubtlessly are aware of the loss of two of our own in rogue squadron's mission to Cimiento Imperial Industries. Zachary Harris and Caleb Cashbal. They were brilliant pilots and valued members of the rebellion. They supported our cause for a free galaxy and ultimately, they gave their lives for it. I ask for a minute of silence as we honor their sacrifice and mourn their loss."

Wedge ducked his head, blinking rapidly as tears pricked at his eyes. The next minute went by in complete silence. 

"Thank you," Mon Mothma said, clearing her throat once the minute had passed. "Now, I wish to address Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, and Cesi Collins."

All three of them glanced at each other for a brief moment and Wedge saw the same trepidation that he felt reflecting in their eyes.

"We are grateful for your safe return to the rebellion and appreciate your patience this past week while we have reviewed your reports about the events that happened. I understand that this has been a stressful situation for all of you and that at times you may have felt that you were treated unfairly. The actions that we took following your return were done in the best interests of the rebellion." Mon Mothma said simply. It wasn't an apology and Wedge knew not to expect one either. They did what they thought was right and it didn't really matter if any of them liked it or not. "Be assured, that everyone present in this room has either read your reports or been debriefed as to the content of the audio recordings of your individual questionings following your return. After careful evaluation of the events and the statements given from all three of you in regards to the mission to Cimiento Imperial Industries and your surprising return... we have collectively come to the agreement that you three are not spies for the Empire.”

Well, that was something, Wedge thought to himself sarcastically. Glad that that was out of the way. 

"Do any of you have any questions for us before we move forward with our main item of business?"

Wedge glanced at Tycho again and after a moment, he slowly stood up. 

"Thank you," he said, nodding his head to High Command. "I think that I can speak for all three of us when I say that we are relieved to be back. I know that there are important things to discuss but I wanted to ask if the family members of the deceased had been reached and... if anything further is expected of me in that area."

Mon Mothma nodded thoughtfully, looking down for a moment and clearing her throat once more. "The death notifications to the families were given. Your superior, Master Sergeant Reki made the notifications in your place while you were indisposed and resources were offered to Mr. Cashbal's brother. Nothing further is expected from you at this time."

Wedge nodded, swallowing. "Thank you, ma'am." 

He sat back down and neither Tycho or Cesi seemed to have anything to say. 

"If that is all, then we will continue with our main agenda. For security reasons, some of the information regarding the mission has been withheld from some of you while decisions were being finalized about how we will proceed moving forward. Now that we in High Command have come to a collective agreement, it is imperative that we all be on the same page with each other and united moving forwards. It is my regret to inform you all of some of the information which came out during the course of the Cimiento mission regarding Luke Skywalker," there were some huffs and sour expressions at the mention of Luke which seemed painfully obvious to Wedge. It both made him angry and made his heart pound in anticipation. Mon Mothma paused for a moment, before seeming to meet the eyes of every single person in the room and boldly continuing. "It was revealed, through the voice mimicry abilities of the Cimiento monster, that Luke Skywalker is in fact the biological son of Darth Vader... who was once known as Anakin Skywalker."

There were murmurs and gasps of surprise from more than half the people present. The energy in the room changed as people began to speak all at once, asking questions and talking over one another until it was difficult to separate one voice from another. 

"- what the actual hell?" 

"Who else knows -"

"Where is Skywalker now?"

Tycho leaned towards him for the first time. "And here we go," he whispered softly. Wedge offered him a strained half-smile in response. This was not going to be fun at all.

Mon Mothma raised her hands, immediately trying to placate the room. "Please, quiet down. There will be time for questions and clarification. We understand that this development is shocking and upsetting to hear for everyone involved."

"I thought that Anakin Skywalker was dead!" Someone argued loudly. 

"Are we in danger here?" 

"Where is Skywalker?"

"Enough!" Mon Mothma raised her voice for the first time and the room fell silent in response. She always presented herself as a serene figure - a lady through and through but it was moments like this where she reminded them all that she was a leader in the rebellion for a reason. She was fierce and passionate and smarter than probably more than half the people in the galaxy and she was a woman that could command respect. 

She let the silence hold the room for a few more seconds before speaking again. "Thank you. I know that this is shocking and concerning for everyone," she repeated. "But we are not here to panic or to start a panic. Your questions will be answered momentarily." Mon Mothma paused, waiting to see if there would be further argument and then continued, “We have decided, based on the statements that were given by the three survivors, that Luke Skywalker will be stripped of his ranking in the rebellion and given the official status of deserter. It is my regret to inform you all that he has abandoned the rebellion and joined forces with Lord Vader and the Empire.”

Wedge stood up straight, knocking his chair backwards, startled and outraged. “That is NOT true!” He shouted though his voice was lost in the sudden renewed commotion and dozens of others shouting their shock and anger. 

Mon Mothma grabbed a mallet and slammed it on the table to quiet the room once again. It was harder this time and took longer before she could regain control. 

“Following official protocol for all deserters, there will be a warrant going out for his arrest. Should we cross paths with him again, he will stand and face trial and when we reclaim our Republic, he will answer for his Imperial allegiance the same as any other individual who resists or stands against us. Moving forwards, any active member of the rebellion who engages in correspondence with him will be regarded as traitors and spies for the Empire and punished accordingly -” 

“This is bullshit!” Tycho shouted furiously. 

"Mr. Celchu, if you cannot keep a civil tone, then you will be asked to leave."

"But you're telling everyone a lie! You say that Luke betrayed the rebellion and he didn't!" Wedge insisted angrily.

“By your own account, Wedge Antilles, that is what happened.” General Cracken spoke for the first time. His eyes were hard and seemed to be warning him to sit the hell down and shut up. Wedge remembered him being one of the ones to scowl at the earlier mention of Luke. 

“I said that he went with Lord Vader but I also made myself clear when I said that Luke did not betray anyone!” Wedge shot back at him. 

General Cracken stood up. “I cannot see how you can possibly believe that," he said, pointing a finger at him. "Luke Skywalker chose to join the Empire of his own free will and choice. That makes him a traitor to our cause and the fact that he chose not to disclose his relationship to Lord Vader to any of us is indicative to me of his own questionable loyalties.”

Did these people even listen to what he had said in his interrogations? Where in the nine hells were they getting this bullshit from? Wedge had gone out of his way to be absolutely clear about what he knew about the timing of Luke’s knowledge of his parentage and his own role in Luke’s decision to leave. It seemed perfectly obvious to him why Luke wouldn't have said anything at all. 

“Questionable loyalties? He saved us from that monster and got us out of the mines alive! He arranged for our release from the Imperials and got us back home and you -"

"We have heard your statements already," Mon Mothma interrupted. "This conference was assembled to discuss the official status of Luke Skywalker and ensure that everyone in leadership is on the same page moving forward as we deal with the fallout."

They were doing this on purpose, Wedge realized abruptly. Changing the narrative to fit the story that they wanted. Controlling the situation as best as they could but screwing Luke over and lying to everyone else in order to do it. Well, if they had thought that Wedge would just play along, they were dead wrong. 

"But the story you're telling everyone is wrong," Wedge insisted furiously. "I didn't endure over ten hours of interrogation and tell you the same story over and over again about what happened just for you to lie about my friend because you're panicking and scared."

This was not going the way that High Command had expected it to. Wedge could see it in their eyes and they were not happy with him. Good. He wasn't happy with them either.

"You said you wanted me to tell you what happened, then let me do so!”

"Security, please escort Wedge Antilles out of the room."

Wedge felt his chest heaving as two officers began to approach him. To his surprise though, General Ackbar stood up from where he was sitting before they had crossed the distance, clearing his throat.

"I would like to hear what Captain Antilles has to say," he said quietly, his bulbous eyes glancing at Wedge for a long moment. "This is not a small matter that we are dealing with and I think we who serve the rebellion have a right to know about everything that occurred as it happened. If we say that we promote democracy but are not fair to our own people, then we are no better than the Empire we are fighting against."

"I am in perfect agreement with General Ackbar," Princess Leia added for the first time. Her expression was calm but the fire from earlier hadn't left her eyes. "There is time for questions and clarification," she said, pointedly repeating Mon Mothma's earlier words. "Let us hear what happened from our primary sources. That way, we can all be on the same page."

Judging by the whispers of people agreeing with her, everyone else wanted to know what was being kept from them as well. 

Mon Mothma and others from High Command glanced at each other but they had been beaten and Wedge could tell from their expressions that they knew it. With a sigh, Mon Mothma waved her hand, gesturing for security to leave Wedge alone and go back to their places. Wedge waited for a moment before slowly sitting back down. Tycho patted him once on the back and Wedge took a moment to appreciate the support. 

“It’s true then? Skywalker joined forces with Lord Vader?” Someone asked quietly.

Wedge glanced around but didn't see who had asked. Instead, he directed his attention back to High Command and nodded his confirmation. “Yes, it is. And forgive me for speaking boldly... but some of you knew, didn't you?”

Mon Mothma paused, staring at him oddly. Wedge could only assume that she hadn’t expected him to ask that.

From her seated position, Princess Leia sat up straighter, her sharp eyes glancing between the high ranking members of High Command quickly. “Know what? What did you know?”

Wedge spoke before anyone else could. “That Luke was Vader’s son. That Darth Vader is actually Anakin Skywalker. Some of you knew that, even before we told you." Looks of genuine surprise appeared on a few faces. Not at the accusation itself... but more confusion that he could have possibly known something like that. It was enough for Wedge to realize that Luke had been right along. They had been keeping secrets. "Luke told me that he thought some of you might have known. It was one of the reasons he chose not to come back in the end."

Princess Leia's expression tightened even further as her eyes turned to Mon Mothma, waiting for an answer. The whole room seemed to wait with baited breath and then...

“Yes,” Mon Mothma finally admitted, her eyes flickering briefly to Leia. “And we were afraid that something like this might happen. Which is why we chose not to say anything."

"Unbelievable," Tycho muttered under his breath.

"It was in our best interests that he not know the truth. We needed him." General Ria added simply. 

"Then this entire situation was completely avoidable," Princess Leia interrupted before General Ria could continue. "Luke had a right to know the truth instead of being blindsided by it on Bespin."

"It no longer matters. Skywalker is lost to us." General Cracken said dismissively. "Our trust in him was misplaced. In the end, he still sided with our enemy against us." 

There were murmurs of agreement from other people around the room. 

"But he didn't join the Empire," Wedge insisted again, feeling frustrated. "And he didn't betray any of us. If anything, we betrayed him." 

General Cracken rolled his eyes. "You keep making this distinction, Antilles, as if it means something. That Skywalker joined Vader but not the Empire. They are the same thing! We all know it. Skywalker could have come back. He could have argued his case here and proven his loyalty. If he had really cared about the rebellion, he could have stayed and fought with us and he didn't. Instead, he let himself be swayed by a blood relationship that means nothing in the end. This war is bigger than family. And I don't know about anyone else but I'm not interested in fighting with someone who is weak-minded enough to think he can see something good in a mass murderer who blew up a planet."

There were more people nodding and whispering in further agreement.

This was not going the way that it was supposed to. Luke’s credibility was disappearing by the second and if he didn’t act fast, it would be too far gone for him to try and recover. Wedge fingered the recording pen that he’d kept in his pocket and hesitated for a moment. He had debated back and forth with himself about whether or not to reveal that he even had it since coming back. It was the only thing that he hadn’t disclosed in any of his reports.

It was good information. Important information.

He didn’t really have any right to keep it from the rebellion at all, considering the stakes that were involved. All that had kept him from giving it up was that it was a private conversation and it had felt a lot like betraying Luke all over again. He had already done enough damage to his friend - stealing this from Luke when he knew that it had never been intended to be shared with anyone else had seemed like a step too far. 

But the hatred against Vader was strong. It was enough to beat any rational argument made in Luke's defense. This was the last card that he had to play - proof from Luke and Vader’s own mouths - and he could only hope and pray that it would work. 

Wedge ignored the conversation that had started up in his silence and fished the inky black pen out of his pocket, weighing it in his hand for a long moment. Then, he tossed it on the table and the room fell quiet once more as everyone's eyes turned to it.

“Why don’t you listen to that before you all pass your final judgment,” Wedge said tightly. He pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. "But know this. You're wrong about Luke. He's not the weak-minded bastard that you're trying to make him out to be. He's one of the very best people I know and I'll stand by him no matter what," he cleared his throat and then scrubbed his jaw. "Let me know when you're done and then maybe we can continue then."

Then he turned, stepping out into the hall and closing one of the main double doors softly behind him. He didn’t go very far though; he found a chair to sit in and sat down to wait.

Silence reigned in the wake of Wedge’s departure. 

The black pen was left sitting on the table where he'd left it and Cesi had a good feeling that he knew what was on it. It was smart; that Wedge even had it in the first place and that he chose to reveal it here, when everyone was present to hear what was on it before it could be potentially altered. High Command had clearly been trying to control what information they gave away, in spite of what they had been saying. They'd been effectively called out on their gatekeeping of information and clearly weren't happy with it. But the situation being what it was and what could happen to the rebellion in the aftermath of all this was going to keep most of the opinions in this room on their side. 

Hatred for Vader was a powerful motivator, even when it came to turning on someone that people had previously trusted. 

Cesi had had a good idea of what was going to happen going into this meeting. He had his own contacts to get him information when he needed it; and he had known beforehand that the only one fighting for Skywalker’s reputation in High Command was Princess Leia Organa. She had been involved with everything from the very start and to everyone's surprise, had remained actively engaged in defending Skywalker’s actions. The rest, whether they honestly and truly believed Skywalker to be a traitor or not, were prepared and willing to cast him aside for the sake of the rebellion's reputation. They needed to be in control of the narrative - they wanted to keep what support they had from their sponsors and if throwing Skywalker to the wolves was the way to do it, then that's what they were planning to do. 

A few other officials had tried to have Organa tactically disinvited from the proceedings in order to avoid this exact situation but they had been unsuccessful. She ranked too high, in Cesi’s personal opinion, for that to have ever worked. Though he didn't know her at all, he had a lot of respect for her. She was a powerful storm of emotions and had no issue with making her displeasure with everyone involved with this known. In the end, she had argued that if they were fighting for a democracy, then any proceedings taking place in the rebellion would be treated democratically. Luke wasn’t present but if he was to be judged, then he had a right to be represented. Someone needed to be there to argue his side. 

Her opinion was never going to be enough. Neither was Wedge's. Tycho's, or even Cesi's own. He had kept quiet, mostly interested in observing the other reactions in the room and figuring out where there might be room to influence opinions later but not finding a lot that seemed encouraging. General Ackbar had been a surprise and it was obvious, though the Mon Calamarian hadn't spoken much at all, that he wasn't pleased with the proceedings or how High Command was choosing to go about this. 

An aide approached the table and picked up the pen, turning it over and seeming to realize that it was a recording device and then saying so out loud.

Surprise appeared on Mon Mothma's face and she glanced at both Tycho and Cesi. "Did either of you have knowledge of this?" 

"No, ma'am." Cesi said quietly and beside him, Tycho shook his head as well.

High Command glanced between each other for a moment, obviously thrown off by this development. They had no way to know what was on the recorder and they weren't sure what to think. 

Princess Leia stood up before any of them could say anything. "Threepio, if you would be so kind as to play what's on that pen for us," she spoke politely to a gold protocol droid standing to the side of her. "I think we would all like to hear it."

"Yes, of course, Princess." The droid said quickly, walking forward with a funny sort of shuffling walk. "And I do so hope that this helps Master Luke. No one has asked for my opinion - I am just a droid, after all and it seems to be our lot in life to be ignored, but Master Luke would never join the Empire without telling me first." The droid shook its head in a fretful sort of way and then went on to say without any prompting whatsoever that he hoped Master Luke was getting enough sleep because he hadn't been sleeping well for weeks now and if this business about Lord Vader was true then it was no wonder at all. Honestly.

Cesi was getting a headache just listening to the damn thing and it had been less than a minute. What kind of person would program a droid to be this annoying? And why? If Zach was here... Cesi paused and then quickly turned away from any thoughts of his friend. No need to go down that road right now. It was a relief when the aide plugged the small connector point into one of the droids' power ports for download. The droid fell silent immediately, its eyes changing from yellow to blue for a few seconds. 

"Whenever you're ready, Threepio." Princess Leia invited. 

There was a long pause and then a staticky shuffling sound came from the droid as the recording began. For the next minute or so, it was nothing except the sound of Darth Vader's respirator and the occasional sound of Tycho coughing hoarsely.

"Droid, skip past any long pauses." General Cracken said. His tone wasn't as rude as it was earlier - he was curious. 

"Yes, sir."

"It feels better."

"Well done. You learn quickly."

Cesi leaned forward, forgetting for a moment that he only had one arm and tilting slightly to the side before he righted himself. Though he'd been there in person, he felt as though he were hearing most of this for the first time. Down in the mines, he had lost so much blood and his grief for Zach had come before anything else. Now, with a clear head, he found that he could appreciate the significance of everything that had been said down there. 

There was so much that he hadn't even realized he'd heard. 

He really had pegged Skywalker completely wrong. His secret had been a dangerous one, yes… but there was no proof anywhere that Skywalker had ever been a traitor or a spy for the Empire. Even now, listening back to the conversation he’d had with Vader… his loyalty to the rebellion didn’t seem to be in question at all. His verbiage alone very clearly demonstrated that there was a division of ownership between the two of them. The Empire was referred to as Vader's. The rebellion and the events surrounding it were claimed by Skywalker. 

There were no slip-ups or corrections; it was perfectly obvious that their political affiliations simply did not align.

Even more interesting was the fact that Vader tolerated Skywalker’s questions at all. There were a lot of them - mostly probing questions, as Skywalker seemed to be trying to work something out about Vader in his head. 

It wasn't a hard leap to make in assuming that Skywalker had wanted to know what kind of person his father actually was. Trying to figure out if he was indeed a monster or if there was more to him than that. Considering that Skywalker joined him in the end, he must have found enough to convince himself that it was true. Or maybe he was just an idiot idealist doing something incredibly stupid that he thought was the right thing. 

The thought would have made him sneer a week or so ago - now, he didn't feel like he had a lot of room to judge if that was indeed the case. Afterall, he was alive because Skywalker had gone out of his way to do what he thought was the right thing.  

Cesi remembered the bit about Vader disapproving of the Death Star and that he was proud of the fact that Skywalker had destroyed it but not necessarily the part where he had admitted the Empire had failed. There were new whispers that started up at that part but they were quickly shushed in favor of listening to the rest of the conversation. There were clearly some conversations that they had missed out on entirely - likely before they had ever crossed paths with each other in the mines. Things about the emperor and slavery and a future or date that Skywalker was trying to avoid. He wondered what had been said but then figured he could guess well enough what the conversation had been about when Vader asked Skywalker to join him and his hesitancy to do so.

"Everyone has lied to me... about everything. And all I can think is that they're afraid I'll turn out like you."

“They are wrong to think that. You won’t turn out like me. You are better than I am. And whatever you do moving forwards, you will be better than I was too.”

“You really believe that?”

“I do.”

It was a strange feeling… to listen to a man known as a monster to the near whole of the galaxy and to think that it wasn’t fair that he was somehow a better father than his own had been. His old man had never said anything half as kind as that. Cesi had been told his entire life that he would amount to nothing in the end and he had become the person he was now to try and prove the bastard wrong. Anyone who didn’t have their head up their ass could tell, just by listening, that Vader gave a damn about Skywalker. 

That was important. 

Probably even more important than what High Command could comprehend right now, panicking the way that they were. It bothered Cesi a lot that there he'd been, thinking that he was ahead of the leaders of the rebellion and being a hero when it came to suspecting Luke Skywalker and it turned out in the end that they had already known who he was all along. They could have saved themselves a hell of a lot of trouble if they'd just been honest from the start. The events in the mine would have played out much differently if that had been the case. Cesi would have still had his suspicions about Skywalker... but he also probably wouldn't have gone so far out of his way to crucify him the way he had either. 

Even so, Cesi understood the politics of war. He knew that what was at stake was bigger than any one person was. The rebellion couldn't actually make all their decisions revolve around Skywalker and they likely had done what they thought was in everyone's best interests. He understood their point of view. 

But... he also remembered that awful, awful feeling of falling into darkness… of knowing with certainty that he was going to die and then stopping abruptly, dangling over what would have been his death. 

Skywalker had saved him.

I got you - I won’t let you fall, just hang on!

And then again, later, when the creature had charged them and Skywalker had stood his ground, prepared to protect both Cesi and Wedge no matter the cost to himself. 

Stay behind me.

Even among soldiers, there weren’t a lot of people who could demonstrate that type of character and courage.

The rebellion could sue him if he had decided that maybe Skywalker had deserved better from all of them in the end. 

After all that had been said and done to him, there was no reason for Skywalker to have put himself in harm's way and risk his life for people who had tossed him aside without a second thought. But he appreciated it… and if there was one good thing his old man had done for him, it was impressing upon Cesi the idea that you always repaid a debt that was owed. It didn’t matter for who or what for. Debts were meant to be paid - and if you couldn’t do that, then even on your best day, you weren’t worth anything. 

He wasn’t certain if he would ever see Skywalker again or what would happen in the future. But he had a strange feeling that, at least in this one instance… Darth Vader was right. Skywalker was the better man and there was a good chance he would remain so. 

The audio recording continued, taking them out of the mines and into the events that he had little to no recollection of. He further admired Wedge’s bravery and his determination to see everyone to safety. There were other bits of conversation that were difficult for them to hear because of increasing noise and distance; the droid enhanced what it could but all in all, the important takeaways were painfully simple in the end.

Skywalker was important to Vader. 

Vader was planning to kill Palpatine. 

...and Skywalker hadn't betrayed anyone. 

His decision about how to proceed moving forward only solidified as it all finally came to an end. Come what may, Cesi would repay the debt that he owed.

“Captain Antilles.”

Wedge stirred and looked up at the sound of his name. One of the security officers that had been stationed inside the conference room had appeared. Wedge glanced down for a moment to look at his watch and saw that almost two standard hours had passed while he’d been lost in thought. It would have been long enough for them to have listened to the bulk of the conversation. Wedge wasn’t entirely certain where it had left off… but that seemed about right.

“Yes?”

“Your presence is being requested once more.”

“Alright,” he stood up, taking a moment to straighten his uniform and smooth out any wrinkles. Then he squared his shoulders and reentered the room.

It was quiet again when he entered the room this time around. Just a few hushed whispers and the feeling of the air stirring with anticipation. Every eye was on him but Wedge couldn't help but think that there was less anger now. The room felt... contemplative. Regardless, Wedge was ready to fight and argue Luke's case for as long as they would let him and damn the consequences.

Mon Mothma stood up as Wedge sat down in his seat once more, nodding slightly to him. She was silent, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts. 

“These conversations are certainly enlightening,” she finally said. “And we are grateful for your quick thinking, Captain Antilles. Was this all that there was?"

Wedge huffed. They were back to using titles now, apparently. Go figure. 

“It was all that I was privy to. If they spoke to each other again after we returned to Opportunity Base, then it wasn’t where I could hear. As I told you before, I spoke to Luke once before he left, but the battery in the pen had probably died by then. I… I tried to tell him to come back with us but he refused.”

She nodded once more. "I understand. Thank you, this was more than enough. Does anyone else have any thoughts or concerns before we continue?"

Princess Leia cleared her throat. "Judging by your question, can we assume that the Council's thoughts and feelings on Commander Skywalker have changed from earlier? Will we be proceeding forward differently now?"

For the first time, Mon Mothma looked tired. "There is room for discussion," she admitted with a sigh. 

"Is there though?" General Cracken cut in before anyone else could say something. "Yes, the conversation and implications of it are interesting, I'll admit. But the fact remains the same - we don't have Skywalker."

"But we can continue to treat him as our ally," Princess Leia defended. "Not a traitor or a deserter. I think the conversation we just listened to makes it perfectly clear that he is neither of those things."

Admiral Ho’ror’te sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "For now," he said simply. "We don't know if that will last."

"Exactly!" General Ria said. "If he’s with Lord Vader now, then our alliance with him is history. We can kiss it goodbye. Vader will poison him against us more than rogue squadron already did. We just lost our best shot at winning this war.”

“The rebellion was successful before Skywalker joined us," General Ackbar added. "He isn’t the only one that is capable of fighting. And perhaps considering the circumstances, we should have a little more faith in him. Skywalker has an uncanny ability to beat the odds, after all.”

“If we support Skywalker, we will lose our sponsors," someone else argued. "Our recruitment will go down. Morale is going to drop. Him on the side of the Empire, friend to the rebellion or not, isn't convenient for us. I don't see how we can publicly support this.”

Wedge groaned, frustrated. "Why does any of it have to be public? We could just keep our mouths shut and then no one will know."

"Oh, right -" General Cracken rolled his eyes, his voice sharp and angry. "Grow up, Antilles. You have a brain, so use it! This will eventually get out. Somehow. Somewhere. People are going to know what happened. It matters that we are ahead of it and that our position appeals to the people and planets and governments whose help we need and depend on. You think we can just sweep this under the rug and that there won't be consequences later? He abandoned the rebellion! That is the position we need to take." 

"You all lied to him!" Princess Leia fired at him. "This wouldn't be necessary if you had just treated him as more than a tool to be used."

General Cracken gave the princess a look that was so condescending it was almost palpable and he opened his mouth to respond.

“We didn’t know if he could handle the truth," Admiral Ho'ror'te interrupted quietly before Cracken could say anything, clearly attempting to deescalate the situation before it got out of hand. "We couldn’t take the risk that he would side against us. You must understand that.”

"I understand perfectly the need for subterfuge and all the necessities that come with war. But if we take this position against Luke, we will ruin him forever and he deserves better than that. There are other ways to handle this and we should at least try."

This time there were more murmurs of agreement.

"We can keep it quiet," Wedge agreed, adding his voice. "If anyone asks about him, we can just tell him he's off doing his Jedi training. Hell, it wouldn't even be a lie."

General Cracken shot him a dirty look now, obviously displeased with the turn of opinion that was slowly happening in the room. Frustrated, he turned back to the princess, his previous condescension still painfully obvious. “Princess Leia, it seems to me and perhaps to others as well that your feelings for Skywalker are interfering with your better judgment."

Oh damn.

Wedge felt his eyes widen slightly as he scrubbed his hand across his jaw at the sheer audacity the man had. Judging by the other looks of surprise and quick disapproval, he wasn’t the only one that was getting uncomfortable.

“My feelings?” Leia hissed dangerously. “What exactly are you trying to imply?”

“It’s not exactly a secret that you and Skywalker are close to each other or that you have been particularly active about defending him on this thing from the start! You regularly accompany him and the smuggler on a number of missions that someone of your standing has no business being on. What more can be assumed other than that you have an inappropriate bias regarding Skywalker and that your judgement in these proceedings are not sound. I doubt that your father would have approved. ”

The room instantly began dead silent. One could have heard a pin drop on the floor. Even Mon Mothma looked shocked.

In an instant, Leia’s face cleared of all emotion entirely though her eyes still blazed with fire. “I don’t see how you are in any position to assume what my father would or would not have approved of,” she said with a dangerous sort of calm. “As for Commander Skywalker, I am not currently, nor have I ever been romantically involved with him. Not that that would be any business of yours.”

“I was only saying -” 

“Oh, was I wrong in thinking that you were suggesting that because I am a woman, that my judgment is inherently flawed where men are concerned?” Leia interrupted ruthlessly. "Sexism against women is more than a little archaic, don't you think? And hardly appropriate seeing as how I rank higher than you."

“You are taking my words out of context!” General Cracken finally snapped, standing on his feet and pointing a finger at her in anger as he shouted. “Which is only further proof that you are too close to this! Feelings of the heart have no business interfering with matters of war! Your bias is preventing you from acknowledging that Skywalker has betrayed us in favor of Darth Vader and it will be our people on the battlefield who will pay the price!"

The silence in the room held, no one daring to interject. Princess Leia let it stretch, using the quiet to her advantage until even Cracken seemed to wince at himself, realizing perhaps for the first time that he had crossed a line. 

Then the Princess of Alderaan stood up, slow and deliberate and drawing every eye in the room to her person. She was not dressed in jewels or a resplendent gown that marked her as royalty. She wore no crown, had no subjects, and the kingdom she would have once inherited was gone to the darkness of space and the brutality of the Empire. All the same, she lifted her chin and squared her shoulders, looking out at them all fearlessly, and the presence of authority that suddenly radiated from her person reminded them all that Leia Organa had been born to rule. 

“Do not,” Leia bit out tightly, her eyes flashing. “Raise your voice at me.” 

There was a painfully tense silence and after a few seconds, General Cracken stepped back, nodding his head once in apology. He glanced around the room but no one seemed willing to meet his eyes. He pursed his lips and slowly sat back down in his seat, clearing his throat and dropping his head into his hand.

"Any further comments of such nature will result in removal from the room," Mon Mothma said quietly. "Is that clear?"

There was a unanimous yes from everyone present. After a moment, the princess sat back down and then to Wedge's personal surprise, General Cracken spoke again.

"I did not intend to be disrespectful or accusatory," he said, clearly working to keep an even tone. "I was only trying to express that this situation, if not dealt with properly, could go very badly for us. I have been on battlefields. I have lost... hundreds of my men and watched them die. I don't want to go to war, telling these people that they can trust someone who may yet still be convinced to side against us. We do not know what will happen with Skywalker. No one here can say for certain that he will stay on our side. How can you ask me to tell my men to go to war and not have them prepared to defend themselves in the worst case scenario? I can't and won't do that. You say that Skywalker deserves better? What about the rest of the people prepared to give up their lives for this?"

There was another silence and Wedge could see Cracken's point of view. His way of going about it was shit but... he had a point. A good point, even if Wedge firmly believed that it was an unnecessary one.  

Admiral Ho'ror'te licked his lips. “No one is asking anyone to compromise their safety. General, I understand your concern and I respect it. We cannot in good conscience tell our own people not to protect themselves. If we cross paths with Commander Skywalker on the battlefield, then we should consider him as a member of the Empire and a threat to rebel forces. We will react accordingly and be prepared to meet force with force.”

“And if there is no force?” Tycho interjected. 

There was a moment of hesitation. “Then I suppose it will have to be left to individual discretion.”

Part of Wedge wanted to argue but he hesitantly decided that he wouldn't. After witnessing the fight in the mines and getting an idea of how powerful Luke truly was... he didn't think there was anyone in the rebellion that could succeed in any attempt to kill him. And if Luke was going to be trained by Vader? Force help them all if he ever really did decide to side against them.

"Princess, your position and your families position in the rebellion is quite significant," General Ria spoke after a minute or so had gone by. "Your opinion is going to matter to a great number of people moving forward. I suppose that I am just curious to know... how can you support Skywalker? After everything Vader has done, how can you of all people defend him so fervently?"

Princess Leia paused for the first time and Wedge imagined that it wasn't hard for anyone present to remember the destruction of her home planet. The loss of her family. Hell, even the torture she endured on the Death Star at the hand of Lord Vader himself.

"Me of all people?" She asked softly. Then she lifted her, squaring her shoulders a little. "General, I can support Luke because I know that Luke and Vader are very different people. I don't know what he has gone through or what thoughts and actions he thought to take since he learned of this relationship. But it doesn't change anything he has done previously. The Luke I know has always done what he thought was right. I suspect that now is no different. I won't give up on him for something as small as this."

“Luke chose to side with a monster,” General Ria said pointedly.

“His father, you mean.” Leia corrected coldly. There was a bitter sort of twist to her lips, just barely held in check, which made Wedge realize that no small part of her loathed having to defend Vader at all. She was only doing it for Luke - but by the Force, she was doing it. 

“If one can so name a monster, then yes. His father.”

“A relationship that is built on nothing but lies has a weak foundation; and as we have seen here and now, doomed crumble. It would seem to me that those who kept secrets are responsible now for the choice that Luke made.”

“You’re blaming us." Admiral Ho'ror'te said simply. 

Leia lifted her head. “I am only pointing out that Luke ultimately placed his trust in the one person who was willing to tell him the truth. I can only imagine that the situation might have been different if Vader were not the only option he felt that he had. That falls on us."

Mon Mothma glanced around and Wedge noticed for the first time how much time had gone by. It was past noon - they'd been here for hours now. “So, with all this in mind. How do we choose to move forward with this?”

“We don’t tell anyone,” Princess Leia said firmly. “And if anyone does ask, then we say that Luke returned to his Jedi training. We haven’t had contact but expect to hear from him again soon.”

“That excuse isn’t going to work forever." General Ria sighed, burying his face into his hands. 

“Well, we won’t know until we try. It’s not as though our sponsors are specifically checking in on Luke Skywalker every second of the day. He has disappeared from time to time and no one has ever expressed an issue with it before.”

“And when he makes his grand debut in the Empire and we lose all our credibility because our poster boy turned out to be the son of Darth Vader and turned his back on the rebellion, what then?” General Draven added in for the first time. 

There were some murmurs of agreement at that.  

“There will not be a debut.”

“Princess Leia, you cannot know that -”

“I listened to the same recording that you did, General Draven,” Leia shot back at him calmly, “and Lord Vader specifically mentioned timing and a desire to not attract attention. I can’t proclaim to know his mind and nor do I care to - but I am certain that given what we do know, that he is not looking to announce that Luke is with him at all. Whatever their plan moving forward is, they are planning to do it quietly.” 

“It has been almost two weeks since he left. Luke’s Imperial bounty is still active and rising.” Wedge added in cautiously. He knew because he had checked out of curiosity just last night. 

"So, we leave Skywalker alone then," General Ackbar said quietly. "For now at least. Let the cards fall where they may and go from there. I'm rather interested in the rest of their plans, honestly. Vader planning to usurp the emperor? I think that bears some discussion, at least."

“One evil bastard has plans to kill another evil bastard. Who cares?” General Draven groaned in frustration. "Let them kill each other. It will make our job all the easier."

“I think we should care since it will directly affect us, whether they succeed or fail," General Ackbar replied calmly. "Who is to say that Vader taking control of the Empire wouldn’t be worse than Palpatine?”

“He’s not.” The words were out of his mouth before Wedge could even process them but he knew it was true even as he said it. 

“And how could you possibly know that?” Someone that Wedge didn't recognize asked. 

“Because Vader needs Luke to help him. I don’t know everything that they talked about before we crossed paths,” Wedge admitted. “I don’t know what kind of monster Palpatine is beyond a tyrant. But going up against Palpatine… it sure sounded like it was a fight that neither of them were certain they could win. They're planning to kill him or die trying."

That brought another solemn quiet to the room, different from the others. War was one thing - fighting men and sentients and playing the politics game with a clear end in mind was one thing. But addressing the root of it all and having to realize that one of the most terrifying and lethal forces ever to be created by the Empire had his own trepidation and doubts about dealing with the monster sitting on Coruscant throne was another thing entirely. 

If Vader couldn't do it, then what hope did the rest of them have? And then if he succeeded... what then? Wedge remembered how Vader was revered as almost a god on the battlefield. When he showed up, it was time to run. He could see the concern and the question in everyone's eyes now - how did they, men that they were, fight a god?

"Hell," one of the aides standing on the side of the room suddenly groused. "If Vader is going to do that, we might as well extend an invitation and see if he wants to join the rebellion. That'll solve all of our problems."

The tension in the room eased and people laughed in response, chuckling at the absurdity of such an idea.  

General Cracken shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's great until they kill Palpatine and then Vader takes control of everything. If Skywalker is on his side, then what chance do we have of taking the Empire from both of them?"

"If we keep Skywalker as an ally, then maybe we won't have to take it from them." Cesi said suddenly, speaking up for the first time. Wedge glanced at him in surprise; he hadn't expected Cesi to speak anything in Luke's defense. 

"Vader isn't going to give up the Empire," General Draven scoffed. "Why would he? He helped build the damn thing - he said so himself."

"Yeah, but Skywalker doesn't want the Empire," Cesi said with the kind of patience that was reserved for people that were particularly slow. If Wedge wasn't so surprised, it might have been funny.

"And?"

"What Skywalker wants matters."

Mon Mothma caught on first. "You're suggesting that Skywalker could influence Vader to change his mind?" 

Cesi nodded once. "I am."

"Captain Antilles," she said, addressing him once again. It almost made his head spin with how quickly she jumped to him. "What are your thoughts? The rest of the room can only listen to words but you were there in person. Do you think that Lord Vader could defect from the Empire entirely?”

Wedge hesitated and then stood up slowly once more. The sound of the chair legs screeching against the floor behind him felt particularly loud as everyone else became quiet, waiting for his answer. Princess Leia's eyes seemed especially sharp. 

“May I speak freely?”

“Please.”

Wedge nodded. “I think that Vader has exactly one fuck to give,” he said bluntly. “I think the Empire has been his priority in the past and it might remain so, but….”

“But what?”

“I don’t think it’s his first priority anymore. I think that if it came down to Luke or the Empire, then I think he would choose Luke.”

He licked his lips, waiting nervously for someone to try and contradict him but no one did.

“He’s not a machine,” Wedge added, the words feeling strange on his tongue. It felt wrong to say something in the defense of Darth Vader, especially to these people. Wedge understood their anger, after all; but he wanted them to listen. “I… I know that that sounds bad,” Wedge continued, running a hand through his hair. Then he huffed. “I get it. I do. I don’t like the bastard either and I know how much he’s hurt almost everyone here. And you can hate me for saying it and hit me for it later if it makes you feel any better… but Vader is a person. He has… feelings and motivations. And I think… if we want to do this right and have the best possible outcome… then we should at least consider his motives moving forward.”

"And you think that Luke Skywalker is his motivation?" General Ria clarified, making a bit of a face. He didn't seem to know what to think.

"Yeah, I do."

“Captain Antilles is right," Cesi added in after a moment of silence, glancing at Wedge for a moment before continuing. "Darth Vader doesn’t give a fuck about the rebellion. It means nothing to him. We mean nothing to him. But Skywalker,” Cesi huffed, lifting his remaining arm to run his hand through his hair. “Skywalker might be the only thing he genuinely cares about. That’s… a different sort of power than we can ever hope to obtain.”

"We've treated Luke as our symbol of hope for the last several years," Princess Leia addressed the room once more. "If we genuinely trusted him all this time... then let's give him a chance."

Wedge glanced around and he felt a little thrill shoot through his heart when he realized that the room was listening. They were genuinely listening and considering what was being said. There was a chance now - as long as they didn't panic or screw it up somehow... there was a chance of this not ending in Luke being the most hated person in the galaxy. It was better than he had dared to even hope for. 

"All of this is nice and all," General Cracken sighed. "But you all realize that we're talking about placing our bets and our chance at winning this war on that chance that Vader will be a good father? You realize how insane that is, right?"

“If it helps, my old man would have fed me to the damn monster if it would have given him another minute or two of life,” Cesi shot at Cracken, getting annoyed for the first time. “Vader put himself in harm's way more than once for a kid he doesn’t even know. So yeah. I’d say that it probably means something to him.”

"And he let us go," Tycho added, shrugging his shoulders. "He could have killed us but... he didn't. Because Luke probably asked him not to."

There was a long moment of silence while the room digested their words. It was Cesi who had thrown them off, Wedge realized slowly. His opinion and suggestion that had caught their attention. Cesi had been damn good at his job - High Command had assigned him to rogue squadron themselves because of all the work he had done for them. He didn't rank very high yet but his opinion mattered to most of them. He was trusted and his instincts were usually spot on. 

"Lieutenant Collins, you really believe that Skywalker could potentially be this influential?"

Cesi lifted his chin. “I think that Commander Luke Skywalker will determine the fate of the galaxy.”

He meant it. Anyone could see that he meant it. 

Wedge was going to have to buy him a drink after this. 

“I don’t know if Vader would go so far as to support the rebellion or even a New Republic though.” Cesi admitted after a moment of hesitation. 

“Yes, he expressed his sentiments on the failings of the Republic quite forcefully.” 

“But I think,” Cesi continued patiently. “That Skywalker’s opinion will matter to him in the end. And if that is the way that things fall, it would be advantageous for us if we do not make an enemy of him. Skywalker needs some leeway - a reason to think that we won't be after him.”

“Then we stay neutral,” Princess Leia said, picking up where Cesi left off. “Or imply to our sponsors, if and when they ask, that Luke is still present in the rebellion. We cover for him while he works from inside the Empire. And if we get to a point where we cannot continue this way... then we will do what is necessary. But only if we have no other choice. More people will offer their support to us if we promote that we have a Jedi on our side than they will if we say our Jedi betrayed us. This is what is in our best interest." she finished with an air finality, her tone making little to no room for further argument. 

Wedge couldn't help but respect the hell out of her. Even if the conversation had been swayed, anyone in here that was openly advocating for Luke was risking their reputations and credibility to do so. The silence stretched until it seemed as though no one else had anything more to say. Not right now at least, though Wedge imagined more points of contention would be raised later. 

"I think that we have all said our piece," Mon Mothma said quietly. "The facts and consequences of either option are on the table. How do we wish to proceed?"

"We're promoting democracy," Cesi said. "Let's put it to a vote. Let the majority decide. The voice of the people matters."

"All in agreement?"

There was a pause but then the room stirred once more with nods and murmurs of agreement.

"Alright," Mon Mothma seemed to steel herself for a moment. "We know the risks. Those in favor of branding Luke Skywalker as a traitor, please raise your hands now."

Wedge glanced around and saw that an uncomfortable number of hands were raised in the air, including Generals Cracken, Ria, Draven, and others. Even some of the security guards and aides. The count was taken: twenty-one voting in favor of abandoning Luke and moving forward without him. 

"And those in favor of keeping quiet for the time being and seeing how events play out, please raise your hands now." 

More hands raised, including Princess Leia, General Ackbar, Admiral Ho'ror'te, and Mon Mothma herself. Wedge let his eyes dart around the room, counting them all quietly under his breath as fast as he could. 

...sixteen...

...seventeen, eighteen...

...nineteen...

"Twenty-four in favor of staying quiet, twenty-one against." Someone announced.

Wedge let out a disbelieving sigh of relief, dropping his head back and staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe it. Holy shit... as long as nothing went wrong... he ran his hands through his hair and then sat back up, glancing around. Some of High Command looked pissed, clearly disagreeing with the final outcome but... for now at least, things had gone literally as well as they could have. 

The fight wasn't over - but it was a damn good start and he would take what he could get. 

“Then we will respect the vote and move forward according to the majority. For now and until something changes, we will be satisfied with the Skywalker's plan to kill Palpatine.” Mon Mothma said quietly. “Though it would be beneficial to us if we knew where and when they planned to attack. Captain Antilles, Commander Skywalker gave you no viable way to communicate with him?"

Wedge blinked. "No ma'am. To be honest, I hadn't thought to ask." And he personally doubted that Luke would have had anything to offer him in the way of communication. 

Or that he would have wanted to. 

"Very well. I know that it is getting late and that everyone is tired. We will adjourn this meeting for today and reconvene at another time to discuss some other specifics regarding the situation. If there are other concerns that were not addressed regarding anything that we spoke about, please send them in an email and they will be addressed next time...."

The next few days went by quickly. Wedge spent most of time getting some real sleep and otherwise waiting for news about when or if he would be allowed to return to active duties. He was hopeful, given how the inquest had turned out... but he thought it was safer to try and not get his hopes up too high though, just in case. 

Seven days after the inquest, he finally received another summons from Mon Mothma to report to High Command. Wedge put on his class A uniform and cleaned up as quickly as he could before making his way to High Command Headquarters and finding the right room number. He swallowed thickly and straightened his clothes as best as he could before knocking on the door.

"Come in," a muffled voice called. 

Wedge flexed his fingers and then turned the doorknob, pushing the door open and stepping inside the room. 

Only the Senator was present. Wedge hesitated and then closed the door softly behind him. "Ma'am," he greeted with a nod of his head. 

"Captain Antilles," she said, offering him a smile and gesturing for him to take a seat. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Of course," Wedge sat down, trying not to fidget or seem overly nervous. 

"How has your recovery been?"

He blinked. "My injuries have healed, thank you. A little sore in some spots but the Imperials did a decent job of patching me up. I went in for a check-up a few days ago and they said everything seemed fine."

"I'm glad." There was a short pause and then Mon Mothma continued. “I don't want to keep you long but I thought perhaps that you might want to read this.”

To Wedge's surprise, she offered him a data pad that Wedge hadn’t noticed she was holding in her hand. He accepted it, nodding once to her before looking down to see what she had wanted to show him. 

To the leaders of the Rebel Alliance High Command, it began. 

It was a mission briefing, Wedge realized. Luke’s mission briefing. Dated on Telona 13th - the day after the inquest. 

Detailing all the events which had occurred from the time of their arrival on the planet, the destruction of the factory, the events which had taken place in the mines, including Luke’s expulsion from the group and all the things that had been said against him. There was one brief sentence in the aftermath of that which mentioned his encounter with Vader, explaining his presence. All other details of their interactions and conversations were entirely omitted. 

After a few hours, we came across rogue squadron, in a clear fight for their lives. I determined that I would offer my assistance and at my request, my father agreed to help me. 

Luke went into further detail, explaining the fight and even the 'hammer and anvil' tactic which he and Vader had determined to use. Wedge shook his head, huffing slightly. Figures he might have screwed something up for them as well. But that also might not be entirely fair - no one was expecting the lights to turn on. A few other things were mentioned, up until the death of the creature itself by both the transmitter chip and Luke's own hand. 

The conversation Luke had had with his father by the elevator was, once again, entirely omitted, only stating that, The two of us, as well as the remainder of rogue squadron, were able to exit the mines through an emergency exit elevator. 

From there, the details became more and more vague. Only brief descriptions of what had taken place at the Imperial camp were included, mostly regarding that medical care was provided for everyone and that rogue squadron would be allowed to return unmolested to the rebellion.

You may consider this report as my official resignation from rebellion activities. I have decided that it is in my own best interests to join forces with my father and assist him in killing Emperor Sheev Palaptine. Rest assured, I will continue to do all within my power to see that the galaxy and all the sentients in it are freed from the tyranny and oppression of the Empire. Our goals in that regard remain mutual.

With that being said, and regardless of whether or not my opinions hold any weight to you now, know that it is my honest feeling that Captain Wedge Antilles is not responsible for either the loss of Caleb Cashbal or Zach Harris. Rather, the blame falls on those who had scouted out the planet and declared it free of an Imperial presence. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The reports for our mission to Cimiento Imperial Industries were lacking in critical information that would have played a key component in the missions’ overall success and in their survival. The risks were obvious and it was and is my opinion that the mission should never have been signed off on in the first place.

I hold Captain Antilles in high regard and fully believe him capable of taking over as the commander of rogue squadron. 

Cordially,

Luke Skywalker

…

That was it. The letter ended abruptly with Luke’s final recommendation. 

Wedge felt his eyes water and he huffed a wet laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “He's got good timing," he said. "Right after the inquest."

Mon Mothma smiled a little. "Yes, he does. The rest of High Command has seen this already and of course, there are still some with doubts and concerns - valid ones, I might add. But for the moment, the majority have been set at ease regarding Commander Skywalker and what he is doing. We can only hope that he will be successful. Though again, I feel the need to remind you that if the situation appears to change, our position must change as well."

Wedge nodded. "I understand completely. Thank you."

“For what it is worth, I am sorry that the proceedings were so harsh. Our position at the beginning of the inquest was made in the best interests of the rebellion. Sadly, we are not perfect and I won't deny that we panicked when we learned what had happened. But your loyalty and your dedication to your men is appreciated, commander.”

He blinked, certain that he had heard incorrectly and looking up from the email so fast that something in his neck popped. “Commander?” 

Mon Mothma smiled and nodded. “Yes. Congratulations. You can return to active duty and assume the position and responsibilities of commander. I imagine that your predecessor went through a lot of effort to send his recommendation to us. He must want you to have it."

“I… I’m not certain that I deserve what you're offering.” Wedge stuttered, feeling his heart pound in his chest. 

“Well, High Command is certain that we want you to have it,” Mon Mothma said simply. “And I hope that you’ll accept the position.”

Commander of rogue squadron. 

Rogue Leader.

Wedge couldn’t believe that after everything that had happened, the position had been offered to him. After everything that he had done wrong - after losing two lives and the rebellion’s poster boy, and somehow, even after roasting him alive, they were offering him a promotion. 

He wasn’t entirely certain how he felt about it. 

Senator Mothma’s - and Luke’s - confidence in him felt misplaced. 

He wanted it though. A lot, actually. He hoped that didn't make him a bad person somehow. 

“Antilles!”

Wedge paused in his thoughts and glanced over his shoulder to see Princess Leia storming after him. He hadn't seen her since the inquest and honestly didn't know her hardly at all. But he would be lying if he said this was an encounter that he had been dreading. He was certain that she wanted to kill him for his part in Luke's departure. Fear and unease twisted in his gut but he swallowed it back as best as he could and turned around to face her. 

She slapped him. 

Wedge was stunned, lifting a hand to his cheek in genuine shock. 

“How could you - ?” She demanded, raising her hand and slapping him again. “You lousy, no-good piece of trash!”

Wedge stumbled backwards, hoping not to get hit again. It didn't hurt - it was just the fact that it had happened at all that scared him.

In all of her five-foot one glory, the princess had an aura of anger about her that could light a person on fire. She was terrifying and he had no idea how to handle this.

Fortunately, there was a movement from the corner of his eyes - two security officers making their way over to see what the disturbance was about and put an end to it, no doubt. Damn. Wedge shook his head, trying to wave them off. They ignored him but seemed to wince a little when they realized that it was Leia Organa that they were about to deal with. 

“Are you two alright?” One of them asked as they drew closer. “Ma’am?”

“We’re fine.” Leia bit out sharply, her eyes not leaving Wedge’s. The security officers glanced at each other and Wedge was willing to bet they were both wishing that they hadn't reported to work that morning. They glanced at him instead. 

“Sir? Is everything alright here?"

Wedge nodded. “As she said,” he agreed quietly. “Everything is fine. Thank you.”

Neither of them looked convinced and Wedge felt their eyes linger on the red mark on his cheek.

“If you’re certain….”

“We are. Thank you.” Wedge repeated, offering both of them a small nod. The two officers hesitated for a moment longer and then began walking away, the sound of their shoes clicking on the tile. Both he and Leia waited until they had turned a corner and were certain that they had more privacy before looking at each other directly once again. 

“How could you do that to him?” Princess Leia hissed furiously. “Luke is supposed to be your friend and you just… threw him out like trash! Like he was nothing!”

“It wasn’t like that,” Wedge tried to explain but the princess didn't let him get that far.  

“The hell it wasn’t!" She snapped. "How many times has he saved us and this is how you chose to repay him? He's gone and there is no way to know if we'll ever see him again. He thinks we hate him and it's your fault!”

Ah. Understanding came to him quickly as he realized where her anger was coming from now, delayed as it seemed. Truthfully, he had expected something like this a week or so ago. Luke must have not reached out to her yet. She had probably been waiting and hoping that he would and he hadn't. Or maybe she had reached out to Luke somehow and gotten nothing in response. 

“I was trying to keep everyone safe.” Wedge admitted hoarsely. “I… I was trying to keep Luke safe. I know I didn’t go about it the right way. But at the time… it was all that I knew to do. It was wrong and I knew that it was wrong the second that we left him behind but I didn’t know what else to do. I’m so sorry.”

She was not appeased. In fact, for a moment, the look of anger on Princess Leia’s face was so similar to what he’d seen from both Luke and Vader in the mines that Wedge could have almost been convinced that they were all related somehow. He shook his head at the thought, huffing slightly to himself despite the fact that it wasn't funny.

The galaxy would never have survived that and everyone should probably be grateful that it wasn’t true. But it sure would have been something. 

"You could have tried to talk to everyone - to calm everyone down and talk to Luke instead of just branding him a pariah. Instead of casting him out and telling him he had no place here."

Damn, he wished it could have been that simple.

"I'm sorry," he repeated sincerely. "I wish that I could have done better. But I didn't. I tried to take it back and tell him to come home. But... the damage was already done. He'd made up his mind. I take full responsibility for what happened and if... if you want to hit me again, I won't stop you."

Princess Leia blinked, her eyes flickering to the mark she'd undoubtedly left on his cheek, before shaking her head. 

“He could have talked to me,” she said instead, sniffing for the first time. She raised a hand, brushing a finger underneath her eyes. "I would have listened. He... he could have talked to me."

It was then that Wedge realized she wasn’t just angry - she was hurt. Genuinely hurt that Luke had left her behind and hurt that he hadn’t felt like he could tell her his secret. As hard of a revelation as it probably would have been for her, Wedge was certain that if the princess had been the one to learn of Luke's parentage first, that she would have handled it with a lot more grace and understanding then they had. He hoped that Luke one day had the chance to learn that Leia would have stood by him. 

With nothing else to say to him apparently, Wedge watched the princess turn away from him, beginning to storm off and maybe terrorize some other poor soul before remembering the promise he had made to Luke.

“Princess Leia,” Wedge called out, stepping forward. He watched as the princess slowed her steps and then paused though she didn’t turn to look back at him. “Luke… he… he asked me to tell you that he was sorry. He wanted you to know that he was sorry. I... I don't think he ever intended to hurt you.”

Her shoulders stiffened slightly and one hand balled into a fist at her side, her fingernails digging deep into the palm of her hand. After a few moments, she flexed her hand out and turned back to face him once more.

“Luke has nothing to be sorry for,” Leia said fiercely and Wedge could tell that she meant it with every fiber of her soul. She took a small step towards him then and lifted a finger, pointing it at his face. “I don’t care how hard it gets for you or what kind of pressure you may start to feel - you will advocate for Luke. You will support him and his decision and you will convince everyone you talk to that he is still our friend and our ally. If you fail to do this, then just know that I will kill you. Do you understand me?”

"Perfectly."

"Good," she nodded, satisfied and then turned and left. Wedge waited until she was gone before releasing a slow breath. He had no doubt that she would follow through on her threat in a heartbeat if he failed to rise to her expectations. It was no wonder why Luke liked her so much. 

Without putting any thought into where he was going, Wedge began walking in the direction of the hangar bay. If he was no longer on restriction, then he wanted to go find his X-Wing and maybe go flying for a little bit. He missed being in the air. It relaxed him in a way that very few things could. And... he would take the promotion, he decided abruptly. A rise in rank wouldn't hurt if he wanted to have some influence over opinions and who knew what would happen in the coming weeks and months? 

All he knew was that Luke had given him a chance to do better. 

He was going to take it and he would do better than his best. 

It was the very least that he could do… and if by any chance Luke ever reached out to them again, then if nothing else, rogue squadron would be ready to come running when he called.

To be continued...