#x wing: rogue squadron

[star-wars-forever]

[spockvarietyhour]

Rogue One (2016) directed by Gareth Edwards

[fakewedge]

Did Skywalker make that shot?

[n64retro]

Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader Factor 5 / Lucas Arts Gamecube 2001

[alphamecha-mkii]

Star Wars (2015) #52 - Creation of Rogue Squadron in the current Continuity by Salvador Larroca

[incorrectstarwarslegendsquotes]

reading the X-Wing books again

[alphacomicsvol2]

Star Wars: X-Wing - Rogue Squadron #26 (Family Ties #1 of 2) Cover Art by John Nadeau

[bitwhizzle]

Yesterday was Aaron Allston’s birthday. He would’ve been 64.

Aaron gave us the wonderful Wraith Squadron and imbued Wedge and the rest of Michael Stackpole’s Rogue Squadron with immense humour, and wit, and life!

Michael and Aaron gave the Star Wars EU a new viewpoint, that of the pilots - no Jedi powers (well…we’ll ignore Corran as one does 😆) - just soldiers who were sacrificing their all for this Rebellion. Pacifists, Imperial defectors, idealists, wash-outs - the Rebellion was made up of all kinds, but united by their struggle against the Empire and desire for democracy and justice.

Wedge and Hobbie and Wes and Tycho were the Everyman. They had their flaws, they weren’t perfect, but they were honest. And I love the Fab Four so much!

I reread the X-Wing series often, they are my favourites of the now-Legends books, and I wistfully bemoan the stories that could’ve been - stories that Michael and Aaron could’ve contributed to the now canon universe.

Happy birthday Aaron. Thank you for Face and Ton, and Piggy and Kell, and Tyria and Myn and Cubber and Runt and Emtrey and and and…

You are very much missed. May the Force be with You.

[jayaorgana]

FLEABAG (WALLER-BRIDGE, 2016) / THE WEAPON OF A JEDI (FRY, WORLEY, 2021) / STAR (MITSKI, 2023) / RETURN OF THE JEDI (LUCAS, 1983) / STICK SEASON (KAHAN, 2022) /THE KRYTOS TRAP (STACKPOLE, 1996)

[2stepadmiral]

Something I love about Luke, Leia, and Han is that before the Skywalker twins reached their mid twenties, the trio shared about three braincells.

I mean, before the Death Star, Leia and Han probably had a respectable amount each (Leia needed to be smart as an up and coming Rebellion leader and Han definitely was clever as a smuggler and conman), but after that first argument in the detention hall in the middle of a desperate firefight that culminated in a dive into the trash compactor, some cosmic alignment of their inner natures mixed with the will of the Force resulted in both of them being brought down to Luke’s level.

Now, over the years, they all became much smarter and better at working together, but right from the death star onwards for the first few years, they shared about three brain cells. Individually, each of the three were in possession of maybe one at all times, and were decently competent on their own. Luke was a great pilot and field commander, Leia was a fine strategist and mission planner and inspirational leader, and Han, of course, was a very competent smooth talker and mechanic, as well as a brilliant pilot. But put them together in a room, or on a mission together, and usually one of them is going to end up with all three brain cells while the others are up on their shit.

Luke usually ends up with the brain cells when Han and Leia are bickering. The slightest thing sets them off, and suddenly Luke is the voice of reason, which she is very much not used to being.

“I thought you said this was a shortcut, not the front doorstep to an Imperial station for the sector.”

“Hey, I’ve slipped through this way a dozen times before, and never had any trouble. You were supposed to be monitoring the base.”

“Oh, sure, captain, blame me for you forgetting there is an imperial outpost over here.”

“ < exasperated sigh> Alright, Chewie, let’s power up the guns, and hope that these two don’t crash into a Star Destroyer.”

When Leia has all three, it’s usually because Han is on some reckless Corellian daredevil kick, and Luke is in adventure crazed teenager living his dream mode and is too focused on his x-wing or his squadron to see the big picture. Both mindsets are often at least indirectly because of the influence of Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu.

“Luke, stop fiddling with your X-wing, we have a scouting mission.

“One second, I’ve almost got the inertial dampeners just where I need them. Wedge and I were talking, and I think if we have these in sync during our next mission, we should be able to reduce drag by 1.56%.”

“You can finish when we get back.”

“ Wait, we’re not taking Rogue Squadron?”

“<sigh> what part of scouting mission did you miss? and where is Han?”

“I think he’s with Wedge and Tycho.“

“Oh no. What laser brain stunt did they dare him to try this time?“

“…Well, they might’ve said something about flying the falcon through the gap of a communication tower on an Imperial II Star Destroyer?”

“Kriffing Corellians. And you didn’t think to order Wedge and Tycho to stay away from Han?”

“…Han is good for squadron morale.”

“<sigh>”

And on the disturbingly frequent occasions when Han is in possession of the brain cells, it is, without fail, because Leia is in full devotion to the cause of the rebellion mode, and Luke is in strange-mystic-Jedi-shit-is-calling-me-and-I-must-answer-the-call mode.

“Hey, princess, are you still on that Agamar campaign?”

“The people of Agamar need our help, Han. I need to figure out a way to neutralize these Golan batteries.”

“Um, sure, OK, but we’re currently on a completely different mission, and I kind of need you to be ready to man the guns when we get there.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be just fine when we get to Ord Mantell.”

“Ord Mantell? Uh, this is a mission to Taris.”

“What? oh, you’re right, sorry. I’ve just planned so many of our next few missions, I kind of forgot which one we’re on.”

“… When’s the last time you ate?”

“I’ll eat once I figured out how to bring down these Golan shields.”

“…Hey, Luke? Any chance you could talk her worshipfulness into having some rations? …Kid?”

“ what? oh, sorry, Han, I was reading this account on spirituality by Plo Koon, and I thought I might’ve heard Ben’s voice coming from the engine room.”

“…Ben Kenobi is dead, Luke.”

“I know, Han, but sometimes, I can hear his voice through the Force, guiding me, helping me. I’ve been trying to research why and have been reading these journals Ben had in his home on Tatooine, and…”

“Kid, when’s the last time you ate anything?”

“… now that you mention it, I’m not sure.”

“…”

Moments like these are frequent until maybe Hoth, and after Endor, these moments become very occasional and much more casual as the trio becomes closer and more accustomed to each other’s quirks.

“I thought you fixed the deflector oscillator before we left!”

“I did! Don’t blame me if the Alliance stuck me with substandard parts.”

“Save it for later, you two, or you’d better let me and Chewie take over while you sort it out. I have a Star Destroyers coming up on our bow, and Zsinj would love to hear that the Falcon was shot down.”

“Fair point, kid. We’ll discuss this later, princess.”

“Fine by me. I’ll try and get those shields dialed in.”

Or,

“Luke, I need you to come with us. I’m meeting with the Queen of Naboo, and I need you as an escort.”

“Sure, Leia. Let me just finish these adjustments and I’ll be ready to fly. Oh, no X-wing?”

“Not this time. Have you seen Han?”

“I think that he went to help Wedge and Tycho perform reflex tests on the new rogue squadron recruits. They should be down at the gorge.”

“With speed bikes, I presume?”

“I think so, but Han told me to tell you he would be careful. And wear a helmet.”

“Well, I guess that’s something.”

Or,

“Han, give me my data pad, I need to prepare for the meeting with the delegation from Ryloth.”

“The Twi’lek research can wait until you finish your supper, Leia. It’s in the gallery, I made plenty, and don’t come back until you’ve had at least two portions. You need to keep your strength up while you’re helping to build the New Republic. Mon Mothma can’t expect you to do everything without even having a proper meal every now and again.”

“… Can I continue while I eat?”

“Not until you’ve had at least one full plate. <sound of grabbing a holocron> You too, kid. You need to stop making me be the responsible one around here.”

“Han, you know that I can just grab that back from you with the Force?”

“Yeah, and what kind of message would that send to the galaxy about the new Jedi? They go around stealing holocrons instead of just eating their dinner like a normal person? Go on, have some food. I made some Karkan ribenes with tomo-spice.”

And right around the time they start figuring this dynamic out, they start to notice that Chewie is less irritated with the three of them. Little do they know, because, again, three brain cells shared between the three of them, that Chewbacca has been actively trying to loan them any of the hundreds of brain cells he’s accumulated over the course of his 200 year long Wookie life and has been furious with how unresponsive to his wisdom they have been.

[star-wars-forever]

Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron #6 (1996)

cover art by Mathieu Lauffray

[a-droidboy]

Star wars X Wing Rogue Squadron (1995-1998)

Part 21-34

scan from personal collection

[fakewedge]

love the ribbing that star wars is always adding to jackets

[maryellencarter]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars Legends: X-Wing Series - Aaron Allston & Michael Stackpole Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Wes Janson, Wes Janson's Astromech (OC) Additional Tags: uh. shit. is castin a major character?, Canonical Character Death, Missing Scene, Castin Donn (mentioned), Introspection, POV Droid (Star Wars) Summary:

Wes was supposed to be spending three very boring uneventful days nominally in command of Hawk-bat Base while Wedge took most of the squad to Coruscant for leave.

That was before he found out Castin Donn had just stowed away on Face's mission to meet with Warlord Zsinj.

Now he's spending three boring days in his X-wing hoping a Super Star Destroyer doesn't show up.

(Missing scenes for the book X-Wing: Iron Fist)

***

guess who wrote a thingggggg

you know how Aaron Allston will say half a throwaway sentence in the middle of something else and when you look closer and unfold it a ways, you find an entire origami centerfold of extra hidden angst? yeah. that.

[alphamecha-mkii]

Star Wars: X-Wing - Rogue Squadron #22 by John Nadeau

[liopleurodean]

I don't think I've ever reread X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, and during my series restart today it was SO. KRIFFING. OBVIOUS. that Corran was Force-sensitive. like hindsight is 20-20 I guess but holy smokes. the amount of times I stopped reading because of gratuitous Force usage was ridiculous.

also on my reread I still firmly believe that Corran is over-hated