The Empire fell two years ago with the death of Emperor Sheev Palpatine, but the Imperial war machine still rages across the galaxy. Wedge Antilles and Admiral Ackbar put together a team for one of the most ambitious New Republic plans yet: a direct assault on Imperial Center, Coruscant itself. But how can a team of misfits come together to end the war once and for all? Join us as we begin our Legendary Adventures through the X-Wing series, starting with Rogue Squadron!
“As Han once told me, “Stealth and subtlety work well, but for making lasting impressions, a blaster does just fine.”
In the two-and-a-half years since the Battle of Endor, the New Republic’s growth has sort of plateaued. While Imperial strongholds are falling, such as bases at Bakura or Mindor, new systems have not yet joined the government. Whereas many systems and planets joined the Rebellion during the actual reign of the Empire, neutral planets have felt no need to join themselves with yet another new political organization. Princess Leia and other New Republic officers are hoping to change that and create a groundswell of support through the military. With this goal in mind, Wedge Antilles is tasked with recreating the legendary Rogue Squadron, the contingent of pilots who fought at the Battle of Hoth to help evacuate the base during an Imperial assault. Unfortunately, instead of choosing the best pilots for the job, Wedge is forced to pick politically advantageous pilots. The New Republic hopes that appointing pilots from neutral systems might nudge those systems to respond to that honor by joining with the New Republic.
The good news for Wedge is that not all of the New Republic leaders think that the Rogue Squadron is best served politically, and a few talented pilots are allowed to serve in the Squadron and fly for the safety and advancement of the New Republic’s military. Thankfully, Wedge is allowed to pick his second-in-command: Tycho Celchu. Tycho was a decorated pilot who served at both the Battles of Hoth and Endor, but has since come under scrutiny after being captured and being held captive in Imperial Center. Even worse: he is accused of cold-blooded murder, including the death of a New Republic operative. Another man, Corran Horn, is a talented pilot, but he is brash. Instead of getting the leadership position that he believes he deserves, he is placed third-in-command.
Unfortunately, Horn has made some enemies in his life, bringing the attention of Imperial Commanders Ysanna Isard and Kirtan Loor to Rogue Squadron. As the pair create a new task force devoted to tackling Rogue Squadron, they get a lot of Imperial resources toward that goal. Between the increased amount of resources given to their force, including an Interdictor cruiser, and Loor’s photographic memory and command of the remaining Imperial Intelligence services, they become a formidable match for the Rogues.
Whether or not Coruscant is the ultimate plan for the Rogues is left ambiguous for the pilots at first, which make them start to question what exactly they were put together to do. They set up a new base on Talasea, with the hope of launching an assault on Borleias. Unfortunately, they see setbacks at every step along the journey. These set backs become the catalyst for the group to start to actually come together as a cohesive unit, rather than just a bunch of politically advantageous or individual-focused pilots.
The Rogues are attacked on the way to Talasea when they are pulled out of hyperspace by the Interdictor cruiser. During the battle, they save a pirate ship called the Pulsar Skate, crewed by Mirax Terrik and other people already familiar with Corran Horn. The crew would be uneasy allies with the Rogues based on this past history. Unfortunately, they are also attacked in the middle of the night by stormtroopers in their actual base on Talasea, but they thankfully only lose a few sentries who guard the base. This attack on their base reinforces the need for the Rogues to have a crew of commandos that would be focused more on ground battles.
Finally, the fight for Borleias was not nearly as easy as they had thought it was going to be. Instead of fighting fair, the Empire sets a trap for the Rebels over Borleias. They make it seem like the planet would be easily conquered by lowering some shielding over the planet, letting Rogue Squadron sneak in easily. When they come in, the shields are reactivated and hoards of TIE Fighters take out a few Rogues ships. Thankfully, few Rogue pilots are lost as they eject from their ships. Corran Horn devises a new plan to lead a ground assault on Borleias, a dangerous plan without much air support and that would risk a lot of loss of life. But the plan is mostly a success: few Rogues are lost; Corran Horn, though thought dead, is saved by Terrik; and the Rogues survive for yet another battle.
The plan for Coruscant must go on, and Wedge has a plan to gain vital intelligence. Unfortunately, Isard has plans for the Rogues, involving a spy in the Squadron itself…
Legendary Travel Tips:
-This novel is preceded by Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor and is followed by Wedge’s Gamble.
You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWerms, and of course, you can follow the Manor on Twitter @MynockManor!
New Republic Era: Truce at Bakura | Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor