Even after successfully capturing Borleias, Rogue Squadron has no time to rest! A possible traitor, Imperial counter-attacks, and the loss of Rogue members has put a hamper on the invasion of Coruscant. Thankfully, brave pilot Wedge Antilles has a plan that just might work…join the Legendary Adventures as we read Wedge’s Gamble!
After a hard-fought victory to win Borleias, a campaign that Rogue Squadron thought would’ve been easier than it actually was, they time to recoup. Though they didn’t lose too many members in the invasion, they did lose enough pilots to raise a cause for concern. They gain two new members: Aril Nunb and Pash Cracken. These two, while being good pilots, are definitely hotshots, which causes a bit of friction within the squadron. Think about it: the Squadron has only just come together, and they’re already cycling new pilots in and out. Talk about adding constant new frictions to an already high-stress situation!
Not only do they have to worry about where their new pilots are coming from, they also have to worry about attacks from Imperial forces. As they prepare for an assault on Coruscant, they have to fend off sentries sent by the Imperial Warlord Zsinj. As the Imperial force splinters after the loss of the Battle of Endor, different Moffs and Warlords are vying for control of their own factions. Zsinj is one of the Moffs who was able to secure his own little part of space, becoming a huge thorn in the side of the New Republic.
Warlords like Zsinj, and the fact that the Empire still controls major trade routes and systems in the Core, means that the New Republic’s plan to infiltrate Imperial Center must go on. Leia Organa and Bothan leader Borsk Fey’lya decide to authorize this dangerous mission, and add an even more dangerous layer to the plan. With tensions strained between the Imperials and Black Sun, after their uneasy alliance had split, the New Republic stages a jailbreak for Black Sun prisoners held on Kessel. The hope is that these Black Sun members can cause enough trouble on Coruscant that the Rogues could slip in unnoticed.
After breaking the Black Sun operatives out of Coruscant, the Rogues themselves infiltrate the planet, coming in small groups to evade detection. Admiral Ackbar and some Bothan spies (the famous spy cartel incapable of not dying, according to other Legends sources), the Rogues need to successfully take down a shield generator around a planet in order to wage a successful invasion. Thankfully, they do, and Imperial Center falls to the New Republic’s superior fighting force compared to the two Star Destroyers that the Imperials have left to defend the planet.
But Isard has two plans up her sleeve. First is the virus engineered by Imperial forces, the Krytos Virus. Her hope is that this virus will keep the Republic forces occupied long enough to dissuade them from attacking Coruscant. Unfortunately, for the Empire, enough are healed of the virus for them to continue their successful attack. Her second plan, though, was far more dangerous and far more successful: she planted a traitor in the midst of the Rogues, who caused them to lose valuable assets like Corran Horn and caused the New Republic to arrest potential traitor Tycho Celchu.
Both the revelation of a traitor AND the virus, which has now attacked the non-human population of Coruscant, continue to hamper the Rogues as they enjoy their victory over Coruscant…
Legendary Travel Tips:
-This novel is preceded by Rogue Squadron and is followed by The Krytos Trap.
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New Republic Era: Truce at Bakura | Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor | Rogue Squadron