openly while Captain Celchu was the subject of suc h fierce
scrutiny. Imperial agents, in helping to manufacture evidence
against Captain Celchu, revealed themselves to us."
Mon Mothma opened her arms. "Let there be no citizen
of the New Republic who harbors suspicions about Tycho
Celchu. His devotion to the New Republic is unquestioned.
His return to active service with Rogue Squadron is a joyous
event for us, and an event that should be feared by those who
would attack the New Republic." She initiated applause for
Tycho and everyone else joined ill, including Wedge once he
tucked the unit citation beneath his left arm.
Tycho bowed his head toward Mon Mothma, but de-
clined an invitation to speak with a curt shake of his head.
Mon Mothma nodded back at him, then resumed her
place at the podlure. "it is said of Rogue Squadron that do-
ing the impossible is what they do best, and another member
of the squadron has shown himself to be perhaps the best of
the best at it. Is there allyone in the New Republic who has
not heard of Corran Horn? He was the pilot who flew
through the worst storm in Coruscant's recorded history to
bring the defense shields down, only to be slain through the
treachery of one of his comrades. It was a story that touched
all of us because it spoke to the best in one individual and the
worst in another. We mourned Corran Horn because his un-
timely death seemed yet one more tragedy caused by the
Empire at a time when the Empire should have been decid-
edly less virulent.
"We know of Captain Celchu's innocence because of a
number of things, greatest among them Corran Horn's re-
turn from the grave. He was not killed on the last day the
Empire held Coruscant. He was captured instead. When
Ysanne Isard could not break him and transform him into a
puppet, he was placed in a prison where she intended him to
live out the rest of his life. Though he had been told that a
failed escape attempt would result in his death, Corran Horn
risked his life to win his freedom. He alone has gotten away
from Lusankya, and his escape precipitated Ysanne Isard's
own departure from Coruscant."
Mon Mothma beckoned Corran forward, but he fol-
lowed Tycho's lead, acknowledging her gesture with a slight
bow and a smile. That smile remained on his face as he
straightened up, though he did give Wedge a covert wink.
Wedge nodded in return, pleased that both men were content
with allowing the focus of the ceremony t remain on the
squadron instead of shifting it to themselves.
"Citizens, Ysanne lsard's flight from Coruscant and her
subsequent actions have given birth to more rumors than can
be counted. It is true that with the resources available to her
she did travel to Thyferra and support a revolution that put
the Xucphra faction in charge of the bacta cartel. She does
now rule there and has effective control over the output of
the entire bacta cartel. Given that she introduced the Kt3tos
virus to Coruscant and directed covert Imperial operations to
destroy bacta storage facilities here on Coruscant, this would
seem to place her in a most powerful position. Literally, it
would appear that millions will live or die depending upon
her whim."
Mon Mothma's voice took on a more serious tone. "Her
action would have caused a crisis except for two things over
which she had no control. One was a direct and unwitting
result of her own haste in taking action against us. When she
ordered the creation of the Krytos virus, she wanted a virus
that would routate quickly and spread between species easily
Her scientists complied with her orders, but they failed to
take into account what would happen if the spread of the
virus was hampered. The Krytos virus was ve'y deadly--in
fact, too deadly for her plan to succeed. Infected persons died
fast--in many cases too fast to be able to spread the disease
very far. An illness that kills too quickly runs itself out of
hosts and dies along with them. Those individuals who lasted
long enough to spread the virus did so only because, as the
virus mutated, it became less virulent. Since it did not kill
them so quickly, they had a chance to pass it on, but it was
no longer as deadly a virus as Iceheart wanted it to be.
"This high rate of mutation also weakened the virus's
defenses. Analysis of the virus allowed a Vratix verachen to
be able to synthesize a specific medication to combat the
virus by growing the alazhi component of bacta in a ryll-rich
environment. The resulting product, known as rylca, is now
being produced in a hidden location by the New Republic.
More than enough to eradicate the virus will be available
here well before our bacta supply runs out."
Mon Mothma glanced momentarily back toward Wedge
and he saw the glimmerings of a smile on her face. "Rogue
Squadron itself did not produce the ryica, but they provided
support. for the product and were instrumental in obtaining
both the ryll and the bacta used to create the rylca. Qlaern
Hirf is a Vratix verachen from Thyferra and is the creator of
rylca. Equally instrumental in the success of this effort is the
woman who transported the components for the rylca and
rescued the Vratix from the most dire of circumstances,
Mirax Terrik. You may have heard that Mirax was killed in
the ambush at Alderman, but it appears her long association
with Rogue Squadron allowed her to do the impossible as
well and return from that tragedy to help us deal with the
Krytos virus."
The New Republic's Chief Councilor led the assembly in
a round of applause for both Qlaern and Mirax. The Vratix
seemed utterly nonplussed by the demonstration, but Mirax
blushed fiercely. She gave Wedge a fearsome stare that he
recognized by virtue of having seen it many times before, and
he knew what it meant.
She's right, it is all my fault that she's being embarrassed
by the attention, but I'm glad she's alive to be blushing. As
nearly as Cracken and his Intelligence people could make
out, Erisi had betrayed the bacta convoy to the Empire for
two reasons. The first was to eliminate a lot of bacta, dashing
hopes on Coruscant and driving the price yet higher. The
second reason was to get Mirax killed, since her Pulsar Skate
was one of the ships in the convoy. Mirax recalled Erisi
threatening her if Mirax continued her relationship with
Corran, and the destruction of the convoy offered Erisi a
way to kill her rival for Corran's affections. Given that ev-
eryone thought Corran was dead at the time, the act was
taken as a reflection of Erisi's vindictive and petty nature.
Then again, Isard might have told Erisi of Corran's sur-
vival and promised him to her as a reward for her continued
loyalty. Wedge shivered at that thought. Luckily for Mirax,
the Pulsar Skate didn't go along with
the final convoy jump.
Mirax had instead shipped but to Borleias, where the cap-
tured Alderaan Biotics Facility was put to use synthesizing
rylca. The plan had been for it to appear as if Mirax had just
stolen a portion of the bacta going to Coruscant--what
smuggler could have resisted taking such a prize? She would
have remained out of sight until the production of rylca
could allow the New Republic the freedom to anger the
bacta cartel by announcing their possession of a facility that
could produce enough bacta-like products to break the car-
tel The death of the convoy provided an even better cover
for her operation, so she remained dead until an opportune
moment to reveal the deception.
Mon Mothma faced tbe holocams one last time. "Citi-
zens of the New Republic, the last vestige of the Empire's evil
has been rooted out of Coruscant. What was once an Empire
is now just a collection of bitter people clutching at whatever
power they can find to keep themselves apart from those they
have hurt. What they do not realize, and the reason they are
doomed to failure, is that all power in the galaxy comes from
the free and willful investing of power by one person in an-
other. Human and non-human, gendered or not, young, old,
hale or infirm, we can only give power, we cannot take it.
Stolen power evaporates and when it does, the empires that
were built on it and of it collapse, never to rise again."
46
Wedge found it mildly annoying that he was able to resist the
generally festive atmosphere of the reception following the
awards ceremony. Various guests mixed and mingled with
members of the squadron while holocams made the most of
every holo-op. The images would be distributed throughout
the New Republic, winning a small measure of the unit's
fame for the politicians and other celebrities present.
Though he was inclined to view such opportunism with
a cynical eye, he didn't condemn it. The Rebellion had won.
Hundreds and hundreds of worlds flocked to the New Re-
public's banner. The New Republic fleet was poised to go
after Warlord Zsinj in a campaign that would strike fear into
the hearts of all the other petty warlords in the galaxy. Even
Ysanne Isard had to know her days were numbered, since
there was no way the New Republic could let her remain in
control of the bacta supply. With the installation of Fliry
Vorru as Thyferra's Minister of Trade, bacta prices had al-
ready started to climb, making that situation one that could
not be tolerated.
The reason the celebration failed to reach him went be-
yond his sense of mourning for Iella Wessiri. She had de-
clined to accompany him to the reception, and he understood
why. No one saw Diric as anything but one more of
Iceheart's victims, but leila clearly thought she should have
been able to spot something, to have known Diric was under
Iceheart's control. The obvious implication of that thinking
was that if she had been more vigilant she never would have
had to shoot him and the guilt over that act would be one
with which she would wrestle for t he rest of her life.
Ultimately Wedge's reservations about the celebration
came from the past. He remembered well the celebration on
Yavin 4 that followed the first Death Star's destruction. Our
joy was this transparent, this unguarded. Then we evacuated
the base and began running from the Empire. 1 know it's
stupid to associate a victory and celebration with impending
disaster, but . . .
Borsk Fey'lya cut through the milling crowd and nodded
his head toward Wedge. "I wanted to congratulate you,
Commander, on a game well played." "I beg your pardon?"
The Bothan tapped claws against the barrel of his lomin-
ale mug. "There was a report concerning Rogue Squadron's
intervention at Alderaan. I understand it has been classified
as 'Most Secret.'"
"Indeed it has." Wedge suppressed his desire to smile.
"It struck me that the information about the situation at
Alderaan could have compromised our rylca operation. I
suggested that classifying the report that highly would be a
good thing."
Borsk Fey'lya's creamy fur rippled up the back of his
head. "Good for you."
"No, Councilor, good for you." Wedge let his voice
drop into a low growl. "You would have found the report
less than satisfactory for your ends, which would have
prompted you to try to destroy one of my people. I can
assure you that would have caused problems."
"If you want to play at politics, Antilles, I would wel-
come you onto my battlefield."
"I don't want to play at anything, thank you. I didn't
join the Rebellion to play." Wedge opened a hand and
pointed to the various members of the squadron. "My job is
to make certain my people do their jobs and stay alive. What
I do isn't about me or garnering power, it's about people my
people and the people we defend by going after the Empire."
"And doubtless you see politics as some dirty enterprise
beneath your notice."
Wedge arched an eyebrow at him. "And you can con-
vince me otherwise?"
"You're intelligent enough, Commander Antilles, to
convince yourself I'm right. You already know everytbing is
political. You know, for example, that what you have done
well wish to use to advance your own plans and desires. You
have things that will require support to accomplish, and
building a coalition of support is political."
Wedge's brown eyes narrowed. I bad boped to advance
the Vratix case for joining the New Republic, and I tbougbt
Isard's taking of Tbyferra would make that job just tbat
much easier. Is Borsk Fey'lya trying to suggest that some-
tbing so obviously rigbt and necessary migbt lounder be-
cause I'm not going to play bis game.e
Anger began to build in Wedge, but before he could give
it vent, he felt the weight of a hand on his right shoulder. His
fury drained away as he turned from the Bothan and began
to smile. "As stars live and die! I didn't think you'd be here,
Luke."
The tow-headed Jedi Knight enfolded Wedge's hand in a
firm grip, then he pulled Wedge forward into a backslapping
hug. "I wouldn't have missed it for all the Tibanna gas on
Bespin. I was a bit late because, quite frankly, the Jedi exhib-
its your man found in the Galactic Museum are, well, ab-
sorbing. I've been chasing all over trying to locate traces of
other Jedi, then it turns out a repository of a lot of stuff is on
the planet from which I've been basing my searches. While
very little of it deals with training, there is a lot of material
that lets me piece together some history."
"Corran mentioned he'd found quite a haul. He said it
was rather macabre."
Luke Skywalker nodded solemnly as he stepped back
from Wedge. "Once the Emperor isolated those rooms, they
became his own private playground. As the Jedi in there were
hunted down, the Emperor defaced their monuments.
There's enough evil there to be palpable, but I think things
can be set to fights again."
Borsk Fey'lya came around on Wedge's left side. "The
Council is already discussing an appropriation to allow for
the rehabilitation of those exhibits." The Bothan extended
his hand to Luke. "Councilor Borsk Fey'lya, at your service."
At bis own service. Wedge caught a mischievous glint in
Luke's eyes, as if the Jedi Knight knew what he was thinking.
"It is an honor to meet you, Councilor. The efforts of
your people in eliminating the second Death Star and in lib-
erating Cornscant speak to the nobility in the Bothan spirit."
"You are most kind, Jedi Skywalker."
Wedge laughed. "That's just because you're not a womp
rat scurrying down some canyon, Councilor."
"No chance of his being mistaken for that, Wedge."
"Ahem, thank you." Fe,'lya smoothed the fur at the
back of his head. "Jedi Skywalker, you have made strides in
reestablishing the Jedi?"
"Some, though I hope for more." Luke shrugged almost
imperceptibly. "Progress is seldom measured in great leaps
except when viewed with hindsight."
"It is much the same with nation-building."
"So I can imagine." Luke nodded, then turned and ex-
tended his hand to the male half of the couple walking up.
"Tycho, good to see you again, and now out from under
suspicion."
Tycho shook his hand. "Thank you, Luke. I believe you
know Winter?"
The Jedi Knight nodded and offered Winter his hand.
"My sister's friend and confidant? We are well acquainted. It
seems I speak with her more than I do Leia, especially with
my sister off on her embassy to Hapes. How are you doing,
Winter?"
"Much better, now that Tycho is free." Winter slipped
her hand from Luke's and again held Tycho's hand. "I under-
stand you are spending most of your time in the Museum."
"True. There is a wealth of material there." Luke looked
over at Wedge. "I was hoping you'd introduce me to this