Revisiting Star Wars: X-Wing: Wedge’s Gamble (X-Wing #2)

Welcome back to our re-read of the Star Wars Expanded Universe! It’s been a few months, largely because I’ve given some of my time over to reading other things in the course of my 52-book challenge for the year (see the end of this post for more on that). Nevertheless, it’s good to be back! Today we’re moving on with the X-Wing series with book two, Wedge’s Gamble.

 

Quick recap: The Expanded Universe, or EU, is that collection of Star Wars materials written before Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm (and thus Star Wars) in 2012. Disney proceeded to produce its own materials, including films and books (and possibly comics—I haven’t tracked it) that take place in a separate continuity from the EU, and deviate significantly from the older materials. The two canons share a few items, namely the original and prequel trilogies and the Clone Wars television series. As well, Disney-owned Lucasfilm has made a practice of cherry-picking characters, events, and other items from the EU for their own purposes, but never full stories thus far. Disney also rebranded the EU as “Star Wars Legends” so that it can keep selling reprints without interfering with its own canon stories; personally, I prefer the term “Expanded Universe” or EU, and will typically use it here (though I may occasionally use “Legends” for clarification).

I prefer the EU materials over the new canon stories, though I can’t say that I hate the new materials. I’ve seen the four new movies that have been released (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Rogue One, and Solo), and they’re…tolerable, I would say. Not fantastic (except Rogue One—well done on that one!), but decent—they feel more like high-quality Star Wars fanfiction to me (and I’ve written some Star Wars fanfiction in my life, so take that as a compliment). It’s the EU, though, that was part of my life and my teen years, and I’ll always have a love for it. With that in mind, I started this re-read of the EU novels in the post-Return of the Jedi era, beginning with The Truce at Bakura, and hopefully, eventually, ending with Crucible, the final EU novel. I’ve excluded a few items, notably children’s novels such as the Jedi Prince series; however, I’ve retained the Young Jedi Knights series, as it’s written for a somewhat older audience, and is important for events in some of the adult novels. Here is the timeline we’re using. I read many of these novels in my teen years and my twenties; but many of them, I did not, as I was never able to obtain them in the days before ebooks became common. Today’s entry, along with the rest of its series, is like that.

There will be spoilers ahead! These books have existed long enough that I feel justified in speaking frankly about plot details, so if that’s not your thing, this is your chance to bow out. No hard feelings if so! I love you all anyway, and we’ll see you again when we take up a different topic. And so, with that said, let’s get started!

Image courtesy of Kissclipart

X-Wing 1: Rogue Squadron had a lot of ground to cover. It gave us the story of the reconstruction of the fabled Rogue Squadron of X-Wing pilots in the post-Return of the Jedi era. Commander Wedge Antilles reassembles the squadron with the best pilots he can find, including future Jedi (sorry, spoiler, but a very well-known one) Corran Horn, formerly of Correlian Security, or CorSec. Corran is our chief protagonist here, though this is definitely an ensemble cast. The newly-formed squadron is then tasked with taking the planet Borleias, held by Imperial General Evir Derricote. Borleias will serve as a staging ground for a Rebel conquest of the galactic capital: Coruscant, also known as Imperial Center. Along the way, a third of the Rogues’ pilots die; even with replacements, they’ll still be down two pilot throughout the second book. (I will be trying to keep track of the deaths and replacements. So far we’ve lost Bothan male Peshk Vri’syck, Rodian female Andoorni Hui, Kessel human female Lujayne Forge, and Thyferran human male Bror Jace. Replacements include Contruum human male Pash Cracken, and Sullustan female Aril Nunb, who was sidelined in the first book and is now called up for active duty.)

Wedge’s Gamble hits the ground running, with the Rogues having barely a moment to breathe. They are rerouted from Borleias back to their previous base at Noquivzor, but it doesn’t last long. Wedge finds that the plan to take Coruscant has been accelerated; and it means a rare and difficult infiltration mission for the Rogues. They will be inserted into Coruscant in small groups, under assumed identities, with the express mission of exposing the planet’s weaknesses—and possibly preparing it for invasion.

Coruscant is no easy target. It’s easily the most heavily-defended planet in the Empire; for after all, whoever holds Coruscant will likely be seen as the legitimate ruler of the galaxy. As such, the planet has two concentric planetary shields, with many redundant systems for command, control, and power; in addition the planet has numerous Golan Defense platforms in orbit, as well as a standing complement of Star Destroyers and other ships. Cracking this nut will not be simple. However, the Rebels are unaware that Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard—acting regent of the Empire—wants them to take the planet. She tasks Evir Derricote and Kirtan Loor with creating a virus, the Krytos virus, which will infect the planet’s many non-humans with a deadly plague, thus burdening the Rebels with their care once they take the planet. Simple enough, eh? But there’s more. The plague can be easily cured with bacta—but doing so will take quantities of bacta that the Rebellion can’t afford. If they provide treatment, they’ll be bankrupt—but if they withhold it, they’ll be seen as monsters on the scale of the Empire itself. Either way, the strain will tear the rebellion apart.

Complicating things is a plan by the Bothans, which involves rescuing prisoners from Kessel and inserting them into Coruscant as well. This will revive the dying remnants of the Black Sun criminal organization, thus giving the Empire another thorn in its side—but also giving the Rebellion ready-made traitors in its midst. And Rogue Squadron already has one traitor…

The plan begins, and the Rogues are inserted into Coruscant’s underworld. However, things quickly go wrong, as their moves are reported to the Empire. First plans and backup plans alike come crashing down. Then, things are further complicated by an attack on Noquivzor by Imperial warlord Zsinj, whose fleet stands in opposition to both the Rebels and Isard. Tycho Celchu is allegedly killed in the attack—but Corran Horn is certain that Tycho is on Coruscant, and is the traitor in their midst. Unable to fight both Zsinj and Isard, the Rebellion is forced to speed up the attack on Coruscant. This interferes with Isard’s plan to deploy the virus (although she manages to make an abbreviated deployment), but also puts pressure on the Rogues. Against all odds, they are able to take down the planetary shields just seconds before the Rebel fleet jumps into the system; but in the process, Corran Horn is lost and presumed dead. In reality, he has been captured by isard, and taken to the infamous Lusankya prison—where no one escapes unless Isard wants them to, and everyone who does is an Imperial sleeper agent. Meanwhile, Tycho is arrested on suspicion of engineering Corran’s death.

Corran Horn’s CorSec X-Wing. Image by Lorcan13 at DeviantArt. 

While the first book was largely groundwork for the series, that phase is over now. We’re all action here; most of our characters are established, and we get to see them at work. Some expansion is necessary, of course; notably, we see the beginnings of Corran’s long relationship (and eventual marriage) with smuggler Mirax Terrik. A few new characters arrive, including Inyri Forge, the younger sister of deceased pilot Lujayne Forge. Inyri joins us as a villain of sorts, attached to Black Sun notable Zekka Thyne; however, she makes a conversion over to the Rogues’ side by the end of the book. Her change in allegiances feels a little sudden, but inevitable; but I’m not going to complain too much, as she’s quite a sympathetic character. (Or maybe I’m just honoring her sister’s memory—Lujayne’s death in the first novel was a hard blow to overcome.)

Speaking of deaths: Stackpole goes easy on us this time, after the four deaths of the first novel. No one in Rogue Squadron actually dies here, although Bror Jace’s death at the end of the first novel is almost fresh enough to count. (More on that in a later book, though…) Corran Horn is presumed dead, but it’s made obvious to the audience that he isn’t. Instead, he’s last seen en route to Lusankya, Isard’s infamous prison where she converts prisoners into sleeper agents. This seems to be a setup for some excellent drama later, as the book plays up Corran’s growing suspicion of Tycho Celchu, who is a former prisoner of Lusankya. Although I knew about Tycho’s imprisonment, I had somehow forgotten that Corran also serves time there, so I’m interested to see how it plays out.

I spoke last time about what I call “stock plus one” villains. That is, the early EU is filled with villains who would be generic (stock) villains, except for one exceptional characteristic that sets them apart. Here the focus is again on Intelligence agent Kirtan Loor, Corran’s old nemesis from his CorSec days (or one of them—he has several). Last time I suggested that his “plus one” was his eidetic memory; here, he’s changed a bit, and we begin to see that his “plus one” is his relationship to the concept of fear. It rules his life—but, he’s growing out of that! By the end of the book, he’s mastered his fear, and is poised to become someone quite influential. Isard, seeing this, places him in charge of a counter-insurgency movement she plans to leave behind her when she evacuates to Lusankya. I’m very interested to see where this goes.

Overall: This is a fast-moving, rocking-and-rolling story. It covers months of time, but no one would know it, judging by the pace of events. Stackpole is clearly at home in this kind of story; he loves the militaristic arm of the Rebellion, and he does well with it. His attention to detail shines in several places, from the complexity of his characters’ plans all the way down to his description of the control mechanisms of a speeder bike. Moreover, this is our first good look in the EU at post-Jedi Coruscant, which will be a major site throughout everything still to come. Great things have happened, and greater things lie ahead.

Next time: We pick up the pieces of an ailing world in book three, The Krytos Trap! See you there.

X-Wing: Wedge’s Gamble is available from Amazon and other booksellers.

You can find Wookieepedia’s treatment of the novel here.

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Revisiting Star Wars: X-Wing: Rogue Squadron (X-Wing #1)

Every part of the Expanded Universe (EU, also begrudgingly known as Legends) has its fans and devotees; but there will always be differences of opinion. Few entries in the series reach universal heights of adoration and devotion, however. You have the Thrawn Trilogy, and…well, that’s very nearly it. If you hang out in fan forums and comment threads, you’ll find criticism at some point for nearly everything else. That’s the nature of fandom, and it’s not a bad thing—we’re all entitled to like what we like and dislike what we dislike.

There is one other corner of the EU, though, for which I can’t recall ever seeing complaints. Today, we arrive at that corner, and it is great. I’m talking about the X-Wing series of novels by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston. Today, we’re looking at the first book in the series, 1996’s X-Wing: Rogue Squadron (which, coincidentally, is the first Star Wars novel not to include Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, or Leia Organa).

First Edition Cover. Courtesy of Wookieepedia.

I’ll say up front that the X-Wing series has been a blind spot in my Star Wars experience. Back in my days of heavier EU reading—before I mostly switched from print to ebooks—I read whatever I could get my hands on, and I never managed to acquire the X-Wing series. The beauty of the EU, however, is in its interconnections and shared canon (more on that another time), and so I was familiar with the aftereffects of the X-Wing novels, even without having read them. It was no big secret that this is the series where the New Republic takes Coruscant from the Empire, for example. The Rogue Squadron pilots themselves appear again and again in the series. Series protagonist Corran Horn goes on to become my personal favorite Jedi (so, spoiler that he doesn’t die…?).

That last point—the matter of Corran Horn—made me excited to finally read this series. There’s not a bad or ill-conceived character here, so far at any rate; but Corran, as I said, is a favorite of mine. I’m excited to finally learn some of the background that led to the events of I, Jedi and his duel against Shedao Shai for the fate of Ithor in Dark Tide II: Ruin. Of course, the other Rogues are no slouches themselves, with such luminaries as Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu among their numbers.

So, let’s dig in! But, a few things first: Here is the timeline we’re using for this readthrough, starting with The Truce at Bakura, but omitting some of the children’s books such as the Jedi Prince series. We’re taking the series in order, which means that the next seven posts (including this one) will be X-Wing novels, so be prepared! Then we’ll get a lengthy break that includes some very well-known and popular novels, and then we’ll be back to this series briefly. Also note that I use the conventional fan- and behind-the-scenes system of dates that centers on the Battle of Yavin in Episode IV; this story takes place in 6.5 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin). Also, as always, Spoilers ahead for anyone who has not read this book! It would be nearly impossible to avoid all spoilers and still discuss the novel, so read at your own risk!

X-Wing: Rogue Squadron is the story of Wedge Antilles’s reinstallation of the famous Rogue Squadron. This team of starfighter pilots was originally formed after the Battle of Yavin from survivors of other squadrons, notably Red Squadron, the squadron in which Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles flew during the attack on the first Death Star. The fledgling New Republic makes the decision to re-form the squadron for a dual purpose: To take the fight back to the Empire and strike fear into their hearts, and to inspire worlds to join the Republic. To that end, Wedge selects a diverse group of pilots: Lujayne Forge, a human from Kessel with a chip on her shoulder; Erisi Dlarit and Bror Jace, Thyferrans from powerful Bacta-producing families; Riv Shiel, a wolflike Shistavanen; Aril Nunb, the Sullustan sister of Nien Nunb; Gavin Darklighter, cousin to former X-Wing pilot Biggs Darklighter; Rhysati Ynr, from Bespin; Nawara Ven, a Twi’lek and former attorney; Peshk Vri’syck, a male Bothan; Andoorni Hui, a Rodian; Ooryl Qrygg, an insectlike Gand with a rigid code of honor; and Ooryl’s wingmate, Corran Horn, a former member of Corellian Security with a difficult past, but phenomenal flying skills. He also recruits former Rogue Tycho Celchu as his executive officer, but this comes with a price; Tycho was previously held in the notorious Imperial prison Lusankya, and the Republic refuses to trust that he has not been compromised.

The book takes our recruits through the growing pains of becoming a squadron—and not just any squadron, but Rogue Squadron, a unit famed for daring—and receiving—death. The Rogues are thrust into action early when the Republic sets its sights on Coruscant, the Imperial capital world, now held by former Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard. Isard is no easy enemy, though; and she has many tools at her disposal. One such tool is a partially-disgraced Intelligence operative named Kirtan Loor, who has much to prove—and a special hatred for one Corran Horn. The novel carries us through the first and second battles of Borleias, an Imperial world with a direct line to Coruscant—and secrets of its own. In the end, the Rogues win the battle—but not without cost, as they suffer their first losses in what promises to be a protracted war.

As can be expected, much of this first volume consists of laying groundwork for what is to come. There’s characterization to be built, settings and scenarios to be established, and emotional weight to be installed. We’re dealing with an entire squadron of twelve pilots here, plus supporting characters and villains, and many of them appear for the first time here; in short, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Don’t let that fool you into thinking nothing happens, though; one of Michael Stackpole’s strengths seems to be the ability to strike a balance, or so it seems thus far. He gives us plenty of character moments; but he also gives us the twin Battles of Borleias, great set pieces of starfighter combat. There are other, smaller battles scattered throughout the book as well. Stackpole also seems to be adept at using a minimum number of scenes to establish drama; for example, pilot Lujayne Forge only gets one in-depth scene, but it’s enough to make her death, the first in the squadron, carry a great deal of weight for her fellow pilots, and for us as readers. (I very much wanted her to live, and I’m not quite ready to forgive Stackpole for letting her die first.)

Stackpole doesn’t shy away from deaths, either. By the end of the book, three pilots—a quarter of the squadron—are dead, with no replacements yet in sight. That’s quite a number for an introductory novel. The shadow of death always looms large over the Rogues; it’s reiterated many times that all starfighter squadrons have high death rates, and Rogue Squadron more than most.  The best course of action for the reader, it seems, is to assume that if the character is newly created for this series, one should not get too attached to him or her.

As I mentioned, we focus on Corran Horn. Horn is a hotshot pilot from Corellia, a former member of Corellian Security (aka CorSec), forced to go on the run to escape the evil intentions of Kirtan Loor, who was the Imperial Intelligence Liaison at Corran’s branch of CorSec. Corran will one day be a Jedi, like his grandfather before him; but he knows nothing of that yet. Fortunately for us, it appears Corran’s future was planned to some degree in advance, because there are definite hints of his Force abilities here, although he doesn’t recognize them as such. Much time is spent discussing his past with CorSec, especially as it relates to Kirtan Loor, Corran’s father Hal Horn, and former supervisor Gil Bastra. Most of this discussion comes through interactions with Lujayne Forge, who hails from the prison world of Kessel—to which Corran routinely consigned prisoners while with CorSec—and smuggler Mirax Terrik, whose father Booster Terrik was apprehended and sent to Kessel by Corran’s father. Early hints also appear of the future relationship between Corran and Mirax, which will precipitate the events of I, Jedi.

The novel leaves us poised for the campaign to retake Coruscant—but other plot threads are left dangling as well. New pilots are needed for the Rogues, with little time to prepare and train. The squadron’s military protocol droid, M3PO (“Emtrey” for short) has secrets which are yet to be revealed. The disposition of Borleias has not yet been shown. Corran’s relationship with Mirax has yet to find its feet. Tycho Celchu’s mysterious past has not been revealed…and Rogue Squadron has a spy in their midst.

Overall: There’s a lot to take in here! I suspect that later novels won’t have to feel quite so busy, and will be able to take their time with the storytelling. That is in no way an insult to Stackpole’s work here; he’s done an amazing job of including everything that needed to be included, while still keeping the reader hooked. There’s always housekeeping to be done in the first novel of a series; but Stackpole does it with efficiency and style. I find myself looking forward to what lies ahead, not just for Corran’s story, but for all the Rogues, and even our villains. As usual, the villains start out as what I like to call “stock plus one”—that is, stock villains plus one defining characteristic. In the case of Kirtan Loor, his “plus one” is an eidetic memory on which he perhaps relies too much; for Borleias’ Imperial General Evir Derricote, it’s his provincial secret-keeping; for Ysanne Isard, it’s her sheer fearsomeness. Already the characters are beginning to develop, however—especially Loor, who is undermined and redeemed several times in the novel. Overall it’s a good mix, and sets us up well for the series. I expected that, while the series would be good, there would be nothing new; and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that that is not the case. I’m enjoying it, and you will as well.

Next time: We’ll attack Coruscant in book two, Wedge’s Gamble! See you there.

X-Wing: Rogue Squadron is available from Amazon and other booksellers.

You can find Wookieepedia’s treatment of the novel here.

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