[Star Wars: Drabble] "Relevant Experience" [G]
Title: Relevant Experience
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 01, prompt 01 ‘previously’
Word Count: 579
Rating: G
Fandom: Star Wars (EU / Legends)
Character(s): Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, Hobbie Klivian, Wes Janson
Summary: “There’s still time to change the assignments…”
Relevant Experience
Wedge didn’t make a habit of observing his pilots while they prepared for a mission, but Tycho had the locker next to his and he could see the stiff set of the other man’s shoulders as he tugged off his jacket.
“Hey,” Wedge said, softly. “You okay?”
“You mean, okay to carry out this mission? Yes, absolutely,” said Tycho, and Wedge could see that it was true. “Okay in general, though? Well… it’s not exactly fun, putting this uniform back on.”
He held up the new jacket he’d pulled from the locker, showing the rank insignia of a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy - the same rank Tycho had held before the Empire destroyed his home planet and he’d defected to the Rebellion.
“Ah,” said Wedge. “There’s still time to change the assignments…”
Tycho waved him quiet. “No, Wedge, it’s a good plan. The best people to infiltrate an Imperial base, even one as remote as this, are people who used to be Imperials. I just don’t enjoy having to remember that I was an Imp.”
“You know we don’t hold it against you, right?” asked Wes. “Especially you, Tycho.”
“I know,” he said. “But I hold it against me.”
Wedge frowned. “Why?”
“Because we were proud,” said Hobbie. He had the jacket of his own Imperial uniform - he’d been a lieutenant, too. “Corellia probably didn’t get that much propaganda, but Raltiir? The Empire was all we knew. Most schools pushed serving in the military, but the piloting schools were basically a straight route directly to the Imperial Navy. And I never once wondered if that was okay.”
“Hobbie…” said Wes, softly.
Hobbie shook his head. “I know that I couldn’t have known. That’s what propaganda is for.”
“And the Empire was good at it,” added Tycho. “The perfect combination of spin, half-truths and flat-out lies, that even where they didn’t have complete control of the media, they could keep their grip on people.”
“Corellia was never under the Empire,” said Wedge. “When I was a kid, I remember there being a lot of talk about whether open rebellion was the right way to deal with things, but people could definitely see that there were problems.”
“Yeah, but not ‘scourge of the galaxy’ problems,” put in Wes. “Tanaab was far enough out, we thought the Empire was just a little more corrupt than most other governments. Except the Hutts, of course.”
“And neither of you ever thought about joining up with the Empire, though, did you?”
Wedge and Wes both shook their heads.
“I was proud when I got the uniform,” said Hobbie. “And then, when I learned what the Empire really was, after Biggs and I defected, I felt guilty for having felt proud. And since I knew, logically, that I couldn’t have known and it wasn’t my fault, I felt stupid for having felt guilty for having felt proud.”
“That’s a lot of feelings,” said Wes. “Especially for you, Hobbie.”
“It’s irrational,” said Tycho, ignoring him as usual. “And that’s what makes it so hard.”
“Ah,” said Wedge again. “But you said you were okay for the mission. Are you sure?”
“Very sure,” said Hobbie.
“It helps,” Tycho added. “Being able to use what the Empire taught us against them. But once this mission is over, there is something you can do to help.”
“What?” asked Wes.
The Alderaanian grinned. “When we get back, you could spring for a round of the good Corellian whiskey.”
“Deal,” said Wedge.
THE END
Current Mood:
tired
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 01, prompt 01 ‘previously’
Word Count: 579
Rating: G
Fandom: Star Wars (EU / Legends)
Character(s): Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, Hobbie Klivian, Wes Janson
Summary: “There’s still time to change the assignments…”
Relevant Experience
Wedge didn’t make a habit of observing his pilots while they prepared for a mission, but Tycho had the locker next to his and he could see the stiff set of the other man’s shoulders as he tugged off his jacket.
“Hey,” Wedge said, softly. “You okay?”
“You mean, okay to carry out this mission? Yes, absolutely,” said Tycho, and Wedge could see that it was true. “Okay in general, though? Well… it’s not exactly fun, putting this uniform back on.”
He held up the new jacket he’d pulled from the locker, showing the rank insignia of a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy - the same rank Tycho had held before the Empire destroyed his home planet and he’d defected to the Rebellion.
“Ah,” said Wedge. “There’s still time to change the assignments…”
Tycho waved him quiet. “No, Wedge, it’s a good plan. The best people to infiltrate an Imperial base, even one as remote as this, are people who used to be Imperials. I just don’t enjoy having to remember that I was an Imp.”
“You know we don’t hold it against you, right?” asked Wes. “Especially you, Tycho.”
“I know,” he said. “But I hold it against me.”
Wedge frowned. “Why?”
“Because we were proud,” said Hobbie. He had the jacket of his own Imperial uniform - he’d been a lieutenant, too. “Corellia probably didn’t get that much propaganda, but Raltiir? The Empire was all we knew. Most schools pushed serving in the military, but the piloting schools were basically a straight route directly to the Imperial Navy. And I never once wondered if that was okay.”
“Hobbie…” said Wes, softly.
Hobbie shook his head. “I know that I couldn’t have known. That’s what propaganda is for.”
“And the Empire was good at it,” added Tycho. “The perfect combination of spin, half-truths and flat-out lies, that even where they didn’t have complete control of the media, they could keep their grip on people.”
“Corellia was never under the Empire,” said Wedge. “When I was a kid, I remember there being a lot of talk about whether open rebellion was the right way to deal with things, but people could definitely see that there were problems.”
“Yeah, but not ‘scourge of the galaxy’ problems,” put in Wes. “Tanaab was far enough out, we thought the Empire was just a little more corrupt than most other governments. Except the Hutts, of course.”
“And neither of you ever thought about joining up with the Empire, though, did you?”
Wedge and Wes both shook their heads.
“I was proud when I got the uniform,” said Hobbie. “And then, when I learned what the Empire really was, after Biggs and I defected, I felt guilty for having felt proud. And since I knew, logically, that I couldn’t have known and it wasn’t my fault, I felt stupid for having felt guilty for having felt proud.”
“That’s a lot of feelings,” said Wes. “Especially for you, Hobbie.”
“It’s irrational,” said Tycho, ignoring him as usual. “And that’s what makes it so hard.”
“Ah,” said Wedge again. “But you said you were okay for the mission. Are you sure?”
“Very sure,” said Hobbie.
“It helps,” Tycho added. “Being able to use what the Empire taught us against them. But once this mission is over, there is something you can do to help.”
“What?” asked Wes.
The Alderaanian grinned. “When we get back, you could spring for a round of the good Corellian whiskey.”
“Deal,” said Wedge.
THE END
Current Mood:
tired