Duros System- Thursday evening Fandom time
While Jaina had come home without a battle plan, she definitely had one upon getting there. She and Jag hadn't even worked out the new roster for Twin Suns when Wedge had approached her about taking part in his new campaign, and she was not about to say no to it.
It helped that they'd made it out of the first fight intact. Despite the turnover, her squadron rarely lost pilots in battle.
Afterwards, she'd been talked into joining the rest of her pilots at the tapcaf for a drink. It was a personal thing with her: she'd avoid making real connections with the individuals until they survived their first real battle. There was no need for her to get attached before that, and it was a morale boost for new pilots to have their commanding officer come down a level for them after accomplishing something. She figured this counted, and she could spare some time with the group.
"Can't say much for the atmosphere," Raf Othrem said, looking around the tapcaf. You'd think just because the walls were bare, along with everything else in the place, that he looked down on the decor. Snob.
"What were you expecting, a casino from the Galsol strip?" Jaina asked. "Yesterday this was just a piece of space junk the Yuuzhan Vong hadn't got around to pulverizing."
"And now they won't, thanks to us!" Raf said, raising his glass. "To Twin Suns Squadron, and our illustrious leader, Jaina Solo."
There were worse things than being toasted by your squadron, but Jaina wanted to point out that this was just one win, that the next might not go this well. She wouldn't, though. They'd gotten through this one. Let them have that.
She even raised her glass to participate. "To the good fight," she said, smiling as they cheered.
"I'd say one more toast is in order," Raf decided.
"Just one?" Mynor Dae said. "I can't imagine you shutting up for the rest of the night."
"No doubt," Alema said dryly. Yes, Jaina'd been happy to take Alema in. She liked having enough Jedi for some sort of meld. This would make three.
Raf narrowed his eyes at her, but raised his glass. "To General Wedge Antilles, and the plan that gave us back Fondor."
"I'll drink to that," Jaina said.
Not that she got a chance. She saw something fall before her eyes, and she lowered her glass to see the Rogue Squadron patch laying on the surface of the table. Naturally she looked up to see where it had come from. "Lensi?"
She'd known Lensi for years. He was a Duros that had been part of Rogue Squadron from back in the day when she'd first rejoined after being blinded. She'd flown with him, and while she hadn't known him well, she wasn't used to seeing him this unhappy. "Colonel," he replied, very formally.
Raf wasn't paying much attention to the expression on Lensi's face, or maybe he'd just been toasting for too long. "Join the celebration, Lensi," he invited. "Not that we normally mingle with disreputable Rogues, but-"
Lensi was still eyeing Jaina coldly. "I have nothing to celebrate. And I will no longer fly with Rogue Squadron. My people were betrayed today. Betrayed by General Antilles. Betrayed by Jaina Solo."
It was like people hadn't figured out by now that Jaina could fight her own battles or something. One verbal lash and Jag was on his feet, followed by Lowbacca, who was outright growling. She expected that from Lowie, at least. She probably would have wondered what she'd done wrong if he didn't jump to that reaction, actually. Still. She wasn't having it.
"Lowbacca, sit down," Jaina told him. "Jag- please. Let him talk."
It took a moment for them both to back down, and Jaina braced herself for whatever was coming next. "What's on your mind, Lensi?"
His answer was surprisingly simple to start. "Many of my people died in the attack on Duro."
"They didn't have to," Jaina pointed out. "The attack on Duro was a feint, designed to draw reinforcements from here. The Duros commander of the mission broke with the plan. He jeopardized both missions."
"He was not told the attack was a feint," Lensi protested.
"No one was!" Raf cut in, loudly. "We were all in the dark."
Jaina didn't tell him to stay out of it. If anyone tried to defend her, especially blindly, they'd get told to sit down. If they wanted to defend the mission, she'd like to hear what they had to say. "That's why it worked, Lensi," she explained. "Yuuzhan Vong intelligence is good. Wedge had to make the buildup look like it was aimed at Duro, and he had to make the attack there look convincing."
"Duro was the more lightly occupied," Lensi said. "We could have taken Duro. We were promised this. We were used."
"Such is war," Jag said. "Fondor was considered the more strategic target. The liberation of Duro may come next, it may not. Many of the pilots here have lost a homeworld to the Vong." Jaina herself could raise a hand there. "You think you're alone? You think every one of them wouldn't prioritize the liberation of their homeworld over every other, if they were given the choice? War isn't fought on the basis of sentiment and desire. Battles must accomplish tactical goals."
"Your 'tactical goals' see many of my people dead today," Lensi shot back.
"Because they disobeyed orders. They signed on under General Antilles. If they had paid attention to him, most if not all of them would still be alive. If you want to know who betrayed your people to death, look to the commander who broke ranks." All right, Jaina decided, Jag was also allowed to defend his uncle. She'd give him that.
"We aren't children. We should have been told."
Jaina cut in before Jag could really get going. "Maybe. In hindsight, maybe. Or maybe we would all be dead now," she said. "You were a good wingmate at Sernpidal. I know you've done well with Rogue Squadron since I left. We're going to win this war. We're going to win back Duro. But only if enough of us keep fighting." She reached in front of her to pluck the patch from the table and tossed it back to him. "You have to do what your conscience dictates."
Lensi paused, looking at the patch and then back up at her. "Colonel Solo, I was there, after Sernpidal, when you slapped Kyp Durron for lying to us. You know what it feels like to be betrayed, to fight without knowing what you're really fighting for."
Oh, she remembered that. She'd been a seventeen-year-old kid yelling then, with what seemed like only Colonel Darklighter to back her up, and Lensi had been so new, so unable to understand how something like that could happen. It'd been a year and a half since then just in Fandom time, and now she understood why Kyp had done what he'd done. She still wished she'd known what she'd been getting into, but there wasn't any sense in crying about it now. Bad things happened. It didn't change what she had to do any. "I know what lots of things feel like," she said evenly. "And you know what? I'm still fighting. I'm going to keep fighting until there isn't a single threat left in this galaxy. You think you're the only person who has lost something in this war? Grow up, Lensi."
He fell silent again, watching her carefully. "Did you know?"
"No. But if I had, I wouldn't have told anyone. General Antilles did the right thing." Sadly, this sort of thing would apparently be a huge point of contention for her in about fourteen years.
That was apparently all Lensi needed to hear. When he turned and left, he still had the patch in hand. He'd stay, Jaina knew. He'd hate what had to be done, but eventually he'd be a part of something like this when it didn't affect him directly, and he'd get it. He probably wouldn't be the last person she'd ever have to give this talk to, either.
The table was silent, and Jaina raised her glass. "To needing something new to toast to. Raf, I think that's you."
It seemed to be what they needed to raise their spirits a little, and a moment later Raf was coming up with another reason to drink. It wasn't exactly like nothing had happened, but they'd move on. They'd earned their victory, Jaina thought they should have it.
[NFI, NFB, OOC okay. Like 99% of dialogue from The Final Prophecy by Greg Keyes.]
It helped that they'd made it out of the first fight intact. Despite the turnover, her squadron rarely lost pilots in battle.
Afterwards, she'd been talked into joining the rest of her pilots at the tapcaf for a drink. It was a personal thing with her: she'd avoid making real connections with the individuals until they survived their first real battle. There was no need for her to get attached before that, and it was a morale boost for new pilots to have their commanding officer come down a level for them after accomplishing something. She figured this counted, and she could spare some time with the group.
"Can't say much for the atmosphere," Raf Othrem said, looking around the tapcaf. You'd think just because the walls were bare, along with everything else in the place, that he looked down on the decor. Snob.
"What were you expecting, a casino from the Galsol strip?" Jaina asked. "Yesterday this was just a piece of space junk the Yuuzhan Vong hadn't got around to pulverizing."
"And now they won't, thanks to us!" Raf said, raising his glass. "To Twin Suns Squadron, and our illustrious leader, Jaina Solo."
There were worse things than being toasted by your squadron, but Jaina wanted to point out that this was just one win, that the next might not go this well. She wouldn't, though. They'd gotten through this one. Let them have that.
She even raised her glass to participate. "To the good fight," she said, smiling as they cheered.
"I'd say one more toast is in order," Raf decided.
"Just one?" Mynor Dae said. "I can't imagine you shutting up for the rest of the night."
"No doubt," Alema said dryly. Yes, Jaina'd been happy to take Alema in. She liked having enough Jedi for some sort of meld. This would make three.
Raf narrowed his eyes at her, but raised his glass. "To General Wedge Antilles, and the plan that gave us back Fondor."
"I'll drink to that," Jaina said.
Not that she got a chance. She saw something fall before her eyes, and she lowered her glass to see the Rogue Squadron patch laying on the surface of the table. Naturally she looked up to see where it had come from. "Lensi?"
She'd known Lensi for years. He was a Duros that had been part of Rogue Squadron from back in the day when she'd first rejoined after being blinded. She'd flown with him, and while she hadn't known him well, she wasn't used to seeing him this unhappy. "Colonel," he replied, very formally.
Raf wasn't paying much attention to the expression on Lensi's face, or maybe he'd just been toasting for too long. "Join the celebration, Lensi," he invited. "Not that we normally mingle with disreputable Rogues, but-"
Lensi was still eyeing Jaina coldly. "I have nothing to celebrate. And I will no longer fly with Rogue Squadron. My people were betrayed today. Betrayed by General Antilles. Betrayed by Jaina Solo."
It was like people hadn't figured out by now that Jaina could fight her own battles or something. One verbal lash and Jag was on his feet, followed by Lowbacca, who was outright growling. She expected that from Lowie, at least. She probably would have wondered what she'd done wrong if he didn't jump to that reaction, actually. Still. She wasn't having it.
"Lowbacca, sit down," Jaina told him. "Jag- please. Let him talk."
It took a moment for them both to back down, and Jaina braced herself for whatever was coming next. "What's on your mind, Lensi?"
His answer was surprisingly simple to start. "Many of my people died in the attack on Duro."
"They didn't have to," Jaina pointed out. "The attack on Duro was a feint, designed to draw reinforcements from here. The Duros commander of the mission broke with the plan. He jeopardized both missions."
"He was not told the attack was a feint," Lensi protested.
"No one was!" Raf cut in, loudly. "We were all in the dark."
Jaina didn't tell him to stay out of it. If anyone tried to defend her, especially blindly, they'd get told to sit down. If they wanted to defend the mission, she'd like to hear what they had to say. "That's why it worked, Lensi," she explained. "Yuuzhan Vong intelligence is good. Wedge had to make the buildup look like it was aimed at Duro, and he had to make the attack there look convincing."
"Duro was the more lightly occupied," Lensi said. "We could have taken Duro. We were promised this. We were used."
"Such is war," Jag said. "Fondor was considered the more strategic target. The liberation of Duro may come next, it may not. Many of the pilots here have lost a homeworld to the Vong." Jaina herself could raise a hand there. "You think you're alone? You think every one of them wouldn't prioritize the liberation of their homeworld over every other, if they were given the choice? War isn't fought on the basis of sentiment and desire. Battles must accomplish tactical goals."
"Your 'tactical goals' see many of my people dead today," Lensi shot back.
"Because they disobeyed orders. They signed on under General Antilles. If they had paid attention to him, most if not all of them would still be alive. If you want to know who betrayed your people to death, look to the commander who broke ranks." All right, Jaina decided, Jag was also allowed to defend his uncle. She'd give him that.
"We aren't children. We should have been told."
Jaina cut in before Jag could really get going. "Maybe. In hindsight, maybe. Or maybe we would all be dead now," she said. "You were a good wingmate at Sernpidal. I know you've done well with Rogue Squadron since I left. We're going to win this war. We're going to win back Duro. But only if enough of us keep fighting." She reached in front of her to pluck the patch from the table and tossed it back to him. "You have to do what your conscience dictates."
Lensi paused, looking at the patch and then back up at her. "Colonel Solo, I was there, after Sernpidal, when you slapped Kyp Durron for lying to us. You know what it feels like to be betrayed, to fight without knowing what you're really fighting for."
Oh, she remembered that. She'd been a seventeen-year-old kid yelling then, with what seemed like only Colonel Darklighter to back her up, and Lensi had been so new, so unable to understand how something like that could happen. It'd been a year and a half since then just in Fandom time, and now she understood why Kyp had done what he'd done. She still wished she'd known what she'd been getting into, but there wasn't any sense in crying about it now. Bad things happened. It didn't change what she had to do any. "I know what lots of things feel like," she said evenly. "And you know what? I'm still fighting. I'm going to keep fighting until there isn't a single threat left in this galaxy. You think you're the only person who has lost something in this war? Grow up, Lensi."
He fell silent again, watching her carefully. "Did you know?"
"No. But if I had, I wouldn't have told anyone. General Antilles did the right thing." Sadly, this sort of thing would apparently be a huge point of contention for her in about fourteen years.
That was apparently all Lensi needed to hear. When he turned and left, he still had the patch in hand. He'd stay, Jaina knew. He'd hate what had to be done, but eventually he'd be a part of something like this when it didn't affect him directly, and he'd get it. He probably wouldn't be the last person she'd ever have to give this talk to, either.
The table was silent, and Jaina raised her glass. "To needing something new to toast to. Raf, I think that's you."
It seemed to be what they needed to raise their spirits a little, and a moment later Raf was coming up with another reason to drink. It wasn't exactly like nothing had happened, but they'd move on. They'd earned their victory, Jaina thought they should have it.
[NFI, NFB, OOC okay. Like 99% of dialogue from The Final Prophecy by Greg Keyes.]