Fic-A-Thon 2015: "Suitably Heroic" [G]
Title: Suitably Heroic
Word Count: 608
For: Kerianth
Author: Ami Ven
Prompts: lens flare, optimism, “here we go again…”
Characters: Wedge, Tycho, Janson & Hobbie
Setting: vaguely Rebel Alliance/early New Republic
Summary: Janson is ordered to make a holo… sort of.
Suitably Heroic
“No, no, Hobbie, not like that,” said Janson’s voice. “More… more heroic.”
Wedge walked further into the hangar and saw Hobbie standing on top of his X-Wing, helmet under one arm and foot up on his canopy, scowling down at Janson, who had a hand-held holo-camera trained up at him.
“What is going on here?” he asked, wondering even as he said it if he really wanted to know.
“Oh, hey, Wedge,” said Janson, lowering the holo-camera. “Is Tycho with you?”
“No,” said Wedge, a little wary now. “Why?”
Janson didn’t seem to notice his suspicion. “No reason. We’ll catch up with him later. Hobbie!” he called, “Heroic!”
“Can’t I just be the villain?” Hobbie asked, nearly a whine. “It’d be so much easier, for everyone involved.”
“What is going on here?” Wedge repeated.
“Oh,” said Janson, then he grinned. “Oh. Nobody told you? We’re making a holo!”
“Wes…”
“We’ve been ordered to make a holo,” Janson clarified.
“Actually,” said Tycho, ducking under the nose of Hobbie’s X-Wing to join them, “Starfighter Command is concerned about the reorganization of the Rebel Alliance into the New Republic military and is encouraging active-duty personnel to contribute ideas and materials to reassure veterans and inspire new recruits.”
Hobbie shot him a sideways look. “That came straight from the official memo, didn’t it?”
“Yep,” Tycho agreed. “The fleet-wide memo that they sent to the entire fleet.”
“Psh,” Janson scoffed. “All the other stuff won’t matter, because mine will be awesome.”
“I think you mean awful,” said Hobbie. “There isn’t even a plot.”
“I don’t have to take this criticism,” said Janson. “I’ll just find a new leading man. Wedge, go get your flight suit.”
“I am your commanding officer,” Wedge reminded him, sharing an amused look with Tycho.
“But this is art,” said Janson. “Tell ‘em, Tycho.”
The Alderaanian shrugged. “What makes you think I know anything about art?”
“Uncultured swine,” said Janson, but he was smiling. “Come on, guys! Who was more involved in the Rebel Alliance- other than the Skywalkers and/or Solos- except for us? Who knows more about the kind of New Republic we’re trying to build and the way it should be defended than we do?”
Hobbie sighed, dramatically. “You know, Wes, sometimes I find your optimism to be really depressing.”
“That’s not a ‘no’, Hobbie.”
“You…” He sighed again. “Fine.”
“Yes! Wedge, Tycho…?”
“This is a bad idea,” Tycho said, grinning.
“I know,” said Wedge. “All right, you maniac, we’re in.”
Janson beamed at them. “You won’t regret this.”
“Oh, I regret it already,” said Hobbie.
*
Janson screened the final cut of his holo for all of Rogue Squadron and waited eagerly for the reviews. Most of his is squadmates wandered out, offering general congratulations and vague dodges of how they’d really felt about it, until only his three ‘stars’ were left in the dimly-lit briefing room.
“So?” Janson asked. “Guys?”
“Did that seem like a lot of unnecessary lens flare to anyone else?” Tycho asked.
“Oh, that’s the big thing now,” said Hobbie, deadpan, before Janson could answer. “All the new holodramas have tons of them.”
Janson ignored him. “I think it turned out well.”
“It actually did,” Wedge allowed, trying not to inflate his friend’s ego, but forced to admit that the holo was good. “I mean, you seemed to get the right feeling across. Nicely done, Wes.”
“You know, I was hoping you’d say that, Wedge, because I’ve got an idea for a sequel…”
Wedge, Tycho, and Hobbie sighed, in unison.
“We’re going to regret this, too, aren’t we?” said Tycho.
“Oh, yes,” said Wedge.
Hobbie managed a smile. “Here we go again…”
THE END
Word Count: 608
For: Kerianth
Author: Ami Ven
Prompts: lens flare, optimism, “here we go again…”
Characters: Wedge, Tycho, Janson & Hobbie
Setting: vaguely Rebel Alliance/early New Republic
Summary: Janson is ordered to make a holo… sort of.
Suitably Heroic
“No, no, Hobbie, not like that,” said Janson’s voice. “More… more heroic.”
Wedge walked further into the hangar and saw Hobbie standing on top of his X-Wing, helmet under one arm and foot up on his canopy, scowling down at Janson, who had a hand-held holo-camera trained up at him.
“What is going on here?” he asked, wondering even as he said it if he really wanted to know.
“Oh, hey, Wedge,” said Janson, lowering the holo-camera. “Is Tycho with you?”
“No,” said Wedge, a little wary now. “Why?”
Janson didn’t seem to notice his suspicion. “No reason. We’ll catch up with him later. Hobbie!” he called, “Heroic!”
“Can’t I just be the villain?” Hobbie asked, nearly a whine. “It’d be so much easier, for everyone involved.”
“What is going on here?” Wedge repeated.
“Oh,” said Janson, then he grinned. “Oh. Nobody told you? We’re making a holo!”
“Wes…”
“We’ve been ordered to make a holo,” Janson clarified.
“Actually,” said Tycho, ducking under the nose of Hobbie’s X-Wing to join them, “Starfighter Command is concerned about the reorganization of the Rebel Alliance into the New Republic military and is encouraging active-duty personnel to contribute ideas and materials to reassure veterans and inspire new recruits.”
Hobbie shot him a sideways look. “That came straight from the official memo, didn’t it?”
“Yep,” Tycho agreed. “The fleet-wide memo that they sent to the entire fleet.”
“Psh,” Janson scoffed. “All the other stuff won’t matter, because mine will be awesome.”
“I think you mean awful,” said Hobbie. “There isn’t even a plot.”
“I don’t have to take this criticism,” said Janson. “I’ll just find a new leading man. Wedge, go get your flight suit.”
“I am your commanding officer,” Wedge reminded him, sharing an amused look with Tycho.
“But this is art,” said Janson. “Tell ‘em, Tycho.”
The Alderaanian shrugged. “What makes you think I know anything about art?”
“Uncultured swine,” said Janson, but he was smiling. “Come on, guys! Who was more involved in the Rebel Alliance- other than the Skywalkers and/or Solos- except for us? Who knows more about the kind of New Republic we’re trying to build and the way it should be defended than we do?”
Hobbie sighed, dramatically. “You know, Wes, sometimes I find your optimism to be really depressing.”
“That’s not a ‘no’, Hobbie.”
“You…” He sighed again. “Fine.”
“Yes! Wedge, Tycho…?”
“This is a bad idea,” Tycho said, grinning.
“I know,” said Wedge. “All right, you maniac, we’re in.”
Janson beamed at them. “You won’t regret this.”
“Oh, I regret it already,” said Hobbie.
*
Janson screened the final cut of his holo for all of Rogue Squadron and waited eagerly for the reviews. Most of his is squadmates wandered out, offering general congratulations and vague dodges of how they’d really felt about it, until only his three ‘stars’ were left in the dimly-lit briefing room.
“So?” Janson asked. “Guys?”
“Did that seem like a lot of unnecessary lens flare to anyone else?” Tycho asked.
“Oh, that’s the big thing now,” said Hobbie, deadpan, before Janson could answer. “All the new holodramas have tons of them.”
Janson ignored him. “I think it turned out well.”
“It actually did,” Wedge allowed, trying not to inflate his friend’s ego, but forced to admit that the holo was good. “I mean, you seemed to get the right feeling across. Nicely done, Wes.”
“You know, I was hoping you’d say that, Wedge, because I’ve got an idea for a sequel…”
Wedge, Tycho, and Hobbie sighed, in unison.
“We’re going to regret this, too, aren’t we?” said Tycho.
“Oh, yes,” said Wedge.
Hobbie managed a smile. “Here we go again…”
THE END