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ANH
THROUGH ROTJ:
The name and mantle "Rogue Squadron" was first assumed by
the surviving members of Red Squadron, the X-wing pilots that
had successfully destroyed the first Death Star at the Battle
of Yavin. Due to their valorous efforts, the non-surviving
squad members who flew with Red Squadron in that battle were
posthumously inducted as members of Rogue Squadron, a high
honor. After the death of Commander Narra just prior to the
Battle of Hoth, Luke Skywalker was given command of Rogue
flight by General Carlist Rieekan. Rogue Squadron, flying
converted snowspeeders, fought valiantly against Imperial
All-Terrain Armored Transports at the Battle of Hoth, protecting
the Rebellion's evacuation from the planet and losing many
of its members. After the battle, Luke Skywalker took a leave
of absence and Wedge Antilles was put in command of the squadron.
During the time period between the battles of Hoth and Endor,
Rogue Squadron was involved in many missions, including a
skirmish with Imperial Forces while the fleet was en route
to Tatooine to drop off Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2,
and C-3PO. During this battle, Rogue Squadron managed to take
out an Imperial Strike Cruiser. Skywalker re-joined the squadron
for a short time prior to the Battle of Endor when Rogue was
involved in a diversionary strike in the Gall system to cover
an attempt to rescue the carbonite-encased Han Solo from the
vile bounty hunter Boba Fett. Fett's ship, Slave I, was docked
in the system for repairs. Unfortunately, this rescue attempt
failed. During the skirmish Wes Janson (Rogue 6) lost control
of his X-wing to his malfunctioning R2 unit, and began to
fire upon Luke Skywalker. A careful shot from Skywalker destroyed
the targeting sensors on Janson's X-wing, and the squad fell
back upon the base to sort things out. The traitorous technician
responsible for sabotaging the R2 unit was unfortunately killed
before the Rebel Alliance was able to question her. Shortly
after that incident, Rogue Squadron was involved in a skirmish
near Coruscant where they helped cover the Millennium Falcon's
escape from the planet. Rogue Squadron made up the core of
Red Group at the Battle of Endor - temporarily renamed in
honor of those who fought and died at the Battle of Yavin.
Rogue members racked up many kills during the battle, including
Wedge Antilles' kill of the Death Star 2 itself, a kill he
shares with General Lando Calrissian.
POST-ROTJ:
Just a day after the Battle of Endor, Wedge was flying a routine
patrol mission in the Endor system when he came upon an Imperial
drone ship. While examining its contents Wedge accidentally
set off a destruct sequence, but heroically placed his own
hand between the two crystals that would join together, preventing
the self destruct. The ship contained a distress signal from
an Imperial outpost in the Bakura system. Alliance personnel,
including Rogue Squadron, were sent to Bakura to assist the
Imperials in driving off the forces of the Ssi-Ruuk Imperium,
which they did successfully. Shortly after the Battle of Bakura
and prior to the Cilpar campaign, Wedge led Rogue Squadron
against the forces of Grand Moff Nivers on the planet Tandankin.
During the battle Wedge destroyed a tower that collapsed,
destroying hundreds of grounded Imperial TIE Fighters. The
citizens were at first unhappy, but after a speech by Luke
Skywalker, who was flying under Wedge's command in Rogue Squadron
at the time of the battle, the people saw that Wedge had in
fact saved them from the tyrannical rule of the Empire.
ROGUE
SQUADRON COMIC SERIES: Rogue
Squadron was later instrumental in freeing the people of the
planet Cilpar from Imperial rule. The squad hooked up with
the planetary resistance, led by Elscol Loro, in order to
overthrow the Imperial Moff Boren Tascl. The Rebel operative
on the planet, Winter, had squad member Tycho Celchu infiltrate
the Imperial garrison on the planet. Tycho, an Alderaanian
who defected from the Imperial Navy after his home planet's
destruction, had fought valiantly at the Battle of Endor.
After the liberation of the planet, Elscol chose to join Rogue
Squadron. Rogue Squadron's next mission was one of diplomacy,
to the planet Mrlsst. Wedge was to bargain with the Mrlssti
for their phantom ship. Unfortunately, the Imperial delegate
was none other than Loka Hask, the man responsible for the
death of Wedge's parents. The Anti-Endor Association (AEA)
further complicated matters, assaulting Rogue Squadron member
Tycho Celchu after he publicly denounced their belief that
the Battle of Endor is simply Rebel propaganda. Tycho was
saved by none other than the "phantom Jedi" that haunted the
Mrlsst University campus! Matters were complicated further
when the plans to the phantom ship were stolen -- and it appeared
that Tycho was the thief. Hask and his ship were eventually
destroyed by a device invented by Professor Falken, although
the plans for the phantom ship were lost, and Elscol's Wookiee
companion, Groznik, was killed. Rogue Squadron's next mission
took them to the familiar landscape of Tatooine. There, after
attending a banquet given by Huff Darklighter, the father
of Biggs Darklighter (a Red Squadron member killed at the
Battle of Yavin) the Rogues again encountered Agent Winter.
Unbeknownst to them, the Twi'lek Firith Olan had arranged
for a data disk to be stolen from Darklighter's safe during
this banquet. The data on the disk led to an Imperial weapons
cache on Tatooine, which was later destroyed by Rogue Squadron
member Elscol Loro. An Imperial attack pointed Rogue Squadron
to the Twi'lek home world of Ryloth. There, Wedge convinced
two Imperial Special Forces Troopers to defect to the Alliance.
Returning to Tatooine, Rogue Squadron and their new allies
thwarted the Imperial forces and claimed the planet for the
Alliance. Elscol then left the Squadron to become a freedom
fighter. Rogue Squadron's next adventure took them to Eiattu,
the home world of Rogue member Plourr Ilo, where she was revealed
to be an actual princess. Plourr assumed a leadership role
and struggled to overcome a misguided liberation front led
by a man claiming to be her thought-dead brother and a secret
Imperial plot. New members joined the squad, including a Mon
Calamari and a Quarren, two natives of the planet Calamari
whose races have had a history of mutual dislike. Sometime
later, Tycho Celchu was captured and tortured by Imperial
Director of Intelligence Ysanne (Iceheart) Isard. Celchu managed
to escape her secret headquarters of Lusankya, but not the
shadow of doubt the episode cast over him. The possibility
that Isard had brainwashed him to betray the Rogues forced
Alliance command to remove Tycho from combat duty, over Wedge
Antilles' fervent objections.
THE
"X-WING" NOVELS: Later still, approximately two and
a half years after the Battle of Endor, Rogue Squadron underwent
a major reformation. Old faces, such as Wes Janson, had moved
on to other positions, while new members flooded in. Commander
Wedge Antilles and Captain Tycho Celchu were all that remained
from the squadron that fought on Cilpar, Mrlsst, and Tatooine.
Notable new members included Lt. Corran Horn, Ooryl Qrygg,
Nawara Ven, Bror Jace, Erisi Dlarit, and Gavin Darklighter.
Mirax Terrik, smuggler and friend of Commander Antilles, once
again assisted the squadron, after lending a hand in the Mrlsst
campaign. Also present were military protocol droid M-3PO
and several Verpine technicians. Due to his suspected brainwashing,
Tycho Celchu was forced to enter battle in an unarmed Lambda
class shuttlecraft. Unfortunately for the Squadron, Imperial
agent Kirtan Loor discovered their secret base and several
pilots were killed in a surprise attack. Afterwards, Rogue
attempted to take the Imperial installation on Borleias, also
known as Blackmoon, but are unfortunately routed. Despite
this disastrous operation, the Rogues decided to make another
try at Blackmoon, and this run proved a success, with Wedge
able to destroy the power line necessary to the success of
the operation. Unfortunately, Wedge was forced to leave Corran
behind. After fighting off some TIE Fighters on his own Corran
had given up all hope, but miraculously Mirax Terrik arrived
to rescue him. Rogue's next assignment was no small task --
the liberation of Coruscant, the Imperial Center itself. To
do this the Rogues had to land on the planet separately and
fight on the ground to take out the computer core which controlled
the defenses. After much fighting and with the aid of criminals
freed from Kessel, the squadron managed to take control of
the computer core, which in turn allowed the Alliance fleet
to take control of the planet. The victory was bittersweet,
as squadron member Corran Horn was believed killed in action
and Tycho Celchu charged with his murder. After gaining control
of Coruscant the Alliance faced a dreadful problem. Prior
to deserting the planet, Imperial forces loosed a deadly plague
-- the Krytos Virus --, which was systematically killing off
the alien population. The only cure for this deadly virus
was bacta -- the healing solution grown on the planet Thyferra.
Human/Alien relations were at a crucial point, and to further
stress matters the highly publicized trial of Tycho Celchu
served as a paradox to the Alliance. If they let him go free
the aliens might have viewed it as favoritism toward humans;
but if they convicted him they might have sent an innocent
man to his death! Luckily, Corran Horn (not dead at all but
a prisoner of the same Lusankya Tycho had earlier escaped
from) also escaped from Lusankya. Tycho was set free and the
true traitor in Rogue Squadron was revealed to be none other
than Erisi Dlarit. Due to the New Republic's reluctance to
go after Isard, the members of Rogue Squadron resigned to
fight the war on their own. After fighting Isard in the Thyferra
system, Rogue Squadron rejoined the Alliance.
THE
"THRAWN TRILOGY" AND BEYOND:
Rogue Squadron next played a decisive role in the campaign
against Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn, with Derek "Hobbie"
Klivian back in the squad. They participated in the Battle
of Sluis Van, the Battle for the Katana fleet, and the Battle
of Bilbringi. Although the New Republic was almost destroyed
by Thrawn, a tactical genius, Rogue Squadron managed to keep
up the fight until the Battle of Bilbringi, where Grand Admiral
Thrawn was killed. Shortly after the end of Thrawn's campaign,
Wedge Antilles finally accepted promotion to the rank of General
in the Republic Army (at the request of Admiral Ackbar) and,
although left in command of the Naval Rogue Squadron, was
only granted the opportunity to fly with them if his duties
as General were not compromised. Without Wedge in devoted
command, the squadron eventually dissolved, signifying the
end of an era. From Yavin to Bilbringi, Rogue Squadron --
in one form or another -- was there to fight the Empire, to
defend the Rebel Alliance, to fight for freedom for all beings.
Throughout all the years there was one constant -- Wedge Antilles.
Wedge was the embodiment of the principles of the Alliance
to Restore the Republic: someone willing to risk it all for
the greater good of the galaxy, someone willing to risk his
life so that others could remain free. The same could be said
for all the pilots of Rogue Squadron. Though others may call
themselves by the same name, they are not the same squadron
without the likes of Commander Wedge Antilles, Commander Luke
Skywalker, Lt. Corran Horn, Lt. Pash Cracken, Captain Tycho
Celchu, Wes Janson, Hobbie Klivian, Plourr, and all of the
other Rogues who fought so valiantly for the Alliance -- for
freedom.
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