Beyond - Legends "Prisons" [Wedge and the hypocrisy of others]

Because it had to be written, and it had to be written before LotF came out and blew all that potential to so much rubble. And because Wedge is a fundamentally honest character.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"Prisons"

Once there was a princess.

I?m sorry, Wedge, that it?s come to this,? Leia said serenely, and Wedge just stared at her in consternation because Leia was wearing Jedi robes and holding a lightsaber hilt in her right hand and he?d never, ever seen her look so blank as she did then. Even her ?diplomat? face, the one she?d always worn when she had to settle some debate in the Senate, had shown something, and Wedge thought there was something inherently unnatural in Leia?s overly calm demeanor. Leia wasn?t calm.

Then she switched her lightsaber on and stabbed him in the shoulder, and sithspit, it hurt. She?d pinned him against a wall and he was cognizant enough not to move around because even if he was old, he liked his arm, and she was twisting it and twisting it as he twitched around it. That was about the time he started pleading. ?Stop?Leia, stop??

And she had looked at him like he was nothing. Like he hadn?t known her since before Yavin, like he was just some enemy of the state. Less than that, really, like he wasn?t even a real person. ?Leia,? he gasped through the pain.

?Now what about you and Han?"

"We're happy, when we get to see each other. It's kind of rough on a woman to finally admit you love someone and then have him frozen in carbonite for the better part of a year. Then again, during that time he didn't find little ways to irritate me."

"That's his nature, though - he's chaos incarnate. Han Solo, you have to love him ..."

"... or freeze him in carbonite, I know. He's a good man. Even with his quirks and rough edges, I don't think I can find better in this galaxy. And I'm not really interested in looking, either, but there are times when I wonder 'Why him?' "

"If you ever have doubts, serious doubts, come see me. I can give you a dozen reasons to answer that question."

?Leia,? he gasped again. ?How?s Han??

And for a moment, just a moment, her face was filled with shock and she reflexively switched off her lightsaber. Wedge slid down the wall like so much boneless meat, the scent of his own burnt flesh sharp in his nose, and the last thing he saw before unconsciousness was Leia?s troubled face calming into serenity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Once there was a hero.

?Wedge, wake up. You need to wake up now.?

They didn?t put him in bacta. The wound, a disgusting, oozy hole in his shoulder, was an excuse to lock him in a private ward and drug him with mind-altering, pain-killing substances, and Wedge hated that he was reduced to this, a sleeping, silenced man. This was not what he had fought for. This was not it at all.

And every day, Luke visited him. Every day, Luke talked at him, a fervent, bright thread of hope for a better future ? if only Wedge would believe. Believe in him. And Wedge ignored him each day because he had always believed in Luke, ever since that first impossible victory, and he had believed because Luke was honest and truthful and sincere, like nobody he had ever met before.

?That's impossible, even for a computer.?

?It's not impossible. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-sixteen back home. They're not much bigger than two meters.?

He had believed in Luke because Luke had believed. But maybe he never had believed. Maybe he?d just been some stupid, over-confident farm kid and Wedge had made him more than he was because he had needed something, anything, to remind him that the Force was on his side.

?Wedge, say something,? Luke pleads, and Wedge contents himself with saying, ?I can?t believe you when you don?t even believe yourself.?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Once there was a friend.

?Wedge, it doesn?t have to be like this.?

His wound was ha

 

this is great, beautiful, moving stuff.


PLEASE tell me tehre's more...please, please, please...

 

Elena:

Great stuff, kid!

You write Wedge well - you get under his skin, and into his context, who he is and where he's coming from.

The bland neutrality of Luke and Leia gone wrong is impressive, too...

And it's strange, but what is it that makes the Chiss and Corellians such natural allies? Is it that both groups value integrity, even if they often seem to behave in different ways?

- The Imperial Ewok

 

This is an awesome fanfic. It's sad, but also beautiful.
I really like your describtion of Wedge, his feelings and his behaviour in this situation and I like the end, never expect it would be a Chiss who saves him.

 

*sniff* So sad. I really liked the analogy with the lightsaber/vibroblade/kitchen knives. Wedge really is a normal functional tool. Execellent writing of Wedge's emotions. He's been betrayed by his friends and he just wants his daughters safe.

Wedge really has been an honest character through out the EU. He doesn't go through the momentary idenity crises that most of the other characters do. He's a steady point, all ways doing what is right for the greater good. I think you've captured that. I too have been a bit worried since the release of the Betrayal D.P. that has certain characters on certain sides. I'm going to have to trust that Allston et al. will stay true the character. If not, Wedge's side will always be my side. Worse comes to worse, there's always fanfic

Sorry for the rant. Keep up the good work!

 

Woah, it took me a minute to realize what was happening, but once I did, wow. That really is good. And I never eally thought about what the Jedi would be like once the planets try separating.

 

Oh, this is nice, very nice! Wedge is just perfect here. Now, if I were to just highlight some of the things that I really liked, I would be copying and pasting the whole thing, but I'll keep it down to just a few things.

Then she switched her lightsaber on and stabbed him in the shoulder, and sithspit, it hurt. She?d pinned him against a wall and he was cognizant enough not to move around because even if he was old, he liked his arm, and she was twisting it and twisting it as he twitched around it. That was about the time he started pleading. ?Stop?Leia, stop??

And she had looked at him like he was nothing. Like he hadn?t known her since before Yavin, like he was just some enemy of the state. Less than that, really, like he wasn?t even a real person. ?Leia,? he gasped through the pain.

Something about this just reminded me of the whole Emperor/Vader/Luke scene when Luke lost his hand.

?Leia,? he gasped again. ?How?s Han??

I've got a bad feeling about that... What've you done to Han?

This was not what he had fought for. This was not it at all.

Poor man! It seems as if he's truly the only man who fought in the Galactic Civil War who really believed in what he was fighting for, and remained true to the cause throughout the years. Both Luke and Leia, whether they'd admit it or not, have become corrupted by politics.

But this whole Luke scene was sad. Very sad and very real.

Wedge sneered at Corran and his stupid, long-suffering expression.

?Why do you, traitor??

[face_shocked]

And that's another thing that was completely thrown out the window when Corran became a Jedi: his relationship with Wedge and the rest of the Rogues who were still alive.

And Wedge?s whole universe contracted down to the fact that his wife was dead and his oldest daughter probably hated him.

Oh no... oh no... *gives Wedge a big hug*

She gulped and glared at him, blue eyes burning in her face.

?Do you understand me??

?I don?t blame you,? she said, and Wedge felt relief.

?Then lie.?

Poor Wedge!!!!!!

He didn?t recognize the voice, not at first. A woman speaking to him from behind the door of his cell, that?s all, and he had known many women in his life. She had called him General, and that didn?t narrow it down at all, because everyone called him General now, even the interrogators.

I guess as some sort of reminder of what he had been? Not as a sign of respect, right?

?General, I know you are awake. We must leave immediately; our window of opportunity closes in approximately twenty-five minutes.?

That's Kyrn. Always so specific.

Kyrn had been no Erisi Dlarit,

I loved this.

The door opened and a cloaked figure gestured quickly. She?d gotten in dressed as a nun from the sect of the Force most Corellians worshiped, probably posing for his last rites. That was clever. ?I was recently promoted to Colonel, sir. And yes, I knew that. I believe the official report sent over the Holonet stated that you were an ?example?.?

Wedge just grinned bitterly. ?Stupid of them. Didn?t they learn from the Emperor?s mistakes? ?Examples? only make enemies. Oh, and congratulations on your promotion.?

*nods in agreement* Alderaan anyone?

?Me? Oh, no, Colonel. I?m a kitchen knife.?

I loved this whole exchange too. So, if I understand it correctly, Wedge being a kitchen knife means that even though he's not out on the front line fighting the battle, he's still doing heroic things at home, right?

He relaxed in relief, and Kyrn touched his shoulder gently. ?This way, General,? she said quietly, and Wedge Antilles stepped out of his prison.

Perfect ending. Well done!

 

*comes running in*





This is so Wedge. Thank you. But so sad ...

*goes back to lurking in the shadows*

 

Uh...

wow.

I can't respond to this right now because I need to read it again. Maybe twelve times more.

 

Thrawn:

I think it's because people are strangely enamored of the nutty SW characters, rather than the down-to-earth heroes. I mean, Wedge is cool because he's a war hero, but how many people care about Fenig Nabon or even Sharr Latt?

I know - aren't they so weird?

Well, in a lot of ways they're very, very different. But I think they - and a lot of other people - don't value integrity so much as freedom. They really don't like being told what to do, at least by people they think are undeserving of authority, and they don't like being told of their own moral degeneracy by people who don't even share the same values as them - Karrde and his folk come to mind for that one.

Hmmm. *puts it in mind for SW grand unifying theory*

Cem Fel:

Thanks so much - and don't you think the contrast between the young Chiss woman and the old cynical human just delicious?

*is very hungry*

Yeah, sorry 'bout that...

Astronut:

Oh, good, I pulled it off. I thought I was reaching, a bit.

Well, he's not terribly 'complicated', is he? He's a nice guy who tries to do the right thing, and somehow, he always manages to do so. He's a good person, and I think that's why he's so popular as a character, because he's someone all of us can identify with.

Dev Binks:

*dryly* I keep thinking of all the crap that happened in the Prequels, and keep hoping they'll be better than that...

thesporkbewithyou:

You know, I love your username...

Nothing!

I don't think they've been corrupted. They're the same as they've always been, except more so...

Leia was so Core, and Luke...well, he had control problems from the beginning. Nobody likes to see the natural evolution of a character go from good to bad, but you can't deny that it's been logical...

And Rogue!Corran was so cool, too...

I guess as some sort of reminder of what he had been? Not as a sign of respect, right?

Not really. It's just...it's who he is. He's been the the General, the war hero, for a very long time...

I have to admit, the idea of Kyrn and Erisi in the same room is sort of...amusing... to say the least...

 

Elena: I think it's because people are strangely enamored of the nutty SW characters, rather than the down-to-earth heroes. I mean, Wedge is cool because he's a war hero, but how many people care about Fenig Nabon or even Sharr Latt?

Perhaps most people aren't that down-to-earth, and feel ashamed?

I know - aren't they so weird?

They're... Jedi?

Well, in a lot of ways they're very, very different. But I think they - and a lot of other people - don't value integrity so much as freedom. They really don't like being told what to do, at least by people they think are undeserving of authority, and they don't like being told of their own moral degeneracy by people who don't even share the same values as them - Karrde and his folk come to mind for that one.

Hmmm. *puts it in mind for SW grand unifying theory*

Care to elaborate?

And what sort of "freedom" do the Chiss value? Personal? National? Cultural? I think I like where you're going with this, I'm just curious to hear your thoughts...

Thanks so much - and don't you think the contrast between the young Chiss woman and the old cynical human just delicious?

*is very hungry*

Yeah, sorry 'bout that...

I think I felt less worried for everyone when you expressed this quirk through Kyp/Tenel Ka...



- The Imperial Ewok

 

Wow, Elana. This is powerful and took a moment for me to understand.

I liked the wound as a running commentary on his situation. Great imagery.

Luke and Leia are harsh and, apparently, deluded and self important. Everything that Jacen has become, but everything I hoped would leave Luke alone. Sad. There is so much that isnt said here that adds to the impact of what you have written.

So, now, Wedge is with the Chiss and his family. Not a bad place to be all things considered.

I'm sorry this review is so scattered. You story and writing are rich and evocative. I look forward to reading more from you.