Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Flight Training
Chapter 2: Asteroid Field
Chapter 3: Kolaador Cooridors
Chapter 4: Downtime
Chapter 5: Blue Squadron's Arrival
Chapter 6: Crystal Dogfight
Chapter 7: Escape From Kolaador
Chapter 8: Yavin Base
Chapter 9: Target: Eadu
Chapter 10: Hopelessness
Chapter 11: Rogue One
Chapter 12: The Battle of Scariff
Chapter 13: Scariff's New Moon
Chapter 14: Aftermath
Interlude: The Devastator Intercepts The Tantive IV
Chapter 15: The Corellian Freighter
Chapter 16: A Weakness In The Battle Station
Chapter 17: Thirty Pilots Against All Odds
Chapter 18: The Battle of Yavin
Chapter 19: The Cannon
Chapter 20: The Last Trench Run
Chapter 21: Hope and Victory
Epilogue
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Dramatis Personae
Rebel Alliance
Kaedan Macleod, Rookie One, Blue Fifteen (human male from Avalon)
Essix/R2-S6 (Kaedan's Astromech)
Captain Merrick Simms, Blue Thirteen (human male from Tanaab)
Captain Ru Murleen, Blue Sixteen (Human female from Commenor)
Sevens/R5-M77 (Ru Murleen's Astromech)
Thurlow Harris, Blue Fourteen (human male from Centares)
Tech Sergeant Turland Hack (human male from Corulag)
Commander Jake Farrell (human male from Telos)
General Antoc Merrick, Blue Leader (human male from Virujansi)
Torius Chord, Blue Two
Jaldine Gerams, Blue Three (human female from Fresia)
Barion Raner, Blue Four (human male from Old Mantell)
Farns Monsbee, Blue Five
Vangos Grek, Blue Six
Robich Duggsin, Blue Seven
Lieutenant Heff Tobber, Blue Eight
Calum Gram, Blue Nine (human male from Atrisia)
Warrant Officer Laram Jona, Blue Eleven
Lieutenant Taslet Colb, Blue Eleven
Paril Ritta, Blue Twelve
Commander Garven Dreis, Red Leader (human male from Virujansi)
Lieutenant Wedge Antilles, Red Two (human male from Corellia)
Biggs Darklighter, Red Three (human male from Tatooine)
John D. Branon, Red Four (human male
Cadet Pedrin Gaul, Red Five (human male
Jek Tono Porkins, Red Six (human male from Bestine IV)
Elyhek Rue, Red Seven (human male from Brentaal IV)
Lieutenant Zal Dinnes, Red Eight (human female from Tierfon)
Lieutenant Nozzo Naytaan, Red Nine (human male from Corellia)
Theron Nett, Red Ten
Major Ralo Surrel, Red Eleven
Puck Naeko, Red Twelve (human male from Denon)
Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander, Gold Leader (human male from Onderon)
Dex Tiree, Gold Two (human male from Onderon)
Ryle Torsyn, Gold Three
Lieutenant Lepira, Gold Four
Davish "Pops" Krail, Gold Five (human male from Alderaan)
Hol Okand, Gold Six
Lieutenant Samica Trey, Gold Seven (human female from Coruscant)
Datchi Creel, Gold Eight (human female from Toprawa)
Major Cetea Delfinus, Green Leader (female Mon Calamari from Mon Calamari)
Lieutenant Attico Wred, Green Four (human male from Corellia)
Captain Broan Danurs, Green Ten
Lieutenant Wion Dillems, Green Twelve (human male from Yeslain)
Mon Mothma (human female from Commenor)
Senator/Princess Leia Organa (human female from Alderaan)
Viceroy Bail Organa (human male from Alderaan)
General Jan Dodonna (human male from Commenor)
Commander Vanden Willard (human male from Alderaan)
General Davits Draven (human male from Pendarr III)
Admiral Raddus (Mon Calamari male from Mon Calamari)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (human female from Vallt)
Captain Cassian Andor (human male from Fest)
Crew of the Millennium Falcon
Han Solo (human male from Corellia)
Chewbacca (wookie male from Kashyyk)
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (human male from Stewjon)
Luke Skywalker (human male from Tatooine)
R2-D2 (Industrial Automaton Astromech Droid)
C-3PO (Cybot Galactica Protocol Droid)
Imperial Forces
Lord Darth Vader (human male from Tatooine)
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin (human male from Eriadu)
Director Orson Callan Krennic (human male from Lexrul)
Qorl/DS-19-77, Black 6
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A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...
X-WING CHRONICLES
EPISODE I: REBEL ASSAULT
It is a period of civil war. The GALACTIC EMPIRE, under the command of the Emperor and DARTH VADER, rule the galaxy with an iron fist.
The Empire's military might seems undefeatable but the rebel ALLIANCE TO RESTORE THE REPUBLIC is bringing forth new weapons to combat the Imperial Military, such as the X-WING STARFIGHTER.
Many young, unknown pilots are joining the Rebellion, some for the thrill of the fight, some for hatred of the Empire and yet others who seek to bring peace and justice to the galaxy...
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Chapter 1: Flight Training
"In those early days of the Rebellion, they would take just about anyone, if you had at least some skill. When I "joined" I was just past my eighteenth birthday. I qualified as a starfighter pilot just three weeks after my nineteenth birthday. These days I'm not sure if that would happen; they certainly wouldn't be as accepting of some backwater bumpkin that had just gotten off the transport."
-Kaedan Macleod
Nineteen Years After The End of the Clone Wars...
The morning sun broke over the clouds on the horizon of the planet Kolaador, the rays shining upon an assembly of buildings nestled amongst the planet's giant crystal formations. Stenciled alongside one of the rounded buildings were the words Pilot Training Center and beneath that the soaring starbird crest of the Alliance to Restore The Republic, known much more widely as the Rebel Alliance.
Inside the main hangar of the Center, doors in the floor split apart to reveal a repulsorlift platform that began to raise an Incom T-16 Skyhopper into the hangar. Inside the Skyhopper, a young brown-haired, fair-skinned pilot finished his pre-flight check. He wore a grey flightsuit and lightweight pilot's helmet.* Unlike other versions of that helmet, this one had the familiar orange-tinted protective visor. This pilot's name was Kaeden Macleod and he was one of the Rebellion's eager young pilot recruits, just nearing the end of his seven week training cycle.
"Rookie One to tac-com control, request clearance for departure."
Inside the base's command center Turland Hack, an older man with graying hair, sat at one of the many command consoles. He smiled ruefully as he looked through the tall glass windows down at the hangar below and the waiting Skyhopper.
"This is Tac-Comm Control, clearance granted. Is that you, kid?" He responded with a slight drawl to his voice, one that caused Kaedan's face to split into a wide grin.
"Hack! Good to hear ya!"
"So you're running your trials today? Wish I could be with ya. You shouldn't have any problems though; this isn't half the stuff of the runs we used to do. Good luck!"
"Thanks!" replied Kaedan as he powered up the Skyhopper's repulsorlifts and gently lifted it into the air. As soon as he cleared the hangar entrance, he immediately goosed his throttle and roared out of the hangar and into he bright morning sunlight.
A few minutes later he was flying over a patch of flatlands that were free of Kolaador's ubiquitous giant crystals. Kolaador wouldn't be what Kaedan would describe as the most picturesque of planets, not that he'd been to many. He'd probably describe it as dull brown, especially with its tan-colored sky if not for the giant crystal spires that littered the surface of the planet and provided the perfect place for the Alliance to hide a base. Ahead of him he could see two more T-16s and the faint outlines of Widow's Canyon, the first part of their flight trials today.
"Green Leader to Rookie 1, are you ready?" came the voice of one of Kaeden's flight instructors, Captain Merrick Simms.
"Yes sir!" Kaedan chorused.
"Good. We'll begin with basic flight maneuvers. Follow us in, stay tight and keep clear of the walls."
And with that the trio of Skyhoppers dove into Widow's Canyon. Kaedan immediately increased his throttle, wanting to stay as close as possible to the more experienced pilots. Widow's Canyon wasn't impossible to navigate on its own; what made it a challenge was the fact that the walls were so close together. You had to keep on eye on the canyon walls and use a combination of banking and yawing, otherwise you might just end up as scrap on the side of the canyon. As they flew into one of the rare straight segments, Kaedan's comm unit crackled with Green Leader's voice.
"We're coming up to a fork in the canyon. Green Two will go left. You can go with him but if you're really a hotshot, follow me to the right."
Kaedan immediately knew what he was going to do. He pulled hard right on his flight stick, arcing around the fork right on Green Leader's tail but almost immediately had to level off to squeeze through the next section of canyon. Captain Simms hadn't been kidding; this part was much more tight and winding than the previous part.
"Now get ready, this is the hardest part of the course up ahead. You're going to have to pull hard left, then right, and then either go up and over or between two rock pillars. Get ready for it... NOW!"
Kaedan immediately pulled hard on the stick, sending his Skyhopper into a tight left bank. Suddenly he noticed that the canyon wall was getting a little close on the left for his liking and applied a little etheric rudder with the left rudder pedal to goose his Skyhopper into the next bank. Kaedan and Simms came out of the last turn and Kaedan saw the pillars that Green Leader had mentioned. It had come up so suddenly that Kaedan hesitated a moment. He tried to dip down to follow Captain Simms but he was too late. Cursing slightly under his breath, he bounced back up and over the mottled sand-colored stone.
Now they were flying through a relatively straight part of the canyon and Kaedan could see ahead that Green Two had already made it out of the canyon, past some vertical rock pillars that guarded the exit. To Kaedan, they looked like the monstrous teeth of some ancient predator... and he suddenly had a very interesting, very dumb idea to make up for missing the previous pillars. It would be tight, but not impossible, according to his sensors. As Green Leader flashed past the teeth, Kaedan drifted towards the right as he approached them.
"Macleod, what are you..." began Green Leader but by then it was too late to stop him. Just as got to the teeth, Kaedan banked slightly to the right, stomped on his left rudder pedal and decreased thrust. At the perfect moment that he was lined up with the largest gap between the three teeth, he punched his throttle to full, feeling himself smashed into the seat by the sudden acceleration. He shot through the gap, his lower airfoils scraping against one of the pillars. He immediately executed a bank to the left and came roaring out of the canyon.
"That was awesome!" Kaedan cried, his face stretched into a grin so wide it almost hurt, blood and adrenaline thundering in his ears.
"Great flying out there Rookie One. You've earned yourself an actual starfighter. Now, let's see if you can impress Commander Farrell."
Kaedan felt some of his euphoria evaporate at that announcement. Commander Farrell was by far the hardest of the hard-nosed instructors at the Kolaador Base and Kaedan had been hoping he wouldn't be part of the trials today. As the trio of Skyhoppers soared over the jagged Kolaador landscape back to the base, Kaedan thought that the chance to fly an actual starfighter was still worth it.
*The kind of helmets A-Wing pilots wear.