Review – Star Wars X-Wing: Rogue Squadron by Michael A. Stackpole

Morality in war? Now there’s a novel concept….

Star Wars was dying long before Disney got their hands on it, but once, it was a living and very exciting franchise. During that time frame many interesting and even great books were set in a galaxy far, far away. They have all been remanded to “Legends” status, sadly, but they can still be purchased by those eager for some good entertainment.

One series in the Expanded Universe (what “Legends” was once called) which a modern reader might want to pick up is the first entry in the X-Wing series. Written by Michael A. Stackpole and focusing on the new Rogue Squadron formed after Return of the Jedi, the series had as one of its stars a briefly-seen hero from the films: this would be Wedge Antilles, perhaps the most moral or ethical character in the old Star Wars universe.

And boy, does Stackpole deliver on that premise of Wedge’s character…even is the primary character in the narrative is one Corran Horn, descendant of a Corellian Security officer with some very Force-ful skills!

The Story

It starts with the Redemption scenario, a much-feared final test all Rebel Alliance pilots must face. Much like Star Trek’s infamous Kobayashi Maru test, the Redemption scenario is supposed to be unwinnable – the simulation has would-be elite pilots protecting Alliance medical shuttles bringing wounded to the Alliance ship Redemption for treatment, only for an Imperial frigate to arrive and send out TIE fighters. These fighters, piloted in the simulator by Rebel Alliance veterans, attempt to take out the rookies and/or to destroy the vessels they are protecting.

In contrast to the Kobayashi Maru, in this case, the test lives up to its reputation. Along with the other Squadron hopefuls, Corran loses the object stated in the test, but is surprised to learn from another hopeful that he actually won. He ended up dead in space – everyone else just ended up “dead,” period. Feeling good about this, Corran goes to see the pilot he beat who was flying the TIE that left him floating dead in space, only to find it isn’t the man he believed he dueled. But this stranger doesn’t give his name before after complimenting his piloting and leaves the room with a security escort to boot. So Corran is left wondering who could possibly have the skill to out-fly him yet not be out flying for the Rebels in combat, not to mention be under security’s watchful eye!

Meanwhile, Wedge Antilles goes to see his superiors, Admiral Ackbar and General Salm, the latter of whom is running the training center. Salm has refused a couple of people whom Wedge wants in the newly reformed Rogue Squadron, but Antilles is hoping that Ackbar will approve them. Essentially, he is praying he can get around the stubborn general by going to the admiral, and it works – sort of. Ackbar okays one of the trainees no problem, but the other one is not so easy. This is the man who beat Corran. He is the man whom Wedge wants as his XO – Tycho Celchu, former Imperial pilot, citizen of the destroyed Alderaan, and former captive in the current head of the Empire’s personal gulag: Lusankya.

Normally, getting out of an Imperial prison would not require restrictions to be put on someone. But those who escape Lusankya are often brainwashed so that they will commit sabotage and assassinations when the proper command comes through from Ysanne “Iceheart” Isard, the present head of the Empire. She even uses these former prisoners to get information on Alliance movements, too. So it is not hard to see why the brass is suspicious of Celchu, as even though he and his friends are sure he isn’t compromised, there is no proof that he got out clean.

Ackbar, however, takes one look at the restrictions that Celchu has agreed to accept on his movements and calls the man in to confirm he really means he will abide by them. Having been a slave for five years to Grand Moff Tarkin, one look at the list gives Ackbar flashbacks. Does Celchu understand he would be a veritable slave if he accepted these terms?!

Yes, he does, but he wants to fight. Restricted or not, Celchu wants to go with the Rogues. But no one tells the newbies about his past, so the suspicious Corran Horn is left to try to puzzle out why this man Wedge respects so much is under restraint as they prep to become a squadron that will be the Empire’s worst nightmare – and biggest thorn in the side – over the coming two months. Is Wedge’s confidence misplaced? Or is more going on than anyone realizes?

The Characters

By far, the best characters in this novel are Corran Horn and Wedge Antilles. The rest all have their time to shine, of course, but these two make the novel as Corran’s practiced skepticism and past experience in Corellian Security (CorSec for short) makes him understandably suspicious. Once a space police officer, always a space police officer. But is he suspicious of the right people?

Wedge comes into his own in this novel in a way that Zahn initially touched on in his Thrawn trilogy. Upbeat and optimistic, Antilles is nevertheless a no-nonsense commander who wants his people to not only succeed in their missions, but to come back alive. His loyalty to Celchu and those under his command is also on full display in this novel and makes one cheer him on almost more than any of the other protagonists.

The World

The world is Star Wars-that-was, and though the technobabble can cause some to get lost in the heat of aerial combat, the general view of the universe is remarkably thorough, particularly for Corran’s insights. What would it like to be even a former police officer in a galaxy far, far away? What would lead someone from the police force to join the Rebel Alliance rather than the Empire? And those are the questions for readers interested in Corran’s point of view. For others, there is a different set of questions: what would it be like if the head of Imperial intelligence took the Emperor’s throne, and what if she had her own personal gulag in which she could form and send out sleeper agents who have no idea they are being used? Is there any way to beat someone named “Iceheart” without resorting to the same types of tricks she uses? If so, how?

Politics

Some of the politics are more to the left than the right in this novel, but given the time in which it was written, that is to be expected. For the most part, though, these do not interfere with argument between the Rebellion and the convulsing Galactic Empire, so any allusions to real-world politics can be easily ignored if they irritate a reader.

Content Warning

Someone tries to lust after Ysanne Isard, the poor fool, and a girl does her best to catch Corran’s attention by letting down the zipper in the front of her flight suit more than she should. This girl also tries to corner him, but he manages to hold her off. The book is an easy PG-13 as neither of these things are that explicit.

Who is it for?

Star Wars fans and those who just want some good space combat. Anyone who likes Mil-SF mystery will enjoy it as well, and those who want some space opera that they can chew on will like the book. Star Wars X-Wing: Rogue Squadron is not as thick as Timothy Zahn’s works nor as deep as Declan Finn’s White Ops series, but it is solid Mil-SF to its core and will appeal to readers in that demographic. Anyone who misses the old Expanded Universe from Star Wars or who wants an idea of what it was like will definitely be well served by picking up this novel and giving it a read. Fans of Wedge Antilles will also like it and anyone interested in how Jedi were portrayed prior to the prequels will benefit from reading this, too.

Why buy it?

It is good Mil-SF action with a twist in a familiar universe. It is also vintage Star Wars. What other reason could there be to buy it?