Title: Remembering Old Times
Author: AstroWoman
Rating: PG-13 for implied slash, angst
Disclaimer: The Star Wars universe belongs to George Lucas. This is
all for his further honor and glory.
Spoilers: Possibly for Rebel Dream (NJO Book 12) by Aaron Allston

Characters: Wedge, Tycho, Luke, Mara

Summary: Missing scenes from Rebel Dream, at the end of Chapter 3
(pg. 60), which is after the fall of Coruscant and the retreat to
Borleias, but before Wedge and Iella are reunited on Borleias.

Note: I began reading fanfic maybe 6 months ago, after reading most
of the Bantam and NJO SW books. Before fanfic, I had never heard of
slash and thought it was kinda' strange. But I soon found out that
some of those pieces were beautiful love stories. I don't really
believe there was anything between Wedge and Luke, and I do think
that Luke and Mara are meant for each other. But certain aspects of
Rebel Dream brought Luke and Wedge together again in an angsty
situation and I began thinking about what would happen if in fact
they had been "together" during the Rebellion. This story is the
result.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

*Borleias Occupation Day 3*

Wedge left the first meeting of the Insiders and walked with Tycho
back to his hole-in-the-wall office in the former Alderaan Biotics
facility. They didn't talk as they went along, but he knew they were
of one mind -- both thoroughly disgusted from their earlier run-in
with Councilor Pwoe (whom now claimed to the Chief of State, no less)
and NR politicians in general. Their covert meeting with the new
Insiders group was the one good thing they could think of.

As they walked in silence, Wedge felt the adrenaline that had surged
during his confrontation with Pwoe begin to recede. His gait slowed,
and every few seconds his thoughts drifted to his beautiful wife and
their daughters, out there . . . somewhere. He hadn't been able to go
to them when the Vong attacked Coruscant. *They could be at the mercy
of the Vong right now, for all I know,* he thought. Wedge abruptly
stopped walking. He couldn't breathe properly. His right hand came up
to cover his face, and he leaned heavily into it, taking in large
gulps of air.

Tycho grabbed Wedge's arm gently and tugged him into Wedge's tiny
office, all the while looking down the hall to see who might've
witnessed the General's lapse. Even though he and Luke and the other
Insiders knew that Wedge was a human being, he couldn't let the rank
and file soldiers see Wedge this way. They had to go on believing
that General Antilles, the Hero of the Rebel Alliance, was
invincible. He knew they needed someone to believe in right now, at
their darkest hour.

"Come on, Wedge. Let's have a drink." He pulled Wedge into the tiny
office and once inside, the General leaned his back against the
closed and locked door, and the dug the heels of his palms into his
eyes.

"Wedge. Here, drink this." Tycho had pulled a slim flask out of an
inner pocket of his flight suit and unscrewed the cap. Wedge accepted
the bottle and took a brief swig of potent Corellian whiskey. As it
burned down his throat, his nerves began to quiet and he felt himself
stop shaking.

"Thanks Tycho."

"No problem. Listen, they are going to be all right."

"I don't know that. Even Luke can't see their fate."

"But he hasn't seen anything bad, either. Remember that."

"Yeah," Wedge said. His haggard features reminded Tycho how tired he
himself was.

"Look, Wedge. You're exhausted. So am I. We may not have had a space
or a ground battle today, but that skirmish with Pwoe and his hangers-
on has taken a toll and neither of us is thinking clearly. I suggest
we both get some rest and meet up later. Things may not be better,
but we will be better equipped to deal with the situation."

"Right. I'll see you later."

*Like I'm going to be able to sleep,* Wedge thought. *But maybe Tycho
will actually get some rest. At least someone will be up to taking
charge of this garrison. Thankfully Winter is safe somewhere with
Admiral Ackbar . . . .*

"Okay. Try to relax," Tycho said.

*I hope he can sleep, because I don't think I can,* the Alderaanian
pilot thought. He walked down the hall to his own tiny office and
disappeared behind the door.

Wedge walked over and locked the door to his office. He sat down
behind his desk and leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on
the desk. He'd napped many times in that very position back at Rogue
headquarters on Coruscant. The locked door always gave him plenty of
time to pull himself together, should anyone come looking for him. He
closed his eyes.

***

Luke started from his seat at the desk in their small quarters.

"What is it?"

"It's Wedge, Mar. I think he's dreaming. No, more like having a
nightmare."

"I think you should go check on him. I know he'll be fine, but the
weight of this whole operation is on his shoulders. I think he could
use some support from "the boss." He still looks up to you. He still
calls you that all the time."

"It's just a joke, nowadays. Anyway, back when I first met Wedge on
Yavin, he was a lot more grown up than I was."

"I'll bet, Farmboy."

"We went through so much together -- in situations pretty much like
this one. We didn't know if we'd live to see the next day. We were so
much alike -- both of us just kids, really, and we had both lost our
parents. Even as bad as it was then, neither of us felt the fear of
losing a wife or our own child. I can't image what he must be going
through right now. I don't know what I'd do if you and Ben weren't
here."

"Go find him, Luke. He could use an old friend right now. I'll be
fine. Ben will keep me entertained," she said, snuggling the sleepy
boy up onto her shoulder from the cradle of her arms.

Luke bent down and kissed the back of his son's downy head. He then
briefly kissed Mara on the lips. "I'll be back soon," he said,
walking out the door to their temporary quarters.

Mara rocked her son a little and whispered into his ear, "Now that
we're alone, my beautiful boy, I'm going to teach you all about
concealing weapons. We've only got a little time before Jediboy
returns. Got to hurry."

Ben gave her a miniature version of what she secretly called
the "bewildered Farmboy" look. She snorted.

"Okay, okay, how about a lullaby?"

***

As Luke approached the door to Wedge's office, he could feel his
friend's agitation increase. He knew Wedge was still asleep, and his
nightmare appeared to be getting worse. Luke pressed the annunciator
outside the door.

He heard a beeping sound but the door didn't open. He knew it was
locked, and Wedge was not waking up.

"Sorry about this, my friend," he said in a low voice, and opened the
door with the Force. He walked in to find Wedge slumped over his
desk, his face in his arms, eyes squeezed tightly closed, and
mumbling, "no, no, no," over and over, almost too softly for Luke to
hear.

He stepped forward and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Wedge?"

No answer. He shook his friend a bit.

"Wedge. Wake up."

"Hmm? Wha . . .? The General looked up, confused. "Tych?"

"No, it's me. Luke. I felt you dreaming. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm here. I'm safe, right? What matters is whether
*they* are all right."

"Wedge, I'm sorry about before. After the meeting. I didn't mean
to. . ."

"It's okay, Luke. I know. Listen, to me you're still a person. Not a
perfect Jedi Master. Don't ever worry that I'm going to be angry with
you over something small like that."

"Okay. How about a drink? I mean, you want one? Think it would clear
the cobwebs a bit?"

"Tycho's already gone that route. I need to be alert. The Vong could
drop out of hyperspace at any time. Drinking's not a good idea."

"You're right, of course. Anything else I can do?"

"How about just hanging out for a while. We've both been going in
opposite directions for so long. Looks like it took another war to
bring us together."

"Wouldn't miss it," Luke chuckled, remembering another time he'd said
the same thing to his other best friend.

"You know, it's ironic," Wedge mused. "I used to help you with your
nightmares back then."

"It made a huge difference to me. I don't know if I would've made it
without you, Wedge."

"Does Mara know about us?"

"No. At least, I don't think so. At least not consciously."

"Come again?"

"Well, you know she is a Jedi Master. And even before then, she had
seen into all the corners of my mind. So she may know about it
subconsciously. She hasn't ever mentioned it."

"Hmm."

"What about Iella?"

"No, I have never mentioned it to her. I think we were both right to
keep it to ourselves. After all, I don't think either one of us ever
was with a man before or since. I think it had to do with the
situation, the war."

"I agree. But it was still special. I wouldn't trade those times for
anything."

"No. Me neither."

"I love my wife and my son. But I know that I loved you then. In a
way, I still do."

"Oh gods. I love Iella and the girls so much. I don't know what to
do, Luke." Wedge looked like he was going to break down.

Luke closed and locked the door with the Force and went to his
friend, pulling Wedge up from the chair and into his arms. "I think
it's going to be okay, Wedge. I really do. Not as a Jedi, but just as
your friend, and Iella's friend. She is one hell of a woman, Wedge --
one hell of an Intel agent, and believe me, I know a lot of `em. This
op is not going to get the best of her." He rubbed Wedge's back as
the man clung to him, the way he used to, decades ago. In another
war, another time.

FINIS