Star Wars_ X-Wing 01_ Rogue Squadron - Michael A. Stackpole [10]
“That’s all you want to see, Antilles.”
“Meaning?”
“You say he escaped.” Salm’s face hardened into a steel mask. “It could be they let him go.”
“Sure, just like they let him go at Endor.” Wedge grimaced, doing his best to banish the anger he felt growing in him. “General, you’re fighting ghosts.”
Salm nodded curtly. “You’re right, I’m fighting to prevent you and your people from becoming ghosts.”
“Well, so am I, and having Tycho with us to train my people will give them the best chance of survival possible.”
Salm tossed his hands up in disgust and looked at Admiral Ackbar. “You see, he won’t listen to reason. He knows Captain Celchu is a threat, but he won’t let himself see it.”
“I’ll listen to reason, sir, when I see the product of some reasoning.”
Ackbar held up his hands. “Gentlemen, please. Commander Antilles, you must admit that General Salm’s concerns are valid. Perhaps if there were a way to alleviate some of them, an accommodation could be reached.”
“I thought of that, sir, and I’ve spoken with Captain Celchu about it.” Wedge started ticking points off on his fingers. “Tycho has agreed to fly a Z-95 Headhunter in our training exercises, with the lasers powered down so they can only paint a target, not hurt it. He’s agreed to have a destruct device installed in the starfighter so that if he goes to ram anything or goes outside spacelanes to which he is assigned, he can be destroyed by remote. When not flying he has agreed to remain under house arrest unless accompanied by Alliance Security or members of the squadron. He’s agreed to undergo interrogation as needed, to have all his computer files and correspondence open to examination, and is even willing to have us choose what he eats, when, and where.”
Salm marched over and placed himself between Wedge and the Mon Calamari Admiral. “This is all well and good, and might even be effective, but we can’t afford the risk.”
Ackbar blinked his eyes slowly. “Captain Celchu has agreed to these conditions?”
Wedge nodded. “He’s no different from you, Admiral—he’s a warrior. What he knows, what he can teach, will keep pilots alive. Of course, there’s no way General Salm will ever let him fly in combat again.”
“That can be etched in transparisteel.”
“So serving as an instructor is the only way he can fight back. You have to give him this chance.”
Ackbar activated the small comlink clipped to his uniform’s collar. “Lieutenant Filla, please find Captain Celchu and bring him to me.” The Mon Calamari looked up at Wedge. “Where is he currently?”
Wedge looked down at the deck. “He should be in the simulator complex.”
“He’s where?!” Salm’s face went purple.
“You’ll find him in the simulator complex, Lieutenant. Bring him here immediately.” Ackbar turned the comlink off. “The simulator complex?”
“It was Horn’s turn leading the Redemption scenario. Tycho knows how to fly a TIE better than most pilots, so I decided to have him fly against Horn.”
Ackbar’s lip fringe twitched. “You’ve taken certain liberties concerning Captain Celchu already, it seems, Commander.”
“Yes, sir, but nothing that isn’t necessary to make my pilots the best. I’m being prudent in this, I think.”
“The most prudent course, Commander—if you cared to protect the rest of the trainees here, not just your own—would have been to keep Captain Celchu out of the simulator facility entirely!” Salm crossed his arms over his chest. “You may be a hero of the New Republic, but that doesn’t give you any authorization to jeopardize our security.”
Perhaps having Tycho fly today was a bit premature. Wedge glanced down penitently. “I stand corrected, sir.”
Ackbar broke the uneasy silence following Wedge’s admission. “What is done is done. Now using Captain Celchu in the scenario would have made it that much more difficult, would it not?”
A smile creeping back on his face, Wedge nodded. “Yes, sir—which