Part 1 (1/2)

Star Wars.

X-Wing.

Iron Fist.

by Aaron Allston.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

The Wraiths Commander Wedge Antilles (Leader, One) (human male from CoreIlia)

Leuteuant Wes Janson (Three) (human male from Taanab) Lieutenant Myn Donos (Nine) (human male from CoreIlia) Lieutenant Garik ”Face” Loran (Eight) (human male from Pantolomin) Lieutenant Kell Tainer (Five) (human male from Sluis Van) Hoha.s.s ”Runt” Ekwesh (Six) (Thakwaash male from Thakwaa) Ton Phanan (Seven)(human male from Rudrig)

Voort ”Piggy” saBinring (Twelve) (Gamorrean male from Gamorr) Tyria Sarkin (Eleven) (human female from Toprawa) Castin Donn (Two) (human male from Coruscant)

Shalla Nelprin (Ten) (human female from lngo)

Dia Pa.s.sik (Four) (Twi'lek female from Ryloth) Lara Notsil (Thirteen) (human female from Aidivy) Rogue Squadron Support Personnel

Cubbet Daine (human male from CoreIlia, squad mechanic) Chunky (Tyria's R5 unit)

Gate (Wedge's R5 unit)

Squeaky (3PO unit, squadron quartermaster)

Tonin (Lara's R2 unit) Vape (Face's R2 unit)

New Republic Military

Colonel Atton Repness (human male from Commenor) Captain Onoma (Mon Calamari male from Mon Calamari) Captain Valton (human male from Tatooine)

Zsinj's Forces

Warlord Zsinj (human male from Fondor)

General Melvar (human male from Kuat)

Captain Todrin Rossik (human male from Coruscant) Captain Vellar (human male)

Captain Netbers (human male)

Captain Raslan (human male)

Lieutenant Bradan (human female)

The Hawk-bats

General Kargin (human male)

Captain Seku (Twi'lek female from Ryloth)

Lieutenant Dissek (human male from Alderaan)

Lieutenant Kettch (Ewok male from Endor)

Qatya Na.s.sin (human female)

Morrt (human male)

1.

He made no pretense at being fully human. He had probably been born human, but now mechanical limbs - obvious prosthetics with no skinlike cover concealing their artificial nature - replaced his right arm and both legs, and the upper-right portion of his bald head was a s.h.i.+ny metal surface with a standard com-puter interface.

He made no pretense at being friendly, either. He approached the members of Wraith Squadron as they sat, crammed into their booth, and with neither threat nor comment he s.n.a.t.c.hed a wine bottle from the next table over and brought it down on Runt Ekwesh's head.

The bottle didn't break. It offered a musical toonk sound and coughed up a little wine from its open neck, and Runt, the furred alien with the long, big-toothed face, slumped in his seat, his eyes rolling up in his head. Most of the members of Wraith Squadron were pinned in place-with nine pilots crammed into a circular booth built for five, they had little room to move. But Kell Tainer, seated at the opposite end of the ring from Runt, scrambled to his feet.

Instead of diving toward his wingmate's attacker, instead of charging with a fist c.o.c.ked back to punch the man, he slid sideways toward his target, then came up in a side kick that caught the cyborg under his chin and lifted him clean off the floor, slamming him to the bar's floor.

Most of the members of the squadron slid out of the booth in Kell's wake.