[Ed.'s Warning: You're about to find out more about the history and battles of Rogue Squadron than you though humanly possible to learn. The following information was compiled from the Star Wars films, the Star Wars novels, the "X-Wing" novels and the "Rogue Squadron" comic books. Strap your astromech in, try to keep up, and hang on for the flight of your life!]

     "Rogue Squadron" is the name of the elite X-wing flying force of the New Republic. Comprised of twelve pilots and twelve X-wing starfighters, Rogue Squadron attained its greatest status under the command of Commander Wedge Antilles, attached to Admiral Ackbar's Naval office.

TIMEFRAME: ANH THROUGH ROTJ

     The name and mantle "Rogue Squadron" was first assumed by the surviving members of Red Squadron, the X-wing pilots that had successfully destroyed the first Death Star at the Battle of Yavin. Due to their valorous efforts, the non-surviving squad members who flew with Red Squadron in that battle were posthumously inducted as members of Rogue Squadron, a high honor.

     After the death of Commander Narra just prior to the Battle of Hoth, Luke Skywalker was given command of Rogue flight by General Carlist Rieekan. Rogue Squadron, flying converted snowspeeders, fought valiantly against Imperial All-Terrain Armored Transports at the Battle of Hoth, protecting the Rebellion's evacuation from the planet and losing many of its members. After the battle, Luke Skywalker took a leave of absence and Wedge Antilles was put in command of the squadron.

     During the time period between the battles of Hoth and Endor, Rogue Squadron was involved in many missions, including a skirmish with Imperial Forces while the fleet was en route to Tatooine to drop off Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, and C-3PO. During this battle, Rogue Squad managed to take out an Imperial Strike Cruiser. Skywalker re-joined the squadron for a short time prior to the Battle of Endor when Rogue was involved in a diversionary strike in the Gall system to cover an attempt to rescue the carbonite-encased Han Solo from the vile bounty hunter Boba Fett. Fett's ship, Slave I, was docked in the system for repairs. Unfortunately, this rescue attempt failed. During the skirmish Wes Janson (Rogue 6) lost control of his X-wing to his malfunctioning R2 unit, and began to fire upon Luke Skywalker. A careful shot from Skywalker destroyed the targeting sensors on Janson's X-wing, and the squad fell back upon the base to sort things out. The traitorous technician responsible for sabotaging the R2 unit was unfortunately killed before the Rebel Alliance was able to question her. Shortly after that incident, Rogue Squadron was involved in a skirmish near Coruscant where they helped cover the Millennium Falcon's escape from the planet.

     Rogue Squadron made up the core of Red Group at the Battle of Endor - temporarily renamed in honor of those who fought and died at the Battle of Yavin. Rogue members racked up many kills during the battle, including Wedge Antilles' kill of the Death Star 2 itself, a kill he shares with General Lando Calrissian.

TIMEFRAME: POST-ROTJ

Just a day after the Battle of Endor, Wedge was flying a routine patrol mission in the Endor system when he came upon an Imperial drone ship. While examining its contents Wedge accidentally set off a destruct sequence, but heroically placed his own hand between the two crystals that would join together, preventing the self destruct. The ship contained a distress signal from an Imperial outpost in the Bakura system. Alliance personnel, including Rogue Squadron, were sent to Bakura to assist the Imperials in driving off the forces of the Ssi-Ruuk Imperium, which they did successfully.

     Shortly after the Battle of Bakura and prior to the Cilpar campaign, Wedge led Rogue Squadron against the forces of Grand Moff Nivers on the planet Tandankin. During the battle Wedge destroyed a tower which collapsed, destroying hundreds of grounded Imperial TIE Fighters. The citizens were at first unhappy, but after a speech by Luke Skywalker, who was flying under Wedge's command in Rogue Squadron at the time of the battle, the people saw that Wedge had in fact saved them from the tyrannical rule of the Empire.

TIMEFRAME: ROGUE SQUADRON COMIC SERIES

     Rogue Squadron was later instrumental in freeing the people of the planet Cilpar from Imperial rule. The squad hooked up with the planetary resistance, led by Elscol Loro, in order to overthrow the Imperial Moff Boren Tascl. The Rebel operative on the planet, Winter, had squad member Tycho Celchu infiltrate the Imperial garrison on the planet. Tycho, an Alderaanian who defected from the Imperial Navy after his home planet's destruction, had fought valiantly at the Battle of Endor. After the liberation of the planet, Elscol chose to join Rogue Squadron.

     Rogue Squadron's next mission was one of diplomacy, to the planet Mrlsst. Wedge was to bargain with the Mrlssti for their phantom ship. Unfortunately, the Imperial delegate was none other than Loka Hask, the man responsible for the death of Wedge's parents. The Anti-Endor Association (AEA) further complicated matters, assaulting Rogue Squadron member Tycho Celchu after he publicly denounced their belief that the Battle of Endor is simply Rebel propaganda. Tycho was saved by none other than the "phantom Jedi" that haunted the Mrlsst University campus! Matters were complicated further when the plans to the phantom ship were stolen -- and it appeared that Tycho was the thief. Hask and his ship were eventually destroyed by a device invented by Professor Falken, although the plans for the phantom ship were lost, and Elscol's wookiee companion, Groznik, was killed.

     Rogue Squadron's next mission took them to the familiar landscape of Tatooine. There, after attending a banquet given by Huff Darklighter, the father of Biggs Darklighter (a Red Squadron member killed at the Battle of Yavin) the Rogues again encountered Agent Winter. Unbeknownst to them, the Twi'lek Firith Olan had arranged for a data disk to be stolen from Darklighter's safe during this banquet. The data on the disk led to an Imperial weapons cache on Tatooine, which was later destroyed by Rogue Squadron member Elscol Loro. An Imperial attack pointed Rogue Squadron to the Twi'lek homeworld of Ryloth. There, Wedge convinced two Imperial Special Forces Troopers to defect to the Alliance. Returning to Tatooine, Rogue Squadron and their new allies thwarted the Imperial forces and claimed the planet for the Alliance. Elscol then left the Squadron to become a freedom fighter.

     Rogue Squadron's next adventure took them to Eiattu, the home world of Rogue member Plourr Ilo, where she was revealed to be an actual princess. Plourr assumed a leadership role and struggled to overcome a misguided liberation front led by a man claiming to be her thought-dead brother and a secret Imperial plot. New members joined the squad, including a Mon Calamari and a Quarren, two natives of the planet Calamari whose races have had a history of mutual dislike.

     Sometime later, Tycho Celchu was captured and tortured by Imperial Director of Intelligence Ysanne (Iceheart) Isard. Celchu managed to escape her secret headquarters of Lusankya, but not the shadow of doubt the episode cast over him. The possibility that Isard had brainwashed him to betray the Rogues forced Alliance command to remove Tycho from combat duty, over Wedge Antilles' fervent objections.

TIMEFRAME: THE "X-WING" NOVELS

     Later still, approximately two and a half years after the Battle of Endor, Rogue Squadron underwent a major reformation. Old faces, such as Wes Janson, had moved on to other positions, while new members flooded in. Commander Wedge Antilles and Captain Tycho Celchu were all that remained from the squadron that fought on Cilpar, Mrlsst, and Tatooine. Notable new members included Lt. Corran Horn, Ooryl Qrygg, Nawara Ven, Bror Jace, Erisi Dlarit, and Gavin Darklighter. Mirax Terrik, smuggler and friend of Commander Antilles, once again assisted the squadron, after lending a hand in the Mrlsst campaign. Also present were military protocol droid M-3PO and several Verpine technicians. Due to his suspected brainwashing, Tycho Celchu was forced to enter battle in an unarmed Lambda class shuttlecraft. Unfortunately for the Squadron, Imperial agent Kitran Loor discovered their secret base and several pilots were killed in a surprise attack. Afterwards, Rogue attempted to take the Imperial installation on Borleias, also known as Blackmoon, but are unfortunately routed. Despite this disastrous operation, the Rogues decided to make another try at Blackmoon, and this run proved a success, with Wedge able to destroy the power line necessary to the success of the operation. Unfortunately, Wedge was forced to leave Corran behind. After fighting off some TIE Fighters on his own Corran had given up all hope, but miraculously Mirax Terrik arrived to rescue him.

     Rogue's next assignment was no small task -- the liberation of Coruscant, the Imperial Center itself. To do this the Rogues had to land on the planet separately and fight on the ground to take out the computer core which controlled the defenses. After much fighting and with the aid of criminals freed from Kessel, the squadron managed to take control of the computer core, which in turn allowed the Alliance fleet to take control of the planet. The victory was bittersweet, as squadron member Corran Horn was believed killed in action and Tycho Celchu charged with his murder.

     After gaining control of Coruscant the Alliance faced a dreadful problem. Prior to deserting the planet, Imperial forces loosed a deadly plague -- the Krytos Virus -- which was systematically killing off the alien population. The only cure for this deadly virus was bacta -- the healing solution grown on the planet Thyferra. Human/Alien relations were at a crucial point, and to further stress matters the highly publicized trial of Tycho Celchu served as a paradox to the Alliance. If they let him go free the aliens might have viewed it as favoritism toward humans; but if they convicted him they might have sent an innocent man to his death! Luckily, Corran Horn (not dead at all but a prisoner of the same Lusankya Tycho had earlier escaped from) also escaped from Luskanya. Tycho was set free and the true traitor in Rogue Squadron was revealed to be none other than Erisi Dlarit. Due to the New Republic's reluctance to go after Isard, the members of Rogue Squadron resigned to fight the war on their own. After fighting Isard in the Thyferra system, Rogue Squadron rejoined the Alliance.

TIMEFRAME: THE "THRAWN TRILOGY" AND BEYOND

     Rogue Squadron next played a decisive role in the campaign against Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn, with Derek "Hobbie" Klivian back in the squad. They participated in the Battle of Sluis Van, the Battle for the Katana fleet, and the Battle of Bilbringi. Although the New Republic was almost destroyed by Thrawn, a tactical genius, Rogue Squadron managed to keep up the fight until the Battle of Bilbringi, where Grand Admiral Thrawn was killed.

     Shortly after the end of Thrawn's campaign, Wedge Antilles finally accepted promotion to the rank of General in the Republic Army (at the request of Admiral Ackbar) and, although left in command of the Navel Rogue Squadron, was only granted the opportunity to fly with them if his duties as General were not compromised. Without Wedge in devoted command, the squadron eventually dissolved, signifying the end of an era. From Yavin to Bilbringi, Rogue Squadron -- in one form or another -- was there to fight the Empire, to defend the Rebel Alliance, to fight for freedom for all beings. Throughout all the years there was one constant -- Wedge Antilles. Wedge was the embodiment of the principles of the Alliance to Restore the Republic: someone willing to risk it all for the greater good of the galaxy, someone willing to risk his life so that others could remain free.

     The same could be said for all the pilots of Rogue Squadron. Though others may call themselves by the same name, they are not the same squadron without the likes of Commander Wedge Antilles, Commander Luke Skywalker, Lt. Corran Horn, Lt. Pash Cracken, Captain Tycho Celchu, Wes Janson, Hobbie Klivian, Plourr, and all of the other Rogues who fought so valiantly for the Alliance -- for freedom.

THE PILOTS OF ROGUE SQUADRON

(When last seen, Wedge was hanging out with current main squeeze Qwi Xux, and was unavailable for comment. Jim Fisher, however, can be found brandishing his Star Wars Trivia crown like a shileleah, and answers to "your Worthiness" at 70162.3104@compuserve.com)