| Wedge Antilles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Race | Shapeshifter (Preferred form appears to be Human) |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Rebel X-Wing Pilot |
| Aliases | Bib Fortuna Red Two Rogue One |
| Status | Alive |
| First Appearance | Page 873, A New Generation |
Wedge Antilles (Alias Bib Fortuna) is a shapeshifter and X-Wing pilot with the Rebel Alliance who flew under the callsigns Red Two and Rogue One. He was originally supposed to be in charge of the X-Wing squadron until Luke took it over, but he claims to have no problem with that. He's always cheerful and friendly, which only makes Luke, whom he always addresses as "good buddy", exceptionally suspicious and paranoid of him - even more than Luke normally is, which is saying a lot.
After the fall of Hoth, Wedge was given false coordinates by Luke when they were escaping. Rather than the previously indicated rendezvous point Upsilon, he told Wedge to go to zendezvous point Zeta, which sent him to Tatooine. There, he picked up some info, which led him to infiltrate the crime circle of Jabba the Hutt where he later met up with Luke after Han, Leia and the droids were captured.
A New Generation[]
Wedge's first form in A New Generation.
The Falcon arrived at the Rebel base on the fourth moon orbiting the gas giant planet, Yavin. At the base, Princess told General Willard that the Senate had the Peace Moon blow up Naboo and that R2 had the entire data on the Peace Moon downloaded. R2 addressed all the other Rebels (including Han, Chewbacca, 3PO, Princess, and Luke) at a briefing. He told them that the entire Moon was being powered by the Lost Orb of Phanastacoria, and that was the only way the Moon could get the energy to blow up a planet. Han asked how it was connected. R2 explained it was all being channeled by conduits on either side of the Orb. Han speculated that if the Orb got bumped while it was powering up to destroy a planet, the results could be catastrophic. This gave Luke an idea on how to destroy the Moon, and Han agreed. Give the Moon a planet to destroy, then as it powered up, fire a torpedo down a thermal exhaust port, and kaboom. 3PO was alarmed at the idea of giving the Moon a planet to blow up. Han pointed out a heavily populated Moon would do.
On Yavin, General Dodonna took over the briefing. Unfortunately, he was a long-winded gasbag that Chewbacca had to translate for, to reveal that the Peace Moon had just arrived and was heading their way. Han recommended retreat, and Chewbacca agreed. Princess pointed out they didn't have time to evacuate everybody, that their only real option was to stay and fight. Luke asked what firepower they had. Gold Leader answered that they had 4 squadrons of one-man fighters, a total of 32. Princess said they'd need to fire a torpedo into the thermal exhaust port. R2 tried to argue against destroying the Peace Moon, arguing that they could take it over instead. R2 claimed all they had to do was kill Darth Vader, use the Force to take over the clones, have them kill their superior officers, and the Peace Moon would be hi- er, theirs. He pointed out that Luke was the son of Anakin, so he could take over the clones. Luke pointed out he didn't know how to do that. 3PO added that he probably didn't want to. R2 pointed out to Princess that she wanted Luke to use the Force. She replied not to give R2 a superweapon. Princess pointed out the flaws in R2's plan: who was going to kill Vader, how was anybody going to even get near the Peace Moon, and Luke was too "chicken-livered" to use the Force. R2 pointed out her plan had the second flaw, too. Princess replied that was still two less flaws than R2's plan. 3PO asked R2 to figure out how their fighters could fly to dodge the Peace Moon's guns. R2 eagerly agreed since that would help validate his plan as well. This was the most complicated vector optimisation problem he'd ever had to solve. R2 chose to shut down all of his external systems and convert to full processing power, which would keep him out of the conversation for awhile.
Wedge's second form in A New Generation.
Princess volunteered to lead the attack fleet. Dodonna offered in his long-winded way to be liason between the fighters and the command center. Princess vetoed that because she claimed that she'd need Dodonna to do a thing. That she'd explain later. Luke decided he'd lead the attack itself. The pilot sitting next to Luke, introduced himself as Wedge, and told Luke that even though Wedge was next in line of command, he'd support Luke all the way. This only makes Luke quite suspicious of Wedge. Princess ordered all pilots to their fighters. She asked R2 if he'd made his calculations. R2 didn't respond, indicating he was still calculating. Princess decided he'd have to finish the calculations on the fly, and ordered Luke to take R2 to his fighter, an X-Wing.
Princess and 3PO took up their positions in the command center as the X-Wing fighters and Y-Wing bombers headed off to fight the Peace Moon. Luke ordered the fighters with him to report in. In addition to Biggs and Wedge, there was Red Ten who spoke in Space French, Red Seven who spoke in Space Spanish, Porkins who spoke in Space Welsh, Red Nine who spoke Space Estonian, and Red Eleven who spoke in Space Basque. 3PO translated for them all, even though all they were saying was their ship numbers and "standing by". R2 was still dormant as they began to approach the Peace Moon. The Moon opened fire on them, which Red Four reported in Space Japanese which 3PO translated. Luke dodged the blasts and shot the stations on the Peace Moon firing at them.
R2 came to life, having finished his calculations, and transmitted the vectors to the other fighters. All Rebel fighters were now flying to the formation R2 had specified. R2 apologized to Porkins. Porkins asked what, just before getting shot down by the Peace Moon's guns.
At the command center, Del Goren, speaking in Space Kanarese that 3PO translated, warned the Rebel fighters that enemy fighters were heading their way.
Luke fired at a PIE fighter. He missed, because his guns were firing a little to the left. Luke ranted about what a piece of junk his fighter was. Princess told him to quit complaining, the Rebellion was on a shoestring and he actually had the best ship in the bunch. R2 offered to compensate for Luke. Biggs told Luke a complicated way that he could manually compensate. Luke chose to beg for R2's help. Luke fired again at the PIE fighter and destroyed it.
Luke was being fired at from behind by a PIE fighter. Wedge offered to rescue Luke, but since Luke didn't trust Wedge, that didn't make Luke any less worried. Wedge fired and hit the PIE fighter.
R2 directed Luke to the "Gungaboo River Valley" because it had the lowest fixed gun density on the way to the target, the thermal exhaust port. Luke asked where that was and R2 told him it was that squareish trench, explaining that the Peace Moon was never fully landscaped. Princess asked if R2 calculated the PIE fighters in his vector. R2 said no, the Rebel fighters were just going to have to dodge. Princess ordered the X-Wings to engage the PIE fighters and the Y-bombers into the valley, pointing out that as bombers, they were the best fit for the target.
The Y-bombers consisted of three one-man fighters: Gold Leader who spoke "Basic", Gold Two who spoke Space German, and Gold Five who spoke Space Finnish. 3PO tried to translate between them, but it ended up making no difference, since Vader, accompanied by 2 Clone Pilots Vader was Force Controlling, came in behind them. First Vader shot down Gold Two, then Vader shot down Gold Leader, then Vader shot down Gold Five.
R2 claimed they couldn't destroy the Peace Moon now. Luke asked why they couldn't torpedo the exhaust port themselves. R2 explained that the port was protected by a large metal grille, and that that was what the bombers were for: to destroy the grille so the other fighters could shoot through the port. Princess reported that they needed a new plan, stat. R2 suggested they take over the Peace Moon. Princess responded that they needed a realistic plan, stat. 3PO suggested some of the fighters ram into the grille. R2 liked that idea, and so took control of the fighters piloted by Garven Dreis, Red Ten, and Red Nine to ram them into the grille. Red Ten, who didn't want to die, desperately fired into the grille. Red Ten claimed it was a hit, which 3PO translated. R2 was pleased, so cancelled the ramming. But then Red Ten reported (through 3PO) that his torpedo didn't destroy the grille, making only a small hole in it. R2 recommenced ramming, but Vader and the two clone pilots came in behind the 3 X-Wings in the trench. Vader shot down Red Ten. Clone Pilot 1, still Force controlled by Vader, complimented Vader's shooting. Vader thanked Clone Pilot 1 and shot down Red Nine. Clone Pilot 2, also still Force controlled by Vader, complimented Vader's shooting. Vader told Clone Pilot 2 that Clone Pilot 2 was too kind and shot Dreis' engine, causing him to crash.
Princess told everybody to get their act together. The only Rebel fighters left now were Wedge, Biggs, and Luke. Luke said, "Great, the yokel and the psychopath." Wedge insisted that just because he was a shapeshifter didn't mean he was a yokel. Luke was shocked to just find out that Wedge was a shapeshifter and demanded to know who he really was. Princess told him that all he needed to know was that Wedge was a damn good pilot and would soon take over as leader of Red Squadron if Luke was not careful. Vader fired at Luke from behind. Luke managed to dodge. He decided they could still fire their torpedoes through the hole in the grille, and ordered Biggs and Wedge to close in with him as they entered the trench full throttle. Upon hearing that, Biggs declared this was the perfect time to get out a bottle of nitro moonshine. Princess told him it was a good idea of his to nitro the engines. But Biggs was just drinking it.
Vader shot at Wedge. Wedge was able to dodge, but was still hit in his manouvering controls. Wedge said he couldn't stay with Luke. Luke was glad of that (because he still feared and distrusted Wedge) and ordered him back to base. Luke contacted Princess to let her know that Wedge the shapeshifter, not Luke, was flying back to base. Princess asked Luke what his point was, then said, "Never mind, shut up and fly." Vader shot down Biggs. The only members of the attack fleet who were still alive were Wedge, who was limping back to base, and Luke.
The Enemy Let Slip[]
Wedge in The Enemy Let Slip.
On his hoverplane, Luke fired at the nearest "camel" (actually an armored tank). Luke's shot bounced off the armored tank. Luke noted the hoverplanes came equipped with harpoons for hunting glacier worms. R2 asked how that was going to help. Luke admitted he didn't know, he was just making it up as he went along. At that moment, a tank fired at his hoverplane. Luke tried to dodge, but the hoverplane sustained major damage in the rear compartment. Luke asked Dak if he was okay, but Dak had slumped forward, unconscious. The Rebel Troopers kept firing at the tanks, only for all their shots to keep bouncing off. In one of the tanks, General Veers contacted Vader to complain how silly he felt riding a giant attack camel. Vader asked if it was working. Veers admitted that it was. Vader told him Vader would be landing Vader's troops. Luke contacted Princess to warn that the Imperials would be landing troops soon. Princess asked if he was sure since they hadn't picked up any landers yet. Luke replied that he just had a feeling. Luke fired a harpoon at one of the tanks, hitting it in its legs. Wedge radioed in from another hoverplane to compliment his shooting, but said he didn't think Luke could tow it very far. 3PO suggested he fly around the tank's legs to trip it with his harpoon wire. Luke did so and the tank tripped and fell. R2 ordered the Rebel Troopers to capture that camel. Ledick Firest was happy to obey this order, because then they could use it against the others. The Imperial Troopers in the fallen tank tried to get it back up again. They pressed a button labeled "Rise triumphantly" only to discover that it just opened the sunroof. Luke fired into the open sunroof, causing the entire tank to explode, much to R2's distress.
Luke had made his way on foot to the outer perimeter of the base where he met R2, who'd managed to fly their X-wing there to meet him, and a few stray fighter pilots getting ready to leave. Princes radioed Luke that the base was lost and he should get out of there. Wedge overheard and agreed, and told Luke to meet him at the rendezvous point. Luke told Wedge to remember that was rendezvous point, Luke paused, and then said Zeta (clearly still distrusting Wedge, since that wasn't the actual rendezvous point). Luke asked if everyone made it out of the base. He learned that General Rieekan stayed behind. R2 called that an unqualified success!