Prologue:

Yavin IV - The Massassi Temple - Captain Luke Skywalker's Quarters.

The alarm on his chrono had been sounding for at least five minutes now but Luke Skywalker really, REALLY just wanted to stay in bed. "I knew that drinking last night was a really BAD idea;" he muttered to himself. It had been weeks since the celebration of the Battle of Yavin but Luke had come to learn that fighter jocks, especially Rebel fighter jocks it would seem, would celebrate until the day before the next mission - between patrols and sessions in the simulators. So, wanting to fit in and wanting to keep moral up, the newly promoted Captain Luke Skywalker had drank with the other members of the Yavin IV base's starfighter detachment.

Suddenly, there was a groan next to him and Luke froze. The groan was soft and feminine and Luke had to resist groaning himself. What would his Aunt Beru say if she knew that he had gotten so plastered that he had slept with a complete stranger and couldn't even remember it? Taking a few deep breaths and rolling as smoothly as possible out of his bed, Luke staggered over to the refresher and splashed cold water on his face before pouring a couple cups of water. Opening the cabinet above the sink, he pulled out a bottle of vitamins and a bottle of pain killers. Sighing and bracing himself, he turned back towards the bed. The woman had the sheet wrapped around her and was gazing at him speculatively. Her white hair and pale skin left Luke no doubts as to who she was - Winter Retrac. Winter was an Intelligence Operative and also the personal friend and aide to Princess Leia Organa. Luke frowned and concentrated, trying to remember through the haze of his hangover how all this had happened. His mind slowly began to clear and the memories began coming back. Smiling pensively, Luke walked back over and offered the young woman a cup and some of this meds. "You probably didn't drink as much as I did but if you need it, Wedge, that is Lieutenant Antilles, says that these will take the edge off. Of course, he also recommends juma fruit juice with any kind of hot sauce all downed with the blackest, bitterest caff so..."

Winter offered a small smile and took the glass and two pills from each of the bottles. "Thank you, Captain Skywalker. At this point, I'm willing to try anything. Oh, and Lieutenant Antilles is correct about the juice-caff-hot sauce hangover remedy by the way. It works wonders."

Luke chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before taking some pills himself and drinking the water. It was a couple minutes before the meds started to kick in and Luke began gathering the various items of clothing from the night before. The long blue dress that Winter had warn he carefully laid out before taking his own garments and tossing them into a laundry bin. Winter was still simply sitting on the bed, her empty cup of water in one hand while the other held the sheet around her, considering the young man thoughtfully. "It's zero-five-fifteen, Captain. That briefing for your first mission is supposed to start at Zero-Six-Fifteen."

Luke chuckled at the door to the refresher, an orange flight suit in his arms. "Lieutenant Antilles and I are meeting early to select which pilot is coming with us. Wait..."

Luke cocked an eyebrow, "How did you know when our miniature selection was going to take place?"

Winter offered another small smile and said, "With what you were drinking last night, I wanted be be sure what time to wake you for it so I asked Lieutenant Antilles on the way out the door last night."

Luke laughed as she stood. Winter was right around Luke's height and just as regal as any princess. Luke turned to enter the refresher and she chuckled dryly which caused Luke to look back at her in mild surprise. Winter was normally an emotionally stayed woman, rarely showing her feelings in any way. She had dropped the sheet and stretched slightly. "No need to be shy now, Captain."

Luke's mouth was already dry but if it hadn't been, it would be now. Trying not to stammer like an idiot, he said, "Well I still figured you would appreciate the privacy even so."

Winter smiled and said, "I do appreciate it even though it isn't necessary, Captain."

Luke blushed, trying to keep his focus on her face even though the woman was still completely naked. "You know, you don't have to call me 'Captain Skywalker'. You can just call me 'Luke' instead. I would prefer that when off duty, actually."

Winter nodded and said, "I'll try to remember that Cap - Luke."

Luke chuckled at that. "You have a perfect memory. I doubt you even CAN forget."

He went into the refresher and turned on the shower and sighed. His head was doing much better but he still simply COULD NOT BELIEVE that he had done this - randomly taking a woman back to his room and sleeping with her - MORE than sleeping. The evidence was all over them both. He wasn't looking forward to what Wedge Antilles, his new XO and Commander Narra, the commanding officer of Renegade Flight, would say to him - not to mention the other fighter pilots. Suddenly the refresher opened and, through the steamed up glass, Luke saw that Winter was attending to some of her own hygiene. Luke scrubbed down and rinsed off quickly before shutting the water off and saying, "You mind handing me that towel over there, Agent Retrac?"

The white haired woman grabbed the towel, opened the shower door and handed it to him, saying as she did, "If I am going to call you 'Luke' then you must call me 'Winter'. It's only proper."

Luke took the towel and wrapped it around his waist. "It's a deal, Winter."

They continued to talk as they dressed and got ready for their various tasks. When the time was Zero-Five-Forty-Five, they stepped out of his quarters. They had only just gone down the corridor and almost ran smack into Princess Leia Organa. The former princess of Alderaan looked at them carefully and said, "Good morning. I heard that it was quite a party last night."

Luke and Winter looked at each other. Winter was acting perfectly normal, as if it was just another day and she had happened to run into Luke. Luke, by contrast, was fighting the urge to shuffle his feet, contenting himself instead with shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Winter smiled at the princess and said, "Oh it was. You should have joined us, your Highness. I think you would have enjoyed yourself."

Princess Leia smiled uncertainly. "I don't know. There were a lot of rumors flying around from last night and, frankly, I'm glad I'm not embroiled in all that. Anyhow, Winter, we need to get to the Operations Center. Luke, I think that the briefing room just off the hanger has a rather anxious group of fighter pilots waiting to hear who is going with you and Lieutenant Antilles on your first official mission as Rogue Flight."

Luke and Winter shared one more private look before they went their separate ways.

Wedge Antilles watched as his new flight group leader walked in. Wedge grinned and walked over to him. "Morning Boss. Quite a party last night, huh?"

Luke grinned and said, "I'm surprised you remember any of it, Wedge. You were blasted by the time I left."

"Yup, I was. I was still cognoscente enough to see you leave with someone. Now I was pretty far gone but I could have sworn I saw you leave with Agent Winter Retrac."

Wedge waggled his eyebrows and nudged his CO. "Is that what I saw?"

Luke blushed bright red and cleared his throat. Turning to face the pilots, Luke said, "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Captain Luke Skywalker and this is Lieutenant Wedge Antilles. You are here to swell the ranks of a new elite starfighter unit for the Rebel Alliance. Right now we are just Rogue and Renegade Flights but eventually we will be forming into our own squadron. Lieutenant Antilles and I have been reading over your files and there is quite a lot to consider. For this first mission, Lieutenant Dak Ralter, you'll be accompanying us to Tatooine. The rest of you, keep practicing and patrolling. Hit the simulators and get some training in. Slacking off now won't get you a slot."

A very young man whooped and hopped down to Luke and Wedge. Under his arm was a shiny white flight helmet and he saluted enthusiastically. "Lieutenant Dak Ralter, reporting as ordered, Captain Skywalker. Thank you for this opportunity."

Luke and Wedge shook his hand and Luke said, "Heard good things about you, Dak. Come with us. We have an Intelligence briefing to attend regarding this mission. Don't get too excited. It's not going to be anything huge and glorious - just a simple investigation and recon flight."

Dak Ralter looked a little disheartened but put a good face on. "Well they wouldn't be sending the two heroes of the Death Star battle if it wasn't important."

Leia Organa watched her friend contemplatively. Winter wasn't acting any different than normal but she was a spy. She could act with the best holo-film stars in the galaxy. "So I heard some interesting rumors this morning, Winter - about the party last night."

Winter turned to Leia, her expression as stoic as ever. "Oh? And what rumors did you hear, your Highness?"

Leia shrugged and said, "Rumors that suggested that you drank a little too much and snuck off with one of those fighter jocks - specifically everyone's favorite fighter jock and newly promoted Captain Luke Skywalker."

Just as Winter was about to answer, everyone's favorite fighter jock stepped in with his XO Wedge Antilles and one of the newer Alliance recruits. The recruit was a young man, even younger than Luke. He boldly shot the two ladies a smile and said, "Morning, ladies."

Leia smiled back and said, "Good morning, Lieutenant. Congratulations on making it to fighter selection. This is Agent Winter Retrac. She will be giving you the briefing on the mission to Tatooine."

Winter clasped her hands behind her back and said, "Gentlemen, this will be a recon and investigation mission with several objectives. First, you will be investigating reports of aggressive Imperial activity in and around the moisture farm homesteads. Second, you will be looking for some former friends of ours - smugglers who were attacked by an Imperial strike force lead by Darth Vader himself. That attack began the Imperial occupation of the planet. Look around and see if there are any signs that any of them made it out alive. You may be required to engage Imperial forces. If that is the case, don't try to be heroes. You may have been successful before but it could still get you killed."

She turned her eyes on Luke. "That means you too, Captain Skywalker."

Luke blushed but nodded. "Of course, Agent Retrac."

She nodded. "Good. You leave in an hour. Your fighters and droids are prepped and ready to go. Dismissed."

They all snapped to attention and turned, walking out of the briefing room. Dak snickered, "Agent Retrac seems to have it out for you, Captain Skywalker. Is there a story there?"

Luke shot the younger man a look. "It's your first day on the job, Lieutenant. Do you really want to get on my bad side already?"

Wedge chuckled as Dak gulped and changed the subject. "So do we have time for breakfast?"

The two veteran pilots laughed as they entered the mess hall.

Leia looked at Winter and cocked a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Why are you giving Luke a hard time in front of one of his new pilots?"

Winter shrugged as she tapped on a datapad. "It's just good to keep flight leaders from getting heads too big for their flight helmets, that's all."

Leia laughed. "Luke - get a big head? I doubt that will happen. It's not like he's Han Solo or anything."

Winter shrugged again and Leia gave a giggle. "If I didn't know you any better, Winter, I would say that you were flirting with him."

Winter gave Leia a look that was just barely reproachful. "Your Highness, I do not flirt. You know that."

Leia giggled again and said, "Of course not. You have a reputation to uphold."

"Exactly. Come along now, your Highness. General Dodonna wants a briefing of the situation in the Yavin system."

So I've always loved the Rogue Squadron games. They were some of my favorites growing up and I always wondered what the characters did on their off time and how each battle played a roll in galactic conflicts. So, here is the deal: this story or series of stories will mention the majority of the missions from Rogue Squadron 3D (PC and N64), Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, and Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike. Of course, there will be a little more life to the stories than just retelling the missions. I hope you enjoy. Please read, review and request.

Updated 10.31.2016