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Crix Madine were going to serve as judges. Salm has never liked Tycho. Can’t you get him removed?”
    “Trying to get him replaced is tricky. If he does not recuse himself, he clearly thinks he has no conflict of interest. If we suggest he does and we fail to remove him, we’ve poisoned him. The other thing to keep in mind is that Salm was present at the first battle of Borleias and saw Tycho flying an unarmed shuttle and rescuing pilots, including me. He’s got to weigh what he remembers against the evidence he hears, and we’ll be sure to remind him of Borleias.”
    Tycho nodded. “I’m willing to take my chances with Salm. What do you think of the other two?”
    The Twi’lek shrugged. “Ackbar agreed to have you serve as Rogue Squadron’s executive officer and has remained neutral regarding this prosecution. Crix Madine came over from the Imperial side around the same time you did, Captain. Given his work planning covert missions for the Empire, I would have to guess he has met Iceheart and is aware of the work she has done. He knows of your reputation and, being a Corellian like Commander Antilles, has an appreciation of bravery and audacity.”
    “You’re forgetting, Counselor Ven, that Corran Horn was Corellian, too.”
    “No, Commander, I’ve not forgotten that fact. I’m counting on it to motivate General Madine to seek the people truly responsible for Corran’s death.”
    Wedge nodded. “So that’s the line of defense: Tycho’s been framed?”
    “The truth always is the best defense. Their evidence is all circumstantial, so we can slip someone or several someones in to raise doubt about who actually committed the crime.” Nawara Ven pressed his hands flat on the table. “This trial will be played as much to public opinion as to the judges. It’s going to do no good if the people think CaptainCelchu is guilty while the court lets him off. Everyone knows how twisted and full of plots the Empire was. The mention of Kirtan Loor and Lusankya allows us to bring up Ysanne Isard. I can show that Captain Celchu’s pattern of activity is all wrong by showing what Isard does do with her people. I can even point to the bombing as likely residue of her evil. If we have public opinion looking at Captain Celchu as the last victim of Imperial intrigue, a Rebellion hero being destroyed by a bitter and vengeful Empire, we have a lot of maneuvering room in the aftermath of the trial.”
    Nawara Ven’s explanation made sense to Wedge, but he didn’t like all it entailed. Fighting enemies who were shooting back was one thing. Winning a court case was quite another—one akin to politics, and Wedge knew he’d utterly failed in that arena at the Council meeting. Waging a public relations war to win the hearts and minds of a planet for a man who was already being entered into the pantheon of evil with Darth Vader, Prince Xizor, Ysanne Isard, and the Emperor himself—well, that was a battle no one could consider easy.
    Wedge nodded toward the lawyer. “What happens if Tycho is found guilty?”
    “Hard to say. There’s no clear appeals system set up. Unless the judges reverse their decision, he’ll be stuck.”
    Tycho raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by stuck?”
    “This is treason, Captain, and murder.” Nawara Ven shook his head as Whistler moaned. “Given the mood of the people and the nature of your crime, if we lose, the New Republic will put you to death.”

5
    As Wedge entered the darkened briefing room, the pilots of Rogue Squadron broke from the knot surrounding Nawara Ven and took their places. Some of their expressions were difficult to read. Riv Shiel, the Shistavanen wolfman, wore his perpetual impenetrable frown. Gavin Darklighter, the youngest of the pilots in Rogue Squadron, seemed fairly cheerful, but the hardness of the flesh gathered at the corners of his eyes betrayed the pressure most of the rest of the unit felt.
    Wedge stepped behind and past Aril Nunb, then paused with the