[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:''Rogue Squadron'']]
* After he was captured by Isard in the backstory, much of the Alliance brass believed Tycho was a ManchurianAgent. In order to get a chance to serve as Rogue Squadron's XO, Tycho had to agree to fly a fighter which had had its lasers removed and replaced with harmless targeting beams and had had a SelfDestructMechanism installed so that he could be remotely blown up if he turned on the Alliance, to be kept under house arrest when not escorted by Alliance Security, and to let them look at his files and communication whenever they felt like. And he agreed to all these humiliations, because he knew that it was the only way he could help prevent the Empire from doing to other worlds what they'd done to his Alderaan.
* Early in the book there's a description of the kill silhouettes painted on [[AcePilot Wedge's]] fighter; so many of them that the mechanic has had to resort to colour coding to indicate squadrons of kills rather than individual ships and to top it off the whole to display is ''bracketed by two half [[Film/ANewHope Death]] [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Stars]]''.
* Kirtan Loor figures out where the Rogue Squadron base on Talasea is by analyzing their fuel emissions, evaluating how likely a planet is to be able to have a secret base, and looking at where they were going when an Interdictor crossed their path.
* When stormtroopers raid Rogue Squadron's base on Talasea, several pilots wake up in time to fight them. Corran throws a grenade at one group of stormtroopers and charges in, blaster blazing. When Riv Shiel (who's wanted for killing several Imperials) is asked if he's comfortable helping, he replies [[BadassBoast "Death marks don't come with the rain."]]
* The Rebels launch a raid on an Imperial base in retaliation for a covert raid on their own base, spearheaded by the Rogues and Defender Wing. After the X-Wing jockeys spent the early part of the book talking so much crap about the "Pigs" that Defender Wing flew, Corran has to admit that the Y-Wing drivers are ''very'' good at what they do when he watches a whole squadron of General Salm's pilots follow Wedge through a gap in a mountain side he just blew open so they could get inside an Imperial base's shields and lay waste to it.
* Corran helping vape a ''Lancer''-class frigate, an Imperial ship specifically designed to kill starfighters, by having a squadron of Y-Wings target him with their torpedoes so he can lead their shots into the enemy, through the frigate's storm of defensive fire.
** And Whistler for saving Corran's bacon when one of the Y-Wings fires his torps too late to hit the frigate. Corran's struggling with the stick [[HighSpeedMissileDodge trying to shake the friendly missiles that are locked on to his signal.]] [[MundaneSolution Whistler just cuts off the signal the torpedoes are following, causing them to self-destruct.]]
* General Derricote inflicts a rare Imperial victory against the Rogues by being CrazyPrepared enough about espionage to embezzle money and pay for extra [=TIE=] fighters and other armaments that won't show up on his official roster and will make his enemies think he is unprepared for a full-scale assualt when the opposite is true.
* The second battle of Borleias. After a CurbStompBattle during the last attempt at invasion, the Alliance tries again. Rogue Squadron is the head of the spear, despite their effective combat strength still being ''halved'' due to a lack of replacement starfighters. Even knowing what happened last time, the pilots show no fear upon learning they're going back.
* Mirax being there to rescue Corran when he runs low on fuel. She was there because she'd been worried the mission might have been unintentionally compromised by Emtrey's scrounger personality (thankfully, it wasn't), and after the last forces are taken out, Corran gets a lift home, at a higher speed than the rest of the squadron, where he gets to prank the squadron with a fake "don't feel guilty that I was left behind" message. This results in the first "Corran back from the dead" moment in the entire series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Wedge's Gamble'']]
* The liberation of Coruscant. How does an elite starfighter squadron bring down the defenses of the Imperial capital? By hijacking a [[HumongousMecha giant construction droid]] to help capture a vital computer core, knocking down the power with a monster thunderstorm spawned by hacking a [[KillSat mirror satellite]] to vaporize a lot of water, and flying some obsolete snubfighters through the galaxy's greatest metropolis during said power outage and monster storm to hit some strategic targets. ''And'' at the end of this Wedge decides "hey, that worked pretty well, I should start another fighter squadron to encourage this sort of thing..."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''The Krytos Trap'']]
* Corran Horn's entrance into the courtroom, returning "from the dead" in the process, and then proceeding, with the help of Wedge (and eventually General Cracken) to completely collapse the case against Tycho Celchu.
* A villainous example: when Isard's secret prison, which turns out to be the Super Star Destroyer ''Lusankya'', decides to invert a ColonyDrop and blasts its way free of Coruscant's cityscape, causing massive destruction as it punches through the planetary defenses on its way to hyperspace.
* When the politicians try and force Rogue Squadron to abandon their pursuit of Isard (and the other ''Lusankya'' prisoners) and go after Zsinj, the members of Rogue Squadron resign ''en masse'', starting with Corran, and eventually including every current member except Pash Cracken (who, as of the next novel, admits he would like to go, if Wedge wanted; Wedge declines because Pash is a little too prominent, being the son of General Airen Cracken).
* Corran escapes a previously completely-unescapable prison through a combination of AwesomeByAnalysis, sheer daring, and a bit of help from the Force.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''The Bacta War'']]
* Erisi leads an Imperial attack force against a peaceful colony that was harboring Gavin Darklighter. Knowing that the colony had zero defenses, Gavin jumps into his starfighter to fight a one man battle against a Star Destroyer and its fighters, to buy the colonists as much time as he could. It's explicitly mentioned he only had 10 minutes of dogfighting time, due to fuel concerns, and he makes them count. He takes out three TIE Interceptors, and uses his X-Wing's laser cannons to utterly destroy some stormtroopers before being forced to break off the fight. He also refuses to rise to Erisi's bait to duel her, knowing that'll give the Destroyer time to cut him off. It's a pretty awesome moment for someone who is still in his teens.
* The battle in Alderaan's graveyard. A double handful of snubfighters manage to destroy a lesser ''Victory-II'' class Star Destroyer, damage an Interdictor cruiser to the point it is forced to flee and its owner withdraws it from further service to Issard, ''and'' shoot down 24 out of 36 enemy fighters.
** Wedge lands the killing blow on the ''Corrupter'' by, after a torpedo salvo collapses it shields, skimming along its surface, dodging enemy fighters and turrets, flying straight toward its control tower and, [[NoRangeLikePointBlankRange when he was close enough to see an officer's]] JawDrop [[NoRangeLikePointBlankRange through a viewport]], sending a pair of torpedoes into the ship's bridge.
** The fighters had some help, too. Tycho, for sentimental reasons, had switched his IFF system to an old Alderaanian setting, and upon entering the Graveyard picked up some anomalous signals from it. During the middle of the fight, what [[GunshipRescue shows up to help]] the Rogues but an automated Alderaanian War Cruiser reacting to Tycho's targeting data, for some beyond-the-grave revenge against the Empire that destroyed their world.
* In the aftermath of the failed Graveyard ambush, High Admiral Teradoc, who had loaned Isard the Interdictor cruiser, scolds the ''Head of Imperial Intelligence, who essentially runs the Empire'' that he'll only lend her toys if she promises they won't return broken.
* Captain Sair Yonka's resignation from Isard's service, complete with epic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech. It's so good that Fliry Vorru, who is already having his own doubts about Isard's leadership, has to suppress his urge to applaud.
-->'''Capt. Yonka:''' Madam Director Ysanne Isard, I regret not being able to bring you this message personally, but not that much. In the time I have been associated with you I have found you to be sociopathically self-centered, prone to irrational and impulsive reactions to situations, and prey to a preference for appearance over substance. I have no doubt these affectations were seen as skills by the late Emperor, and indeed may have enhanced your ability to comply with his orders, but by no means are these the traits that make for great, or even ''adequate'' leadership. I have, upon reflection, come to the conclusion that further service to you would be to condone and support an evil that perhaps would seen insignificant when grouped with the Emperor, Darth Vader and Prince Xizor. I sincerely doubt, however, the billions of victims who have suffered because of you would be so sanguine about you. I hereby resign your service and renounce allegiance to you and what you represent.
** Isard's response is very much TranquilFury.
--->'''Isard:''' You once told me he had a mistress, this Captain Yonka.\\
'''Vorru:''' On Elshandruu Pica.\\
'''Isard:''' Have her killed. And any children she has, any siblings, any family.\\
'''Vorru:''' And not ''his'' family?\\
'''Isard:''' I got this hologram three hours ago. Extermination of the crew's families began then. Do recall, as Director of Imperial Intelligence, I have been through this routine before.
* The final battle of the Bacta War: a small fleet of underarmed freighters, a squadron of X-Wings, a comparatively weak Star Destroyer, and an outdated frigate engage a Super-Star Destroyer ''and win!''
** The kicker is that, as we learn with Wedge several books later, ''this wasn't enough to destroy it''. Even after what the Rogues did do it, there was enough of the SSD left for the New Republic to salvage. So the Rogues were able to give the good guys one of the baddest capital ships in the galaxy, a ship that Wedge would later use as his flagship after being promoted to general. That's several kinds of Awesome, there.
* The ''Freedom'', heavily damaged by the ''Lusankya'', has an opportunity to escape the battle. Instead, they reenter the fray and deal a critical hit against the Super Star Destroyer before being completely incapacitated.
* Beforehand, that Super Star Destroyer and a sister ship attack a rusty space station run by Booster Terrik. A minute later he's asking for their surrender as they desperately try to flee. And Booster finally finds a spaceship he's willing to captain again.
* Corran is chasing after Isard's shuttle to catch her before she can escape into hyperspace. The two exchange taunts, but Corran's out of torpedoes, slams his console in frustration, and prepares to try and [[RammingAlwaysWorks ram]] the shuttle. And then torpedoes come streaking in out of nowhere to blast the shuttle into scrap - fired by Tycho, who thanks Corran for the targeting information he relayed via his console.[[note]]When he slammed the console, he accidentally activated his targeting system's relay, allowing Tycho to piggy back off that data to make the kill[[/note]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Wraith Squadron'']]
* In a twisted way, one of the pilots who washed out of Wraith Squadron. Accused of theft, he denied the charges, then gets chased down by Wes Janson because he [[ImpossibleThief stole the picture of Wedge's dead parents that Wedge kept on his desk.]]
* Piggy's alibi for the assault charge that landed him in Wraith Squadron. The "victim's" charge claimed the "attack" had occurred less than thirty minutes before the charge was filed. Piggy pointed out that if he had ''actually'' hit the man, thirty minutes later the man would still have been unconscious. (He really blocked a punch thrown at him by the "victim.")
* After Falynn suggests that Wedge is getting too old to be an effective pilot and should leave the flying to the young, he responds by challenging her to a land race: first to drive a hover-truck through a canyon wins. The race begins, and Wedge seems to be having trouble. As the rookie approaches the finish line, Wedge drive his truck up a ramp, lands on Falynn's truck (which slows it to a near stop), and then rushes ahead to victory.
-->'''Falynn:''' You- you-\\
'''Wedge:''' That's right, Sandskimmer, I won.\\
'''Falynn:''' You ''cheated''.\\
'''Wedge:''' (''laughs'') Falynn, consider this. When an Imperial laser cuts through your canopy and hits you, the energy will superheat the water in your tissues. [[LudicrousGibs They will literally explode. If there's enough of your X-Wing to retrieve, they'll have to hose down the inside.]] When that happens, will you complain that the TIE Fighter pilot cheated?\\
'''Falynn:''' (''grudgingly'') No, sir.\\
'''Wedge:''' What will you say?\\
'''Falynn:''' I won't say anything. I'll be dead.\\
'''Wedge:''' So to keep one of these bad boys from cheating until you're dead, what are you going to do?\\
'''Falynn:''' [[CombatPragmatist I guess I'll have to learn to cheat, sir.]]\\
'''Wedge:''' Congratulations. You've proved that you can learn ''two'' things in a single day.
* The first battle, where Folor has to be evacuated. There's one last transport that needs to evacuate, so Kell Tainer and Runt (as well as two A-wing pilots from Blue Squadron) use false signals to trick the enemy into thinking that the ''Millennium Falcon'' happens to be damaged and escaping the hidden Folor base being raided. They pull this off long enough to let the last of the personnel transports escape... and then mock the Imperial captain over an open channel.
-->'''Kell''': Consider yourselves humiliated. And welcome to Folor. Out.
* Voort "Piggy" [=SaBinring=] vs. the entire crew of an Imperial corvette. The corvette surrenders.
** Credit must also be given to his weapon during this battle: he used a [[{{BFG}} shortened version of an X-Wing's blaster cannon]].
** And disintegrated the captain with it.
** And then called Wedge and announced himself as the corvette's new captain.
** And Wedge ran with it and explained how, according to New Republic regulations, Piggy would be able to apply for the captaincy of the ''Night Caller'', while making clear that Piggy would probably prefer to remain a pilot.
* Frankly the turnaround that led to Piggy taking the ''Night Caller'' is also quite impressive. The Wraiths were put into a truly dire situation, literally ''stranded in space with their ships nonfunctional'', and thanks to a whole lot of quick thinking, ingenuity, and audacity came out absolutely and unquestionably on top.
* Face Loran gets a simultaneous SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome and CMOF while impersonating Imperial Captain [[SmallNameBigEgo Darillian]]. His cover almost, ''almost'' slips in front of [[BigBad Admiral Trigit]], but he keeps it in place just barely with a totally [[LargeHam OTT monologue]] about Darillian's unrequited love for '''Ysanne Isard.'''
-->'''Face:''' Thank you, thank you. Performances every hour, on the hour. Imperial madmen a speciality.
** The impersonation gambit leads to a second one, where the Wraiths are discovered in a battle, as having been faking Darillian. They destroy all the enemy forces, and turn back aground, reporting to the superiors that they were ambushed, and brilliantly escaped as the only survivors. Since the only people who discovered the deception were at the battle, they kept cover. Repeat: They murdered the enemy forces, turned around, and claimed it was an ambush that only they survived. This is right up there with succesfully arguing for someone to take sympathy that you're an orphan, [[SelfMadeOrphan when you just murdered your parents]]!
* Kell's attempt to save Jesmin when her damaged fighter starts to crash: he uses his own fighter to try and nudge her out of a fatal dive, conducting a series of mid-air collisions. ''That was insane.'' Other pilots would have destroyed ''both'' fighters attempting it. True, it didn't work, but that was mainly because the g-forces had already rendered Jesmin unconscious and unable to do anything to save herself.
* Kell suffers another panic attack in the middle of the final battle with Zsinj's forces, and is on the verge of flying away, just like his father did... then it hits him that his squad mates, including the woman he loves, could all die if he doesn't get his ass back in the fight. Just like that, he snaps out of it and hauls his stick around. And then he proceeds to get five kills ("instant ace") before finally losing his own fighter.
** In the aftermath of the battle, Wedge and the rest of Wraith Squadron understand what happened to Kell, but they silently agree between themselves not to say another word about it. Yes, he ran away, but [[CowardlyLion he conquered his fear]] and ''came back''.
* When Zsinj asks Admiral Trigit why he should replace losses that occurred due to Trigit's failure, Trigit replies that he has achieved numerous successes without ever asking for more manpower as a reward for those, and that it is only fair for him to make this request. Zsinj is impressed enough by this slick-talking defiance to grant Trigit's request.
* If you're going to get killed in an epic space battle, taking down a Star Destroyer by flying your unshielded, underarmed MookMobile ''inside'' the capital ship and chewing it apart from within is a pretty good way to go.
* When Gara Petothel's boss attempts to AbandonShip while leaving the crew to die, he offers to let her come with him. She pretends that she'd rather stay behind and die, then furiously alerts the New Republic pilots about Admiral Trigit's escape plan and broadcasts an evacuation order for the ship's crew.
* Definitely the moment when Myn Donos enacts his revenge on Apwar Trigit. "[[AndThisIsFor One for Falynn. Two for Talon]]."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Iron Fist'']]
* Lara/Gara, who at this point is ''not'' on the Wraiths' side and is only trying to infiltrate them, takes out Colonel Repness' corrupt smuggling operation single-handed. Her "hacker" letter she uses to expose him is worth quoting in its entirety (sans deliberate spelling and grammatical errors). Also a CMOF, since she points out that it sounds like it's from the Star Wars equivalent of a 4channer. Also? She forgot one... LITTLE detail when confronting Repness. Namely? What to do if he decides to just punch her out. Even so, [[CantStopTheSignal the message is already out]], and ultimately Repness's attempts to stop Lara don't prevent him from getting arrested for his crimes.
-->''I am the unseen, the unknowable, the unstoppable.''\\
''[[BadassBoast No computer can stand before me. Gates open for me. Back doors are revealed to me. Knowledge willingly spools itself out for my inspection. I am the Jedi of the electronic world.]]''\\
''I have found evil aboard ''Tedevium''. I have found corruption. Like the Jedi, I shall cut it down.''\\
''Examine these files. Test them for integrity. You will find they are the truth.''\\
''Go where these files lead you.''\\
''Do what you must do, as I do what I must do.''\\
''Signed, White Lancer.''
* Castin Donn, in his DyingMomentOfAwesome, destroys his datapad, ensuring that highly classified information is not found by Zsinj.
* Shalla Nelprin single-handedly crippling a Super Star Destroyer with a sneak attack, disabling the shield generators and the main bridge. Her role in the ship's destruction earns her the right to have half a ''Super Star Destroyer'' silhouette painted on her fighter.
* Face gets one in deducing one of Zsinj's main strategic goals weeks before it's confirmed: the acquisition of a new Star Destroyer under construction in Imperial space. Also, putting forth the possibility that [[{{Foreshadowing}} Ysanne Isard was alive]].
* The whole Lieutenant Kettch thing is one string of Funny Moments, but here's some Fridge Awesome to consider - to continue the charade, Wedge has to fly a TIE Interceptor with a toy Ewok in his lap, which rides up when he moves his arms to try and steer. He's basically fighting with a hilarious handicap, [[AcePilot but it doesn't seem to significantly impact his ability to vape the enemy, does it?]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Solo Command'']]
* Piggy's response to being shot by Admiral Ackbar's attempted assassin: he picks up Ackbar's desk and slams it into the assassin and a wall so hard that the ''other side'' of the wall bows out and knocks over (and knocks out) someone who happened to be standing there. And he did this right after being ''shot in the stomach.'' The assassin, for the record, was smushed.
* When Tal'Dira's brainwashing gets activated, he attempts to shoot down Wedge while they are on a mission. However, a small part of the pilot's mind rebels at the horrible thing he is being forced to do, and he manages to break through the brainwashing for long enough to switch his shields to the rear, allowing another pilot in front of him to vape him, preventing him from killing Wedge.
* When the Wraiths are infiltrating Zsinj's medical research facility, it turns out to be a trap, and a particularly sadistic one involving an incinerator. Some quick thinking and explosives allow them to escape, but they're all battered, bloodied and burned (except for Tyria, somehow). And the only order Face can give them is "[[TheGlovesComeOff no rules, no mercy. Take out everything that gets between us and home.]]"
** During this, Wes Janson, happy-go-lucky, prank-loving, wise-cracking Janson? [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Utterly silent.]] When hostiles show up, he gets out his blaster pistol, takes five steps, takes five shots, and makes five kills, aiming purely by instinct.
* For most of the novels, Myn Donos has been TheStoic, and not prone to joking, much of it thanks to aftereffects from losing Talon Squadron. Late in the final novel, we see him [[DefrostingIceQueen rediscovering his sense of humor at last]]:
-->'''Donos''': Pretty. What do we blow up first?\\
'''Wedge''': Write that down. That should be the Wraith Squadron slogan.
* Wedge ''intentionally allowing'' himself to be shot at during a battle, even ordering his squadron to let the attacker continue, on Squeaky's say-so. Granted, the attacker was using powered-down lasers and was actually transmitting crucial information to him, but only Squeaky knew that at the time. It wasn't until after the battle that Wedge got a full explanation.
* While onboard the ''Iron Fist'', Lara undergoes a simulated dogfight with another Imperial pilot, where she does very well despite being eventually shot down. However, her opponent describes her as "very good." That pilot? '''Soontir Fel.'''
* Lara/Gara's astromech gets one, given how it managed to abduct and reprogram an entire army of the small mouse droids aboard a Star Destroyer, thus making itself a General. Especially when the mouse droids provide some well needed sabotage in the big battle.
* Related to this, Lara almost single-handedly brings down Warlord Zsinj from within his flagship, fools him into a losing gambit, eliminates his alien experimentation program and frees the prisoners, and then has the gall to send a message to General Solo and the rest of the New Republic fleet right under his nose. Truly a reason to punch the air and cheer.
-->'''Lara Notsil''': ''Iron Fist'' is now in the Selaggis system with her hyperdrive inoperable... I recommend you come by and take a look. Oh, bring your fleet too.
** And for an encore, program's ''Iron Fist's'' bridge computes to send real-time updates on the damage estimates of Zsinj's fleet... to General Solo, letting him know exactly where to shoot in order to destroy the Warlord's forces as quickly as possible.
** And to put the cherry on top of it: Wedge announces after the battle she's getting half credit for the destruction of the ''Iron Fist'', so she gets to paint half of a Super Star Destroyer kill mark on her fighter. Even ''Wedge'' doesn't have one of those, and he's got ''two Death Stars''.
* And late in the story, Donos is flying with his fellow pilots into an AsteroidThicket after Zsinj, but suddenly warns that they need to bug out. At first even Donos thought his PTSD was hitting him again, but he was actually recognizing a tactic Zsinj had used in an earlier battle, targeting asteroids to create shrapnel to destroy incoming starfighters, and his warning lets the Rebel pilots escape the trap without too many casualties.
* Tyria Sarkin's use of the Force improves dramatically in this book, allowing her to sense the bad things that have happened in Binring Biomedical's labs and even provides a functional danger sense that lets her make it out of the incinerator trap nearly unscathed and is the only one out of the infiltration team to be flight ready after that mission. (The other three fliers were Lara, Elassar and Myn who were in the exterior team.) She also manages to vape the A-Wing pilot Tualin who attacks Mon Remonda with her Force senses.
** Despite these Force senses giving her much greater situational awareness, a scene shows Corran and Ooryl are still such good fliers that they can completely blindside her with their maneuvers (though admittedly, Corran has her beat in terms of Force senses as well).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Isard's Revenge'']]
* Anyone who played ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' might {{squee}} when a certain triple-winged starfighter design shows up.
* As evil as Isard's clone is, she does display two talents that Isard isn't good at: occasionally engaging in XanatosSpeedChess (such as adjusting her plans when the real Isard's actions screw them up) and turning her AxCrazy figurehead into a VillainWithGoodPublicity with some carefully-distributed political advice that lets him fake having the moral high ground against the New Republic.
* [[CorruptPolitician Borsk Fey'lya]] pays a visit to Booster Terrik, asking that the smuggler return to the site of the battle that supposedly claimed Rogue Squadron, so that Asyr Sei'lar might be buried with honor on Bothawui. When Booster insists that they NeverFoundTheBody for all but two of the pilots, Fey'lya suggests that someone with Booster's connections could find a suitable corpse of a Bothan female, like, say, some bandit or other good-for-nothing. Booster proceeds to ''beat the ever-loving shit'' out of Fey'lya, bare-handed, and chew the Bothan out for asking someone else to do his dirty work, and for suggesting that they stick some druggie in Asyr's tomb, something that actually causes Fey'lya to experience a brief flicker of guilt.
-->'''Fey'lya:''' You misunderstand...\\
'''Booster:''' Oh, I understood you. You didn't understand ''me''. When I smack someone into a bulkhead and toss him on the deck, that's me saying he should get his carcass off my ship. The other things, the headbutt and the stomach punch, that was just because I don't like you.
* Admiral Ackbar pays an enemy the highest compliment possible during the final naval battle against Prince-Admiral Krennel's fleet. The New Republic invasion force is outgunned and trying to retreat, so Krennel tells his [[NoWarpingZone Interdictor]] to activate its gravity-well generators to keep his enemy from fleeing. As soon as he does so, [[BatmanGambit Ackbar initiates the "Thrawn Pincher,"]] telling his reserves to jump in. Suddenly two Rebel ''Victory''-class Star Destroyers get brought out of hyperspace right behind the Interdictor, facing the unshielded, already-damaged flank of Krennel's flagship. One missile barrage later and the war is over.
-->...what [Ackbar] did understand was that Thrawn had a superior command of how to utilize the tools of his trade. Thrawn had again and again used an Interdictor cruiser as the equivalent of a magnet. He sent it into systems to pull a fleet from hyperspace with more precision than most navigators could plot.\\
Ackbar had learned well from him.
* Wedge taking out Isard's clone. First, while her shuttle is firing upon the prison the Rogues are trying to liberate, he informs her that she isn't the real Isard and proves it by pointing out that instead of trying to escape like the real Isard did in her situation, the clone is obeying her conditioning and trying to deny the Rebels those prisoners. While the clone has a FreakOut, Wedge brings down her shuttle by recognizing the pilot's bad habits from some earlier simulator runs. Then he traces the comm signals that were coming from the shuttle the clone was supposedly aboard, tracks them to their real source, and feeds the bunker some missiles.
-->'''Wedge:''' I know you won't reply since you're busy playing dead. Just to let you know, there's one more way I know you're a clone. Isard tried this trick on Thyferra. Won't work this time. It's over.
* As for the real Isard, she's taken out after two droids she didn't bother to keep tabs on [[SpannerInTheWorks escaped from captivity]], Booster Terrik successfully predicts exactly what Isard was after, and a team of four people are able to defeat two Imperial boarding parties with some well-placed traps. At the end of it all, when Iella Wessari confronts Isard and the latter claims that she has too much dirt on the New Republic's leadership to ever see a trial, Iella replies with a LittleNo, points out that Isard's act of attempted piracy would see her in a private military court instead, and suggests that Isard will spend the rest of her life in solitary confinement on the ''Lusankya'', [[AndIMustScream in a sealed-away wing with droid supervisors.]] And "Iceheart" ''panics''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Starfighters of Adumar'']]
* When General Cracken shows up telling Wedge that his vacation is cancelled, Wedge immediately begins unleashing snark and vitriol on him. When Cracken warns him that he is dangerously close to insubordination, Wedge reminds him that he is a General now and "what I am is dangerously close to is violence."
* Non-combat one. Non-Cartann pilots come to learn from Red Flight. Wedge takes them in and treats them just like any of the other pilots and helps them learn. This comes up later, where the squadron that helps them after the four-on-thirty duel [[BigDamnHeroes comes in to help their teachers, using those tactics on the enemy]], and the other Adumari nations note that Wedge had gained a lot of allies by taking the time to ''teach'' the pilots instead of just killing them for the honor coupons.
** Tied to this; Darpen tells Wedge to cut the simulated duels because the 181st was eating up honor coupons. Wedge basically blows him off and points out that if they act like the Empire they would become the Empire in all but name, and that he would not kill young men and women simply because they wanted to duel with Wedge for the honor.
** And finally, when Wedge [[{{Deconstruction}} takes apart the concept]] of a ProudWarriorRaceGuy:
---> '''Wedge''': [[CircularReasoning Circular thinking. I'm honorable because I kill the enemy, and I kill the enemy for the honor]]. There's nothing there, Cheriss. Here's the truth: I kill the enemy so someone, somewhere - probably someone I've never met and never will meet - will be happy. [...] I told you how I lost my parents. Nothing I ever do can make up for that loss. But if I put myself in the way of people just as bad as the ones who killed my family, if I burn them down, then someone else ''they'' would have hurt gets to stay happy. That's the only honorable thing about my profession. It's not the killing. It's making the galaxy a little better.
* Wes Janson's oh-so-satisfying beatdown of a very deserving Adumari noble. Let's break it down:
** The whole thing is a rescue attempt to prevent Cheriss from committing [[SuicideByCop Suicide by Duel]]. Janson is only willing to duel his opponent if he doesn't execute Cheriss, and when Tomer explains that putting conditions on the challenge is a grave insult, Janson confirms that yes, he ''is'' insulting the Adumari noble.
** Janson beats Wedge to the challenge, and explains why: he's [[MoreExpendableThanYou more expendable than Wedge]], he hints that it's an engagement present for Wedge and Iella, and while Wedge would fight the duel out of duty, Janson plans on enjoying himself.
** Janson starts by using his blastsword to [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments draw stick figures in the air]] [[IShallTauntYou and insult his opponent further]] - [[IAmNotLeftHanded using his left hand]]. Wes blocks his foe's first swing, disarms him, and introduces him to the fine art of brawling, [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech all while explaining the difference between warriors and dilettantes.]]
--->'''Janson:''' [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Your orders are simple. I punch. You suffer. Got it?]]
** In the end, Janson decides to KO the guy with [[CherryTapping a bitch-slap]], walks away while whistling a Tanaabian dancing tune, and confirms to Wedge that he banked the whole encounter on being able to block the first swing.
* The four versus thirty fight in ''Starfighters Of Adumar''. The four are Wedge, Tycho, Wes and Hobbie, so of course ''they win''.
** Even better, when another lot of Adumari fighters challenge Red Flight immediately afterwards, a ''third'' Adumari squadron - Strike the Moons, [[ChekhovsGunman the first squadron to engage in Wedge's simulated duels]] - challenges ''their'' challengers to allow Red Flight time to escape. Because if four beat thirty, those four have damn well ''earned'' an escape.
* In preparation for the final battle, Wedge has been ordered to get some sleep by his other pilots out of fear that he will be too exhausted to fight properly if he doesn't. When he awakens, he discovers that the size of the attack force he will be leading has more than doubled overnight due to various nations becoming willing to either join the fight or change sides solely because Wedge was leading the assault.
* During their escape, Janson's ship is hit and he's forced to eject. Wedge watches as a fighter closes in on his parachute, assuming his friend is toast. Janson pulls a blaster and somehow manages to destroy the fighter. With one shot. From a pistol. Turns out the fighter was actually destroyed by Hobbie, who was protecting his wingman.
* Diplomatic one for Wedge. After Darpen makes Wedge and Red Flight a rogue squadron, Wedge points out that he is still the man in charge of the New Republic mission there because his orders did not tie to intelligence and technically speaking he was not to know who Darpen was. So what does he do? He makes a rough alliance with other Adumari powers because as a combined force they could A) succeed, and B) accomplish the New Republic mission even if the Empire gets Cartann.
* The final battle itself. The free Adumari forces and Red Flight hit Cartann with everything they've got, timing it so that the enemy's initiative will be sluggish from sleeping in to be ready for their favored time of attack, multiple layers of deception, and using each craft type they've got where it excels the most. And up until the TIE Interceptors show up, they are actually winning. So to deal with the [=TIEs=], they plan on getting Red Flight back into their X-Wings (which Darpen had confiscated before setting them up to die.) As Wedge himself notes: the Adumari wanted to see X-Wings in action in lethal dogfights. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor They got their wish.]] [[CurbstompBattle The more fool them.]]
* One for Balass, the Cartann ''Perator's'' heir, immediately after his father abdicates and he takes the throne. He points out to the assembled heads of the free Adumari alliance that if they insist on his surrender, it will create a great deal of legal trouble. Some of Cartann's protectorates will splinter off and demand independence, some will remain loyal to Cartann, the ramifications of the surrender and defeat on Cartann's own government must be figured out, and so on. And all of this will take time, time Adumar doesn't have with the clock ticking until an Imperial invasion. But if the alliance accepts Balass's offer of an immediate truce without repercussion for Cartann's invasion, and lets Cartann and its protectorates join the Alliance then and there as an equal partner, they can have a unified world government, capable of petitioning for New Republic aid, ''immediately''. Balass pulls this off while under gunpoint from the free Adumari troops, mere ''minutes'' after taking the throne.
* Wedge, upon returning to Cartann victorious, completely undercuts everything Darpen says, puts him under gunpoint along with Tycho, forces him to give the order to end the communications blackout (after which the leader of the Republic flagship "wants very much to speak with him"), and puts him under arrest until he can stand trial. He's last seen in prison, planning a defense for a trial he cannot win, thanks to Hallis's recording that implicates him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Mercy Kill'']]
* The entire premise of the novel: Face creates ''two'' Wraith Squadrons, neither of which know about each other, and sends them off to untangle the Lecersen Conspiracy. Since he (correctly) suspects that his boss is a traitor, he sends him reports...on a third, imaginary Wraith Squadron.
* The major showdown where Piggy banks completely on the assumption that Thaal has already completed his disguise. Followed by Face returning from the dead and completely owning the head of GA Intelligence.
** In fact, much like FMA? The entire finale. The second Piggy gets his groove back? The novel is, for all intents and purposes, over. The villain never had a chance.
[[/folder]]

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