for the first time. Yet, as they both reach their hands up and start to make the jump to lightspeed, we know that everything before this moment was the prologue. The funny story at the bar about how they first met. Now, as the stars start to blur and fade into streaks, Han Solo, dirty scumrat from the streets of Corellia, and Chewbacca, mighty son of the proud Wookiees of Kashyyyk, are not just jumping into lightspeed in the moment, they are becoming Han & Chewie forever.
97
“Lock S-Foils into Attack Positions”
The promotion of Wedge Antilles and the fun of Star Wars traditions
Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi
Writers: Lawrence Kasdan & George Lucas
Director: Richard Marquand
The plucky Rebel Alliance had their ragtag backs up against the wall as thirty snub fighters launched from their no-longer-hidden base on Yavin 4. Their target was the Death Star and if they failed in this last-ditch mission—well—no more Rebels, pluck be damned. As the Rebellion’s X-wings and Y-wings raced toward the Death Star, grizzled pilot Garven “Dave” Dreis, he of the awe-inspiring Red Leader call sign, barked an order: “Lock S-foils into attack position.”
And it was the coolest thing ever.
Yep. There is no need for any other fancy adjectives to describe it. It was just cool. The wings of the X-wings opened up to, you know, form an X. What was happening? What are S-foils? Why do you need them to attack? What. Is. Happening?!?! Rebel pilots and fans alike were tense. Fortunately, we all had Red Leader there to guide us through it all.
After barking the S-foils order, he steadied everyone as they passed through the Death Star’s magnetic field and reminded them to put up their front deflector shields. The young, fresh-faced Rebel pilots were pensive and weighed down by trepidation as opposed to the gruff calmness of Red Leader. The eyes of one such Rebel pilot bulged as he saw their target and blurted out, “Look at the size of that thing.”
It was Wedge Antilles. Red Two. A former Imperial flight school ace who had defected to the good guys. Skilled and confident, he was still lost in a sea of shock as he approached the Death Star. Of the Rebel pilots that flew into the fray that day, only three survived. One being the hero of the hour, Luke Skywalker. The other was Alderaanian Y-wing pilot Evaan Verlaine (something revealed to us years later in Marvel Comics’ five-issue Princess Leia book in 2015). The third was Wedge.
When Wedge showed up in The Empire Strikes Back as Rogue Three, a member of Luke’s Rogue Squadron, his place in Star Wars folklore was cemented. The Star Wars galaxy, even “in-story” had its heroes and celebrities: Luke was known far and wide for making the miracle shot that saved the day, Han Solo and Chewbacca had gone from outlaws to war heroes, and Princess Leia was royalty turned leader. Everyone knew them! Yet here was this mild-mannered wingman. A working man just doing his job and helping to save the galaxy. He and his gunner Wes Janson used a tow cable to take down an Imperial walker. He wasn’t just surviving this time around.
However, 1983’s Return of the Jedi was something special for Wedge fans. The Rebels, still ragtag and desperately trying to remain plucky, headed for what many believed to be the final confrontation with the Empire and their even larger second Death Star (no, really, look at the size of THAT thing) and Wedge wasn’t just part of that strike force—he was now Red Leader.
Wedge Antilles…the low-profile pilot without the glory and certainly no medals…was Red Leader. He had earned a promotion! This small moment in an otherwise large-scale final act to the most sprawling story of the original trilogy can sneak past you if you’re a casual fan. Lando, as Gold Leader, is leading the way and calls for all wings to report in. While Gray and Green leaders Horton Salm and Arvel Crynyd respectively checked in as well, the highlight was hearing Wedge Antilles proclaim first, “Red Leader standing by.” Then he gets to calmly—not bark—command, “Lock S-foils into attack positions.” The music swells and the Rebels head into a battle that goes to hell moments later. However, a smile will crack and a lump form in your throat when you stop and think about Wedge getting this honor.
Traditions in Star Wars are very much a “thing” and heartily consumed by the fandom. They are also the food that trivia contests feed on. That Wedge Antilles could—and would—rise in the command structure of the Rebel Alliance means he joined a time-honored tradition of Red Leaders that also includes Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Battle of Coruscant. It means the character we love has a newfound responsibility and has earned this prestige through his actions. Saying “Lock S-foils into attack position” means the character and actor we love (Denis Lawson 1) is forever part of the recurring themes of the movie. The line is a battle cry in a way and it always means that our heroes are about to get into the thick of things. Whoever says the line again will now be compared to Wedge—one pilot among many who became the leader of the squad.
Wedge Antilles rising in the ranks and carrying on Star Wars traditions is inspiring, fulfilling, and—well—cool.
96
When Han Solo welcomed us back
Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens
Writers: J.J. Abrams & Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt Director: J.J. Abrams
Thursday morning. April 16, 2015. A gas station in Primm, Nevada. Two travelers are on their way back from Las Vegas, the aura of sin and regret still hovering around them. One gets out to refill the gas tank. The other stares out the window, no thoughts, just the late nights of the trip catching up to him. Then. Suddenly. He remembers. It’s the first day of Star Wars Celebration Anaheim. The new teaser trailer for The Force Awakens is probably on the Internet.
He has friends at the convention and he himself will be there tomorrow. The trailer was going to be shown and, battling rising levels of jealousy, he pulls out his phone to find the video on YouTube. Service is bad out here, but the one minute and fifty-nine second video starts playing. It’s slow at first, taking its magnificent time to introduce us to the new faces of Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and Kylo Ren. Luke Skywalker’s dialogue from Return of the Jedi fades away as the music starts to swell, the action picks up, explosions rock the screen and send us into darkness…where we hear Han Solo say, “Chewie…” Fade up and Han Solo and Chewbacca are standing on the Millennium Falcon. He finishes, “…we’re home.”
And that is the story of how I, a full grown and somewhat functional adult, cried in Primm, Nevada, because of the words of Han Solo.
I was not alone. (Perhaps I was the only one in Prim, Nevada, crying that day. Well, crying because of Star Wars. Anyway…).
The moment is, of course, actually in The Force Awakens and it has meaning and merit in the story itself, but you cannot deny that this was the teaser trailer that ignited a fanbase. Just a few months prior, in the middle of a Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the first teaser trailer had exploded onto the scene. It was—and still is—a great teaser trailer. Yet, outside of seeing the Millennium Falcon, we still hadn’t heard the old guard speak. New heroes, new droids, new villains (and their controversial new lightsabers) were fine, but what about the characters we grew up with? Was this going to work? Star Wars fans needed their fears eased. The second trailer presented us with that gift. Han Solo and Chewbacca were home…and so were we.
New Star Wars was done in 2012. One good animated TV show was hanging around
