Vellin Rayne, Leader of Gold Flight, walked into the Rec. Room, searching through the bodies that littered the floor, looking for two particular pilots. A young woman, one of his own fliers, moaned softly as he touched her shoulder, opening bleary eyes. Groaning, she closed them almost immediately, hands flying to her face.

Rayne grinned.

She opened her eyes again after a moment, lifting her head off the table, squinting up at him, asking, "What's up, Boss?"

"You seen Jomanock or Gabhaan? X-wing jockeys?"

She held her head, delicately, "Em..."

She thought for a moment, "Antilles' lot? They're all over there..." She pointed to another table on the far side of the room, then rested her forehead back onto the counter. Rayne shook his head, turning away. A pilot stirred as he passed, mumbling something before dropping back asleep.

Jomanock was lying beneath the table, curled round the central leg, snoring noisily. Gabhaan lay slumped in the corner of the bench, the body of a tall, well built young woman draped across his legs. Rayne sighed, bending down. Grasping a hold of his fellow Commander's flight suit he heaved Jomanock out from under the table, shaking him roughly awake.

Jomanock opened his eyes, instantly shutting them with a groan.

"Jomanock! Come on, jump to it lad!" Rayne let the man go, walking across to retrieve a cup of cafin from the dispenser. Then he returned, shaking Jomanock awake again, pressing the cafin into his hands, "Here, drink it!"

The Commander took it, sipping the warm, soothing liquid, his head thumping. He prised an eye open, peering up at Rayne, rasping, "What time is it?"

"Still early, but someone wants to see you. And Gabhaan."

Jomanock turned, looking for the Lieutenant.

"Don't worry, I'll deal with him next," Rayne assured him, "I just don't want you falling asleep on me again!"

"I'll be fine," Jomanock grated.

Rayne considered him for a moment, then decided that he would be okay and turned his attention to extricating Gabhaan from the other side of the table. He reached across, gently lifting the young woman, propping her against the Lieutenant so that she didn't end up on the floor when he lifted Gabhaan out.

Finally on his feet, Jomanock helped him haul the young man across the table.

"I'll get some cafin," Jomanock said, beginning to look more human.

Rayne smiled, shaking Gabhaan awake as the Commander crossed over to the dispenser. The young man's eyes snapped open. Startled, he gazed at Rayne for a moment before trying to get up.

"Whoa," Rayne warned, stopping him, "take it easy!"

Jomanock returned, handing a cafin to Gabhaan, who accepted it, savouring the flavour in his mouth. "You okay, Gow?" Jomanock asked.

 Gabhaan looked up at him brightly, "Fine, Sir!"

The Commanders exchanged glances, Jomanock fixing the Lieutenant with an accusing stare, "If you're going to tell me that you don't get hangovers, Goddess forgive me, I'll smack you on the mouth!"

Gabhaan grinned, "Well, not all the time, Sir..."

Rayne rose to his feet, laughing, placing a hand on Jomanock's shoulder as the other Commander groaned heavily. "If you two are quite finished," he told them, "get a shower, get changed and be in..." He trailed off, changing his mind, "Just be ready in an hour. I'll come get you."

Han walked up the ramp into the belly of the Millennium Falcon, searching for Chewie. He found the Wookiee lying flat out on a bunk, a half barrel of Chenyian ale lying empty beside him. The Corellian reached out, placing a hand gently on his partner's shoulder. Then turned, leaving the Wookiee asleep.

"How you feeling now?" Rayne asked Jomanock as he lead the Commander and Gabhaan through the corridors of the ship.

"Better," Jomanock grimaced. In truth he was feeling a lot better, a shower and a change of uniform having done him more good than the three mugs of cafin he'd had. There again, the shots of cafin liqueur that he'd also dumped into the mugs might have something to do with his present state of health... but at least he was sober.

He glanced across at Gabhaan. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, damn him! "Who is it wants to see us?" he asked, turning his attention back to the Y-wing pilot.

"General Solo. At least it was Solo who sent me to find you." Rayne stopped outside one of the smaller briefing rooms, "He's waiting inside." 

Jomanock noticed the look the other Commander gave him, "I'll be fine!" he assured him. Rayne dropped a hand onto his shoulder, then turned, moving down the hall.

Solo stood up, walking round the desk as they entered, shaking their hands, "How you doing?"

"All right, Sir."

"As well as can be expected, Sir," Jomanock admitted, closing his eyes, rubbing his hand across his face.

The General laughed softly, thinking of the headache Chewie was going to have when he eventually woke up, indicating two seats, "Please, sit down."

He waited until the pilots had made themselves comfortable, then began, "There's going to be a ceremony tomorrow, posthumous presentation of the Alliance Medal of Honour to Lieutenant-Colonel Antilles.... and JavraH."

He saw the startled satisfaction on Gabhaan's face and with a heavy heart explained, "She didn't die when her fighter blew.... they picked her up alive, used her against Antilles to make him talk." He paused, looking at them, but his eyes were focused light years away.

"He wanted her remembered," he finished after a moment.

Gabhaan closed his eyes, hearing, but not wanting to accept what Solo was saying.

The General was continuing, "They got Antilles out alive. Apparently he walked out of the cell and onto the ship under his own power... but it just wasn't to be. He told Colonel Skywalker about JavraH just before he..... died."

The two men opposite remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. "Admiral Ackbar would like to know if you two would be willing to make up an Honour Guard at the ceremony: along with myself, Chewbacca, General Calrissian and Princess Leia. Colonel Skywalker will be accepting the medal for the Lieutenant-Colonel. JavraH's brother will be accepting hers."

"I would like that, Sir," Jomanock said immediately.

"It would mean a lot to me too, Sir," Gabhaan told him.

Solo nodded, "The ceremony will start at fifteen hundred hours. Be in the main starboard hanger by fourteen-ten. Full flight suit."

They rose to leave. Han told them softly, "Thank you."

They both stopped, exchanging glances before looking back at Han. Jomanock nodded in acknowledgement then turned, walking out the door. Gabhaan began to follow then stopped, glancing back, "No, Sir. Thank you."

Then he disappeared, the door hissing closed, leaving Han in his own semi-darkness.