Author's Note: This was written for the first DownTime challenge which was basically "Kill Wes and he has to know it's coming" Fun eh?

"Red Three, look out! Break to port!"

Not even bothering to look behind him, Janson immediately turned his X-Wing to the left, and not a second to soon. He grinned as he saw the chasing eyeball explode as it met the lasers of his wingmate's ship.

"Thanks, Hobbie," he said. "And nice shot, too."

"No problem, Wes," the pilot replied. "Should we head back towards Wedge and Tycho?"

"That might be a good idea. My sensors say they've got about eight or nine brights that decided to come and play."

"I'll follow you, Three."

"Copy that, Four."

It wasn't very long before the two had reached the rest of their flight and apparently they weren't the only ones who had decided to come and join the party. A flight of eyeballs had also decided to come on over.

"Awww, no words of welcome, Red Leader?" he said jokingly as he began to fire on the Imperial fights, Hobbie doing the same.

"Sorry, it's a bit busy for formalities, Three," Wedge replied easily, firing upon the brights as he did. "Red Four, go assist Two, he's over to your starboard, I believe. Three, you're my wing."

Janson and Hobbie both acknowledged the orders and immediately shot their fighters forward towards their new wingmen.

"So what's the orders here, Boss?" he asked as he took his position slightly behind and to the right of Wedge's fighter.

"What are they usually, Three?"

"Blast every enemy fighter in sight. Is diplomacy still necessary here?"

"To the Imperials; no. To the Adumari; yes."

"Oh goodie."

Shutting up for the moment, Janson turned his attention to the eight, now seven, brights that were currently harassing them. Following Wedge's lead, he dove and then abruptly turned port, which brought them immediately behind a trio of fighters. Both X-Wings opened fire, each picking a different target and destroying it before turning their attention to the last fighter.

"Nice shooting, Lead," Janson commented as they swung back around for another pass at a different group of TIEs.

"Same to you, Three," Wedge answered with a smile.

Before long, all that was left of the brights attack was a single wingpair.

"Let's take the one on the left first," Wedge instructed, turning his fighter in the appropriate direction.

Janson grinned and did the same. "Yub yub, General."

"Shut up, Major."

"Yub yub, General," he said with a grin, feeling a lot more at ease now that there were only two fighters to worry about instead of eight.

That was what proved to be his undoing.

Both X-Wings were focused on the same TIE and tracking it every move, leaving the other one free to move as it wanted. Suddenly, it broke away from its wingmate and away from the site of their mini battle.

Not even waiting for an order, Janson quickly spun his ship in the same direction and raced after it, following the circular path that it took.

And then it hit him what the TIE planned to do.

"WEDGE! Get out of there!" Janson began to shout into his comunit. But before the words even left his mouth, he knew it was too late. The bright had already released the bomb. Judging from the sensor readings, it was one of those that would track a fighter until it hit.

Making his decision, he fired three shots at the TIE, not knowing or caring if they hit or not, and sped forward towards the bomb.

"Red Three, what are you doing?" he heard Wedge ask with disbelief.

"The New Republic needs you more, Wedge," he replied calmly, too calmly for a man who was facing his death. "Take care of Hobbie and Kettch for me, will you?"

Not waiting for a response, he abruptly turned his fighter right into the path of the bomb, letting it ram into the battle-worn X-Wing.

And then Wes Janson was no more.