HOPE

DARTH JADE

Darth Jade had learned much from the holocron Vader had given her. Still she wished he was present so that she could learn directly from him. Before her training Jade could sense the feelings of others, manipulate minds, and was good fighter. Now she could move objects by sheer will alone, leap far and high distances, and use the Darkside to energize her body beyond its normal limits. She still had yet to build a lightsaber, nor had she reached her full potential yet.

When Jade wasn't training, she was exploring Vader's fortress. The servants had been told to treat her with great respect. They obeyed her every command. She was walking up the hall on the lower levels when she came to a door guarded by the red garbed warriors. "I am sorry mistress. This area is off limits…The Emperor's orders."

She stares at him for a few minutes before walking away. Jade heads for the private hangar and flies into orbit where the engineers are building another Death Star. The space station's skeleton and main generator were done. The command center and one of the hangars was complete. There was no oxygen atmosphere active, so the engineers still wore space suits. Construction Droids were helping as well.

LUKE

Luke walks with Biggs and Wedge Antillies to the conference room. They sit together as the room fills with Star Pilots. General Dodonna takes charge of the briefing mission. "Let us begin…The Death Star is still in the Alderaan System…We just intercepted a message…Darth Revenant is on his way to the Death Star…This will be the perfect time to attack…"

A hologram is shown on the screen, "A scan of the plans bought to us by Princess Leia and Master Kenobi shows a weakness on the Death Star. Your target is an exhaust port shaft…You will be required to skim the surface down this trench and at this point fire two proton torpedoes. The port is two meters wide…"

"That's impossible! Even for a computer." Wedge says.

Luke leans to him and whispers "No its not I use to bulls eye wamp-rats with my T-16 back home they're no bigger than two meters…"

"You have your orders…May the force be with you…"

Luke rides a hover transport to the main hangar. "Luke…Be careful." Leia says when he arrives at his fighter.

"I will." Ben is there as well.

"Remember what I taught you Luke. Trust in the force. No matter what you face out there…Remember the force is with you…Always."

He nods, "I will…" Luke climbs aboard as they load R2 into the droid port on his fighter. "COM check…Base One, are you receiving me?"

"We are receiving you Luke…"

"R2 perform flight check…" He whistles that all is ready after a minute.

"All fighters you are clear for takeoff…"

Luke had been designated Red 5. Both Wedge and Biggs are in his squadron unit. Thousands of fighters take off and then make the jump to lightspeed once in space. "Death Star here we come." Luke says.

DARTH REVENANT

As his shuttle flies toward the Death Star Revenant receives a premonition in the force. He smiles when the vision ends. As he walks down the ramp Darth Raga drops to one knee, "Welcome Master."

"Arise Lord Raga…You have done well…"

"Thank you Master…"

"The Rebels are getting ready to attack us…I want you out there destroying our enemies…"

"It will be my pleasure Master…What of Vader?"

"After we crush the Rebel attack, we will head for Naboo…Blow up the planet and kill Vader as well…"

"As you wish Master…"

THE FIFTH INQUISITOR

She lands her ship in the main hangar of the Executor and rushes to speak with Emperor Vader. "My Lord I have news." She blurts entering the throne room. Grand Admiral Thrawn and General Veers are present.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I know the location of the Rebel Base…"

"How did you come by this information?"

"I traveled to Jabba's Palace on Tatooine and waited. Captain Han Solo came as I calculated…I took a bio-sample from the hall of his ship…the planet Yavin IV stood out to me…We can attack now my lord."

Vader wanted his son Luke, to turn him to the Darkside and together they can kill Darth Revenant. "No, we will not attack now."

"But my Emperor why?"

"There is something I want…That is all you need to know…What is the nearest system to Yavin?" Vader asks looking at Thrawn.

"The Yalmar System…Uninhabited by intelligent life forms…" Thrawn says bringing up a map of the system. "We can hide the fleet in the upper atmosphere of the planet Marro…"

"You have served me well Fifth Inquisitor…You may go."

"What are you really after?" Thrawn asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Strategically attacking the Rebel base while their fighters are away, makes sense…My guess is you are after a force sensitive individual fighting with the Rebels. And since Ezra Bridger is dead…You are after someone else."

Vader just looks at him from behind his mask, "You have your orders Grand Admiral." He bows and leaves.

THE DEATH STAR

Luke and the rest of the rebel fighters come out of hyperspace. "All wings report in…"

"Red Five…" Luke says announcing his call sign.

"Lock S-foils in attack position."

"Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge says.

"Cut the chatter red two…"

"Gold one…This is Base One…We are picking up enemy COM channels…There are four fleet divisions in the area…"

"Gold Leader to Blue and Green leaders…Take your fighters and engage the enemy fleet…"

"Copy that."

"Give them hell Blue and Green Squadrons."

DARTH REVENANT

"Raise shields!" He orders and starts using his battle meditation. Just as the fighters near the Death Star a shield goes up around the Space Station. Revenant smiles as hundreds of Rebel fighters explode against the shield.

He can feel his apprentice Darth Raga lead the counterattack against the Blue and Green Squadrons of the Rebel Alliance. With the shields up the Rebels have two choices, retreat or engage the enemy fleet. But with his battle meditation Revenant is sure of victory.

DARTH RAGA

Even without his Master's Battle Meditation, Darth Raga could easily out fly and outgun any fighter the rebels have. He squeezes the trigger again and the tenth fighter vanishes from his screen. Then he focuses on the Blue and Green leaders and destroy their fighters one after the other. He can feel the Rebels as they panic, but then he feels a bright light flying towards the fleet with Gold and Red Squadrons.

"This is Lord Raga…Patch me to the Emperor…"

"Lord Raga…What is it?"

"Can't you feel that Master?"

There is silence for a few minutes, "Now I do…Find it and destroy it!"

LUKE

Luke pulls on the yoke avoiding a collision with the Death Star's energy field. "That thing has shields…" Gold One says over the COM. "Gold leader to Base One…Come in."

"Base One here go ahead."

"They have installed energy shields on the Death Star…We cannot penetrate them."

"Withdraw from the battle General…"

"Negative Base One…We could at least cause some heavy damage to their fleet."

"Concur…Gold One, but if things go bad retreat."

"Copy that. All fighters follow me…Blue Leader…Green Leader…This is Gold Leader we are on the way…"

"Sir this is Blue 3…Blue and Green Leaders are dead…"

Luke squeezes the trigger and fires destroying a fighter, "Luke can you here me?" Ben says through the force.

"Ben? I hear you."

"Use the force Luke…"

"But the Shields are up."

"Trust me Luke…Open yourself up to the force…"

Luke takes a deep breath and turns his fighter back towards the Death Star. "Luke what are doing? Why have you broken formation?" Luke does not respond. "Luke! Luke come in!"

Luke switches off his COM and opens himself up to the force. Slowly he can feel himself expand in every direction. He can feel the shields of the Death Star. He can feel the great abundance of life from the Rebel Fighters and those who follow Darth Revenant. Their minds seemed warped to Luke. Now he senses a great dark power coming from the Death Star. Then there is another dark presence coming for him.

Luke expands the force around his ship and goes to full throttle. Meanwhile on board the Death Star, Darth Revenant stands up and watches as a single fighter engulfed in the force rams into the Death Star's shields. There is no explosion, even R2 is surprised they survived and passed through the shield unharmed.

"How in space did he do that?" Biggs asks. Luke flies across the surface of the Death Star as anti-fighter guns fire on him. He bobs and weaves through the field of fire directed at him.

NATASI DAALA

With Inferno Squadron she sneaks aboard the Death Star, just before the shields go up. Inferno Squadron is one the best special units in the Empire. "ID locate Governor Tarkin…" Commander Iden Versio says to her droid. The Droid plugs into the computer terminal. "ID has located the Governor…He's on the Command Deck…"

"Can the Droid lower the shields?" Daala asks.

The Droid whistles, "ID says the shield codes are encrypted he can't break them."

"Move out…We need to find Tarkin before the Rebels retreat…"

When they get to the Command Deck a voice sounds over the COM. "All hands abandon Space Station…This is a priority order from the Emperor…All hands abandon Space Station."

"The Rebels couldn't have gotten through the shields." Hask says.

"ID plug in…" The Droid plugs into a wall terminal, "ID says that a loan fighter has broken through the shields and is making his way to the exhaust port…One hit and the whole station will go…Ma'am I recommend we return to the Corvus…we can catch Tarkin as he tries to leave the Death Star…"

"Go!"

DARTH REVENANT

He leaves the throne room and makes his way towards his private ship on the throne deck. He boards the ship and powers it up. He takes off as he can feel his men scrambling for escape pods and ships. Revenant has to release his battle meditation to focus on flying the ship and escaping.

LUKE

Luke enters the trench and the turrets keep firing at him as he flies down the trench. R2 whistles a question. "The force…R2 I used the force…" R2 whistles another Question, "Well you are a Droid so it will be hard to explain it to you…"

Soon Luke reaches the point and without his targeting computer he fires his Proton torpedoes. As he flies out of the trench R2 Whistles again, "Oh yeah I forgot…: Luke says switching back on his COMs.

"Luke come in!" Wedge yells.

"I'm fine…I'm here…" As Luke flies away the Death Star Explodes.

"Son of Mynock! You did it!" Wedge says.

"Biggs are you there buddy."

"Luke…Luke I'm sorry…Biggs didn't make it…"

"All fighters this is Gold Leader…Micro-jump to rendezvous…"

DARTH RAGA

He is furious, but not as angry as his Master. "We just lost the greatest weapon in the galaxy."

Darth Raga is on his knees before Revenant, "Forgive me Master I failed you."

"No, you did not…Rise Lord Raga…"

A hologram of Admiral Seen appears, "My Emperor…"

"What is it Admiral?"

"Governor Tarkin's shuttle escaped before the Death Star exploded, but he has been kidnapped."

"How?"

"We found his ship, the pilot and his guards had been killed…Scans indicate that the ship was hit by a very sophisticated ion missile."

"That will be all Admiral."

"What do we now Master?"

"We let Vader make the next move…Then we attack…"