Chapter 22- Death Star Battle
Lena licked her lips and stretched out with the Force as she and the other X-wings made their way to the Death Star. This was one of those times that her father would have told her to use the Force; to not think. Much like Obi-Wan had said while he and Lena were teaching Luke the intricacies of lightsaber dueling. This battle would be much like that considering how much the Force was telling her it would be.
Talon, Cora, and Leia entered the briefing room. This battle was more personal than all the battles since the Rebellion had started. That terror that Vader and Palpatine had created had destroyed Jedha, Scarif, abd Alderaan. Talon now knew with certainty that Leia, Lena, and Cora were all that was left of his family and knowing the fact that Vader had been responsible made it worse. Vader couldn't have known that Leia, Luke, and Lena were his children. Talon doubted that the cyborg had recognized the human offspring of Anakin and Padme. Of course during this battle if Vader could sense Luke and Lena using the Force, he couldn't know that they were Skywalkers. To the Sith lord they would just be two Force users that he would have to destroy.
Talon closed his eyes and stretched out with the Force. It was going to be a long battle. "Standby alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range. 15 minutes," a mechanized voice said over the intercom and Talon looked at the computer in front of him and Leia.
"Uncle, I'm scared," Leia said in a small voice, reminding him of the little girls she and Lena had once been before she and Lena had become senator and Jedi protector. Talon was much like he had been 20 years earlier in the Jedi temple. All the royal children had flocked to him as the favorite uncle. Now Talon was Leia's guardian as Bail and Breha were one with the Force.
"I know, Leia, but the Force is strong in you, Leia. Fear is the path to the dark side," Talon said, feeling as if he was spewing Jedi rhetoric, but it was as much true as it had been 25,793 years ago and the Jedi had first entered the galaxy's equation. If Leia took the same path of the Jedi that Lena had taken and he felt that Luke had as well, then the children would need him to teach them and the Empire would fall along with Vader and Palpatine.
Lena looked around as they left the atmosphere. "All wings report in," Rogue leader said in a crisp staccato voice.
"Red 10 standing by."
"Red Seven standing by."
""Red Three standing by" Biggs's voice came over the channel.
"Red Six standing by."
"Red Nine standing by."
"Red Two standing by."
"Red 11 standing by."
"Red Four standing by," Lena said, punching up the comm on her front station.
"Red Five standing by," Luke said.
"Lock S-foils in attack position," Rogue Leader said. Lena licked her lips and pushed the button. She felt her ship shudder and move slightly as the foils locked in an X, giving the ship its name.
"We're passing through the magnetic field. Hold tight," Rogue Leader said as the ship jolted sharply. It took all of Lena's Jedi skills to not let the magnet jar her teeth out of her head.
"Everyone, switch your deflectors on. Double front The towers are gonna come at a vengeance," Lena said. Brother, be careful, Lena thought through the Force at Luke.
"Look at the size of that thing," Wedge Antilles exclaimed in awed shock.
"Cut the chatter, Red Two. Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, boys and Master Jedi," Rogue Leader said as they came to the trench.
"Red Leader, this is Gold Leader," a voice that Lena didn't recognize came over the comm.
"I copy, Gold Leader," Red Leader said.
"We're starting for the target shaft now," Gold Leader said.
"We're in position. I'm going to cut across the axis and try to draw their fire," Red Leader said as plasma bolts then started. It took all of Lena's Jedi skills of deflection to avoid being strafed by one. She had to stretch out to the Force and bank sharply at intervals.
"Heavy fire, Boss. 23 degrees," Lena heard a voice faintly over the comm.
"I see it. Stay low," Rogue leader said.
"This is Red Five. I'm going in," Luke said to Lena's chagrin.
"This is Red Four. I'm right behind him. May the Force be with us," Lena said as she dodged a blaster bolt and she and Luke fired at certain spots on the Death Star.
"Luke, Master Jedi, pull up!" Biggs shouted and Lena and Luke both braked sharply in tandem as an explosion went off, nearly deafening Lena. "Are you all right?" Biggs asked, concerned.
"I got a little cooked, but I'm okay. Are you okay, Lena?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. Force be thanked for that," Lena said, her breathing coming out as heavy as Luke's voice.
Vader stalked down the hall as sirens blared. The Death Star had taken shots and he was feeling the Force on the move at rapidly fast intervals. It had to be Lena and the untrained boy she was with, but why Lena would be moving so fast was beyond him. Jedi or Sith never moved as rapidly as his girl and the boy were doing. But then again the young always moved fast, Force-sensitive or otherwise. Vader looked down the corridor as an officer came up to him.
"We count 30 rebel ships, Lord Vader, but they're so small they're evading our turbolasers," the officer said as he joined him.
"We'll have to destroy them ship to ship. Get the crews to their fighters," Vader said, the part of him that was still Anakin shouting. Lena was still out there. If only Vader could destroy his daughter's ship without ending her life. But considering that she was his daughter she would know how to fly and Vader not touch her. For her it would be like it was when Vader used to podrace on Tatooine, the unJedi-like excitement of the race, unless Talon had stopped Lena from enjoying pastimes like that.
"Watch yourself. There's a lot of firepower coming from the right side of that deflection tower," Red Leader said.
"I'm on it," Luke said as he swooped down in the direction of the tower.
"I'm going in. Cover me, Porkins, Your Highness," Biggs said to a fighter and Lena.
"You got it. I'm right beside you, Biggs," Lena said, steering the fighter with one hand and keeping her other hand on the blaster mechanism in front of her.
"I'm right with you too, Red Three," Porkins said brusquely as all three of them shot out the tower beside Luke.
"I've got a problem here," Porkins said.
"Eject, Porkins," Lena said sharply.
"I can hold it, Princess," Porkins said.
"Pull up!" Biggs shouted as he and Lena both saw shots from another tower.
"No, I'm all- Ahhh!" Porkins tried to say before his ship was destroyed and his Force presence winked out of existence and he became one with the Force; the first casualty of this battle.
"Lena, Luke, trust your feelings," Lena heard Obi-Wan say in her head from Luke's lightsaber training. It was good advise to start following. She wondered if Luke remembered that from the practice against the remote.
Talon stood next to Leia, feeling the eddies in the Force all around him. He always knew when his girl was using the Force and now was no exception. "Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way," a man at a comm station said. Talon stretched out with the Force to guage the danger his girl was in and then felt the dark side. Vader! Anakin, don't! Talon felt his mind scream. Vader could kill his son and daughter and not be aware that was what he was doing.
"My scope's negative. I don't see anything," Luke complained.
"Pick up your visual scanning, Brother. Here they come," Lena said, her voice filling Talon with trepidation.
Lena looked out of the corner of her eye as Tie-Fighters flew in a swoop down to them. Judging from the coldness she was feeling in the Force, Vader was in the main fighter. "Watch it! You've got one on your tail," Red Leader said in warning.
"I'm hit!" A fighter screamed as he was ingulfed in flames and became one with the Force.
"You've picked one up! Watch it!" Luke shouted at Biggs.
"I can't see it! He's on me tight! I can't shake him" Biggs exclaimed. Looking out her canopy Lena could see the Tie-Fighter right on Biggs's tail and directly in the firing range of her, Luke, and Wedge.
"I'll be right there," Lena said as she pulled back on the yoke to go to Biggs's aide. The ship lined up on Lena's scope and she fired, obliterating the enemy fighter in front of her.
"Thanks, Your Highness," Biggs said, his voice full of obvious relief.
"You're welcome. Now let's get back to the job at hand," Lena said as she and Biggs got back into the battle. Lena felt a momentary sadness that she had ended someone's life, but she could only think about that when the battle was over.
Vader strode to his ship and a lieutenant stopped him. "Several fighters have broken off from the main group. Come with me," Vader said. He had a feeling one of the fighters had to be Lena. If Talon Orran had followed the ways of the Jedi, he would have taught Lena how to be cowardly and have someone fight battles for her. Granted, he and Obi-Wan used to fight battles, but it was more the clone troopers fought the battles and he and Obi-Wan would cover them. The Rebel Alliance probably wasn't any different in using the Jedi to cover their backsides.
Talon watched in obvious concern as Lena destroyed one fighter after another with alarming fluidity. Should he have been concerned with the ease she took to the battle? It was too much like what Anakin had done years ago. Granted, Talon wasn't feeling the dark side from his daughter's side of the battle, but if he didn't put a check and balance on her, it could lead to that. Lena would listen to him as he was her father and the Jedi master who had trained her.
"Fall in! Fall in! Watch your back, Luke! Watch your back! Fighters above you, coming in," Red Leader said.
Luke looked around as he felt a strike on his ship. "I'm hit, but not bad. R2, see what you can do with it. Hang on back there," Luke warned the little droid.
"Red Six, Red Four, can you see Red Five?" Talon heard Red Leader ask Lena and Red Six.
"There's a heavy fire zone. I can feel Luke through the Force, but I can't see him. What about you, Red Six?" Lena asked.
"Red Five, where are you?" Red Six asked, through heavy static.
"I can't shake him!" Luke protested frantically.
"I'm on him, Luke. Hold on," Wedge's voice came over the speaker, followed by blasts from his weapons.
"Blast it, Biggs. Where are you?" Talon heard Luke mutter, followed by blaster bursts.
"Luke, are you all right?" Lena asked concerned.
"Thanks, Wedge, Lena," Luke said, obvious relief in his voice.
"Good shooting, Wedge, Master Jedi. Red Leader, this is Gold Leader, we're starting our attack run," Gold Leader said and the engines from his X-wing squealed.
"I copy, Gold Leader. Move into position," Lena heard Red Leader say over her comm board. Lena then felt a cold chill go down her back. The dark side of the Force was coming, meaning Vader wasn't too far behind.
"Everyone, watch your backs. Vader's here," Lena said, as she pressed buttons and keyed a command into her comm station.
"Lena, are you certain?" Talon asked over her comm.
"Papa, you trained me to be a Jedi and mindful of my feelings. The dark side is cold," Lena said. Talon sighed deeply.
"All right. Lena, be careful. If Vader won't kill you, he can turn you into a Sith," Talon said in warning.
"Yes, Master Jedi," Lena said as the Tie-fighters came into her line of vision.
"The exhaust port is marked and locked in," Gold Leader said as he two other ships made their way down the trench. "Switch all power to front deflector screen. How many guns do you think, Gold Five?" Gold Leader asked an old war veteran named Pops, who had fought in the Clone Wars as a teenager.
"Say about 20 guns, some on the surface, some on the towers," Pops said offhandedly.
"Switch to targeting computer," Gold Eight said.
"Computer's locked. Getting a signal. The guns! They've stopped," Gold Leader said.
"Stabilize your read deflectors. Watch for enemy fights," Pops said as Lena tried to cover them by shooting out the weapons turrets.
"They're coming in! Three marks at two ten!" Gold Eight exclaimed. Lena looked to see three Tie-fighters swoop down. Vader was probably in the middle if the coldness in the Force was anything to go on. But she was too busy to try and stop the enemy as she shot out the undercarriage of an X-wing. Gold flight was on their own.
Lena looked down at her console in dismay as the firepower shook her ship. "It's no good. I can't maneuver!" Gold Eight said in a panic.
"Stay on target," Pops said in a brisk staccato. In another time and place, Pops would have been a great Jedi. Talon had said the Force was strong with the veteran. How the old Jedi Order had missed him, Lena and Talon couldn't fathom.
"We're too close," Gold Eight said.
"Stay on target," Pops repeated.
"Loosen up!" Gold Eight shouted, the last words the fighter said as a blast came over Lena's comm.
"Gold Five to Red Leader. Lost Tiree. Lost Hutch," Pops said. Lena looked down at the trench and saw the lone fighter with three Tie-fighters on its tail.
"I copy, Gold Leader," Red Leader said, giving Pops his new designation as Gold Leader.
"They came from behind," Pops said in a shout as an enemy obliterated his ship, ending his life. Lena closed her eyes, the Force crying with her as Pops became one with the Force.
Lena put her mind back on the trench and reached out with the Force. Now was the time to start using the Force for this battle. She had been trying to win. Do or do not. There is no try," her father's voice came back into her mind as she remembered the Jedi dictum he had often quoted while training her.
"Red boys and Jedi, this is Red Leader. Rendezvous at mark 6.1.," Red Leader said.
This is Red Two flying toward you," Wedge said.
"Red Three, standing by," Biggs said.
"And this is Red Four. It's all yours, Red Leader," Lena said as she trimmed on her flight pattern and made an adjustment. She and Luke would cover Red Leader's back and keep the guns at bay.
"Red Leader, this is Base One. Keep half your group out of range for the next run," Talon's voice said sharply over the comm.
"Copy, Master Jedi. Luke, Your Highness, take Red Two and Three. Hold up here and wait for my signal to start your run. This is it," Red Leader said as he and two other X-wings, flanking him went into the trench.
"We should be able to see it by now," a fighter said through the maelstrom of blaster fire.
"Keep your eyes open for those fighters," Red Leader said in flat concentration.
"There's too much interference," the fighter said by way of complaint.
"Red Five can you see them from where you are?" Red Nine asked Luke.
"No sign of any- Wait. Coming in .35.," Luke interrupted himself and Lena looked to see Vader and his squadron flanking him.
"I see them," Red Nine said sharply.
"I'm in range. Target's coming up. Just hold them off for a few seconds. Almost there," Red Leader said and Red Seven explodes from a shot.
"You'd better let her loose. They're right behind me," Red Nine said, panic in his voice.
"Almost there," Red Leader said absently.
"I can't hold them," Red Nine said and exploded with a scream.
"It's away!" Red Leader said jubilantly as he fired two shots into the port.
"It's a hit!" Biggs exclaimed as a fireball came up from the surface, but the station stayed in place.
"Negative. Negative. It didn't go in. It just impacted on the surface," Red Leader said dejectedly.
"Red Leader, we're right above you. Turn to .05. We'll cover for you," Luke said as Lena saw Red Leader get ambushed by Vader and his squadron.
"Stay there. I just lost my starboard engine. Get set up for your attack run," Red Leader said as Lena saw Vader's vessel and it fired at Red Leader, hitting him in a precise hit. Lena heard his scream as he hit the surface of the Death Star.
"Biggs, Luke, Wedge, let's close it up. We're going in, we're going in full throttle. That ought to keep those fighters off our backs," Lena said as the four of them made it to the trench.
"Right with you, Your Highness," Wedge said loyally.
"Luke, Master Jedi, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?" Biggs asked with concern.
"It'll be just like Beggar's Canyon back home," Luke said.
"I've never flown Beggar's Canyon, Brother, but I'll take your word for it," Lena said, licking her lips as they went into the trench and the guns fired. Using the Force, Lena dodged each blast.
"We'll stay back far enough to cover you," Biggs said.
"My scope shows the tower, but I can't see the exhaust port. Are you sure the computer can hit it?" Wedge asked anxiously as the blasters went off and no one answered his question.
"Watch yourself. Increase speed, full throttle," Luke ordered.
"What about that tower?" Wedge asked.
"You, Lena and Biggs worry about those fighters! I'll worry about the tower!" Luke said petulantly.
"The guns should be stopping," Lena said, sticking her tongue out between her teeth in concentration as she stretched out with the Force to see the exhaust port. While everyone was using targeting computers, Lena was the only pilot using the Force. Even Luke, who had just come into the training was going to use a computer.
"R2, that stabilizer's broken loose again. See if you can't lock it down," Luke said.
"Fighters coming in .3," Wedge said. Lena looked behind her to see Vader and his squadron in the trench and a shot from Vader's ship hitting Wedge's. "I'm hit! I can't stay with you!"
"Get clear, Wedge. You can't do any more good back there," Lena said.
"Sorry," Wedge said as he flew out of the trench and to Lena's relief Vader and his squadron didn't follow.
"Hurry, Luke, Your Highness, They're coming in much faster this time. We can't hold them," Biggs warned as Luke and Lena accelerated their speed.
"R2, try and increase the power," Luke said to the droid.
"Hurry up, Luke, Lena! Quick! Quick!" Biggs shouted and then his ship exploded in flames, leaving only Luke and Lena going down the trench.
"I guess it's just us, Brother," Lena said as the Force washed over her with grief.
"Yeah, come on, Lena. We can do it," Luke said as the two of them increased their speed.
Vader watched the last two pilots as they went down the trench. He then got a strong spike in the Force. Lena! She was in one of the ships in front of him. She was going to be noble and cover for the pilot next to her as all Jedi Knights did and then he felt a surge in the Force from the other pilot. It was the untrained boy that had rescued the princess with Lena. "The Force is strong with this one," Vader said in a begrudging admiration. He wouldn't destroy Padme's daughter, but he could end her companion.
Lena licked her lips as she looked down the trench. "His computer's off. Luke, you switched off your targeting computer! What's wrong?" Lena heard a voice blare through her comm. Lena gave an unJedi-like grin. Luke was remembering what Obi-Wan said about not trusting your eyes and using the Force! That had to be the only explanation for him to stop using his computer like she was doing.
"Nothing. I'm all right," Luke said.
"All right. Now let's do this," Lena said as she leaned forward in concentration.
A shot nearly rocked her out of Lena's flight pattern, followed by a loud scream from Artoo in Lena's headset. "I've lost R2!" Luke protested.
Lena looked back as Vader got closer, just in time to see one of his flankers get blown to dust. "Yahoo!" Lena heard a voice yell and Vader and the other flanker get blown away and knocked out of the trench.
"Solo," Lena breathed with obvious relief.
"You're all clear, kid, Your Highness! Now let's blow this thing and go home!" Han said jubilantly. Luke and Lena let loose with two blasts from their ships and flew as fast as they could from the station, which exploded into cosmic dust. "Great shots, kid, Princess! That was two in a million!" Han said with cheer in his voice.
"Remember, the Force will be with you always," Lena remembered Obi-Wan saying as they flew back to the base.
Vader watched in stunned anger as the Death Star exploded. In his heart he knew that the untrained boy and Lena had done this. How Palpatine would respond to this Vader couldn't fathom. His other worry was that Palpatine would also find out that Anakin Skywalker still had human offspring and that the offspring was a Jedi. Vader would go to his castle on Vjun and figure out what to do next.