A/N: The briefing sceen is taken straight from the TIMETALE episode 4
script. I have no idea where I got it so if someone could remind me, that'd
be great. If the Red Sqaudron leader has a generally accepted name, someone
tell me please. And now... for the first chapter in... a long, long time...
read on!
Part Five: Return to Yavin
The ship came into orbit around Yavin 4 late in the night. Most everyone was asleep except Sebastian. He was alone in the cockpit having sent Halph and Niik to their cabins. There was no reason for everyone to stay up. He wasn't going to rest at all.
Quiet reflections ran through his mind. He had known what would happen with Alderaan. Yet, he hadn't acted, hadn't warned anyone. Why hadn't he?
Because you know it would be wrong.
Was that the reason? He wondered. Was it really? The truth was, he hadn't even though of it. Sebastian knew what was going to happen in this galaxy for the next two decades. He had read many of the books... he knew it all. What should he do with that knowledge?
So now he sat here, alone in the ship's cockpit debating over saving the lives of millions... or just letting things be.
"We're setting down?" a voice asked from behind him.
Sebastian turned to see Zall Ventao in the doorway.
He nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna set down soon..."
Zall walked over and sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Thanks... for bringing me along."
Sebastian answered, "It wasn't a problem."
"You lost someone one Alderaan, too?" he asked quietly.
Sebastian shook his head. "No... but I felt them. All of them. Their fear, their pain... And then it was all over. Everyone was gone. No more."
Zall gave a somewhat skeptical look. "You *felt* them? What are you? A Jedi?"
"Maybe," came the answer. "Maybe."
***
They had set down and Sebastian had left the new recruits with Alliance officers. He decided there was no use in sticking around. It was late and he was tired. He was on his way to his quarters when Jaylee ran up to him.
"Force! This is so exciting, Cor!" he shouted, practically prancing about.
"What?" Sebastian asked. "What's so exciting?"
Jaylee grabbed Sebastian's arm and the two of them took off. As they ran, Jaylee explained everything. "Han Solo, Princess Leia and some farmer named Luke Skywalker brought plans for the Death Star!"
"Death Star?" Sebastian said in shock. He knew that this was coming as well but... so soon? Sebastian mentally kicked himself. Of course so soon. He really needed to get it all together. Everything that was going to happen for decades... he knew. It was time to start preparing for it all.
"It blew up Alderaan."
Sebasitan just nodded.
The two of them stopped as they ran into the briefing room.
"The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station," General Jan Dodonna was saying as Jaylee and Sebastian arrived.
A murmur of disbelief runs through the room.
"Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is ray- shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes," the General continued.
A pilot that Sebastian soon reckognized as Wedge Antilles spoke up. "A two- meter target at maximum speed - with a torpedo?? That's impossible, even for a computer."
"It's not impossible," Luke Skywalker said. Sebastian gaped. It was LUKE SKYWALKER! "I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-sixteen back home. They're not much bigger than two meters."
"And were those womp rats shooting at you with turbolaser cannons?" Wedge countered.
Sebastian grinned.
Dodonna pointed to the briefing screen. "Take special note of these emplacements. There's a heavy concentration of firepower along the longitudinal axes, as well as several dense circumpolar clusters. Also, their field generators will create a lot of distortion, especially in and around the trench. I figure maneuverability in that sector will be less than point three."
A collective groan from the pilots.
"Remember, you must score a direct hit," Dodonna told everyone. "Red Squadron will cover for Gold on the first run. If that fails, Red Squadron will attempt the run themselves. Any questions?"
"What if both runs fail?" someone asked. "What happens after that?"
Dodonna looked at the pilot grimly. "There won't be an 'after that.' Anyone else?"
No one responded.
"Then man your ships! And may the Force be with you!"
The group began to rise and file out. Jaylee looked as excited as a puppy off his leash for the first time. Neither of them were pilots so Sebastian wondered why his friend was so excited about what may be their immediate doom. He himself knew that the Rebels would succeed in their mission thanks to Luke Skywalker. But Jaylee didn't. That guy was something else if he was excited about sitting on a planet waiting for a planet killer to blow it to pieces.
"Wynt, Deighton!" someone shouted.
No way, Sebastian thought. No way.
"Over here!" Jaylee called back.
A rugged man of around fourty pushed his way through the exiting pilots. He walked up to them and looked them over. "I asked them for experienced pilots," he grumbled.
Sebastian felt himself go a bit red. Sure, they were young, but they were no less experienced than anyone else here. "We *are* experienced. With me straight from the Corellian spice trails," he said in protest with a finger pointed at himself. It was a lie that everyone thought was truth. "Ask anyone around. We've got the talent."
The man sighed. "I ain't got much a choice do I?" he asked no one in particular. "Alright. Welcome to Red Squadron."
Jaylee's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Sebastian stood there stunned.
"I'm Drek Galin. Red Leader."
"Wa-wa-wait a minute," Sebastian said. "We-we're part of Red Squadron?"
Galin nodded. "If you're up to it."
"Wizard."
Sebastian turned to look at Jaylee. His initial shock had worn off.
"Am I ever up to it!" he shouted whole-heartedly.
Then Jaylee turned to Sebastian.
He grinned.
"Count me in."
Part Five: Return to Yavin
The ship came into orbit around Yavin 4 late in the night. Most everyone was asleep except Sebastian. He was alone in the cockpit having sent Halph and Niik to their cabins. There was no reason for everyone to stay up. He wasn't going to rest at all.
Quiet reflections ran through his mind. He had known what would happen with Alderaan. Yet, he hadn't acted, hadn't warned anyone. Why hadn't he?
Because you know it would be wrong.
Was that the reason? He wondered. Was it really? The truth was, he hadn't even though of it. Sebastian knew what was going to happen in this galaxy for the next two decades. He had read many of the books... he knew it all. What should he do with that knowledge?
So now he sat here, alone in the ship's cockpit debating over saving the lives of millions... or just letting things be.
"We're setting down?" a voice asked from behind him.
Sebastian turned to see Zall Ventao in the doorway.
He nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna set down soon..."
Zall walked over and sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Thanks... for bringing me along."
Sebastian answered, "It wasn't a problem."
"You lost someone one Alderaan, too?" he asked quietly.
Sebastian shook his head. "No... but I felt them. All of them. Their fear, their pain... And then it was all over. Everyone was gone. No more."
Zall gave a somewhat skeptical look. "You *felt* them? What are you? A Jedi?"
"Maybe," came the answer. "Maybe."
***
They had set down and Sebastian had left the new recruits with Alliance officers. He decided there was no use in sticking around. It was late and he was tired. He was on his way to his quarters when Jaylee ran up to him.
"Force! This is so exciting, Cor!" he shouted, practically prancing about.
"What?" Sebastian asked. "What's so exciting?"
Jaylee grabbed Sebastian's arm and the two of them took off. As they ran, Jaylee explained everything. "Han Solo, Princess Leia and some farmer named Luke Skywalker brought plans for the Death Star!"
"Death Star?" Sebastian said in shock. He knew that this was coming as well but... so soon? Sebastian mentally kicked himself. Of course so soon. He really needed to get it all together. Everything that was going to happen for decades... he knew. It was time to start preparing for it all.
"It blew up Alderaan."
Sebasitan just nodded.
The two of them stopped as they ran into the briefing room.
"The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station," General Jan Dodonna was saying as Jaylee and Sebastian arrived.
A murmur of disbelief runs through the room.
"Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is ray- shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes," the General continued.
A pilot that Sebastian soon reckognized as Wedge Antilles spoke up. "A two- meter target at maximum speed - with a torpedo?? That's impossible, even for a computer."
"It's not impossible," Luke Skywalker said. Sebastian gaped. It was LUKE SKYWALKER! "I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-sixteen back home. They're not much bigger than two meters."
"And were those womp rats shooting at you with turbolaser cannons?" Wedge countered.
Sebastian grinned.
Dodonna pointed to the briefing screen. "Take special note of these emplacements. There's a heavy concentration of firepower along the longitudinal axes, as well as several dense circumpolar clusters. Also, their field generators will create a lot of distortion, especially in and around the trench. I figure maneuverability in that sector will be less than point three."
A collective groan from the pilots.
"Remember, you must score a direct hit," Dodonna told everyone. "Red Squadron will cover for Gold on the first run. If that fails, Red Squadron will attempt the run themselves. Any questions?"
"What if both runs fail?" someone asked. "What happens after that?"
Dodonna looked at the pilot grimly. "There won't be an 'after that.' Anyone else?"
No one responded.
"Then man your ships! And may the Force be with you!"
The group began to rise and file out. Jaylee looked as excited as a puppy off his leash for the first time. Neither of them were pilots so Sebastian wondered why his friend was so excited about what may be their immediate doom. He himself knew that the Rebels would succeed in their mission thanks to Luke Skywalker. But Jaylee didn't. That guy was something else if he was excited about sitting on a planet waiting for a planet killer to blow it to pieces.
"Wynt, Deighton!" someone shouted.
No way, Sebastian thought. No way.
"Over here!" Jaylee called back.
A rugged man of around fourty pushed his way through the exiting pilots. He walked up to them and looked them over. "I asked them for experienced pilots," he grumbled.
Sebastian felt himself go a bit red. Sure, they were young, but they were no less experienced than anyone else here. "We *are* experienced. With me straight from the Corellian spice trails," he said in protest with a finger pointed at himself. It was a lie that everyone thought was truth. "Ask anyone around. We've got the talent."
The man sighed. "I ain't got much a choice do I?" he asked no one in particular. "Alright. Welcome to Red Squadron."
Jaylee's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Sebastian stood there stunned.
"I'm Drek Galin. Red Leader."
"Wa-wa-wait a minute," Sebastian said. "We-we're part of Red Squadron?"
Galin nodded. "If you're up to it."
"Wizard."
Sebastian turned to look at Jaylee. His initial shock had worn off.
"Am I ever up to it!" he shouted whole-heartedly.
Then Jaylee turned to Sebastian.
He grinned.
"Count me in."