Chapter 6 Part Three

The Millennium Falcon roared past a Blockade Runner at attack speed. It was a chaotic hell all around it. All the Rebel and Imperial fighters were scattered across the battle 'field' and were no longer in formations. Incoming fighters shot at the vessel as it raced past them. It veered to the right hoping to escape the massacre for a moment. Inside the Falcon Lando paid close attention to his fellow Rebels. "Green two, three Interceptors to right."

"Copy that lead." replied the A-wing pilot. He barrel-rolled, shifted, and twisted upon the on coming fire from the fighters. Finally he came out of the barrel roll and back flipped his fighter to face the back of two Interceptors. He shot them down each as he progressed towards a star destroyer. Green two accelerated towards the bridge of the destroyer, barely veering up in time. The fighter was not so lucky.

The destroyer leaned to the side and headed downwards. It slowly moved away from the fleets to the vast nothingness of space to be lost forever.

"Nice Green two! That brings are total destroyers to thirteen." said a over ecstatic Han, which was a rare site, "Right?"

Lando looked on puzzled, "I wasn't counting buddy." Lando chuckled at the remark before going back to work. Lando's eyes raced across the screen looking for enemy fighters. But there were few to be found in this section of the battle 'field'. He scrolled to the rebel cruisers and found that most of the fighters were attacking the frigate. "There grouped up by the frigate Han. Let's head over there and bust their party."

The Falcon along with the other Rebel craft made there way to the Frigate. Awaiting them was over five-dozen enemy fighters. The two forces met and the place became a maze. The Falcon twisted and rolled his fighter with the ease, releasing blast after fatal blast of red lasers. With Han's amazing piloting skills most of the shots hit home, causing an explosion to erupt where a fighter had just been. He was all over the place. There was no stopping his fury.

The Rebels hammered the middle of the group with red lances of energy. The enemy fighters broke of in to different sections fearing the wrath of Han Solo. Then they reformed and came at the Rebels from all sides. "Alright team break up and meet back at the Calamari cruiser. Destroy as many fighters as you can."

Lando watched as the various fighters broke up careful to not be victim to the Imperials. Han thrust the controls forward until the Falcon was climbing through space. Once again he picked off numerous fighters leaving hot gases behind.

On another side of the battle Luke swerved in and out of space trying to dodge incoming fire from his pursuer, an Imperial gunship. Laser blasts continually traced lines all about the starfighter. Always barely missing Luke though for he was fast too. The onslaught raged on. It was almost on top of him. The continuous fire was nerve wrecking for Luke. He could now see the green laser blasts out of his cockpit window. He clicked a button at the top of the throttle for the Jedi Starfighter. At the edge of the wings on the fighter a triangular piece of metal rose until they were diagonal in shape. Luke pondered about it until he realized their familiar shape. It was the same form of bent wings his father had used on his Tie fighter during the Battle of Yavin. How that seemed so long ago…when things seemed so much simpler: Bad side vs. Good side. Unlike these years later on, when his own father was the leader of the Imperials.

The loud noise of metal being blasted upon awoke him from his thoughts. He had been clipped and not in a good spot. The rear of his left wing had been blasted away and was slowing him down. The gunship stopped its barrage of fire and came in close. It was nearly on top of him now. Thump!

Luke was blinded from his upper cockpit view because of an unwanted visitor. Apparently a gray space trooper had landed on top of his Jedi Starfighter! Luke stared into the T-shaped visor and thought of his fate. What if this was the end of him? How is he going to get this bugger off? Thump! Thump! The space trooper was trying to break the glass cockpit window, but it didn't budge. Then the trooper trying to redeem his failure got a small hose like tool. A bright light came out of the end and Luke realized it was a welder! The unsettling sound of the welder made Luke even more nervous. He barrel rolled, shifted, and swerved but the troop still stayed on.

Beeps and bops came out of the comm. "I know were in trouble R2 just hang on." Another series of beeps. "Okay do what ever you can."

Outside on the left wing R2 swiveled his head so he was facing the gray space trooper. He was just about to break into the cockpit. R2 opened a panel and stuck out a small metal appendage. A streak of white and blue electricity arced from his appendage to the trooper himself. The space trooper shook wildly and lost his grip. He went flying across space and even was hit by his own gunship.

"Thanks R2. You did good." Luke said in recognition. R2 chirped at his success.

The once bright, white hallways of a Rebel blockade dimmed down to a shadowy hallway. A clanking noise could be heard from above. The worried look of Rebel captains and troopers made Leia become even more familiarized with this situation. It was like reliving the past. Even the annoying voice of a certain protocol droid was there. "Senator Organa," 3PO started out, fully aware the title had no meaning to her. "May I again ask why we transferred to this ship?"

The frustrated princess, another title she hated, shifted and started to walk down the main corridor. She was wearing or more appropriately a white, silky gown was wearing her. It swayed with her movements and was a fine dress, which she had stopped wearing since the Rebel base on Hoth. I guess you could say the cold weather had stayed with her even when she had left the system and now she was ready for a change. "3PO shut it!"

"Shut what exactl-" The gold droid started to say but was cut off by the furious princess.

"If you must know it was captain's orders for my safety."

"Orders? Since when do you take orders? Well whatever orders were they didn't work."

Leia approached a handsome young pilot adorned oddly in the old suite that were used during the Battle of Yavin. Oval shaped helmet and everything. "Yes Lady Organa? This really isn't the time thoug-"

"Blasters. Give me a blaster. It looks like I'm the only when staying calm around here."

"Calm? You call this-" 3PO said sounding as intelligent and annoying as ever.

"C-3PO!" Roared Leia.

The Rebel pilot gave her a blaster instantly fearing her wrath. She took the weapon with ease and it looked as if she had been practicing how to hold and wield a gun with Jango Fett himself. She was a natural.

Once she arrived at the end of the corridors she kneeled and waited. Alongside her were the nervous troopers she had scene before. The place was filled with fear. Footsteps jogging on metal could be heard through the door ahead. Silence. Then a subtle thump, thump, thump. Boom! The door blasted open with a short rumble. Then the sound of blaster bolts coming from the smoky entrance. Leia fired a shot or two till she had to retreat.

She turned and started running down the hall. It seemed like an eternity of running.

"Get the primary target. Stun mode everyone." Leia heard behind her, "He wants her alive." The words ended and so did her running. She dropped to the floor and lay incautious.

Luke's starfighter somersaulted through the air, or space it seemed, trying to finish his fight with a last of the gunships. The rest had either been blown away by carrier fire or retreated. This one was not as lucky as the latter. He came in behind the craft and fired upon it. The gunship swerved but it was of no help. It was gone within an instant. Done with that. he thought. Better make it back to the fleet and help out there. Unfortunately for him he didn't get the chance to go back or maybe fortunate from a different point of view.

A slight buzzing noise followed by the calming voice of Mon Mothma entered his ship. "Pilots I bring bad news as well as good news." she started off. "First for the good news. The threat of the Imperial Tie fighters has died down with all your efforts. Congratulation, but over ten destroyers still are in our way to success in this mission including a super star destroyer. Inside the massive capital ship may be are hopes for taking Coruscaunt: Lord Vader and the Emperor himself. Now don't get too excited, there is a problem. We can't blow up that ship or attack even yet I am sadly to report Princess Leia Organa has been held captive onboard it. Yes you heard correctly. I don't know how we are going to bring her back, but through and through may the Force be with us."

Luke waited a while before thinking this over. Leia his sister is in danger. No ordinary danger though she was with the most feared man in the galaxy: Emperor Palpatine. There was no second thoughts he had to save her.

The blue trimmed Jedi starfighter boosted towards the Super Star Destroyer. As soon as he got in range Luke was greeted with a parade of fire. An emergency alarm went on within the cockpit. His shields were wasting fast. R2 beeped at him. "I know! We can't hold up much longer." Luke said in desperation. "See if you can fix the power generator. That might help for now." The blasts of red fire were intensifying.

Luke wasn't going to last long. R2 got nervous as the fire came towards him. Red streaks after red streaks whizzed pat him. R2 chirped. "The engine is leaking? Oh great. All just have to land this puppy sooner than expected." Luke swerved full circle around the cruiser until he was under the mammoth ship. He was in close quarters now. The lower guns, lots of lower guns, started their fire upon him. Finally he was hit. His right wing was clipped badly. The fighter swerved upward, smoke trailing from behind. Oddly one of the hanger shields was open. He flew in and crashed on the hanger floor. It skid sending sparks everywhere across the metal steel. The Jedi Starfighter came to an abrupt stop leaving Luke and R2 helpless.