As soon as the Millennium Falcon left the Death Star hanger bay Tie fighters pursued. "We're coming up on the sentry ships. Hold 'em off. Angle the deflector shields while I charge up the main guns," Han ordered Chewie as the Tie fighters came closer.
Glen stared into space sitting quietly. Leia went over to comfort him. "I can't believe he's gone. Three years, he was my master and friend," Glen said mournfully.
"There wasn't anything you could have done," Leia said.
"No, but he was your brother," Glen said beginning to become angry.
"My brother allowed an entire planet to be destroyed and did nothing. He's changed, he's no what he used to be," Leia defended.
Han came into the room. "Come on, we got fighters," he told him.
Han proceeded to climb stairs to get to the top guns while Glen found the side cockpit. The guns powered up they were ready to fire. "You ready, stay sharp," Han reminded Glen.
"Here they come," Leia told them from the main cockpit. Tie fighters descended on the Falcon and began firing. "They're too fast," Glen observed after failing to shoot one down.
"We've lost lateral controls," Leia reported. The computer control box suddenly exploded due to enemy fire.
"Don't worry, she'll hold together," Han said confidently.
Glen aimed and fired blasting a Tie fighter to scrap. Training himself in the Force he aimed for the Tie fighters with better accuracy. Han an expert shooter himself fired and destroyed another. The two finally blasted the last two to nothing.
"We did it," Leia said pleased. Chewie barked in agreement.
"Are they away?" Tarkin asked.
"They have just made the jump into hyperspace," Luke reported.
"Are you sure the homing beacon is secure, I am taking an awful risk Luke. This had better work," Tarkin said uneasy.
"Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh? You know, sometimes I even amaze myself," Han said prideful.
"That doesn't sound too hard. Besides, they let us go. It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape," Leia reasoned.
"You call that easy?" Han said annoyed.
"They're tracking us," Leia said.
"Well, if they are there's nothing I can do about it," Han said unconcerned.
"At least the information in Artoo is still intact," Leia sighed.
Han made no expression; he knew what plans the droid had. "When we get to Yavin I don't want this whole Imperial thing thrown out at me. I want to be looked upon as a hero and I want a reward," Han said.
"If money is what you want, then money is what you will receive," Leia said unimpressed leaving him.
Glen entered the cockpit sitting down. "Hey, you can read minds. Do you think someone like her and someone like me….," Han began.
"No," Glen said plainly.
The Death Star rapidly approached Yavin. "Once the rebel base is destroyed, we will send the station to Coruscant," Tarkin told Motti.
"What about Luke Skywalker?" Motti asked.
"We will encourage him to fight the rebels outside in the hopes he will be killed. If not we will send fighters to make sure he is dead," Tarkin said.
Anakin walked quickly to the bridge of his star destroyer. "What are we looking at?" Anakin asked his officers.
The Death Star has 167,216 pilots, 25,984 Stormtroopers, 607,360 troops, 42,782 ship support staff and 7,200 TIE fighters, and 4 Strike-class cruisers," the admiral informed Anakin. "It has a diameter of 160 kilometers," the admiral added.
"The weakness….," Anakin began.
"Four exhaust ports, each two meters wide. A direct shot could cause a chain reaction to destroy the station," the admiral continued.
"Can it be done?" Anakin asked.
"The Death Star's super lasers systems as far as we know can only fire off one shot so the fleet is relatively safe, but it also has powerful shields. We would not be able to defend Coruscant," the admiral said grimly.
"We've located the Death Star in the Yavin system," an officer entered the room.
"We have to establish contact first," Anakin ordered.
The Imperial Fleet went into light speed headed toward the Yavin system.
"Orbiting the planet at maximum velocity. The moon with the Rebel base will be in range in thirty minutes," the Death Star intercom reports.
"This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi and it will soon see the end of the Rebellion," Luke said to Tarkin.
"So...you got your reward and you're just leaving then?" Glen asked Han as he was about to leave.
"Hey, I have some old debts. You're lucky I didn't turn you in when I had the chance," Han said defensively.
"You know what they'll do with that thing, entire systems are at risk," Glen argued.
Han stared uncertain. "Look, you mean well, but this is a suicide mission. It be best if you came with me, I could use a Jedi," Han said.
Glen shook his head and walked away. "What? Let's load this up," Han said to Chewie.
After loading the cargo Han piloted the Falcon out of the rebel hanger on Yavin Four. When it was safe he sent a signal to Imperial command. "Things become easier when you don't have a light saber at your throat," Han muttered.
"This is Imperial command," an Imperial officer said.
"This Captain Han Solo, requesting an audience with the emperor," Han said.
"Lord Vader's time is valuable, what is this about?" the officer asked arrogantly.
"It's about your lost Death Star that no one is supposed to know about," Han said annoyed.
The officer stared at Han and left. Anakin came into view. "You are the captain that rescued my daughter?" he asked.
"Yeah," Han said irreverently.
"What do you have to report?" Anakin asked.
"The Death Star is at Yavin, it's planning to destroy the rebel base on Yavin Four," Han reported.
"Good," Anakin said pleased.
"Leia is on Yavin Four," Han clarified.
"She's not with you?" Anakin asked not pleased.
"She's all into the revolution, couldn't force her. I was lucky not to get arrested," Han excused.
"She must be taken off Yavin four, that's an order," Anakin said annoyed.
"Yes sir," Han said dreading his immediate future.
"Contact with the Death Star will be established. Once you have my daughter on board you are to report to the Imperial fleet," Anakin ordered.
Anakin's image faded from the hologram emitter. "What are we going to do now," Han complained.
Thirty rebel ships went to intercept the Death Star, the majority being X-wing fighters. "All wings report," the Red Leader ordered. The fighters proceeded to do so, all accounted for. "Lock S-foils in attack mode," the Red leader ordered.
The X-wing fighters unlocked their wings giving them X shapes. "We're passing through their magnetic field," Red Leader reported.
"Look at the size of that thing," Wedge commented as the rebel ships descended toward the surface of the Death Star.
"We're starting for target shaft now," Gold Leader reported in. Y-wing fighters approached the canal that would lead to the thermal exhaust port. Immediately the Death Star's defenses begin firing on the rebel fighters.
"I'm going in," Glen said descending to the surface. He began firing on surface blasting the upper compartments. The Imperials below ran as rooms exploded.
"We are detecting thirty ships but they're evading our turbo lasers," an Astro officer told Luke.
"We will have to fight them ship to ship. Get the crews to their fighters," Luke ordered.
"I have one on me," Biggs said panicked as Tie fighters came into view. Glen found the Tie fighter and fired blasting it to scrap. "Thanks," Biggs said appreciatively.
"No problem," Glen smiled.
"Several fighters have broken off from the main group, come with me," Luke ordered two Imperial pilots. Luke proceeded to enter the small hanger bay. He found his specially designed Tie fighter. It had larger, more powerful support beams to the solar panels. The panels were bent allowing a small deflector shield not common in normal Tie fighters.
Luke got into the Tie fighter and activated the life support systems. The hanger door opened. "Luke to Tarkin, I am engaging the rebel ships," Luke said.
"Good, that's excellent," Tarkin said concealing his plot.
Luke allowed his Tie fighter to hover and then it rapidly accelerated toward the fight. Turbo laser successfully blasted an X-wing but were unsuccessful with all other ships. A Tie fighter blasted an X-wing causing it to explode.
Glen struggled to fend off a Tie fighter as he was lightly clipped. Another X-wing saved him destroying the Tie fighter. Y-wing fighters entered the canal and were ready to engage the target. Guns fired in a vain attempt to defend the port. Suddenly they stopped.
"The guns have stopped," the Gold leader said confused.
Luke's ship and his two escorts went into the canal and targeted the Y-wing fighters. Luke's left Tie fighter blasted the first Y-wing. Luke targeted the leader and blasted him. "Got him," Luke smiled.
The last Y wing struggled to retreat as Luke blasted its engines off causing it to explode. The Red Leader decided to take his chance with the target shaft. He went in with four X-wing fighters at his back.
Luke also went inside the canal and fired on the slowest one. The X-wing exploded the remains falling to the surface. Luke's escorts also fired blasting the Red Leader's escorts. The Red Leader fired two photon torpedoes. The surface exploded but it did not enter.
"Negative," the Red Leader said disappointed.
Luke uneasy with that attack went after the Red Leader. The X-wing's engines were blasted. The Red Leader tried to regain control but ended up exploding as the ship hit the surface.
Luke chased after a few more X-wings gleefully blasting them to space dust. "Are you counting how many?" Luke laughed at his escorts.
"We have analyzed their attack patterns and we have seen a danger," General Tagge told Tarkin. "Should I have our ships standing by?" he asked.
"Evacuate, in our moment of triumph. I think you overestimate their chances," Tarkin said. In truth he felt nervous, only a few more minutes to Yavin Four's destruction.
Han realized he couldn't capture Leia in the middle of a rebel base. He took the ship towards the Death Star. "If this doesn't work, we are going to be two fugitives," Han said. Chewie moaned unhappy with that prospect.
Glen, Wedge, and Briggs entered the canal for the final strike attempt. Luke went in the canal following them closely. Luke's right Tie fighter fired blasting Biggs. Luke fired on Wedge nearly destroying the ship.
"You're no good, back there," Glen told him.
"Sorry," Wedge apologized as he left the canal.
"Stay on the leader," Luke ordered.
"The Force is strong with this one," Luke considered.
Firing he blasted the X-wing's R2 unit. Displeased with his miss he changed the settings on the control stick.
"I've lost R2," Glen reported.
"We are in range," an Imperial officer reported.
"You may fire when ready," Tarkin ordered.
Luke struggled as he tried to get a perfect shot. "Use the Force Glen, let go of everything," Obiwan said in Glen's mind.
Glen nodded turning off his computer. Finally Glen's ship was right on target. "I have you now," Luke smiled firing.
Suddenly one of his Tie fighter escorts exploded. The Falcon came into view it shot at the other escort. The Tie fighter tried to avoid Luke's ship and slammed into the wall exploding. Luke went into a spin and was flung into outer space.
"Now shoot this thing," Han said to Glen.
Glen smiled in appreciation. Firing, the two torpedoes entered the Death Star's port.
Tarkin waited patiently as the super laser was about to fire. Glen, Wedge, an X-wing and a Y-wing fighter, along with the falcon distanced themselves from the Death Star.
The Death Star suddenly exploded in a huge fireball. "The shot was one in a million," Han said cheerfully.
"Thanks Han," Glen returned the compliment.
The Imperial fleet exited light speed while the Death Star's remains began to dissipate. "It's gone," the captain reported stunned.
Anakin could feel the Force echoes of hundreds of thousands of Imperials dead. Yet he could still sense his son somewhere in space. Luke's ship eventually stopped spinning. He looked back to see the Death Star destroyed. Angry and confused he headed toward the fleet.
Han and Glen returned with a hero's welcome. "I knew you weren't about the money," Leia said happily.
"Well, I couldn't allow you be blasted to bits now could I," Han said.
"I was wrong about you," Glen said offering a hand shake. Han smiled. "Sure, why not," he said shaking Glen's hand.
When the celebrations had ended Leia confronted Han. "I suppose you have to go back to Imperial command," she assumed.
"Come with me, I'm sure your father will understand," Han offered.
"My place is here," Leia said.
"Well so long princess," Han said walking away.
Luke walked onto the Imperial star destroyer. Anakin met him as he approached. Luke bowed before his father and lowered his head. "I failed you father," Luke admitted.
Anakin shook his head. "Rise, together we will destroy the alliance," Anakin said.
Author's Note: This is the end of Star Wars IV A New Threat. Star Wars V The Prince's Revelation will start in a few chapters. I have decided to bring back Padme back but not the way you think after Star VI Sith Redemption. Anakin may or may not meet Obiwan's ghost, still trying to work that out in my head. Just to clarify, I as the narrator always refer to Anakin as Anakin but everyone else refers to him as either emperor or Lord Vader. Some light sided Jedi may refer to him as Master Skywalker.
According to my sources Darth Vader was sent to the Dearth Star because Palpatine didn't trust Tarkin, Tarkin indeed considered the idea of using the Death Star to take over the galaxy hence the title A New Threat. New rule, you have my permission to use Sith Redemption to create new stories of your own using the theme as long as you put Sith Redemption in the disclaimer and I have a link to it. I would like to read any spin offs from this fic.