Chapter 10 Attack
The princess, Threepio, Kimmy, and a field commander sat quietly before the giant display showing the planet Yavin and its four moons. The red dot representing the Death Star moved ever closer to the system.
"Stand-by alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range, fifteen minutes." The intercom broke the eerie silence.
Kimmy wrapped her arm around her daughter and squeezed. Lark looked up. "Where's dad?" she asked.
"Doing all the last minute things for the evacuation." Kimmy whispered.
The voice of the red leader crackled over the comm. System. "All wings report in."
"Red Ten standing by."
"Red Seven standing by."
"Red Three standing by."
"Red Six standing by."
"Red Nine standing by."
"Red Two standing by."
"Red Eleven standing by."
"Red Five standing by."
Tensions grew as each of the fighters checked in. Lark smiled as she recognized Luke's voice. At least he had stayed.
"Lock S-foils in attack position." The red leader commanded.
On the screen they could see the group of X-wing fighters move in formation toward the
Death Star, unfolding their wings and locking them in the "X" position.
"We're passing through their magnetic field." The red leader announced. "Hold tight!"
Lark followed the X-wings' movements on the chart with anxious eyes. a glance at Leia told her the princess was just as tense as she was.
"Switch your deflectors on. Double front." The red leader called out instructions to the pilots.
The fighter moved toward the death star in formation as it came closer. Lark held her breath.
They haven't even begun the attack. She scolded herself. Save your anxiety for when it will be needed.
"Look at the size of that thing!" a pilot's voice came over the comm.
"Cut the chatter, Red Two." The red leader ordered. There was a pause then his voice rang out, "Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, boys!"
> > > >
The Millenium Falcon sped through the stars on its route back toward Tatooine. In the cabin, Bob was trying to think of the best angle from which to come at Han. He finally gave up planning and went to the cockpit. There was only one thing he needed to stay away from: making it look like going back had been his idea. With that in mind, he sat in the copilot's chair.
"Where's Chewie?" he asked.
Han snorted. "We're safely away from all further adventures and can take time to breathe; where do you think?"
"Eating?"
Han nodded.
Bob fiddled with a hangnail. "I think you were right, by the way."
Han shot him a sidelong look. "About what?"
"Leaving. There was no way we could stay."
"You got that right."
"You have your debt to pay with Jabba, your keeper, and they were about to get blasted into smithereens."
"Exactly… what do you mean, 'my keeper'?"
"Well, the way he controls your every move. I'm glad I don't work for him."
"He doesn't control me. I'd just like to get this paid before I get shot in the back some dark night."
Bob noted Han's anger with an inward smile. "And you have every right to want that. I mean, it's not like you can be on your guard every moment, waking or otherwise. And even if you are, there might be someone with a quicker draw than you."
"I'm the fastest draw around, in this galaxy or any other." Han snapped. "And I can handle bounty hunters."
Bob nodded. "But not the empire. No one could fight that."
"What do you mean 'no one'?" Han's face was red. "If I wanted to I could whip their pathetic tails. I just don't want to."
"And it's not like we owed them anything."
"Exactly."
"The way they were acting, you'd think we'd pledged servitude in blood."
"Don't I know it." Han sounded slightly uncertain.
"Too bad about them dying. I was actually getting fond of them, even if they did think we were cowards for leaving." Bob pushed a little more.
"Hmm."
"There's nothing that can save them now. Even if we turned around, we wouldn't make it on time." Bob played his final card.
"No time?" Han turned on him. "This baby's plenty fast enough to get us there with time to spare."
Bob shrugged. "Maybe. But it's a moot point; even if we got there on time, this is the empire."
"We can take on anything, anyone, anytime." Han spun the ship around.
"Where are we going?" Bob asked, gripping his seat to keep from flying out of it at Han's reckless flying.
"We'll show them who's a coward." Han said.
"Um, are you sure about this? Because I don't think…"
"What would you think with?" Han interrupted. "I know what I'm doing, so sit back and enjoy the ride."
Bob smiled inwardly. "If you insist."
> > > >
The fighters moved closer to the death star. Lark was visualizing it from the brief glimpse she'd gotten when they'd escaped as they listened to the communications between pilots.
"Red Leader, this is Gold Leader."
"I copy, Gold Leader."
"We're starting for the target shaft now."
"We're in position. I'm going to cut across the axis and try and draw their fire." The red leader said.
Tiny flashes representing laser fire lit up the display as the Death Star aimed its massive laser guns at the Rebel forces and fired.
"Heavy fire, boss! Twenty-degrees." One of the pilots reported.
"I see it. Stay low." The red leader said.
"This is Red Five; I'm going in!"
Lark recognized Luke's voice and silently wished him luck.
"Luke, pull up!" a frantic voice came over the system.
Lark bit her bottom lip. "What's going on?" she whispered.
Kimmy squeezed her shoulder.
"Are you all right?" the pilot asked after a minute.
"I got a little cooked, but I'm okay." Luke answered.
Lark exhaled loudly and glanced at Leia. Her face was deathly pale.
"This is worse than fighting yourself." She murmured.
"Luke, let me know when you're going in." the red leader said.
"I'm on my way in now." Luke answered.
"Watch yourself! There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower." The red leader warned.
"I'm on it."
Lark figured out which fighter was Luke's and watched as he flung his X-wing into a twisting dive across the horizon and down onto death star. Laserbolts from his guns streaked toward the onrushing Death Star surface.
Leia began to pace nervously as the X-wings continued to blast their way through. Another group of fighters appeared on the display.
"Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way." The commander spoke into the intercom.
"My scope's negative. I don't see anything." Luke said.
"Keep up your visual scanning." The red leader instructed. "With all this jamming, they'll be on top of you before your scope can pick them up."
Lark watched the fighters swoop down on the X-wings. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her head through the Force. Kimmy sent calming waves to her, and she was finally able to breathe normally. Leia reached for her hand and held it as they watched the attack continue.