Chapter 2
Rebel Base, Yavin 4
In the war briefing room General Dodonna was preparing to deliver the plan of attack on the Death Star. The room was crammed full of pilots, navigators, droids and engineers, all of them both nervous and excited about what was to come. Princess Leia and the other Senators stood at the front to one side. There was a handful of other people Wedge did not know, so many had joined the cause recently. He noticed Han and Chewie were hovering in the back. He had only just met them when they had arrived with the Princess. Both being from Corellia he and Han had initially hit it off, even taking time to relax with a bottle of Correlian brandy. However, it had soon become clear to Wedge that Han intended to leave soon in order to pay off a debt to Jabba the Hutt. Having a Hutts bounty hunters after you was not fun, but Wedge thought he could have at least stayed to help, they could use every pilot available.
Wedge listened intently as the General delivered the attack plan, it seemed utter madness thought Wedge. Princess Leia had hidden the plans for the Death Star in one of two droids that had crash landed on Tatoonie, R2-D2. After her ship had been raided by Darth Vader, the Princess had seen to it the plans where safely abord an escape pod in the keeping of the droids. All efforts had been put into extensively analysing them in the short space of time they had had. A small exhaust port that came directly from the main reactor had been discovered which was to be the target. A 2 metre wide port, ray shielded, it seemed impossible even for their computer guided torpedos.
'Only a precise hit will set of the chain reaction needed to destroy the reactor and the Death Star along with it' said Dodonna 'Man your ships, and May the Force be with you.'
Everyone stood to leave and Wedge headed out to the main hangar to his x-wing. It was a huge cavernous space in the Massassi temple that was their base, filled with fighters, pilots and engineers. A small army of R2 units where scurrying along ready to be loaded into the x wings. Thirty ships where being deployed for the attack, 22 x-wings and 8 y-wings. There was always a pull of conscience in a dog fight thought Wedge, taking out another ship of course meant taking a life, but this was war, it was kill or be killed. And in this fight he resigned himself he was likely to be killed, 30 fighters against the Death Star, he didn't hold much hope he would be returning.
R2-D2 and his counterpart C-3PO, the other droid rescued by Leia, joined Wedge as he approached his fighter.
'Do take good care of yourself R2,' said C-3PO as R2 was lifted into the back of Wedges x-wing. Before climbing the ladder to the cockpit Wedge spotted Han and Chewie loading the Falcon with case after case of credits, his prize for rescuing the Princess.
'So you've got your reward and your off then?' said Wedge with more than a hint of distain.
'Hey, I rescued your precious Princess and got this reward fair and square. Chewie and I are leaving, If I don't pay of Jabba I'm a dead man' replied Han.
'Well take care of yourself Han, I guess that's what your best at,' huffed Wedge as he stormed off.
Shaking his head Han continued loading the cases of credits onto the Falcon. He had barely known Wedge two minutes and the kid was already angry with him. A few days ago he had been drinking in Mos Eisley, trying to figure out how he was going to pay off Jabba for that spice shipment he had dumped when that old man had turned up. He had come with two droids that has crash landed near his home wanting passage to Alderaan. His name was Ben Kenobi and accepting his desperate offer of 17,000 credits had turned Han's life upside down and he intended to get it back on track by paying off Jabba. Too bad the old guy had gone and got himself killed by Darth Vader in the process.
*We could stay to help a little* growled Chewie.
'And get killed in a fire fight or stuck in a Imperial Blockade, no thanks, get her loaded, we're leaving,' said Han.
He watched as the 30 ships rose into the air and flew out on what Han was certain was a suicide mission for them all. He was getting out of here before the Death Star blew the planet to pieces.
…
'General Dodonna, General Dodonna!' came a shout.
'What is it Lieutenant?' replied Dodonna.
'A small convoy of TIE fighters has just entered the atmosphere above us, they are heading right here.'
'Are you sure? You're not just picking up our leaving fighters?' asked Leia.
'No your Highness, I did double check as they appear to be led by an X-wing, but it's definitely TIE fighters'.
'Black Squadron' said Leia, giving a concerned look to Dodonna 'and the Prince is leading them. Give the order to launch the remaining fighters, get the ground crews to the ion canons and gun turrets, we must bring them down.' Leia was more than familiar with Black Squadron and its infamous leader, the Imperial Prince. The Squad had been responsible for many of the Empires victories. And the Prince, Luke, she had never spoken to but he had been a regular figure at the Senate before the Emperor dissolved it. Always stood slightly behind and to the right of the Emperor or his Father. He had made for a dark and mysterious figure, clocked in a heavy black robe with the hood pulled up concealing most of his face in shadow, and armour reinforced clothes to top it off.
'Princess they are in all likelihood heading here for you, we must get you on the next transport for evacuation' replied Dodonna.
'I will not abandon the base now' said Leia defiantly.
General Dodonna nodded in defeat yet understanding, he had had a feeling Leia would not wish to leave, but he had had to try.
'Open a channel to the base' he said to the Lieutenant 'Remaining pilots and ground crews, this is General Dodonna, an Imperial squad of TIE fighters is headed our way, everyone to their fighters and guns immediately. Once the fighters are clear close all hangar doors, they will be heading for Princess Leia, they must not succeed.'
