The Battle of Yavin

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The armada of X-wings and Y-wings left Yavin IV and skirted past Yavin Prime, the Death Star looming ominously in the distance. "All wings report in." Garven Dreis ordered his squadron

"Red Ten standing by." Theron Nett responded

"Red Seven standing by."

"Red Three standing by." Biggs reported

"Red Six standing by." Jek Porkins chimed in

"Red Nine standing by."

"Red Two standing by." Wedge announced

"Red Eleven standing by."

"Red Five standing by." Luke reported

"Red Eight standing by." Malia added

"Red Twelve standing by."

"Red Four standing by." John D. Brannon finished

"Lock S-foils in attack position." Dreis ordered, and so all X-wings locked their S-foils in attack position, which gave the fighters their name. "We're passing through the magnetic field, hold tight." Dreis advised his squadron, "Switch your deflectors on, double front."

The X-wings continued their approach to the Death Star. "Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge breathed. He hadn't participated in the Battle of Scarif, so this was the first time he'd seen the Death Star

"Yeah, tell me about it." Malia replied, "You wanna try being inside that thing!"

"Cut the chatter, you two." Dreis interrupted, "Accelerate to attack speed."

"Yes, er, sorry, boss." Malia muttered, abashed.

Red Squadron continued to draw closer to the battle station. "This is it, boys." Dreis said

"Red Leader, this is Gold Leader. We're starting for the target shaft now." Jon Vander said over the radio

"I copy, Gold Leader." Dreis acknowledged, "We're in position. We're gonna cut across the axis and try and draw their fire."

And so the X-wings dived at the Death Star and flew across the station's surface, being greeted by a hail of laser fire from the Death Star's turbolaser batteries, but the fast and nimble fighters managed to dodge the flak. "Heavy fire, boss, 23 degrees." Wedge reported

"I see it. Stay low." Dreis warned, and Wedge skimmed along the surface with expert skill, avoiding the laser fire all around him.

"This is Red Five, I'm going in." Luke announced, and he dived straight at a power grid, his X-wing's laser cannons blazing away.

"Luke, pull up!" Biggs hollered, seeing that Luke was getting too close to the resulting explosions. Luke pulled up in the nick of time. "Are ya alright?" Biggs asked anxiously.

"I got a little cooked but I'm ok." Luke replied.

~8~

Darth Vader was walking along a corridor aboard the Death Star when an officer hurried up to him. "We count 30 Rebel ships, Lord Vader, but they're so small, they're avoiding our turbolasers." the officer reported

"We'll have to destroy them ship-to-ship." Vader decided, "Get the crews to their fighters."

~8~

The X-wings continued to buzz the Death Star. "Watch yourself, Red Eight. There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower." Dreis warned Malia

"I'm on it." Malia acknowledged, and she piloted her X-wing into a barrel roll, avoiding the laser blasts from the tower.

"I'm going in." Biggs announced, "Cover me, Porkins."

"I'm right with ya, Red Three." Porkins acknowledged. Biggs and Porkins' X-wings charged at the deflection tower, their laser cannons blazing. They managed to destroy the tower but Porkins made the mistake of flying too close to the explosion and his fighter was struck by debris, causing it to malfunction. "I've got a problem here." he said anxiously

"Get outta there." Biggs warned

"I can hold it." Porkins waved him off

"Jek, pull up!" Biggs hollered, seeing that Porkins was straying right into the line of fire of another turbolaser cannon.

"No, I'm all... Aah! Noooo!" Porkins screamed as the turbolaser scored a direct hit on his X-wing, destroying it and killing him instantly.

Luke meanwhile was preparing to make a strafing run on another cannon. "Luke, trust your feelings." Obi-Wan's voice said in his head. Luke blinked, wandering if he was imagining it, then he focussed back on his task and opened fire on the cannon, succeeding in destroying it.

Then, the Rebel base came over the radio with bad news; "Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals: enemy fighters coming your way."

"My scope's negative. I don't see anything." Luke said

But Dreis was more cautious. "Pick up your visual scanning." he advised

"Here they come!" John D. warned, and sure enough, a swarm of TIE Fighters had entered the fray.

"Watch it, Red Four. You've got one on ya tail." Dreis warned

Sure enough, one of the TIEs had gone after John D. He tried to dodge it's attacks, but one shot struck his X-wing's fuel tank. "I'm hit!" he managed to yell before he was incinerated.

"Biggs, you've picked one up! Watch it!" Luke hollered, seeing that another TIE had gone after Biggs.

"I can't see it!" Biggs exclaimed as he took evasive action, "He's on me tight, I can't shake him!"

"Alright, I'm coming, Biggs." Malia assured him as she steered on an intercept course. She came up behind the TIE chasing Biggs, locked her targeting crosshairs on it and opened fire with her laser cannons. "Gotcha!" she crowed as the TIE exploded.

~8~

Vader approached two standby TIE pilots. "Several fighters have broken off from the main group. Come with me." he ordered, and the two pilots followed towards the TIE hangers.

~8~

"Watch your back, Luke, watch your back!" Biggs warned Luke, "Fighters above you coming in."

Sure enough, a TIE Fighter made a beeline for Luke's X-wing. It opened fire and one shot caught Luke's port stabiliser in a glancing blow. "I'm hit but not bad." he reported, "Artoo, see what you can do with it. Hang on back there!"

Artoo whistled a response and set to work fixing the damage.

"Red Eight, can you see Red Five?" Nett asked Malia

"No, there's too much heavy fire in the way." Malia groaned, "Luke, where are ya?"

"I can't shake him!" Luke cried as he tried every trick he knew to shake off the TIE harassing him, but it was no use. The TIE was like a Gundark that had caught the scent of it's prey and just wouldn't leave Luke alone.

"I'm on him, Luke. Hold on!" Wedge assured him as he set off to the rescue. He flew straight at the TIE pursuing Luke, opened fire and destroyed the TIE.

"Thanks, Wedge." Luke panted in relief

"Yeah, good shooting, Wedge!" Malia praised

"Like I said, we've got each other's backs." Wedge said modestly

"Red Leader, this is Gold Leader. We're starting our attack run." Jon Vander said over the radio

"I copy, Gold Leader." Dreis acknowledged, "Moving into position."

~8~

A TIE Advanced x1 departed one of the Death Star's hangars flanked by two standard TIE Fighters. At the controls of the x1 was Darth Vader. "Stay in attack formation." he ordered his wingmen.

~8~

"The exhaust port is marked and locked in." Vander announced as he, Dex Tiree and Davish Krail made a run for the trench with the exhaust port. The three Y-wings levelled out and skimmed along the surface of the trench, turbolaser batteries opening fire all around them. "Switch all power to front deflector screens." Vander ordered his two wingmen, "How many guns d'ya think, Gold Five?" he asked Krail

"Say about 20 guns." Krail replied, "Some on the surface, some on the towers."

~8~

Everyone at the Rebel base listened anxiously to the radio reports coming in on the battle. "Death Star will be in range in five minutes." a radar station reported

~8~

The three Y-wings continued to run the gauntlet through the trench. "Switch to targeting computer." Vander ordered as he did just that.

"Computers locked, getting a signal." Tiree acknowledged. Suddenly, the turbolases ceased fire. "The guns... they've stopped." Tiree blinked in confusion.

Krail had a sudden realisation as to why the guns had stopped. "Stabilise your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters." he warned

"They're coming in!" Vander hollered, "Three marks at 2.10."

~8~

The TIE Advanced and it's two wingmen dived into the trench. "I'll take them myself. Cover me." Vader ordered his wingmen.

"Yes, sir." they acknowledged.

~8~

The three TIEs screamed down the trench and soon caught up with the Y-wings. Once in range, Vader fired on Tiree, killing him instantly. Seeing the explosion, Vander looked back and saw the three TIEs bearing down on him. "We can't maneuverer. We're too close!" he warned Krail, "Loosen up!"

"Stay on target, Dutch, I'll cover you." Krail reassured him, but Vader seemed to anticipate this and eliminated Vander next. Seeing that it was no use, Krail quickly exited the trench. "Gold Five to Red Leader. Lost Tiree, lost Dutch." he reported

"I copy, Gold Five." Dreis acknowledged

"They came from behind!" Krail managed to warn before he too was killed by Vader.

~8~

Grand Moff Tarkin was in the Death Star's control room when he was approached by Chief Moradmin Bast. "We've analysed their attack, sir, and there is a danger." Bast reported, "Should I have your shuttle standing by?"

Tarkin looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "Evacuate in our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances." he said arrogantly

"Rebel base three minutes and closing." an officer reported

~8~

Gold Squadron was fairing badly in the battle, as in addition to the trio lost in the trench, all but one of the remaining Y-wings had been destroyed too, with just Evaan Verlaine left now and she'd been forced to retreat due to damage. This meant that Red Squadron would have to take the shot at the exhaust port. "Red group this is Red Leader. Rendezvous at mark 6.1." Dreis ordered his remaining squadron members.

"This is Red Two flying toward you." Wedge acknowledged

"Red Three standing by." Biggs added

"Red Leader, this is Base One." General Dodonna said over the radio, "Keep half your group out of range for the next run."

"Copy, Base One." Dreis acknowledged, "Luke, take Red Two, Three and Eight. Hold up here and wait for my signal to start your run." And so Luke, Malia, Biggs and Wedge held position and watched as Dreis, Nett and Red Twelve made a run at the trench. "This is it!" Dreis said as he and his wingmen levelled out and sped along the trench. Once again, a hail of turbolaser fire greeted them but the nimble X-wings managed to avoid it.

"We should be able to see it by now." Nett muttered. They'd entered the trench closer to the exhaust port then Gold Squadron so that they wouldn't have to spend as much time in the trench as they'd had to.

"Keep your eyes open for those fighters." Dreis warned

"There's too much interference." Nett grumbled, "Red Five, can you see them from where ya are?"

"No sign of any..." Luke began, but then he saw something in the corner of his eye. "Wait! Coming in at .35."

"I see them." Nett acknowledged as he saw the TIE Advanced and it's wingmen enter the trench.

"I'm in range." Dreis said as he switched on his targeting computer, "Target's coming up. Just hold 'em off for a few seconds."

~8~

"Close up formation." Vader ordered his wingmen as they sped after the three X-wings.

~8~

"Almost there." Dreis muttered as his targeting computer counted down the distance to the target.

Vader fired on Red Twelve, killing him instantly. "You'd better let her loose. They're right behind me!" Nett hollered to Dreis, knowing that he was next in line.

"Almost there." Dreis muttered, too focussed on the target to hear Nett.

"I can't hold 'em!" Nett said anxiously before he was swiftly eliminated by one of Vader's wingmen.

Dreis' targeting computer beeped on target and he fired his proton torpedoes. "It's away!" he yelled as he pulled up out of the trench.

An explosion erupted from the end of the trench. "Is it a hit?" Wedge asked anxiously

"Negative. Negative. It didn't go in." a disappointed Dreis replied, "It just impacted on the surface." There was worse to come.

"He's on ya tail, boss." Malia warned, seeing that Vader had pursued Dreis out of the trench.

Vader opened fire on Dreis and scored a hit on his starboard engines. "Red Leader, we're right above you." Luke said, "Turn to .05. We'll cover for you."

"Stay there." Dreis countered, "I just lost my starboard engines. Get set up for your attack run." he ordered before Vader took out his port engines and his X-wing went into a crash dive. With a defiant yell, Dreis managed to steer his stricken fighter onto a collision course with a power grind.

Luke saw the crash and steeled himself. There was just one minute left until the Death Star was in range of Yavin IV and he knew it was up to his group now. "Malia, Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up." he said, "We're goin' in full throttle. That ought to keep those fighters off our backs."

"Right with ya, boss." Wedge acknowledged, and so the four X-wings charged towards the trench at maximum speed.

"Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?" Biggs asked

"It'll be just like Beggar's Canyon back home." Luke replied

"Oh, that always used to terrify me." Malia remarked, "Still, here goes nothing."

The four X-wings did manage to pull up in time and were soon speeding down the trench, with Luke in the lead some distance ahead of Biggs, Wedge and Malia, who all flew in a triangular formation some way behind. "We'll stay back far enough to cover ya." Biggs told his friend.

"My scope shows the tower, but I can't see the exhaust port." Wedge said, "You sure the computer can hit it?"

"Guess we'll find out." Malia shrugged

The four X-wings raced along the trench, the turbolasers blasting all round them. "Watch yourselves. Increase speed full throttle." Luke ordered

"What about that tower?" Wedge asked

"You worry about those fighters, I'll worry about the tower." Luke told him

"Yeah, it's the fighters that're worrying me." Malia added

As the run along along the trench continued, Luke noticed something on his X-wing starting to play up. "Artoo, that stabiliser's broken loose again. See if ya can't lock it down."

Artoo beeped a response and set to work fixing the stabiliser which had been damaged during the earlier encounter with a TIE Fighter.

Suddenly, the turbolaser batteries ceased fire. The Rebel pilots all knew what this meant. Sure enough, Wedge looked back and saw the TIE Advanced and it's two wingmen speeding down the trench after them. "Fighter coming in .3." he warned

Malia suddenly had an idea. "Arfour, put as much spare power as you can to the rear defectors." she ordered Arfour, "Wedge, tell your droid to do the same. It might just hold 'em off a bit."

Wedge complied just in time, for Vader's two wingmen opened fire on Wedge and Malia. Malia's idea about the deflectors managed to save them both from being destroyed outright, but their X-wings still sustained heavy damage. "I'm hit! I can't stay with you!" Wedge groaned

"Me too." Malia added, "Sorry, Luke."

"Get clear, you two." Luke ordered, "You can't do any more good back there."

"Sorry." Wedge said as he pulled up out of the trench.

"Good luck, Luke. Give 'em hell." Malia added as she followed Wedge out.

~8~

"Let them go. Stay on the leader." Vader ordered his wingmen.

~8~

With Wedge and Malia gone, only Biggs now stood between Luke and the TIEs. "Hurry, Luke. They've comin' in much faster this time. I can't hold 'em." he urged

"Artoo, try and increase the power." Luke ordered his droid

Artoo beeped a response, telling Luke that they were already at maximum speed.

The TIEs continued to bear mercilessly down on Biggs' X-wing. "Hurry it up, Luke. Quick! Quick!" he hollered, seeing that the TIEs were practically on top of him. Then Vader fired on him and Biggs Darklighter was no more.

Seeing the explosion, Luke looked back and felt another wave of grief and emptiness hit him. "BIGGS!" he heard Malia scream over the radio. Luke swallowed hard and turned back to his mission, determined to make sure that his friend's death wasn't in vain.

~8~

"I'm on the leader." Vader announced as he sped after the sole remaining X-wing.

~8~

As Luke sped solo down the trench, he finally came within range of the target and switched on his targeting computer. As he watched the computer count down the distance to the target, he suddenly heard Obi-Wan's voice again; "Use the Force, Luke. Let go, Luke."

~8~

"The Force is strong with this one." Vader frowned, sensing a strong Force presence from the last remaining Rebel pilot.

~8~

"Luke, trust me." Obi-Wan's voice said, and Luke decided to do just that and so he switched off the targeting computer.

"Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?" the Rebel Base asked

"Nothing. I'm alright." Luke answered, deciding to follow Obi-Wan's advice and use the Force to make the shot.

Artoo beeped anxiously as he saw the three TIEs come into visual range. Vader fired and the shot struck the Astromech right on the dome. Artoo gave a scream as the blast overloaded his circuits and he promptly went inactive.

"I've lost Artoo!" Luke groaned

~8~

Threepio stiffened at this news, but there was worse to come.

"The Death Star has cleared the planet." the radar station reported

~8~

"Rebel base in range." an officer in the Death Star's control reported

"You may fire when ready." Tarkin ordered, safe in the knowledge that in just a few moments more, the Rebellion would be crushed.

~8~

The three TIEs closed the distance on the last X-wing. "I have you now." Vader crowed as his targeting computer locked on. But before he could fire, the TIE Fighter on his starboard flank was suddenly hit by a laser blast and was destroyed. "What?" Vader stared, and checked his scopes to see that the same Corellian YT-1300 series freighter that had escaped the Death Star earlier had joined the battle.

Vader's portside wingman rather stupidly tried to rush off after the freighter but misjudged the room in the trench and struck Vader's TIE Advanced, sending it spinning away into space, while the wingman crashed into the side of the trench and was killed outright.

~8~

"You're all clear, kid." Han Solo's voice said over Luke's helmet radio, "Now let's blow this thing and go home!"

Using the Force to judge his moment, Luke fired his torpedoes and they plunged into the exhaust port. "Direct hit!" he announced as he swiftly exited the trench, "Everyone get clear. This thing's gonna blow!"

And so the three remaining X-wings, the sole Y-wing and the Millennium Falcon all sped away from the Death Star as fast as they could. Moments later, the battle station was torn apart in a spectacular fireball, thus ending it's reign of terror.

"Yes! Ha-ha! How'd ya like that, you Imperial dogs?!" Malia cheered ecstatically, "You did it, Luke. You did it!"

"That was for Alderaan!" Evaan Verlaine crowed

"Well done, Luke!" Wedge cheered

"Great shoot, kid. That was one in a million!" Han praised

Luke meanwhile was sitting calmly in his cockpit, a sense of relief washing over him. "Remember, the Force will be with you, always." Obi-Wan's voice told him.

~8~

Vader finally managed to regain control of his TIE Advanced and he set off towards the nearest Imperial outpost, determined to find out who the pilot who had made the one in a million shot was and why the Force was so strong with them.

Author's notes: And so the Death Star has been destroyed. The Battle of Yavin is my favourite scene in A New Hope and I had a blast writing this chapter. Note that Malia participated in the battle. Granted she doesn't do as much as Luke, but she did her bit. The Princess Leia comics identify the sole surviving Y-wing pilot as Evaan Verlaine, so I've followed this canon and had Verlaine appear. I even gave her a line. Regarding the X-wing pilots, I find it funny that Lego still haven't done a minifigure of Red Leader yet. They've done Luke multiple times, Biggs and Wedge twice each, and Nett and Porkins once each, but still no Red Leader. Curious that. Anyway, hope you all like this chapter and see ya next time for the finale.