Retaliation

(0 ABY)

Nobody noticed the small craft drifting in space at the far side of the Yavin system, a great distance from the battle station still in the process of traveling around the mid-sized orange central star. All systems except for life support and passive sensors were powered down, no light shone through the viewports and the black paint allowed no reflection of the surrounding stars. And yet, at only a single touch, the ship would soar back to life within just a few seconds.

Serina was just as alert and ready for action as her sleek vessel. Vader's orders had been explicit. "Be ready, but don't get involved unless I call you!" he had told her before she had headed out from the Death Star right after they had reverted to realspace. She was his last recourse should all else fail. Disappointing his expectations was no option.

Although the ship-sensors didn't supply her with much information - there was too much time lag due to her distance from the events and too much distortion caused by the central star of the system -, Serina was far from blind concerning the battle that had just been joined near the fourth moon of the gas giant Yavin. Seated in the comfortable pilot's chair, now fixed in a reclining position, she reached out along the invisible strands of the Force trying to get a clearer picture of the situation.

It would still take several more minutes before the moon-sized killing machine would reach the position required to be able to fire at the location of the rebel headquarters. The few larger vessels of the Alliance defensive fleet had engaged the ships that were escorting the huge battle station. At the same time, several squadrons of small fighters were using the remaining moments to run attacks directly at the Death Star, dipping deep into the trenches and canyons, attempting to avoid the weapons emplacements designed to fend off much larger vessels. Serina quickly became aware of their main target: a familiar small thermal exhaust port accessible only from the polar trench, right below the main exhaust port at the upper pole. Apparently, the rebels had discovered the single weak spot just as she had anticipated.

Soon, the first assault wave was passed, and the remaining fighters were regrouping. So far, none of the many TIE squadrons stationed at the battle station had been deployed. Apparently, the Grand Moff was still not convinced that the battle station was at risk. But her master would not underestimate the danger, not after their conversation several days back.

Her assumption proved true only moments later when she sensed Vader and his quickly readied personal group of TIE fighters joining the fray. They soon started to decimate the attacking X- and Y-wings on their second and third run at the polar trench. Serina could feel her master's satisfaction at eliminating one threat to the station after another. She felt the minutes tick away. Soon, the superlaser would be in the position to fire unobstructed at the rebel base.

Suddenly, she sensed a change in her master's presence. Satisfaction gave way to surprise mingled with curiosity. The Force is strong in this one! A single thought reached her mind clearly over the immense distance. Along with it, a disturbance in the Force drew Serina's attention to one of the remaining X-wings just starting another run at the polar trench. It had to be Luke! And Vader was on his tail, ready to shoot him down.

Serina nearly forgot to breathe as she followed the events through the impressions the Force allowed her to perceive. Three X-wings took a dive into the trench unchallenged by the weapons emplacements located along both sides of the artificial canyon. Apparently, they had been ordered to hold their fire to not endanger the TIE fighters that followed on the heels of the rebel vessels. Vader was in the lead, two wingmen in tow. Soon, one of the X-wings was hit and had to leave the trench. Moments later, Vader eliminated the fighter that had danced along erratically to prevent direct shots at the leading vessel.

Then she felt her master zero in on the last remaining fighter. A short was fired, but, for once, Vader had not been able to score a direct hit. She could feel his anger quicken, his determination to eliminate the last threat to the station becoming all-consuming. Suddenly, his anger flared brightly, his thoughts turning from the vessel ahead of him to the two TIE wingmen behind him. Something had happened, but Serina could not discern what it might have been. An instant later, the anger turned into uncontrolled rage as she felt him lose control over his vessel, tumbling head over heels, spinning away from the battle station and away from his prey, unable to accomplish his goal of protecting the huge sphere from the danger a small X-wing and a single proton-torpedo in the hands of an unexperienced Force-user posed.

As Serina directed her perception toward the small rebel craft, she could feel Luke's elation as he delivered the battle deciding shot at the port barely larger than a womp rat. Then he pulled out of the trench and headed back toward the jungle moon. Aware, that the attack on the rebel headquarters would never take place and that the young man, she had met so many years prior, would be save along with all the other on Yavin 4, Serina reached with her mind toward her Dark Lord. She could sense his undiminished rage over his inability to regain control of his ship, his certainty of what would follow within the next few seconds, and a growing feeling of revenge directed at the pilot of the X-wing as well as those at the controls of the Corellian freighter that had so surprisingly foiled his purpose. She was just reaching for the controls to power up her ship, when the Death Star flared into brilliant oblivion, turning into a second sun, much brighter than the glowing gas giant nearby.

Serina sat there for a long time, still staring at the spot far away from where the battle station had winked out of existence taking with it everybody on board. Though she had felt their passing it was nothing compared to the destruction of Alderaan. This was war, and anybody fighting in it knew the risks. There was no pity in Serina's heart for the thousands of soldiers that had been on the battle station. Only a quiet satisfaction. Luke and Leia were safe for the moment, the rebellion would go on and one day - Serina was absolutely sure of it - they would succeed. But it was still a long and hard way until that time.

Burying those thoughts in the deep reaches of her mind, she started up the engines of her small craft. Now it was time to locate and direct her master toward the nearest Imperial settlement. Once he could transfer to her ship, their next stop would be Imperial Center. The Emperor would not be delighted about the news!

When Serina approached the damaged experimental TIE fighter, Vader had finally managed to regain control over it. She consulted her sensors regarding the condition of the smaller vessel. It had taken quite a beating, but most systems seemed to be still functioning. The hyperdrive showed some damage and its reach would be quite limited. Serina searched her navigational computer for Imperial installations close-by. A small outpost on an otherwise only marginally inhabited planet by the name of Vaal was listed as the closest. Even with the damaged hyperdrive, Vader should be able to arrive there within a day.

Then she tried to contact her master through her ship's comlink. At first, there was no response at all. Finally, Vader established a connection by using his personal comlink that was built into his armored suit. "Hyperdrive is damaged, but still functional. Communications and weapons are inoperative. Navigation also took some damage. It shows Vaal as the closest outpost," he informed her.

"Yes, master, that reading is correct. It will take you about a day to reach the system according to what my sensors indicate of your hyperdrive functionality. You will have to pass through two asteroid fields before you reach the planet itself. A detour around them would take at least another day. Should I fly ahead and guide you through them?"

"No. There is more important work for you on Imperial Center. I must find out who that pilot was."

Serina could sense the seething anger in Vader's soul. He took that defeat quite personal indeed. "The pilot who fired the destructive shot?" she asked him just for getting the final confirmation.

"Of course!" he barked at her sharply. "You will put the word out to all my contacts: I'll pay a high reward to anybody who delivers me the name of that pilot."

"Yes, master. I will see to that immediately upon my return. What should I tell the Emperor, if he calls upon me before you get back?" It was more a "when" than an "if" since the Emperor had his eyes and ears everywhere. Word, that the StarLady had returned, would be brought to his attention immediately.

"Tell him, that his lack of faith in the Force has cost the Grand Moff his life and the whole battle station as well. I had warned him, but he had not listened to my advice. The rest will have to wait until I return. Now contact the outpost and inform them of my imminent arrival."

As Serina activated her hypercom, she wondered briefly what conclusion Vader would arrive at once he found out the name in question. After sending the contact request the third time, she finally informed him, "The outpost is not responding, master. Perhaps, something happened to the troopers there. You still want me to leave for Imperial Center?"

"Yes, I expect first results by the time I return. The outpost is just another matter I will take care of personally."

Those troopers better be dead already, Serina thought as she watched Vader turn his crippled vessel into the direction of Vaal and engage his hyperdrive, otherwise, they'll be in for a nasty surprise. Vader had no patience at all for those who didn't live up to their assigned task, no matter how insignificant it might be.

Heeding her own advice, Serina quickly plotted the fastest course back to the Imperial capital. She, too, had been given a task and had no intention of failing her dark master. How fortunate that Vader had no idea that she already knew the name he was willing to pay a high reward for to have it revealed to him.