Adrianne Palicki as Lilah Amidala
Shelley Hennig as Thalia Kenobi
We don't own Star Wars (Only our plot points)
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After leaving the Yavin moon's atmosphere, the X-wing and Y-wing Starfighters sped away across the darkness of the vastness of space, flying in a tight formation at sub-light speed, staying in sight of one another. The pilots could already see the strange moonlike sphere in the distance-The Death Star.
"All wings report in." Red Leader ordered them. They all sounded off and geared up, all feeling the same level of determination. It was time they ended this.
"This is Red Eight checking in." Lilah said with a calmer voice, feeling the Force surrounding her. She knew then it would be okay. Obi-Wan was with her and her friends.
"Red Ten standing by."
"Red Seven standing up."
"Red Three standing by," Biggs said.
"Red Six standing by," Jek Porkins said. One of the few pilots Luke had been introduced before the mission briefing.
"Red Nine standing by."
"Red Two standing by," Wedge spoke.
"Red One standing by," Cassian spoke up.
Luke knew his turn was next and felt his heart beating within his chest. Heart racing like a ship through Hyperspace. "Red Five standing by," he spoke, once he did R2 swiveled his head and beeped in encouragement.
After all the other X-Wings from Gold reported in, Red Leader ordered, "Lock S-foils in attack position."
Staying in formation, Red Squadron unfolded their Starfighters' wings and locked the ships into the 'X' position for attack. As they began to approach the Death Star's location, the fighter began to shudder, and the pilots bounced in their cockpits.
"We're passing through their magnetic field." Red leader informed them, "Hold tight." He said as they rode through it. Lilah felt the field and adjusted instantly. Her R4, a red D2 unit, beeped at her. Cassian's unit didn't seem to like the magnetic and yelped beepingly, but soon calmed down, but soon calmed down," Switch to deflectors." The Red leader ordered as they approached the Death Star.
The superweapon now loomed large before the approaching Starfighters. The gargantuan space station's surface was half in the shadows, and the shadowed area sparkled with thousands of lights, similar to a planetary city at night when viewed from space.
"Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge gasped, watching the Death Star fill his X-Wing's cockpit window.
It was large. Even Lilah was mystified by it, as she had not seen it properly the first time. It truly was the size of a small moon. Well shit. May the Force be with them all?
"Cut the chatter, Red Two," Red leader ordered. "Accelerate to attack speed." As the Starfighters increased velocity, he announced, "This is it boys!" It was now or never. The only chance the rebellion had at stopping the superweapon once and for all.
As the fighters moved closer to the Death Star, the Imperial fortress was impressive and it sent shivers down Luke's spin. Even in the shadow the size was massive-it was a city in the sky or something.
"Red Leader, this is Gold leader," Dutch Vander spoke from his Y-Wing.
Red Leader answered back over his headset. "I copy, Gold leader."
"We're staring for the target shaft now."
"We're in position," Red leader explained, looking at his X-Wings. "I'm going to cut across the axis and try to draw their fire."
After Gold and Red leaders conversed; Red leader, his wingman, and two other X-Wings peeled off and divided toward the Death Star's metal surface, and then suddenly without warning they came under fire. To avoid getting hit Lilah spun her X-Wing and fired at them without hesitation.
0o0o0o0
In the war room, Leia was with the field command, C-3PO and Thalia as they sat before a giant display showing Yavin IV and its four moons. The red dots showed the Death Star as it moved closer to their system. Indistinct chatter filled the war room as it was tense with anticipation.
"Your friends will be okay." Leia offered the other Princess with a kind smile. You could tell she was worried though. "I don't know them well, but they'll be fine." She had hope in them.
"They will be," Thalia promised, giving the princess a warm smile. "The Force is with them." Obi-Wan, Maria, and all the other Jedi that came before-Lilah and Luke-were with them.
"You are right my daughter," Maria's voice came into Thalia's mind like a warm ripple within the Force. Which only caused the young Kenobi's smile to grow. "The Force is with them. So is your father and myself."
Leia nodded to her. She wouldn't pretend to know much about the Force, she had heard stories but that was it. She believed in it though. She believed that there were mystical forces out in the universe they could not understand. She admired people like Thalia and Lilah-those who were in tune with the Force around them.
Suddenly several voices came from over the intercom system causing Leia's to shift. One of the pilots, Wedge was his name, was telling them they were all under attack. C-3PO shifted worriedly at their side but said nothing. He was unable to think of anything that might comfort them all.
Leia was biting her nails almost with complete worry at what was going on in space and looked to Thalia. They had to be okay. Evan Draven was standing nervously as he heard the chatter.
This was it then.
0o0o0o0
From his cockpit, Luke saw Wedge maneuver his Starfighter toward the Death Star. "This is Red Five! I'm going in!" Then he raced his freighter toward the space station as laser bolts streaked from his X-wings canons, creating a huge fireball explosion across the surface. Luke began to realize he was traveling too fast.
"Luke, pull up!" Biggs shouts to his friend.
Luke pulled hard on the X-Wings controls to get his freighter to ascend rapidly through the fire, leaving only a few scorch marks on the ship which Luke could see from the cockpit window.
"Are you all right?"
"I got a little cooked, but I'm okay," Luke answered, feeling like he was getting a little cocky.
Lilah suddenly felt a strong presence, and it threw her off, overwhelming her sense for a moment, and she knew it wasn't good. "Luke, Cassian. Stay Sharp, I sense something is wrong." She warned as she maneuvered fast.
"Copy that Lilah." Cassian and Luke replied back to her and continued to run attacks and maneuver.
0o0o0o0
The force echoed all around him. Vader called upon his hold of the Force to see who was among the rebel forces that were attacking the Death Star. Two were with the Force, the foolish girl that tried to help Obi-Wan, and the farm boy that was strong with the Force as well. He already knew the rebel from Scarif was with them in the attack.
Only he searched for the third Force user that yelled 'father' to Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Death Star. It made him realize that Kenobi and Fairchild had a child-a force sensitive child. She was down on the planet with the rebels and the princess. She wasn't as strong like the other two force users attacking the battle station.
Thalia felt a dark present in the room which made her go stiff and freeze as the dark began to pile around the female to the point it felt to be standing right beside her. Thalia could sense who it was within the Force that was giving off the dark and cold lifeless energy. The being that killed her father and many of the Jedi Knights within the past. 'Vader.' Thalia spoke within her very mind, reaching out of the person.
Then, to her surprise, a dark voice answered back in a whisper; 'Kenobi.'
'What do you want?' Thalia thought as she felt the dark force come inside her head and started to cloud her thoughts. Then when her mind cleared she was in a dark and open are of pitch blackness with no sign of any of the surroundings she had been near a few minutes earlier.
"Maybe we can finally speak to one another," a deep, mechanic voice said as she turned around, behind her stood Vader.
They must be inside the force somewhere in their minds so that they could talk to one another.
"What do you want from me?" Thalia asked him, she almost scolded herself because that was dumb question to even ask. This Sith Lord had already murdered her father in front of her, and now he was trying to kill her friends.
Vader looked at her, stared inside her very soul and saw the girl had her mother's spirit and her father's heart. "To show you the truth about what your father did to me."
Thalia and Vader lift their hands up into the air at the same time. Both dark and light sides of the force collided as memories started to play out between the two of them.
It was like mist surrounding her and words and voices she knew and didn't know as she fought Vader. They were memories, they couldn't be real but were.
"He is the chosen one, you must see that." That voice was her father's Master. The Jedi that had trained Thalia in the desert cave on Tatooine that held a strong connection to the Force. Qui-Gon Jinn.
"They think you're the chosen one," her mother's voice-Maria Fairchild's rang out in a ghostly whisper, young and gentle to someone. Most likely the 'he' Qui-Gon Jinn had mentioned. "He's just a boy."
"You refer to the prophecy of The One who will bring balance to the Force." A male voice explained out loud, he didn't sound like he believed it.
A memory had formed and a woman with bright green eyes and long brown hair styled that looked similar to how Lilah wore hers was talking to someone. "I'm not afraid to die."
Then a green alien with long pointed ears and wise eyes that held great knowledge appeared in the memory, "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." He was talking about the dark side of the force, how someone could easily fall.
Maria appeared beside Obi-Wan on a planet that was Mustafar. "Let her go!" her father shouted at someone.
"You're breaking my heart." The female woman that could be someone related to Lilah had spoken, voice cracking.
The memory shifted to her father Obi-Wan dueling with someone on the planet, cutting and hacking at anything that got in their way. It was a fight to the death, a battle between friends that became enemies. Only for a loud, sorrowful voice of her fathers to shout; "You were the chosen one."
"You were supposed to bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness. You've brought destruction to the galaxy. It will wither and die under the Empire," Maria cried.
The memory went to the Death Star and Cassian was in a tortured chair as Vader went into his mind. A girl named Jyn Eros that could help him find Galen Eros, her father...a pilot that defected with a message. Jedha city being destroyed by the planet killer. Baze and Chirrut; the Guardians of the Whills.
K-2SO, the imperial droid Cassian had reprogrammed and kept around as his friend, but Draven had thought of the droid as a pet.
The memory changed again to Alderann being destroyed in front of Cassian and Leia, Vader stood watching as well.
Thalia used the force to shove Vader back in anger. She had been seeing his memories from his past. Who he had been once before, a long time ago? A chosen one. A husband. A Jedi that was good. The questions she couldn't answer with the information she had just saw because it went by too fast to keep up. She'll need time to focus and remember everything she just witnessed.
"Get out of my head!" Thalia shouts as the mist disappears around them.
Separating both light and dark side users with a blast of energy that echoed throughout the Force.
Vader was pulled out of the girl's mind as the effect shook the Death Star in place. He could tell the young Kenobi girl was strong, but still nothing like the other two. This one was less important to him. Now he had matters to deal with the rebels attacking the space station.
0o0o0o0
The space battle against the Death Star seemed to be in between a Force battle of both the light and dark side. This was causing a reaction with the Death Star's turbo powered laser guns and then exploded. Because of this-it caused confusion on both sides of the battlefield.
"Who hit those?" Wedge asked the squad.
"I think they blew from the inside." Someone said, it seemed like a logical explanation if you weren't a force user.
Luke had felt it and wondered if Lilah did too. He could feel Vader with a strong dark pull and a light pull coming from Thalia. "Lilah, do you feel that?" He asked her over the coms. "I think Thalia was fighting Vader somehow."
All the X-Wing and Y-Wings were preparing for another attack when the Rebel base control officer's voice came over the headset. "Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way."
"My scope's negative," Luke reported, confused. "I don't see anything."
"Pick up your visual scanning," Red leader advised.
Everyone within their respective cockpits, Luke and Biggs turned their heads upward to look out their windows. Searching for any signs of TIE Fighters. Only for Red Leader spotted them and gave a warning; "Here they come."
There six TIE's entered the fray as chaos began once more.
Luke tried to dodge the one chasing after him. "I can't shake him!" Luke cried to them, trying not to panic as he flew fast, moving swiftly to not get hit.
"We're on our way, Luke!" Lilah promised as she flew fast to him. "Biggs on me!" It would take more than one of them.
"Don't worry, Luke. We are on it," Biggs reassured. He flew alongside Lilah. He would not let Luke get hurt now.
"Blast it! Biggs, where are you?"
Wedge got their first. In a daring maneuver, Wedge guides his X-Wing straight for the cockpit window of Luke's pursuer. He fired his canons and the TIE fighter's spherical command pod exploded into space dust. Because of his velocity, Wedge was unable to pull out, but he quietly angled his X-Wing to two hexagonal wings that were all that remained of the destroyed TIE fighter.
"Thanks, Wedge," Luke said, breathing a small sigh of relief. He actually survived that.
"Good shooting, Wedge!" Biggs chimed in.
As Luke began to readjust his controls, he heard the voice of the Y-Wing pilot Dutch Vander speak over his headset; "Red Leader, this is Gold Leader. We're starting our attack run."
"I copy, Gold Leader. Move into position."
Gold leader peeled off and starts toward the long trenches at the Death Star surface pole. Three Y-Wing fighters of the Gold group dived out of the dark and bright stars and headed straight toward the area they needed to destroy the Superweapon. Three Imperial TIE ships in precise formation dive toward the Death Star surface in pursuit.
As the rebel ships begin to approach the target area, suddenly all the laser fire stops. An eerie calm cling over the trench as the surface whips past in a blur.
"The guns they stopped." Gold two exclaimed. Why would they stop? This doesn't seem right.
Vader lines up Gold two in his targeting computer. Vader's hand grip the control stick before pressing the button before doing the same to the leader.
"It's Vader." Lilah informed as she began to take heavy fire on herself. And Luke felt something cold go through him; like ice water in his veins.
"Red Leader, we're right above you," Luke told their squad leader, trying to shake off the feeling. He tried to spot the Red leader, but it wasn't happening. All he could see was the large sleet grey surface of the Death Star.
"Stay there." Red leader ordered them. "I just lost my starboard engine. Get set to make your attack run."
Vader's gloved hands make contact with the control sticks, pressing the firing button again. The Red leader fights to regain control of his ship but fails to do so. Laser bolts are flung from Vader's TIE fighter, connecting with Red Leader's Rebel X-Wing fighter. Red leader, causing him to be destroyed in an explosion.
From Luke's view he stood hopeless as his leader was burned into the vacuum of space. But then a new determination ran through him. He had to do this. "Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up. We're going in. We're going in full throttle." he ordered his teammates. "Lilah, Cassian, take out as many enemy towers and fighters as you can." he ordered.
"Right behind you, boss," Wedge confirmed to him.
"On it Luke-may the Force be with you." Lilah said and veered low to take out the fire towers. She counted at least eight active ones and several fighters. Oh this was doing to be fun. "Cassian, you take one side and I'll take the other."
"On it." Cassian agreed and veered down left.
0o0o0o0
Over the speaker she heard Luke and Lilah speak about taking out the towers and the Death Star. The room was grim with feeling and Leia felt herself tense again. She continued to watch Thalia, and then suddenly reached over to squeeze her hand in comfort.
"Thalia?" She questioned almost softly as if to not frighten or disturb her. She looked like she was in such deep thought and focus.
Thirty rebel pilots had traveled in their Starfighters from Yavin IV. Standing in the rebel base war room, Leia looked at a tactical monitor and saw that only about eight X-Wings and a Y-Wing remained engaged in the battle. Three of the ships were Luke, Lilah and Cassian.
Thalia blinked her brown eyes. Mind clearing and returning to a normal state of mind once more. She felt the Princess shaking her shoulder and looked down at the female. Thalia didn't know how long she had been gone and had now just returned to take notice of the battle not going in their favor.
"Leia," Thalia breathed. "We'll be okay. We have everything we need." To win this fight.
0o0o0o0
Wedge and Biggs followed after Luke down into the Death Star's trench. They unleashed a barrage of laser fire at the space station, and the Imperial canons returned fire. As Luke raced ahead, Biggs said, "We'll stay back far enough to cover you."
"My scope shows the tower, but I can't see the exhaust port! Are you sure the computer can hit it?" Wedge wondered to Luke, still questioning the possibility of winning this fight.
"Watch yourself. Increase speed at full throttle."
"What about the towers?"
"You worry about the fighters." Luke insisted. "I'll worry about the tower!" Just then, one of the Imperial's lasers nicked one of Luke's wings and he struggled with the controls of the ship, trying to keep them steady. "Artoo, the stabilizers broke loose again. See if you can't lock it down."
R2-D2 extended his repair arm once more and tried to fix the damage when under cannon fire. Flying behind them, Wedge looked up and saw Vader and his two wingmen approaching once more.
"Fighters. Coming in, point three."
As three TIE's came zooming into the trench, Luke focused on his targeting computer scope, which had just marked off the distance to the target. The TIE's came even closer to the X-Wings as Vader took aim and fired.
"I'm hit!" Wedge shouted as his ship was blasted from behind. Although his ship stayed in one piece, his deflector shields were gone. He wouldn't stand much chance against another attack. "I can't stay with you."
"Get clear, Wedge." Luke ordered. "You can't do anything good back there."
"Sorry," Wedge spoke, pulling his crippled X-Wing up and out of the trench.
Darth Vader sense what Wedge wanted and turned his attention to the remaining two X-Wings within the trench. "Let him go." He commanded the fighters. The TIE's began to take a tighter formation. "Stay on their leader."
Lilah had finished taking out the towers and dived down in order to help the group. "Guys just hang on. I'm coming in fast." She spoke as the female Jedi took notice of TIE fighters continuing to fire on them.
Luke looked into his targeting device, then suddenly he learned back for a moment and pondered on if he should even use the Force. Ben had said to trust himself-to learn to use his instincts. Luke wasn't entirely confident yet though. Shaking his head though he leaned back.
"Hurry, Luke, they're coming in much faster this time." Biggs warned Luke, gazing back on the upcoming TIE's. I can't hold them."
Luke glanced back from his cockpit toward the droid. "Artoo, try and increase the power!" Causing R2-D2 to work frantically on the engines. Swiveling his blue-and-white dome and gave some beeps as it struggled to regain power, he saw the TIE fighters were gaining even faster on Biggs's ship.
"Hurry up, Luke." Biggs began to say as he saw another TIE fighter aim, but this time not at Luke. It was at him. Before he could do anything, he was hit by a laser. Biggs cockpit explodes around him, lighting him red. Biggs' ship bursts into a million flaming bits and scattered across the surface of the trench.
"Biggs on your-" Lilah tried to warn but it was too late for him as shock ran through her. Suddenly Biggs' ship exploded into dust and fire. The female Jedi gave a grim look but continued her assault on the TIE fighters. Cassian was holding his own on the other side of her, the two moving swift and efficient like until.
Luke felt shock run through him, like cold water. He had just seen his childhood friend die right in front of his very eyes. His eyes began to water, and anger swelled within his chest. And determination ran through him like wildfire sparking.
"Use the Force Luke." Ben's ghostly voice whispered to him.
Grim determination swept across Luke's face as he closed his eyes and started to mumble Ben's training to himself. He could do this. Luke continued to go in fast when all of a sudden, his ship rocked hard. Looking back he saw R2 buzzing. Oh this was not good. "I lost R2."
When Luke heard Ben's voice, he felt a sudden calmness and pressed the control panel, shifting the targeting device out of his way.
0o0o0o0
Leia's face continued to be solid and grim with determination. Dadonna looked awfully worried and almost doubtful now. There weren't many fighters, it seemed, and those who were up there were being picked off. "Thalia."
The protocol droid shook nervously next to the two women. "Hang on R2." he yelped with fear running through his circuits.
Leia, wondering what was going on, more confused than ever, watching with the others on the projector screen as the scene unfolded before them all. Just what was Luke playing at? "His computers off." One of the control officers said with alarm within his voice. "Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?" he questioned.
"What's he doing?" Leia wondered to Thalia with a concerned whisper.
Thalia gave the princess a smile. "What he needs to do in order to win the day. He's taking his first steps into a larger world." She mused with awe.
0o0o0o0
"I'm alright." Luke informed them all with a confident smile and feeling. He was definitely all right. Minus Vader being on him. But he had faith in the Force and that would be taken care of.
As Lilah continued to dive, feeling the Force surrounding her. TIE fighters began to swarm on her until there were too many. But she wasn't afraid, even as Cassian shouted at her. "Looks like it might be the end of the line." She muttered to herself and breathed out as she continued to shoot. "Well at least I'll go down fighting."
And then suddenly a burst of laser fire began, surprising everyone. Looking up Lilah smiled-it was the Falcon. Suddenly she felt something in her burst. It was Han.
0o0o0o0
"It's Han," Leia said, her surprise seeping into her voice, along with wonderment. That crazy pirate had come back and just saved Lilah from certain death.
"Of course it is," Thalia spoke, grinning. "He wouldn't leave within a goodbye kiss from Lilah." Which only caused the female Jedi to giggle. She found her own statement kind of funny at the thought of Han and Lilah within a relationship together. "Don't tell Lilah I said that."
"I wouldn't." The princess promised because she had eyes. Han and Lila clearly did have something sparking between the two of them.
0o0o0o0
Blaster fire continued down into the trench from the falcon and struck the TIE fighter that had been traveling alongside Vader's starboard stern. The fighter exploded. Vader exclaimed, "What?" Where had that laser fire even come from? He glanced upward and saw it.
The Millennium Falcon.
"Yahoo!" Han Solo hollered as he descended rapidly from above the stars, guiding the Falcon on what looked like a collision course from the two TIE fighters.
Intending to warn Darth Vader, the startled surviving TIE's wingman cried; "Look out!" But the sight of the oncoming Corellian Ship caused the wingman to panic, and he veered radically to one side and smashed into Vader's TIE fighter. The impact sent Vader's TIE spinning out of control and out of the trench, while the wingman's fighter crashed into the wall and exploded.
Vader fought to try and regain control of the TIE fighter only he continued to stumble across open space.
A laugh echoed through Lilah, clear with fondness and relief mixed with surprise in her voice. He had come back for them. He had come back-decided that they were worth it-and had saved them. Even Cassian laughed-full of surprise. That pirate had come back.
"Miss me, Sunshine?" Han teased, a bright grin on his face.
"I think it's you who missed me," Lilah replied.
"You're all clear, kid." Han said, turning his attention to Luke and the mission at hand. "Now let's blow this thing and go home."
Luke looked up for a moment and smiled. Han had come back for them like he knew he would. Turning back his gaze, his eyes filled with determination as he concentrated on the target liked Ben had told him to do. It felt like a moment of alignment and knew the Force was indeed with him. Letting it guide his hands, then with bated breath, he fired his torpedoes into the port.
The twin high-speed concussion projected streaked away from his X-Wing, carrying their payload of high-yield proton scattering warheads. Both torpedoes plunged down in the thermal exhaust port.
Lilah and Cassian watched and let out whoops as the Death Star began to burst with fire. Luke had done it. They had won the day.
"Great shot, Kid." Han congratulated over the comm. "That was one in a million."
But Luke knew better. It wasn't luck. It was the Force.
"Remember, the Force will be with you...always." Ben spoke to Luke once more. It made the boy feel relaxed and let out a deep breath. Luke now understood, much like the Force, his first teacher would also be with him.
The rebel ships raced out of sight, leaving the moon-like Death Star alone against a blanket of stars. Several small flashes appear on the surface. The Death Star bursts into a supernova, creating a spectacular heavenly display. The sound of laughter could be heard in each and every one of the rebels which echoed into the Force as waves of a new beginning.
The New Hope for the galaxy was here like the Jedi had predicted.
