Chapter 20
Destiny
"All wings report in," Commander Dreis ordered.
One by one, the various pilots called in. Han kept his mouth shut and waited his turn, all the while trying to remember what exactly that crazy Jedi said to him that made him sign up. He didn't belong in this fight anymore than the Falcon belonged in a hanger that was about to be blown up.
Yet here he was, just about to assault a damn moon sized space station literally called the "Death Star". How was that not insane? Especially given the fact that the target they planned on hitting was next to impossible. If he had any sense he would contact Chewie and tell him to get moving then use the X-wing's hyperspace engine to get the hell out of there.
"Red 5 do you copy? Solo!" Dreis voice came.
Abruptly Han snapped out of his musings. "Uh… sorry, Red 5 standing by."
"Keep it together Solo," Dreis said. "The fun hasn't even started yet."
Han rolled his eyes at himself just a little. Here he was probably the best pilot in the attack group and he just got called out like a rookie. Worse than that, he pretty much deserved it. He took a moment to straighten himself out in his seat and focused on the mission. Something increasingly easy to do as the Death Star began swallowing up the entire viewport.
"Lock s-foils in attack position," came the command.
The 'wings' from the squadron separated, finally giving the starfighters the eponymous 'x' in their name. Han followed suit yet still felt he was flying in a coffin with wings. Sure this thing would be better in a dogfight, but he knew the Falcon inside and out. All the more reason to make sure this thing blew.
"We're passing through the magnetic field, hold tight!" Dreis said, partially for their benefit, partially to let command know the situation. "Switch your deflector screens to double front."
The Death Star loomed ever large and Han shook his head, hardly believing that only a few short hours ago, he was aboard and running around it.
"Look at the size of that thing!"
"Cut the chatter Red 2," Dreis said. "Accelerate to attack speed."
Han gripped the controls a bit tighter and hit the accelerator. With Red 3, Biggs, and Red 2, some guy named Wedge, flanking him they dove down above the Death Star's surface. Slow moving turbo laser cannons fired at them, their massive bolts easily missing the more agile craft. They were designed to hit larger capital ships and orbital defense stations, not snub fighters.
The strafing maneuver by the X-wings served the dual purpose of destroying some of the armaments and more importantly setting Gold squad up for its attack run on the trench. The only problem was that at the close range they were flying to the surface, the explosions caused by their turbolasers stood a good chance at destroying them.
"I'm going in," Han said, angling the deflector shield and pulling the x-wing into a tight spin, dodging defense towers before unleashing blaster fire. Even as he did he cursed, he had gotten so used to the Falcon's controls that he underestimated the amount of time before the surface explosions caught up with him.
"Han pull up!" Biggs called through the channel. "Are you alright?"
"Got a little cooked but I'm alright," Han muttered.
The R5 plugged in behind him flashed a disagreement on the screen, the characters displayed in all caps. Han grit his teeth. "Yeah? Well no one asked you! Reroute power the stabilizers! We're going in for another run!"
The alarms blared across the Death Star while stormtroopers and officers scrambled to their posts, or to deliver information to their superiors. It had taken an embarrassing amount of time for some of them to realize this was an actual attack and not a drill.
Then again, thus far the rebel attack had only scratched some of the outer defenses. Repair crews busied themselves assessing the damage but none of it truly constituted a true threat. Still they were finally taking it seriously, dashing about to respond.
And amid all the chaos, Darth Vader strode with Luke by his side.
They'd spoken little since his appearance before Tarkin but Vader could feel his confusion at Mara's death giving way to a spark of anger. Good, Vader now only needed to stoke that anger until it became a flame. And given what he felt of the rebel pilots through the Force… he knew what to do.
"Lord Vader," an officer ran up to them. "We count thirty rebel ships but they're so small they're evading our turbolasers!"
"We'll have to take them out ship to ship," Vader said. "Get the crews to their fighters."
The officer nodded and scurried away. Vader looked down at Luke, who wore a curious expression.
"What good are starfighters going to do against this thing?"
"Even a one man fighter, given the opportunity, can destroy a much larger vessel," Vader said. "We must not be too overconfident in mere technology. We must rely on the Force."
Luke nodded but still wore a frown.
"And through the Force, I sense a familiar presence in one of those starfighters," Vader said. "Captain Solo."
"Han," Luke's eyes lit up.
"If you wish you can destroy him," Vader said.
"How?" Luke said.
"Come with me," Vader said. "We must get you a flight suit."
"Watch yourself," Dreis said. "There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower."
"I'm on it," Han said.
"I'm going in," came Biggs voice. "Cover me Porkins."
"I'm right with you Red 3," Porkins said.
Winter watched the displays in the command center, but her face remained passive and unreadable, as was her nature. Yet inside a jittery feeling of nervousness strove to break out. Not just for the sake of the mission and the knowledge that if it failed they would all die in fire, but also for concern over the pilot she'd just heard over the commsystem.
She was far too realistic to make or expect a promise from Biggs before the flight that he would come back, but she at the very least managed to tell him to be careful. For whatever reason she'd grown rather fond of the pilot and dreaded the thought of him dying.
Which only further caused her stomach to sink when she heard the ensuing conversation over the comm, as Porkins and Biggs began to yell frantically followed by the sound of one of them reaching a horrible end. For half a moment it wasn't clear who it was but then Biggs voice came through.
"We lost Porkins," he said.
Winter let out a breath cursing herself on the inside for being relieved for Biggs even though another man had died. She hated it but she couldn't shake the feeling that no matter how much she wanted to fight against it, Biggs would meet his fate in this battle.
"Squad Leaders," one of the officers said. "We've picked up a new group of signals, enemy fighters coming your way."
On the display screen red dots appeared in the tactical field, TIE fighters. Apparently the Empire had tired of mostly missing the x-wings while they defaced the surface of the Death Star. Now Winter and the Alliance had to hope their pilots could match up against the best the Empire had to offer.
"My scopes negative," Wedge said. "I don't see anything."
"Pick up visual scanning," Dreis ordered. "Here they come!"
A few seconds passed by as the red dots caught up with the green ones and the pilots began talking back and forth trying to aid one another. Almost as soon as it started one of the green lights went out, another pilot had died.
"Darklighter you picked one up," Solo's voice came and Winter edged closer to the display.
"I can't see it!" Biggs shouted, Winter's breath caught in her throat. "He's on me tight, I can't shake him!"
"Hold on kid I'm on my way."
Several tense seconds passed and Winter flattened her fingers on the edge of the display table, watching the little blip identified only as Red 3. A couple more seconds passed and suddenly the red dot behind his disappeared.
"Thanks Solo," Biggs said.
"Just remember you owe me one."
Winter let out a breath and released her white knuckled grip on the table. A solemn vow formed in her mind. If Biggs did indeed survive this battle and came back to her. She would kill him for putting her through this level of stress.
"Please tell me you've come up with a plan by now," Leia said through the comm. "That Death Star is getting a lot bigger."
"A plan… yes…" Obi-wan said, his eyes roamed over the expanse of the Death Star. "Well it would be best to attempt to circle around away from the battle, from there we'll board and rescue Luke."
"Oh, just like that?" Leia said.
"Yes just like…" Obi-wan started but the words caught in his throat as a tremor in the Force hit him. Immediately he swung the y-wing to the side and increased the thruster power, aiming them right at the battle he'd just said they'd avoid.
"What are you doing?" Leia said.
"Those TIE fighters…" Obi-wan said.
"Haven't seen us yet," Leia said. "But if we keep heading that way they'll spot us for sure and we'll have to fight our way to a hanger."
"No Leia, stretch out with your feelings," Obi-wan said. "Luke isn't on the Death Star, he's down there."
"What?"
"Vader," Obi-wan said. "Vader must have put him in a TIE fighter."
"That's insane that's-"
"That's exactly what a Sith would do to earn the loyalty of a young man seeking revenge," Obi-wan said. "Vader must know I would be in this fight and Luke thinks that I killed his father."
The realization caused Obi-wan the briefest of relief. If that was indeed the case, then that meant that in order to earn Luke's loyalty, Vader had not yet revealed his true identity. Luke would not be fully under the dark lord's sway yet. He could be brought back.
"Which one is he in?" Leia said. "I'm trying what you said about sensing them but I'm just getting a jumble of emotions."
"Artoo," Obi-wan said. "Begin scanning the Imperial TIE fighters, when I identify Luke's I want you to keep his ship highlighted in our targeting computer so we'll be able to keep track of him."
"Watch your back, watch your back Han you've picked one up!" the chatter came in from the fleetcomm. "It's coming in fast and angry."
"Oh no," Obi-wan said. "It's not me he's after…"
"This guy's good," Han said over the system. "Trying to lose him."
Biggs spun his x-wing around, trying to confirm a visual on Han's ship. A TIE fighter zipped past firing a few stray shots at him but seemed intent on going after another target. All around him blaster fire erupted, each representing either the death or life of the various pilots now weaving over the surface of the Death Star.
"I'm hit but it's not bad," Han said. "R5 this is where you earn your keep, get working short stuff."
"Red 6 can you see Red 5?" Dreis said, trying to direct the battle.
"It's a heavy fire zone in there I can't see him!" came the reply. "Red 5 where are you?"
Blaster fire crisscrossed space in front of them, making just flying a trick of bobbing and jinxing around. Biggs heart pounded as he searched for Han. They weren't exactly friends but he wasn't about to lose the guy that helped them off the Death Star. Besides, he got the impression the Princess wouldn't like him fried.
Through the bolts of light and fire, Biggs spotted Han's x-wing, spinning and juking about, only to be perfectly followed by the TIE fighter that dogged him. Biggs narrowed his eyes, noticing how the TIE spun and zipped around, somewhat familiar… but no… that was impossible. The Empire had thousands of trained pilots.
"This guy won't quit!" Han said. "Any help here would be… ow! R5 fix the… gonna strafe the surface and try to shake him."
"Hold on Han," Wedge said. "I've got him."
Biggs spotted Wedge's fighter coming in from above, probably intent on blasting right through the TIE. The TIE pilot would actually get a good look at the fighter that killed him provided that Wedge got there in time. Just as well, Biggs continued his course to aid Han.
"Darklighter, hello Biggs," a new voice came through the private channel.
"Who is this?" Biggs said.
"This is Obi-wan Kenobi," the voice said. "Biggs, that TIE dogging Han. It's Luke!"
"What!?" Biggs nearly let go of his controls.
"Luke is in that fighter trying to blast Han," Obi-wan said. "We're on our way to help but we won't get there in time! You have to do something before he gets killed!"
"I'm on it but I don't know if I'll be able to help," Biggs said then activated the general comm. "This is Red 3 to Red 2, Wedge, break off your attack!"
"I'm almost there!" Wedge said but his voice broke up a bit with all the magnetic interference from the tubolasers Biggs was crisscrossing to get there.
"Wedge do you hear me?"
"He's about to get Han," Wedge said. "Be… ith… oment…"
"Blast it!" Biggs cursed and jammed the accelerator, bearing down on the dueling fighters. His mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. Trying to figure out how to let Wedge know not to shoot his friend. But with the comm, acting up he couldn't and Wedge was about to close in on him. He only had one choice.
"Sorry Winter," he muttered, not even sure if his voice carried through the general broadcast or not.
Lord Vader was right.
Through the Force, Luke could feel Han. He felt the smug confidence, the haughtiness, and even the inklings of fear in the man. Fear that had begun to rise as Luke continued his assault on the smuggler that had killed Mara.
A voice cried for him to stop but Luke ignored it. He'd had everything taken away from him in the last few days. His family, his home, even his friends, and now Mara. He would not let some nagging feeling cheat him from taking at least this small thing back.
"I command you to stop!" Vader's voice came through the comm. "Get back in formation!"
"I'm on Han's tail," Luke said, concentrating on trying to score a hit. "You promised me revenge."
"Now is not the time, get back in formation or I will make you!"
"Negative," Luke said and flipped the commswitch off.
Han's x-wing twisted past rattling blaster fire of Luke's TIE. The smuggler was good, probably better than Luke, but he wouldn't get away, Luke only had to get a few lucky shots to destroy him. Then he would have avenged Mara, the only person to help him make sense of the Universe since his family died.
Abruptly a warning shot through the Force, even though his experience with it was at best, novice, Luke recognized the sudden feeling of alarm and distress. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up so quickly, that even through the cumbersome flight suit and covering helmet/facemask, Luke couldn't help but notice.
His eyes scanned for the danger and he saw it but far too late.
An x-wing streaked directly at him. He'd come out of nowhere! Luke tried to swerve out of the way but it was too late, another moment and the blast from the other x-wing would reduce him to dust.
The blast came but did not hit.
At the last second, another x-wing flashed in front of both of them. Time seemed to slow down for Luke as the x-wing took the full brunt of the attack meant for him. To his horror, even through the blur of movement, he could see the pilot of the starfighter staring right at him through the viewport. A pilot Luke recognized all too well.
"Biggs!" he shouted but his instincts took over and he veered to the side, knowing the other x-wing was still careening toward them and had been planning on him being nothing but space dust at this point.
Driving his TIE into a tight downward corkscrew, the x-wing zipped past, grazing just the very top of the TIE fighter's vertical panel. Luke managed to get control even as a trio of TIE fighters arrived, one to escort him back to Lord Vader's position, the others to run interference to prevent any further x-wings from attacking him. Still stunned from what just happened, Luke flipped on his commswitch.
"That was a foolish move boy," Vader's voice came almost immediately. "You will not get a second chance if you defy me again."
Luke nodded to himself reflexively but his thoughts were on his friend. Somehow Biggs had known it was Luke and sacrificed himself to save him. X-wings were shielded so there was still a chance that he was alive but the act still shook Luke to the core. That wasn't how the rebels were supposed to act…
You have failed me.
No! No I haven't! I didn't!
You have failed me.
Please my Master, I tried! I did everything that I could.
Lord Vader has the boy, his connection to him has already grown strong. You have failed me.
She hesitated, hearing his words from afar as if through a dense fog that clouded everything. Sight, sound, movement, any sense of where she was. Her chest ached and her breathing faint, she fell to her knees, or at least she thought she did.
"You are right my master," she finally said. "Yes, of course you are. I have failed you utterly. I could not deliver the boy."
The Emperor didn't respond. Mara tried to feel him through the void but the distance was too great, or he did not wish for her to feel his presence. She didn't deserve it either. Luke had slipped from her fingers and somehow she knew that Vader had learned of who he truly was. All of her plans were for naught.
"I have failed you Master," Mara said. "There is only one thing left. Claim my life. Let me die."
Again there was no response. Mara would have attempted her own demise if she knew where she was and felt she could move on her own accord. But she felt only… still, as if dreaming and not being able to wake up.
No.
"Please Master! I cannot live having disappointed you!"
No.
"What then? What would you have me do? Are you granting me mercy?"
The Sith do not have mercy. But for now, I still have use for you. One final task for you to perform as a small token of penance. Do this deed, fulfill my will in this regard and make yourself useful. Only then will I consider letting you die.
"Yes my lord," Mara said. "Anything. Anything you wish is my command."
Get up. Lord Vader is about to kill you. Get up and do my will.
Mara's eyes snapped open. Wherever she was before, she was now back in the medical center. She looked down to find herself lying on a bed, her chest wrapped in clean strips. The bindings did nothing to alleviate the pain from the blaster wound she'd received. Each breath felt like fire. Rather than refusing to pay attention to the pain, Mara focused on it, forced the fire to drive into her and fuel her will.
A med droid appeared with a syringe, instantly Mara knew it to be some sort of poison to be administered to her on the order of Darth Vader. The droid neared and Mara flung herself out of the bed, her chest screaming in pain. Grabbing a tray of medical instruments, Mara flung herself at the droid, bashing first the syringe, then the droid itself with the tray until it lay in a pile of wreckage.
"I… I will not fail you again…" Mara panted through the nausea, the exhaustion, and the pain. "… I will not fail you my Master."
"The came at us from behind!"
Gold Leader's final warning fired through the broadcast and Obi-wan shook his head. He had no doubt that Vader flew in that trench. Vader and possibly Luke too. He just had to hope that the boy didn't participate in the actual attack on those poor pilots. If he was to save him, the guilt of killing innocent men would be a heavy burden.
"Red boys this is red leader," Commander Dreis said. "Rendezvous at mark six point one."
"This Red 2 heading toward you."
"Red Leader this is Base One," General Dodonna's voice came. "Keep half of what's left or your group out of range for the next run."
"Copy that Base One," Dreis said. "Han? Take Red 2. Hold up here and wait for my signal."
"What about Red 3?" Han said. "I still read a functioning signal from his x-wing."
"It has to be a glitch," Dreis said. "Whatever the hell happened to Biggs that made him do that, he's gone now."
"I'm going to do a sweep," Wedge said.
"Negative," Dreis said. "Keep yourselves in formation in case my run fails. You're already one wing short."
Obi-wan rubbed his mustache and activated the general comm. Thus far, apart from contacting Biggs privately, they'd maintained radio silence in case the Empire had sliced their communications. But at this point he knew there was no reason to maintain on to their anonymity.
"Red Leader," he said. "Come in Red Leader."
"Who is this?"
"This is Obi-wan Kenobi," he said. "And Princess Organa."
"The Princess?" Han said.
"Hello," Leia said.
"Is that you I'm reading from that y-wing?" Dreis said.
"That is correct commander," Obi-wan said as he maneuvered his ship alongside Han's x-wing. "I'm closing up alongside Solo to form a complete wing unit. Also I can confirm that Red 3 is alive, but only just."
"I knew it!" Han said.
"Copy that General," Dreis said. "I'm going in!"
From their high vantage point they had a clear view of the trench and the x-wings diving into it. Green flashes of turbolaser fire careened at them the moment they entered and then abruptly stopped. The TIE fighters would be there soon.
"General Kenobi," Dodonna said. "This is Base One, What are you doing out there? We put a grounding order on you."
"With all due respect General," Leia said. "There are bigger things going on than a Jedi and a princess stealing a y-wing."
"We should be able to see it by now," Red 7 said from the trench, underscoring Leia's point as the guns firing at them stopped.
"Keep your eyes open for those fighters," Dreis said.
"There's too much interference," Red 7 said. "Red 5 do you see them from where you are?"
"Not so far," Han said. "Wait… there they are coming in hot from point three five."
"Luke is with them," Obi-wan muttered.
"I'm in range," Dreis said.
"Leia," Obi-wan muttered. "Prepare the tow cable, if the attack succeeds we're going to tow Biggs out before it blows."
"What about Luke?"
"If it goes he will fly away along with Vader,"
"Almost there…" Dreis said.
Obi-wan tried holding onto hope that the attack would succeed but just as quickly the pilots flying cover for Dreis met a fiery end. Dreis, to his credit stayed on target, letting them know how close he was. Obi-wan fought the temptation to go down there himself but Dreis was doing his job and he had to do his.
"It's away!" Dreis shouted and the twin streams of the proton torpedoes shot out from his x-wing.
The starfighter pulled away and Obi-wan began plotting a course to where he could sense Biggs. The torpedoes appeared to blast into the exhaust port and a brilliant explosion erupted against the gray surface of the Death Star. For a moment it looked like it succeeded.
"It's a hit?" Wedge asked.
"Negative," Dreis said. "Negative, it didn't go in. It just impacted on the surface."
Even as he spoke, Vader's TIE appeared behind and in spite of Han and Wedge's insistence, Dreis kept them on mission. Moments later the x-wing exploded, taking Red Leader with it. It was up to them now. Obi-wan took a breath and eyed the trench, Yavin IV would be in range soon.
"Alright Kenobi," Han said after a moment. "You're the one that hustled me into this show. What now?"
Obi-wan nodded and tightened his hands on the controls.
"Han, Wedge, form up around me, it appears to be up to us now and we cannot fail."
"We've analyzed their attack sir," General Bast said. "And there is a danger. We've analyzed their attack sir," General Bast said. "And there is a danger. Shall I have your shuttle standing by?"
Tarkin tore his eyes away from the display and glared the general, hardly believing the words he was hearing. Bast along with Tagge and Motti knew full well the capabilities of this station, yet now they feared the Rebel's attack? Even with Darth Vader flying out there personally eliminating them?
"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?" Tarkin said. "I think you overestimate their chances."
Bast hesitated for a moment. His eyes went to the screen and the small dots that displayed the fighters. The rebels had eliminated most of the Vader's personal guard, the only TIE's participating in the combat. Standard protocol would have dictated to launch a larger force but Tarkin and Motti believed the Death Star so fortified that they were content to let the surface lasers do the job.
"At the very least we ought to launch more fighters, should Lord Vader fail," Bast said.
"And now you underestimate Lord Vader, he will deal with these rebels and you will see that this so called 'danger' was nothing to worry about."
"On the contrary Governor Tarkin…" a haggard female voice came from across the room. All eyes shot to the lean figure in the doorway. A few blaster bolts erupted from the shadow and the nearby guards met their end. "… you should have headed your technicians warnings."
"Who are… Jade?"
Mara Jade lurched forward, like some horrid specter. Her hair, disheveled, hung over half her face. Her skin matched the white hue of stormtrooper armor. And dark lines painted the underside of her eyes. Most distressing of all were the blood stains from her not yet healed blaster wound on her chest.
"You're coming with me Governor," Mara said.
"Oh? And to where may I ask?" Tarkin said.
"Just as Bast wanted, to your ship, by order of the Emperor you're to come with me."
"No," Tarkin said. "I think not I-"
He never finished the sentence. A stunbolt fired out and hit him square in the chest. Bast looked around, spotting the weapon of one of the guards lying on the ground but it lay too far off. If he went for it this Jade woman could easily blast him into dust.
"Have one of your men pick him up," she ordered. "We have a ship to get to."
"What… what about our orders to destroy the rebel moon?"
"Carry them out," Mara said. "The moment the Death Star clears the planet."
Very little of the battle above reached the bowels of the Death Star. Most of the impacts from the rebel attacks only affected the surface guns and crew decks. In other parts, the detention level for example, only the general alarm let them know they were under attack.
That wasn't to say they felt none of the effects of the assault. One blast in particular shook much of the station. Unknown to most it was the proton torpedo blast from Red Leader. While it hadn't set off the chain reaction meant to destroy the station, it did manage to do one thing.
As the station shook under the assault, one man, not knowing the exact cause, heard the audible click on his cell door, informing him that the lock had disengaged. The blast, whatever the cause from his point of view, had created a temporary power disruption, one that he intended to use to his full advantage.
His joints ached slightly as he got up but he ignored it as he approached the door. First he hit the open switch, but it didn't respond. Rather figuring that would be the case, he let out a sigh then pressed his hands flat on the door and lifted.
After a few moments of grunting, he got it to lift enough to move his foot underneath. Then he hooked his fingers below and with a heave, threw the door open. His chest burned with the exertion and his breaths fired out in heavy bursts but he almost grinned at his success.
Wasting no more time he ran down the corridor until he found a pair of stormtroopers standing guard. Before they could react, he latched onto the blaster of one and fired it at the other. The battle was over within seconds and he quickly dressed himself in their armor.
A sense of urgency prevailed on his every thought. Not simply because he just broke out of prison. Or that, for the first time in his life, he was blatantly going against the ones responsible for his very existence. Those certainly played a part but what really drove him to rush through the corridors of the Death Star was the creeping knowledge that somehow, the Rebels would be successful and this station was going to go soon.
Coming up on the ship he intended to steal, he approached the stormtroopers guarding it. Dressed in their armor they didn't think much of him. He nodded to himself, knowing that it would be the easiest thing to keep the ruse going but he'd spent the last few years of his life pretending he was one of them.
Just a few feet away he pulled off his helmet and tossed it into the pit. Letting the stormtroopers see it. Apparently they recognized him from before because they leveled their blasters at them. He opened fire first, catching the closest one in the chest, causing him to fall over the other one.
"What… what are you doing?" the stormtrooper said, trying to get his dead comrade off of him. "We're on the same side!"
"No," Cody said, pumping a blaster bolt into the stormtrooper. "You're not my brothers."
"We're going to have to go in full throttle if we want to keep those fighters off our tail," Han said.
"Agreed," Obi-wan said, kicking on the accelerator and aiming the craft at the trench. The old y-wing's inertial dampeners took a moment to hit them and the passengers felt themselves pushed harder against the seats.
"Right behind you boss," Wedge said.
R2 let out a noise that sounded like a cross between an excited whistle and a terrified scream. Green streams of laser fire shot up at them and Obi-wan dipped the starfighter up to avoid taking a blast before leveling out above the trench's surface. Half a second later Han and Wedge joined him, appearing just behind his fighter next to one another.
"This y-wing is going to have a hard time keeping up with those x-wings if things get dicey," Leia said.
"I could have told you that sweetheart," Han answered before Obi-wan could. "Don't worry, we'll watch your back."
"How comforting," Leia muttered. "Now I feel completely safe racing down this trench of death."
"Perhaps there is a more appropriate time for such banter," Obi-wan said, furrowing his brows as he concentrated on the trench and the blaster fire that raced at them.
"My scope shows the tower but not the exhaust port," Wedge said. "Are you sure the computer can hit it?"
"I won't be relying on the computer," Obi-wan said. "Watch yourselves though, increase speed."
"What do you mean you won't be using the computer?" Wedge said. "How will you be able to distinguish your target from the tower?"
"Concentrate on the fighters," Obi-wan said. "I shall worry about the tower."
One of the blasts managed a glancing blow on the y-wing, knocking the slightly to the side. Obi-wan leaned his arms against the controls in an attempt to stabilize. Before he could give the order, Leia already had her comm activated.
"Artoo the stabilizer's loose see what you can do with it," she said.
Even as the tiny droid beeped an affirmative the guns stopped. Obi-wan took a deep breath and reached out with the Force. They already knew the pattern by now, the TIE fighters would be just behind them. Vader and Luke would be among them.
Sure enough, recognition flashed through the Force. For the briefest of instances, Obi-wan connected with his old apprentice, feeling the ever present hate and determination rolling off of him. After being defeated by Obi-wan yet again back in the hanger, Vader would no doubt want to ensure his own victory this time.
And there was still Luke, only this time, something felt different. The anger he'd been feeding off of was drowning in a sea of confusion and grief. Had the boy realized what he had done? What was going on?
"Fighters coming in," Wedge said. "Point three!"
No sooner did he make the announcement than did laser fire lance out at him. Obi-wan tried to focus on the task ahead of him but the alarm coming from Wedge threw off his concentration for just a moment.
"I'm hit," he said. "I can't stay with you!"
"Get yourself clear then," Leia said. "You can't do any more good back there."
"Sorry!"
Wedge pulled away. In an earlier time Obi-wan may have insisted that the lad stay and do his job, but after acknowledging the sheer amount of lives wasted in the Clone Wars for absolutely nothing… he wasn't about to make that mistake again. Which left them in a precarious situation, the x-wings behind them were supposed to fly cover, give Obi-wan enough time to make the shot while they forced the Empire to waste shots trying to hit them rather than him.
Han was good but Obi-wan didn't know if he was good enough to hold back both Vader and Luke. Was Obi-wan willing to waste Captain Solo's life in the pursuit of the goal? Was this the reason he'd felt the need to include the smuggler in the mission?
"I'll keep them off you," Han said. "Just make it quick!"
"Watch yourself Han!" Leia said.
Through the comm they heard the blaster fire around Han's fighter.
"Three to one," Han said. "Bad odds, I'm going to do something about it."
"Wait!" Obi-wan said but it was too late.
It was Han and Kenobi ahead of them. Luke felt it. But he felt little else. He had flown almost reflexively as soon as he realized he killed Biggs. He formed up alongside Vader and the other TIE fighter, he thought it was Topelli himself. He stayed there and watched as the servants of the Empire he flew with destroyed the rebel fighter groups running the trench.
He'd neither fired at them nor had he stopped them from being killed and he felt sick to his stomach. Sick enough that the automatic sensors took notice in his flight suit pumped more oxygen into his breath mask.
Biggs was dead at his hands.
Even through their brief confrontations at the star port on Mos Eisely, or in the Death Star detention area, he never felt his friend meant him ill will. It was Mara and the Empire that tried to convince him otherwise. They were the ones that told him that the Rebellion killed his family.
Yet Biggs had sacrificed himself so Luke could live. He did so even after Luke hadn't believed him that the Empire was responsible for what happened.
That didn't add up.
"That is Solo ahead of us," Vader said. "Destroy him Luke!"
Luke's thumbs hovered over the firing switches as he eyed Han's x-wing. Whether Biggs told the truth or not, Han had killed Mara. The ache in Luke's chest demanded he fire again and end Solo's life. Vader's words echoed in his ears insisting he did exactly that.
Then to Luke's surprise, the s-foils on Han's fighter closed up. His thumbs began pressing down on the switches but then Han's x-wing abruptly stopped, or at least it seemed to. The three TIE's suddenly raced at a fighter in what would be a deadly collision.
"Break off formation!" Vader ordered.
The three TIE's split in three directions and still would have hit the x-wing if it hadn't angled its wings to sail between the gaps they made. As it was, they blew past the rebel fighter, only to have their sensors indicate it reopening its s-foils. Ready to attack them.
"Clever trick," Vader said as Solo opened fire on them.
Topelli's fighter erupted in flame and expanding gas and suddenly Luke's own fighter had blaster fire surrounding it from behind. Vader maneuvered his fighter just behind Luke's soaking up the turbo laser bolts with the shields of his modified TIE. Luke's eyes went to the y-wing up ahead. He could end it right there and there. Solo would likely break off if Kenobi was taken out.
"Destroy Kenobi!" Vader shouted. "Destroy him Luke. He killed your father."
Just as Luke was about to fire, shots rained out from above. Luke's eyes went up and saw as an imperial shuttle roared from above, blasting at Han's x-wing. A familiar presence fired out through the Force. Someone he thought to be dead.
"Mara!" he said.
"This is for the blaster shot Solo!" her voice came through the comm, and Han's x-wing exploded in a flash of light. Luke thought he saw a blur of movement just before the explosion but he forced his eyes ahead. The facts of the situation wore down on his mind, shutting everything else out.
Mara was alive…
Biggs was dead.
Vader had lied to him.
"You're all clear, now hurry up and take out Kenobi…" Mara's voice came out harsh and cruel through the speaker. "…So the Death Star can destroy that moon!"
Destroy it?
"Luke, Fire on Kenobi! End this! It is your destiny!"
The moment they read Han's ship explode, Leia engaged the rotating ion canon of the y-wing and attempted to blast the shuttle up above, trying desperately to strike back at the ship that took a very good man from them. But the angle was all wrong and her shots went wild.
Her readout had told her that Han may have ejected at the last moment but he would still be dead. X-wing flight suits came equipped with optional masks to protect against the vacuum of space but the limited oxygen would only last a few minutes at best and no one was there to pick him up.
"Leia," Obi-wan said. "Leia I have to make the shot! You have to protect our back. Don't let Han's sacrifice be in vain!"
After firing a couple more stray shots, Leia nodded and fought back the emotion. The Alliance needed them to carry out this mission no matter the cost. The last chance was here and now. The Death Star would have cleared the planet at any time. They could be firing this very moment.
Leia brought the guns down to bear on the fighters behind them but only then, as she stared at them blazing at her, did she realize it was too late. The modified TIE fighter, no doubt belonging to Darth Vader himself, reassumed the lead and opened fire. In a flash of fire and energy, the back portion of their y-wing blew. One bolt struck R2 and the droid let out a final wail.
"Oh no… no!" Obi-wan's voice came.
"Kenobi, this is Base One, take the shot!"
"I can't, that blast has fried my instruments, I've lost firing control and nearly all maneuvering capacity I… Leia. Transferring primary control to Leia Organa."
"What?" Leia said, even as the automatic transfer of flight control flipped her position around so she was facing forward again. The TIE's bore down behind them all the while and she gripped the controls just in time to avoid another barrage of turbolaser fire. But the blasts came not just from behind but not just from behind. Above them the shuttle pelted the trench with its own fire as well.
"We're almost within range," Obi-wan said. "You must take the shot."
A protest formed in Leia's mouth but she swallowed it back. No choice. Not now. No time to argue. She activated the targeting computer and saw the target closing in, just a few more seconds. Her hands quivered as she thought of the consequences of missing at this point, or the great possibility that they were about to be vaporized from behind.
"Use the Force Leia," Obi-wan's voice suddenly came, but it sounded distant yet near, as though it almost came from within her own mind. As if he was reaching out to her in a way he couldn't from the comm-system. "Leia, let go. Trust me."
A shiver ran up Leia's spine as she nodded and disengaged the targeting computer. After readjusting her grip on the controls she reached out like she had in her training exercises on the Falcon. She sensed Obi-wan in front of her, encouraging her, further on she felt the target.
"Princess Leia," Base One said. "You've switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Leia said. "I'm alright."
The starfighter shifted around in the trench and Leia tried to concentrate on her target, to feel it rather than see it as she had the remote. Another blast of turbo lasers came and the craft shook, throwing off Leia's concentration. Straightening themselves out she tried to continue the focus but felt it slip the moment the warning light came on indicating a target lock had just been painted on their fighter.
But before Vader could fire, the TIE fighter beside him suddenly decelerated to just behind and blasted his ship. Leia could hardly believe the readouts but heard Obi-wan cheer Luke's name. Luke had turned on Darth Vader.
In an effort to avoid Skywalker's turbolasers, Vader abruptly pulled up, only to have his ship collide with the shuttle above the trench and be flung out into space by the inertia. Luke's TIE roared up behind theirs then pulled out of the trench to attack the shuttle.
Another set of blaster fire joined his as to Leia's disbelieving eyes, the J-type Nubian star skiff they'd flown in on appeared and opened fire on the shuttle. Between the TIE and the star skiff the shuttle pilot must have thought better of the situation and zipped off. Leia's comm, crackled and a familiar voice appeared.
"Yeehoooo!" Han Solo shouted as the shuttle broke off. "Miss me sweetheart? Someone picked me up after I ejected! Now let's blow this thing so we can all go home!"
No sooner did she hear Han's words than did she let out a deep breath and fired the torpedoes. The Force sang out in her mind and she felt something like a smile force itself onto her lips. Without seeing it, she felt the torpedoes hit their mark to travel down the exhaust port.
Pulling her starfighter out of the trench she aimed it at Yavin Base and jammed the accelerator.
"This is Commander Cody," a voice came from the starskiff that sounded very much like Boba Fett's. "Match our vector. Darklighter, Solo, and myself will fly escort."
"Cody?" Obi-wan said as Luke's TIE fighter and Wedge's X-wing also joined them.
No sooner did they get clear of the space station then a warning erupted in the Force a split second before the Death Star behind them blew. A massive ring like shockwave that rocked all of space around it shot out amid cheers over the communit. Tears streamed down Leia's face as she tried to focus on breathing and believing that they'd finally, actually succeeded.
"Great shot sweetheart that was one in a million!" Han said.
"Remember," Obi-wan's voice came in a warm tone and Leia finally got her breathing under control. "The Force will be with you, always."