Chapter 7: The Battle of Yavin Begins
Ezra's P.O.V
The intel that R2 had was given over to the rebel leaders just now. We, along with several rebel pilots, were all being debriefed on what was about to be our biggest mission yet. "Thanks to the intel that was provided by Princess Leia, we are now able to get an idea on how to take out the imperial super weapon." said Jan Dodonna, the rebel leader who was briefing us, turning on the screen. The screen showed the Death Star's schematics on it. He continued on.
"We were able to detect a weak spot, however. The battle station is heavily shielded, and carries a fire power greater than half the star fleet."
"As if we didn't know that already." I said to myself, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms.
"Its defenses are designed around a direct, large scale assault. A small one man fighter should be able to penetrate the outer defense."
"I'm sorry, but how in the galaxy is a fighter going to be a match for...all of that?" Alex asked.
"They don't suspect a small one manned fighter to be any threat, or they would have a tighter defense." Dodonna answered. "As mentioned previously, an analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has detected a weakness. The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench, and skim the surface to this point." The screen brought up a hole in the Death Star. "The target is only 2 meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit should start a chain reaction, which should destroy the station. Only a precise hit will start a chain reaction."
"Yeah, all of that is easier said than done." a rebel pilot said.
"Are you giving up?" Kanan asked him.
"Since when have I given up?"
"It sounds like you are right now." I replied.
"Look, Bridger, there is a chance that all of this is going to go wrong. Which means that it's over."
"No, no, don't say that!"
"I'm sorry, but everything that we fought for is over. Everything ends today, for all of us." The room fell silent for a minute until I spoke up.
"You're giving up right now during our biggest moment? Are you giving up now, after everything we've been through? All of us? The Empire's weapon is right near us, and when that thing fires it's going to be the end, unless we do something. I've lost my parents when I was seven, and all hoped seemed lost until I met the Specters. I didn't want to lose them and I was willing to fight for and with my new family. I don't want to lose everything now, everything that we all fought and bled for. So, what are we going to do? Are we just going to just sit on our butts and cry the rest of our lives away until that thing fires, or are we going to show the Empire who we are?"
The room fell silent again until Wedge spoke up.
"Ezra is right about this. I was once an imperial myself, and after witnessing them do everything during my service to them in the Sky Strike Academy, I decided to break my chains because I wasn't going to deal with this. None of it. And now that the station is on its way right now, we can't just give up right now. Like Ezra said, I'm not willing to lose everything that all of us fought for. We can't just stand and not do anything when that thing is going to be the end of us. And unless we show them what we got, it's all on us since all we did is stand on the sideline. Who's with us?"
"Both of you are right." the same pilot from earlier said. "Let's take the battle to them, in the name of freedom."
"With that being said, you all are due to take off in 25 minutes." Dodonna said. "Red Squadron, get mobilized. Gold Squadron, proceed to your ships. Phoenix Squadron, report to your positions. The Rebellion is counting on all of you. Good luck, and may the force be with us."
We nodded and got up. We were walking through the command room until Hera turned to us. "I need you all up there as well." she said.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Ezra, the Rebellion is counting on us. If we don't mobilize as many pilots as we possibly could, the mission's a failure."
"Yes, Hera. Let's go."
Sabine, Alex, and I headed over to the locker room and were changing into rebel pilot uniforms. I took off my shoes, followed by my pants, and slipped on the jumpsuit. As we were getting dressed, Luke walked in. "Luke? You're in this too?" Sabine asked.
"I've been tasked to head up there with you guys. Plus, my friend's a pilot with you guys." he answered.
"Who?" I asked.
"Biggs."
"Darklighter?"
"Yeah." Luke took off his top, followed by his pants, and slipped on the jumpsuit.
I slipped on my gloves and my life support box, my helmet tucked under my right arm. Something told me that I may not make it out today, and that this was my last chance to see Sabine. From what I could sense from her emotions, I could tell that she was thinking the same thing. I sat next to her on the bench in the locker room.
"Sabine." I said. She turned to me, taking my hand in hers. Our fingers curled under our gloves. Luke and Alex noticed us, and I gestured them to leave us, needing privacy.
"Ezra. I'm scared." she said. "I'm scared about us, and you. I'm worried about you."
"I'm worried about you too. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"I don't want anything to happen to you or me, or either of us."
I leaned my head forward and kissed her on the lips. She returned the kiss, breaking it after two minutes. "If anything happens, I love you."
"I love you too." She kissed me again, then we headed out to the hangar.
We saw Luke getting into his X-wing just as we were passing by. "Luke!" I called to him. He turned and faced me from the cockpit.
"Good luck, Ezra." he said.
"May the force be with you." I replied. He nodded in response before Sabine and I proceeded to the A-wings. When we got there, we saw Alex, Hera, and the others getting into their ships.
I climbed into mine, Sabine getting into hers next to me. We looked at each other in the eyes, afraid of what would happen. She closed her cockpit window, me doing the same thing. As I powered up my A-wing, I looked at Sabine, then at Hera, then at Alex. And in the distance, I looked at Kanan and Zeb, then Chopper. As I looked at them, the same thought was going through my mind. This was our biggest mission yet, and I let the tears fall, nervous about losing the family who I've come to love. I was afraid of losing them, afraid of them suffering the same fate that mom and dad suffered. I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a voice come through.
"Phoenix 6, we are waiting on you to respond! Respond!" Hera called through my A-wing's intercom.
"Sorry, Phoenix Leader. I'm good to go." I responded, slipping on my helmet.
"About time." she replied.
"Red and Gold Squadrons, you are clear for takeoff." Dodonna ordered.
"Copy. Red and Gold Squadrons, you are clear."
The X-wings and Y-wings took off, heading out of the temple, then taking off into the stars. Then, it was our turn.
"Phoenix Squadron, you are clear for takeoff." Sato ordered.
"Copy that." Hera replied.
I flipped a couple of switches, my A-wing slowly lifting itself above the ground. The others did the same thing. Hera flew out of the temple then went up, followed by Alex, followed by me and Sabine, followed by the rest of Phoenix Squadron. We flew above the clouds of Yavin, reaching the atmosphere before finally reaching space, where we saw the others in view. We followed the rest of the fighters, waiting for the signal.
"All wings, report in." a pilot ordered over the intercom.
"Red 10 standing by."
"Red 7 standing by."
"Red 3 standing by."
"Red 6 standing by."
"Red 9 standing by."
"Red 2 standing by."
"Red 11 standing by."
"Red 5 standing by."
"Phoenix Leader standing by." Hera came through.
"Phoenix 5 standing by." Sabine said.
"Phoenix 7 standing by." Alex said.
"Phoenix 6 standing by." I said on my end.
The rest of Phoenix Squadron was accounted for, the same for Gold Squadron.
"All wings are accounted for. All squadrons, lock S foils in attack position." Hera ordered. I activated my weapons after flipping a switch. The rest of the us were locked and ready to go. As we approached the Death Star, we felt our ships jolt.
"We're passing through the magnetic field. Hold tight. Make sure your deflector's on." Red Squadron's leader ordered. I flipped a few switches until my deflectors were active, flying closer to the Death Star.
"Look at the size of that thing." Wedge said.
"Wedge, Luke, cut the chatter and accelerate to attack speed. The rest of you form up." Red Leader ordered.
"Red and Phoenix Leader, this is Gold Leader. We're heading for the target shaft now." Gold Leader informed us.
"We're in position. I'm gonna cut across the axis and try to draw their fire." Red Leader said. A few X-wings headed down, including his, turbo lasers firing at them.
"Phoenixes 7, 5 and 6, draw their fire as well. The rest of you on me." Hera ordered.
"Copy that, Phoenix Leader. Sabine, Alex, follow me!"
"Right behind ya, Ez." Alex responded.
We flew down and drew their fire. As the green lasers keep on narrowly missing us, I increased the throttle. I start flying faster, Sabine and Alex increasing their speed. The lasers all keep on missing us, luckily. We and the rest of the fighters kept on drawing their fire, flying in the same pattern, increasing our speed more and more. Luke then came through.
"This is Red 5, I'm going in." He accelerated to attack speed, opening fire on the turrets below. I looked to left side and saw him going lower.
"Luke, pull up!" I yelled over the sounds of lasers firing at us. He did so, his X-wing coming into view.
"You alright?" Sabine asked him.
"I'm good."
"Watch your backs. There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of the deflection tower." Red Leader informed us.
"I'm going in. Cover me, Porkins." Biggs said.
"I'm right with you, Red 3." The two of them flew down there and opened fire on the tower, destroying it. "We got a problem here. I can't hold it!"
"Pull up!" Biggs yelled.
"No, I'm..." I looked to my right and gasped. Porkins' X-wing just got blown up, and we already lost one pilot so far.
"Porkins is down!" Alex said.
"Squad leaders, this is Commander Sato. We picked up enemy fighters coming your way." Sato informed us.
"My scope's negative, I can't see anything." Luke said.
"Use your scanner."I said, looking over my left shoulder when I heard a familiar roar. "Here they come."
"You've got one behind you!" A Phoenix pilot informed a Red Squadron member.
"I'm hit!" The Red pilot gasped before getting shot down.
"If you see one, watch it." Luke said.
"I can't see it." Biggs replied.
"Biggs, I see it. I'm on him." Sabine said, moving right behind the TIE. She blasted it, taking it out.
"Thanks, Sabine."
"Guys, I need help!" Luke said.
"Luke, I'm coming." I replied, moving right behind the TIE. I looked down at my scope, waiting for it align with the fighter. "Gotcha." I said to myself before unloading on it, the imperial fighter exploding.
"Thanks, Ezra."
"Red and Phoenix Leaders, this is Gold Leader. We're starting our attack run." Gold Leader came through.
"Copy, Gold Leader. Gah! Phoenix 5, where are you?" Hera asked, avoiding TIE blaster fire.
"I'm coming, Hera." Sabine replied. She came in from the front of the fighter before blasting him.
"Nice shot." I said.
"Thanks, Phoenix 6." the Mando replied.
"Computer is locked. Getting a signal." one of the Gold Squadron pilots in the trench informed us.
"Fighters coming in!" another Gold pilot said. "I'm hit!" he yelled just the explosions went off in the background.
"Loosen up!" another pilot in trench yelled before he got blasted as well.
"Gold 5 to Red and Phoenix Leaders, we lost..." He got taken out just as he was talking.
"Phoenix Leader to 5, 7 and 6, prepare to start your run." Hera ordered. "Rendezvous on me and we're going in."
"I copy, Phoenix Leader." I replied. Sabine, Alex and I linked up with Hera. "This is it, guys. Let's make history."
We went down into the trench, the area narrow as we flew. "Dang this area's narrow as heck." Alex said.
"Focus on the mission, Phoenix 7." Hera reminded him, familiar roars sounding off in the background. "Fighters incoming! Activate your deflector shields and your targeting computers."
As I activated my targeting computer, I felt an odd presence. I felt cold. I felt like a familiar presence was present, one that I just felt earlier on this battle station. Vader.
"I got a signal on mine." Alex said. The blasts coming from those fighter almost took him out.
"Guys, I think Vader is behind us!" I warned the others.
"Come on, just a little bit more." Hera grunted.
"Guys, seriously!" I tried warning them again, almost getting hit. "I need backup!"
"Ezra, I'm coming in now." Biggs said, opening fire on them. He broke off his attack after he missed them. However, I saw one of the fighters leave the trio.
"Biggs, I think one of them's after you." I said.
"I need help! Wedge, Luke, help me!" Biggs yelled.
"Biggs, I'm comi..." Luke gasped when we heard a rebel fighter explode. "Red 3 is down!"
"I got a lock! Repeat: I got a lock on! I am almost there!" Hera said. "Stay on target. Stay on... Gah! I'm hit!"
"Phoenix Leader, get outta here now!" Sabine said.
"Sorry." Hera retreated. Just when she retreated, I got a lock on the exhaust port, firing proton torpedoes.
"Missiles are away! Missiles are away!" I informed everybody, using the force to see them as the three of us pulled up.
"Did it go in?" Alex asked.
"Hold on." I answered, still seeing the torpedoes through the force. Dodonna did say that a precise hit would cause a chain reaction, and mine was literally off by like a centimeter. I pounded my fist on the dashboard in anger. "Karabast! They did not go in!"
"Karabast!" Sabine exclaimed.
"That does it. We need to move now. Luke, Wedge, you're moving in now." Red Leader informed them.
"Copy, Red Leader. Follow me, Wedge. We're going in full throttle, that ought to keep those fighters off our back." Luke said.
"Right with you, boss." Wedge replied, the X-wings moving in.
This was it right here. All it takes to end this all is one shot, and Luke was the Rebellion's last hope.
"Sabine, Alex, get ready to move in again."