May 4th, 2014 - "May the Fourth…"

AUTHOR: zeplerfer

May 4th, 2014 - "May the Fourth…"

"The target will not be easy," the rebel leader warned. "It's a small thermal exhaust port. A precise hit will start a chain reaction that should destroy the station."

A murmur of disbelief filled the room. "That shot's impossible! Even for a droid," one of the pilots objected.

Alfred shook his head, eyes gleaming as he considered the risky plan. "It's not impossible. I used to bullseye swamp-rats in my T-sixteen back home. They're not much bigger."

"Well, impossible or not, it's our only hope. Suit up and prepare your ships!" a new voice called from the back of the room. She rested a hand on Alfred's shoulder and gave him a concerned look. "Be careful out there."

He offered Princess Madeleine a cheerful grin and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Don't worry. The hero never fails!" He glanced around the room, looking for his favorite surly pilot. "Where's Arthur?" he asked, unable to spot the smuggler's mop of messy blond hair anywhere.

Madeleine shook her head as she pinned her blond buns back into place. "I'm so sorry. I think he's already left."

Alfred's heart constricted. Barely noticing the warning sirens, he dashed through the hangar, dodging droids and pilots left and right. He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted Arthur's spaceship, the Lustrum Robin, still in the docking bay. With a final burst of speed, he raced the final distance to the ship.

"Arthur, wait up!" Alfred shouted.

The smuggler paused on the boarding ramp and turned around, his expression as calm as ever, even as the sirens blared. Alfred caught his breath at the base of the ramp, pained that Arthur would leave without even saying goodbye.

"So… you got your reward and you're just running away?"

Arthur shrugged. "I'd be daft to stick around here."

"Look around! You know what they're up against. Don't turn your back on us."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "What good is a reward if I can't spend it? I didn't sign up for a suicide mission, which is exactly what you're getting yourself into." His expression softened as he gestured to the boarding ramp. "Come with us. You're pretty good in a fight."

"No," Alfred said, gritting his teeth. "I don't desert people who need me." He sighed. "Take care of yourself, Arthur. I guess that's what you're good at."

Alfred turned on his heels and joined the stream of rebel pilots. Jumping into his assigned plane, he angrily wiped his eyes.

"This T0N1 unit seems a bit beat up. Do you want a new one?" a mechanic called from below as she unhooked the fueling hose.

Alfred shook his head. "Not on your life! This little droid and I have been through a lot together. Right, Tony?"

T0N1 chirped his agreement as he was lowered into Alfred's fighter plane. He beeped again, ending on an upward note.

Alfred sighed. "No, Arthur won't be joining us."

T0N1 beeped happily.

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that," Alfred replied as he smiled wanly. He gripped the wheel tightly. Arthur was right about one thing, this would be a suicide mission if he wasn't careful.

Laser-bolts streaked past as the planes approached the enemy target at full speed. The Death Star's turrets had been designed to hit larger ships and had difficulty hitting the small planes. Alfred dodged the enemy fighters' blasts and fired his own laser. A ship exploded in front of him, singeing part of his wing as he zoomed past.

"Red-7, you've got one on your tail!" Alfred warned.

"I can't shake it!" the pilot shouted back.

"Hang on, I'm coming in!"

Alfred shot the enemy aircraft, but another dozen showed up to take its place. He skimmed the surface of the Death Star, hoping that the imperials wouldn't want to shoot their own ship. Racing through the trench at top speeds, he and the other rebel pilots dodged turret fire while enemy fighters continued to pick them off one by one.

"Proton blast fired!" a rebel leader called, only to add a moment later. "It's a miss."

"On your tail, red-5!" another voice warned. Alfred tried to dodge, but he heard an explosion and horrible beep from T0N1.

"Tony? Tony!" he shouted.

Grimly navigating on his own through the metallic canyon, Alfred despaired that he would ever reach the target in time. And without T0N1, he lacked his best targeting device. He focused on the port, praying that he could take the shot before he was hit.

Alfred heard another set of explosions behind him, but this time it was the enemies under fire as the Lustrum Robin passed over the trench. It seemed that his prayers had been answered.

"You're all clear, lad. And… may the force be with you," Arthur radioed.

The young pilot focused and pushed the trigger button. He held his breath and then whooped as he saw the proton blast disappear into the port. They barely made it out of the blast radius before the Death Star exploded like a fiery super nova.

Not even noticing the cheering rebels, Alfred leapt out of his plane as soon as he landed and raced to the Lustrum Robin. He met Arthur halfway up the boarding ramp. He lifted the other man and spun him in a circle.

"I knew you would come back," Alfred whispered as he set Arthur on the ground and gazed into sparkling green eyes. Arthur opened his mouth to deliver a witty response, except that Alfred leaned forward and stopped his words with a passionate kiss.

Princess Madeleine laughed as Arthur's co-pilot Kumajirougrumbled nearby. "Did you want a hug, too?" she asked, reaching over to embrace the wookiee.

"Rrrarrr!" the wookiee complained.

"Sorry, Kuma-whatsyourname, if you want a kiss, don't look at me," the princess replied.

Still, she smiled as the two blonds continued to kiss amidst the cheering, celebrating rebels. The Death Star was gone. And as an added bonus, she wasn't going to have to put up with Alfred and Arthur's painful sexual tension any longer.