Yavin IV
General Dodonna and Winter Celchu Organa stood in the command and control room listening to the battle overhead. General Dodonna noticed that Princess Organa had a slightly worried look on her face. As was true with most military operations as soon as the X-wings had been engaged their well laid plans had gone out the window. The fighters had taken heavier losses than had been expected, but not so heavy that they were out of the fight completely.
Dodonna watched as Princess Organa chewed her fingernails nervously as she listened to the pilots overhead.
"I'm on my way in" the voice of the pilot who had saved her from Death Star reported.
Winter and Dodonna listened as Red Five began his run on the trench. Fighters reported more fire from the surface of the Death Star. Winter chewed her fingernails nervously as she prayed and watched the computer layout before her. She was only partially focused on the battle though. In the back of her mind Winter wondered if Leia was on the enormous battle station. Seeing her adoptive sister again after fifteen years had unnerved her. Why had she called Darth Vader her father? Where had she been? Why was she commanding imperial troops?
"Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way" the control reported breaking the Alderaanian princess out of her brief daydream.
Winter cursed her momentarily lapse of focus as Red Five responded to the control officers warning, "My scopes negative, I don't see anything"
"Keep up visual scanning," Red Leader responded "with all this jamming they'll be on us before your scopes see anything" the squadron leader warned.
Winter listened as the pilots chattered back and forth. Red Leader warned a pilot named Biggs that he had picked up an imperial fighter. On the display in front of her Winter watched as one of the X-wings performed evasive maneuvers in an attempt to lose his adversary. She watched as Red Five went after the fighter and destroyed it.
"Got him!" Red Five called out. Winter couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. For a brief moment she forgot that they were involved in a life or death struggle.
"Watch your back Red Five" One of the other pilots called out. "He's pulling in on top of you!"
On the display in front of her Winter watched as a fighter went in pursuit after Luke's X-wing which was now moving away from the Death Star. Red Five's display blinked momentarily.
"I'm hit!" Luke's panicked voice came in over the radio, " it's not to bad. Artoo see what you can do with it." Winter listened as she watched Red Five's display take evasive action. Once again she was biting her fingernails. There was something about the young Jedi that gave her hope. Not to mention his good looks. The last thing Winter wanted was for something to happen to him. She watched as Luke's X-wing pulled away from the Death Star pursued by an imperial fighter.
"I can't shake him!" Luke called out in frustration. Winter watched the display of Luke's X- wing dive back towards the surface.
"I'm on him Luke!" A voice she recognized as belonging to Wedge Antilles assured Luke. On the display she watched Red Two break off to help Red Five. A third X-wing joined the chase as well and together with Wedge were able to rescue Luke.
"Thanks Wedge, Thanks Red Four," Luke said over the radio causing a small smile to cross Winters face.
"This is Gold Leader, Moving in for attack run," the leader of the Y- wing squadron announced as the display showed three of the fighters moving towards the trench.
"I copy Gold Leader. Move into position," Red Leader replied.
Winter began pacing nervously as she watched the first of their fighters maneuver into the trench system.
Death Star Exterior
Darth Vindicta flew her TIE advanced close to her father's wing. The two Sith lords were accompanied by three more TIE fighters which followed closely behind them. She felt her father's anger through the force and allowed it to feed her own anger. Ahead of them she could see the rebel fighters locked in a separate dog fight with their imperial counterparts.
"Stay in attack formation" Darth Vader order the small group of fighters.
Yavin IV
"The exhaust port is marked and locked in" Gold Leader announced over the radio.
Winter paced back in forth in front of the display as General Dadonna stood perfectly still save for the nervous tapping of his foot. The Y-wings hurried along the trench towards the exhaust port, taking heavy fire from the defense batteries as they did so.
"Switch power to forward deflector screens," Gold Leader ordered before asking how many guns Gold Five thought we're in the trench but his answer was drowned by the overhead speaker in the old Masassi temple.
"Death Star will be in range in five minutes" A voice announced over the loud speaker.
Winter glanced at the clock anxiously as she felt her pulse quicken. It was going to be close if they were to succeed. On the display the three rebel fighters raced closer to their target. Suddenly five imperial fighters appeared on the display behind the group of rebels.
"The guns, they've stopped!" Gold Two announced excitedly.
"Stabilize rear deflectors, watch for enemy fighters'" Gold Five warned.
"They're coming! Five marks at two ten!" Gold Leader said, spotting the imperials.
Winter stopped pacing and watched the display in anticipation. On the display she saw Gold Two boost power to his rear deflectors. Winter hoped it was enough. Against one imperial fighter it would give him a chance to fight back or escape. Against more than that she wasn't so certain.
Death Star Exterior
"Lady Vindicta and I will take them ourselves, cover us!" Lady Vindicta heard her father order the three escort fighters.
The two TIE advanced raced ahead into the trench after the rebel fighters. Vindicta positioned her fighter just above and behind her father's to give herself a clear field of view on the rebels. She counted three of them in the trench just ahead of her. Vindicta and Vader fired at the rear ship at the same time destroying it.
She pushed her fighter through the debris field left by the rebel fighters destruction and focused on her next target. Through the force she could feel the rebel begin to panic while his wingman remained calm. She targeted the panicking rebel and once she had a firm lock fired her cannons destroying him.
Yavin IV
Winter watched as Gold Two's display flickered out followed shortly thereafter by Gold Leader who had begun to panic in his final moments despite Gold Five's attempts to get him to stay on target. Winter hung her head in sorrow at the loss of more comrades.
"Gold five to Red Leader. Lost Tiree, Lost Dutch," Gold Five announced solemnly.
"I copy Gold Five" Red Leader replied.
"They came from behind…"
Gold Five never got to finish his sentence. On the display Winter watched as Gold Five, A veteran of numerous campaigns, spun out of control and crashed into the Death Stars surface.
Death Star Interior
Grand Moff Tarkin was in the Death Stars control room watching the battle outside unfold. Next to him an imperial Colonel watched one of the displays closely before turning to Tarkin.
"We've analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?" the colonel asked.
Tarkin looked at him incredulously, "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?" the Grand Moff asked. "I think you over estimate their chances"
Tarkin turned to the readout screen and watched the Death Stars progress.
"Rebel base, three minutes and closing" A voice announced over the loudspeaker.
Rogue Shadow
The Rogue Shadow dropped out of hyperspace. In the cockpit Juno Eclipse took a moment to glance at their position and saw that they were in the correct place. Next to her Ahsoka Tano let out an audible sigh causing Juno to look up. In front of her was a massive space station the likes of which she had never seen. The enormity of it was almost to much to believe. Near the surface she could see red and green flashes. She was about to comment on it when sensors showed a YT class freighter dropping out of hyperspace nearby.
"I know that ship!" Juno exclaimed catching Ahsoka and Yoda off guard. "Prepare for evasive maneuvers!" she ordered.
Ahsoka looked to the ship that had appeared on their sensors, "Wait!" Ahsoka told Juno. "I know that ship as well, open a channel!"
Juno couldn't believe her ears, "Are you serious? That ship is the reason I was stuck on Tatooine, it almost killed me the last time I saw it"
Yoda, who had been listening to the exchange finally spoke up, "But kill you, it did not. The will of the force, that was. Open a channel you will"
Juno looked at the two Jedi before doing as they requested and opening a channel.
"Millenium Falcon, this is Ahsoka Tano, do you read me?" Ahsoka asked the ship and waited for a response.
"Ahsoka? What are you doing on that ship? The voice of Han Solo asked. "last time I saw it, it tried to blow me out of the sky!"
Ahsoka gave Juno an inquisitive look but the pilot just shrugged. "orders from my previous employer" Juno replied.
Ahsoka shook her head before responding to Solo's question. "Don't worry that won't happen again, it's under new management," the Togruta Jedi assured the Correllian smuggler.
"If you say so, looks like the rebels got a bit a fight on their hands" Solo replied.
"Hurry, we must. If to help the rebels, we are" Yoda interjected.
"what do you got in mind" Solo asked.
Death Star Exterior
Luke listened as one by one the three members Gold Squadron perished. Through the force he could feel their deaths and the deaths of several others during the battle. He closed his eyes and released his grief into the force, and also his anger at himself for his brief moment of panic earlier when he had been pursued by the imperial fighter.
"Red group this is red leader, rendezvous at Mark six point one" Red Leader ordered.
After the remaining red group fighters checked in, Yavin base ordered Red Leader to hold half the squadron out of range for the next run. Red Leader ordered Luke, Biggs and Wedge to wait for his signal before starting their run on the trench.
"Copy that Red leader," Luke acknowledged over the radio.
Red Leader and the two other red group X-wings dove towards the trench while Luke and his group stayed high above the Death Stars surface.
"This is it! Watch for fighters" Red Leader called out as Luke watched him begin his run. The turbolasers on the Death Stars surface opened up immediately as the rebel fighters made their approach towards the exhaust port.
"We should be able to see it by now, there's to much interference. Red Five can you see them from where you are?" Red Ten asked.
Luke looked down towards the surface but didn't see anything.
"No sign of any…" he started to announce as he reached out with the force. But then he felt them and turned his head. "Wait, coming in at point three five" Luke announced.
"I see them" Red Ten confirmed. Luke watched as five TIE fighters dove in a loop towards the surface.
Red Leader announced that he was in range as Luke, Biggs and Wedge moved in to cover them. Luke watched Red Leader's X-wing race towards the target while at the same time keeping one eye on the imperials.
The two TIE advance took the lead of the imperial formation. The lead imperial fired at Red Twelve hitting him and causing him to crash into the trench. Over the radio Luke could hear panic in Red Ten's voice.
"You better let her loose!" Red ten exclaimed.
"Almost there!" Red Leader replied. Luke could feel the squadron leaders focus as he made his run.
"I can't hold them!" Red Ten cried just before the second TIE advanced fired at the rebel, destroying him. Once again another ripple of sadness rolled over Luke.
"it's away!" Red Leader announced.
The entirety of the rebel force held their collective breath waiting for the results of Red Leader's shot.
"It's a hit!" A voice Luke didn't recognize announced.
"Negative, I repeat, negative it didn't go in. Just impacted on the surface," Red Leader announced.
Luke brought his fighter around, " Red Leader, turn to point oh five, we'll cover you" he suggested.
"Stay there," Red ordered.
A moment later Red Leader spoke again, "I just lost an engine, get ready to make your run"
Luke watched as the two advanced TIE fighters fired simultaneously at Red Leader causing him to swirl out of control and crash into the Death Stars surface. For a brief moment Luke felt the helplessness of their cause. Once again he released it into the force and focused on the task at hand.
"Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up. We're going in full throttle" Luke ordered.
Yavin IV
"One minute until the Death Star is in range" the loudspeaker over Winter announced. She watched the second display nervously. This was their last chance. If Red Five didn't pull it off the rebellion was over.
"Luke, will you be able to pull out in time at that speed?" Red Three asked.
"It'll be just like Beggars Canyon back home'" Luke replied.
Even though she couldn't see it, Winter was sure he had a smile on his face as he said it. Silently, she said a prayer to herself hoping the young Jedi would accomplish his task.
Death Star Exterior
Luke led the way into the trench followed by Wedge and Biggs. The three rebels unleashed a barrage of laser fire at the Death Star which was quickly returned in kind. Luke looked around for the enemy fighters but couldn't see them. He knew they were out there though, he could feel them. He moved his targeting computer into position.
"Alright boys, full speed" Luke ordered as he pushed the X-wing forward.
"What about the tower?" Wedge asked, a slight nervousness in his voice.
Luke told him not to worry about the tower and just keep the fighters off him. Lasers streaked by his cockpit as he raced down the canyon. He returned fire as he flew by the many batteries. A shot nicked his wing.
"Artoo, that stabilizer is loose again. See if you can't lock it down little buddy!" Luke told the astromech who beeped and warbler in reply as it fixed the stabilizer.
Luke checked the distance to the target as Wedge called out that he was hit. He ordered Wedge to get clear.
Vindicta watched as the X-wing she had just hit pulled out of the trench and flew off. She was about to pursue when her father ordered that he be ignored and to focus on the leader. Her eyes burned with rage as she watched the rebel leave. Their formation crept closer and closer to the two rebels that remained.
"Your little rebellion is about to be at an end" she said to herself as she continued chasing the two remaining fighters in the trench.
Luke pushed the targeting computer away for a moment as he contemplated its use. He checked the display once more as Biggs told him to hurry up. The walls of canyon raced by his cockpit as Luke got closer to the exhaust port. He ignored the fire from the imperial batteries.
"Come on Luke!" Biggs shouted. As much as he wanted to fire, Luke knew he wasn't close enough and it would just be a wasted shot.
Behind him Biggs's X-wing suddenly exploded.
"Noooooooooooooo!" Luke shouted as he turned his head to look behind him. All he saw was the debris of his friends fighter in the canyon. He felt his anger rising inside him.