The Battle of Yavin
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The armada of X-wings and Y-wings left Yavin IV and skirted past Yavin Prime, the Death Star looming ominously in the distance. "All wings report in." Garven Dreis ordered his squadron
"Red Ten standing by." Theron Nett responded
"Red Seven standing by."
"Red Three standing by." Biggs reported.
"Red Six standing by." Jek Porkins chimed in.
"Red Nine standing by."
"Red Two standing by." Wedge announced.
"Red Eleven standing by."
"Red Five standing by." Luke reported.
"Red Eight standing by."
"Red Twelve standing by."
"Red Four standing by." John D. Brannon finished
"Lock S-foils in attack position." Dreis ordered, and as the X-wings flew in formation towards the Death Star, they unfolded their S-foils and locked them in the X position. "We're passing through the magnetic field, hold tight." Dreis advised his squadron. "Switch your deflectors on, double front."
The X-wings continued their approach to the Death Star, the monstrous battle station growing larger the closer they came. "Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge breathed. He hadn't participated in the Battle of Scarif, so this was the first time he'd seen the Death Star.
"Cut the chatter, Red Two." Dreis told him. "Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, boys." he announced as the squadron increased velocity.
"Red Leader, this is Gold Leader. We're starting for the target shaft now." Jon Vander said over the radio.
"I copy, Gold Leader." Dreis acknowledged. "We're in position. We're gonna cut across the axis and try and draw their fire."
And so the X-wings peeled off, dived at the Death Star and flew across the station's surface, being greeted by a hail of laser fire from the Death Star's turbolaser batteries, but the fast and nimble fighters managed to dodge the flak. "Heavy fire, boss, 23 degrees." Wedge reported.
"I see it. Stay low." Dreis warned, and Wedge skimmed along the surface with expert skill, avoiding the laser fire all around him.
"This is Red Five, I'm going in." Luke announced, and he dived straight at a power grid with his X-wing's laser cannons blazing away.
"Luke, pull up!" Biggs hollered, seeing that Luke was getting too close to the resulting explosions. Luke pulled up in the nick of time and his X-wing emerged from the fireball, the leading edges of his S-foils slightly scorched. "Are ya alright?" Biggs asked anxiously.
"I got a little cooked, but I'm ok." Luke replied.
~8~
Darth Vader was walking along a corridor aboard the Death Star when an officer hurried up to him. "We count 30 Rebel ships, Lord Vader, but they're so small, they're avoiding our turbolasers." the officer reported
"We'll have to destroy them ship-to-ship." Vader decided. "Get the crews to their fighters."
~8~
The X-wings continued to buzz the Death Star, Garven Dreis flying expertly through a wall of flak. "Luke, let me know when ya goin' in." he said.
"I'm on my way in now." Luke replied as he pitched the nose of his X-wing down to start his attack dive.
"Watch yourself!" Dreis warned. "There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower."
"I'm on it." Luke acknowledged, and he flung his X-wing down into a twisting dive towards the Death Star's surface, weaving and dodging the flak from a protruding tower and opening fire with his own laser cannons. Several small radar emplacements erupted in flames as Luke's shots hit their targets. Skilfully, the young farm boy maneuvered his craft through a wall of laser fire and peeled away upwards towards the heavens.
"I'm going in." Biggs announced. "Cover me, Porkins."
"I'm right with ya, Red Three." Porkins acknowledged. Biggs and Porkins' X-wings charged at the deflection tower, their laser cannons blazing. They managed to destroy the tower, but Porkins made the mistake of flying too close to the explosion and his fighter was struck by debris, causing it to malfunction. "I've got a problem here." he said anxiously.
"Get outta there." Biggs warned.
"I can hold it." Porkins waved him off.
"Jek, pull up!" Biggs hollered, seeing that Porkins was straying right into the line of fire of another turbolaser cannon.
"No, I'm all... Aah! Noooo!" Porkins screamed as the turbolaser scored a direct hit on his X-wing, destroying it and killing him instantly.
Luke meanwhile was preparing to make a strafing run on another cannon. "Luke, trust your feelings." Obi-Wan's voice said in his head. Luke blinked, wandering if he was imagining it, then he focussed back on his task and opened fire on the cannon, succeeding in destroying it.
~8~
Leia, Kali, Juno, 3PO and various other Rebel generals and aides were all gathered anxiously around a lighted computer table in the war room, monitoring the battle's progress. "Look at that." Juno said, pointing to a new group of dots that had appeared on the charts.
The Rebels all knew what those lights meant; the Empire had sent in reinforcements. A control officer immediately contacted the fighters on his headset, "Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals: enemy fighters coming your way."
~8~
"My scope's negative. I don't see anything." Luke said.
But Dreis was more cautious. "Pick up your visual scanning." he advised. "With all this jamming, they'll be on top of you before your scope can pick 'em up."
"Here they come!" John D. warned, and sure enough, a swarm of TIE Fighters had entered the fray.
"Watch it, Red Four. You've got one on ya tail." Dreis warned.
Sure enough, one of the TIEs had gone after John D. He tried to take evasive action, but the TIE pilot was too skilled and a lucky shot hit the X-wing's fuel tanks. "I'm hit!" John D. managed to yell before he was incinerated.
"Biggs, you've picked one up! Watch it!" Luke hollered, seeing that another TIE had gone after Biggs.
"I can't see it!" Biggs exclaimed as he peeled off and dived towards the Death Star surface, but he was unable to lose the TIE Fighter, which stayed on his tail. "He's on me tight, I can't shake him!"
"I'll be right there." Luke assured him as he steered on an intercept course. He came up behind the TIE chasing Biggs, locked his targeting crosshairs on it and opened fire with his laser cannons. "Got him!" he cheered as the TIE exploded.
~8~
Vader strode purposefully towards two standby TIE pilots. "Several fighters have broken off from the main group. Come with me." he ordered, and the two pilots followed him towards the TIE hangers.
~8~
"Watch your back, Luke, watch your back!" Biggs warned Luke. "Fighters above you coming in."
Sure enough, a TIE Fighter made a beeline for Luke's X-wing. It opened fire and a laser blast caught Luke's port stabiliser in a glancing blow. "I'm hit, but not bad." he reported. "R2, see what you can do with it. Hang on back there!"
R2 whistled a response and set to work fixing the damage.
~8~
The personnel in the Rebel war room listened anxiously to the radio chatter. "Red Seven, can you see Red Five?" Dreis' voice asked.
"No. There's a heavy fire zone on this side, I can't see a thing." Red Seven answered.
"Red Five, where are you?" Wedge's voice asked.
~8~
"I can't shake him!" Luke cried as he tried every trick he knew to shake off the TIE Fighter harassing him, but it was no use. The TIE was like a Gundark that had caught the scent of it's prey and just wouldn't leave Luke alone.
"I'm on him, Luke. Hold on!" Wedge assured him as he set off to the rescue. He flew straight at the TIE pursuing Luke, unleashed a volley of laser fire and destroyed the TIE.
"Thanks, Wedge." Luke panted in relief.
~8~
Leia, Kali and Juno all let out the breaths they'd been holding. "Good shooting, Wedge." they heard Biggs say over the radio.
"Red Leader, this is Gold Leader. We're starting our attack run." Jon Vander announced.
"I copy, Gold Leader." Dreis acknowledged. "Moving into position."
~8~
A TIE Advanced x1 departed one of the Death Star's hangars, flanked by two standard TIE Fighters. At the controls of the x1 was Darth Vader. "Stay in attack formation." he ordered his wingmen.
~8~
"The exhaust port is marked and locked in." Vander announced as he, Dex Tiree and Davish Krail made a run for the trench with the exhaust port. The three Y-wings levelled out and skimmed along the surface of the trench, turbolaser batteries opening fire all around them. "Switch all power to front deflector screens." Vander ordered his two wingmen as laser bolts streaked past on all sides. "How many guns d'ya think, Gold Five?" he asked Krail.
"I'd say about 20 guns." Krail replied. "Some on the surface, some on the towers."
~8~
Everyone in the Rebel war room waited with baited breath as they listened to Gold Squadron's progress. "Do you think they can do it?" Kali asked Leia quitely.
"They've got to." Leia said grimly. "They've just got to."
"Death Star will be in range in five minutes." a radar station reported, reminding them that time was not on their side.
~8~
The three Y-wings continued to run the gauntlet through the trench. "Switch to targeting computer." Vander ordered as he activated his computer targeting viewfinder.
"Computers locked, getting a signal." Tiree acknowledged. Suddenly, the turbolasers ceased fire, bringing an eerie calm to the trench. "The guns... they've stopped." Tiree blinked in confusion.
Krail had a sudden realisation as to why the guns had stopped. "Stabilise your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters." he warned.
"They're coming in!" Vander hollered. "Three marks at 2.10."
The TIE Advanced and it's two wingmen dived in precise formation towards the trench. "I'll take them myself. Cover me." Vader ordered his wingmen.
"Yes, sir." they acknowledged.
The three TIEs screamed down the trench and soon caught up with the Y-wings. Once in range, Vader lined up Tiree on his targeting computer and opened fire. Tiree's Y-wing was hit and exploded in a fireball, killing him instantly. Seeing the explosion, Vander looked back and saw the three TIEs bearing down on him. "We can't manoeuvre. We're too close!" he warned Krail. "Loosen up!"
"Stay on target, Dutch, I'll cover you." Krail reassured him, but Vader seemed to anticipate this and eliminated Vander next. Seeing that it was no use, Krail quickly exited the trench. "Gold Five to Red Leader. Lost Tiree, lost Dutch." he reported.
"I copy, Gold Five." Dreis acknowledged.
"They came from behind!" Krail managed to warn before he too was killed by Vader.
~8~
Grand Moff Tarkin was in the Death Star's control room when he was approached by Chief Moradmin Bast. "We've analysed their attack, sir, and there is a danger." Bast reported. "Should I have your shuttle standing by?"
Tarkin looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "Evacuate inn our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances." he said arrogantly.
"Rebel base three minutes and closing." an officer reported.
~8~
Gold Squadron was fairing badly in the battle, as in addition to the trio lost in the trench, all but one of the remaining Y-wings had been destroyed too, leaving just Evaan Verlaine, and she'd been forced to retreat due to damage. This meant that Red Squadron would have to take the shot at the exhaust port. "Red boys, this is Red Leader. Rendezvous at mark 6.1." Dreis ordered his remaining squadron members.
"This is Red Two flying toward you." Wedge acknowledged.
"Red Three standing by." Biggs added.
"Red Leader, this is Base One." General Dodonna said over the radio. "Keep half your group out of range for the next run."
"Copy, Base One." Dreis acknowledged. "Luke, take Red Two and Three. Hold up here and wait for my signal to start your run." And so Luke, Biggs and Wedge flew in formation high above the Death Star surface, while Dreis, Nett and Red Twelve made a run at the trench. "This is it!" Dreis said as he and his wingmen levelled out and sped along the trench. Once again, a hail of turbolaser fire greeted them, but the nimble X-wings managed to avoid it.
"We should be able to see it by now." Nett muttered. They'd entered the trench closer to the exhaust port then Gold Squadron so that they wouldn't have to spend as much time in the trench as they'd had to.
"Keep your eyes open for those fighters." Dreis warned.
"There's too much interference." Nett grumbled. "Red Five, can you see them from where ya are?"
"No sign of any..." Luke began, but then he saw something in the corner of his eye. "Wait! Coming in at .35."
"I see them." Nett acknowledged as he saw the TIE Advanced and it's wingmen enter the trench in tight formation.
"I'm in range." Dreis said as he switched on his targeting computer. "Target's coming up. Just hold 'em off for a few seconds."
"Close up formation." Vader ordered his wingmen as they sped after the three X-wings.
"Almost there." Dreis muttered as his targeting computer counted down the distance to the target.
Vader's targeting computer locked in on Red Twelve's X-wing and Vader opened fire, destroying the fighter and killing the pilot instantly. "You'd better let her loose. They're right behind me!" Nett hollered to Dreis, knowing that he was next in line.
"Almost there." Dreis muttered, too focussed on the target to hear Nett.
"I can't hold 'em!" Nett said anxiously before he was swiftly eliminated by one of Vader's wingmen.
Dreis' targeting computer beeped on target and he fired his proton torpedoes. "It's away!" he yelled as he pulled up out of the trench.
An explosion erupted from the end of the trench. "Is it a hit?" Wedge asked anxiously
"Negative. Negative. It didn't go in." a disappointed Dreis replied. "It just impacted on the surface."
~8~
Sounds of disappointment filled the Rebel war room. "Damn it!" Kali groaned, thumping the display table in frustration.
There was worse to come.
~8~
Vader peeled off in pursuit of Dreis' X-wing and opened fire. The experienced Rebel pilot tried to take evasive action, but a laser blast struck his starboard engines. "Red Leader, we're right above you." Luke said. "Turn to .05. We'll cover for you."
"Stay there." Dreis countered, "I just lost my starboard engines. Get set up for your attack run." he ordered before Vader fired again and took out his port engines, sending his X-wing into a crash dive. With a defiant yell, Dreis managed to steer his stricken fighter onto a collision course with a power grid.
Luke saw the crash and steeled himself.
~8~
The tension was high in the Rebel war room. There was just one minute left before the Death Star was in range of Yavin IV. "Well, it's up to Luke now." Juno said to no one in particular.
~8~
"Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up." Luke to his wingmen. "We're goin' in full throttle. That ought to keep those fighters off our backs."
"Right with ya, boss." Wedge acknowledged, and the three X-wings charged towards the trench at maximum speed.
"Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?" Biggs asked.
"It'll be just like Beggar's Canyon back home." Luke replied.
The three X-wings levelled off in the nick of time and sped along the trench, with Luke taking the lead, while Biggs and Wedge flew in formation some way behind him. "We'll stay back far enough to cover ya." Biggs told his friend.
"My scope shows the tower, but I can't see the exhaust port." Wedge said. "You sure the computer can hit it?"
"Guess we'll find out." Luke replied as the three X-wings raced along the trench, the turbolaser batteries blasting all round them. "Watch yourselves. Increase speed full throttle." Luke ordered
"What about that tower?" Wedge asked.
"You worry about those fighters, I'll worry about the tower." Luke told him. As the run along the trench continued, a lucky shot from one of the turbolasers nicked one of his S-foils, close to the engines. "R2, that stabiliser's broken loose again. See if ya can't lock it down." he ordered.
R2 beeped a response and quickly set to work repairing the damage.
Suddenly, the turbolaser batteries ceased fire. The Rebel pilots all knew what this meant. Sure enough, Wedge looked back and saw the TIE Advanced and it's two wingmen speeding down the trench after them. "Fighter coming in .3." he warned. One of Vader's wingmen opened fire on him and struck a glancing blow on the aft section of his fighter. "I'm hit! I can't stay with you!" he groaned.
"Get clear, Wedge." Luke ordered. "You can't do any more good back there."
"Sorry." Wedge said as he pulled his crippled X-wing out of the trench.
Vader watched the escape. "Let him go. Stay on the leader." he ordered his wingmen.
With Wedge gone, only Biggs now stood between Luke and the pursuing TIEs. "Hurry, Luke. They've comin' in much faster this time. I can't hold 'em." he urged.
"R2, try and increase the power." Luke ordered his droid.
Ignoring the bumpy ride from all the flak and laser fire all around him, R2 struggled to increase the power, his dome turning from side to side as he worked.
The TIEs continued to bear mercilessly down on Biggs' X-wing. "Hurry it up, Luke. Quick! Quick!" he hollered, seeing that the TIEs were practically on top of him now. Vader opened fire and Biggs' X-wing burst into a million flaming pieces. Biggs Darklighter was no more.
Seeing the explosion, Luke looked back and felt another wave of grief and emptiness hit him. Deciding that he had to grieve later, he swallowed hard and turned back to his mission, determined to make sure that his friend's death wasn't in vain.
~8~
Tarkin watched the projected target screen in the Death Star's control room with satisfaction.
"Rebel base 30 seconds and closing." an officer reported.
~8~
"I'm on the leader." Vader announced as he sped after the sole remaining X-wing.
~8~
The tension in the Rebel war room was electric. "Come on, Luke. Come on." Kali muttered under her breath.
~8~
As Luke sped solo down the trench, he finally came within range of the target and switched on his targeting computer. As he watched the viewfinder count down the distance to the exhaust port, he suddenly heard Obi-Wan's voice again, "Use the Force, Luke. Let go, Luke."
"The Force is strong with this one." Vader frowned, sensing a strong Force presence from the last remaining Rebel pilot.
"Luke, trust me." Obi-Wan's voice said, and Luke pressed a button on his control panel, deactivating the targeting computer.
~8~
"His computer's off." a Rebel officer stared. "Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm alright." Luke answered.
"What's he doing?" Kali frowned.
"Taking his first steps into a larger world." Juno smiled, realising that Luke was using the Force to make the shot.
"This isn't a game, Juno. The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance here." Leia said sternly.
"Trust the Force, Your Highness." Juno said. "Luke will succeed, I'm sure of it."
~8~
R2 beeped anxiously as he saw the three TIEs come into visual range. Vader fired, and a laser blast struck the Astromech right on the dome. R2 gave a scream as the blast overloaded his circuits and he promptly went inactive.
"I've lost R2!" Luke groaned.
~8~
3PO stiffened at this news, but there was worse to come.
"The Death Star has cleared the planet." the rader station reported.
"Well, Juno, now would be a good time for your Force to work a miracle." Kali said nervously.
~8~
"Rebel base in range." an officer in the Death Star's control reported.
"You may fire when ready." Tarkin ordered, safe in the knowledge that in just a few moments more, the Rebellion would be crushed.
~8~
The three TIEs closed the distance on Luke's "I have you now." Vader crowed as his targeting computer locked on. But before he could fire, the TIE Fighter on his starboard flank was suddenly hit by a laser blast and was destroyed. "What?" Vader stared, and checked his scopes to see that the same Corellian YT-1300 series freighter that had escaped the Death Star earlier had joined the battle.
Vader's portside wingman rather stupidly tried to rush off after the freighter, but misjudged the room in the trench and struck Vader's TIE Advanced, sending it spinning away into space, while the wingman crashed into the side of the trench and was killed outright.
"You're all clear, kid." Han Solo's voice said over Luke's helmet radio. "Now let's blow this thing and go home!"
Using the Force to judge his moment, Luke fired his torpedoes and they plunged into the exhaust port towards the reactor core. "Direct hit!" he announced as he swiftly exited the trench. "Everyone get clear. This thing's gonna blow!"
The two remaining X-wings, the sole Y-wing and the Millennium Falcon all sped away from the Death Star as fast as they could. Moments later, the battle station was torn apart in a spectacular fireball, thus ending it's reign of terror.
~8~
The Rebel war room erupted into cheers and cries of delight at the destruction of the Death Star. "That was for Alderaan!" Kali crowed, while Leia laughed in relief and Juno smiled broadly.
~8~
"Great shoot, kid. That was one in a million!" Han praised as the four remaining ships headed back towards Yavin IV.
Luke sat calmly in his cockpit, a sense of relief washing over him. "Remember, the Force will be with you, always." Obi-Wan's voice told him.
~8~
Vader finally managed to regain control of his TIE Advanced and he set off towards the nearest Imperial outpost, determined to find out who the pilot who had made the one in a million shot was and why the Force was so strong with them.
Author's notes: And here's the Battle of Yavin, my favourite part of A New Hope. The girls didn't get to do much in this battle, but maybe they'll get to participate in the Battle of Endor instead. As I said last chapter, I did consider having either Juno or Kali go up with Luke, as I'd done with Malia Lars, but I ultimately decided to let Luke have his shining moment. So, hope you like this chapter and join us next time for the finale.