Star Wars Missions 003 - Attack on Delrakkin

by Ryder Windham

  Table of Contents

  COPYRIGHT

  INTRODUCTION

  PRELIMINARY MISSION

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  MISSION BRIEFING

  YOUR MISSION: ATTACK ON DELRAKKIN

  THE AFTER-MISSION

  After the Death Star was destroyed, Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance discovered the Imperial space station had carried a cargo of bacta, a chemical compound used to treat and heal wounds. Later, the Rebels learned the Death Star’s bacta was contaminated. Princess Leia Organa believed they had uncovered a secret Imperial plan to poison an entire world and feared the plan might not have ended with the destruction of the Death Star.

  Looking for clues, the Rebels left their base on Yavin Four and traveled to Thyferra, the only planet in the galaxy capable of producing bacta. On Thyferra, the Rebels were told of an Imperial shipment of alazhi, a plant used in bacta production. The alazhi was sent to Delrakkin, a planet at the end of an old hyperspace trade route.

  Now, the Rebels prepared to leave for the Outer Rim…unaware of the danger awaiting them on Delrakkin.

  The Death Star was gone. Grand Moff Tarkin and 265,000 Imperial soldiers were dead.

  If the news had not come from Emperor Palpatine, Admiral Termo would not have believed it.

  Termo stood in his private quarters aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Liquidator and gazed out beyond the viewport. He tried to focus on the planet Delrakkin, but his mind was in turmoil. He could not stop thinking about the hologrammic conversation he’d just had with the Emperor. The Emperor himself!

  There was no record of the conversation, but Termo remembered every word.

  “What happened to the Death Star?” Termo had asked the Emperor’s hologram.

  The Emperor had responded with a sinister laugh. “That is not your concern! What were your last orders from Tarkin?”

  “We were to wait at Delrakkin for further instructions,” Termo had replied. “In the event the Death Star did not reach the Delrakkin system, Tarkin entrusted me with three holotapes. The first holotape carried instructions to contact you.”

  “I know that, Admiral Termo,” Palpatine had sneered. “Tell me what you know about alazhi.”

  Termo had cleared his throat. “Alazhi is the plant used in the production of bacta. Until now, alazhi has only grown on the planet Thyferra.”

  “Your Captain Skeezer transported a shipment of alazhi from Thyferra a few weeks ago?”

  “Yes, Emperor. The alazhi was brought to Delrakkin. A covert squadron planted the alazhi in an area west of Delrakkin City.”

  Emperor Palpatine nodded. “And do you know why Tarkin ordered you to plant the alazhi on Delrakkin?”

  “I assumed to see if it would grow. Except for the storms, Delrakkin’s atmosphere and climates are similar to those on Thyferra. Am I correct in my assumption?”

  Palpatine had shaken his head. “You really don’t know anything, do you, Admiral?”

  Admiral Termo had grimaced. “Perhaps, Emperor, if you were to tell me about the Death Star, I might know —” Suddenly, Termo’s words had caught in his throat. He couldn’t breathe. The Emperor had reached out with the Force to choke him.

  Palpatine’s hologram had smiled sinisterly as Termo struggled. “If you tell anyone of the Death Star’s destruction, you will die by the power of the dark side of the Force!”

  Palpatine then had released his supernatural grip. “Emperor!” Termo had gasped. “I… I beg you to forgive me for speaking out of turn. I await your orders.”

  “You’ll find your orders on the second holotape!” Palpatine had snapped, his hologram flickering slightly. “There has been one change in the plans. The Death Star was carrying a large shipment of bacta. The bacta was to be delivered to the survivors of the attack on Delrakkin City. This is no longer a possibility.”

  “Delrakkin City?” Termo had asked. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Emperor. There hasn’t been any attack on Delrakkin City.”

  A grotesque smile had played across Palpatine’s withered face. “Ahh,” sighed Palpatine. “But there will be!” The hologram had flickered again and then had vanished into the air.

  None of it made any sense, Termo now thought. What could alazhi be used for besides bacta production? What was the purpose of this mission? Could it be more important than the destruction of the Death Star? It seemed impossible.

  Termo’s pulse was slowly returning to normal. He held his hand to his throat. There didn’t appear to be any damage.

  Termo inserted the second holotape into the projector. The image of Grand Moff Tarkin appeared. Termo blinked, aware that he was looking at a dead man.

  “Admiral Termo,” Tarkin’s hologram began. “I hope your conversation with the Emperor went well, but imagine it did not I’m making this recording to insure that you will carry out your mission on Delrakkin.”

  Tarkin’s hologram continued to speak for five minutes. When the holotape ended, Termo tapped into the ship’s comm. “Admiral Termo to the bridge,” he stated. “Leave Delrakkin’s orbit immediately and take us to the far side of the nearest moon.”

  After Han Solo secured the Y-wing starfighter to the lower hull of the Millennium Falcon, the Falcon blasted away from the Thyferran spaceport. Chewbacca rapidly keyed the nav computer for the route to the Delrakkin system. Solo threw the thrust initiator and the Falcon leaped into the explosive flow of hyperspace.

  In the cockpit of the Falcon, Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker were belted into the seats behind Solo and Chewbacca. See-Threepio, Artoo-Detoo, and the ancient droid Q-7N were in the central hold area.

  “Do you know anything about the Delrakkin system?” Leia asked Solo.

  “A little,” Solo answered. “It’s not far from the end of an old hyperspace trade route to the Outer Rim. Besides Delrakkin, there are two other planets in the system, but neither of them supports any life.”

  “What about Delrakkin itself?” Luke asked.

  “It’s a jungle planet with a native population. There’s a lot of storm activity on the surface. Spacers say Delrakkin’s greatest natural resource is its bad weather. It’s so nasty that most natives live underground. Delrakkin City was the only civilized place on the planet. It was built high on a mountain, above the clouds and the lousy weather.”

  “You’ve been to Delrakkin?”

  “No,” Solo replied. “But word got around that Delrakkin City used to be a good place for smugglers to hide out.”

  “Why isn’t it a good place to hide anymore?” Luke inquired.

  Chewbacca didn’t turn to Luke but allowed a low snarl to rumble from his muzzle.

  After an awkward silence, Luke asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

  “The native Delrakkins were said to be very hospitable to travelers,” Solo replied, “but that was before they were forced out of their own city by the Empire.”

  At the mention of the Empire, Chewbacca roared. Leia and Luke cringed in their seats.

  Solo shook his head as he pretended to reprimand his copilot. “How many times do I have to tell you, Chewie?” Solo asked. “If you scare the passengers, they won’t fly with us anymore!”

  “What happened to the native Delrakkins?” Leia wanted to know.

  “The Empire let them stay,” Solo replied. “The only catch is the natives aren’t allowed into Delrakkin City. The city is only for Imperial citizens.”

  “Why was the Empire so interested in Delrakkin?”

  “Beats me. Maybe they’ve got a research center or something, but I don’t know what they’d be studying out there. Lik
e I said, Delrakkin is mostly one big rainstorm.”

  Leia gazed out the cockpit at the dazzling light cascading through hyperspace. “It doesn’t make sense,” she uttered. “The Carrack cruiser transported alazhi to Delrakkin — but why? We know the Death Star was carrying contaminated bacta — perhaps to the same destination. Was the Empire planning on growing bacta to heal or to use as a weapon?”

  “We don’t know that the Death Star had anything to do with Delrakkin,” Solo countered. “All we know is the Carrack cruiser that recently crashed on Yavin Four is the same ship that transported alazhi from Thyferra to Delrakkin.”

  “Don’t forget it was the Carrack’s captain who told us the Death Star’s cargo was contaminated!” Leia responded. “Han, the bacta is the connection. Someone in the Delrakkin system must have been waiting for the Death Star. When the Death Star didn’t arrive, the Carrack was sent to the Yavin system to investigate.”

  Han shrugged. “It’s possible,” he admitted. “But if someone sent the Carrack cruiser, that someone might still be waiting at Delrakkin.”

  “The Carrack could have been carried by an Imperial Star Destroyer,” suggested Luke.

  “Then we should take a little precaution,” Solo said as he rapidly adjusted several switches on the nav computer.

  “What did you just do?” asked Leia.

  The captain of the Millennium Falcon grinned. “You’ll see when we get there!”

  Admiral Termo surveyed the twenty-four Imperial pilots in the bay of the Liquidator. Lieutenant Kevell, a lean young officer, stood at attention before the pilots. Kevell had assumed the position of the missing Captain Skeezer.

  “We have positioned the Liquidator on the far side of Delrakkin’s closest moon,” began Termo, “to prepare for an attack. However, we do not want our opponent to know the attack came from the Liquidator.”

  Termo gazed at Kevell and continued. “Imperial spies have discovered that the citizens of Delrakkin have joined the Rebel Alliance. Even worse, the citizens believe they can grow bacta on Delrakkin. Obviously, we do not want the Rebels to have their own supply of bacta.”

  Termo stepped forward and faced a single black-armored pilot. The admiral could see his own reflection in the black lenses of the pilot’s helmet as he said, “Delrakkin has betrayed the Empire.”

  Termo turned and paced slowly before the pilots. “It is the will of Emperor Palpatine that the Delrakkin citizens be crushed.” Termo paused. “However, the galaxy must believe that Delrakkin was crushed not by the Empire, but by the Rebel Alliance!”

  The admiral came to a stop beside Kevell. “When word spreads that the Rebels attacked Delrakkin in order to take over the bacta production,” stated Termo, “no planet in the galaxy will trust the Alliance!”

  The Millennium Falcon blew out of hyperspace, and the view from the cockpit quickly shifted into realspace. There were no planets in sight.

  “Where are we?” Leia asked. “Are you sure this is the Delrakkin system?”

  “What were you expecting?” Solo scoffed. “Maybe a giant sign that says THIS WAY TO DELRAKKIN? Think again, Your Lostlessness.” Solo flipped a series of switches. “We left hyperspace short of our destination so we could make our approach at sublight. If there are any Imperials waiting, I want to see them before they see us.” The Falcon launched toward the Delrakkin system.

  “It’s good to know you’re thinking ahead, for a change.” Leia murmured.

  “Excuse me,” Luke said as he unbuckled himself from his seat. “I’m going to check on the droids.”

  Luke walked to the central hold area. Artoo and Q-7N were engaged in a complicated match at the gaming table. Threepio looked up from his seat. “Hello, Master Luke. Are we nearing Delrakkin?”

  “We’re getting there,” replied Luke as he kicked at the floor.

  The golden droid tilted his head to one side and said, “May I ask if there’s anything wrong?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” Luke replied. “Leia and Han were just bickering again.”

  “Ah, the bickering,” Threepio sighed. “They do it so often, I sometimes think they actually enjoy it!”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Luke mumbled.

  In the Liquidator’s secondary launch bay, Lieutenant Kevell led the Imperial pilots past two TIE fighters. Kevell approached a wide black metal door that led to another hangar. He raised one hand and the pilots halted.

  “Squadron One will attack the north end of Delrakkin City,” Kevell instructed, “and Squadron Two will take the south. My wingman and I will follow you in our TIE fighters to verify your progress.”

  Kevell entered a code into a wall panel, and the wide hangar door slid slowly down into the floor. “Any survivors of Delrakkin City must believe this attack came from the Rebel Alliance,” stated Kevell. “Fortunately, we were ready for such a mission.”

  The twenty-four Imperial pilots turned to look at their ships. Inside the hangar were twenty-four X-wing starfighters.

  “Prepare for immediate takeoff,” ordered Kevell.

  “There’s Delrakkin,” Solo said as the Millennium Falcon zoomed toward the green planet “Our sensors aren’t picking up any Imperial signals.”

  “Wait!” Leia cried, pointing to a small cluster of moving lights. “Look over there! Are those satellites or ships?” Chewbacca growled.

  “They’re ships,” Solo answered as he drew closer. “They almost look like —”

  “X-wings!” Leia interrupted. “There must be twenty of them!”

  “Two dozen,” Han corrected. “But who’s piloting them? There aren’t any Rebel outposts this far out.”

  The twenty-four X-wings veered off their course and angled toward the Falcon.

  “It appears we’ve been spotted,” observed Leia. “They’re heading our way. We’d better hope they’re friendly.”

  Chewbacca snarled.

  “Forget friendly, Princess!” Solo yelled. “Those may be X-wings, but they’re flying in a TIE-fighter attack formation! Chewie, go to full shields and evasive maneuvers while I charge the main guns!” Solo sprang from his seat and ran to the central hold area “Luke! We’ve got trouble!”

  The Falcon shuddered under a sudden barrage of laser fire.

  “What is it?” Luke asked, sprinting after Solo.

  “We’re under attack by X-wings!” Solo answered as he climbed to the topside gunport.

  “X-wings?!” Luke nearly slipped as he rushed down to the lower gunport

  “They’re piloted by Imperials!” Solo called into his headset as he adjusted his laser cannon. “No time for questions. Just blast ’em!”

  Luke gazed through the transparisteel windows as he belted himself into his seat. The only ship he saw was the Y-wing starfighter secured to the Falcon’s hull, but he sensed the oncoming danger.

  Solo activated his targeting computer. Luke reached for his, then remembered his experience at the Death Star and the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Remember, Ben’s voice had said, the Force will be with you… always. Luke took a deep breath and pushed the targeting computer aside.

  Three X-wings fired at the Falcon as they flew into Solo’s view. Solo swiveled in his gun mount, squeezing off a furious series of shots at the X-wings. Two laser blasts contacted with a fusial thrust engine on one X-wing. The starfighter exploded in a shower of screaming metal.

  Five X-wings soared toward Luke’s gunport. Luke reached out with the Force, sensing the starfighters’ speeding positions as he hammered his guns. He opened his eyes to see two X-wings detonate against the stars.

  The Millennium Falcon rocked hard as its shields were bombarded with more laser fire.

  “Get us out of here, Chewbacca!” Leia ordered, still in the cockpit. “There’s too many of them!”

  The Falcon dove between six starfighters as Chewbacca struggled to avoid the oncoming laserblasts. One X-wing flew head-on toward the Falcon, and Chewbacca tried to avoid the ship, banking hard to the right. The X-wing wavered, then s
lammed and exploded against, the Falcon’s hull. Instantly, a warning light blinked in the Falcon’s cockpit.

  Chewbacca yelled to Solo over the comm.

  “We’ve lost the deflector shield projector?!” Han said worriedly. “Head for the planet’s surface!”

  The Falcon plunged through Delrakkin’s mesosphere, followed by the twenty remaining X-wing starfighters. The Falcon’s engines screeched through the sky as Chewbacca steered through rain clouds toward a prominent mountain range.

  The lead X-wing fired, and the blasts impacted against two of the Falcon’s drive units. Smoke trailed from behind the freighter as it plummeted to the jungle below.

  “Head for those rock formations at the edge of the jungle, Chewie!” Solo yelled into the comm. “I’m going to fire a concussion missile! Hit the inertial dampers on three!”

  From years of working together, Chewbacca instantly knew Solo’s plan. Solo counted to three and fired the missile as Chewbacca brought the Falcon to a violent, shuddering stop. The missile detonated against the mountainside, sending stone and clouds of dust, into the air as Chewbacca rapidly reversed. Under the cover of rain and dust, Chewbacca skillfully landed the Falcon below the trees.

  Leia ran from the cockpit to the gunport hatch.

  “What did you just do?!” Luke screamed as he scrambled out of the hatch after Solo.

  “I just saved our skins, kid,” Solo replied calmly, “I fired the missile ahead of us while Chewie hit the brakes. To the Imperials behind us, it looked like we crashed!”

  “It was a reckless maneuver,” Leia observed, “but it worked. The X-wings took off!”

  “Well, what are we going to do now?” Luke asked as he climbed out of the hatch.

  “The Falcon needs repairs before she’s going anywhere,” Solo muttered.

  “But the Falcon didn’t take any hits below!” Luke exclaimed. “There’s no damage to our Y-wing. One of us can go after those starfighters!”

  “Are you serious?!” Solo asked.