Star Wars Trilogy

by Ryder Windham

  “Thanks, Wedge,” Luke said, breathing a sigh of relief.

  “Good shooting, Wedge!” Biggs chimed in.

  As Luke readjusted his controls, he heard the voice of Y-wing pilot Dutch Vander speak over his headset: “Red Leader, this is Gold Leader. We’re starting our attack run.”

  Red Leader replied, “I copy, Gold Leader. Move into position.”

  While Gold Leader and two other Y-wings descended to the enormous space station’s trench, Darth Vader and his two wingmen piloted their TIE fighters out of a Death Star hangar and into space. Vader’s ship was a TIE Advanced x1 Prototype with an elongated rear deck and matching solar arrays that bent in toward the central command pod.

  “Stay in attack formation!” Vader said into his fighter’s comlink as he led his wingmen to the Rebel ships.

  Gold Leader adjusted his scopes as he guided Gold Two and Gold Five down to the Death Star’s equatorial trench, en route to the vulnerable exhaust port. Seeing the readout for their target on the nav computer, Gold Leader said, “The exhaust port is marked and locked in!”

  Three Y-wings swooped down into the high-walled trench. Gold Five—an older pilot named Davish “Pops” Krail—took the lead position. Gold Leader was Krail’s starboard wingman, and Gold Two—a young pilot named Tiree—was his port wingman.

  Imperial cannons were along the upper edges of the trench walls, and larger cannons were mounted atop angular towers on the Death Star’s surface. The cannons fired green lasers and flak exploded around the three Y-wings.

  Gold Leader said, “Switch all power to front deflector screens. Switch all power to front deflector screens.” Maintaining a high speed, the pilots dipped and shifted to avoid being hit. Gold Leader tried to count off the streaks of laserfire and asked, “How many guns do you think, Gold Five?”

  “Say about twenty guns,” Gold Five answered. “Some on the surface, some on the towers.”

  The Y-wing pilots’ communications were broadcast over the loudspeaker at the Rebel base. There, Leia cringed when she heard the announcement over the loudspeaker: “Death Star will be in range in five minutes.”

  The Rebel pilots were also aware of the limited time they had left, but if they were nervous, none of them showed it. Gold Leader’s voice remained steady as he said, “Switch to targeting computer.”

  Inside the cockpit of each Y-wing, the targeting computer scopes automatically adjusted before the pilots so they could monitor their progress to the target site. Laserfire continued to whiz past the three fighters.

  “Computer’s locked,” Gold Two confirmed as his fighter flew through bursts of flak. A beeping sound accompanied a blinking blip on his targeting scope, and he added, “Getting a signal.”

  Suddenly, the barrage of Imperial laserfire came to an abrupt end. Baffled, Gold Two said, “The guns…they’ve stopped!”

  Even though the three pilots were still traveling at high speed, the trench seemed eerily calm. Gold Five glanced out of his cockpit window and said, “Stabilize your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters.”

  Gold Leader saw the three TIE fighters first. “They’re coming in! Three marks at two ten.”

  The three marks were Darth Vader and his two wingmen. With inhuman precision, the Imperial fighters hurtled into the Death Star trench to arrive behind the Y-wings.

  As a child, Darth Vader—under a different name—had raced repulsorlift pods through the canyons of Tatooine. Then, he’d experienced not only adrenaline rushes but heightened emotions while flying, and his piloting skills had ultimately led to his liberation from the sand planet. Now, Podracing was a distant memory, a ridiculous sport for short aliens with quick reflexes. Vader’s only interest in flying was if it allowed him the opportunity to exercise supreme power. In that capacity, the Rebel starfighters interested him very much.

  “I’ll take them myself,” Vader said into his comlink. “Cover me.”

  “Yes, sir,” answered an Imperial pilot.

  Vader lined up Gold Two in his targeting computer, then pressed the trigger on his fighter’s control stick. Laserfire streaked out from Vader’s ship and Gold Two’s Y-wing exploded in a blinding flash.

  Gold Leader saw the explosion—saw his friend Tiree die in a split second—and began to panic. “It’s no good,” he said into his comlink. “I can’t maneuver!”

  “Stay on target!” Gold Five said, trying to keep Gold Leader calm.

  Gold Leader tried to adjust his targeting computer and said, “We’re too close.”

  “Stay on target!” Gold Five repeated calmly.

  “Loosen up!” Gold Leader snapped.

  Darth Vader adjusted his own targeting computer. He locked onto Gold Leader’s ship, then pressed the control stick’s trigger. The Y-wing exploded, killing Dutch Vander and throwing debris in all directions.

  Gold Five was close to the target area, but with three TIE fighters on his tail, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer if he remained in the trench. Guiding his Y-wing up and out of the trench, he said, “Gold Five to Red Leader—lost Tiree, lost Dutch.”

  The Rebel pilots knew their transmissions might be intercepted by Imperial scanners, and did not want anyone on the Death Star to know that a squadron leader had been shot down. Also, Dutch’s death meant an immediate advancement of rank for Pops Krail, who would no longer be called Gold Five. With these concerns in mind, Red Leader answered, “I copy, Gold Leader.”

  Pops Krail said, “They came from behind—” Before Pops could finish, one of his engines exploded. Darth Vader’s TIE fighter had followed Pops out of the trench and fired a devastating blast at the Y-wing. The starfighter blazed out of control, exploded, and Pops was gone.

  In the Death Star control room, Grand Moff Tarkin’s aide Chief Bast left a computer console to report to his leader. Tarkin stood before the large viewscreen, watching the Death Star’s progress through space, and waiting for the moment that the planet Yavin no longer obscured Yavin 4.

  Chief Bast said, “We’ve analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?”

  “Evacuate?” Tarkin said, outraged. “In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances!”

  Tarkin returned his attention to the viewscreen. Over the Death Star’s intercom, a voice announced, “Rebel base, three minutes and closing.”

  Thirty Rebel pilots had traveled in their starfighters from Yavin 4 to the Death Star. Standing in the Rebel base war room, Leia looked at a tactical monitor and saw that only about six X-wings and a single Y-wing remained engaged in the battle. One of the X-wings was Luke’s, but with less than three minutes until the Death Star entered firing range of Yavin 4, it was hard for Leia to remain hopeful for any Rebel’s future.

  From over the war room’s loudspeaker came X-wing pilot Garven Dreis’s voice: “Red boys, this is Red Leader. Rendezvous at mark six point one.”

  “This is Red Two,” Wedge answered. “Flying toward you.”

  “Red Three, standing by,” said Biggs.

  Leia knew Luke was Red Five. The two remaining X-wing pilots carried the comm-unit designations of Red Ten and Red Twelve. Near Leia, General Dodonna examined the tactical screen and said into his comm, “Red Leader, this is Base One. Keep half your group out of range for the next run.”

  “Copy, Base One,” Red Leader said. Addressing his pilots, he continued, “Luke, take Red Two and Three. Hold up here and wait for my signal to start your run.”

  Luke got the message. If Red Leader failed to reach the exhaust port, it would be up to Luke—with Wedge and Biggs as his wingmen—to enter the trench and make one final attempt at the target.

  In his cockpit, Red Leader glanced around to watch for the TIE fighters. Beads of sweat broke out across his forehead but he dismissed the nervous reflex and tightened his grip on his control stick. “This is it!” he said, and threw his X-wing down into the Death Star’s trench. Red Ten and Red Twelve followed him.

  The Death Star can
nons fired at the three X-wings as they raced through the high-walled trench. As laserfire streaked past them, Red Ten quickly consulted his targeting scope, then tried to sight a cannon tower that would visually indicate the target site. He said, “We should be able to see it by now.”

  The Imperial cannons ceased firing. Red Leader said, “Keep your eyes open for those fighters!”

  Red Ten said, “There’s too much interference!” Indeed, the X-wing’s sensors had been designed for traveling through space, not for speeding through a space station trench, and it was difficult for Red Ten to identify the blips on his scopes. Red Ten said into his comm, “Red Five, can you see them from where you are?”

  From above the trench, Luke answered, “No sign of any—wait!” He saw the three TIE fighters, and said, “Coming in point three five.”

  Red Ten looked up and said, “I see them.”

  Sunlight flared off the solar arrays of the three TIE fighters as they dived in a tight formation for the trench. Advancing on the three X-wings, Darth Vader was surprised to feel a twinge of anticipation. He was looking forward to killing more Rebel pilots.

  Red Leader blocked out thoughts of the incoming enemy fighters and displayed calm as he adjusted his targeting computer. He said, “I’m in range.” On his targeting scope, the blinking blip indicated he was closing in on the Death Star’s thermal exhaust port. “Target’s coming up!” he announced. “Just hold them off for a few seconds.”

  Since the X-wings were without tail guns, all Red Ten and Red Twelve could do was increase power to their rear deflector shields and maneuver to defend Red Leader against a rear attack.

  From behind, Darth Vader said into his comm, “Close up formation.” His wingmen complied.

  Red Leader lined up the target in the crosshairs of his scope. “Almost there!” he said.

  Darth Vader’s targeting computer locked onto Red Twelve’s X-wing. Vader pressed his control stick’s trigger and his cannons spat green laserfire. The X-wing exploded and crashed against the walls of the trench.

  The power of the blast nearly sent Red Ten out of control. Struggling to stay on course behind Red Leader, Red Ten said into his comm, “You’d better let her loose.”

  But Red Leader wasn’t ready yet. All his attention was concentrated on his targeting scope, waiting for the right moment to fire his X-wing’s proton torpedoes.

  Red Ten said, “They’re right behind me.”

  “Almost there!” Red Leader said.

  “I can’t hold them!” Red Ten yelled. He looked to his left, trying to find the position of the TIE fighters.

  Vader coolly pressed the trigger on his control stick. His well-aimed shot smashed into the X-wing, and Red Ten’s cockpit filled with fire and smoke. An instant later, the X-wing exploded.

  Red Leader grimly watched the target line up in his scope’s crosshairs, then he fired. As the two proton torpedoes zoomed down the trench, he yelled, “It’s away!” He pulled up into a rapid climb just before a huge explosion billowed out of the trench.

  In the Rebel base, everyone held their breath as they waited to hear the pilot’s transmissions over the loudspeaker. Red Nine exclaimed, “It’s a hit!”

  “Negative,” Red Leader said with finality. “Negative! It didn’t go in, just impacted on the surface.”

  The announcement stunned everyone in the Rebel war room. Leia wished General Dodonna would assure her that they still had a chance, but Dodonna didn’t say a word.

  Luke looked down from his cockpit and sighted Red Leader’s ship. The TIE fighters had followed Red Leader out of the trench and were moving up fast behind him. Luke said, “Red Leader, we’re right above you. Turn to point…oh-five; we’ll cover for you.”

  “Stay there,” Red Leader said. Looking nervously through his cockpit window, he added, “I just lost my starboard engine. Get set up for your attack run.”

  Darth Vader fired at Red Leader’s X-wing. The X-wing caught fire and Garven Dreis screamed as his ship plummeted to the Death Star. Luke watched helplessly as the X-wing crashed and exploded.

  No time to mourn, Luke thought. Now it’s up to me, Biggs, and Wedge.

  Grand Moff Tarkin cast a sinister eye at the Death Star control room’s viewscreen. Over the intercom, a voice announced, “Rebel base, one minute and closing.”

  In the Rebel base war room, Leia, C-3PO, General Dodonna, and the other Rebels continued listening to the transmissions from the remaining pilots. Luke said, “Biggs, Wedge, let’s close it up. We’re going in. We’re going in full throttle. That ought to keep those fighters off our back.”

  Wedge said, “Right with you, boss.”

  Concerned, Biggs said, “Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?”

  “It’ll be just like Beggar’s Canyon back home,” Luke told his old friend.

  Wedge and Biggs followed Luke down into the Death Star’s trench. They unleashed a barrage of laserfire at the space station, and the Imperial cannons returned fire.

  As Luke raced ahead, Biggs said, “We’ll stay back far enough to cover you.”

  Wedge said, “My scope shows the tower, but I can’t see the exhaust port! Are you sure the computer can hit it?”

  Luke heard the question but was momentarily distracted by a Death Star cannon that slowly rotated and pumped laserbolts at the X-wings. “Watch yourself!” Luke said. “Increase speed full throttle!”

  “What about that tower?” Wedge said.

  “You worry about those fighters!” Luke said. “I’ll worry about the tower!”

  Imperial laserfire nicked one of Luke’s wings and he had to struggle with his controls to steady the starfighter’s flight. “Artoo,” he said into his comm, “that stabilizer’s broken loose again. See if you can’t lock it down!”

  As R2-D2 extended his repair arm once more, the Death Star’s cannons ceased firing. Flying behind Luke’s X-wing, Wedge looked up and saw the enemy pilots making their approach. Wedge announced, “Fighters. Coming in, point three.”

  The three TIE fighters swooped into the trench. Luke focused on his targeting scope, which had just marked off the distance to the target. The TIE fighters zoomed closer to the X-wings. Darth Vader fired.

  “I’m hit!” Wedge shouted as his ship was blasted from behind. Although his ship was still intact, his deflector shields were lost. Realizing he wouldn’t stand a chance against another attack, he said, “I can’t stay with you.”

  “Get clear, Wedge,” Luke said. “You can’t do any more good back there!”

  “Sorry!” Wedge said as he pulled his crippled X-wing up and out of the trench.

  Darth Vader sensed one of his wingmen wanted to pursue the fleeing X-wing. “Let him go!” Vader commanded. “Stay on the leader!” The TIE fighters maintained their tight formation as they accelerated.

  Biggs gazed back at the incoming TIE fighters. “Hurry, Luke,” he said with worry. “They’re coming in much faster this time. We can’t hold them!”

  Luke glanced back from his cockpit and said, “Artoo, try and increase the power!”

  R2-D2 worked frantically on the engines. Swiveling his dome, he saw the TIE fighters were gaining fast on Biggs’ X-wing.

  Luke looked into his targeting scope. Over his headset, he heard Biggs say, “Hurry up, Luke!”

  Biggs glanced at the TIE fighters and moved in to cover for Luke. Darth Vader gained on Biggs. Biggs shouted, “Wait!”

  Vader fired. Luke looked back and saw the X-wing that carried his best friend suddenly explode into a million flaming bits.

  Biggs!

  The TIE fighters kept coming. As Luke’s eyes watered, his anger grew.

  Inside the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin felt nothing but satisfaction when the announcement came over the intercom: “Rebel base, thirty seconds and closing.”

  “I’m on the leader,” Darth Vader told his wingmen as he adjusted his targeting computer. The three TIE fighters charged after the lone X-wing that remained in the trenc
h.

  At the Rebel base, Princess Leia glanced at C-3PO. Nervous, the droid said, “Hang on, Artoo!”

  Luke adjusted the lens on his targeting scope. The exhaust port was still some distance ahead, and the TIE fighters were coming in fast from behind. I don’t think I’m going to make it.

  Just then, he heard Ben’s voice: “Use the Force, Luke.”

  Luke looked outside the cockpit. Ben?

  Ben’s voice said, “Let go, Luke.”

  Suddenly, time seemed to slow down. Luke felt not as if he were racing through the Death Star’s trench at full throttle, but rather that the trench was flowing past and around him. He was aware of the pursuing TIE fighters and the weapon-laden trench walls, but he no longer felt threatened by them. He was in control, and he was not afraid.

  Darth Vader sensed the change that swept over the pilot in the remaining X-wing. As Vader tried to lock onto the Rebel starfighter with his targeting computer, he said, “The Force is strong in this one!”

  Luke looked at his own targeting scope.

  Ben’s voice said, “Luke, trust me.”

  Luke reached to his control panel and pressed a button. The targeting scope retracted and moved away from his helmet.

  Luke’s action was detected by the controllers at the Rebel base. A controller announced, “His computer’s off.” Addressing Luke directly, the controller said, “Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Luke answered as he stayed on course for his target. “I’m all right.” I don’t need the targeting computer. All I have to do is get a bit closer to the exhaust port. I can do it! I know I can do it.…

  Behind Luke, R2-D2 rotated his dome again to look at the incoming TIE fighters. The central TIE fighter fired a burst of laserbolts at the X-wing, and the astromech was engulfed by crackling laserfire. R2-D2 screeched, then went silent.

  “I’ve lost Artoo!” Luke shouted.

  C-3PO heard Luke over the war room loudspeaker, and the golden droid looked to Princess Leia. Like the other Rebels, she had her eyes fixed on the tactical monitor. The controller announced, “The Death Star has cleared the planet. The Death Star has cleared the planet.”