“The Death Star is heavily shielded and carries firepower greater than half the starfleet’s. Its defenses have been designed to withstand a full assault by an enemy army. But while it’s easy to see a large fleet of cruisers and destroyers and hold back a tide, we believe a small, one-man fighter should be able to slip through the outer defenses.”
The leader of the Gold Squadron stood up slowly. “Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are snub fighters going to be against that?”
“I’m getting to that,” General Dodonna said, clicking through to the next slide. The new schematic showed a cross section of the Death Star. “The approach will not be easy. Pilots will need to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface of the battle station until you reach this point.”
Why that point? Luke wondered. It looked like any other part of the surface.
“The target area is only two meters wide. It’s a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system.” The screen changed, showing a demonstration of two torpedoes entering the shaft and traveling down its length to the enormous energy reactor at the center of the Death Star. “A precise hit will start a chain reaction in the core, turning it into a bomb, causing the battle station to implode.”
There was a moment of silence before the room broke out in cries of disbelief. The general continued, undaunted. “Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is ray shielded, so you’ll have to use proton torpedoes.”
Luke nodded, processing the news with outright relief. So there was a chance. It might have been only a two-meter-wide chance but a chance all the same. They could do it.
“That’s impossible, even for a computer,” Wedge said, shaking his head.
“It’s not impossible,” Luke said, loudly enough for the others to hear. The pilots sitting around him turned in their seats, pinning him with looks that ranged from curious to confused. It maybe wasn’t the best way to introduce himself to the rest of the Rebellion, but there were bigger things to worry about than making a good first impression. A negative attitude would keep the pilots grounded long enough for the Empire to destroy everything they’d built. “I used to bull’s-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They’re not much bigger than two meters. And I didn’t have any kind of targeting programs. We can do this.”
“Well…better than a few centimeters, right?” Wedge said. The pilots around him nodded.
“Come on,” Luke said, smiling. “I was doing that when I was thirteen. You guys have decades of experience between you, right? Prove it!”
Garven Dreis, the leader of the Red Squadron, laughed. “That’s true. Can’t let a kid show us up, can we?”
Luke turned back to General Dodonna, who was studying him from the front of the room. Beside the general, Leia was smiling, her hands clasped in front of her. The tone of the murmurs around Luke shifted, rising on that small bubble of optimism.
“We’ve received reports that the Death Star will enter the system within the next twenty minutes,” General Dodonna said. “Man your ships, and prepare to deploy immediately. Good luck!”
“That’s our cue,” Wedge said, standing. “You ready?”
“Yeah—” Luke searched over the heads of the other pilots for Leia, but she had already slipped out of the room—back to the command center? There was still time to seek her out for a good-bye, but the flow of energy and bodies out of the room was carrying him straight back to the hangar. He let himself go with it, the hum of anxious excitement from the others feeding his own. Luke was nearly bouncing in his boots by the time he met up with C-3PO and R2-D2.
“Master Luke!” the protocol droid cried. “Is it true Artoo will be accompanying you?”
“If that’s all right with Artoo,” Luke said, grinning. The little droid’s head spun around as he squealed, lights flashing. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
But nothing could have brought Luke’s mood crashing down faster than seeing Han and Chewbacca loading small boxes onto the Millennium Falcon. Their reward. Payment the Rebellion could hardly afford to lose. As they worked they ignored everything happening around them, including the dirty glances the pilots were shooting their way.
“All flight troops, man your stations.” The announcement faded under the hustle and bustle of the technicians and flight crews running around. “All flight troops, man your stations.”
Luke pushed his way through the workers, dodging the carts and transports zigzagging around him. It was stupid to feel so crushed at the thought of Han leaving, but Luke had already lost so many people over the previous few days. Luke had just wanted his friend to see what Luke had seen in him.
“So you got your reward and you’re just leaving?” Luke called, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. He had never expected Han to stay for him, exactly, but how could Han leave seeing what the Rebellion was up against?
“That’s right, yeah. I got some old debts I’ve got to pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn’t, you don’t think I’d be fool enough to stick around here, do you?”
Luke shook his head. No, Han was no fool. If he could just get over himself, he’d be something great.
“Hey, why don’t you come with us?” Han said. “You’re pretty good in a fight. We could use you.”
Chewbacca backed up his statement with an enthusiastic roar.
Luke’s frustration flashed into anger. “Come on! Why don’t you take a look around? You know what’s about to happen, what they’re up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You’re turning your back on them!”
“What good’s a reward if you ain’t around to use it?” Han shrugged but seemed to be looking everywhere but at Luke. “Besides, attacking that battle station ain’t my idea of courage. It’s more like suicide. Can’t you see that? You’re throwing your life away for people you’ve just met!”
“This might be hard for you to understand, but I believe in what they’re trying to do. I’m proud to be part of it, no matter what happens.”
Luke waited for Han to say something, but the captain kept his head down, steadily passing boxes to Chewbacca.
“All right.” Luke threw his hands up in the air. Trying to get through to Han was about as effective as trying to walk through a wall. “Well, take care of yourself, Han. I guess that’s what you’re best at, isn’t it?”
He turned to go, only to be pulled back around by Han’s voice.
“Hey, Luke…” Han said, a faint smile on his face. “May the Force be with you.”
Even though there was a real possibility Han was making fun of Luke again for jumping into Ben’s lessons, Luke chose to take his words as sincere. “Thanks. See you around?”
There was nothing more to say. Luke made his way toward the row of X-wings being prepped for flight and was surprised to see a familiar face waiting for him there with R2-D2.
“Thought I’d let you go without wishing you good luck?” Leia said, with a rare smile. “I heard you did amazingly well on your test.”
Luke suddenly found the ground incredibly interesting as heat flooded his cheeks. “I guess.”
“What’s wrong?”
He sighed. “Oh, it’s just Han. I don’t know. I thought I could change his mind.”
Putting a hand on his shoulder, Leia said, “He’s got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him.”
She stood up on her toes and kissed Luke’s cheek. “Fly well. I’ll see you when you get back.”
He managed a small smile and a wave as she went to meet with General Dodonna.
Luke took a deep breath, twisting around to look up at his ship.
“Luke? Luke!”
He spun, searching for the source of the voice. It couldn’t be—there was no way—
Biggs Darklighter, his best friend, came barreling across the hangar toward him. He burst into thrilled laughter at the sight of Luke staring at him, dumbstruck. “Luke! I don’t believe it! How’d you get here? I was ou
t on patrol—wait, are you going out with us?”
Luke accepted his enthusiastic hug and returned it with one of his own. He should have known! A short time before Luke’s life had been upended, Biggs had made a surprise visit back to Tatooine from the Imperial Academy, stopping by to see his friends at Anchorhead.
Luke couldn’t lie; he had been jealous of Biggs when he escaped Tatooine for the Academy, but the sight of his friend in a full uniform had choked him up with more than a little envy. Biggs was out ahead of him. Some part of him had accepted that it would always be that way between them. They were an unlikely pair of friends. Everyone said so. The Darklighters owned twenty moisture farms to Uncle Owen’s one. Biggs had always had the very best of everything growing up—clothes, landspeeders, a new skyhopper each time another model was released. He’d never held it over Luke’s head or made Luke feel like he was something less. But…Luke had always sensed how different their lives were, and it wasn’t until Biggs had gone and left him behind for the Academy that he had realized how different their futures were, too.
But on that last trip to Tatooine, Biggs had pulled Luke aside from their little group of friends—Fixer, Camie, Deak, and Windy—and confessed something to him: he was going to bail on the Academy and join the Rebellion. Luke couldn’t believe he hadn’t put the pieces together until that moment.
“Oh, man, do I have some stories for you….” Luke was grinning so hard his entire face ached. This was incredible! Of all the people to run into…
Biggs knocked a fist into Luke’s shoulder. “I’ve got to go get aboard. Listen, you’ll tell me your stories when we come back. All right?”
Biggs started jogging for a nearby X-wing.
“I told you I’d make it someday, Biggs!” Luke called after him.
His friend held his arms up in the air, echoing the triumph Luke felt. “You did, all right. It’s going to be like old times!”
Luke gripped the ladder of his ship, starting the short climb up. His heart was racing like crazy—the way it had each time his skyhopper had clipped a wing passing through the narrow canyon. The crew chief had to wave his arms to get Luke’s attention.
“This Artoo unit of yours seems a bit beat-up,” the man called, gesturing to where the droid was being lifted into the socket at the back of the ship. “Do you want a new one?”
“Not on your life!” Luke shouted back, swinging his legs into the cockpit. “That little droid and I have been through a lot together.” He switched on the comlink to the droid. “You okay back there, Artoo?”
The cheerful whistling he got in response was enough to make him grin again as he clipped his helmet on. The glass-and-metal canopy was lowered over him and sealed into place. Fiddling with his heavy leather gloves, Luke watched the last gasp of activity below. As he went through the ignition sequence, a soft, familiar voice whispered in his ear: Luke, the Force will be with you.
He just about jumped out of his skin in surprise. That was—it was like on the Death Star. That was Ben’s voice.
No. That was his mind playing games with him.
Luke leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes. It was happening. It was all finally happening. He had R2 at his back, he had Wedge’s lessons, and now he had Biggs out there flying with him.
He was ready.
THEY SHOT UP through the atmosphere, winging into space in a tight formation. The Y-wings fanned out around Luke’s squad as they rounded Yavin 4 and came face to face with the Death Star.
“Woah!” Luke couldn’t tell which pilot had let his surprise slip, but Luke didn’t blame him. The first time he’d seen the battle station, his insides had twisted into tiny little knots. Now he just felt like he was soaring, and he was chasing the feeling full throttle. The X-wing was nothing like flying his skyhopper, or the simulator.
“All wings report in,” Red Leader called.
They moved down the roster. Biggs chimed in as Red Three, Wedge as Red Two.
“Red Five standing by,” Luke said when it was his turn.
“Lock S-foils in attack position,” Red Leader said.
Luke reached up and flicked the switch that would unfold the wings of his ship, locking them in the X position.
“We’re passing through their magnetic field,” Red Leader said, his voice over the comm crackling with interference.
“Doing okay, Artoo?” Luke asked, adjusting his controls. The X-wing began to bounce, as if it had hit a small invisible patch of asteroids. The droid chirped back, and the X-wing translated his message on a nearby screen: ALL SYSTEMS GO.
“Switch your deflectors on,” Red Leader said.
Yikes, right—that would be helpful. Luke quickly did as he was told, glancing up through the canopy. Half the Death Star was shadowed by the planet Yavin, the other half illuminated by the soft glow of the nearby sun. Luke’s hands clenched the controls as his breath caught at the back of his throat.
Now that they were closer, Luke could make out the thousands of tiny structures lining the battle station’s surface, the twinkling lights on the different control stations and towers. The other ships spread out around him, silently filling the endless space around them.
“Red Leader, this is Gold Leader.”
“I copy, Gold Leader.”
“We’re starting for the target shaft now.”
“Copy that. We’re in position. I’m going to cut across the axis and try to draw their fire.”
Two groups of fighters peeled off from the others. Luke steered his ship down toward the Death Star, following his squadron into a sudden spray of laser fire from one of the space station’s surface-mounted cannons.
“Heavy fire!” Wedge reported.
“I see it,” Red Leader said. “Stay low, everyone.”
There was a system to the attack—who would take the first shot at the exhaust port, who would fall in line behind if the pilot couldn’t finish his or her run. Gold Squadron would make the first attempt, with the other squadron covering them and trying to draw fire away from their ships. But Luke knew that when it came down to it, anyone could and should take the shot if he or she had it—including him.
He threw his X-wing down into a sharp nosedive, firing at one of the laser cannon towers. The structure burst into a fireball far bigger than he expected, and as hard as he yanked back on his controls, the ship wasn’t pulling up fast enough to avoid it. Terror slammed into his chest.
“Luke, pull up!” he heard Biggs cry.
The X-wing shuddered as it passed through the edge of the explosion, emerging with singed wings.
“Are you all right?” Biggs called over the comm.
Luke swallowed the lump in his throat, shaking off his fear. “I got a little cooked, but I’m okay. This is Red Five. I’m going back in.”
“Watch yourself!” Red Leader barked. “There’s a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower.”
“I’m on it,” Luke shot back. He spun his ship into another rapid dive, his concentration narrowing on the target. He fired along a stretch of the Death Star’s surface, wiping out small radars and towers as he went.
The Death Star blurred through his window as he picked up speed. To his right, he saw Biggs make a similar dive into a field of domes and antennae, narrowly avoiding return fire from the battle station.
Then there was that sound—that telltale screech. Luke craned his neck to confirm what his target screen and ears were telling him. TIE fighters. Dozens of them.
“Enemy fighters at point four,” Red Leader called. Luke was vaguely aware of the control officer back on Yavin 4 repeating the information, asking for an update. He tried to imagine what the battle looked like to those below, whether their hearts were pounding as hard as his was.
“Red Three!” Red Leader’s voice interrupted Luke’s thoughts. Red Three was Biggs. Luke searched the surface of the Death Star, trying to locate his friend. “You’ve picked up an enemy fighter…watch it!”
“I can’t se
e it!” Biggs called back. “Where is he?”
Luke saw the TIE fighter on his friend’s tail, just as Biggs dropped closer to the surface.
“He’s on me tight. I can’t shake him….I can’t shake him!”
Biggs changed direction so quickly, Luke found himself flying upside down for half the dive to reach his friend. “Hang on, Biggs, I’m coming in!” Luke glanced over his shoulder at his astromech. “I need more speed, Artoo!”
Whatever the droid did, it gave him another burst of power. When Luke had the TIE fighter in range, he didn’t hesitate. He blew it into a thousand pieces, scattering the enemy ship to the stars. “Got him!”
Instead of relief, Biggs just sounded more panicked. “Pull in! Luke…pull in!”
“Watch your back, Red Five!” Wedge chimed in. “There’s a fighter above you, coming in!”
In a move that would have broken his skyhopper in half, Luke forced his X-wing into a steep climb. His ship’s tail got a wallop of a blast from the TIE fighter, but he didn’t lose control.
“Status?” Red Leader called.
“I’m hit, but not bad,” Luke said. There was another sudden explosion behind him as a TIE fighter he hadn’t seen was sent crashing into the Death Star. He caught a glimpse of Wedge’s face through his canopy.
“Thanks, Wedge,” he said, shaken.
“No problem!”
“More enemy fighters coming in!” Gold Leader reported. “We’re making our run!”
“Copy that,” Red Leader said.
As if that weren’t enough bad news, the base back on Yavin 4 sent another terrifying update over the comms: “Death Star will be in range in five minutes.”
Okay, Luke thought, holding his breath. Five minutes was still plenty of time. They’d need only a few seconds, anyway, to get the actual shot off. Now it was just a matter of getting close enough to do it.
“Switching to targeting computer!” Gold Leader said.
“They’re coming in too hot!” Gold Two said. “Gold Leader, I can’t—”
The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy Page 13
