Alliances II: Civil War II Chapter Seventy-Three

The attack force gathered and briefed, they began to make their final preparations for the attack on the Death Star. As Artoo Deetoo was lowered into his new X-wing fighter, Skywalker looked across the landing bay and saw Han Solo and Chewbacca loading crates into the Millennium Falcon. This saddened Skywalker. Although he had only known Solo for a short time, he had come to think of him as a friend, and a damn good fighter. Now, when the Rebel Alliance needed all the good fighters they could get, Solo was running away. The price placed on his head by Jabba was getting too heavy for him to carry, and he wanted it lifted.

As the engineers prepared his Hammerhead fighter, McQueen looked out over the landing bay. Although many of the Rebel pilots were not military trained, McQueen could tell they were a fine bunch, enough to rival anything the Imperials had to throw at them. He hoped that he and his squadron would fit in well with them. If they didn't, there would be hell to pay.

The preparations complete, Watt and MacCleod entered the main control room of the base, and were greeted by Leia and Dodonna. In the centre of the room was a massive holographic display, the likes of which they had never seen before. It seemed that in some areas, Rebel technology was better than theirs.

The calls came in from the squadron leaders, telling the command they were ready to go. In a way, Watt wished he was joining them. At one time he had been considered one of the best pilots in the Alpha Quadrant, but had given up that career in Starfleet for a career in command.

The sentry guards on the surface watched as the assortment of fighters flew out of the underground caverns towards space. Aboard the Free Federation fleet, the senior officers watched the fighters fly past them, wishing them well.

Ten minutes into their flight, they saw their target, the Death Star. Even from some distance away, it looked massive, possibly as large as a planet. This station was possibly the greatest engineering feat ever undertaken in the history of the galaxy. But that was the last thing on the minds of the Rebel minds. The only thing they were thinking of was the destruction of the Death Star.

The first wave went in. The X-wings, closely followed by the Hammerheads, engaged the gun turrets. The Imperial gunners immediately ran into a problem. Imperial military commanders had expected the Death Star to be attacked by heavy cruisers, not small, one man fighters. Their targeting systems could not get a lock on the much smaller craft, because they were moving far too fast. The energy beams just went off into deep space. In this sense, the Rebels had the advantage. They were able to destroy some of the gun turrets.

With the gun turrets otherwise occupied, the Y-wing fighters began their attack run down the trench.

In the main control room of the Death Star, Vader observed the readouts. Like the other Imperial commanders, he had not expected an attack of this nature. He began to wonder which Rebel commander had come up with this plan, because it was a good one. Knowing that his plan was not working, Vader ordered a TIE fighter squadron launched. If the gunners couldn't take care of the fighters, then other fighters could.

As McQueen led the 58th across the surface of the Death Star, he soon ran into the first wave of TIE fighters. Secretly, this was the chance he had been waiting for, the chance to test himself against the best the Empire had to offer. Breaking to avoid a collision with the oncoming TIE fighters, the 58th quickly re-assumed attack formation, and engaged the Imperial pilots.

 

Although both sets of pilots came from the opposite end of the galaxy, their tactics were very similar. On many occasions, the 58th pilots found themselves unable to shake Imperial pursuers, and each time, they had to rely on their comrades to bail them out. But then again, there was no disgrace in this. That was what teamwork was all about.

With the Hammerheads and X-wings engaged in their own battles, another TIE squadron moved down the trench after the Y-wings. The older, bulkier Y-wings were no match for the far more advanced TIE fighters. Try as they might, they could not escape the faster ships. One Y-wing pilot managed to get close to the exhaust port. He fired a torpedo, but his targeting computer did not get an exact launch. The torpedo exploded on the side of the trench. Seconds later, that Y-wing, the last one in the squadron, also exploded.

 

As Tarkin watched the battle on computer readouts, an officer approached him.

"Sir, we have found a possible weakness on the Death Star's defenses. Should we ready your escape craft?"

Tarkin looked at the officer, and laughed.

"Why would I need that? I hardly think the Rebels are going to win, do you? I will stay here!"

 

Having destroyed the Y-wing squadron, the TIE fighters were about to move out of the trench when they found themselves attacked. Once more the 58th, still in an attack formation, proved their worth. The TIE fighters did not know what hit them. They didn't stand a chance. Soon, all the TIE fighters had been destroyed.

"This is Queen Bee to Red Leader!" McQueen called. "Begin your run! We'll cover you!"

With the Hammerheads covering them, the first wave of X-wings moved in.

 

Vader soon left the main control room. He knew there was nothing more he could do there. Taking two other pilots with him, he made his way to one of the hangar decks. There, he boarded his own fighter, an experimental TIE interceptor, more powerful and agile than the normal TIE fighters. The tide of the battle was about to turn.

 

This time, the 58th were caught off guard by Vader and his pilots. Instead of firing normal energy weapons at the Hammerheads, Vader's fighter fired an energy pulse, which immobilised all the electrical systems on the Hammerheads.

"We're dead in space!" Vansen called.

"No we're not!" called McQueen. "We've still got minimum engine power, enough to make it back to Yavin!"

"Then go!" said Red Leader. "You're no good here!"

McQueen knew that they had to admit defeat. There was nothing more they could do. Reluctantly, they headed back to Yavin IV.