9
An exhausted Mara threw herself to the ground as night settled on Tatooine. Luke kept telling her that this would only be a short break, but she wasn’t listening. All of the muscles in her body ached and she knew that it wouldn’t be long before she would literally collapse to the ground. “How do you do it, Luke?” She asked hoarsely.
“You just have to focus your energy, let the Force flow through you to ease your pain. Just close your eyes and take in everything with your other senses,” Luke coached. Mara closed her eyes and for a few minutes she seemed to be asleep. “You’re doing great.”
“I feel great,” she responded and stood up with new energy. She brushed the dust off of her body and out of her hair as they continued their trek to Mos Eisley. “Thanks.”
“You did the hard part, not me. All I did was tell you how to use your potential,” Luke blushed a little at her praise. He still didn’t think that he was that good of a teacher. Not nearly as good as Ben or Yoda had been.
“You really think that I have potential? I know that I can do some stuff, but I can never be as good as you are.”
“That’s what I thought when I met Ben. But soon I realized that once I opened my eyes, everything became clearer. When you know the basics then the rest of it will come to you. So, as long as you keep your mind open you will learn more and more. It’s all up to you.” They climbed over a boulder and Mara digested this information. She couldn’t ever imagine herself as good with the Force as Luke. She could never be a Jedi like he was. But then she had thought back to that fight in the bar. Everyone had believed that she was a Jedi because she had used her lightsaber to stop the argument.
“How much farther do I have to go?” Mara asked him.
“That’s all up to you. The only limits placed upon your ability are the ones that you set. If you choose not to learn something than you won’t.”
“Right. But not everyone can be a Jedi.”
“Not everyone can use the Force the way that Jedis do. But we are all still part of it.” He suddenly stopped and looked her in the eye. “I know you have the ability Mara Jade. You can do it if you try. You only have to stop being so unsure of yourself. That’s what’s holding you back. You have to realize that you can do it, you have to do it.”
“What? Why do I have to do it? There are others out there. You, Leia’s twins, and for all we know there could be millions of others who just don’t know it yet!” Her anger was rising, she didn’t want this heavy burden that Luke was trying to put on her. The galaxy would not live or die because of her. She was only one person, she couldn’t do everything.
“You have to do it because without you the smugglers are doomed. We’re both going to need everything we’ve got if we want to succeed. If you want to save them then you have to do it.” Luke walked away in silence, quietly fuming. He knew that she did have many of the same talents that he had had when he started learning about the Force. But to pull this rescue off she would have to learn more. She would need everything she had, and more. So much more than he could teach her.
Mara stood still, watching him go. Didn’t he understand that she didn’t want to be one fo the great Jedi? She didn’t want all of the power that Jedis had. After being around the Emperor for so long and after fighting Joruus C’boath she knew how that power could so easily be used for evil. But seeing Luke’s dedication, his determination to rebuild the ranks of the good Jedi Knights, made her begin to wonder if he could do it alone. She shook her head, knowing that that task was too much for a single Jedi Knight. Besides, she owed the smugglers something.
She had brought them here, to Tatooine, where they had been captured. She had to help them get free again if she wanted to earn their trust. They would never trust her or Talon Karrde again unless she rescued them. And to rescue them she would need Luke Skywalker’s help. And he would need her help.
She shook her head and ran after him. He turned around and faced her, fire in his eyes. “Are you with me or not? Will you at least let me teach you some more?” He asked. She took a step back and again saw his determination. He was going to Mos Eisley even if she wasn’t going to be of much help.
“Yes...yes, you can teach me. I want to help the smugglers the best way I can. Let’s go,” Mara replied and they began walking again. The twin suns were beginning to rise and they searched wearily for somewhere to rest. They finally found a tiny cave that had more than likely once been a lair for some animal. They both sat down and closed their eyes to sleep.
Wedge threw his helmet to the crew chief and then climbed down the ladder. He looked around and saw that the line of A-Wings had shortened to nine. There were still the six B-Wings and ten X-Wings. Then Wedge saw the Millenium Falcon in the hangar. What were they doing here? He asked himself. He shrugged and walked away to the debriefing room.
As the pilots filed into the room, Wedge saw that Captain Ayhem and the B-Wing pilots were sitting in the front row. He knew that this wasn’t going to be just a simple debriefing. He sat with his fellow Rogue pilots and heard them talking to each other about the last mission. The doors finally hissed shut Ayhem stood and the lights dimmed. A holographic map of Tatooine appeared.
“The Star Destroyer in orbit around Tatooine has so far held its station. We have to take advantage of this situation. We are going to launch a counterattack using our B-Wing fighters. To do this we have to draw off the TIE fighters guarding the Star Destroyer.
Rogue and Blue Squadrons are going to launch in two hours. They will head to these coordinates,” Ayhem pointed to an empty section of space between the frigate and the Star Destroyer. “This should lure the Imperial fighters after these fighters. Once the TIEs are engaged with the fighter squadrons, the B-Wings will launch and run their attack on the Star Destroyer. Once the B-Wings have completed their runs, any of the fighters that can break off and have torpedoes or missiles left can make individual runs at the Star Destroyer. It is our hope that this attack will weaken the Star Destroyer’s shields enough so that an attack made by this vessel can be productive.” The holographic map disappeared and the lights came up. It was then that the doors opened and an officer stood in the doorway.
“Sir! Enemy fighters have been detected launching from the Star Destroyer. They’re heading our way!” The officer said. The pilots jumped to their feet.
“Scramble! We’ve got to get those fighters before they get to the ship!” Ayhem commanded. The pilots rushed out of the room. The officer joined Ayhem in the front of the room.
“What do we do now?” She asked.
“We hope that our fighters can hold out and that we can somehow mount an offense. Ready all defensive batteries and make sure shield power is at maximum.”
“Aye sir.” The officer left and Ayhem trailed after. He had a feeling that it would be a long while before they even thought of going on the offensive.
Leia heard the alarms and brushed past Han, who was carrying a box of supplies into their quarters. Peeking into the corridor, she saw everyone rushing around. Seeing the confusion, she knew that this was her chance.
“Han, let’s go!” She shouted. He nodded and stumbled after her with the bulky box. Finally he gave up on the box and dropped it in the corridor as he pursued his wife. He caught up to her at the hangar and he ran into the cockpit of the Falcon and found that Chewie had already warmed up the engines. Leia sat in one of the rear seats with the droids worriedly sitting in the lounge. Han began to taxi the freighter and narrowly avoided hitting an A-Wing that taxied in front of him.
Amid the scrambling fighters, the Falcon streaked out of the hangar bay. The TIE fighters were already closing on the frigates. “Leia, get in the lower turret!” Han shouted as he ran for the quad guns. Chewie took control of the freighter as a pair of TIE Fighters banked towards the Falcon. Leia strapped into the lower turret and looked around for any Imperials. One fighter angled for a shot at the freighter’s vulnerable belly. Leia spun the gun around and fired. Most of the shots missed, but one barely hit the top of the TIE’s cockpit. The cockpit ripped open and the pilot was sucked into space, his fighter spinning out of control.
Han nailed another TIE Fighter and he looked around for more. But everything was quiet now. Apparently the TIEs had better things to worry about. Han climbed down from the quads and strode up to the cockpit. Chewie growled something and he could see what his partner was talking about. The TIEs were only going at the
Han tried to contact the Ranger, but all of the frequencies were being jammed. He wished that there was something he could do, but there wasn’t. Even with the Falcon’s speed, it couldn’t get back to the frigate in time to get a warning before the Star Destroyer closed within firing range. The only thing he could do was try and give them something else to shoot at.
“Everyone strap in!” Han called over the intercom. Artoo whistled and Threepio moaned in despair. He put the throttles at maximum and aimed the Falcon at the Star Destroyer’s bridge. He armed all of the ship’s missiles and then fired one at the Star Destroyer.
Isel saw the freighter closing and grinned. If the fool thought he could get anywhere near the Star Destroyer, then he was mistaken. “Gunners, target that incoming ship and fire!” Isel barked. Seconds later the turbolasers opened up.
Han fired the rest of the missiles and then began to pull up as he saw the massive turbolaser volley aimed at the freighter. The shields were pounded by green energy and the ship was rattled violently. Leia was thrown around in her seat and then the straps on her seat gave way and sent her crashing to the floor. The Falcon was rocked again and she hit her head against a console. Han ignored her groaning as he fought for control and, working with Chewie, he was able to get it going level. Then he unstrapped and rushed to Leia’s side.
Her head was bloodied and she was unconscious. He scooped her up and took her back to the bunks. He set her down and looked for the medical kit. He located it and began to wrap her head in bandages. Then he pulled a blanket over her body to keep her warm and stepped into the lounge. “Artoo, see what you can do about repairs,” his voice sounded tired and Artoo scurried off to plug into the computer. “Threepio, keep an eye on Leia.” Threepio nodded, looking as concerned as a droid could possibly get.
Han walked back into the cockpit and could see that the ship had taken a lot of damage. The shields were badly depleted and the engines were only working at half power. But the weapons were still working and Han tried to tell himself that he had done the right thing. The problem was that he wasn’t believing that.
Wedge groaned to himself as he saw the last B-Wing explode. This time the
He blasted another TIE Fighter and lined up an Interceptor. So far none of the TIEs had made a run on the frigate, although they probably could have slipped through. Wedge didn’t have time to think of the significance of that though. Three TIEs were quickly on his tail and blasting away at him. He grimaced and rolled tightly to his left and then swung around to face the Imperial starfighters. He fired his guns and was able to get two of the fighters. There was no time to celebrate. More fighters were coming in. He pushed up his visor and wiped away the sweat with the back of his glove, noticing that the Imperials were fighting much more agressively this time.
He pulled his visor back down and then got back into the fight, blowing a TIE Fighter off of Rogue Two’s back. An A-Wing flashed by him and a few seconds later erupted in a ball of flame. It was then that Wedge was near blinded by a dazzling display of light. He looked around him and saw that the frigate was under attack.
“Damage report?” Ayhem demanded as the ship was rocked by turbolaser blasts.
“Shields are going down!” Someone shouted, although Ayhem couldn’t see who it was through the smoke on the bridge.
“Fire everything we’ve got and reverse at full speed!” Ayhem shouted. The remaining turbolasers on the Ranger fired. The Star Destroyer’s shields weakened a little.
“Fire!” Isel commanded coolly on the bridge of the Ravage. Almost instantly the turbolasers opened up again with a massive volume of green fire aimed at the frigate. The smoke cleared on the frigate’s bridge and Ayhem could see the Star Destroyer coming closer and firing. He rose to his feet and could only stare out the window as the shots hit. The shields collapsed and the bridge was assaulted by green light as a turbolaser blast ripped through the bridge. Ayhem was incinerated where he stood. The frigate yawed out of control, the engines still moving the ship backwards.
Emergency systems came on line and the ruptured areas of the ship were sealed. But the damage had been done and the ship was dead in the water. Bysal handed Isel a data pad and he looked at it with satisfaction. The Rebels were finished. It wouldn’t take long to destroy them.
“Gunners! Target the Rebel ship and fire!” Isel looked out the bridge glass to witness the final destruction. But nothing happened. “What happened?”
“Sir, our turbolaser batteries have been severely drained by these attacks. We have to recharge the batteries before we can attack,” Bysal reported after checking with the gunners.
“Very well, pull back out of range of the frigate’s weapons until the batteries are recharged.” Isel sat down in his command chair and sighed. The damages the ship had suffered in its previous battles with the Rebels had made it so that power recharged very slowly. It would take hours for the turbolaser batteries to recharge.
The frigate finally stopped moving and there was an eerie standoff between the massive Star Destroyer and the much smaller frigate. The frigate’s crew heaved a collective sigh of relief and then repair crews hurried to survey and repair the damage to the ship. But there was no hope to repair the damage of the lost crewmembers. The valiant crew of the Ranger carried on their duties in silence, not wanting to discuss the missing or dead.
A repair crew arrived on the bridge a short time later. They found that most of the bridge crew was gone and that most of the equipment was fried. The holes in the bridge had been sealed and the repair crew slowly walked through the bridge to see what was in working condition. Then they set to work on getting backup systems working. It was slow work but the bridge was soon restored to the nervous center of the ship. But one thing was still missing, there was no captain for the ship.
Wedge pulled away from the TIE Fighter’s debris, seeing that the tide had turned. The battle had been going on for over an hour and now the more skillful
Wedge banked away and briefly saw that the TIE Advanced was back. He felt exhausted and didn’t want to get into another protracted dogfight with the Advanced. He yanked back on the stick and then looked for the enemy starfighter. He saw it on the tail of an A-Wing and targeted it with a torpedo. He waited for the tone and mashed the trigger. The torpedo fired and the Advanced broke off its attack. Wedge was instantly on its tail and began blasting it with all four cannons. The TIE Advanced banked away and Wedge followed. They maneuvered around space for quite some time, neither fighter gaining the advantage. And then the TIE pilot, perhaps he was tired or just getting sloppy, dropped into a slow dive and Wedge mashed down the firing button.
The Advanced pilot realized his mistake and quickly banked away, but his shields went down. The TIE Advanced did a quick loop and Wedge’s shields buckled and finally collapsed. Wedge checked and saw that he was starting to get low on fuel. He knew that he needed to get rid of the Advanced quickly or else he would be stranded. The Advanced was coming around behind him and Wedge dropped his speed. The faster TIE sped by and Wedge launched his last torpedo. The torpedo smashed into the TIE Advanced and it exploded into small fragments. Smiling tiredly, Wedge headed back to the frigate.
He arrived to find a cluster of officers waiting for him. He removed his helmet and ran a gloved hand through sweat-soaked hair. He was exhausted and wanted only to go to his quarters and sleep. The officers clustered around the ladder and he wondered what was going on. He leaned his head back in the headrest and looked around the hangar. There weren’t nearly as many starfighters now. The B-Wings were gone and Wedge knew that none of them were coming back. There were only four A-Wings left and six of Wedge’s Rogue Squadron remained. Not even a squadron of fighters to put up against a Star Destroyer. He slowly climbed down the ladder and then looked at the gathered officers. He didn’t remember seeing any of them except for one. She was a blond woman that was a bridge officer. Her face was cut and covered with soot. She had been in her quarters during the attack and was now the highest ranking officer on the ship at Lieutenant. Looking around, Wedge saw that none of the people around him were looking very happy.
“What’s going on?” Wedge demanded.
“I’m sorry sir, but we’ve got a serious problem here,” the lieutenant, Nan Mews, said. “As of now, you are the senior officer on this ship. Congratulations, Captain, you are now in command of the
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