"I'm just getting started," his friend announced as he twisted his ship violently to

avoid the fire from below. He hove into view over Luke's shoulder and executed a

victory roll. "Just point me at the target."

Back alongside Yavin's indifferent bulk, Dodonna finished an intense discussion

with several of his principal advisors, then moved to the long-range transmitter.

"Blue Leader, this is Base One. Double-check your own attack prior to

commencement. Have your wingmen hold back and cover for you. Keep half of

your group out of range to make the next run."

"Copy, Base On," the response came. "Blue Ten, Blue Twelve, join with me."

Two ships leveled off to flank the squadron commander. Blue Leader checked

them out. Satisfied that they were positioned properly for attack run, he set the

group to follow in case they should fail.

"Blue Five, this is Blue Leader. Luke, take Blue Two and Three with you.

Hold up here out of their fire and wait for my signal to start your own run."

"Copy, Blue Leader," Luke acknowledged, trying to slow his heart slightly.

"May the force be with you. Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up." Together, the three

fighters assumed a tight formation high above the firefight still raging between other

rebel craft of Green and Yellow squadrons and the imperial gunners below.

The horizon flip-flopped ahead of Blue Leader as he commenced his approach to

the station surface. "Blue Ten, Blue Twelve, stay back until we spot those fighters,

then cover me."

All three X-wings reached the surface, leveled off, then arced into the trench.

His wingmen dropped farther and farther behind until Blue Leader was seemingly

alone in the vast gray chasm.

No defensive fire greeted him as he raced toward the distant target. He found

himself looking around nervously, checking and rechecking the same instruments.

"This doesn't look right," he found himself muttering.

Blue Ten sounded equally concerned. "You should be able to pick up the target

by now."

"I know. The disruption down here is unbelievable. I think my instruments

are off. Is this the right trench?"

Suddenly, intense streaks of light began to shoot close by as the trench defenses

opened up. Near misses shook the attackers. At the far end of the trench a huge

tower dominated the metal ridge, vomiting enormous amounts of energy at the

nearing ships.

"It's not going to be easy with that tower up there," Blue Leader declared grimly.

"Stand by to close up a little when I tell you."

Abruptly the energy bolts ceased and all was silent and dark in the trench once

again. "This is it," Blue Leader announced, trying to locate the attack from above

that had to be coming. "Keep your eyes open for those fighters."

"All short- and long-range scopes are blank," Blue Ten reported tensely. "Too

much interference here. Blue Five, can you see them from where you are?"

Luke's attention was riveted to the surface of the station. "No sign of- Wait!"

Three rapidly moving points of light caught his eye. "There they are. Coming in

point three five."

Blue Ten turned and looked in the indicated direction. Sun bounced off

stabilizing fins as the Tie fighters looped downward. "I see them."

"It's the right trench, all right," Blue Leader exclaimed as his tracking scope

suddenly began a steady beeping. He adjusted his targeting instrumentation, pulling

the visor down over his eyes. "I'm almost in range. Targets ready...coming up.

Just hold them off me for a few seconds-keep 'em busy."

But Darth Vader was ready setting his own fire control as he dropped like a stone

toward the trench. "Close up the formation. I'll take them myself."

Blue Twelve went first, both engines blown. A slight deviation in flight path

and his ship slammed into the trench wall. Blue Ten showed and accelerated,

bobbed drunkenly, but could do little within the confines of those metal walls.

"I can't hold them long. You'd better fire while you can, Blue Leader-we're

closing on you."

The squadron commander was wholly absorbed in lining up two circles within

his targeting visor. "We're almost home. Steady, steady..."

Blue Ten glanced around frantically. "They're right behind me!"

Blue Leader was amazed at how calm he was. The targeting device was partly

responsible, enabling him to concentrate on tiny, abstract images to the exclusion of

all else, helping him to shut out the rest of the inimical universe.

"Almost there, almost there..." he whispered. Then the two circles matched,

turned red, and a steady buzzing sounded in his helmet. "Torpedoes away, torpedoes

away."

Immediately after, Blue Ten let his own missiles loose. Both fighters pulled up

sharply, just clearing the end of the trench as several explosions billowed in their

wake.

"It's a hit! We've done it!" Blue Ten shouted hysterically.

Blue Leader's reply was thick with disappointment. "No, we haven't. they

didn't go in. They just exploded on the surface outside the shaft."

Disappointment killed them, too, as they neglected to watch behind them.

Three pursuing Imperial fighters continued up out of the fading light from the torpedo

explosions. Blue Ten fell to Vader's precision fire, then the Dark Lord changed

course slightly to fall in behind the squadron commander.

"I'll take the last one," he announced coldly. "You two go back."
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