Page 47 - Star Wars Insider #175

FICTION

to think of their ships in the warm, So yes. Vader was head and shoulders gargantuan size making the rebel ship
fuzzy way the rebels were reported to above the rest of them—literally and look like the toys she’d been allowed
do. A ship was a ship was a ship. And figuratively. But it wasn’t Vader’s friends to play with as a child. The Y-wing was

Iden understood that, as far as most in who were dying in this battle, and making for Yavin as fast as it could,
the Empire were concerned, a pilot was Iden burned to be the one to make swerving erratically enough that Iden
a pilot was a pilot: as expendable and the rebels pay. frowned as she tried to get a lock on it.

interchangeable as the ships they fl ew. With a huffing sigh that she was A sudden scalding brightness fi lled
We all serve at the pleasure of the certain was audible, she swerved from her vision.
Emperor, her father had drilled into tailing the X-wing, frowning as red Temporarily blinded, Iden hurtled
her since she was old enough to laserfire came perilously close to her wildly, her TIE fighter tumbling out

comprehend what an emperor was. fighter’s fragile wings. That was on her; of control. As her vision returned,
None of us is indispensable. Iden had she hadn’t been focusing. she realized debris was coming at her
certainly seen Imperial ships shot down She corrected that oversight as intensely as if she had suddenly
before. This was war, and she was a immediately, zooming away from the materialized inside an asteroid fi eld.
soldier. But indispensable be damned. station toward a pair of Y-wings that Her focus, always powerful, narrowed
The half smile she’d been wearing was, successfully, attempting to get her to laserlike precision as she frantically
during most of the combat vanished, attention. Any other time, Iden would dodged and swerved, maneuvering
and Iden pressed her lips together have enjoyed toying with them—they around the biggest pieces and wishing
angrily. She veered, perhaps a touch were decent pilots, although the ones with all her being that TIE fi ghters
too violently, to the right and targeted in the X-wings were superior—but right had shields.
another X-wing. In mere seconds it now she was too irritated to do so. Iden pivoted and tumbled, breathing
exploded into a yellow-orange fi reball. She targeted the closest Y-wing, the mercifully still-fl owing oxygen
“Gotcha, you—” she muttered. locked onto it, and blew it to pieces. deeply and rhythmically. But she knew
“No commentary, Versio,” warned Watching the fragments of the in her heart it was just a matter of time.
Neerik, her voice rising a little; more starfighter hurtling wildly was some There was too much debris, some of it

hot than cold, now. “We will be having small compensation for the deaths of the size of a standard escape pod, some

“SHE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND
TARGETED ANOTHER X-WING. IN MERE
SECONDS IT EXPLODED INTO A FIREBALL.”

the honor of Lord Vader joining us her fellow pilots. of it as small as her clenched fist, and she
momentarily. He and his pilots will be “Death Star is two minutes to was right in the thick of it. The smaller
focusing on the hostiles navigating the target. Be aware of your distance from pieces were pelting her TIE fi ghter
meridian trench. All remaining units are the planet.” already. Sooner or later, one of the big
ordered to redirect their attacks to the Ah, so that was why Neerik was chunks would hit her, and both Senior
rebel ships on the magnetic perimeter.” giving the countdown. Iden had to Lieutenant Iden Versio and her ship
Iden almost shouted a protest, but give the pilot of the other Y-wing credit would be nothing more than smears on
stopped herself just in time. For some for courage, albeit of the foolish kind; what was left of Yavin’s moon.
reason still unknown to the squadron, the ship was now racing away from Somehow, she’d wandered too
this perplexing tactic by the rebel pilots the Death Star at top speed. Were they close to the Death Star’s target and had
was clearly of great concern. Lord Vader heading back to Yavin’s moon, nobly gotten caught up in the chaotic sweep
wouldn’t trouble himself with appearing choosing to die with their base, or were of its destruction—exactly what her
personally to take care of it otherwise. they just trying to evade her? commander had been warning
Almost everything Iden knew about Not happening, Iden thought, and her against.
Darth Vader was pure speculation. The continued her pursuit. She got the But how was that possible?
exception was a single revelation on vessel in her sights and fired. She didn’t “Mayday, mayday,” Iden shouted,

the part of her father, in one of those slow as the ship exploded, but simply unable to keep her voice calm as she
rare moments when he was feeling less pulled back and looped up and over the desperately dipped and dived to avoid

taciturn than usual with his only child. fireball and debris, snug in her crash disaster. “This is TIE Sigma Three
“Lord Vader has great power,” Versio webbing, and smoothly dipped the TIE requesting assistance. Repeat, this is TIE

had said. “His instincts and his refl exes fighter in front of the second Y-wing for Sigma Three requesting assistance, do
are uncanny. And . . . there are certain the perfect shot. you copy, over?”
abilities he possesses that our Emperor The pale moon-shape of the Death Silence. Absolute, cold, terrifying silence.

finds to be of tremendous value.” Star loomed behind the vessel, its The inevitable occurred at last.

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