Kalon - Han Solo [1]

Chapter 21 : We're With Ya, Tash

"Tasha," said the red leader, "it's up to you,"

"We can cover for you," she said, her voice slightly desperate, speaking quickly, "hold on,"

"No," he said sternly, "I've just lost my starboard engine," Tasha sucked in an uneven breath, "Tasha, you're the rebellion's last hope, our last shot. Make it count, Ryann." the ship blew into a cloud of dust and sparks, flames encompassing the red leader as his ship plummeted into the space station.

Tasha bit back a cry of pain and desperation, biting her bottom lip and squeezing her eyes shut, trying to pull herself out of it. she should be used to it by now, by now there were only her, Luke, Biggs and wedge, and one of them was gonna have to hit that shot. She also knew that she was in no means stable enough to, her mind whirring with thoughts and feelings that clouded her vision.

"Luke," she said in a slightly shaking voice, "I want you to take the boys down with you and lead the run,"

"But Tash-"

"Don't argue, red five," she said, probably more sternly than she should have, but she didn't really care, "I'll be up here, making sure the three of you don't get blown to smithereens. Take it as fast as you can, as much speed as you can get out of these buckets of bolts. Hit that thing square on the nose. Surprise them. You hear me?"

"Yes, red leader," said Luke, his voice too having a harsh edge to it.

"Luke," said Biggs, a lot more anxious than any of the others, "at that speed will we be able to pull up in time?"

"It'll be just like beggar's canyon back home," Luke replied in his now calm voice, oozing the confidence Tasha pretended to possess, except she didn't; she knew that deep down she didn't.

She watched the three x-wings bank in a smooth roll around the side of the space station, and Tasha searches around her mind for it. The connection. The one last useful thing she can do now she's let her emotions get the better of her. She finds it. The thread that leads back to her former life. She blocks out the explosion that meant the death of another of her friends, refusing to let anything else distract her. Not the constant buzz of Luke on her radio, not wedge's ship flying up next to her. She latched onto the thread not letting go. . She opened her eyes, flying closer to the trench, watching the three ships pursuing Luke.

"Remember me?" she projected to him through the bond, positioning her targeting computer over the centre ship; Vader's ship.

She kept up the connection, sending the message again and again, hoping to give Luke enough time to shoot it, to confuse Vader enough to get a shot at him. She squeezed the trigger slightly, before a voice ripped through her head, a questioning, disbelieving, curious voice.

"Tasha?" there was something about that voice, how it was the same as she remembered, breathless with startled disbelief, and Tasha gritted her teeth.

Tasha pulled down hard on the trigger before she lost her nerve, swerving as her heart and head fought for control. The laser bolt zapped out of her gun, clipping the wing of Vader's fighter. Tasha's wasn't the only laser blast though. An elated shout bellowed through her radio headphones.

"Geez Han, tone it down," she muttered. It took a minute for her brain to realise what she said. The falcon fired another blast, taking out another of Vader's bodyguards and Tasha grinned.

"You're all clear kid," Han hollered, and Tasha smiled.

"Now just blow this thing and we can go home," she said to Luke. She felt him concentrate on the exhaust, could feel him manipulating the energy of something he couldn't even begin to understand. She let out a breath of relief as it sailed, perfectly hitting its target. Now it was time to get out of here.

"Great shot kid, that was one in a million." Han said evident relief in his voice. "Well done, your highness." For once, Tasha wasn't cross about him using her title as a nickname.

"You too, flyboy," she said, "now lets get out of here."