High Heavens (Star Wars - Luke Skywalker)

XXI - Assault on the Death Star

As they flew nearer and nearer to the battle station, a pair of new voices sounded in Mara's earpiece.

"Red and Blue Leaders, this is Gold Leader."

"I copy, Gold Leader."

"As do I," Mara replied, admittedly not used to the new procedures that came with being a squad leader.

"We're starting for the target shaft now," the Gold Leader informed.

"We're in position," the Red Leader said. "I'm going to cut across the axis and try to draw their fire."

"I'll have a couple of my guys cover you," Mara told them. "The rest of us will focus on taking out those towers, give you a little space." 

As two x-wings peeled out of the Red group's formation, darting towards the battle station, Mara switched channels to her own squadron. 

"Blue Eight, cover Red Leader across the axis. Blue Seven, you're with Gold Leader."

"On it!" Kiiara replies, breaking out of formation to follow the Red Leader, as Mal-Ray pulled out to follow Gold. 

"The rest of you, stay low to avoid fire, and take out as many laser cannons as you see," Mara said. "Keep your comms open. Go where you're needed."

"You got it, Mara," Strata replied, already diving for the industrial, gray surface of the Death Star, Raze and Paril on her tail.

Mara's fingers curled around the controls a little tighter, before she dove straight into the fray herself. She swerved out of the way of both lasers and other starfighters alike, until she was skimming the surface of the Empire's industrial monstrosity. She spotted a laser cannon in the near-distance, and spurred forward, heading straight towards it. It was too busy trying to shoot down other pilots above it that it didn't stand a chance when Mara shot it, the structure crumbling as she flew right through the mess, turning and setting her sights on another one. 

She pulled the triggers again - bam! A short-lived but massive fireball swirled and then dissolved into space. Mara barely avoided it at the speed she was going. 

But even as she destroyed one after the next, it was obvious that they're outgunned. They would need to take out dozens each just to get the fighters into the trench.

"Blue Leader, it's Raze. Strata and I are two-clicks left of you. We need a little back-up with this ventral cannon."

"On my way, Blue Three," Mara replied, and she took a hard left.

She spotted her two teammates almost immediately, swooping like birds of prey around a much larger canon, that, despite it's slowness, was sending out massive blasts that had both Raze and Strata's ships scorched around the edges. 

"Go in from the bottom, and then shoot up the tower," she instructed. "They won't be able to get a clean shot if we stay low."

"Let's go then!" Strata hollered, excited, and her ship pulled away from the laser tower and dove towards the Death Star's metal surface, Raze mirroring her. 

The three of them all sped towards the tower, letting out peals of lasers. When she was about to collide with the structure, Mara yanked back the joystick so the belly of her ship was practically skimming the tower itself as she glided up. She climbed up it with Strata and Raze on the other sides, and hit the guns from below, breaking them off at the joints. Strata whooped as the tower fell apart, before the three of them separated once again. 

"Red Group, this is Blue Leader, how ya lookin'?" she asked into her comms. 

"Blue Leader, there's a lot of fire coming from the right side of this deflection tower," said the Red Leader's voice to Mara. "Bring some friends, you may need it."