POV: Joan d'Arc (VI)

The two B-Wings were now heading to the Nebulon B Frigate that was their initial target. Shok'wave understood that she couldn't seriously damage the ship with only her own torpedoes. Zeppelin didn't have a single warhead remaining, so the most he could do would be to cover her. The explosion of the Imperial Corvette had managed to slow down the Imperials for the moment, but new fighters, most of them launched by that Frigate, were approaching to engage them. She couldn't see Vyper's Interceptor anywhere.

They have discovered you now. Joan said in her mind. All your ships are in threat.

A glance at the Imperial Frigate confirmed Joan's words. The Imperial ship was burning its engines at maximum power and its route was clear. It was heading directly to White Squadron's Frigate. An overwhelming sensation of impotence filled the Rebel Commander. She couldn't avoid the attack, the most Zeppelin and she could do was try to delay it. They had been about to succeed, only a few minutes more and they could have escaped, but now...

Don't give up, Sherry! She felt the sudden thought like a shout. There is always something you can do!

A few minutes, only a few... If the Imperials had discovered the plot there would be more ships attacking Watcher, closer to its position that this other Frigate. Her computer confirmed her suspicions. Shok'wave decided not to launch her torpedoes yet.

"All right, Boss. Do you have something in mind?" Zeppelin was already following his flight leader in a course that would take them to Watcher's proximity avoiding the two remaining Corvettes.

Shok'wave was about to reply when something made her to look up. A TIE Fighter was coming directly at her opening fire. She made her fighter spin around the engines section with a brisk movement of the stick. The laser shots passed scarcely some inches from her B-Wing. She pushed the right pedal keeping the stick tightened back. The Rebel fighter jumped out of the TIE's route untouched. She had avoided the laser shots and the possible collision in the same manoeuvre. When she finished the turn the enemy fighter was in the middle of her sights. She realized that the Imperial pilot had not cared if he had crashed against the B-Wing or not.

Now the Imperials recruit their pilots in the madhouses! She pressed the trigger only once and the TIE Fighter's left solar panel broke cleanly apart. The ship flew away spinning out of control. That was the only thing Zeppelin saw.

"I'll think of something on the way..." Shok'wave replied Zeppelin's previous question as if nothing had happened. "Rammes, can you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am. I was about to request instructions from you. Some ships are approaching, and it's obvious we have been discovered!"

"Be prepared to jump. If you are attacked retreat before being seriously damaged. At least we would save half the colonists."

"All right, ma'am..." Rammes observed the transports' position one more time. They were almost reaching Skies Cleaner. Watcher was now only two klicks and a half away from them, and three from Severis on the opposite side. He hated to be so close to the two Star Destroyers, but he would stand his ground in that position as long as he could without risking the ship.

Granite and Moose were trying to stay alive under the attack of a wave of TIE fighters. The slow B-Wings were not designed for dogfighting, but the two pilots were doing the best they knew. Four Imperial pilots had already learnt what happened when the B-Wing's cannon fire hit an unshielded craft. Moose tried to see Shadow and Iceman's Interceptors, but they were now out of sight. They should be half way to Watcher's position.

"I can try to jink in that direction!" Granite replied. His threat indicator had not ceased blinking in the last minutes.

Iceman was forcing his fighter as much as he dared. Shadow was on his right. It was a race towards the Frigate, with TIE Fighters and Interceptors trying to catch them before they could reach their goal. Both fighters had received important damage and were not in their best condition. Iceman's Interceptor had been the most punished in their short attack against the TIE Fighters squadron. His computer had died off with the last impact, and the screen was black in front of him. Iceman looked around, expecting to see a breach opening suddenly somewhere. He didn't need the computer to know his TIE Interceptor had serious hull damage. In front of them, the Star Destroyer Skies Cleaner was between them and Watcher, almost filling his view. Iceman looked to starboard and struggled to identify the ship approaching, scarcely visible yet. A Stormtrooper Transport. It had to be Joker. Further away, towards bow, was Senderis. Suddenly he observed tiny grey figures being launched from this last ship's bay. Without the computer it was impossible to know which type of ships they were, but he had a bad feeling.

"Bombers!" She shouted. Her computer was still operative and she identified the ships immediately. They had abandoned the Imperial frequency some minutes ago, but Shadow knew that if the Imperials could hear her voice it wouldn't make any difference. Every Imperial pilot would know by then that Banshee's fighters were on the other side. "They are going to attack the Frigate!"

"The same to you!" She replied. There was no need of saying anything more. They had to try to intercept the Bombers at any prize. The shortest way was to pass exactly under Skies Cleaner. Shadow didn't believe they could make it, but she still kept the throttle in the maximum position. Part of her just wanted to turn and run away, but that was just unthinkable. All right, I'm terrified, she thought. But this is something we must do, damn it!. The distance between them and the Bombers was decreasing quickly. The two Interceptors were reaching the Star Destroyer, her immense keel full of laser towers and cannons. Then she noticed that all of them were pointing in the same direction.

Foxfire was no more than four klicks from the Frigate when she saw them. She had managed to get there untouched but now she understood that she had not finished her work. She turned and headed for the TIE Bomber formation.

The Imperial scientific team onboard Senderis had launched several probes, obtained all the relevant geological data about the planetoid and had finally determined the optimal point on its surface. The two Star Destroyers would repeatedly shoot all their laser weapons concentrated on that spot. The immense amount of energy generated by so many laser cannons would penetrate into the planetoid making a hole toward its core. When it was deep enough the Imperial ships would launch several space bombs and would guide them directly through that hole. Finally the core would explode making a cloud of fragments out of the doomed planetoid. The combined firepower of the two giant ships was absolutely impressive. Most of those who had the chance of watching the hellish spectacle, that nightmare of destruction, no matter if they were Imperials or Rebels, felt as if their blood had frozen in their veins.

Alvar Parix saw astonished the rain of fire. He looked at Joker and she returned a sad glance.

"That was our home..." Alvar said bitterly. "But it was not any more since the Imperials came."

The Rebel pilot could imagine how the young man felt, but there was something more immediate to worry about. She looked apprehensively at the every second closer Star Destroyer. If only one of those laser towers turned towards them they would be killed without her being able to do anything to avoid it.

"A tractor beam! They have caught us with a tractor beam!" She cried out desperately, fighting with the controls, but her ship's engines didn't have a single chance against a tractor beam designed to hold vessels the size of a Corvette.

Angelrose saw how Joker's transport lost its trajectory briskly. She immediately understood what was happening and manoeuvred to avoid being trapped too. The shuttle jinked for an instant that seemed to be an eternity but finally got free. She had moved out of a second tractor just in time. If it hadn't been for Joker's shout she wouldn't have had the opportunity. The woman looked horrified at her friend's transport.

Angelrose realized that her friend was right. There were no more ships in front of them. The idea of leaving without Joker made her feel sick, but there was nothing she or Cybercat could do. The Imperial operators would be trying to redirect new beams towards them. Her computer beeped. The shuttle was now in position. Angelrose pushed the hyperspace motivators and she felt briefly crushed against her seat. They had escaped. But Joker never would have that possibility. She closed her eyes feeling the tiredness and the sensation of void left by the terrible tension when the danger disappeared. It was always the same when you survived a situation where some others didn't make it. She tried not to think of Joker, not yet.

Cybercat saw how the other shuttle accelerated and jumped. She took a last look at Joker's ship and followed Angelrose. She felt as if she was ten years older. During the last month she had been about to die too many times. It was not easy to get accustomed to this. The list of lost comrades had been growing longer every day, and she had had no time to lament every one. But that moment undoubtedly would come.

Shok'wave had heard Joker's shout. Every pilot had heard it and knew what it meant. There was no hope for the Rebel pilot and the colonists she was carrying.

She couldn't reply. White Squadron's Commander struggled to not think of Joker. She tried to concentrate on the things she still could do. She was watching all the ships around her, actually feeling them. Joan seemed to be inside of her, and somehow that made her sensibility to the Force increase as she had never felt before. Every ship was as a bubble of energy she could easily feel and identify. The two Star Destroyers, their Frigate, the Bombers, the other Frigate at her back, the fighters from both sides, the two Escort Carriers closing in on Watcher's escape route...

They had to do something very soon or the Rebel Frigate would be trapped there. Shok'wave was sure that that had not been the ship's previous position, but that didn't matter now, if Rammes had ordered to move the Frigate there would be a reason. But if those Escort Carriers managed to blockade the vessel it would never have a chance to jump to hyperspace. She tried to find a solution urgently. Joan's memories were now her memories too. She remembered that last battle, the transport with the left engine damaged colliding with another ship, the confusion giving a breath to her pilots, who then managed to escape... She headed to the Escort Carriers. Those ships were basically flying hangars provided with powerful engines. And heavily armed.

"Zeppelin, cover me for fifteen seconds and then follow me. I want you using your ion cannons against the first Escort Carrier."

"Be careful, Boss!" He turned to face some of the hunting fighters trying to prevent them from following his flight leader. Zeppelin opened fire and a TIE Interceptor received two direct blasts exploding instantly.

He opened the face plate of his helmet and wiped off the sweat with his gloved hand. The moment had passed. He had to concentrate on the present. The Rebel pilot consulted the computer trying to find out where the Frigate Watcher had ended up. It was far away.

Even from that distance Vyper could appreciate an intense laser fire in the area. The destruction of the planetoid had started, and that meant that his time was running out. If he was not able to reach the Frigate before it tried to jump to the hyperspace he would be doomed. No matter what he had felt some minutes ago, he didn't want to die now, not here. He pushed the throttle forward and started the long race to his mother ship.

Iceman and Shadow were flying exactly under Skies Cleaner when the two Star Destroyers started their hellish storm over the planetoid. Their cockpits were being completely illuminated by all that fire. Fortunately all the Star Destroyer's weapons were shooting against the planetoid, but the Rebel pilots were still needed all their skills to avoid being reached. One of their pursuers had not being so careful. The TIE Fighter was destroyed by one of the powerful cannons, and what was left smashed again and again until nothing remained. Shadow didn't even notice it. She was completely concentrated on the flying. There was no time to lose. Finally she saw no more laser bolts in front of her and she understood that they had managed to get across. There was nothing between the Rebel pilots and the TIE Bomber squadron. They had to be now in range and could be launching their torpedoes at any moment. The only advantage for the Rebel pilots would be that the Bomber's computers wouldn't identify the TIE Interceptors as a potential threat. Joker and Iceman headed directly against the enemy formation unawares. The woman targeted the flight leader. Her sight became green.

She squeezed the trigger. The TIE Bomber broke away from the formation with hull damage while she selected a new target. She wanted not so much to shoot down them than to avoid any of the enemy crafts could get closer to the Frigate. She manoeuvred at the last moment to avoid colliding against the Bombers and made the tightest loop her TIE Interceptor was able to resist to gain a better position behind them. Iceman had done the same and the two pilots reduced their speed to stay on their tails. They were very close.

The first space bomb smashed against the planetoid. Psycho understood what was going to happen. Hagger was becoming a tough enemy. He had managed to hit the TIE Interceptor at least two times, but the Imperial pilot was far from giving up. He was struggling to evade Psycho's attempts to shoot him down and constantly looking for the Rebel fighter's tail. It was a question of time though, because Psycho had the advantage with his faster and shielded A-Wing. But the Rebel pilot realized that he wouldn't have that time.

"Hagger, we are too close to the planetoid." He called. "If we don't get out of here right now none of us will win this combat!"

The Imperial pilot checked his position and saw how more and more space bombs headed to the condemned planetoid. The Rebel was right.

"OK, you damned Rebel. We'll finish this some other day. But then I'll be piloting a TIE Advanced!"

The two pilots directed all the energy to their engines as they moved away from the planetoid, the A-Wing increasing his speed more than the TIE Interceptor. Psycho had an eye on the Interceptor's signal, every second further behind.

The expansive wave swept through the space with incredible force, the fragments launched like projectiles in all directions. The Star Destroyers ceased the attack. Psycho kept a straight trajectory and prayed they had left in time. One of Hagger's partners had ejected, Psycho had seen him. He couldn't avoid a shiver.

Everything not far enough from the planetoid would be consumed. He had not looked back to avoid being blinded. The Rebel pilot noticed then that his fighter was not trembling any more. He had escaped. A red light died off in his panel and his rear sensors started to recover their capability. He watched the right display and after some seconds a red dot appeared in the middle of it. Hagger had made it too. Psycho smiled and raced towards the space.

The two Escort Carriers filled the space in front of her. Shok'wave knew that the moment had come to do whatever she was able to. She felt Joan and demanded her without words all the help she could give her. Without words too, Joan explained her what she had to do. Shok'wave felt scared, but she had to trust Joan as much as herself.

Shok'wave and Joan's minds merged into a single consciousness. The Rebel pilot felt the same sensation as she had when she watched Joan's life through her eyes, but now it was the inverse. It was Joan who was seeing with Sherry's eyes. She relaxed and let the Force flow around her. Around them. Joan and Sherry were now the same woman, the most deadly pilot never to be seen. Shok'wave felt she was still herself, but she was Joan too. She stretched her mind and perceived the B-Wing as an extension of her own body. She could feel everything around her with an incredible clarity. The enemy ships were shooting with all their weapons, but she was ready for that.

She got through the two Escort Carriers' barrage of fire, avoiding every laser shot and every concussion missile launched against her B-Wing only by inches most of the time. Every shot caused an effect in the Force flow that she felt and interpreted without thinking. She headed directly for the first ship.

Zeppelin turned to see how Shok'wave was doing. He had expected her to launch her torpedoes against the Escort Carrier but she hadn't. When he realized what his Commander was going to do his mouth opened widely. He was completely astonished.

Shok'wave fired furiously against the forward opening to weaken the shields' strength in that area. The B-Wing trembled violently though when crossed the entrance through the still active shields penetrating into the Escort Carrier's hangar. Her own shields suffered a great loss of energy. She struggled to keep the control.

Shok'wave cut the throttle and used the repulsors to reduce her speed. She opened fire against the parked fighters and vehicles, fuel containers, everything. The stunned Imperial crew launched themselves to the ground looking for an inexistent shelter. The hangar was a hell of fire and explosions where there was no place to hide. When the B-Wing turned and exited with her engines roaring it left the most terrible chaos behind.

Zeppelin was sure that Shok'wave had died. He obeyed her last order though and directed his fighter towards the Escort Carrier. His instruments showed that the Imperial ship's shields were flickering. He selected ion cannons and started to fire. His shields were receiving hits from the second Escort Carrier, but whatever Shok'wave had done inside the first one had made the ship cease shooting. He imagined that she had crashed against a vital spot. But when he was over the ship he saw something appearing from the forward opening. It was a B-Wing, followed by the inflamed gases from the Escort Carrier's internal explosions.

He tried to say something but he had no words. His computer informed that the Escort Carrier identified as Altaner was disabled. The ship was completely out of control turning in space. The other ship, Richelord, tried to evade it. It almost made it, but the mortally damaged Altaner crashed against Richelord's left side penetrating partially in its structure. Oxygen was escaping from the first vessel through a breach in her hull, extinguishing the fires inside, but killing all the crewmen who were in open areas. The force of the impact had made the two ships break from their previous route. Richelord's engines still worked, it had actually not suffered such serious damage, but it couldn't manoeuvre with Altaner literally encrusted in its hull.

"Not yet." Rammes answered. He was watching Joker's transport on a screen, almost inside Skies Cleaner's main bay, and the TIE Bomber squadron approaching, being furiously attacked by three TIE Interceptors. It was not hard to guess that those were White Squadron's pilots.

"Sergeant Rammes to Interceptor group." He called. "Forget those Bombers, our shields will resist some torpedoes, but you must land immediately!"

"Is there something we can do?" Alvar asked without moving his eyes from the Star Destroyer's bay, opening in front of them like a monster's mouth about to swallow them.

"No, I'm sorry. We are doomed." Joker said calmly. She thought that she should be hysteric, but you never know how you are going to react in the face of disaster until it comes. "To escape from this tractor beam we would need engines much more powerful than the ones this transport has..."

They were heading towards the huge opening, the transport's bow pointing directly to the tractor beam's projector's protuberance. They could have been caught in any other position, but coincidentally they were being towed precisely in that one.

"This is a Stormtrooper Transport..." Joker didn't notice that she was talking while thinking. "And all Stormtrooper Transports are armed with twelve proton torpedoes on external launchers..." Alvar noticed a small trace of hope in Joker's voice and watched her searching across the instrument panel as if hypnotized. The Rebel pilot had already seen the indicator she was looking for.

"They are loaded!" Joker cried. She only needed a second to find the launchers' controls and arm the torpedoes. She pressed the trigger and didn't raise her finger until the last torpedo had been launched.

One after another all the torpedoes hit the tractor beam's source position. The first two had done the work, and the rest caused a big explosion that destroyed the nearest launching catapult. Joker felt that she had recovered control over her ship and pushed the throttle to maximum. The transport accelerated away from the Star Destroyer's bay.

Just to find three more Stormtrooper Transports in front of them, the same ships that had been sent to board her. Joker cursed.

The first ion blast impacted against the main view screen, making Joker and Alvar almost jump from their seats. Joker checked the shields indicators. Not too many shots like that would be needed to disable them.

"You heard Rammes, let's go!" Foxfire shouted. She raced towards the Frigate followed closely by Iceman and Shadow. They passed over the remaining TIE Bombers. Some of them started to shoot against them. Iceman was covering his squad-mates' tails, but he was sure he wouldn't be there too much time. Barely one shot would destroy his heavily damaged Interceptor. Only one of the TIE Bombers had to hit him. He looked back expecting to see death coming. But he saw instead the nearest TIE Bomber exploding.

"I love you two, I really love you!" Iceman cried out. Watcher's main bay seemed to be closer now.

Sergeant Dengar signalled a certain spot over the tactical display. Three more Delta Class Stormtrooper Transports were approaching Joker's ship. Rammes knew that none of White's Squadron fighters was near, but the Frigate was in range. He had taken care of that.

"All cannons, shoot against those transports!" He ordered. He hoped that enough of his comrades were now in the gunner's positions.

Joker saw how the three enemy transports were hit almost at once. She manoeuvred to avoid one of them that was moving towards her with her engines completely destroyed. Another one had exploded and the remaining ship was very busy trying not to encounter the same destiny. Joker found her path free and pushed the hyperspace motivators with a wild shout of joy. She was rewarded with the vision of the stars becoming bars of light. She embraced Alvar almost strangling him, but the young man didn't complain. He was too happy.

Alvar laughed the first time in a long, long time. A last look to the screen showing the transport's rear sight in the moment of jumping had allowed him to see that the planetoid didn't exist any more. But that was not so important now.

Foxfire's Interceptor entered into the Frigate's hangar screaming. She needed all her skill not to crash. Iceman and Shadow passed through the external opening immediately behind. The Frigate was starting to turn towards the space. The ship was suffering the impacts from several proton torpedoes. Some of the TIE Bombers had reached their objective, but the shields seemed to be resisting. She removed her mask with a sigh of relief when the entire hangar trembled violently. The mask fell between her feet. A torpedo must have smashed very close to the bay and the shields had barely managed to absorb the impact.

They wouldn't have made it without Granite and Moose's help. At the last moment she had believed she had seen Psycho's A-Wing joining them, but she was not entirely sure. She looked to both sides and saw the other two TIE Interceptors. They had landed safely. Suddenly Foxfire realized something. She opened the rear hatch and jumped out. Shadow was coming out of her fighter.

Commander Legann had been watching the same monitor. He made a gesture of anger.

That imbecile Perdiggo... But he had also been convinced by the supposed Captain Keller, a Rebel probably. He couldn't understand how that could had happened.

"Open fire with all our weapons against Watcher, and launch our own TIE Bombers!" He had decided not to risk launching them before, when the transport was being towed to the bay, but now there was no reason to keep them in the hangars.

"Sir, they are turning. The energy readings show that they are about to jump to hyperspace!"

The Rebel fighters were now under the fire of Senderis's cannons and surrounded by enemy fighters. Even now a group of refreshment TIE Bombers were joining the battle coming from Skies Cleaner. All the Rebel ships had suffered serious damage, and most of them had practically lost their shields. Frigate Grannia, which was approaching at maximum speed, was starting to shoot against Watcher's engines section with her forward weapons. But the worst of the punishment was coming from Skies Cleaner. Her cannons were literally smashing the Rebel Frigate. Watcher's shields wouldn't resist to the jump point. The Rebel pilots couldn't do anything to avoid it. If they remained under that intense fire they would be killed very soon.

Shok'wave's shout didn't admit any arguing. With a worried look at the readings from Watcher's shields Zeppelin pushed the hyperspace motivator controls and his fighter abandoned the battle zone. Granite, Moose and Psycho jumped after him.

If there is going to be a sacrifice today, it will be now... The part of her that was now Joan didn't reply.

"What are the gunners waiting for?" Legann asked angrily. "Shoot down that B-Wing!"

Some of the laser turrets ceased firing against the escaping Frigate and searched for the Rebel fighter.

Sergeant Rammes had his eyes fixed on the shields' indicators. They showed six percent on the engines section, ten percent on the rest of the ship. If the engines were damaged before they reached the jump point they would never escape. Five percent. Four.

"There is a TIE Interceptor coming from starboard!" Sergeant Dengar exclaimed. "It's coming in really fast!"

"It must be Captain Stauber." Rammes said. He prayed that the pilot reached the Frigate in time. And that the Frigate didn't explode immediately after that. He didn't know what more he could do. He crossed his fingers. Lelha Dengar had already had them crossed for several minutes.

Shok'wave's B-Wing's seemed to be magically evading the laser bolts. She had never experienced such a connection with the Force. She had a finger over the trigger, the torpedo launchers selected. The wall of fire in front of her was dreadful, but the Rebel fighter continued approaching her objective untouched, dancing between the deadly energy bolts, inventing an impossible path through the web of fire. She had redirected all the ship's power to the engines. The shields had disappeared and her cannons were unable to shoot.

The woman finally pushed the trigger. The launchers didn't work the first time, but she knew what she had to do. She insisted on squeezing the trigger until the launchers set free their deadly cargo. The twelve torpedoes raced in pairs towards the terribly close Star Destroyer's bridge. Behind the view screens, the Imperial crewmen who saw the warheads' blue traces felt what terror meant. Commander Legann opened his mouth and shouted.

The combined power of the four or six first torpedoes made a localized hole in that area of the shields. The rest of the torpedoes impacted too soon after that for the shields generators to compensate the loss. The entire bridge section disappeared in a huge explosion making the ship lose control temporarily. Skies Cleaner started to turn slowly to port, the laser turrets still firing, but the shots being lost in space. A steaming hole on the superstructure, still being shattered by secondary explosions, was the only remnant of the main bridge. The Imperial crew would eventually recover part of the ship's command from the secondary bridge, but not in time to stop the Rebel Frigate.

Commander Perdiggo had understood too late that his Bombers wouldn't prevent the Frigate from escaping, and had ordered to attack it too when the Rebel fighters had jumped to hyperspace, but Senderis was still too far and their shots weren't really effective. Perdiggo looked horrified at the heavily damaged Skies Cleaner, his eyes staring at what had been its main bridge. Somebody informed him that the captured Frigate was running away, but he barely heard the voice. He would have instantly changed his position for Legann's one, wherever he was now.

Shok'wave's fighter came out from the ball of fire with all her sensors definitely burned out, the hull's painting almost inexistent, but the tough B-Wing was still flying. Completely covered in sweet, she looked at the Frigate accelerating towards outer space and laughed. Laughed as a mad woman would. She had never felt so well.

Vyper stared at the ever approaching secondary hangar bay entrance. The Frigate was initiating the jump. He would only have a chance. If he failed the TIE Interceptor would smash against the hull. He held the stick tightly and saw how the illuminated entrance grew wider and wider before his eyes. The Rebel pilot let a shout escape when the fighter entered cleanly into the secondary bay. He immediately cut the throttle and shot the repulsors, but even then the landing was terribly violent. He had not bothered to open the landing gear, it would have broken with the impact anyway and would have disestablished even more the ship's trajectory. Vyper covered his head with his arms and waited for the fighter to stop. Fortunately for him the other three Interceptors had landed in the main hangar and this one was empty. The TIE Interceptor, still moving at a considerable speed, crashed against the hangar's wall. Vyper felt the panelled canopy falling over him and his body crushed from everywhere. The last thing he perceived before falling unconscious was the Frigate jumping to hyperspace. His last thought was of happiness and relief.

Lieutenant Hagger carefully targeted the lonely B-Wing, but it jumped to hyperspace before he could shoot. He cursed, like many other Imperial pilots around. It was always the same frustrating thing. The readings from the enemy fighters had shown how weakened their shields were, how close to collapse, but when things were so bad the Rebel pilots only had to push forward their hyperspace controls and to have a good chance of escaping. That B-Wing had been the last one, the battle was over. The Imperial pilot demanded a damage report from the computer and saw that he had been lucky after all, another impact and he would have been fried. His partners couldn't say the same. They were not the first ones he had seen die. The Empire had more pilots than it needed, and it was cheaper to produce unshielded fighters like the TIE Fighter or the Interceptor. Furthermore, if they didn't have hyperspace engines the pilots would never have the possibility of running away in the middle of a combat, like the Rebels did. Victory was the only chance to survive. Only the best of the best lived enough to be considered valuable pilots and given the opportunity to fly in an Assault Gunboat or a TIE Advanced.

He decided that he had no reasons to feel so bad. He had accomplished his work as best as he had could. The cameras installed on his fighter would show how he had fought against a Rebel ace piloting an A-Wing and had managed to put him in trouble. They would have to give him that much. Maybe next time he would really have that TIE Advanced. Hagger smiled.

Foxfire was opening Vyper's Interceptor's rear hatch a minute after his terrible landing. She struggled to drag the pilot's body out of the cockpit, but he seemed to be trapped. His head was slumped down and leaning on his chest.

She introduced herself through the narrow place that remained between the seat and the left lateral panel and carefully removed the pilot's mask and raised his dark glasses. She was surprised to find that her friend had a smile painted on his face. His eyes were closed. She stretched through the cockpit and put her ear on Vyper's chest. She clearly noticed his breathing and his strong heartbeats.

"You are going to be fine, my friend!" She said. She realized then that all her friends were alive, she herself was alive, something that she would have questioned just some minutes ago. She felt immensely relieved, completely happy indeed.

The woman considered that for a moment. Every time she had needed something from Vyper she had reminded him of that incident. It had always worked.

She heard footsteps near the entrance and turned her head to see who was coming.

"Where is Vyper? Where??!!" A powerful voice roared. Granite and Moose had just landed, and when they were told by Shadow that Vyper could be wounded, nobody could prevent the Caldanian pilot from running to the secondary hangar. He almost ran over Foxfire trying to get beside his old comrade from Red Squadron.

"Hey, you, squarehead, wake up right now or I'm going to hurt you!" He shouted shaking Vyper's head. It was evident how concerned he was, but Foxfire feared that those were not exactly the attentions the injured pilot needed.

"Maybe you should wait for medical assistance..." She suggested. Granite didn't show any sign of having heard her. He started to struggle trying to pull Vyper's seat out from the cockpit with his bare hands.

"Be careful, Granite!" Moose cried. He was arriving with Iceman, Shadow and two 2-1B droids carrying a floating stretcher. "You're going to kill him!"

"Give me a fighter, please..." They heard Vyper mumbling. "Give me a fighter and I will return there. I will be safer..."

"It's fine, Vyper it's fine!" Granite exclaimed. Fortunately for his friend, he stopped moving the seat.

"Now let the droids do their work, big man." Moose said smiling. Iceman and Shadow were already dismounting the Interceptor's rear hatch. The droids were waiting for Granite to move aside to do the same with the seat. Only then could they remove the pilot from the smashed cockpit. Granite took the tool box that one of the droids was carrying.

"I can do it better than these cans with legs." He said. Foxfire decided it was a good moment to move away from the crowded fighter. She joined Moose, who was using his transmitter to inform the bridge about what was happening.

"Thank you, Lewis." She replied with a brightening smile. "I'm glad to see you too."

"When I looked back and saw that you were not there, and an entire squadron of Interceptors had occupied your place, I really feared for you..."

"Well, I can take care of myself." She replied, the smile becoming a grin. "But a girl always likes to know that somebody else cares for her too. Specially if he is a tall and sturdy pilot like you."

She had not intended to say that, but the words seemed to come out. The effect on the man was immediate. Moose was visibly embarrassed, his face quickly becoming red. Foxfire was about to add something more, but the shouts from the crippled Interceptor interrupted her. Maybe on some other moment... She thought still smiling, turning to see what was going on. Their comrades had managed to extract Vyper from the Interceptor, and Iceman and Granite were placing him on the stretcher. The two droids would take him to the medical facilities.

"Let's return to the main bay." Iceman said approaching. "There is nothing more we can do here."

"I'll see you there." Granite answered watching the droids. "I'll first check that these two really know what they're doing.

Commander Perdiggo was listening to the first report of the battle. Frigate Portcantell heavily damaged. Escort Carrier Altaner destroyed. Escort Carrier Richelord considerably damaged. Imperial Class Star Destroyer Skies Cleaner seriously damaged. Corvette Ursula destroyed. He thought that if Commander Legann hadn't been dead he would be hearing his accusations right now. The fighter losses were still being calculated, but they were considerable. Not a single Rebel ship had been destroyed, not a single capture, not a single prisoner. How in the hell things could have gone so bad?

"Sir, we are receiving a call from Executor. Lord Vader wants to know if the mission has been accomplished as planned..."

"Answer that the planetoid KS-31 has been destroyed as ordered. I'll be sending a complete report as soon as I can."

His ears seemed to be already hearing Vader's breath. He had never been so scared.

Everybody was cheering. Joker's transport had been the last one to land. Colonists, crewmen and pilots were embracing each other. When Shok'wave landed at last, escorted by Psycho, she was informed that there had not been a single casualty. Vyper had been transported to the medical facilities, but his injuries were not that severe, just a commotion and a broken leg. Those were the worst wounds that the 2-1B droids had to care about. Such a battle and only that. It was incredible. Not far from her, a group of pilots were commenting the battle noisily.

"Oh, yes!" Granite replied joining them. "It had engines but not much more!" A core of laughs celebrated the sentence.

"You shouldn't be so proud of those launchers of yours." Zeppelin said. He had to run to avoid being reached by two helmets launched furiously at once.

White Squadron's Commander laughed and looked for a quieter place. After a short walk she sat on the floor behind a supply container at the farthest part of the hangar. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

"I wouldn't have been able to without you." She said. "I wouldn't have done it without my pilots and those wonderful technicians." She opened her eyes and saw her. Joan was visible in front of her, dressed in an old flight suit, slightly transparent, like a ghost, surrounded of light, like an angel. She was smiling.

"They are all terrific." Shok'wave could hear Joan's voice this time. "I would have accepted all of them in Miracle Squadron with my eyes closed."

"That means a lot coming from you." She remained silent for a second and then asked the question she had tried to what seemed an eternity before.

"The injustice brought me back. When they destroyed Alderaan..." Her voice was full of sadness. Shok'wave didn't need Joan to say anymore. Alderaan, the planet she had helped save so many years ago, the place where hope had been born again, had been finally blown away by the forces of Evil. Joan continued. "The commotion in the Force was so strong that all of us felt it. I had to return, to do whatever I could to help. I've been here and there, trying to motivate your Rebellion wherever I found a being sensitive to the Force. I'm not alone, that I can tell you."

"The colonists' death would have been the ultimate injustice. There was not the slightest of reasons for the Empire to leave them to die. It was just evilness. That Lord Vader and the Emperor... they are monsters, even worse than Calhuch was. I perceived you. You are not only considerably sensitive to the Force. You hate injustice as much as I do, and I knew that inside your heart, you were also prepared to even give your life if necessary." Joan smiled. "Furthermore, you was a pilot, a squadron Commander, like I had been, and I felt immediately identified with you. When I felt you I desired to share my past life with you, just as friends would do, to tell you my story and let you decide if there was something in it that could help you. And I was not wrong about you."

Shok'wave smiled and closed her eyes again. Shadow found her deeply asleep five hours later.

Two guards approached to retrieve the body, but Vader prevented it with an imperative gesture of his hand.

The two cloaked figures nodded respectfully and left. Vader pressed a button on his chair's arm and the holo-projector came to life again. He had watched the recordings many times, but he still found them interesting. He should have guessed that Rebels would try something like this. They always did these kind of heroical stupidities. He smiled inside his mask. What courage. He thought. What temerity to go there and face such strong forces just to rescue a group of damned colonists. He admired them for a second. He had been like them a long time ago, just a pilot trying to save the Galaxy... He interrupted himself with wrath. Lately he had been thinking too much about the old times. The Emperor was right. His son was dangerous, very dangerous. After having seen him defenceless on that platform, with such a look of challenge even in his fear, something long forgotten had reappeared again inside of him. The feeling was timid, almost ridiculous and insignificant, but it was there. He should be very careful and not allow the Emperor to notice this change. But there was no change after all. His son would understand it very soon.

One more time he watched the B-Wing penetrating the Escort Carried and exiting a few moments later undamaged. The same B-Wing was responsible for the last attack on Skies Cleaner. He had observed the recording at low speed several times, the way the Rebel fighter evaded the fire, the deadly accuracy of her last shot. It was clear for him that the pilot was using the Force. His Intelligence Staff had identified her as Commander Sherry Krenzel, the ancient Praying Mantis leader and one of the few survivors from that squadron. She also must have had something to do with the way Perdiggo and Legann had been deceived. Even they were not that stupid. A considerable amount of control was needed over the Force to do something like that, and to pilot a fighter like that woman had done. Maybe his son was not the only potential Jedi in the Galaxy. He would have an eye on that pilot. He and his son could have something for her soon. He rewound the recording and played it again.

The main bay was a madness. New refreshment pilots had arrived. The older Squadron members would learn their nicknames very soon. Blitz, Tzadkiel, Torpedo, Grizzly and Hardrive. All of them young pilots deciding to give their best for the Squadron. They would begin being part of the new Training Wing, but some of them were veteran pilots who would be flying immediately in the main Wing. That night the official ceremony for the Training Wing's creation would take place. Captain Lewis "Moose" Gregory would be the Training Officer. Shok'wave smiled when she thought of it. Fortunately Granite had shown great skill during the recent battle and wouldn't be a trainee too much longer, or poor Moose would have gone crazy. He had promise to uncork a very special bottle during the party. Joker would take some lessons too, but she would remain in the Combat Wing. There she was, surrounded by colonists. They were going to leave now, that was one of the main reasons for the chaos governing the hangar. Some of them had decided to join the Alliance Military Forces. Alvar Parix was one of them.

High Command had decided not to see the clear fact that Shok'wave had disobeyed direct orders one more time. They hoped that the new Frigate's commanding officer, Captain Rahne Orris, would be able to refrain her from making new "imprudences". He had arrived a few minutes ago increasing the hangar's problems even more. One of the reasons for looking the other way when the reports mentioned Shok'wave's particular rebellion was that the operation had been a complete success, and many of the Admirals and Generals who composed the Alliance High Staff were secretly satisfied and relieved that someone had saved those colonists after all, not to mention the impressive victory over the Imperial Fleet. Actually, the colonists' rescue would be used by Mon Mothma as proof of the Alliance's spirit to convince new systems to join them. She had sent her personal congratulations and had accepted all of Shok'Wave's petitions, including Sergeant Rammes' promotion to Lieutenant and the new name for the Frigate: Joan d'Arc. It seemed that Mon Mothma had paid more attention in school than Shok'wave herself.

"You are going to do fine in the Infantry." Joker said. "And if you want some day to try the piloting thing, just call me..."

"I'll do that in any case." He answered. Alvar embraced her and kissed her before she had a chance to run away. Not that she would had wanted to. The ex-colonist didn't say good bye. He climbed to the shuttle and waved his hand before to disappearing inside. Joker stood there looking at the hatch closing.

Shok'wave smiled and passed unaware behind the two friends. She laughed when saw Vyper, not far from there, trying to recover his crutches from Foxfire and Shadow, who were playing something like hockey with them and a small cartoon box.

All of them are alive. She thought abandoning the hangar. That new Captain could wait a bit more. We rescued all the colonists and nobody died. It was truly a miracle.

"That has seemed to be my speciality all my life..." A known voice said behind her.

"You must stop appearing like that, or you are going to give me a heart attack one of these days!"

"I feared this would happen sooner or later." She said. "But I had hoped that you would stay around longer. There is so much you could teach me still..."

It's so strange to see her so young and to know that she is so old though... Shok'wave thought. Joan grinned. She had heard it, of course.

"That reminds me something I wanted to ask you. Did you find Tobb again in your... new life?"

"I can't tell you that, Sherry. People usually have to live with that uncertainty. But I think you know the answer." Her grin was an answer itself.

"Yes, I think so..." She grinned too. "I have another question. What happened after you... after you died, you know, the war and all that?"

"Everything is in the books, my friend. Read it yourself. Now I have to see another old friend. May the Force be with you. Forever."

"OK, let's see those books, the computer or whatever. I hope I can find some pictures to show the guys too. The winged horse of Miracle Squadron would look wonderful on the Frigate's hull, but one thing's for sure, I'm not going to paint it myself..."

Yoda reached into the wooden box and opened it. It was like a ceremony that the old Jedi Master made from time to time. He took the object that was inside. Master Jonderiis' light sabre. Joan d'Arc's light sabre.

Ah, Joan, sweet Joan. How Yoda had loved his young girl, as he used to call her. How he loved her still. The memories came to him again, as always happened every time he took that light sabre. He had stolen it from Calhuch's rooms before leaving. He had never thought that it would be so easy. He had always feared to be stopped, being caught by Calhuch or his men, being locked up by them and to suffer all kinds of humiliations. But he had learnt the lesson. His dear Joan had taught him the main one of them. "That size didn't matter at all." How easy and simple it was. The Force was the same no matter if you were small or giant. The will was the important thing. To defend the right cause. Joan had faced alone the worst punishment a being could suffer. She had been scared, of course, Yoda could feel it. But she had never doubted what the correct thing was.

He started to use his skills as he had never dared, to know the people he had to meet, who could be trusted and who could not, to obtain what he needed without fighting. He got a transport and travelled to Gerillia, Joan's world. He found her parents and told them everything, omitting only the worst of her death. He gave them the few things Joan had left, and requested their permission to keep the sabre. They acceded. They were suffering immensely, but Yoda told them that Joan would be always close to them, he convinced them with his words, and they knew that the small being was speaking the truth. They had learnt to live without Joan, always missing her. Now they would be missing her forever. But she was not further away now than the last time she stepped out the door.

When Yoda departed from Gerillia he started the mission he had commended himself. The recordings of Joan's execution could be obtained on the black market if you knew where to ask. And if you had enough money. Yoda used his skills to get both things. He travelled across the Republic worlds telling Joan's story, offering the truth to everyone who wanted it. He managed to reach Senator Carless and forced him to see the recordings. "No traitor paid like this is by the ones who have supposedly bought her." He had said. The web of lies that the Bretalians had constructed around Joan d'Arc was entirely destroyed. Senator Carless decided to resign from the Senate. Sorelnai tried to convince him not to do it, but this time Carless didn't listen to her. She lost the power she had desired so much, and it was Joan d'Arc who had taken it from her.

Yoda didn't stop there. He travelled to the worlds were the Jedi Knights lived far from "the political matters", as some of them used to say. Everyone felt ashamed when Yoda showed them the recordings and told them the facts. They couldn't even doubt. They could feel the truth in Yoda's words, thoughts and feelings. They understood that they had been hiding themselves from the things that really mattered, from the billions of sensitive beings in the Galaxy who needed them and were the real reason behind their own existences.

The Jedi Knight Order joined the Republic one more time, as they had always done in the past, and they lead their forces against the invaders, against those who had brought fear and injustice back. The Bretalians were defeated in less than two months, their own citizens and soldiers rebelling against their governors' abuses. Calhuch and his followers were destroyed. All of them. Peace was restored to the Galaxy. For a little time more.

Joan d'Arc was recognized as a Jedi Lady by the Jedi Knight Order. She was not the first one and she wouldn't be the last either, but she would be the more remembered, the more loved.

Yoda was offered some time later the Jedi's leadership, but he refused it. He had helped every time he was requested for the last eight centuries, but he had preferred to teach, to work in the shadows to keep new young Jedis coming. That was what he had been doing until now.

Luke reminded him of Joan very much. The youth, the courage, the way he looked, directly into the eyes...

Yoda laughed and closed the box. Luke would be there very soon, and he would be ready for him. The moment of truth was coming. He went to the place where the food was cooking and used a wooden spoon to taste it.

"Joan!" He said looking around. He grinned showing his few remaining teeth. "Just thinking of you I was, my girl!"

"Hi, Yoda." She said. Her figure appeared shining in the middle of Yoda's house. "I see that you have been playing with that again."

"The sabre do you say? He, he. Cleaning! Yes, cleaning I was! Imagine you couldn't how much dust can accumulate over things if one or two centuries forget them you do!"

Joan laughed. Yoda had always been able to made her laugh. Even during the worst of times.

"Yes, Yoda, but there is always the hope of things getting better. This is something you taught me."

"That did I say? He, he. Well, then I imagine it must be true!" He became serious. "Yes, true it is. Even now, I hope that these evil times are going to see an end, yes, an end. This new student of mine, Luke his name is, has brought me back the old hope."

"Yes, felt her I did, and supposed something to do with it you had. If feel the Force you do, the news can reach even here, to these swamps. This "slimy mudhole" as Luke says from time to time." Yoda tried to laugh again, but he finished coughing instead.

"Need you to ask to know that? What a Jedi Lady you are then! He, he. Old. Old I feel and tired too. Yes, very tired. Eight hundred years tell you I did those from my species live, and something like nine hundred is what I've lived. Too much time, yes, too much, but I have to finish my work here before resting. But I'll be with you soon, my girl!"

"Yoda, there is something I've never told you. Please, let me finish before making another joke!" Yoda smiled and kept silent. "I know that you have always thought that you could have saved me if you had acted before." The old Master lowered his head when he found the old sense of guilt inside of him. It had always been there. "But I've never believed that it was your fault. It was my destiny to die like that, as yours was to teach generation after generation of Jedis until now. I loved you then, my friend, and I still love you."

"I should have told you this before, I think. Well. Just another thing before I leave."

"As you would say, more than eight hundred years have passed, but your cooked vegetables still look as bad!"

She disappeared as suddenly as she had come. The echoes of her laughter filled the air for some moments. Yoda smiled and looked at the place where she had been standing.

If you would like to have one or more of your own stories featured on the White Squadron webpage, please feel free to send your request or story to Foxfire and she would be honored to discuss the matter with you further.