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The Death Star's surface swept past as Red Leader searched the sky for the Imperial fighters, flak pounded at his ship.
"Keep up your visual scanning. With all this jamming, they'll be on top of you before your scope can pick them up."
Silhouetted against the rim lights of the Death Star horizon, four ferocious Imperial Tie ships dove on the Rebel fighters. Two of the Tie fighters peeled off and dropped out of frame. Panned with the remaining two Tie ships. Biggs panicked when he discovered a Tie ship on his tail. The horizon in the background twisted around as he peeled off, hoping to lose the Imperial fighter.
"Biggs! You've picked one up... watch it!" "I can't see it! Where is he?!"
Biggs zoomed off the surface and into space, closely followed by an Imperial Tie fighter. The Tie ship fired several laserbolts at Biggs, but missed. Biggs saw the Tie ship behind him and swinged around, trying to avoid him.
"He's on me tight, I can't shake him... I can't shake him."
Biggs, flying at high altitude, peeled off and dove toward the Death Star surface, but he was unable to lose the Tie fighter, who sticked close to his tail. Mary was flying upside down. She rotated her ship around to normal attitude as she came out of his dive.
"Hang on, Biggs, I'm coming in." Mary said.
Biggs and the tailing Tie ship dove for the surface, now followed by a fast-gaining Luke. After Biggs dove out of sight, Mary chased the Imperial fighter. The Imperial fighter raced across the Death Star's surface, closely followed by Mary. There was a shot from Mary's X-Wing of the Tie ship exploding in a mass of flames.
"Yeah... Got him!" Mary exclaimed.
☾☼
A concerned Princess Leia, 3PO, Dodonna, and other officers of the Rebellion stood around the huge round readout screen, listening to the ship-to-ship communication on the room's loudspeaker.
"Pull in! Luke... pull in!" Biggs said. "Watch your back, Luke! Watch your back! Fighter's above you, coming in!"
Luke's ship soared away from the Death Star's surface as he spotted the tailing Tie fighter. The Tie pilot took aim at Luke's X-Wing. The Imperial Tie fighter pilot scored a hit on Luke's ship. Fire broke out on the right side of the X-Wing. Luke looked out of his cockpit at the flames on his ship.
"I'm hit, but not bad." Luke replied.
In the war room, Leia stood frozen as she listened and worried about Luke.
"Can you see Red Five?" asked Red Leader. "There's a heavy fire zone on this side. Red Five, where are you?"
Luke spotted the Tie fighter behind him and soared away from the Death Star surface.
