A Hero Lost: A Star Wars AU

Chapter 25: Dogfight

"What do you mean it's her?" Rubal asked over the commlink.

"I don't know how, I just know," Lux replied.

"Sounds like Jedi stuff to me," Rubal continued.

"Yeah, I think it is, but there's more pressing matters right now. How good of a pilot is she?"

"Like, really good," Rubal replied. "She's outflown quite a few hotshot smugglers, and you have no idea how good smugglers can be at flying."

The scanners indicated that her ship was gaining on them.

"How is she gaining on us, we're going full speed!" Lux yelled.

"Her ship's tricked out, that's why! Do you think they'd have an Inquisitor flying a regular TIE Interceptor?"

"I'm not the best at reading scanners. How long until she's in range?"

"Not until we breach atmosphere, which should be in a few moments, actually. Of course, that's assuming her ship has the same range as a regular TIE."

As the two ships approached the atmosphere, they began to burn up. The red marker on the sensor was now indicating the third ship was in range.

"Why are we going max speed into an atmosphere!? I'm burning up and I can't see anything! We need to slow down!"

"She won't slow down," Rubal replied.

He heard the shots of a TIE whiz by him, clear signs that their tail had opened fire. However, so long as the Inquisitor's ship obeyed the laws of physics, she still shouldn't be able to see them through the flames of re-entry either.

The glass window of the cockpit cracked from the heat of re-entry, and sparks began coming out of the ship's machinery.

"What the kriff is wrong with these things!? My window is going to burst open!" Lux yelled again.

"The Empire sees these ships as expendable," Rubal replied. "Unfortunately, they think the same of their pilots."

"I'm starting to see why you defected," Lux responded.

Thankfully, the flames soon died down, and a barren mesa came into view.

"Is there anywhere nearby with rebel anti-aircraft armaments?" Rubal asked.

"Not unless you're right on top of a rebel base, and there's none around here."

"Then we'll have to take her ourselves."

As the shots from behind them started getting more accurate, they both took evasive action and split up.

Lux was anticipating he would be the one to be followed, and he was correct. Rubal was ignored almost entirely, and she was likely only trying to avoid ending up in his line of fire.

Suddenly, a shot hit the ship's left side, shaking the ship. The spot where it hit caught on fire and started producing a trail of smoke.

"I've been hit! She's on me, I can't shake her!" Lux yelled.

"Find some natural obstacles!" Rubal yelled back.

Lux looked around, and noticed a canyon.

"Jackpot," he said to himself, plunging into the canyon.

It was quite wide, easily fitting his ship through the two sides.

He sped through the canyon, bending and twisting through, but unable to shake his tail.