STAR WARS: Flight of Phoenix

Capitolo 4

"Phoenix 1, 2, 3 and 4, converge on the TIE Fighters!"

Commander Sato's voice was full of anger and fear.

An Imperial Star Destroyer stood near the planet with his dreadful silhouette. Still too far away to fire, already too close to jump in hyperspace. Not even the best optimist could hope to escape. It would have been the end.

"Roger, Commander" Skaan answered.

Then he found in the space near the cruiser a squadron of fighters flying in their direction.

"Any suggestion?" Phoenix 3 asked trying to decrease the tension that was growing up due to their worry.

"We should face them as far as possible" Phoenix 4 said.

"From the Destroyer?"

"No, from everything".

The pilot was right. If they had fought near to Phoenix Home, probably TIE Fighters would have attacked it. And this couldn't happen.

So their purpose should have been to get the enemy squadron follow them and to make it not engage their admiral ship. "We can do it" he exclaimed with a  bit of optimism. Maybe they could really exit alive from that situation.

"Phoenix Squadron, we'll try to redirect all the energy to engines. In this way, we'll have enough power to reach the moon and, from there, jump in hyperspace. We need you to cover our backs".

"It will be done, Commander".

Sato was trying to go for broke. One shot of the Destroyer's turbolasers, and Phoenix Home would had become a great fireball.

"It's very risky"

It had been Phoenix 2 to talk. Teri's companion and, maybe, friend. He usually didn't oppose to Sato and Tano's choices; however, they weren't usually undertaking a suicide mission.

"We know, but it's our only hope".

Skaan nodded and opened a private channel with Phoenix 2. "Don't worry; we'll succeed".

"I'm not so sure. Those fighters are nearly twice our number, and they aren't escaping from death".

They were nine. Nine TIEs coming against them at maximum speed. Nine TIEs who thought that they were going to dismantle the Phoenix Squadron.

"We can't surrender, we can't!"

Phoenix 2 stood silent. "We are doing this for the galaxy. We can't surrender" Phoenix 1 repeated.

Then his companion answered: "I will not back down".

Teri smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Now, the battle could start.

***

A flurry of green laser passed few meters on the right of Phoenix 1.

Enemies had taken the initiative, starting firing as a only gun. All bolts passed between the nimble starfighters, causing no damage.

At that moment Phoenix Squadron's counterattack began and Skaan pulled the triggers keeping his eyes on the target, the left-most of the TIEs.

The pilot avoided the shots with a roll, then he replied to fire together with his companion.

Phoenix 1 moved the tip down till flurries stopped for a while, then he pointed again to the target, firing. Although he hit its left wing, the fighter didn't stop flying and kept shooting.

"Pass over them!" Phoenix 4 screamed; enemy squadron had become too near, and instead of dogfighting he preferred to regroup and to attack all together. Skaan was disappointed by this choice, but he didn't say anything, trying  to front that unexpectedly skilled pilot.

When the TIE passed under him, Teri was sure that it was close to be deactivated. Just a pair of shots, and it would have exploded. 

"At your back, Phoenix 1!"

Skaan didn't realize what was happening, he had only time to turn the cloche and a flurry of green laser appeared where he was. It seemed that the enemy squadron had not liked the idea of a group fight, and for this reason now the TIEs were at the backs of Phoenix pilots.

Phoenix 3 was shot down by two enemies. 

Phoenix 1 couldn't watch the explosion, but he saw the two TIEs proceeding towards his companion's position. Teri had them in front of him. He couldn't give up the revenge.

One after the other the targets disappeared on the map, while heating levels rose up in the monitor. 

"You didn't die in vain".

He stood some seconds without doing anything, looking at what remained Phoenix 3 A-wing. It could have been his fighter if he hadn't moved the cloche in time.

"Die, dogs!" 

Phoenix 4's ship passed near Phoenix 1's, making him wake up. Not to think, act!

He took a while to find a new target. Not by chance it was his favorite one, the TIE he had chased at the beginning; he would have finished the incomplete work.

Flipping the fighter Skaan found himself behind the Imperial ship, and immediately started to fire. One, two, three shots hit the target. It exploded leaving no trace of grey hull and black wings, except some fired dust.

"Thank you, mate" Phoenix 2 thanked him. Teri hadn't noticed the fighter was after his friend, maybe soon to kill him. 

"You're welcome".

Phoenix 1 looked at his map seeking for a target, but there was none. The space was free of fighters.

There was only one enemy remaining: the Star Destroyer.