[Chapter Fifteen]
Admiral Ackbar commanded from his Calamari cruiser. He shook away the notion that the Alliance was here to commit suicide, and sat down in his rotating chair. News arrived that the north generator was out, while the last two were under siege. Ackbar wanted his offenses near Blood Shard when its secondary shields collapsed, so opened a line to Skywalker and ordered that he take the squadron out, followed by the ships that would form the defense perimeter.
"Stay evasive until we reach our target," Luke said. "Conserve lasers and torpedoes, blast only the unavoidable." Han's words echoed in his mind. I promise to hit where it counts most. Your sacrifice will mean our victory, old friend.
The Jedi felt a surge in the dark side as he neared Vader's position. "Look at that precision," Wedge said. "It destroys any enemy that approaches the edge of the sphere." Luke checked, and found Wedge was right: Blood Shard itself and guard TIE's dominated the Emperor's fighters, one bolt per unit, always finding the mark. Losses were closer to balanced in the other skirmish clusters.
More death swelled in the graveyard ahead as the X-Wing squadron neared. Luke sensed the fear in his fellow pilots, made worse by Vader's mental cloud. He closed his eyes and pushed out with the Force, trying to counteract the effects. He fed stoicism and focus into the pilots subconsciously willing to accept.