The Kitchen Maid

The man gestured toward the display screen, which showed a computer portraitof the battle station. "Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are our snub fightersgoing to be against that?" Dodonna considered. "Well, the Empire doesn't think a one-man fighter is anythreat to anything except another small ship, like a Tie fighter, or they would haveprovided tighter screens. Apparently they're convinced that their defensiveweaponry can fend off any light attacks. "But an analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has revealed what wethink is a weakness in the station's design. A big ship couldn't get near it, but an X-or Y-wing fighter might. "It's a small thermal exhaust port. Its size belies its importance, as it appears tobe an unshielded shaft that runs directly into the main reactor system powering thestation. Since this serves as an emergency outlet for waste heat in the event ofreactor overproduction, its usefulness would be eliminated by particle shielding. Adirect hit would initiate a chain reaction that will destroy the station." Mutterings of disbelief ran through the room. The more experienced the pilot,the greater his expressed disbelief. "I didn't say your approach would be easy," Dodonna admonished them. Hegestured at the screen. "You must maneuver straight in down this shaft, level off inthe trench, and skim the surface to—this point. The target is only two meters across.It will take a precise hit at exactly ninety degree to reach the reactor systematization.And only a direct hit will start the complete reaction. "I said the port wasn't particle-shielded. However, it is completely ray-shielded.That means no energy beams. You'll have to use proton torpedoes."