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Yibo speeded through the air in his X-Wing Starfighter and kept his eyes focused in front of him. He made sure one hand was near his blasters just in case, he was officially in enemy territory after all. He couldn’t be too careful.
He could see his target getting close and closer, nothing more but a glimmering dot at the moment. But that glimmering dot was still dangerous. It wouldn’t be long until it would be able to detect his ship, and when it did he would only have seconds to react.
He remembered his Master’s words to him before he had set off and concentrated on the Force within him. He needed to remain calm and collected, and to not let anything get in his way.
“Ready, youngling?”
The voice that flooded his ears caused his hands to grip the ship’s controls tightly. He let out a sharp exhale and tried to calm the internal imbalance that had overtaken him.
No, he told himself, he wasn’t going to let this ruin his mission.
“Call me that again and you’re going down right after the Star Destroyer,” he said in response.
“Shouldn’t your focus be on the target?” the other pilot told him, and Yibo could perfectly picture his annoying grin of satisfaction.
“Wait until we’re back on the ground and you’ll get what’s coming for you, Xiao Zhan,” he said through gritted teeth and brought down the speed of his ship.
He heard the other chuckle softly. “We’ll see about that,” he said, then his voice turned serious, “Target engaged. Aiming for the tractor beam projectors first.”
“Got it,” Yibo replied, “I’m taking the closest turbolasers.”
“Copy that,” Xiao Zhan said.
Yibo looked back ahead of him and in the last seconds before he began shooting said, “May the Force be with us.”
⊹☆⊹
When Yibo’s Master had called him to appear before the Jedi Council he had felt his blood pump inside his veins and the Force inside him course through his body in a way that had made him feel strong, unlike the young Padawan he was.
He had excused himself from the training room and followed his Master while trying his best to coax answers out of him.
“Patience,” Wang Han had told him, “You can never wait for anything, can you?”
“Surely you hadn’t forgotten that when you called for me, had you, Master?” Yibo had replied, and had watched as the other Jedi’s lips had turned upwards in a small but affectionate smile.
“With that clumsy saber you still carry around, how could I?” Wang Han had said.
Yibo had patted his lightsaber where it always hung from his belt. He had made it himself years ago when he’d been an even younger apprentice and had insisted that the time had come for him to advance in his training. Wang Han had agreed, but the Council hadn’t been convinced just yet. Yibo hadn’t backed down, though, and had made his own lightsaber that same day to prove himself to them.
Wang Han had shaken his head at him and said that the Council didn’t appreciate Padawans who spoke over them, but to the surprise of both of them, the Masters had been impressed by his skills at such a young age and had had him spar with Wang Han in order to truly convince them that he was ready.
To that day, Wang Han told that story to young Padawans to tell them how important it was to have faith in their abilities.
It also meant that Yibo was no longer a stranger to the Jedi Council, and had spoken to them again on multiple occasions. Wang Han had even asked him to accompany him to Council meetings at times.
But that day was different. That had been the first time in his life that the Council had requested to see him specifically. It had meant that they had something for him, be it a proposal to move up the Jedi ranks or a Trial that they were entrusting to him, and Yibo had been determined not to make them regret that. He was going to make the Council, and most importantly his Master, proud.
The Council members had all been seated when they’d arrived, and they’d beaconed Wang Han to take a seat within their circle as well. The Jedi had bowed and had followed their instructions, leaving only Yibo still standing in the centre of all the Masters. It had been quite nerve-wracking in a way he hadn’t been expecting, but he’d hid his nervousness and faced them all, waiting.
“Yibo,” Master Zhang, another Jedi he was familiar with had greeted him, “How have you been?”
The Padawan had appreciated the warm greeting. It had given the meeting a good start and had provided him a sense of security that it would keep going well.
In the end, Yibo couldn’t have imagined a worse outcome. Perhaps he’d been exaggerating, but when he’d left the room with Wang Han he had barely been able to contain himself from lashing out against the first thing he’d seen.
“Yibo,” Wang Han had tried to calm him down, “The Council must have good reasons for making this decision.”
“What could they be?” Yibo had exclaimed, but had immediately bowed to the other in shame, “Forgive me, Master. I shouldn’t let my anger get the best of me.”
Wang Han had waved him off and simply given him a pat on the back. “Think of your Trial,” he’d told him, “This is the first time the Council is entrusting you with something this big. It could be your last one before you are awarded the title of Jedi Knight. You’ll need to prevent this feud from getting in your way. It will help your inner balance too.”
Yibo had known that what his Master had said was true, so he’d done his best to recover from the bad state the meeting with the Council had left him in. It had all proven to be in vain when a few moments later he and Wang Han had been met with Master Li Yuchun and her apprentice, Xiao Zhan, the cause of Yibo’s anger.
“Master Wang,” Master Li had greeted them with a bow, Xiao Zhan following after her.
Wang Han and Yibo bowed in return.
“Should we get going then?” Master Li had prompted.
“We should,” Wang Han had agreed.
The two had led their apprentices through the halls while the two Padawans hadn’t even spared each other a single look.
Yibo and Xiao Zhan had disliked one another from their first meeting. Their mentors had thought it a good idea to put them together during their classes, as both had been described by Wang Han and Li Yuchun as gifted apprentices with excellent skills. To their disappointment, the two boys had instantly been at one another’s throats and had had to be separated multiple times throughout the years, and not only during sparring sessions.
Yibo couldn’t help it, he just found Xiao Zhan arrogant. He’d heard about how Master Li had discovered him in Jakku scavenging for anything he could trade to provide food for his family, travelling in a small ship he’d built himself and showing impressive fighting skills for someone who had claimed to be self-taught. It hadn’t come as a surprise to her when she had found that he was also a Force-sensitive. She had taken him as her apprentice and brought him to the Jedi to train him.
Yibo had always known that Xiao Zhan’s skills were indeed spectacular, and he would have truly admired him had it not been for the other constantly acting as if he was superior to him. At some point Xiao Zhan had fallen under the impression that Wang Han spoiled Yibo and had seemingly made it his personal mission to best him in every way. Yibo had never been that easy to bring down, however, and knowing his own skill levels had taken him up on the challenge.
Years later, their rivalry was holding up strong, and for some reason beyond either of them, the Jedi Council had decided to pair them together for this crucial Trial. They were to take down an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer that had been making suspicious approaches towards Felucia.
As Yibo had climbed into his X-Wing Starfighter, he had finally managed to gain control of his emotions again. He had been disappointed in himself for letting the dark side inside him rise up as much as it had, and had even begun to despair that it was going to affect his Trial.
As though he had sensed it, Wang Han had placed a hand on his shoulder before he’d lowered the canopy. “I know this won’t be easy,” he’d said, “But I know that your training hasn’t been for nothing. Remember everything you’ve learned. And when you come back I will be the one to announce your rank advancement.”
He’d squeezed his shoulder as he’d spoken, and Yibo had understood everything his Master had left unsaid. Calmness had washed over him again and he had looked up at Wang Han. “I will make you proud, Master,” he’d promised him.
“You make me proud every day, my Padawan,” Wang Han had replied, and then had turned to look at Xiao Zhan who was also in his ship and who had already shared his parting words with Master Li.
“May the Force be with you both,” Wang Han had told the two Padawans, and with that, they had set off.
⊹☆⊹
Soaring through the sky towards the Star Destroyer Yibo made sure his feelings were in check and that he was concentrated. He thought of his Master and about how much he wanted the title of Jedi Knight. He’d been a Padawan for as long as he could remember, it was time to advance.
He adjusted his ship’s position right as he heard blasters going off and saw bright lights approaching him. Manoeuvring quickly he managed to avoid the blasts and pulled up his targeting computer to see the turbolaser that had shot at him slowly align with the computer’s gun-sights. Without hesitating, he began firing at it until the turbolaser blew up.
“One down,” he reported to Xiao Zhan.
“Nice work,” the other responded quickly, “I’m having some success with the tractor beam projectors too. Try to get as many blasters as you can until I can join you. Take down as many as you can so we can avoid them without much difficulty when we’re both at the top.”
“Roger,” Yibo replied and dodged another laser attack. He shot down another turbolaser before a bigger blast almost caught him off guard. He pulled his ship out of the way and almost fell onto the Star Destroyer’s deck in his hurry. He cursed. He should have expected the canons to start firing.
“Any chance you could make yourself more useful and take care of some of the ion cannons while I take out the turbolasers?” he asked Xiao Zhan.
“Little busy now,” Xiao Zhan replied and an explosion sounded in the distance, “Try to avoid them and I’ll be right up.”
Yibo didn’t want to reply to that, but silence might make Xiao Zhan think he’d been shot down and he knew better than to leave another hanging like that, so he huffed and pulled his X-Wing back up. He spun around a few times to confuse the laser’s operator and shot at them after regaining the upper hand. It only took a few shots before that one was taken out as well.
He had taken out two more turbolasers by the time Xiao Zhan contacted him again, but it wasn’t the pleasant news he’d been expecting.
“Nine tractor beam projectors out but there are three TIE Fighters on my tail,” he said.
“Can you chase them off?” Yibo asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” the other Padawan replied, sounding a little irritated, “But they’re holding on tight.”
Sighing, Yibo turned his X-Wing sharply to the left. “I’m coming,” he announced.
In his hurry to get to the other fast he didn’t notice a turbolaser turning in his direction until a hit sent him almost falling onto his controls.
He let out an exclamation of surprise and immediately assessed his damage.
“Yibo?” Xiao Zhan’s voice sounded in his ears, and he sounded so concerned that Yibo was almost tempted to play dead just to hear that tone again.
However, he decided it wouldn’t be appropriate at a time like that, so after some quick communication with his astromech droid, R6-V, reported back to him. “I’m alright. Lost an engine but R6-V is fixing it. I’m still coming to fight off those TIE Fighters for you.”
He saw the green blasts the next moment, all aimed at Xiao Zhan’s X-Wing that was manoeuvring around to avoid them. Yibo’s target locked on one of them and he shot it down easily.
After making his presence known, though, the rest wouldn’t be so easy.
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, even after Xiao Zhan had made no attempt to do so, “I’ll get the others too.”
“I think I can handle them now,” the other pilot said.
“I said I’ll get them,” Yibo insisted and pulled out of the way of one of the TIE Fighters’ shots, “Shoot down some cannons and blasters.”
After some missed shots he was able to take out another of the TIE Fighters, but it was the last one that was proving to be the biggest challenge. While the pilots of the other two had been slightly sloppy and had primarily focused on shooting, this one seemed determined to survive, and it was beginning to drive Yibo insane.
Suddenly, an idea hit him.
“R6-V,” he addressed his astromech droid, “Is the engine back to normal?”
R6-V beeped affirmatively in response. Perfect.
Yibo speeded forward with full power, the TIE Fighter right behind him. He then turned his X-Wing into a nosedive without reducing speed. R6-V made some panicked beeping noises, but Yibo ignored them and concentrated only on the Force.
When he felt the right timing, he rapidly pulled up and watched as behind him the TIE Fighter collided with one of the ion cannons in a large explosion. He cheered loudly and felt a satisfied grin spread on his face.
“What was that?” Xiao Zhan asked.
“That was the sound of a TIE Fighter, ion cannon, and a turbolaser too, I think, being taken down,” Yibo replied smugly and turned away from the scene so he could join Xiao Zhan.
“You’re so cocky,” Xiao Zhan said, “If Master Wang doesn’t do anything about it soon then someone else should.”
“Is that you volunteering?” Yibo asked him cheekily.
The other clicked his tongue. “You wish,” he said.
They couldn’t keep up the banter for much longer, as the loss of the TIE Fighters didn’t hold the crew of the Star Destroyer back from firing at them again. As the two X-Wings met and flew close to each other taking out turbolasers and cannons they managed to significantly reduce the attacks, but that wasn’t going to keep working for long. They needed to find the Star Destroyer’s weak spot and take the ship down if they wanted to survive.
Just like Yibo had been expecting, it wasn’t long before they were joined by more TIE Fighters, six of them this time. The threat was imminent, and they had to be done as soon as possible.
Yibo was trying to lock one of them in his target when he saw Xiao Zhan’s X-Wing lower.
“I found it!” Xiao Zhan said, and he didn’t need to say what for Yibo to understand, “Switching to targeting computer.”
Yibo didn’t get a chance to feel neither jealous nor excited, because almost immediately the TIE Fighters all descended, following Xiao Zhan.
“Bad move!” Yibo called out to him while trying to catch up with them, “TIE Fighters are after you. All of them. Move out.”
“I’m getting closer,” Xiao Zhan retorted.
“It’s not worth it,” Yibo insisted, “Let’s shoot down more of the TIE Fighters first and then try again.”
“I’m going in,” Xiao Zhan said unphased.
When Yibo saw the TIE Fighters shoot at the other Padawan and almost hit him multiple times, he increased his speed. “You’re being stupid and arrogant again!” he said, “Get out of there before you get yourself killed.”
He fired at the TIE Fighters, hitting one of them on the right wing and sending it falling.
But Xiao Zhan was still moving forwards.
“Xiao Zhan, what are you doing?!” Yibo exclaimed.
“I can hit it,” the other answered.
“Like hell you can,” Yibo said, “Pull up and we’ll go back together.”
“More TIE Fighters are coming,” Xiao Zhan told him, “They think they have us cornered, and soon they will. We won’t get many more chances.”
“So what, you’re going to go down there alone?” Yibo tried to make sense of what he was saying while also aiming at the TIE Fighters, which was strangely becoming hard as his hands shook slightly.
“I can blow up these ones if I crash them,” Xiao Zhan said, “That would clear a path for you.”
“How would you do that?” Yibo asked.
He got no answer.
No. Surely he wouldn’t…
“Are you going to blow yourself up?!” he exclaimed.
“It’s a good chance,” Xiao Zhan answered.
“No! Come back up here and stop saying nonsense!” Yibo commanded right as the more TIE Fighters the other had mentioned came into view behind him.
“You can’t stop me, you’re not my Master.”
“I don’t care! I’m telling you to come back!”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to become a Jedi Knight if you don’t become one with me!”
And, truthfully, Yibo didn’t know where those words had come from, but he knew that they were one of the biggest truths he’d ever said.
He heard Xiao Zhan take a sharp breath in surprise.
“So listen to me and pull up right this instant before I blow you up myself!” Yibo yelled.
To his relief, he saw Xiao Zhan’s X-Wing rise up. One of the TIE Fighters exploded after crashing into the ground, but he barely noticed when all he wanted to see was Xiao Zhan’s ship.
“Sending kind of mixed signals there, don’t you think, youngling?” the other Padawan had the audacity to joke.
Yibo simply scoffed in return and then smiled when he heard Xiao Zhan laugh.
Together, the two of them sent the TIE Fighters into a frenzy as they chased them, and after making two of them crash they descended back to the spot where Xiao Zhan had found the Star Destroyer’s weak spot.
They didn’t need their targeting computers, the Force was enough to guide them to the right spot and to help them take aim.
“Ready?” Xiao Zhan asked.
“Ready,” Yibo confirmed, “Together?”
“Here we go,” Xiao Zhan gave the signal.
They shot at the same time and instantly flew up into the air as, behind them, the Star Destroyer exploded into millions of tiny pieces.
The astromech droids on their ships chirped loudly in celebration as they flew away from the sight.
“Nice shot,” Yibo complimented Xiao Zhan, something he never had thought he would do.
“Thanks,” the other sounded flustered, “You too.”
“I know,” Yibo replied.
“Just you wait until we’re back down,” Xiao Zhan told him.
“What? You’ll punish me?” Yibo joked and rolled his eyes.
“You’ll see,” Xiao Zhan replied.
For some reason, Yibo was looking forward to it.
⊹☆⊹
When they touched down, the first thing Yibo did was greet his Master who was waiting for him in the same spot he’d been in when he’d departed. The Jedi hugged Yibo tightly and congratulated him on completing his Trial. Yibo hugged him back and thanked him for all his guidance and all his advice.
After congratulating their apprentices, Wang Han and Li Yuchun left them to pack up their ships and clean up before presenting themselves to the Jedi Council to announce the success of their Trial.
Yibo pulled R6-V out of his X-Wing and watched as the droid spun around a few times before sliding away while beeping in a tone that sounded like whining. He laughed at it. R6-V always acted as if Yibo was torturing him when he brought him to the ship, but was so quick to help him at the same time.
He was wiping down his X-Wing’s side when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with Xiao Zhan.
“We’re back on the ground,” his fellow Padawan told him.
“We are,” Yibo agreed.
Xiao Zhan leaned closer to him. “I believe I promised you something,” he said.
“You didn’t say what,” Yibo replied as his heartbeat sped up.
“Should I?” Xiao Zhan asked, his nose touching Yibo’s.
“Just show me,” the younger said.
Not needing another invitation, Xiao Zhan closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against Yibo’s.
And Yibo, with his back pushed against his X-Wing, kissed him back passionately.