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The Death Star had 3 minutes left to clear Yavin, at that time Chief Bast informed Grand Moff Tarkin that there was a danger posed to the station, after he analysed the Rebel attack strategy. Red Leader along with Red 10 and Red 12 made their attack run, but once again the trench attack did not succeed. Lord Vader eliminated Red 12, while one of Lord Vader's wingmen eliminated Red 10 (shortly after the elimination of Red 12, Red 10 began to panic. But his fear did not last long). However, Red Leader was able to survive long enough to get a lock on the exhaust port and fire a pair of proton torpedoes, but one hit the side of the trench causing damage while the other detonated near the exhaust port. He was soon killed by Lord Vader when he took out 2 of his (Red Leader's) engines, causing Red Leader to crash on the station's surface after being chased out of the trench.

By this time in the battle, the Death Star had 1 minute left till it cleared Yavin. The next attack run was led by Red 5. His wingmen Red 2 and Red 3 followed him in the trench going at full throttle. Red 2 was forced to pull out after one of Darth Vader's wingmen caused enough damage to him. Lord Vader ordered his wingmen to ignore Red 2 as he left the trench. Meanwhile, Red 3 was trying to keep the Imperial TIE Starfighters off of Red 5 for his run against the exhaust port, however, Red 3 met his ultimate fate by Lord Vader's laser cannons.

By this time there was 30 seconds left before the Death Star would clear Yavin. Red 5 was using his targeting computer to target the Death Star's exhaust port, until the Spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi told him "let go", which he did so by shutting off his targeting computer. Lord Vader fired at Red 5 and he was able to take out Red 5's droid R2-D2. The taking out of Red 5's droid marked when the Death Star had cleared Yavin and was ready to fire its superlaser at Yavin IV to crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke.

When it seemed that victory for the Empire was near, the Millennium Falcon came out of nowhere destroying Black 3, as Lord Vader was firing his laser cannons at Red 5. Moments later, Black 2 spotted the Millennium Falcon heading towards him and he panicked. Black 2 veered radically to the right and clipped Lord Vader's TIE Advanced x1 (its wing, causing a bend in it) sending it careening out of control out of the trench, while Black 2 hit the side of the trench and was killed. Guided by the Force, Red 5 shot the pair of proton torpedoes that went into the exhaust port that led to the main reactor that destroyed the Death Star in a chain reaction as it was standing by to destroy the last vintages of the Rebellion. Red 5 joined Red 2 and the Millennium Falcon as they headed to escape the impending explosion of the Death Star. They were later joined by Keyan Farlander who after shaking TIE Fighters was in time to escape the explosion of the First Death Star.

The Rebels hoped that Lord Darth Vader died in the Battle of Yavin, but they were dead wrong. Many of the Empire's best officers, personnel and equipment, especially 1,420 of the 1,500 Imperial Class Repulsortanks that were initially produced, all 1,420 tanks shipped on the station were lost on the Death Star unfortunately. General Tagge took the Rebellion seriously, but he was overruled by his superior officers when it came to his advice. If he had taken his complaint directly to the Emperor, he may have been a "Military Hero" to a victorious Galactic Empire.