With Han Solo, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, Sana Starros and C-3PO onboard the Millennium Falcon, the freighter conducted two bombing runs on the Harbinger. The first missed, but the second penetrated the hull, opening a small breach in Sector 19-A. This opened up a path to the Star Destroyer's main engine reactor.
Wedge Antilles, flying an X-wing starfighter, made another bombing run with the intent of striking the reactor and overloading it. His torpedoes missed their mark, so Luke Skywalker flew his own X-wing inside the destroyer and scored several hits with his laser cannons, overloading the reactor.
With all Imperial personnel in the area dead or incapacitated, and the reactor due to overload before the emergency engineers could shut it down, the Harbingers admiral ordered the crew to abandon ship.
As the shuttles began leaving the crippled destroyer, the Falcon landed in the hangar bay and the hijackers jettisoned the reactor. As it exploded, the departing shuttles reported to Imperial High Command that the Harbinger had been lost, and the admiral contemplated suicide when he realized that Darth Vader would hold him personally responsible.
The survival of the Harbinger in rebel hands went unknown to Imperial High Command for at least a week, but several TIE fighter were dispatched to investigate the disappearances of Imperial shuttles in the sector. It did not, however, escape the notice of Darth Vader, who sent Task Force 99 to capture Admiral Verette to reclaim the destroyer and capture Skywalker. The rebels, meanwhile, used the ship to break the siege on Tureen VII.
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