Contained within the From a Certain Point of View collection, "Sparks" is a concise narrative. Paul S. Kemp is the author of this story, which primarily explores the experiences of Dex Tiree alongside Gold Squadron.
Dex Tiree, a starfighter pilot serving the Rebel Alliance, is in his quarters, pondering the impending arrival of the Death Star as the Battle of Yavin draws near. He is haunted by the memory of Alderaan's annihilation by the Death Star, with its countless lives extinguished. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, Dex resolves to stand his ground. He is aware of whispers among his fellow pilots that Princess Leia Organa has returned carrying secret intelligence concerning the Empire. Nevertheless, Dex anticipates that the confrontation with the Death Star will ultimately be a brutal contest of resilience.
Lost in thought about the looming battle, Dex remembers his mother's adage: "small sparks can start big fires." His reverie is interrupted by Sparks, his R5 unit, whom he initially met on Corellia. Dex shares with Sparks that he has been separated from his parents and sister on Onderon for several years. He then recounts the tale of the fire the droid inadvertently ignited on Utapau's moon. Dex assures the droid that they will persevere during their mission and achieve their objectives. As a rebel, Dex sees himself as a spark ready to ignite a revolution.
Just then, the station's comlink announces the Death Star's arrival in the Yavin system. Dex, along with the other rebel pilots, attends a briefing led by General Jan Dodonna. Upon entering the flight deck, Dex encounters Davish Krail, a fellow pilot, who questions whether he intends to be a hero that day. Dex and Sparks then board their BTL Y-wing starfighter and join the rest of Gold Squadron in their approach towards the Death Star. After a brief discussion with Davish, Dex joins his fellow pilots in targeting the Death Star's turbolasers, successfully destroying one.
Gold Leader then alerts the squadron to the arrival of enemy fighters. Dex and Davish are instructed to support Gold Leader in their assault on the Death Star trench. The three Y-wings descend into the trench. As TIE fighters pursue them, Gold Leader orders the pilots to maximize their rear deflector shields. During the run, Dex's starfighter is struck by a laser bolt from a TIE fighter, causing it to violently explode. Sparks emits a final shriek before being destroyed. In his last moments, Dex's thoughts turn to his mom, his dad, and the sound of his sister's laughter.