Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
Chapter One
Hoth
"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...
It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy.
Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, the group of freedom fighters has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth.
The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding the Last of the Jedi, Leia Naberrie, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space..."
Space, 3 ABY
A Star Destroyer flew through space, releasing Imperial probe robots from its' underside. They zoomed off in various directions, one of them heading straight toward the planet Hoth where it landed heavily on its' ice-covered surface. A large explosion marked the point of impact.
A weird mechanical sound rose above the whining of the wind. An Imperial probe robot, with several extended sensors, emerged from the smoke-shrouded crater, before floating across the snow plain where it disappeared into the distance.
Hoth, 3 ABY
A small figure gallops across the windswept ice slope. The bundled rider is mounted on a large grey snow lizard, a creature called a tauntaun. Curving plumes of snow rose from beneath the speeding paws of the two-legged beast.
The rider galloped skilfully up a slope where she reined the lizard to a stop. Pulling off her protective goggles, Commander Leia Naberrie, removed a pair of electro-binoculars from her utility belt and raised them to her bright blue eyes. Through the green-tinged lenses, she could see smoke rising from a crater, one she immediately recognized as what seemed to be a meteor crash site.
The wind whipped at Leia's fur-lined cap as she activated a comlink transmitter. Her tauntaun shifted and moaned nervously beneath her. She patted it reassuringly on the neck, sending soothing feelings to it through the Force, as she raised the comlink to her mouth.
"Rogue Leader to Renegade Leader," she called into it. "Han, do you read me?"
"Loud and clear, Firecracker," he drawled back.
Her lips automatically twitched into a smile at the familiar sound of his voice. She was never sure what to call their relationship. They were together, and they were monogamous, but 'boyfriend and girlfriend' always felt too juvenile to use to describe them. They weren't married either, and Leia was determined that they wouldn't be until the Empire was defeated, though Han had mentioned it a few times. After the Empire fell though, Leia wouldn't mind hyphenating her name to Naberrie-Solo. After.
"What's up?" Han continued.
"Well, I finished my circle," she reported. "I don't pick up any life readings."
Han scoffed at that. "That's 'cause there isn't enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser," he retorted. "The sensors are placed. I'm going back. You comin'?"
"Not yet," Leia replied. "I'll see you shortly. There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here. I want to check it out. It won't take long."
"Be careful," Han told her, his voice softening to the tone reserved for her. "You're still recovering, remember?"
Leia grimaced at the reminder. Her side throbbed with the memory of her latest battle with the Inquisitorius. They were obsessed with getting her, and the last time only the Force's aid, her teammates' timely arrival, and the orders for her to be brought in alive, had saved her.
"You don't need to remind me," she reassured him. "I'll be fine, don't worry. See you back at the base, Flyboy."
"See you there," Han agreed. The conversation over, Leia clicked off her transmitter and reined back on her nervous lizard, sending another wave of calmness through her.
"Hey, steady girl," she cooed. "What's the matter? You smell something?"
A second later, the Force sent her a warning, and she spun around. As she turned, she heard a monstrous howl and saw an eleven-foot-tall shape towering over him. A Wampa Ice Creature, one of Hoth's deadly predators, lunged at her ferociously.
She flung out a hand desperately, using the Force to send the Wampa flying away from her. Unfortunately, Leia's continued weakness, combined with the physical strength of the beast itself, meant it only staggered back a few feet, instead of being sent toppling down the slope, as the Jedi had intended to happen.
She pulled her lightsabre from her belt, igniting it with a 'whoosh!' Her tauntaun moved anxiously again, but Leia knew that she couldn't spare the time to try and calm her down. Tauntauns weren't good for any type of fight, but the snow was too deep for Leia to walk through, let alone fight on, so staying on her tauntaun was the only option. Unfortunately, while she was restricted by her half-healed injuries, and her mount, the wampa didn't suffer from the same limitations.
It charged her again, and she slashed it across the chest. But, the combination of the attack, and the lightsabre's attack, finally managed to frighten her ride beyond its' limits. The tauntaun reared, and Leia was sent flying, her lightsabre sent spinning from her hand by the momentum.
Her training kicked in, and she curled into a ball, tucking her head between her knees and covering it with her arms to protect herself. She landed heavily a deep snow drift, the sudden cold and impact shocking her for a minute. She regained her bearings, but not in time to avoid a sudden pain raking across her back. She managed to turn onto her side, feeling the familiar sensation of blood pouring from her back, and thrust out her fist. Dizzy, she clenched her fist and twisted. Through the approaching blackness taking over her senses, she could feel the Wampa's death as she snapped its' neck, feeling a surge of regret for doing so, right before she finished her fall into unconsciousness.
Echo Base, Hoth
Han arrived back at the newest base, named Echo Base by Command. It was their fifth base in three years, with the Rebels having fled the last one, an old base on Crait, after a Q'Itane named Trusk Berinato had alerted the elite Imperial battle unit, SCAR Squadron, of their presence. Only the information provided by Neena Celchu, a Rebel spy disguised as a musician, that they had managed to flee in time.
Han scowled at the memory, remembering how SCAR had attacked, led by yet another Force-damned Inquisitor. He, Leia, Luke, Winter and Chewie had not yet left when they arrived. He, Leia and Chewie had volunteered to go after Luke, who had been lured away by his sister's capture by Berinato. They had been fleeing, when the Inquisitor had used his powers to drag the Falcon back down to the planet.
He, Luke, Winter, and Chewie had fought a deadly battle against the ruthless SCAR troopers, supported by the rest of Rogue Squadron, that also stayed to help them, while Leia fought the Inquisitor. By the Force's grace, they had survived the fight, but Leia had spent over a month in the hospital, two Rogues had been killed, and Winter was now short several fingers. They were working on getting her prosthetics, but it was hard going. A lot of former supporters had pulled away after Kenobi's death.
Han shook away his thoughts, as he swung off his lizard and pulled off his goggles, ignoring the Rebel troopers rushing about unloading supplies and otherwise securing their new base.
He walked into the main hangar deck toward the Millennium Falcon, which is parked among several fighters, suppressing his shivers. They had made heating a top priority, but it was still far from being a liveable heat, in Han's opinion.
Mechanics, R2 units, and various other droids hurried about, and Han dodged them. He arrived at the Millennium Falcon where his Wookiee co-pilot, and best friend, Chewbacca, was welding on a central lifter. Chewie stopped his work and lifted his face shield, growling an irritated greeting to his friend.
"Chewie!" Han snapped back.
The Wookiee grumbled in reply.
"All right, all right," Han patted the air, rolling his eyes. "Don't lose your temper. I'll come right back and give you a hand, after I've reported in."
Chewie huffed, but put his mask back on and returned to his welding as Han left.
The Captain made his way to where a makeshift command centre had been set up in a blasted area of thick ice. The low-ceilinged room was a beehive of activity. Controllers, troops, and droids move about setting up electronic equipment and monitoring radar signals.
General Rieekan was bent over a console, and he straightened up at Han's approach.
"Solo?" Rieekan raised an eyebrow in a silent request for the Captain's report.
"No sign of life out there, General," Han told him. "The sensors are in place. You'll know if anything comes around."
Rieekan nodded. "Has Commander Naberrie reported in yet?"
"No," Han shook his head. "She's checking out a meteorite that hit near her."
Rieekan gestured at the screen beside him. "With all the meteor activity in this system, it's going to be difficult to spot approaching ships," he noted with a deep frown.
Han nodded, frowning in thought. "I doubt this base'll last long," he mused, running a hand through his hair.
"You don't know that," a new voice joined the conversation.
The two men turned to look at Prince Luke as he approached. Signs that the war was wearing him down showed in his drained expression and the dark shadows under his eyes, along with his thin frame. Luke wasn't a fighter, he was one of the Alliance's 'public faces.' He gave propaganda speeches, and organized missions, and helped to strategize. But he had lost his planet, most of his family, his people and his position as heir to Alderaan in a single attack. The war affected everyone, whether they stood on the front lines or not.
"It's isolated, and there's no reason for the Empire to suspect that we would hide here," Luke pointed out. "We could manage to hide here for ages, if we're careful." The regular running he had suddenly been forced into, as well as the sudden reduction from the finery of the aristocracy, to the fold-up mattresses used by the Alliance, had taken its' toll on his health, and he was sick of sleeping in cramped ship quarters that had been converted from cargo bays, as was typical for him now.
Han gave a dry smile at that. "We can be as careful as we want, Your Highness," he drawled. "But that won't change the fact that this planet just isn't hospitable enough for us to stay on long term. Hell, the Chalactans can't come here, full stop. And they're not the only ones."
Rieekan raised a hand to put an end to the conversation, looking stern. "You both have good points," he stated firmly. "We do not intend to be here for too long. Hoth is simply too strategically unreliable for that. But we do hope to manage to stay here for a few months, at least. We cannot afford to keep moving so often, it's putting too much of a strain on our resources."
That was an understatement, as the entire Rebellion (save anyone hospitalized with major injuries or pregnancy) had been put on half-rations months ago, and there was no sign of it ending anytime soon.
"At any rate, you're dismissed Solo," Rieekan continued. "Tell Naberrie I want her report, whenever you see her."
"Will do," Han replied, giving a nod, before turning and leaving. Luke hastily followed him.
"There something I can do for you, Your Highness?" Han asked, eyeing Luke warily. They were linked by their mutual love for Leia, though to Han it was romantic, and to Luke it was platonic. But they rarely 'hung out', so to speak, and certainly not without Leia to smooth over ruffled feathers.
"I need some advice," Luke admitted grudgingly, looking pained to say it. Han's eyebrows shot up in surprise at that.
"You need advice from me," he repeated doubtfully.
"Yes!" Luke snapped back, his cheeks reddening, and not from the cold.
"What type of advice?" Han asked.
Leia's voice in his head kept him from showing his internal desire to mock the other man, and he bit back a sigh. He had never been so polite, or devoted to a cause, until he had met Leia Naberrie. If not for her, he would have never joined the Alliance. Or at least, he would have left after the bounty hunter on Ord Mantell. But he couldn't leave her, not willingly at least. Her heart had been broken too many times, for him to abandon her.
Luke looked away for a moment, before looking back at Han. "Why do you and Leia stay together?" he asked softly.
"What?" Han blinked in surprise. Whatever he had been expecting, that wasn't it.
"You're both near the top, Leia actually tops, the most wanted lists," Luke went on. "Your lives are in danger, and yet you somehow stay together, despite the pressure. And, despite your relationship, you never let it get in the way of your duties to the Alliance. How?"
Han frowned at him, suddenly remembering how much time Luke had been spending with a certain Alderaanian spy lately, and beginning to suspect where this had all come from.
"Leia wouldn't be the woman I loved if she didn't put the galaxy first," he said after a minute of silence. "Saving the galaxy, her devotion to the cause. It's all a part of what made me fall in love with her in the first place. The passion that she has when she talks about a life without the Empire terrorizing everyone. And, I would never be even close to worthy of her, if I didn't try and bring her dream into existence."
It might not have been a good answer, but it was all Han could give. Luke frowned, looking away. "Hey, what's going on, Luke?" Han asked, wishing that Leia was there to help. She and Luke seemed to be able to read each other's minds most of the time. If not for the fact that it was Leia, and he knew that she would never even consider betraying him, Han would probably have been jealous of their mutual devotion to each other.
Before Luke could reply, his comlink beeped. "Never mind," he sighed, after checking the message left on it. "I need to go. Thanks, Han." He hurried off, leaving Han staring after him. After a moment, the captain shook his head and turned to head to the hanger, to help Chewie with the Falcon's repairs.
A familiar stream of beeps and whistles heralded the approach of Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio, Luke and Leia's shared droids. They appeared around a corner and moved along an ice wall toward the main hangar, locked in an argument, as usual.
"Don't try to blame me," 3PO was snapping. "I didn't ask you to turn on the thermal heater. I merely commented that it was freezing in the prince's chamber. But it's supposed to be freezing. How are we going to dry out all his clothes? I really don't know."
Artoo beeped out a stream of protesting whistles.
"Oh, switch off," 3PO huffed back, irritated with his friend.
The two robots came to a stop at Han's old freighter where Han and Chewie were struggling with their central lifters.
"What'd you take this apart for?" Han grumbled to Chewie. "How're we gonna fly with both of these pulled? It won't take off, let alone go to hyperspace, if we don't get this fixed."
Chewie grunted irritably in reply.
"Excuse me, sir," Threepio said politely to Han.
"Put them both back together right now," Han ordered Chewie sternly, ignoring the droid. He didn't like Threepio, and preferred to ignore him as much as he possibly could. It drove Leia crazy, of course, but 3PO was more Luke's droid then hers, just like R2 was more Leia's than Luke's. And Han did like R2.
"Might I have a word with you, please?" 3PO pressed.
Han huffed and turned. "What do you want?"
"Well, it's Prince Luke, sir," Threepio explained politely. "He's been trying to get you on the communicator."
"I turned it off," Han replied flatly.
"Oh," Threepio blinked. "Well, Prince Luke is wondering about Mistress Leia. She hasn't come back yet. He doesn't know where she is."
Han rose, concern flashing over his face he had been back as he checked his chrono and realized that he had been back for almost five hours, now. Leia should have returned hours ago. He had been distracted by the repairs, and had assumed that she was busy in a meeting or something.
"I don't know where she is," he said tightly.
"Nobody knows where she is," Threepio informed.
"What do you mean, "nobody knows"?" Han snapped. He glanced at the fading light at the entrance of the ice cave as night slowly began to fall on the planet. That was the one good thing about Hoth. It had long days, and short nights.
"Well, uh, you see..." Threepio started.
Han ignored him and jumped off the lift, Threepio following him.
"Deck Officer!" Han called. "Deck Officer!"
"Excuse me, sir," Threepio began. "Might I inqu –"
Han put his hand over Threepio's mouth as the deck officer approached.
"Yes, sir?" the officer asked respectfully. A lieutenant, he was several ranks below Han, who was rumoured to be up for a promotion soon.
"Do you know where Commander Naberrie is?" Han demanded.
The officer grimaced and shook his head in denial. "I haven't seen her. It's possible that she came in through the south entrance." His voice was doubtful.
Han glared at the unfortunate man. "It's possible?" he scoffed. "Why don't you go find out? It's getting dark out there."
"Yes, sir," the deck officer agreed, before he hurriedly left.
Han took his hand off Threepio's mouth.
"Excuse me, sir," Threepio sniffed. "Might I inquire what's going on?"
"Why not?" Han replied dryly, beginning to stride off.
"Impossible man," Threepio complained softly to Artoo. "Come along, Artoo, let's go and find Prince Luke. Between ourselves, I think that Mistress Leia is in considerable danger."