Jay's Battle of Hoth

by Uncle JayJ

This is my fantasy of how the battle of Hoth should've went, not a rewrite of the whole movie.

Jay's Battle of Hoth

By: Jay

The desolate ice world of Hoth was a perfect place for the Rebels' Echo base, far from civilization and industry, but most importantly relatively hidden from the scope of the Empire. Hoth was a frozen planet; its only inhabitants were Wampas and Tauntauns Han Solo and his recon partner Dak Ralter surveyed the area around the base, using their macrobinoculars they could map vast distances of the ice planet from their Snowspeeders. Flying around dunes and mountains they flew, "Look, a tribe of Wampas at your left," pointed out Han Solo, "We'll know where to avoid on our ground patrols. The speeder sliced through morning mists and blown snow following the currents of the early winds as it flew. Han shivered with the thought of being out there; tauntauns weren't the warmest of creatures in the galaxy. They'd cleared Zone 4 just right of the perimeter when there scanner picked up a blip in the wilderness, "Looks like we have a droid out here, landing and switching to ground mode," Dak extended landing gear when Han put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Hey wait, before we land I think we should get some help just in case, let me have the controls." Against his better judgment Dak raised the gear and switched the controls to Han's panel, "What have you got in mind, Sir?" Han said "You'll see." And flew back toward the wampas they saw earlier, "If that is a probe droid, then if we approach it in a Land Crawler we'll just be confirming the Empire's suspicions and they'll send their fleet to destroy us," he flew low enough to be even with the massive creatures' eyelines and fired a nudged one to face plant in a dune. The behemoth turned and roared as the tribe started to converge on them. Han flew backward, avoiding the beast powerful claws. Once far enough away, he turned the craft around and waited until the Wampas started running after them. Han then switched to land Sled mode and fired a warning shot at low frequency at the creature to piss it off. Enraged, the creatures chased the sled as they made their way to the suspected Imperial droid, it's a good bet, if they suspect we're here they'll know soon enough, but these Wampas'll buy us time to let the boys back at base get the Ion Cannon up-and-running." "Only you, Solo!" said Ralter sarcastically, loving experiencing a Han Solo maneuver. As soon as they were close enough to the droid its proximity sensors went off, causing it to turn. Han dove under the snow. The last thing the droid saw before it was ripped apart was a bunch of Wampas charging at it.

Back at Echo base, the recon teams reported, "Echo-3, Zone 3 clear, we found tribes of Wampas all over the Southern quadrant, recommend limited activity at the South entrance!" The others were clear, but Echo-2, Solo and Ralter, hadn't reported in yet. Princess Leia was somewhat worried as it was getting dark, but figured they were in a Speeder so "Han's probably out joyriding again. You can take the boy out of the Falcon, but you can't take the Falcon out of the boy!"

Echo-2was buried under the snow waiting until the Wampas left the area before emerging from the drift. They made their way back to base. They got out of the sled to examine the remains of the probe droid. "Yep, Empire," Solo said holding up a piece of debris with an Imperial symbol on it, "They definitely suspect someone worth searching for is here." Dak started to pick up the debris when Solo stopped him, "No, leave it for them to find, if it's not here they'll know someone's here" "Good thinking!" confirmed the other pilot.

Once back at the base the team relayed the situation to Commander Chiffonage's chagrin, Han handed him the insignia from the crash, "Our defenses will hold, but we must ready evacuation procedures just in case." He raised the alert to Omega level, "This'll get everyone to where they need to be!" The Princess came in, "Glad you got back before all Byss broke out, Solo!" she said to Han, and then to the commander, "Bring the perimeter sensors online. Not even the Empire'll risk attacking during a Hoth night, but just have them ready by daybreak." "Yes, Senator," said the embattled commander.

Nobody on base got a good night's sleep, all were anticipating the eminent battle. Sentries were at their turrets aimed toward the brightening Hoth horizon. Scanning the scene, their macrobinoculars feeding him environmental data, positioning, sound, and distance, the sentries ready to alert the base at a moment's notice. Echo-2 and 4 flew patrols around the perimeter, receiving and sending regular updates back to the base. Han had just cleared a far mountain when he saw the silhouette of a distant AT-AT walker, it was huge and no doubt full of a battalion of Storm troopers, "Oh shit," Ralter said awestricken by the sheer size of the machine, "Look at the size of that thing." Solo zoomed in on the cockpit and took note of the soldiers and officers' faces, "Looks like a recon team –probably looking for their lost probe droid- better let the base know," he radioed back the coordinates of the behemoth to the sentries, "Echo-2 to Echo, there's a Big Walker on the ridge. Looks like just a reconnaissance team though if we got any closer they'd have spotted us. Sending location now!"

"What are they waiting for," asked the General asked excitedly. They were in the Planning Room Han offered, "With all due respect, they don't know we're here, all they know is that their prober was destroyed, so they're searching for it, but they will find us eventually so we need to be ready, but keep a low-profile!" General Rieekan concurred, "Captain, we'll need you and Lieutenant Ralter to keep an eye on these troublesome Walkers."

Solo landed on the summit of a mountain ridge to keep an eye on the Imperials. His macrobinoculars trained on the Walkers, ready to report any sign of aggressive activity. He radioed back to base, "Commander, these guys look like they're just checking out why their probe's dead," he notified, and then added, "It's a good bet though the next wave'll be looking for us." Commander Chiffonage called back, "Noted, Captain, we'll be ready." Solo noticed a flash in the distance and saw three more transports carrying AT-ATs; their hulking frames looked odd sailing through the Hoth sky, uh oh, I 've got a bad feeling about this," he observed as the Walkers joined their brother. He got on his radio, "Commander, three more Walkers just arrived; they suspect we're here!" "Get back to base Captain, as soon as possible! Echoe-2 got back in the cockpit but Solo stopped his copilot from igniting the engines, "Wha—you heard the Commander we need to get back!" Solo shook his head, "Not that way, kid, the sound would alert them to our presence. Switch to Sled mode and belt in, we're going for a ride!" He turned the sled to face the edge of the mountain. "Y-you sure about this," asked his apprehensive teammate . Without a thought Solo answered, "No, but how else are we getting back." At the edge, Dak Ralter started saying, "Oh you got to be shi – Solo!" Over the duo went. They made their way down the mountain. Over rocks and through trees they flew, dashing and being jerked back and forth and up and down. Finally traversing the mountain, they guided the sled just under the snow, causing waves of whiteness to ripple behind them as they race back to base.

"The base looks like a ghost town with all those wampas and tauntauns running around and no officers," Ralter said matter-of-factly. "They're there," is all Solo replied, "The best hiding place is in plain view" he added. He hit his comm panel,"Echo-2 to Echo base, we're back." "Come around back to the tunnel entrance, we'll let you in." was the reply.

Watching the recording on the Probe droid's salvaged VoCorder, the Commander, "According to this, looks as though Wampas attacked it and ripped it apart; the damage was consistent with brute force trauma." "Don't be too hasty, Commander," started Darth Vader, "note that brief glimmer of light just before the wampa attack," "It could just be a wafting but of snow thrown up by the droid's propulsion system," offered General Veers. Vader cast his vacant eyes at him, conveying many things at once, General Veers continued, "But clearly it's sign of a Rebel scout ship or some other vehicle, sweep the surface of the planet now!," he commanded. "And…," Vader urged. To which the intimidated general added, "And… take three full battalions of troops, Commander, if you find the Rebels, crush them."

"Commander! AT-ATs coming in from the north," a sentry on the lead gun turret radioed in to base," Coming through Chiffonage Pass just like Captain Solo said." Commander Chiffonage was not amused, "Never liked that name, Lieutenant! Good work on spotting them, Captain Solo, did you get all that?" Solo was on the same signal, "I did, Echos-2 and 4 in position." The commander focused on the behemoths with the cameras they placed on the mountains outside and sent the image to all the teams, "Wait until they get up to the outer wall, then box them in from behind, we can't risk a frontal assault." Solo added, "They'll probably have Swoops too, so we'll need to take those out first."

A giant beast lumbered toward the base, and then halted, surveying the land, "No sign of Rebel activity, none recent anyway, scans only pick up wampas and piles of reprocessed tauntauns, "radioed General Veers. "Don't underestimate the Rebels; they were resourceful enough to bring down the Death Star," answered Darth Vader. Veers radioed his troops, "Prepare for conversion!" He then flipped the switch to convert the behemoth into a command center. The head of the beast retracted and the stout legs of the behemoth bent, slowly lowering the giant body to the ground.

Once locked in place, the mobile command center was established. General Veers then pressed another button that lifted the roof and exposed a three hundred sixty degree laser array, "Commander Soliger, let's go wampa hunting, shall we?" The gunnery commander targeted all the vile wampas in the vicinity and with the press of a button several beams of light erupted from the cannons and took out all the Wampas at once. The rebels watched intently, "OK, did everyone see that," Commander Chiffonage asked bewilderedly. "Yeah, seems the Empire's learned a few new tricks since Dantooine! Those AT-ATs couldn't do that… is it too late to switch sides?"

Command didn't like that tone in their Captain's voice, "How badly does this change things, Captain" Han thought for a minute, the camera and sensors must be that dome structure on the top, you see it." Everybody did, "It looks like a suite packed with a little of everything, motion, audio, visual, temperature, pressure, probably even moisture and movement sensors, and that dome'll give it nearly full range of vision. But it doesn't seem to be able to see around corners which is our sweet spot," he thought out loud," "So if one of our soldiers mounted the roof-, Han finished the thought since they were on the same page, "Then he could drop a small magna-grenade right at the base of the dome and hide behind the wall before it saw him then would explode, taking out their eyes and hopefully their ability to communicate back to base too!" "The problem there," added Commander Chiffonage, "Is that once those are downed, those other Walkers move in and they'll know there's a threat, Be ready, Captain!" "So, I guess it is too late to switch sides," Solo chuckled into the mic, "We're ready, Commander!" "Han, I want to volunteer to plant the bomb," Solo wasn't thrilled with the prospect of putting another friend on the chopping block, but relented, "Ok, Col, be careful, that thing looks sensitive. Take Commander X2 with you, just in case!" Col Serra answered as casually as he could, "Hey, we smugglers live on slim chances, Solo, No officer's dying if I can help it!" He saluted the Commander, "Commander Chiffonage, Sir, if I'm not back in five minutes wait a little longer!" He smirked then ran off. Col made his way to the roof of the base as X2 got into position, both ready to flee quickly when necessary! Serra sneaked gingerly across the wide catwalk directly behind the sensor dome with its nearly full range sensor. He radioed his companion at the South entrance, "Ready, I could use a diversion. " The clone used the force to parade a dead Wampa out into the open, drawing the laser eye to it as Serra aimed and fired the magna-grenade at the base of the dome, "Ok, bomb placed, let's get out of here!" The two met up inside the darkened main lobby of the vacant base when the timer on the bomb went off. The dome erupted in a ball of flame and as expected alerted the Imperials to the presence of resistance on the planet. The other two Walkers came running as the front walls of Echo Base were lit up with their laser fire. Troops poured out of the bunker to investigate the premises. "They're on to us!" The two exclaimed while scrambling to meet the others in the hanger. General Madine radioed the external teams, "Your turn, Captain, keep them busy til we can get everybody safely away, once the last transport's away, rendezvous back at Alpha post." "Just get those people free, General, Solo said back, "We have this!"

The Walkers lumbered on with their minimal ground troops, Solo anticipated them not to be much of a problem. The trick was getting those Walkers taken care of. Major Derlin, unleash the wampas!"

Suddenly, a pack of wampas appeared to the right of the pass to the displeasure of the Snowtroopers as they marched. In a split parsec, the ground troops were overridden by the brutish creatures. , even the Swoops proved little match for the giant beasts as their frames were bent, for these particular wampas were equipped with body armor that easily repelled and fire they were getting.

"Echos 1 and 3, take out the AT-STs ," Ordered their Captain gleefully as the mini-walkers were made quick work of. "General Rieekan, are your men ready," Solo asked of the garrison of troops holed up in the storage units dug into the mountain, "Ready, Captain, " was the reply "We'll need a cleanup crew for the remaining Swoops and AT-STs." The battle waged on as the Echo teams boxed the Walkers in. Solo and Ralter made for the rear Walker, "Aww, no one's really guarding this one, just like you said, Captain," Ralter announced as they focused their firepower on the connectors at the feet of the behemoth, "I told you, kid, don't get cocky!" They took out the few troopers that were there easily avoiding the powerful returning fire from its bulky cannons, "speed's never been these big boys' strong suit!" He commented as they dodged a huge blast that missed them by a mile. One more well-placed blast from their right gun took out the last connector and as the titanic Walker took a step it's foot didn't so down it went in a fiery crash that engulfed Echo-2, "You ok, Captain," asked Ralter before heading back to the battle, "Little fried, but pretty good, kid!" they flew back and joined the fray. Han radioed all fighters, "Squadron, take out the cables at their feet, focus all fire on their feet." Just then a pissed off wampa grabbed the wing of their speeder, Ralter shouted, "Punch it!" and the pilots ejected before the rampaging wampa ripped the speeder in half like a tissue. Landing on the ground the pilots shot the wampa anywhere the armor wasn't and eventually the creature fell, they made their way through errant fire and exploding blasts to the foot of one of the Wankers, Han dropped a couple magna-grenades in the foot well and dove into the snow, yelling, "Clear!" as a huge explosion blew it's foot off. The machines lurched and started toppling, "RUN!" He shouted and grabbed Ralter, diving in a cubby hole as the bulk hit and ignited in a concussive blast of energy that knocked the men tighter in the cramped hole. The battle raged while the two men lay unconscious. General Rieekan and his men brought down the lead Walker employing Captain Solo's tactic of detaching the feet and Echo 4 steered their speeder into the connector cables after taking fire that caused them to have to eject, taking out the other Walker. Han and Dak emerged from their hole, ears ringing as they surveyed the scene before them. Shaking their heads clear, they saw the last of the heavy transports flee as the ion cannon fired to cover its escape. They saw a Snowtrooper pointing his gun at General Rieekan, Han's quick draw allowed him to pull his own blaster free and shoot the would-be war hero before the trooper even knew he was there. They saw a sweeper team coming in and saw there was no reason to continue the fight until more people died, so they made their way through the field of dead troopers and burning wreckage to Beta Post's hanger, where the Millennium Falcon was refueled and waiting on them. "Renegade Squadron, have you placed the charges," Han asked in his radio, "They're sending a sweeper team; we need to get out of here… NOW!" Col Serra replied, "I can't believe we're destroying another good base, we're ready."

As the Impireal sweeper team came in the remnants of Echo base, the rebels left secretively from the largely unsearched outpost on the perimeter of the actual base. The charges set awaiting a signal to detonate. Aboard the Millennium Falcon, Col Serra watched the camera he placed in the base as the soldiers searched the remains, grinning with his finger poised on the trigger. A few troopers passed the "Mess Hall" and went inside to search for anything of value. After they went in, the covering on the sign fell away reading "Wampa holding." A self-gratified grin split Col's face as he flipped the switch on his detonator.