A.N.: I was underwhelmed with Star Wars Infinities when it came out because it didn't go in this direction. Now, years later, I'm making it right.
A.N. 2 The Return: Well, it has taken me four months, but I finally finished editing this.
Han Solo: Jedi Knight
[A Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back Rewrite]
For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of a rider the message was lost,
For want of a message the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
-Proverb
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, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth.
The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space...
A Star Destroyer drifts through space, appearing silent and still.
Then flashes come from the main hangar; once, twice, three times. Again and again the flashes come and it becomes apparent that this lightshow has a deeper meaning; probe droids.
One such probe follows a preprogrammed path to a desolate planet; the ice-world of Hoth. It deftly slips in among the meteors and impacts upon a ridge and a bulbous droid draping multiple arms rises from the crater.
The Empire has found Echo Base, whether it knows it or not.
From a distance away, Commander Luke Skywalker saw the meteor come down while on his patrol. He reigned in his Taun Taun and radioed his friend, the smuggler Han Solo.
"Echo 3 to Echo 7. Han, old buddy, do you read me?"
"Loud and clear, kid. What's up?" Came the reply.
"Well, I've finished my circle. I haven't picked up any life readings."
"There isn't enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser. Sensors are placed, I'm going back."
"Right, I'll see you shortly. There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here, I'm going to check it out. Won't take long."
But as he signed off, giddy at the prospect of seeing more of this wide galaxy so different from his home of Tatooine, his Tauntaun became strangely agitated. "What's the matter, boy? Smell something?"
Luke turned in to follow his steed's gaze, his eyes becoming a mask of fear as a clawed hand descended upon him and knocked him to the ground. He wasn't conscious to see the second blow that felled his Tauntaun or witness the beast grabbing both bodies and dragging them off…
Time passed and Han Solo returned to Echo Base to deliver his report to General Rieekan in the command center, glancing furtively at Leia as he passed.
"Solo," Rieekan greeted briskly.
"No sign of life out there General," Han stated. "The sensors are in place, you'll know if anything comes around."
The General nodded. "Has Commander Skywalker reported in yet?"
"No, he's checking out a meteorite that hit near him."
Rieekan sighed and looked at the sensor terminal he had been examining when Han arrived. "With all the meteor activity in this system, it's going to be difficult to spot approaching ships."
"General, I gotta leave. I can't stay anymore," Han blurted out.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Rieekan said.
Han shrugged. "Well, there's a price on my head. If I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt, I'm a dead man."
"A death mark's not an easy thing to live with," the General agreed. "You're a good fighter, Solo, I hate to lose you." He smiled sadly and shook the smuggler's hand.
"Thank you, General."
Han turned away, spotting Leia looking over her shoulder at him and he strode over.
"Well, Your Highness I guess this is it," he said sadly.
Leia, however, was cold. "That's right"
Han stared at her a moment before a shell of sarcasm hid his hurt. "Well don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess," he said, stalking out of the command center and down the hallway beyond.
But the Princess wasn't done with him yet.
"Han!" She called, hurrying after him. He stopped at an intersection and turned towards her, sarcasm still firmly in place.
"Yes, Your Highnessness?"
"I thought you decided to stay," she argued.
Han gave an unfriendly smile. "Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."
"Han we need you!" She insisted.
Han started incredulously. "Oh, we need?"
"Yes," Leia nodded.
"Well what about you need?" He asked, pointing at her.
"I need? I don't know what you're talking about." She said, shaking her head.
Han's pointed finger retracted and he shook his head in frustration. "You probably don't." He said, turning away.
"And what, precisely, am I supposed to know?" Her tone baffled as she followed him again.
"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me!" Han's tone was accusatory.
"Yes!" Leia shouted. "You're a great help to us, you're a natural leader!"
"No!" Han insisted, stopping to face her, his finger pointing again. "That's not it. Come on." He challenged her before leaning back to allow someone hauling a box to pass.
"Ah? Come on!" He pointed at her again, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"You're imagining things," Leia shot back with contempt.
"Am I?" Han challenged again. "Then why're you following me? Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"
Leia was furious at the accusation. "I'd sooner kiss a Wookie."
"I can arrange that!" He said angrily before stomping off. "You could use a good kiss!"
At least Chewbacca was glad to see him, if only to have another pair of hands working on the Millenium Falcon.
After some hours of working on his ship, C-3PO approached him as he was berating his partner for disassembling the landing gear.
"Excuse me sir, might I have a word with you please?" the protocol droid asked.
"What do you want?" Said Han shortly.
"Well, it's Princess Leia, sir. She's been trying to get you on the communicator."
"I turned it off, I don't wanna talk to her," he said with aggravation.
"Oh. Well, Princess Leia is wondering about Master Luke. He hasn't come back yet, she doesn't know where he is."
Han shook his head, already annoying with the machine. "I don't know where he is."
"Nobody knows where he is," C-3PO said.
Han started at that. "What do you mean nobody knows?"
"Well, uh, you see-" the droid began, But Han had already turned away.
"Deck officer! Deck officer!"
"Excuse me, sir, might I-" the droid tried again, only for the smuggler to place a hand over his voice box.
"Yes, sir?" The Deck Officer asked smartly.
"Do you know where Commander Skywalker is?" Han asked.
"I haven't seen him. It's possible he came in through the south entrance."
"It's possible?" Han echoed. "Why don't you go find out, it's getting dark out there."
The Deck Officer knew an order when he heard it. "Yes, sir." He said, hurrying away.
C-3PO attempted to catch Han's attention again, but the smuggler's mind was already whirring with possibilities and he walked off to the Tauntaun pens.
As he wandered through, another officer who'd obviously been roped into the search approached him.
"Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn't come in through the south entrance. He might have forgotten to check in." He stated matter-of-factly.
Han shook his head. "Not likely. Are the speeders ready?"
"Uh, not yet," the officer admitted. "We're having some trouble adapting them to the cold"
"We'll have to go out on Tauntauns," Han decided.
"Sir, the temperature's dropping too rapidly!"
Han turned back to the officer, his look stern. "That's right and my friend's out in it."
He mounted the nearest beast as another officer warned him of the danger.
"Your Tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker!"
"Then I'll see you in hell!" Han said spitefully as he spurred his steed into the night.
Across the frozen wastes of Hoth, there was another cave, this one lined, not with lights and wires, but with bones. Even the killing cold of the planet couldn't silence the stench of death that inhabited the cave, the cave where Luke Skywalker had been dragged to. The young pilot awoke to the horrible sensation of blood rushing to his head and hands and his face hurt. His eyes opened to reveal a blurry cave that seemed….wrong somehow before his addled brain told him he was upside down. Still, Luke didn't particularly feel like trusting his eyes at the moment, not when he felt like he'd tried to outdrink Chewbacca. A glance downwards revealed a cave ceiling where the ground should be and his boots sticking impossibly sticking to it.
This isn't good, he thought as he swung himself up to tug at the stiff material. Closer now, Luke could see that his boots were actually frozen to the roof, as if he'd somehow stepped in a rapidly freezing puddle while they both defied gravity.
Or like some great beast spat on my shoes to make sure I stayed put until later. The thought brought his mind back to his glimpse of the terrible visage of the thing that had attacked him. He had to get out before it came back to finish the job. Luke curled up to look at his belt for his lightsaber, which was….. not hanging from its usual clip. For a moment, panic set in as he imagined all the places it could have disappeared to, depending on how far he now was from the patrol perimeter, then he spotted it in the snow, butt to the sky as it he had only casually dropped it and not been manhandled into this position like a slab of meat in a butcher's freezer.
Luke stretched out, reaching for it only to fall short. He reached for it again with the other hand, keenly aware that each second meant that he had less chance at escape, less chance of surviving the cold outside. Realizing that he couldn't reach it, Luke closed his eyes and forced down his panic. Ben had said that the Force would obey his commands and now, more than ever, he needed the Force to listen.
He reached for his lightsaber again, calling out to it not just with his hand, but with his mind.
Come, he commanded.
The weapon shifted in the snow. Deeper in the cave, the creature roared, but it was of no importance right now.
Come, he thought again, imposing his will on the universe. It is mine. It belongs to me. It belongs in my hand.
The shuffling of the creature was getting louder, coming closer. And it sounded like it was dragging something.
Come!
The lightsaber leapt from the snowbank and into Luke's hand, his fingers switching it without conscious thought as he brought the blade up and around in an arc that he couldn't have performed outside of his trance-like state. He dropped to the ground and rolled upright as the massive creature filled the tunnel that led deeper into its lair. If anything, its features were more terrifying now, coated with the blood and viscera of its meal.
The creature roared in anger as it saw its meal escaping, rushing forward claws extended to rend and tear. Despite his terror, Luke set his feet and swung diagonally, severing one of the monster's hands. It reeled back in sudden pain and he seized his chance at escape.
Luke Skywalker ran and did not stop running until he could no longer see the ridge the creature's cave had been in.
He ran until he could no longer see anything but the blinding snow swirling around him.
Han Solo reigned his Tauntaun to a stop and raised his goggles for a quick unobscured look at his surroundings. No Tauntaun, no rider, no body in the snow.
Nothing.
Han growled in frustration and spurred his steed on.
Far away, Luke stumbled through the snow. He was cold and tired and his face hurt in ways he didn't want to think about. He'd long ago lost the energy to run, only moving on because some part of him knew he had to keep moving. There was somewhere he needed to be; someplace he had to get back to.
A snowdrift shifted unexpectedly under his foot and he fell forward.
He did not rise.
Snow swirled across the frozen desolation that was Hoth. The promised storm was coming in, faster and stronger than it ought to. The temperature slipped down fast, too fast for an unprotected man to survive for long. In weather like this, even the native life sought shelter in caves and hollow glaciers.
This was a killing cold.
Han Solo reigned his Tautaun in again and glanced around the frozen expanse, gazing into the blizzard in vain. When nothing appeared, he sighed and dismounted, drawing a scanner from the saddlebag and moving away from his ride. It grumbled in the cold, but stayed where it was.
The smuggler walked a few paces away and raised the scanner, desperately seeking any sign of his friend. From behind him, the Tauntaun yowled, a sound which started low, rose in pitch, and then died off with a gurgle. Han looked back in time to see the beast fall over, dead.
"Oh hell."
"Luke"
The body in the snow did not stir.
"Luke!"
Slowly, the head lifted. Standing before him was a spectral figure, a shockingly familiar one.
Cracked lips parted and a hoarse voice spoke. "Ben?"
The ethereal figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi continued speaking as if Luke had said nothing.
"You will go to the Dagobah system. There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me."
His message delivered, the specter faded away, giving way to the swirling snow.
"Ben," Luke called out piteously. "Ben!" But only the howling wind heard him and he collapsed into unconsciousness once more.
Han was wandering now, no steed and no visibility. He clung to the scanner with hands too numb to feel, lugging as much of the survival pack as he had been able to carry. When the Tauntaun had fallen, he'd simply picked a direction and started walking, hoping desperately that he'd find some sign of Luke before they both ended up as icicles.
So he walked. And though he had no idea, Han felt a strange pull in his gut telling him to go this way, the kind of pull that he'd never tell a soul because it sounded too much like hokey old religions for his comfort. He'd been walking for five minutes straight when suddenly the scanner gave off a faint ping. For a moment, he thought he'd imagined it, but then he looked down through fogged goggles and saw a blip on the screen. The machine pinged again. The blip was in front of him.
Without being entirely conscious of doing so, Han started running. Something he couldn't name and didn't want to examine too closely urged him on, prescribed haste, told him that Luke was there.
Han ran.
Out of the snowbanks rose a still form. It was also covered in snow, but it looked exactly like a body.
"Luke!" He shouted, heedless of anything else, all physical discomfort forgotten.
The scanner dropped from his hands, the pack slid from his shoulders as he ran closer and closer towards the unmoving form.
"Luke!" The form stirred weakly, almost imperceptibly. And then he was there, turning his friend over and seeing the blackened face, the frosted lashes. He held the kid close to himself, struggling to feel his breath, to feel his chest rise. He was so cold, so still, only minute flickers signaling that he was alive at all.
Han cradled the dying Luke, oblivious to the howling wind and unbearable cold.
"Luke! Luke, can you hear me? Luke!" Han was frantic, shaking his friend's frost-bitten form.
Suddenly, Luke's eyes snapped open, the blue orbs unfocused and full of fevered delirium. His hand grabbed Han's collar with a strength born of madness. "You must go to Dagobah! There you will find Yoda, the Jedi Master who trained me!"
"Luke! Kid, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense!"
But even as Han spoke, Luke's eyes rolled up and he drew on last shuddering gasp before going still. His grip slackened on Han's collar and the hand was completely dislodged by Han frantically shaking the boy again and again.
"Luke, come on! You gotta wake up!" He begged and pleaded as the tears froze to his face. "Come on, you gotta wake up; Leia's worried sick about you!"
But Luke Skywalker did not wake. Han stayed kneeling for a long time, the body of his friend cradled in his arms.
Around them, the blizzard raged on. Eventually, Han built a shelter and dug a shallow grave.
The morning came and the storm passed and after the technicians worked through the night, the speeders were finally ready to set out into the frozen landscape of Hoth to find two lost souls. Zev Senesca, currently at the forefront of the advancing line zoomed over the white hills and valleys. Dividing his attention between the skimming maneuvers he was engaged in and his instruments was risky, but so had Captain Solo's rush into the deadly night for a friend. The least Zev could do was return the favor, especially for a man who'd risk his life for Rogue Leader.
His sensor board pinged. Faintly, but enough to catch his attention. Zev's eyes shot to it and hope blossomed. He flicked the comm switch on his board.
"Echo Base, I've got something! Not much, but it could be a life form," he reported. Then he banked the speeder and zoomed off in the direction of the ping. This was it, he could feel it! Everything would be all right, they'd be safe, if a bit worse for wear from the cold.
Zev flicked the comm switch again, changing to a wide-band frequency.
"This is Rogue Two. This is Rogue Two. Captain Solo, do you copy? Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue Two."
There was a burst of static and another voice came over the comm. "You're late." Zev knew the voice of Captain Solo anywhere, but the dull tone was something he'd only heard from veterans of the most brutal battles the Rebellion had fought.
"Captain Solo," Zev said, desperately hoping that nothing was wrong. "It's good to hear your voice, is Commander Skywalker with you?"
The answer almost made him lose control of his speeder.
"He's dead."
News of Luke's death spread like wildfire from the communications officer outward. By the time a ceremony had been organized, almost every soul in Echo Base stood in the hangar; off-duty personnel, hangar crew, pilots, and anyone who could get away from their posts without something exploding. The funeral procession bearing the late Commander Skywalker consisted of the six remaining pilots of Rogue Squadron. Watching them bear their fallen leader was like seeing hope die, their faces ashen and their steps heavy as they passed from the shelter of the hangar to the stark loneliness of the landscape beyond. They passed by the gathered crowd on their way to Luke's final resting place, each man staring straight ahead, too wrapped in their private grief to notice anything else.
Han stood off to one side, away from everyone, just watching the scene. He could see tears on almost every face that was capable of crying, the looks of shock and disbelief at this twist of fate. His own grief seemed muted, distant, like a sound coming down a long hallway. Mostly, he felt numb. The cold of last night seemed to have sunk into his skin, making this whole thing seem like a dream.
The Rogues bore their leader to the prepared grave just outside the hangar doors and off to the side. Standing beside it was Leia, her face shining with tears that froze even as she cried, and General Rieekan. Luke's squadron lowered him into his final resting place and retreated, Rieekan following so that he was now at the center of proceedings.
"Soldiers of the Rebellion, it is a sad day," He said. "When you joined us here, we told you it would be hard. We told you there would be no guarantee of success, of safety, of longevity. Now we stand here, bearing witness to the proof of those words. A hero, a great leader, has fallen. Luke Skywalker, last of the Jedi Knights, fell-" His voice seemed to fade away for Han, adding to the dream-like substance of the funeral. The words washed over and around him, entering into everyone but him. Something calculating kept him apart.
I can fix this, it whispered. I can get this 'Yoda'. They want a Jedi and he is one, it's gotta work.
After that thought, the rest of the day seemed to swirl together until Han had no conscious memory of what occurred.
"I can't believe you!" Leia shouted, oblivious to the looks she was drawing from the technicians and pilots scattered around the hangar. "With Luke gone, we need you more than ever and you'd rather run away than become involved!"
Han whirled around from the circuitry he was working on for the Falcon. "First," he hissed, jabbing a finger at her, "I am not running. And second, I ain't part of your revolution, sister."
Leia folded her arms in a huff. "Well if you're not running, then where are you going in such a hurry?" She expected bluster, maybe a snappy comeback that he thought was flirtatious. What she didn't expect was his solemn expression.
"There's something I've gotta do," was all he said. And then he turned back to his work.
Leia stared at him for a moment, her mouth open in shock at his seriousness and his casual dismissal of her.
"Fine!" She threw her arms into the air. "Be mysterious, you nerf-herder!" Leia stormed out of the hangar, causing a flurry of activity as various personnel did their best to look as if they hadn't been eavesdropping.
Chewbacca rumbled a quiet question. Han shook his head.
"Too many people knew about Luke and his skills. That bounty hunter wasn't just after me, you know." He trailed off, gazing after Leia. "No, we can't tell anybody where we're going. It's safer that way."
Chewbacca moaned another question, but the smuggler ignored him, pretending to be absorbed in his work. The Wookie watched him for a few minutes, then moved closer. Softer now, he repeated his question.
He did not fail to notice the increased tension in Han's shoulders. Chewbacca placed a clawed hand on his friend's shoulders.
The reaction was immediate; Han slammed the panel closed and whirled around. "Dammit, Chewie, do I look alright? I could have done something; left earlier, realized he wasn't back sooner, something!"
By now, everyone in the hangar was staring at them again, a fact that shocked Han out of his fury. He glared at them all until they went back to their activities, then turned back to Chewbacca, speaking quietly this time.
"Look, we owe these people some. Luke was someone they could believe in, a symbol, even if all his 'Jedi' delusions fell flat. Before he died, Luke said I had to go to the Dagobah system… or maybe he did. He wasn't…. he wasn't all there. But Luke thought there was another Jedi there, this could be my chance to fix this."
Chewbacca moaned softly. Han sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I hope this works too."
Five Star Destroyers float in space as around them swarms of TIE Fighters patrol. Gradually, a shadow falls across them, blotting out the light of stars on their hulls. Its shape is shape is like theirs, but infinitely more vast. The Executor, the Empire's Super Star Destroyer, sails over the other ships, making them seem like children's toys.
On board the Executor, which Darth Vader has claimed as his flagship, a sensor operator noted a strange image from the Hoth system and brings it to Captain Piett's attention. He studied it for a moment, his eyes widening. "Admiral," he calls.
Admiral Ozzel turns towards him. "Yes Captain?" He asks, striding over.
"I think we've got something, sir. The report is only a fragment from a probe droid in the Hoth system, but it's the best lead we've had."
Ozzel's face set in annoyance. "We have thousands of probe droids searching the galaxy. I want proof, not leads!" He said sternly.
"The visuals indicate life readings," Piett defended.
"It could mean anything," Ozzel insisted. "If we followed every lead-"
"But sir," the Captain interrupted. "The Hoth system is supposed to be devoid of human forms."
The commotion had caught the eye of Lord Vader, who approached the arguing pair.
"You found something?" His deep voice rumbled.
They both bowed, but Piett beat his superior to the punch. "Yes, my Lord."
Lord Vader glanced at the probe droid's transmission for a moment before deciding. "That's it. The Rebels are there."
"My Lord," Ozzel said, speaking as one would to a child. "There are so many uncharted settlements. It could be smugglers, it could be," but Vader interrupted him.
"That is the system," The Sith Lord announced firmly. "And I'm sure Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth system. General Veers," Vader said, whirling towards the man who had been approaching them. "Prepare your men."
"Well Princess, it looks like you managed to keep me here a little longer," Han announced, striding through the Operations Center of Echo Base and almost knocking over C-3PO as he assisted one of the radio operators. "I would have thought this was beneath you."
"I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for anyone to leave the system until they've activated the energy shield," Leia replied, not even looking up from the readout she was studying.
"That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight."
Leia scoffed. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain." She finally turned to look at him/ "It's got nothing to do with you, there's a heavy meteor shower coming in and it's dangerous to allow any traffic."
Just as Han opened his mouth to retort, Rieekan butted in.
"Princess, we have a visitor." Han's mouth hung open as Leia moved over to the General. He snapped it shut and followed.
"We've picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east," the General continued.
"It's metal," the nearest technician chimed in.
Leia frowned. "Then it couldn't be whatever got Luke."
"Could be a speeder, one of ours," Han said, leaning over the console.
The tech's eyebrows shot up. "No, wait… there's something very weak coming through." He fiddled with his control board and the speakers began emitting a garbled transmission.
The golden protocol droid wandered over and listened to it along with the rest of the command crew. "Sir, I am fluent in six million forms of communication, this signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an Imperial code."
Han stared at the droid for a moment, astounded that it had actually proved useful.
"Me and Chewie'll check it out. Not like I've got anything better to do anyway."
Leia looked like she wanted to say something, but she turned away and Han stalked out.
A few hours after then confrontation with the probe droid and in the middle of evacuation preparations, an announcement informed all personnel that an Imperial task force had appeared in-system, almost on top of them. Han and Chewbacca were still attempting to beat the Falcon into submission via repairs when the message came over the intercom and Han felt the vibrations of the shield generator powering up. He gestured for his companion to keep working while he headed over to the operations center. As he moved through the dug-out corridors, another announcement came over the base speakers reporting that the task force had launched shuttles, no doubt packed with ground troops and assault vehicles.
The hallways of the base were packed with people rushing with controlled panic, some were pilots, some were techs hauling vital equipment to their assigned transports, and the rest were the various members of the ground defense force, read to lay down their lives to ensure the Rebellion lived on. Their total commitment to the cause made Han feel uncomfortable in way he couldn't quite explain. That uncomfortable feeling didn't last long as he stepped into the frantic environment of the control center. General Rieekan nodded to him in acknowledgement and turned back to the holographic display of the base's defenses. The only other person who's opinion mattered to Han hadn't even looked up at his entrance, though this time it was because all of Leia's concentration was on coordinating the air defense and evacuation.
Even as Han strode towards the General, the order to fire the Ion Cannon was given and the base shook from the recoil.
"Captain Solo," Rieekan said in greeting as a nearby controller announced the successful jump of the first transport. "How do things look in the base?"
"Well, people are keeping calm for the most part. Keeping looting to a minimum, that sort of thing."
Rieekan offered a humorless smile. "I'll be sure to commend them later. Is there some reason you're here?"
"To be honest, General, there's not much for me to do around here except wait for my turn to launch," Han said, scratching the back of his head. "I feel kind of useless."
Now the General's smile was genuine. "Then maybe you should take over my men's quota of looting. I'm sure that you'll be payed for anything you can put back in our hands after this is over. Just make sure that most of it does get back to us."
Han smirked in return. "Can do, General." He offered a mock salute before turning away. That swift movement meant that he caught Leia staring at him before she abruptly looked away. The smuggler watched her for a long moment while she pretended to be engrossed in the evacuation. A muscle in his jaw worked and he stalked out.
The newly promoted Admiral Piett gazed out at the icy white planet and the multitude of landing craft streaming towards it. If there had been any doubts among the crew that this was the location of the Rebel base, they were dispelled when a portion of the planet's surface was covered in an impenetrable shield. Admiral Ozzel had been executed by Lord Vader for his perceived incompetence in bringing the fleet out of Hyperspace early to 'surprise' the Rebels, a tactic that Piett agreed with but would never express out loud if he wished to continue breathing, even if the imposing figure had departed the bridge to prepare for the coming assault.
In the midst of his contemplation, two ion blasts shot from the surface and raked across the Tyrant, allowing two snubfighters and a transport to slip by the blockade.
And with that, the Battle of Hoth had begun.
It was a tense waiting game. Trenches had been dug, artillery placed, and firing lines drawn up. All that was missing was an enemy to fight, and the Empire didn't disappoint. One Captain raised his macrobinoculars and sighted on the strange figures in the distance. The image in front of his eyes resolved into Imperial AT-AT walkers, six of them. He reached for his commlink.
"Base Defense to Echo Base, we have walkers. Repeat; we have walkers," he reported.
"Acknowledged," came the static-y reply. "Launching air support."
A few seconds later, the hangar door behind the lines ground open and craft after craft shot out. The whine of repulsorlift engines pressed down on the defenders as Rogue and Wraith Squardrons made tracks towards the landing party.
There was radio silence among Rogue Squadron for an awkward few seconds before the newly-minted Commander Antilles remembered that he was in command of the squadron now and had to initiate sound-off.
"This is Rogue Leader, everyone report in," he ordered.
"Rogue Two, board is green."
"Rogue Three, barrel is clear."
"Rogue Four, gun is hot," came Wes's voice, directly behind Wedge.
"Rogue Five, ready and willing."
"Rogue Six, locked and loaded."
Wedge allowed himself to relax a fraction. It was nice to hear their voices, even if it was inevitable that someone wouldn't make it back.
"Alright, Rogues; we're going in hot, so stay low and keep your throttle high. Attack pattern gamma."
A chorus of acknowledgements followed as the squadron accelerated. The walkers responded immediately and suddenly both the Rogues and the Wraiths were dodging laser blasts. Two of Wraith's number were hit immediately, becoming well-acquainted with the snow.
The remaining speeders made a strafing run, lasers blasting across the AT-ATs.
"My shots're having no effect!" That was Two. Wedge's mind spun, looking for solutions.
Armor too strong, possible weak points; neck joint, legs, he thought. Neck joint risky, drivers will notice attack run and retaliate.
"Go for the legs! Prime tow cables!" He ordered over the command channel.
As Rogue and Wraith Squadrons circled around, preparing to trip up the walkers, Two took a hit. His scream burst into static over the comm and Rogue Squadron was down to four pilots.
"Janson, fire on my mark!" Wedge was cursing the speeders under his breath. If Zev and Dak had been in their X-Wings, they wouldn't have gotten hit, and they'd have survived if they had.
"You got it!"
Their speeder passed the walker. "FIRE!"
Wes' thumbs tightened instinctively and the magnetic hook thunked onto a leg.
"Confirmed hit!"
On the confirmation, Wedge pulled his speeder into a turn that shouldn't have technically been possible on that model, but desperation burned in him. If this plan didn't work, then none of the ground forces would stand a chance. The speeder groaned, but it held as Wedge curled around the AT-AT once, twice, three times.
"Detach cable!"
Wes' fingers flipped a switch on the side of his grapple gun and they were no longer bound to the walker. "Cable detached!"
They zoomed off as behind them, the walker tried to take another step only to become tangled in the tow cable. The legs, locked and unable to move, jolted and sent the entire vehicle tumbling forward into the snow. Wes cheered at the sight, but Wedge remained grim. There were still five more walkers, and a quick look back revealed the surviving troopers kicking the doors open. Wedge clicked the squad comm open.
"Rogue Leader to Rogue Five. Hobbie, you still alive?"
"So far, Lead."
"Get set for an attack run, I'll cover you." In that moment, a laser blast connected with Hobbie's speeder and it crashed into the snow.
"HOBBIE!" Wedge sputtered curses. Two pilots. This is worse than the Death Star, he thought.
But his comm crackled. "This is Three," Tycho's voice said through the heavy static. "Hobbie's wounded, but we're alive. We're bugging out to the extraction point."
Wedge's gut unclenched. "Good luck, Three." Thank whatever gods are out there. The four best pilots Rogue Squadron had left would live to fight another day.
The ground forces fared little better; with most of Rogue Squadron down, Wraith Squadron was hard-pressed to take down the other walkers. And every one they took down only added to the wave of Snowtroopers approaching the defensive line.
One of the besieged defenders peeked over his section of the trench and gazed out at the flitting shapes of the speeders swarming around the AT-ATs. There were depressingly few left in the air now and even as he watched, one of the remaining walker swung its head to the left and fired, bringing one of the speeders down in flames. Following the crash he noticed that the snowy plane seemed to be rippling, but the wind wasn't high enough for that. And then he realized what it was.
"Troopers!" he shouted. The cry went up across the defensive line and soon lances of blasterfire raced across the plane towards the advancing force. Some of the ranks in the front fell, but there were more to replace the fallen, always more. The Snowtroopers returned fire, their shots much more accurate and devastating. Across the Rebel line, defenders fell, taken out by a shot to the chest or the head, each one fallen diminishing their capacity to fight.
And then the Snowtroopers swarmed into the trenches and there was no more organized fighting.
With a smile, General Veers looked out at the battle. The Rebels had found a way to disable his walkers, but their air support was too fragile to pose much threat to the heavily armored vehicles and his troops adapted to losing their transports by charging towards the Rebel base on foot. He reveled in the sight of the brutal melee down in the trenches, each Rebel cut down urging him to crow with delight. He pushed the impulse down and turned to the hologram of Darth Vader which stood impatiently.
"Yes, Lord Vader. I've reached the power generators," he reported. "The shield will be down in moments, you may start your landing."
The hologram cut out and Veers looked at the frost-covered shape of the shield generator. He waved at the pilots to target it with a lazy wave of his hand, this wait for a full assault was boring him.
"Fire."
The cannons roared and the generator exploded.
As it turned out, the rush to evacuate had forced the techs to leave several choice pieces behind to hold more personnel. Han, however, had no such restrictions and set about loading one of the remaining hoversleds with his prizes, including personal items left behind in the mad scramble for the transports, each one tagged with the room number it was found in, as well as hyperdrive parts that he was sure no one would miss too much. But the pinnacle of his scavenging was an entire crate of motivators, doubtless there was a technician cursing himself for leaving it behind. Han grinned at the thought and pushed the sled to the Falcon.
"Hey Chewie," Han announced, keying the ship's intercom, "Lower the cargo elevator, I got us some paying cargo for later." Han grinned at the answering bark as the rear elevator descended. His good mood lasted just long enough for him to get their cargo aboard and locked down because that was the moment the base intercom crackled to life.
"The Command Center has been hit! All remaining personnel, relocate and reroute power to continue defense! Repeat; relocate and reroute to continue defense!"
Han sword and ran for the boarding ramp. "Chewie, get her closed up, I'm going to go check on Leia. Be ready to leave as soon as I get back!" He hollered as he sped down the ramp, not waiting for a reply.
As he ran frantically towards the Command Center, the entire world shook around him and bits of the snow tunnels gave way, showering him with flakes and chunks of ice. If this keeps up, we might not get out of here at all! He thought, even as the intercom buzzed again, this time with a frantic voice.
"Imperial troops have entered the base! Imperial troops have entered-" The transmission cut off with a hiss of static. Han cursed; they were running out of time!
When Han reached his destination, he found Leia still directing the evacuation in the newly ruined command center just as he had feared. He hurried over and laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him, startled that anyone else was there besides her and the two remaining technicians.
"What are you still doing here?" She demanded as she shrugged off his hand.
Han clenched his teeth at that. "I heard the command center'd been hit, I came to see if you're alright!"
"You've got your clearance, now go!" She ordered, turning back to the operator.
"Not without you, Your Worship." Han said firmly, grabbing her arm. "We are the droids?"
"I already instructed Threepio to have the last transport held and take Artoo with him," she said dismissively, struggling lightly.
Han yanked on her arm again, pulling her away.
"Come on, Princess, we gotta go unless you want to be a permanent resident!" Han marveled that even as he dragged her away, the Princess continued to give orders.
"Send all troops in sector twelve to the south slope to protect the fighters!" She commanded, struggling against the smuggler's grip. "Give the evacuation code signal!" Han had her halfway out the door now. "And get to your transports!"
It was now a race against time; the corridors of Echo Base shook and crumbled around them as the battle above raged, making the journey to the transport hangar more and more treacherous all the time.
"I can't believe you just dragged me off like some-" Leia began.
Han cut her off. "If I hadn't hauled you off, you'd still be there when the Imperials burst through the door and I didn't have time to discuss it in committee!"
"I am not a committee!" Leia growled as they rounded another corner that led to a blind fork.
Han looked back at her briefly with a sarcastic grin. "Sometimes I wonder, Your Worship," he bit out.
Before she could reply, the base shook again, nearly causing a complete collapse of the corridor they were in. Chunks of ice fell from the ceiling towards them, but Han dodged back and yanked Leia to safety after him. They huddled together as the air settled, revealing that the corridor before them was now only wide enough for one person to squeeze down.
"Come on, Princess," said Han, pulling her forward, "We have to get you to your ship."
The way forward was enough to give anyone claustrophobia with its cramped confines and icy protrusions jutting out to jab at uncomfortable places. Combined with the heart-stopping fear that each new tremor would bring the roof down on their heads, Han wondered if one of the base designers had been a member of Imperial Intelligence tasked with softening up evacuees before they were taken prisoner. But even as that thought crossed his mind, the two reached the other end of the tunnel and emerged into the very welcome wide expanse of the transport hangar. And there, on the pad, was the last transport. The remaining techs were impatiently milling around, obviously fearful that they'd be caught by Imperial troops at any moment.
They brightened considerably as Han and Leia ran towards them, one of them rushing to meet them.
"Princess," she said. "We were afraid you wouldn't make it! The captain was about ready to take off without you, no matter the blow to the Rebellion!"
"I'm sorry, Nadie; I was held up. Tell the Captain he has clearance to leave as soon as I'm onboard."
The tech nodded and rushed up the ramp, followed closely by the other occupants of the hangar who had overheard.
The Princess turned to Han, suddenly looking self-conscious despite her earlier demeanor. "I guess I'll see you at the rendezvous point."
Han gave a grin that he didn't really feel. "You bet."
Leia's eyes roamed his face. "You're a horrible liar," she said flatly. Han thought he saw a hurt expression briefly cross her face.
"I will, I promise." He reassured, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Just gotta do something first. You won't even notice I'm gone!"
"You're not convincing anyone," she said as they locked eyes. The two stood for a moment, each chocking on the million things they wanted to say to each other. Another hit shook the hangar, breaking the tension between them.
Leia turned away. "You just take care of yourself, Solo." She said coldly as she climbed up the ramp without looking back.
Han watched the transports engines flare brightly as the ramp closed and it lifted off. With a sudden kick, it blasted forward into the snowy wasteland and angled up into the sky. He watched it go for a moment before turning to run for his ship.
"And who's gonna take care of you, Princess?" Han said to himself as he ran.
Not five minutes later, Han's feet pounded back up the boarding ramp of the Millenium Falcon, Snowtroopers hot on his heels. He slapped the ramp controls as he ran towards the power console in the lounge, bringing the engines off standby. "Alright Chewie, let's get off this ice cube!" He exclaimed as he threw himself into the cockpit. Before he could take his seat, the power in the cockpit went out. Han growled and thumped the wall, bringing the instruments back up as Chewbacca roared from the copilot seat.
In the viewscreen, he could see the Snowtroopers enter the hangar and begin firing on the ship, a quick flip of a switch and the hidden blaster cannon took care of them while Han strapped himself in. Chewbacca pushed the repulsor lever up halfway and raised the landing gear as the smuggler flicked the engines onto full power. The hum increased for a moment before the Falcon, too, shot out of the hangar and angled up for the edge of the atmosphere.
Darth Vader strode into the debris-filled hangar as the freighter blasted off and watched it go. He recognized it as the craft that had brought Obi-Wan to his death and also delivered the Skywalker boy to the forefront of the galaxy. It had to be captured immediately; if Luke was not on that ship, whoever was would know his whereabouts.
Vader withdrew a comlink from his belt. "Admiral Piett." He was into it.
The reply was immediate. "Yes, Lord Vader."
Behind his mask, the Sith Lord smiled. "There is a ship leaving the planet; a freighter. I want it captured and its occupants unharmed."
"It will be done, Lord Vader."
"See that it is," Vader said menacingly. Then he switched off the comlink and returned it to his belt. He looked around him to see the Snowtroopers milling about, waiting for his orders.
"Well?" He boomed. "What are you waiting for? Search the base!"
END OF ISSUE ONE.
