Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or anything Star Wars related.

CHAPTER 1

Investigation


The sixth planet in the remote system of the same name, Hoth was a desolate world of frozen terrain. Surrounded by three moons and a distinct blue-white sun, the landscape was nothing more than ice and snow for as far as the eye could see. Numerous volcanic fissures dwelled deep beneath its white surface – which would often deposit rocks and minerals in darker patches of the glacier plains – but despite the frequent activity, these occurrences were still incapable of penetrating the permanent ice shelves that layered most of its frozen core. Hoth was barely hospitable, with its axial tilt, orbital position and atmospheric makeup causing the world to plunge into subzero temperatures. Although it was the only planet in the system that was actually inhabitable, its negative degree climates made it far from an ideal destination. With standard daytime temperatures hovering around –32 degrees, it would drop beyond –60 come nightfall. Combined with its roaring winds, these chilling attributes pushed the small world to almost unbearable conditions. The nights proved to be too harsh even for its native life.

The various species that roamed and scavenged the wilderness during the light of day – from rodents like snowmice and ice scrabblers, all the way to the dreaded wampa ice creature – would not even dare to face the hostile and extreme weather of the night. These indigenous lifeforms would safely burrow away until the next sun had peaked.

Reaching hundreds of meters below these extraordinary elements, a cache of lumni-spice could also be found along the planets equator. The rare fungal growth was highly valued by many criminals throughout the galaxy and occasional attempts to harvest its supply had been made in the past, but the endless threats and dangers that the location presented had always deterred such seekers from fully pursuing their greed. Not only was there always the probable chance of running into a wampa ice creature, but lethal meteorites would wander away from asteroid fields that had developed nearby and repeatedly pelt the snow-covered surface of the planet on a daily basis.

Obi-Wan Kenobi peered up at a tall spire as it came into view over the horizon. As he and his companion just so happened to be in Hoth's southern hemisphere, they had crossed several frozen columns created by the massive ocean that churned underneath the pressure of ice within the particular region. The tidal pull of the world's nameless moons constantly sent jets of ocean water flying high into the freezing air, instantly becoming crystallized and forming intricate works of nature. A species of annelids called ice worms would then carve their way through the formations to feed on the newly produced algae and leave behind odd shaped holes for the light to reflect upon.

"Amazing, isn't it?" the Jedi Master mused, admiring the captivating sight before him. His lips slightly curled up into an amused grin when all he received from the Jedi beside him was a quiet grunt of acknowledgement. "Come now, Anakin, you have been in ill spirits all day. Surely you can still appreciate the beauty in something so simple…"

"Beauty?" the younger Master questioned in disgust. "I find nothing beautiful about this. I was ready to leave this Force-forsaken planet the day we set foot on it."

Pulling his heavy snow-wear tighter around himself to protect his body from the bitter breeze while his tauntaun continued to trudge through the ankle high snow, Obi-Wan softly chuckled. "Patience, old friend. All this time spent away from Padme has made you rather irritable…you will be returning to Naboo just as soon as we have finished here."

"And when will that be?" Anakin inquired, obviously agitated. "This assignment was only supposed to last a few days. They clearly plan to keep us here until we find something, but there is nothing to find."

"Oh? And how can you be so sure?" Obi-Wan asked as he furrowed a brow. "Do you really believe we have been sent on some pointless errand? I would hope you would have more faith in the judgment of the Council."

"I respect their decision," Anakin retorted, his frustrations somewhat ebbing. "I just don't think our presence is required any longer. By now, they should realize that this place is deserted."

Obi-Wan sighed before replying. "We must do what is asked of us, Anakin…even if it does not seem to make sense at times. Agree or not, we both have a duty to fulfill."

Anakin glanced over at his former mentor for a moment before cracking a smile behind the thick cloth that obscured his face. "You are growing wiser by the day, Master. It must have something to do with those gray hairs you're getting in your beard. Back on Tatooine, that is believed to be a sign of acquired wisdom."

"And who do you think turned those hairs gray, my rambunctious padawan?" Obi-Wan quipped.

"I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about, Master," Anakin said in mock innocence, his smile broadening at his Masters' not so subtle hint. It faded a few seconds later. "I never thought I would say it, but I might actually prefer Tatooine's heat over this frozen block of ice. At least I could feel my toes there."

"Maybe if you would – "

Feeling a jarring rift in the Force, Anakin's eyes widened when the ground directly beneath his Masters' unsuspecting tauntaun suddenly caved in, abruptly cutting his sentence short. "Obi-Wan!"

Staring on in shock, Anakin was too slow to react and could only watch in stunned silence while the frozen surface collapsed. Though he was a relatively safe distance away, Obi-Wan plummeted to whatever depths awaited him below and fell out of sight. Within mere seconds, Anakin had dismounted his tauntaun and was rushing towards the edge of the gaping cavern that now replaced the ground where his Master had been only moments before.

"Obi-Wan, are you alright?" he urgently called out, his voice echoing down the sinking hole. He grew nervous when he couldn't spot the other Jedi through the shadows. "Can you hear me?"

"I am fine," Obi-Wan's voice eventually answered.

"Stay put, I'm coming down," Anakin ordered before hastening back over to his tauntaun. Quickly removing his goggles and pulling the fabric that had been securely wrapped around his face off, he stuffed the belongings into a side pouch hanging from his tauntauns carry-bag and calmingly patted it on the side. "I won't be long, girl."

Hurriedly moving back to the dark cavern, he crouched down at its lip and unsuccessfully tried to determine the distance of the drop. When he realized that there was no conceivable way he could make an accurate estimation, he closed his eyes and allowed the Force to help guide him. Releasing himself and giving into its will, he leapt down into the abyss of pitch black. He could feel the cavern floor speedily rising and braced himself as he made his descent into the deep hole. He gracefully landed a couple of meters away from Obi-Wan, who was just bringing his ignited lightsaber down on his injured tauntaun. The creature's cries of pain and agony immediately ceased when his glowing blade pierced its neck.

It had been so severely wounded from the drop that Obi-Wan knew it would not be likely to make a recovery. Not wishing to let it suffer, he had done the only thing he could do…put it out of its misery.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Anakin asked as he slowly approached the scene from behind.

He could detect Obi-Wan's sorrow at having to dispatch the creature through their mutual connection with the Force. No matter how small or big it might have been, the tauntaun had been a living animal and his former Master never took pleasure in killing.

"Yes, I am unharmed," Obi-Wan reassured him, using the glow of his lightsaber to inspect their surroundings. "I believe the ground broke my fall."

"You must be delirious," Anakin retorted as he snatched the hilt of his own weapon from his belt. Activating its illuminating blade, he too studied the foreign area. "If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn I just heard you make an attempt at humor."

Obi-Wan smirked at his former apprentices sarcastic remark. "You must be hearing things."

Together, the two Jedi cautiously proceeded to search the drab cavern for clues that might explain just what it was they had stumbled upon. From what they could tell, the dark space appeared to be some type of an abandoned corroder. With two durasteel walls forming a wide hallway that stretched in two different directions, the duel passages led straight into an impenetrable darkness.

"How long do you suppose this has been hidden here?" Anakin casually broke their silence.

"There is no way to be certain," Obi-Wan distractedly replied, still quite engrossed in his search. "There are no records of anything like this being here. Aside from a few spice mining outposts that have long been destroyed, Hoth is thought to be devoid of any unnatural architecture."

"Well, apparently that is not the case," Anakin placidly retorted. "These walls look old and worn, like they have been here for some time. This place isn't new…"

"I agree, but that doesn't mean there is nothing here," Obi-Wan said, peering down one of the long corroders. "We will need to make sure."

"I knew that was coming," Anakin muttered as he slightly lowering his lightsaber in resignation. "Shall we get this over with?"

"Indeed we shall," Obi-Wan confirmed, turning his full attention back to the other Jedi. "Which way will we be going?"

Taking the quandary into consideration, Anakin spared a brief glance in both directions before pointing down one of the halls. "I have a good feeling about this one."

"Very well," Obi-Wan casually replied, spinning on his heels and starting in the opposite direction. "Then perhaps it would be best if we went this way."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Anakin indignantly questioned.

"No need to lose your temper, Anakin. All I am saying is that every time we follow your intuition, we seem to find ourselves in the midst of trouble," Obi-Wan stated matter-of-factly. "I was just hoping to avoid any such incidents from occurring if at all possible."

"You think you can do better?" Anakin smugly countered. "Have you already forgotten about our little skirmish on Corellia? Whose bright idea was that?"

"Point taken, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied as he halted in mid-stride and turned back around. "We will try your way."

Quickly raising a hand and gesturing for the approaching Jedi to stop, Anakin glanced back over his shoulder. "Hold on, Obi-Wan. There are two of us…we can each go our own way. Besides, it wouldn't make much sense to travel down the same corroder when we can cover twice as much ground if we separate."

"Then it is settled. We will split up and rendezvous back here," Obi-Wan instructed as he grabbed his comlink from its notch at his waste. A wary frown appeared on his face when the sound of static emitted from the receiver. "We will not be able to transmit while we're down here."

"What's wrong, Master?" Anakin goaded as he moved away to depart. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark."

"It is not the darkness that worries me," Obi-Wan retorted. "It is what lurks within it…"


Pulling back on the reins in front of her to slow the pace of her sprinting tauntaun, Master Aayla Secura glanced around at her fellow Jedi as they steered their own snow lizards into the temporary compound that had recently been built for the Jedi to take shelter in during their stay on Hoth. It was far from large or luxurious, but it was what they needed to keep from freezing to death from the bitter temperatures of the planet. It had just enough room to house their ships, beds, food supplies, and the essential equipment that was required to explore and monitor the primitive world of blanketed snow. Several generators had been placed around the dwelling and constantly ran to ensure protection against the harsh environment, keeping its occupants warm and safe from the subzero climates outside.

The shivering Jedi watched while the last of the roaming creatures entered the main foyer of the base, spitting and gurgling as they skidded to a halt. Climbing down from the back of her designated tauntaun, Aayla couldn't help but marvel at its invulnerability to the cold…the species were well adapted to the blizzard environs, with remarkably cold-resistant blood and a thick layer of insulated fat and fur. They were scattered throughout the Hoth globe, resulting in evolutionary variations. Some were distinctly more reptilian in appearance while others varied in size and fur-length. This was one of the reasons why they had been domesticated and used for transportation instead of more advanced technology. Speeders and most other compact vehicles could not withstand the planet for long – their inner components often freezing or becoming damaged due to the unbearable temperatures.

Unfortunately, tauntauns had a reputation for being overly aggressive, and so it was difficult to tame as many of them as they would have liked to. As a result, shifts would have to be alternated in order to ensure that each individual would have one available at the given time of their mandatory posts.

Handing the reins to her tauntaun over to a nearby Jedi Knight, Aayla turned her attention to the crowd moving around her and immediately scanned the area for one Master in particular. It didn't take her long to spot Stass Allie among the scurrying bodies that filled the base. After she had rescued the other Jedi from the abandoned Massassi temples on Yavin 4 after the demise of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's short-lived Empire, the two women had struck up a friendship that had gradually grown into a partnership over the course of the last few years.

Stass was now keeping track of the incoming search parties that had disembarked earlier in the day to explore Hoth while they returned to the building. Aayla slightly frowned when she saw that her usually peaceful face shone with an unmistakable expression of tension and concern as she stared out at the fierce snowstorm that had started to rage just beyond the foyer doors.

Pulling the hood to her garbs down, Aayla quickly strode across the massive room towards her worried friend.

"Stass, what is it?" she asked once she had closed the distance between them.

"Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker are still out there," the dark skinned woman answered without diverting her gaze from the doors, clearly worried for the two missing Jedi. "We will have to seal the entrance before nightfall or we will all freeze."

"Have you tried to reach them?" Aayla questioned.

"I just attempted to contact Master Kenobi, but he hasn't responded," Stass nervously replied.

"How long can we wait?"

Stass regrettably lowered her eyes to the floor at her feet before finally shifting her attention to the Twi'lek. "Not long, I'm afraid…"

"Then I will have to hurry," Aayla stated as she whipped around and started back in the direction of her retreating tauntaun, readily pulling her hood back up over her head. "I know what perimeter they were assigned to, I can find them."

"Aayla, you can't, it is too dangerous!" Stass called out after her. "You will never have enough time!"

By the time the warning had left Master Allie's lips, Aayla Secura had already vanished amidst the active crowd of gathered Jedi.