Chapter 6

"Brreee, Nahnee Nahnee," the Tauntaun neighed in its distinctive reptilian voice, something between the sound made by a goat and a whale. It had been three years since relocating to Hoth and the Echo base was well established. Many external defenses were ready. Communication with the rest of the Alliance was steady and there had been few skirmishes with the Empire.

Luke and Han rode the bipeds fast making their way around the parameter of the force field generated by the recently installed DSS-02 shields. The Battlecruiser's reactor system proved more than sufficient to power the shield generators as well as the rest of Echo base.

The pair's mission for today was to take a reading of the shields all the way around its parameter in order to make sure they were powered evenly and that there were no gaps in the force field due to electromagnetic anomalies put out by the planet or the terrain itself.

It was a clear, sunny day on Hoth. The time was about ten in the morning and the temperature had risen rapidly throughout the day to a practically balmy two degrees. The thick parka and his many layers combined with the physical exertion of riding the Tauntaun hard made Luke almost too warm.

They both held the reigns of their animals in one hand and an electronic device with a green sensor screen strapped in the other. The devise served two purposes: showing them the path to take that led them in a circle around Echo base and recording a reading of the shield strength as they went.

Even though only a few feet from one another Luke and Han communicated by radio so they didn't have to shout.

"Let's slow down here and take another full reading," said Han.

Every so often they slowed their beasts to a walk for a bit then stopped altogether for a more detailed reading that recorded the topography, the planet's electromagnetic field, the intensity of the shields and how all three factors influenced the other.

The devices had double antennas and made steady beeping sounds like a radar and also the crackling sounds of a Geiger counter.

The satellites facilitated better communication from the base to various Rebel forces around the galaxy. The Global Positioning System on Hoth was another great benefit. Han and Luke used the GPS on their devices to make sure they were traveling in the right path.

Luke trailed Han by a few steps. They were high on a ridge Southeast of the base with the outline of the shield generators just in hazy view. To their Northeast was a bowl shaped region of terrain and

As Luke glanced toward the dip in the terrain he saw and felt a flash of bright light. White fur, teeth and cold feet. Then fading away from his consciousness he heard the voice of Obi Wan saying, "Luke!"

Luke snapped back to reality to the sight of Han turned eight feet ahead of him looking back.

"Hey buddy you alright?" said Han.

"I think so," Luke replied. "That was weird, thought I saw something."

Han looked to where Luke's were. "From that direction?"

"Well I felt like I saw something from over there or something."

Explaining it didn't make it much clearer to either of them.

"You felt like you saw something?"

"Yeah maybe like a vision or more like a premonition? I don't know."

At that moment the naturally skeptical Han felt a calm reassurance in Luke—that what he was telling him was real even if he couldn't explain it. Han still preferred a blaster to a light saber and facts as opposed to feelings. But he had come a long way since that comment about the force being a "hokey religion" based on something you can't see.

Han was fascinated by his sudden change of heart that was influenced by the Light Side.

Then after a moment he said, "Well let's get back to the base. That's enough of a parameter check for us today, we've been at it for least two hours, the Tauntauns are tired. All the data points look normal so far."

Luke looked to the dip in the terrain again and had another quick premonition of an explosion and black smoke. A tug of unexplained emotion toward Han and Leah.

"Yeah let's get back," Luke said.

The General's Hope

General Carlist Rieekan frowned as he looked over the latest report from Rebel spies about the Empire's efforts to find the base. More and more probe droids and Imperial scouts were eliminating systems on the Outer Rim as their search grew closer.

Evacuation will necessary soon. He thought.

His mind returned to his home planet Alderaan and the family he had there. All gone.

Incinerated by the Death Star. He tried not to burn with vengeance and feel satisfaction that thousands of soldiers and personal were destroyed by the Alliance when the superweapon was destroyed.

Sometimes there are no winners in war.

Rieekan took hold of a small, handheld COM. "Princess Leah would you join me in the command center?" he asked.

"Certainly General," she answered. "I'll be there in ten."

When she arrived she could since that the General was troubled with something.

"Princess, we must begin preparations for the inevitable. It won't be long before the Empire knows we are here. We can't afford to assume we are safe here even though all has been quiet for three years."

Leah sighed, "All this work and we're just going to leave."

"I'm afraid we have no choice. Our forces would never be able to survive an aerial and ground assault."

"What are you thinking, General?"

"The shields will hold up to a barrage from Star Destroyers, but what worries me is the likelihood of ground troops supported by walkers. It wouldn't take long for them to take out the generator."

Said Leah. "I'll relay the message to our hanger chief to get the heavy transports ready."

"Our ion cannons should be enough to temporarily disable any Star Destroyer long enough for the jump to light speed. Where should our destination be?"

Leah said. "Mon Mothma has been gathering support for a New Republic on Chandrila. We should go there."

"Very well," said Rieekan. "May the Force be with us."

A cluster of Viper probe droids blasted away from beneath the Star Destroyer. Each went in different directions to be clear of any Imperial craft before their jump to light speed. PB-175 relayed the coordinates of its destination to the bridge and entered hyperspace.

The atmosphere of the ice planet glowed blue below the probot. The droid burned an orange streak as it entered the sky above Hoth. When it crash-landed into a small crator the shell around PB-175 exploded. It was blind luck that the droid landed close enough to Echo base to get a good view of the shield generators.

The probot hovered above the ridge and took a 360-degree reading of any non-natural electromagnetic emissions, and its optical sensors centered in on the direction of the base.

The droid captured the image of the generators, raised its antennae and transmitted the information to the closest Imperial relay station.

The Rebels had been found.

End