Chapter 5 – A New Target

At precisely 0800 the following morning, a shell-shaped rebel transport ship lifted off of the Massassi temple on Yavin 4. It was carrying supplies and recruits to be sent to Echo Base on Hoth. The ship's pilots didn't realize, however, that they were being followed by Ashla Fett. With the sophisticated cloaking device, Ashla could be flying directly in front of the transport and no one would be able to see her, nor detect her on their scanners. Her ship was also equipped with an intelligent nav-computer that could receive hyperspace coordinates from an enemy ship, allowing Ashla to follow them no matter where they run. Once she received the coordinates from the rebel transport, Ashla plugged them into the nav-computer and jumped into hyperspace en route to the Hoth System.

A little while later, both ships dropped back into real-space above the snow-white planet of Hoth. With her ship still cloaked, Ashla followed the transport as it descended into the atmosphere. Moderate winds rocked the ship slightly, and Ashla fought to remain in control. Thankfully, there was very little snowfall, so she could see where the transport landed. It was next to a massive ice ridge covered in snow. The only visible man-made features were four large, vertical disks made of metal. Ashla speculated that they were components of an energy shield or power generator. The rebel base must have been inside the ridge. To confirm her suspicions, dozens of rebels clad in white, insulated jumpsuits and tan jackets emerged from the transport, each one carrying a crate of supplies. Some of them also carried bags filled with their personal belongings, signifying that they were new recruits. The procession of rebels disappeared into the side of the ridge. As her ship circled the area, Ashla saw a pair of large doors sliding open, revealing a hanger. She supposed that that was her best way in.

Satisfied that she had a good plan, Ashla turned her ship and flew away from the base. There was a cliff base about a kilometer away, which she figured would be a good place to land. The cliff wall offered protection from one side, and shade during most of the day. The ship would be hard to see, and the rebels' scanners wouldn't be able to detect it. Ashla set the ship down on the snow and shut off the engines. She went into the living area and began to gather up any supplies she might need. She also donned a long, hooded parka to protect herself from the cold, and a face scarf and goggles to protect her from the snow. Once she was ready, she deactivated all of the ship's power systems and opened the hatch. A blast of cold air and snow hit her as she stepped out of the ship. She stood still for a minute, getting accustomed to the climate. Then she sealed the ship and began her long trek through the snow.

By the time Ashla arrived at the rebel base, the sun had set, the snowfall was thicker, and the wind was much more powerful. Ashla's legs were starting to ache from walking through the deep snow, her face was itchy from the goggles and scarf covering her face, and she was exhausted from trying to breathe through her heavy gear. Yet, she couldn't take off any of her gear or risk freezing to death.

If the rebels were trying to prevent people from accidently discovering their base, then they were doing a good job. The inhospitality of Hoth was enough to discourage anyone from venturing anywhere on the planet, including the Empire. Ashla wouldn't have been out there at all if she wasn't determined to find Han Solo. He wasn't easy to find, and he would be even harder to capture. If she succeeded, Jabba the Hutt had better pay her well.

Ashla circled the ridge, looking for the hanger doors. Eventually, she did find them, but they were closed and locked, probably until morning. She could have searched for another entrance, but she felt that she was less likely to be seen if she entered through the hanger. She decided to find a place where she could put up a portable shelter in which she could sleep for the night. She was exhausted from the journey, and she would need her strength if she was to find Solo. Yes, sleep was her best option.

Ashla walked along the ridge, looking for an appropriate place to set up the shelter. She found an inset in the wall a little over a hundred meters from the hanger doors. She figured she could fit a tent in it, and it wouldn't be easily noticed if any rebel scouts came across it. So Ashla set her backpack on the ground and pulled out a folded-up tent. In less than five minutes, the shelter was ready. She ducked into the tent, sealing the entrance behind her, took off her facial gear, and crawled into her sleeping bag. She was sound asleep within minutes.

The next morning, Ashla awoke to find that the wind and snow had stopped and the sun was shining. She took it as a good omen that things were about to pay off for her. She folded up the tent and stuffed it into her backpack before heading back towards the hanger doors. Sure enough, the doors were wide open. Ashla peeked past one of the doors and surveyed the hanger's interior. It was very similar to the hanger on Yavin 4. The sides of the hanger were lined with X-Wing and Y-Wing starfighters, piles of crates, and a handful of rebel technicians in insulated jumpsuits and jackets working on the vehicles. In the back corner of the hanger was another ship, one that Ashla instantly recognized as the Millennium Falcon, the infamous cargo vessel piloted by the smuggler Han Solo.

Ashla was thrilled to see the Falcon. If the ship was there, then so was its captain. But, knowing Solo, Ashla suspected some kind of a trick. She wouldn't be convinced until she saw him herself. She had to get into the hanger somehow. Looking around, she figured that it was deserted enough for her not to be noticed if she was careful. Once she was sure that no one was looking, she crept around the door and somersaulted into a recessed alcove. She peered out to check and make sure that no one had seen her. No one appeared to have noticed her. She edged along the wall, occasionally hiding behind a starfighter and checking her surroundings.

At one point, Ashla emerged from behind an X-Wing to find a rebel standing with his back to her, sealing a blast hole on the top starboard wing using a fusion cutter. She quickly ducked behind the starfighter and hoped the rebel hadn't seen her. When she heard the sound of the fusion cutter being deactivated, she knew that he had heard something. Quickly, Ashla rolled underneath the X-Wings port wings just as the rebel looked over his shoulder at the spot where she had been standing. Figuring he had just been hearing things, the rebel returned to his work, and Ashla crept past him. Eventually, she reached the back corner adjacent to the Falcon unseen by any rebels.

Ashla crept along the back wall, darting past a closed door. She hid behind a stack of crates and observed the Falcon. At first, it appeared deserted, but then a man walked down the extended boarding ramp. He was tall with brown hair and he wore a dark blue jacket, brown pants, and a quick-draw holster with a DC-44 blaster attached to it. It was Han Solo himself! Inwardly, Ashla cheered. She had found her target! Now, it was a matter of capturing him. She figured she could take him herself, but not without alerting the entire base to her presence. Besides, she had promised Boba Fett that she would call him when she found Solo. It was too dangerous to try and contact him from inside the base; she would have to return to her ship. Not wanting to repeat the painful trek through the snow, Ashla decided to stick around and gather as much information as she could.

Solo stood underneath the Falcon's starboard mandible and began inspecting the wiring. Ashla noticed him frowning, implying that something was wrong. Solo called up to the cockpit, "Chewie, try the headlights!" The two headlights at the tips of the mandibles lit up, and then flickered out. Solo groaned. "Figures. Nothing's working. Chewie! Get down here! Bring a fusion cutter!"

So the Falcon was damaged. That meant that Solo couldn't leave Hoth for a long time. If Ashla hurried, she could contact Boba and he would meet up with her the following day. And then they could capture Solo together. Even if they were discovered by the rebels, the bounty hunters' combined strength would be enough to fight them all.

Ashla's attention was drawn to an X-Wing starfighter flying into the hanger and then landing in an empty space. Once the ship had powered down, three rebel technicians ran up to the fighter and began inspecting and refueling it. A white-and-blue astromech droid rose from the astromech socket and was lowered onto the floor by an overhead magnetic crane. The cockpit canopy opened and a pilot in an orange flight suit and white helmet climbed out. He took off his helmet and placed it in the cockpit. Ashla couldn't see his face because he was standing on the other side the fighter's long nose.

Finally, the pilot ducked underneath the nose and began to walk toward the Falcon. He was a young man with tousled blond hair and a determined expression. Ashla was surprised to find that he looked familiar. She couldn't remember where she had seen him, or even if she had seen him. The pilot walked up to Solo and said, "Hi, Han. How are the repairs going?"

Solo turned to the pilot and held out a hand, motioning him to stop. "Don't get too close, kid. This is a very delicate ship. I can't risk you damaging it. Besides, I just finished fixing your sabotage."

The pilot stressed, "For the last time, it was an accident! I didn't mean for that to happen. I was trying to help you."

"Do what?" asked Solo. At that moment, Chewbacca the Wookiee arrived with a toolbox. Solo grabbed a fusion cutter out of the box and began working on the mandible's underside. "Keep me here to fight for your little cause? Or practice your witchcraft on me?"

"It's not witchcraft!" exclaimed the pilot defensively. "It's called the Force!"

Ashla found this interesting. This boy could use the Force? Did that mean that he was a Jedi? No, he was much too young. Still, the Jedi Order was destroyed years ago. If this boy had Jedi powers, he would fetch a handsome price from the Empire. Ashla made a mental note of speaking to Boba about capturing him, too. She then returned her focus to the conversation at hand.

Solo laughed. "Whatever you call it, you should stop before you hurt yourself, or even worse, me! Trust me, Luke. That old wizard friend of yours went crazy because of it, and you don't want to end up like him."

The pilot seethed. "Don't you dare talk about Ben that way! Obi-Wan Kenobi was a greater man than you'll ever know. He was a Jedi, just like my father."

Something sparked in Ashla's brain. Obi-Wan Kenobi? She knew that name. It was the name of a mentor and friend from a former life that she refused to acknowledge.

Solo chuckled. "And I suppose you want to become a Jedi too? I bet that must sound good to you." Solo stood up straight and held his right hand out and to the left, moving it right with each word he spoke. "Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight."

Ashla's eyes widened in shock at the mention of the name "Skywalker." Her head became flooded with memories that she had for years worked to suppress. She saw people whom she had once known, places that she had been to, things that she had done, and trials that she had faced. She tried her best to put these memories back where they belonged, but they wouldn't budge. They were tormenting her with the pain and sadness that accompanied them.

Ashla wanted to leave the rebel base as soon as possible. She had to call Boba. Only he could console her. As she turned around, she found herself face-to-face with a Gran, an alien with peach-colored, rough skin, a wide mouth, and shining, black eyes at the end of three eyestalks. The Gran was pointing a blaster at her. Before Ashla could react, the Gran fired, and the entire world went dark.

Ashla awoke on a cold mattress, in a small room with walls made of frozen snow and ice. It was a prison cell. Ashla tried to remember what had happened. She had been watching and listening to a conversation between Han Solo and a rebel named Luke Skywalker. Then there was that Gran who shot her with a stun bolt. Ashla silently cursed herself for not being more aware of her surroundings. And now, she had been captured by the rebels. There was no doubt that Solo knew about her as well, and he was probably working on his ship like crazy so he could escape from Hoth before Boba Fett came looking for him. Ashla's mission had been a failure.

But now she had a new target; Luke Skywalker. Ashla had once known a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker. He had been a close friend, and had been there for Ashla during some of her greatest trials. He was brave, clever, determined, and strong. It then occurred to Ashla that his face had been similar to Luke's. No wonder he had looked familiar! Luke had also mentioned that his father had been a Jedi. Was Anakin Luke's father? If so, it made sense. And then there was the fact that he had known a Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Everything seemed to fit. No matter how one interpreted these facts, it was clear that the Empire would have great interest in Luke. And if Ashla couldn't capture Han Solo, she could capture Luke and still get paid handsomely.

But Anakin had been her friend. If she turned Luke in, wouldn't that mean betraying Anakin? Just because Ashla was a bounty hunter didn't mean she didn't have morality. Could she let Luke go, and throw away a potential reward? Could she abandon the chance of marrying Boba and starting a family, like she had wanted? Maybe she didn't have to capture Luke herself. Maybe she could get Boba to do it for her. But it would still be her fault, since she would have told Boba about him.

Ashla figured that she could observe Luke and then decide on what to do with him. However, how could she observe him if she was trapped in this cell? She would just have to wait. If she couldn't go to Luke, then Luke would eventually come to her.

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