A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

It has been 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…

Chapter 1: A Point of Divergence

Hoth. 3 ABY.

On the desolate ice planet of Hoth, riding his tauntaun, Rebel commander Luke Skywalker patrols the frozen tundra, on the lookout for signs of an Imperial invasion. He noticed a strange object crash-landing into the ground.

Taking out his macrobinoculars, he checked to see if he could tell what it was that had crashed, but got nothing. With that, Luke took out his communication device to contact the Rebel base.

"Echo-3 to Echo-7. Han do you read me?" Luke asked.

"Loud and clear, kid." Han's voice replied. "What's up?"

"Well I finished my circle. I don't pick up any life readings." Luke responded. "There isn't enough life on this ice cube or any space cruisers. Sensors are placed, I'm going back." Han reported.

"Right, I'll see you shortly. There is a meteorite that hit the ground nearby. I want to check it out, it won't take long." Luke told him before turning off the device. Suddenly, his tauntaun began prancing and shrieking. "Whoa! Easy girl. What is it? Did you smell something?" Luke tried to calm the creature, only for a deadly wampa attack them by cutting the tauntaun's throat with his sharp claws, causing both the animal and the young commander to fall onto the snow. Roaring, the wampa approached Luke. Luke Skywalker tried to take out his lightsaber, but the wampa hit him in the head, causing him to lose consciousness.

Han rode his tauntaun to the hangar of the Echo Rebel base on Hoth. The rebels had decided to build another base after their continually moving fleet was almost destroyed by the Empire. Jorin Sol, a young Rebel, was captured by the Empire, and the ISB had programmed him in a sleeper agent after torturing and breaking him. Jorin gave away the hyperspace routes used by the rebels and the fleet was devastated by Imperial star-destroyers.

Han Solo rode inside, passing various rebels and approaching the Millennium Falcon, that was being repaired by Chewbacca. As the former smuggler got off his tauntaun, a familiar voice was heard, calling him. He turned around and saw Princess Leia Organa running towards him, followed by C-3PO and R2-D2. Although Han didn't want to have another conversation with her highness, he immediately saw worry and despair on her face.

"What is it?" the young captain asked.

"Is Luke with you?" Leia asked desperately.

"No, he stayed behind to check out a meteorite. Why?" Han responded.

"Something is wrong." Leia told him.

"What? What do you mean?" Han Solo asked the young princess. Leia looked up at him as she was breathing heavily.

"I don't know how, but I can feel it… Luke's in danger." Leia stammered.

Luke woke up and immediately understood his feet were stuck in the ceiling. He groaned, looking around and taking note of his surroundings. Young Skywalker immediately spotted the wampa, the horrible snow monster that attacked him. For Luke it was clear that it was feasting on his dead tauntaun's remains. He had to find a way out of here or else he would also end up in the wampa's stomach. Looking around, Luke suddenly noticed his lightsaber, more specifically his father's lightsaber, stuck in the snow not far away from him. Closing his eyes, Luke relaxed himself, allowing the Force to flow through his body. Soon, his trademark weapon began shaking, eventually flying into Luke's hand. However, his actions brought the attention of the wampa, disrupting its meal. Dropping the remains of the tauntaun it was eating, the wampa ran towards Luke who already freed himself, and acting quickly, swung his lightsaber upwards, cutting the monster's hand off completely.

However, another wampa was also in the cave and while Luke cut off the hand of the first wampa, the second one stroke the young Jedi behind with his paw, cutting Luke's back with his sharp claws, as sharp as the claws of the first beast. Luke, however, sliced the wampa's neck, killing it and raced outside only to be met with the cold Hoth weather. He stumbled, blood coming from his injury made by the wampa, and eventually collapsed into a snow heap. But Luke decided not to give up. He tried crawling his way back to the cave, but the body was already becoming still.

Then he heard a voice.

Luke… Luke…

Luke looked up as a snowstorm began and looked astonished. Ben Kenobi was standing before him, looking the same as he did when he met him on Tatooine. However, this time Ben was tinted blue, as if he was a hologram.

"Beeeen…" Luke moaned in pain and exhaustion, trying to reach him.

"Luke," Ben instructed. "Go to the Dagobah system and learn from Yoda. The Jedi Master that taught me."

"Mmmm… B-Bennnnnnnn…!" Luke moaned, as the vision disappeared. His eyes were closing, he was losing blood. But then he saw a pair of feet and a heard a familiar voice.

"Luke!" Han cried out. "I would've been sooner, but my tauntaun died."

Han dashed towards Luke. "Hold on kid," he said as he held Luke's head when the young commander muttered.

"Dagobah system… must go to Dagobah. Find Master Yoda… train as Jedi."

"Jedi?"

"Ben, he told me…" Luke continued to mutter as he was losing consciousness. Han checked his pulse out of fear.

"Luke! Don't do this buddy! Come on, give me a sign here!" he pleaded in despair. Suddenly Luke grabbed Han by his blue winter coat and scarf, looking at.

"You! Must go to Dagobah!"

And with that, Luke took one final breath before leaving for the afterlife as Han watched at the dead body of his friend in sorrow and pain before setting up a tent for himself as the storm went on and on.

"Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue-2." the voice of Wedge Antilles came from the com-device.

"Rogue-2, this is Commander Solo. Come-in, Rogue-2." Han Solo responded as he exited his tent.

"Commander Solo, I read you loud and clear. Are you okay, commander?" Antilles answered back.

"Affirmative, Rogue-2. But Luke… Luke is dead."

The Death Squadron of the Imperial Navy somewhere near Eriadu.

Onboard the Super Star Destroyer, the Executor, Admiral Kendal Ozzel and General Maximilian Veers entered the vessel's bridge, when they heard Captain Piett's voice.

"Admiral."

"Yes captain?" The admiral answered in an annoyed tone.

"I think we got something. This is only a fragment of a report from a probe droid in the Hoth system, but it's the best lead we have." Piett reported as Veers and Ozzel approached him.

"We have thousands of probe droids searching the galaxy," Ozzel remarked with distaste. "I want proof, not leads. I will not, for the sake of your whim, drive a squadron through...

"Visuals indicate life readings." Piett argued, noticing that Darth Vader has heard them and was now walking across the bridge towards them.

"It could be anyone. If we followed up every lead…"

"But sir, the Hoth system is supposed to be devoid of human forms." Piett continued to argue.

"Did you find something?" Darth Vader asked in a voice slightly distorted by a breathing mask.

"Yes, milord." Captain Piett quickly answered with confidence and pride and displayed the recording of a large deflector shield with some human figures.

"That's it. The rebels are there." boomed Darth Vader.

"Milord," Admiral Ozzel argued, "There are many unchartered settlements in the galaxy. It could be smugglers, it could be...

"That is the system!" The black figure interrupted. "And I'm sure Skywalker is with them. Set course for the Hoth system, Admiral." Ignoring the protests, Vader turned his mask towards the general. "General Veers, prepare your men."

"Admiral." Veers spoke to Ozzel, who nodded in return. Veers left, as Ozzel looked at Piett with disdain.

Echo Base on Planet Hoth.

When the whole garrison of the Echo Base heard about the death of Luke Skywalker, the very Luke Skywalker that destroyed the Death Star, every Rebel trooper, pilot, mechanic and commander felt a mixture of loss, sorrow and pain. Almost everyone was at the funeral, including some droids, along with R2-D2 and C-3PO. The two droids stood slightly behind Leia Organa. R2 was making long wailing sounds, obviously crying in binary, with C-3PO patting his head, trying to comfort the astromech that always followed young Skywalker in his flights.

Leia stood alongside Han in front of Luke's grave along with Chewbacca. Although she tried to barely hold herself, in the end she gave up and began sobbing. Han on the other hand, tried not to display any emotions, but Leia knew that he was also grieving the loss of Luke. While she and Solo had a rough start, Han became close friends with Luke. His death was painful to Han just as it was to Leia. At the side of the grave, General Carlist Rieekan was making a speech dedicated to the young farm boy from Tatooine.

"Skywalker was loved by all those who knew him, and his contributions to the fight against galactic tyranny were without measure." Rieekan was finishing his speech. "He will be sorely missed."

As the Rebel fighters returned to their duties, Han and Leia still remained. The young princess hung her head as Han placed his hands on both of Leia's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Leia. I did everything I could." Han comforted Leia. "Between his wounds and the cold, maybe I'd found him sooner…"

"It's not your fault, Han." Leia answered to Han as she looked up to him.

"Han," Leia spoke again. "You said he told you something before he died. What was it?"

"I'm supposed to go to Dagobah and find someone named Yoda. He told me I'm supposed to train to be a jedi."

"You? Train as a jedi?" Leia asked with doubt.

"Those were his dying words." Han simply answered. Suddenly, their silence was interrupted with blaster shots and the roar of fighter engines.

"What the…"

"It's the Empire! They've found us!" Leia cried as three TIE fighters passed them. The two quickly ran back to the base and saw that what was going on. It was horrible. The TIEs fired at the deflector shields, cannons and squabbling rebel soldiers while the AT-AT walkers were seen at the horizon. Han and Leia barely got into the hangar due to chaos with the rebels running around in panic.

"Chewie! Fire' er up! We're getting out of here!" Han yelled to the Wookie, repairing the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca roared something in response. "Well, put it back on!" Han ordered his co-pilot.

"How come they have discovered us?" Leia asked Wedge Antilles and Bren Delin in shock.

"That meteorite that Luke mentioned was possibly a probe droid belonging to the Empire." Antilles suggested.

"Star Destroyers are in orbit and Imperial walkers and TIEs are already planet side." Bren Delin added.

"Begin the evacuation. Scramble the snow-speeders." Leia ordered. "If they reach the power generator, we're finished."

"Lord Vader, we were able to bring a squadron of TIE fighters in under the rebel shield." Veers reported to the hologram of the Sith lord within his AT-AT walker. "Resistance will be minimal and the shield will be down momentarily. You may start your landing."

"Very good general." Vader answered.

Meanwhile, a squadron of T-47 air-speeders, or at least, what remained of it, flew towards the Imperial walkers. Most of them have been immediately shot down by the enemy fighters just right after they took off. Now, there were only four of them left.

"Janson. Avoid those TIEs. They don't have the fire power to take out the generator. Concentrate on the walkers." Antilles ordered. "Sure thing Wedge." Came the response. However, a squadron of TIEs outnumbering them fired from above. Two of the speeders were hit.

"No!" Wedge cried in despair as the speeders exploded right in front of him.

"Target the power generator. Fire!" Veers ordered the AT-AT gunners once the approached it. The AT-AT walkers fired at the generator, shaking the ground with a massive explosion as the rebel soldiers scattered around.

"The generator is down! Launch all transports immediately!" Rieekan yelled through the intercom at the base's headquarters.

"What about the Star Destroyers?!" Leia asked.

"We'll have to hope our escorts can keep them busy until the transports enter hyperspace!"

Suddenly, Han ran into the headquarters, pushing C-3PO out of the way.

"General, we have a group of angry wampas breaking into the base!" Solo reported.

"Dawn it!" Rieekan cursed. "Your highness, you must evacuate. You are one of the leaders of the Rebellion, the future of a New Republic. You must go!"

"But I can't!" Leia protested. "I must overwatch…"

"Come on, Leia. We're leaving now!" Han told her, grabbing her arm and pulling the young princess, wishing General Rieekan good luck.

"Wait for me!" a hysterical C-3PO yelled as Han and Leia ran through the corridors of the ruining Echo Base. Meanwhile, a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle landed outside, and Darth Vader walked down the plank, greeted by a group of snowtroopers. Without a word he went towards the entrance of the discovered rebel base, with the troopers following him as they passed the snow fields filled with corpses of rebel fighters.

Running through the corridors, Han, Leia and C-3PO ran into a large hangar, only for it to be filled with snow-troopers.

"Freeze!" one of them yelled. Han thought of getting out his blaster, but he knew that the Imperial soldiers would kill him before he even grabbed his weapon. "Hands in the air" the commander ordered.

"My goodness, we're doomed!" C-3PO panicked, raising his hands up, while Han and Leia did the same obediently without a word.

"Sir, we have captured Rebel leaders Organa and Solo. What was that?!" the commander tried to contact his superior, only to be interrupted by a roar. They all looked to the direction of the source and saw a herd of tauntauns running towards them while being chased by savage wampas. Using the opportunity, Han and Leia dashed towards the nearest exit, grabbing the protocol droid with them. The snow-troopers began firing at them. However, that was cut short, as some of them began firing at the charging animals, only to be either knocked and crushed by a running tauntaun, or grabbed and having their head eaten by a wampa. Others tried to run away from the chaos.

Elsewhere, Han and Leia entered the hangar with the Falcon ready to set off. Followed by C-3PO, the two quickly entered, encountering R2. Sitting in the cockpit, Chewbacca rose the Falcon and piloted it out of the hangar. Just then, Darth Vader and his snowtroopers entered the hangar. Immediately recognizing the ship, the troopers began firing at it. However, Darth Vader heard a roar and he, along with the snowtroopers, turned around and saw chaos happening. The tauntauns and the wampas broke into the hangar, encountering both Imperial and Rebel forces. This distraction allowed the Millennium Falcon to escape the planet's surface.

However, this wasn't the end of it, as the Millennium Falcon immediately encountered the Imperial Navy waiting for the Rebel ships on the orbit. Taking over Chewie, Han piloted the ship as they saw one of the Rebel transports taken down by a Star Destroyer, not even the X-wings were able to defend it.

"Looks like they got one of the transports! Chewie, get ready for company!" Han said as a squadron of TIEs immediately pursued them. Not wasting any time, the TIE fighters fired at the Falcon.

"Han, do something!" Leia yelled, sitting behind Chewbacca.

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Han asked in annoyance.

"Not enough. That's for sure!" the Princess of Alderaan answered.

"Well, excuse me, you highness! Maybe you'd like it better if I flew into an asteroid field and found some cozy cave to hide in!" Han responded, finally turning to her.

"That'd be a start!"

"That's it! Hold on, princess!" Han stated, and with that, he piloted the Falcon towards the pursuing Star Destroyer.

"It's headed right for us!" the cruiser's captain yelled, only for the ship suddenly disappear of out sight.

"Captain, the ship's disappeared from our scopes! There's no trace of them!" one of the deck officers reported.

"They must have jumped to hyperspace. Recall the remaining TIEs and lay in a pursuit course for the Rebel transports." the captain ordered. Little did they know that Han attached the Falcon to the back of their vessel.

"You never fail to surprise me, Han Solo." An impressed Leia said as they were hiding.

"Sometimes I surprise myself. We'll detach and float away with the ship's garbage before they enter hyperspace."

"Then we head to Dagobah? For Luke?" Leia asked.

"I guess it couldn't hurt. Not that I buy into any of the Jedi stuff." Han answered. "But we'll never make it to Dagobah without a hyperdrive."

"Is there somewhere we can make repairs?" Princess Leia asked.

"I've got a friend, Lando Calrissian. He runs a gas mine between here and Dagobah. He'll help us… I think." Han answered. Soon, they left the cruiser once it began releasing its garbage, setting course for Bespin.