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SYSTEM: Hoth
TERRAIN: Glacier fields
LANGUAGE: None
POINTS OF INTEREST: Abandoned Rebel Base
As an isolated planet in an isolate system and surrounded by a dangerous asteroid belt the Rebel Alliance seemed the perfect spot for their base of operations after the Battle of Yavin 4. Unfortunately the Planet would become known as the site of one of the greatest defeats the Rebel Alliance has ever known.
Hoth is uninhabited and covered with snow and ice and is battered by asteroids. The planet plays host to ferocious Wampas and ornery Tauntauns.
Hoth first came to the attention of the Rebels by blind chance when Luke Skywalker crash landed on its glacier fields and encountered a pair of human replica droids. After he was rescued he reported that the planets isolation made it a perfect candidate for a new headquarters base and the Rebel leadership agreed.
The rebel engineers carved a huge carven in the ice and the cavern became known as Echo Base. This was home for several thousand soldiers, technicians and pilots. They had problems with numbing temperatures that caused breakdowns with their T-47 snow speeders. They captured several wild Tauntauns and trained them to be riding mounts.
It was just a month after the rebels established Hoth as a base that Luke was attacked by a wampa while on patrol. Han was able to find Luke and kept him alive in the subzero night defying survivor odds of 725 to 1.
It was not long after that that an imperial probe droid was discovered in Zone 12. The droid self destructed after Han and Chewie investigated. With a heavy heart General Rieekian ordered the evacuation of Echo Base.
When Darth Vader examined the data the probe had sent he ordered his personal fleet to the Hoth system. The Imperial fleet emerged from hyperspace to close to the ice planet and alerted the Rebels to their presence. The Rebels had time to engage their protective energy shield forcing Vader to send down General Veers in AT-AT walkers to do battle on the planet's surface .
As the walkers approached Echo Base from the south. Luke led Rouge Squadron in the T-47 snow speeders in an unorthodox attack. They used harpoon and tow cables to trip the walkers up. Although they were able to bring a few down they were out numbered and out gunned. They were forced to retreat.
As Darth Vader led his troops into Echo Base an got Leia out by the way of the Millennium Falcon after the bases power generator was destroyed collapsing the tunnel that led to Leia's transport. After Luke had brought down a walker while on foot he departed the battle an set a course in his X-Wing to Dagabah to meet up with Yoda.
Luke would return to Hoth a decade later with his love Callista.
