Just then the voice of a Rebel trooper cut in through the console's comlink

speaker. "This is Echo Station Three-Eight. Unidentified object is in our scope.

It's just over the ridge. We should have visual contact in about—" Without

warning the voice filled with fear. "What the—? Oh, no!"

A burst of radio static followed, then the transmission broke off completely.

Han frowned. "Whatever it is," he said, "it isn't friendly. Let's have a look.

Come on, Chewie."

Even before Han and Chewbacca were out of the chamber, General Rieekan had

dispatched Rogues Ten and Eleven to Station Three-Eight.

The mammoth Imperial Star Destroyer occupied a position of deadly prominence

in the Emperor's fleet. The sleekly elongated ship was larger and even more

ominous than the five wedge-shaped Imperial Star Destroyers guarding it. Together

these six cruisers were the most dreaded and devastating warships in the galaxy,

capable of reducing to cosmic scrap anything that stayed too close to their weapons.

Flanking the Star Destroyers were a number of smaller fighter ships and, darting

about this great space armada, were the infamous TIE fighters.

Supreme confidence reigned in the heart of every crew member in this Imperial

death squadron, especially among the personnel on the monstrous central Star

Destroyer. But something also blazed within their souls. Fear—fear of merely the

sound of the familiar heavy footsteps as they echoed through the enormous ship.

Crew members dreaded these footfalls and shuddered whenever they were heard

approaching, brining their much feared, but much respected leader.

Towering above them in his black cloak and concealing black headgear, Darth

Vader, Dark Lord of Sith, entered the main control deck, and the men around him fell

silent. In what seemed to be an endless moment, no sound except those from the

ship's control boards and the loud wheezes coming from the ebony figure's metal

breath screen were to be heard.

As Darth Vader watched the endless array of stars, Captain Piett rushed across

the wide bridge of the ship, carrying a message for the squat, evil-looking Admiral

Ozzel, who was stationed on the bridge. "I think we've found something, Admiral,"

he announced nervously, looking from Ozzel to the Dark Lord.

"Yes, Captain?" The admiral was a supremely confident man who felt relaxed

in the presence of his cloaked superior.

"The report we have is only a fragment, from a probe droid in the Hoth system.

But it's the best lead we've had in—"

"We have had thousands of probe droids searching the galaxy," Ozzel broke in

angrily. "I want proof, not leads. I don't intend to continue to chase around from

one side of—"

Abruptly the figure in black approached the two and interrupted. "You found

something?" he asked, his voice somewhat distorted by the breath mask.

Captain Piett respectfully gazed at his master, who loomed above him like a

black-robed, omnipotent god. "Yes, sir," Piett said slowly, choosing his words with

caution. "We have visuals. The system is supposed to be devoid of human

forms…"

But Vader was no longer listening to the captain. His masked face turned

toward an image beamed on one of the viewscreens—an image of a small squadron of

Rebel snowspeeders streaking above the white fields.

"That's it," Darth Vader boomed without further deliberation.

"My lord," Admiral Ozzel protested, "there are so many uncharted settlements.

It could be smugglers—"

"That is the one!" the former Jedi Knight insisted, clenching a black-gloved fist.

"And Skywalker is with them. Bring in the patrol ships, Admiral, and set your

course for the Hoth system." Vader looked toward an officer wearing a green uniform

with matching cap. "General Veers," the Dark Lord addressed him, "prepare your

men."

As soon as Darth Vader had spoken, his men set about to launch his fearful plan.

The Imperial Probe Droid raised a large antenna from its buglike head and sent

out a piercing, high-frequency signal. The robot's scanners had reacted to a lifeform

hidden behind a great dune of snow and noted the appearance of a brown Wookiee

head and the sound of a deep-throated growl. The blasters that had been built into

the probe robot took aim at the furry giant. But before the robot had a chance to fire,

a red beam from a hand blaster exploded from behind the Imperial Probe Droid and

nicked its darkly finished hull.

As he ducked behind a large snow dune, Han Solo noticed Chewbacca still

hidden, and then watched the robot spun around in midair to face him. So far the

ruse was working and now he was the target. Han had barely moved out of range as

the floating machine fired, blasting chunks of snow from the edge of his dune. He

fired again, hitting it square on with the beam of his weapon. Then he heard a

high-pitched whine coming from the deadly machine, and in an instant the Imperial

Probe Droid burst into a billion or more flaming pieces.

"…I'm afraid there's not much left,: Han said over the comlink as he concluded

his report to the underground base.

Princess Leia and General Rieekan were still manning the console where they

had maintained constant communication with Han. "What is it?" Leia asked.

"Droid of some kind," he answered. "I didn't hit it that hard. It must have had

a self-destruct."

Leia paused as she considered this unwelcome piece of information. "An

Imperial droid," she said, betraying some trepidation.

"If it was," Han warned, "the Empire surely knows we're here."

General Rieekan shook his head slowly. "We'd better start to evacuate the

planet."

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