Star Wars : Chapter 28 : Cold Patrol

As soon as the woman finished those words, the two holograms disappeared. As they did, the audience were surprised at the second main holovid activating by queue, their eyes glued at the screen.

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

STAR WARS

"Here it is!" Ahsoka called out in anticipation, temporarily forgetting the shivering memory of her future.

"A sequel I've been looking forward to." Yoda commented

The Empire Strikes Back

It is 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.

"What? Come on!", Anakin groaned at seeing that Luke's blow towards the Empire isn't enough to turn the tide of the war just yet. "Wasn't that enough?"

Master Mundi scratched his beard. "A superweapon can be replaced, Skywalker but not its leader. And I imagine the Empire wasn't taking the Rebellion seriously until your son destroyed the Death Star."

"Based on how Tarkin and the others spoke of the Rebels, they did. And that is when the Empire began to mount a counter-offensive with all they have as soon as the Death Star was destroyed", Rex added.

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…

"Great, now Vader is after Skyguy's son.", Ahsoka groaned, after seeing her and Master Kenobi's encounters with the Dark Lord.

"He will need a proper teacher if he was to face the Sith Lord in hand. I doubt Master Kenobi would guide him all the time, even after becoming one with the force", Plo Koon said.

The text retreated into the void, and the camera panned down to a Star Destroyer drifting through space. Beneath it, dozens of probes were launched from its hangar. The last of these probes directed itself to a world covered in ice. It survived re-entry and impacted the ground with enough force to send snow and dirt flying twenty feet in the air.

Rising up from the crater was a robot of some kind, with two half-oval section, the top of which had several lenses and a pair of antennae, and a series of long spindly arms hanging beneath it. It slowly rose from the crater, and took in its surroundings. Seeing no immediate threats, it moved out with a soft repetitive humming sound.

"That doesn't look sinister at all." Caleb mused.

Not far off, a person on a strange bipedal beast rode across the tundra. They were dressed head to toe in heavy beige and white clothes, a pair of goggles over their face and had a strip of thick red cloth attached to their hat covering their mouth. The rider stopped at the top of a hill and looked around. Their outfit was covered in ice and snow, showing that they had been in the cold for quite a while.

"Which is colder, Hoth or Orto Plutonia?", Ahsoka asked.

"Neither.", Obi-Wan quickly answered. "I don't like the cold..."

"Well at least Hoth isn't filled with mounted tribesmen hellbent on killing anyone", Anakin mused, remembering when they went to the planet along with Senator Chuchi and the blasted politician, Chi-Cho.

"That's what we all think, Skywalker.", Mace added.

The rider took off the red cloth and goggles to reveal a somewhat older Luke Skywalker. He looked around and saw the probe impact with the ground. Frowning slightly, he took out a pair of macrobinoculars and took a look. Bubkiss. Nothing but a debris cloud. Putting the macrobinoculars down, he dusted off the communicator on her glove.

"Echo 3 to Echo 7. Han, can you hear me?" he said.

"Loud and clear, kid." The voice of Han said back. "What's up?"

"Well, I finished my circle. I'm not picking up any life readings."

"There's not enough life on this ice ball to fill a space cruiser." Han snarked back, making Luke chuckle. "Sensors are in place. I'm headed back"

"Gotcha. I'll see you shortly. There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here. I'm gonna go check it out. Won't take long." Luke closed the link and his mount began braying and bucking in place. "Whoa, easy girl. What's wrong? You smell something?"

As if in response, Luke turned and saw a giant white face roaring at him.

The audience were taken back in surprise, not expecting this too soon.

"What is that thing?" Caleb said.

"Can't tell. But it would make a fine rug." Master Fisto said.

It took a swipe with a massive arm and knocked him from him mount- knocking her out at the same time- and then doing the same to him mount. It's attack successful, it grabbed Luke and him mount by the ankles and dragged them through the snow back to it's lair.

"At the worst time of all places", Rex said, startled on what happened to Luke.

"He's a fighter, Rex", Anakin assured him, confident of his son's abilities. "He survived the Death Star, he'll go through this"

Meanwhile, another rider in beige pants and a heavy black coat with a fur-lined hood rode into a hangar flanked by a pair of white laser turrets. The hangar was lined with strange craft at the entrance with familiar star fighters in the back surrounding the beautiful sight of the Millennium Falcon. A pair of handlers came and took custody of the beast as the rider dismounted and took off the hood, revealing Han Solo and strode off towards the Falcon.

"Chewie? Chewie!" he called up to his Wookie first mate, who was busy working on the Falcon, a soldering tool in one hand and a face shield at his face on the other.

Chewie stops his work and lifts his face shield, growling an irritated greeting to his boss.

"All right! Don't lose your temper!" Haan said defensively. "I'll come right back and give you a hand. "

Chewbacca puts his mask back on and returns to his welding as Han leaves, walking off for the command center.

The command center was a large room deeper within the base- which itself was built within an ice shelf, turning it into a natural fortress. The walls were lined with metal plating and lights, while the ceiling was solid ice with more lights running across it. The interior was lined with workstations that showed complex readouts Han had no idea how to read. Looking around, he saw General Carlist Rieekan look away from his back at the workstation he was overseeing. Huffing, Han walked up to an older man in a dark jacket and gloves.

"This is their base", Ahsoka said, a little fascinated with the setup. "Not much but it'll do"

"Solo." he said, acknowledging his presence.

"No signs of life out there, General." he reported. "Sensors are all in place, you'll know if anything comes knocking."

"Commander Skywalker report in yet?" he asked.

"Commander Skywalker? Really fits him, not gonna lie", Rex mused with a smirk.

"Well, he has contributed greatly for the Rebel Alliance, so I don't see why he couldn't", Luminara interjected while Anakin lets out a proud smile for his son.

"No. He went to check out a meteorite that impacted near him."

"All the meteor activity in this system, it's gonna be hard to spot approaching ships."

"General, I gotta leave. I can't stay anymore." Han said bluntly.

"Why would he?", Ahsoka questioned, puzzled at why Han would want to leave all of a sudden.

"Remember, he worked with Jabba before. And I figured he hasn't paid him back", Plo Koon answered her.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Rieekan said genuinely.

"Well, there's a price on my head. Either I pay Jabba or I'm a dead man."

"I never knew he has that kind of reputation." Caleb commented.

"Well, Caleb. You have not seen much yet." Rex commented. "Having the life of a man working with a crime lord has its toll"

"A death mark's not an easy thing to live with." Rieekan agreed, offering Han his hand. "You're a good fighter, Han. I hate to lose you."

"Thank you, sir." Han said, shaking the hand. Then, he walked over to Leia. "Well, Your Highness, I guess this is it."

"If only you didn't work for Jabba", Mundi stated with a hint of disappointment.

"He did start out as a smuggler. He knows what he should do, but the past seems to have its way for him to repay his debts", Obi-Wan pointed out.

Han's face soured immediately. "Well, no need to get all mushy on me. So long, Princess." With that, he stormed off.

"Han!" Leia called after him, following him into a hallway.

"Yes, Your Highnessness?" Han said sarcastically.

"I thought you had decided to stay."

"Well, the bounty hunter we met back on Ord Mantell kinda changed my mind."

"Han, we need you!" Leia pleaded.

"We need?" Han asked, "Well, what about you need?"

"I need? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You probably don't." and Han walked off, a rather frustrated Leia following after him.

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?" Leia asked loudly, practically stomping after Han.

"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."

Anakin choked on his drink and began to cough profusely, with Obi-Wan patting his back and everyone looking at his sudden change of mood.

"Are you all right, Skywalker?", Shaak Ti inquired.

"I am", Anakin said, clearing his throat. "It's nothing..."

"Yes! You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader."

"No! That's not it. Come on." As a worker walked between them, Han saw Leia's cheeks darken and pressed. "A-ha! Come on."

"You're imagining things." Leia shot back with a laugh.

"You can do better, Princess!", Anakin called out to her, feeling a little off on Han's playful banter.

"Overprotective are we, hmmm?", Yoda asked the Jedi Knight with a chuckle.

"Am I? then why are you following me? Afraid I was gonna leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookie."

"I can arrange that." Han stormed off back towards the hangar, yelling back her last word. "You could use a good kiss!"

...

Hey guys I would really appreciate it if you could leave some reviews and give power stones to help elevate the ranking.

...

if you want to read ahead of the public release, you can join my p atreon :

p atreon.com/Darkness013