SYNOPSIS
After destroying the Death Star, Princess Leia and her group of freedom fighters search for a more secure base of operations which leads them to the frozen world of Hoth. Luke Skywalker is surveying the landscape on his bipedal mount when he spots a meteor impacts nearby. Luke radios Han Solo that he is going to check it out. Before he can leave a heavy, clawed hand knocks him from his tauntaun. Elsewhere an Imperial probe droid rises from a smoking hole, which Luke will now never investigate.

In Echo Base, Han returns and lets Chewbacca know that he will give him a hand fixing the Falcon after he gives his report. He lets Major Derlin know he'll be leaving shortly. Princess Leia meets him in the hall, and they have a brief encounter regarding Han's abilities to assist the Rebellion. They argue and Han storms off. They do not see the white, hairy arm that smashes through the ice wall behind them.

Luke awakens suspended upside down in an ice cave, his lightsaber just a meter out of reach. Growls echo through the cave as a giant beast lumbers towards him. Stretching out with the Force, he manages to call upon his lightsaber, cut his bonds and 'disarm' the monster. He stumbles outside in the cold Hoth night.

Back at the Rebel base, Threepio argues with Artoo over a problem with Princess Leia's room. They find Captain Solo and Chewbacca repairing their ship and let them know that Master Luke has not returned. Han checks with the watch officer, and not having any better news, sets out on a tauntaun to find his friend.

Luke staggers over snow drifts and sees the spectral form of Ben Kenobi, who tells him he must visit Dagobah and find Yoda, his former master. Han finds Luke just in time and is able to set shelter as the temperature drops further. The droids, are unable to pick up any life signs with their sensors and Major Derlin informs Leia that the must wait until the speeders are ready in the morning.

The next morning Rogue Two is patrolling in his snowspeeder and picks up a faint life reading. Han greets the pilot over the comlink. They return Luke to the base and place him in bacta treatment to heal his wounds. Han comments that the natives that attacked him could be anywhere. Artoo trundles down a corridor as ice chunks begin falling on his head. He makes electronic shrieks that bring a group of rebel guards to Section J to fight off a wampa ice creature.

In the control room, General Rieekan and Leia spot the probe droid on the screens. A squad of snowspeeders is sent to investigate. Chewbacca and Han find it, but as Han fires on the target, it self-destructs.

In deep space, outside the system, Captain Piett reports the findings of the Hoth probe to Admiral Ozzel. Darth Vader overhears and orders the fleet into the system at full speed. He believes the Rebels and Skywalker are there.