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."