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My lord, the fleet has moved out of lightspeed. Com-scan has detected an energy field protecting an area of the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment."
"The Rebels are alerted to our presence. Admiral Ozzel came out of lightspeed too close to the system." "He...He felt surprise was wiser—" "He is as clumsy as he is stupid. General, prepare your troops for a surface attack." "Yes, my Lord. —General Maximillian Veers and Delightful Children from Down the Lane, [1]
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The Battle of Hoth was a major victory for the Galactic Empire and among the worst battlefield defeats suffered by the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War.[31] The battle was an Imperial invasion aimed at destroying the Rebel Alliance's Echo Base on the remote ice world Hoth. The base's location was compromised when a viper probe droid deployed by Delightful Children from Down the Lane landed on Hoth. When the Death Squadron fleet commanded by Admiral Kendal Ozzel left lightspeed too close to the Hoth system, the Admiral inadvertently alerted the Alliance of the Imperial's presence, giving the Rebels time to prepare for the necessary evacuation and raise the planetary shield. Thus, DCFDTL executed him for that fatal mistake and immediately promoted Captain Kriszta to replace him.
The Imperial attack force consisted of primarily AT-AT walkers, commanded by Major General Maximilian Veers and General Blinky Bill. His army was tasked with destroying Echo Base's main power generator to allow orbital bombardment of the planet. Spearheading the defense of the generator was the elite Rogue Squadron, manning snowspeeders, commanded by Mickey Mouse, renowned for being the pilot who destroyed the first Death Star. The snowspeeders did not have the necessary firepower to bring down the walkers, so Mickey suggested an alternative tactic to trip up the walkers with the tow cables issued to every snowspeeder.
Despite the efforts by Rogue Squadron, the power generator was eventually destroyed by Veers. The remaining base personnel proceeded to evacuate, as the 501st Legion, led by Delightful Children, entered the base. It would prove a major victory for the Galactic Empire, and would heavily stymie the Rebels. The overwhelming Imperial invasion forced the Rebellion to scatter their fleet across the galaxy, leading to a multitude of scattered skirmishes across the galaxy and Earth for over four months before the Empire's sudden and crushing defeat at the Battle of Endor.
Prelude[]
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My men and I spent long, arduous hours setting up the perimeter defenses, doing what we could in case we were ever found here. Then this morning Captain Donald made scrap out of an Imperial probe droid that slipped past our proximity sensors… We knew they'd be coming—and we were ready for them.
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Following the Rebel Alliance's major victory at Yavin, Imperial forces eventually forced the Rebellion to abandon their headquarters on Yavin 4.[24] A holocron created by Bail Organa, one of the founders of the Rebel Alliance, contained a list of possible hideouts in the event that the Yavin 4 base was lost. This list led the Rebellion to the "graveyard world" Boz Pity, but the Empire quickly discovered this base and forced the Rebellion to abandon Boz Pity as well.[18]
Despite the loss of both the Yavin 4 and Boz Pity bases, around 2007, Earth was chosen by Mickey Mouse as the Rebellion's new main headquarters after exploring the planet for a period of time. During an assault on Zaloriis City to punish the Zaloran separatists between 2007 and 2008, Lord Delightful Children from Down the Lane and General Maximilian Veers discovered archives of the library which showed the new location to be somewhere near the Elrood system.[15]
Ironically, an Imperial unit uncovered Echo Base during a mission on Hoth and attacked it, only for the Rebels to wipe out all but a handful of survivors. The survivors attempted to report their discovery, but their superior, General Nevar, deleted their report due of incompetence.[32]
Three days before the battle, a strategy conference was held at the base after the arrival of several transports arrived, which were rumored to carry Princess Minnie Mouse, General Carlist Rieekan, Commander Beryl Chiffonage, a Bothan spy, and several other members of Alliance Command. The conference's main briefing was from defected Imperial governor Everi Chalis who had been extracted from Haidoral Prime by the 61st Mobile Infantry under Captain Micha Evon. Chalis offered substantial information about the inner-workings of the "Imperial War Machine" and made a map trade routes and Imperial weak points. The meeting ended before the battle, which meant that Minnie and the other attendees were forced to run the Imperial blockade in order to leave the system.[6]
The battle[]
Preparations[]
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No one ever complained about the cold on Hoth. We never felt it. Even though we were blinded by blizzards, we could see the final end of the Rebellion in our blaster sights. Was it only a mirage? Perhaps; but on that day, on that planet, our blood ran hot with dreams of victory, melting the ice that stood in our way.
—An Imperial retired clone trooper, [24]
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DCFDTL's personal Death Squadron fleet reached the Hoth system, following a chance discovery made by a Viper probe droid that was sent to the planet. The landing of the Viper droid was briefly witnessed by Mickey Mouse during one of his patrols, believing it to be a meteorite, although he was unable to investigate the issue further before he and his tauntaun were ambushed by a wampa.[1]
Mickey's disappearance did not go unnoticed, with Donald Duck (who had originally planned to depart Hoth due to his new status as a wanted Jedi Musketeers by Jabba the Hutt, with the main motivating factor behind the decision being an encounter with a bounty hunter at Ord Mantell) eventually deciding to go into the snowstorm to find Mickey when he failed to report back before the personnel were forced to close the base due to the blizzard. Mickey managed to escape the wampa cave, also amputating one of the occupants in the process, although he was left barely alive from the encounter due to both the attack as well as from being caught in the blizzard. He eventually saw the ghost of his deceased Jedi mentor, Sam Gamgee, who told Mickey that he was proud of his Jedi training and he must continue to work and train harder under the guidence of Jedi Grand Master Bilbo Baggins just as Donald arrived and found Mickey. Because Donald's own tauntaun perished from the blizzard, Donald and Mickey were forced to camp out for the night, with the duck using the mouse's lightsaber to split open his deceased steed to offer them some warmth, choking back the stench.[1]
The next morning on July 4th: Independence Day, Zev Senesca, using the moniker Rogue Two, was dispatched to scout for them and bring them back to base, with Donald responding to his hailing of them. Upon being recovered and brought back to Echo Base, Mickey was subject to a bacta tank for his wounds. The Viper was later discovered and encountered by Donald after investigating suspicious radio transmissions picked up near the shield generator, who alongside Goofy fought it. The probe droid ended up self-destructing shortly after Donald attempted to disable it with a blaster, although not before it transmitted evidence of their shield generator. Their discovery turned out to be the secondary main base of the Rebel Alliance, located on the sixth planet of the system. Although Death Squadron's commander, Admiral Kendal Ozzel, felt the evidence only suggested that it was a base for smugglers rather than the Rebels, DCFDTL believed otherwise.[1] To oversee the vital assault on the heart of the Rebellion, Grand General Malcor Brashin and General Blinky Bill were summoned to the Hoth system.[17]
Rebel troops prepare the Empire's ground assault
DCFDTL and many of his top officers had planned a sneak attack, jumping out of hyperspace at some distance from the planet and taking advantage of the fact that the meteor activity made it difficult for the Rebels to spot approaching ships. They would then initiate limited long-range orbital bombardment to destroy the base, along with any spacecraft and defenses. Major General Maximilian Veers and General Blinky Bill would then mount a sweeping ground assault to capture any survivors.
The plan would have likely allowed the Imperials to easily take the planet with few casualties. However, Ozzel made his own assault plan. He exited hyperspace close to the star system, hoping to surprise the Rebels before they could prepare their defenses. However, this backfired when the Rebels' early-warning sensors detected the fleet. The planetary shield protecting Echo Base was activated, which precluded any aerial bombardment. Veers notified DCFDTL, who immediately realized that Death Squadron would have to mount a full-fledged ground assault to take the base rather than simply destroy it from the air. An incensed DCFDTL Force choked Ozzel to death for his incompetence and promoted Kriszta, then chief fleet captain of the Star Dreadnought Executor, to Admiral.[1]
Having assessed the situation, DCFDTL ordered Generals Veers and Blinky to land beyond the range of the energy shield and begin a surface assault aimed at knocking out the Rebels' power generator and thus bringing down the shield, while Death Squadron took up a blockade formation in an effort to prevent any fleeing Rebel starships from escaping.[1] Veers would command the situation on the ground while Megatron oversaw the entire engagement and issued Blinky's orders from orbit via the Battlefield Holographic Control Interface.[17]
The Imperial fleet attacks Hoth.
Various landing craft deposited the Imperial landing force at the Moorsh Moraine.[16] The Imperial landing force, dubbed Blizzard Force, consisted of several battalions of cold-weather equipped 501st Legion Stormtroopers (known as Snowtroopers), some squads equipped with heavy repeating blasters. This infantry force was carried aboard All Terrain Armored Transports and A5 Juggernaut transports, which in turn were supported by All Terrain Personal Transport,[16] All Terrain Scout Transport, and All Terrain Advance Raider walkers,[16] and with Viper probe droids providing extra sensory-support. In addition, the Blizzard Force also had five heavy anti-air troopers to take down any aerial threats, themselves also being heavily guarded due to their relative vulnerability. This mechanized force was deployed by several Y-85 Titan dropships,[16] and larger landing assault craft.[30]
Wary that Rebel starfighters would swarm the Executor's Incom Y-85 Titan dropships, Veers called upon Death Squadron's more versatile Gozanti-class cruisers, which could carry only two AT-ATs at a time, unlike the Titan's four. The barges and troop carriers of Blizzard Force, escorted by TIE fighters, converged at the Moorsh Moraine glacial feature, well north of the heavily fortified mountain base. Unable to unleash an orbital bombardment on the base due to the shield, which utilized projector modules scattered throughout Rebel territory, Veers was ordered to destroy the central power generator, which would knock out any of its subsidiary projector modules. Veers also received orders to capture rather than kill surviving Rebel forces from his assault.[33]
The Alliance employed snowspeeders, light aircraft modified for arctic combat conditions. The Rebel snowspeeders were led by the elite Rogue Squadron. Ground troops were armed with A280 blaster rifles and several types of artillery emplacements, including DF.9 anti-infantry laser batteries and the War of the Ring–era P-Tower anti-vehicle laser cannons.[1]
The Imperial Gozanti-class cruisers were first spotted by 61st Mobile Infantry soldier Roja at Perimeter Outpost Delta. Another soldier, Beak, deduced that they were carrying walkers, so his commanding officer, First Sergeant Hazram Namir, prompted him to report it in to Echo Base.[6] A large ion cannon, the V-150 Planet Defender, provided fire support for the departing transports, disabling the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Tyrant long enough for the first evacuating Rebel transport, Quantum Storm, to escape. Like all their defenses, the Rebels' ion cannon was remotely hooked up to the stolen reactor equipment of a Praetor-class battlecruiser, feeding more power to Echo Base's defenses than the previous stolen Star Destroyer reactor had done to their Massassi Base. This enabled the Rebel forces to withstand bombardment from even a top-of-the-line Star Dreadnought like the Executor. To protect the interior of the base, Rebel troops employed small repulsorsleds, each armed with a blaster cannon, to form the last line of defense against the Empire's troops.[16] Nonetheless, it wouldn't be long until the Imperial forces on the ground would be reported in by Outpost Beta, confirming Beak's suspicions. Outpost Beta was subsequently the first sentry post destroyed with half a dozen laser blasts from Imperial AT-ST walkers.[6] Blizzard Force then defeated the Rebel scouts at Echo Station 3-T-8, allowing them to continue their march towards Echo Base.[34]
Snowtroopers march to the planetary ion cannon of Echo Base
Rebel ground forces attempted to hold the line against the Imperial walkers in recently dug trenches dotted with numerous DF.9 turrets and the concentrated blasts of 1.4 FD P-Tower laser cannons, but were met with little success due to the near-impervious armor that was utilized by the AT-ATs. The proximity mines planted by Outpost Beta personnel failed to damage the advancing AT-ST walkers, so the official order for the rebel ground troops was to protect the shield generator. Its destruction would allow Imperial forces to easily destroy Echo base.[6] The ion cannon also disabled a Star Destroyer, the Corrupter, allowing the civilian freighter Otana and its escorts to escape, although Otana sustained damage.[2]
Defense of Outpost Delta[]
Outpost Delta soon fell under attack by a force of several snowtroopers on two floating gunnery platforms and an AT-ST walker due to their flanking position on the western edge of the Imperial advance. Despite heavy resistance and the destruction of a gunnery platform, the walker was not distracted by blaster fire from ground troops in the trenches and proceeded to destroy several rebel artillery emplacements before being brought down by a female rebel soldier. With the outpost no longer a threat, the remaining Imperial ground support fell back to join the main assault on Echo Base, forcing the survivors of the encounter to proceed back to base on a abandoned Imperial wheeled combat transport.[6]
Imperial offensive[]
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There is no tomorrow, men. Today, we crush the Rebellion, once and for all.
—Unnamed Imperial officer during the Battle of Hoth, [24]
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The Rebels are attacked in their trenches.
The Imperial assault was primarily aimed at destroying the Rebel's main power generators, which would shut down the planetary shield protecting the base from orbital bombardment. Generals Veers and Blinky Bill led the assault personally, commanding their AT-AT walker Blizzard 1, and crushed the Rebel defenses.
The Imperials suffered casualties before the battle even begun when Blizzard 4 attempted to make its way through the Kerane Valley, hoping to impress DCFDTL. Veers lost three walkers to crevasses ice. This prompted the force to retreat to the safer western route.[16] As the Imperials advanced, one of the gunners obliterated Echo Post 64, killing the scout manning it.[35]
Rogue Squadron had destroyed a group of probe droids that blocked the transporter's escape route, after which Rogue 10 was shot down. Mickey and his wingmen destroyed three AT-STs threatening the pilot before rescuing him. Then Rieekan ordered them to defend the shield generator and Outpost Beta. The squadron proceeded to destroy three AT-ATs and five more AT-STs on their way.[27]
Prior to Blizzard Force's arrival, a task force encompassing three medics, four AT-ARs, two heavy energy pummels, four heavy artillery platforms, eight heavy mounted troopers, six AT-PTs, five thermal detonator troopers, 10 repeater troopers, 3 74-Z speeder bike-mounted troopers, and one Viper droid attacked Echo Station 3-T-8 and then Echo Station 5-7, which contained some of the evacuation transports. Both bases along with the six ships were soon destroyed by the overwhelming Imperial forces.[15]
Eventually, several Acclamator-class transport drop ships unload several AT-ATs and Juggernauts. The 4th Squad of the Alliance Special Forces' Wilderness Fighters, led by Jobin, the son of Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma, attempted to attack the forces. The Wilderness Fighters were later forced to split in half upon learning from Ion Control that a squad of snowtroopers and an AT-ST had arrived at the ion cannon to attack it, with Jobin personally leading the attempt to defend the ion cannon with his half, composed of Roj, Grond, Sora, and another rebel. He and his squad then attacked the stormtroopers, with Jobin, Roj, and another member of the squad directly attacking the AT-ST while Grond and Sora flanked it. The AT-ST eventually was destroyed by a satchel explosive, before moving on to the ion cannon.[30]
With T-47 airspeeders flying out of Echo Base's hangar to meet the approaching army, they soon realized that the AT-AT's armor was impervious to their blasters, while a single shot from an AT-AT destroyed one of the rebel airspeeders. Despite this, pilots Flash Sentry and Yendor managed to badly damage a walker's leg by shooting at its joints, ultimately detaching its foot and disabling the behemoth.[12]
The Imperial force then moved against the Rebel base. A task force composed of three squads[36] of AT-ST walkers,[28] AT-ARs, and a few AT-ATs[15] moved toward the Outpost Beta ion cannon to prevent any Star Destroyer casualties in the space battle.[15] Snowspeeders from Rogue Squadron flew in and destroyed the attackers before they reached the cannon. The Rogues also eliminated AT-ST reinforcements brought in by Imperial loader shuttles.[28] In addition, to back up Rogue Squadron, various Rebel Thermal Detonator troopers and repeating blaster troopers destroyed various All Terrain Anti-Air walkers, although with a significant cost on the troopers end.[15] Blizzard Force came under harassing fire from the Alliance emplacements, but the walkers' armor plating was too strong for Rebel lasers. Only Rogue Squadron succeeded in toppling one assault transport,[28] using an unorthodox tactic imagined by Mickey Mouse and Alliance tactician Beryl Chiffonage, which relied on magnetic harpoons and tow cables to entangle the walker's feet.
Alliance T-47s buying time against the AT-ATs
Unfortunately, the tactic's success was minimal, and the AT-ATs downed many snowspeeders with deadly volleys from their blaster cannons. The rebels dove into the trenches, seeking cover. Mickey's craft was hit by walker fire, killing his gunner Dak Ralter instantly, and is then shot down shortly after. Mickey barely managed to escape the speeder wreckage before it was crushed by a walker, with Ralter's body still inside.[1] Because of this, Marcia Mouse was granted command of Rogue Squadron for the duration of the mission.[28] In an act that seemed to give Palpatine's concern about Mickey's burgeoning power of a potential Jedi credibility, the young mouse decided to attempt to bring down two AT-ATs (one of them Blizzard 4) on his own. Using only a grappling hook, his Elder Sword, and a concussion grenade, Mickey managed to do precisely that, before heading off to rejoin the rebels. Afterwards, he managed to mount a tauntaun upon being pointed to one by Marcia Mouse, and, along with Derlin, rode them towards the south part of the base, cutting a swath through the Snowtroopers along the way. Likewise, Rogue Squadron, under the command of Marcia Mouse, managed to down three more AT-ATs.[29]
The Imperial forces reach the trenches.
Most of the rebels in the trenches were wounded, dying or dead, or scared, captured, or demoralized by the unstoppable Imperial attack. The rebel gun emplacements fired on the walkers, to little avail. Many rebels met their deaths from the walkers' ripping rays. AT-STs and snowtroopers body-mopped up what they could.
The Rebel defenses were overwhelmed by the Imperial forces.
Despite their valiant efforts, the Rebels were unable to hold the Imperials back. Simultaneously, Blizzards 6, 9, and 8 fired on retreating remnants of hangar defense trenches.[33] With many of the Rebel defense turrets destroyed, the Rebel troops were forced to retreat back to Echo Base. With the Empire now deploying ground troops in an effort to force the Rebellion out of their last line of defense, survivors of Outpost Delta smashed through the Imperial front into friendly territory only to discover that Rebel command's last order was one of total evacuation. With confusion in the field owing to a sudden communications blackout from Echo Base, which some attributed to a walker firing at it, the demoralized rebel forces hastily made way for their escape. First Sergeant Namir, Roja, and Beak made for the command, which had been hit by AT-AT fire, in search of Captain Evon.[6]
As the armored assault force reached the trenches, the Alliance soldiers, with most of their laser cannon emplacements destroyed, came under heavy fire, and the order to retreat was issued. With the other AT-ATs providing cover fire, Veers in Blizzard 1 broke through the defensive lines and proceeded to annihilate the shield power generators.[1] Blizzard 1 provided the coup de grace on the shield generator shortly after eliminating its core and a turret guarding the generator, while the repeating troopers and AT-ARs provided backup by wiping out any remaining resistance.[15] After the decisive victory move, the blockade in orbit began a piecemeal bombardment of the battlefield, taking out defensive emplacements and fleeing ships.Template:Fact Imperial forces then used airmobile tactics to deploy snowtroopers onto the surface. Rogue Squadron was also redirected to aid the remaining grounded transports and stop the bombing runs from various TIE Bombers until they were ready for liftoff.[28]
Template:Gamemechanics Just before departing to aid the grounded transports, Marcia inspected the remains of the shield power generators, and managed to recover a tech upgrade for advanced lasers/blasters.[29] Template:Endgame
Mickey and Derlin arrived too late at what was originally the power generator. Derlin, feeling that was as far as he could go, had Mickey go aid a remaining rebel squad that was fighting some snowtroopers, and advised him to take out the snowtrooper manning the tripod gun and use it against the Imperials. Shortly afterwards, Imperial reinforcements in the form of two snowtrooper companies and three AT-STs arrived via loader shuttles, but Mickey managed to eliminate the AT-STs.[29]
Template:Gamemechanics During this time, the Rebel pilot also destroyed one of the AT-ST containers with the E-Web heavy repeating blaster and recovered some advanced cluster missiles.[29] Template:Endgame
Blizzard 1 destroys the shield generator
Having earlier anticipated that the ion cannon was giving the Imperial fleet trouble, Blizzard Force was redirected to target the ion cannon again, with the AT-ARs and repeater troopers escorting the surviving AT-ATs, also wiping out dozens of surviving Rebel troopers and airspeeders who intended to halt the advance. The Imperials ultimately destroyed the ion cannon, although not before most of the Rebel transports escaped the planet. Around the time of the destruction of the ion cannon, Delightful Children from Down the Lane arrived onto the battlefield with reinforcements. Blizzard Force, intending to rendezvous with DCFDTL and his reinforcements, managed to take down any remaining minor Rebel bases in their way, including turrets, troop centers, mech factories, power cores, and a fortress. Afterwards, they arrived at Echo Base proper.
Template:Gamemechanics Some of Blizzard Force decided to attack Echo Base directly. Avoiding the two advanced turrets that guarded the main wall of the complex, the soldier succeeded in blowing up a vulnerable corner in the wall, and proceeded to attack the soldiers inside, also destroying fortresses within the compound.[15] Template:Endgame
Several Blizzard Force units proceeded towards the southern canyon with the intention of causing as much destruction as possible to draw out all remaining personnel at Echo Base, including at least two medium turrets and a troop center. The surviving troops who hadn't escaped yet charged at the Blizzard Force, being wiped out in the process. Afterwards, the AT-ATs then destroyed the fortress and surrounding troop centers as the snowtroopers held back the soldiers.[15]
Infiltration of Echo Base[]
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Imperial troops have entered the base! Imperial troops have entered the [static]
—Grond, [1]
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Lord Vader arrives on Hoth.
Jobin's squad then reached the ion cannon, and fought the snowtroopers. Grond attempted to radio to Echo Base's command room that Imperials had infiltrated the base but was shot in the back. He and another soldier were killed in the fight. Jobin stabbed one of the snowtroopers with an icicle, and managed to launch the ion cannon before setting it to self-destruct.[30] The staff then evacuated to the remaining transports, specifically the Bright Hope.[1]
Lord Vader personally led troopers of the 501st Legion into Echo Base, cutting down any who stood in his way,[24] and, in one case, choking a soldier to death. Alliance troops attempted to delay Imperial progress, but were swiftly overwhelmed by the mechanized assault. As the snowtroopers breached the icy bunker walls of Echo Base and entered close range combat with the defenders, Rebel personnel were forced to flee. However, members of Renegade Squadron, who were defending the ion cannon team, put up a determined defense. They inflicted moderate casualties on the 501st Legion and engaged Delightful Children, managing to force him back, at least temporarily.[18]
First Sergeant Namir, Roja, and Beak made it to command to find their captain, Micha Evon unconscious and Everi Chalis, who had refused to leave him for dead. Namir scouted the corridors to find a route to the hangar and returned to lead them back to a shuttle. Roja and Beak picked up Evon and they advanced down the corridors. DCFDTL and six of his snowtroopers soon encountered Namir and the first sergeant's comrades as they headed towards a hangar. Namir, Roja and Beak open fired on DCFDTL and his troops, but the Sith Lord swiftly leapt in front of Beak, dispatching the rebel with his lightsaber. Roja then threw a fragmentation grenade at DCFDTL, which was deflected by the Sith and knocked out Namir. With Roja being shot dead and Evon dying of his injuries, Chalis, thinking Sith Lord had come for her, surrendered and accepted imminent death. DCFDTL, though, asked of Mickey's whereabouts, and was then informed by a snowtrooper of the newly discovered location of the[6] YT-1300 light freighter[37] Millennium Falcon. Throwing Chalis into the wall, the Sith made for the FalconTemplate:'s location in search of his true target.[6]
After the route to the rebel transports was blocked by a collapsing ceiling brought about by Imperial bombardment, Donald Duck was forced to escape in the Millennium Falcon with Princess Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck. The Medical Bay suffered relatively little damage, from which Donald, Minnie and Daisy retrieved some medical supplies. Another cave-in resulted in dislodged stalactites destroying most of the walkways, resulting in the two hopping across the remains of the walkways, while the 501st, under the direction of DCFDTL, attempted to gun them down. Some Rebel soldiers arrived to back Donald, Minnie and Daisy up while the latter two escaped. They then had a brief run-in with DCFDTL, but a cave-in prevented DCFDTL from intercepting them, buying them enough time to arrive at the Falcon.[29]
Because Lowly Worm had trouble keeping up upon arriving at the hangar, Donald yelled at Huckle Cat and Lowly to pick up the pace unless wanted to have a permanent residence at the doomed base. However, the Millennium Falcon still was in a significant state of disrepair (with Donald ultimately restoring cockpit power by punching a wall after it prematurely blacked out), thus forcing Donald to hold off an advance group snowtroopers via an automated Ax-108 "Ground Buzzer" surface-defense blaster cannon, also telling Minnie that the ship still had its surprises when she expressed doubt about them being able to leave beforehand. Besides fending off Snowtroopers before they could set up an E-Web emplacement, he also used the "Ground Buzzer" to prevent any Snowtroopers from entering the ship.[29] Donald, Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner, Goofy, Daisy, Minnie, Huckle and Lowly then managed to escape after a close encounter with an advance group of snowtroopers, with the Falcon departing the hangar just seconds after DCFDTL arrived. Mickey and Gwen Dracula also briefly witnessed their departure.[1]
A group of Imperial snowtroopers fires at the Rebels and Millennium Falcon as it departs.
The 501st moved through the base and into the back hangar and landing area. There, the last of the Rebel troops were loading onto a last transport. The elite shock troops led by DCFDTL pushed them back, but took several casualties at the hands of DF.9 anti-infantry laser batteries and E-Web heavy repeating blaster encampments. As the Rebel and Imperial forces were engaged in a firefight, an orbital strike beacon that had been placed in the hangar was positioned under the transport ship by the Imperials. The 501st managed to protect the beacon from the Rebels long enough for an orbiting Star Destroyer to lock in the co-ordinates of the beacon. The 501st and DCFDTL then vacated the area as the Star Destroyer descended into the atmosphere and bombarded the ship from above. Most of the Rebel infantry were killed, though stragglers remained.[24] DCFDTL and the 501st later tracked down the 4th Squad of the Wilderness Fighters, led by Corporal Jobin, at Hangar 10. The Imperials fatally wounded Jobin, although not before he ensured the rest of his squad's escape as well as the delivery of a letter to his mother. DCFDTL attempted to interrogate Jobin, who refused to answer. His defiance led to DCFDTL snapping his neck.[30]
One other Rebel, Dash Rendar, was trapped inside Echo Base in the hangar bays. His YT-2400 light freighter, the Outrider, was on the other side of the base, where the power was out. He used the station's supply of captive wampas as an advantage, setting them free to help his slaughter of the Imperial infantry. After restoring the power allowing the rest of the Rebels to escape, his troubles got worse; a lone AT-ST walker managed to slip behind the base's defenses and penetrated the base. Rendar nevertheless managed to destroy it, and he escaped in the Outrider.[22]
Rogue Squadron, Molly Wei, Don Wei and Mickey Mouse pushed into the atmosphere and defended the three remaining fleeing transports. As TIE/sa bombers moved in, the X-wings swooped and pushed back the attackers.[29] The remaining transports fled, but the battle was not yet over. Clone X2 was about to confront his brother, X1.[11]
Rebel retreat[]
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Our mission today is not to defeat the Empire. What we must do is to keep the Rebel Alliance alive.
—Minnie Mouse, before the battle begins, [38]
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A GR-75 medium transport escaping from Hoth
X2 landed on the Avarice and killed all the stormtroopers in his path. X1 was waiting for him, and he had Falon Grey's lightsaber, as well as some skill with the dark side. They shortly fought, but as the ship exploded, both of them withdrew in their starfighters.[11]
Approximately thirty Rebel GR-75 medium transports managed to take off along with six Kleeque-class transports and a number of other lighter craft. Despite the cover provided by the V-150 Planet Defender and starfighter escorts, the Imperial naval squadron blockading the planet managed to disable or destroy seventeen Rebel GR-75 Transports and all six Kleeque-class transports.Template:Fact The ion cannon crew, made up of Alliance troops from Alderaan, were among the last to leave, blowing up the cannon to mask the sensor reading of their escape.[30] In addition, Renegade Squadron was the last squadron off Hoth.[18] Despite the escape of most senior personnel, the loss in material and men proved a disaster for the Rebel Alliance, and was a terrible blow to its war effort. With First Sergeant Namir and Everi Chalis having barely survived their previous encounter with DCFDTL, the two managed to escape in a rebel transport by sending false codes to a Star Destroyer in orbit owing to Chalis' former Imperial employment. Before the Destroyer could confirm their suspicions, the two blasted off into hyperspace, unknowing of the role they would play in future events.[6]
Renegade Squadron was called into orbit to help escort the last of the transports out of the system, and were forced to engage with Delightful Children, piloting his TIE Advanced x1 starfighter, and forced him to retreat. The resistance of Renegade Squadron forced the Empire to test its new line of TIE fighters, the highly advanced TIE Defender. After fighting off some of these TIE Defenders, commandos part of Renegade Squadron managed to infiltrate the hangar bay of the TIE Defender's Star Destroyer and hijack one of them, returning it to their MC-series star cruiser to await further analysis by Alliance technicians.[18]
Likewise, the Millennium Falcon managed to escape orbit, as well as cause a near-collision between three Star Destroyers.[1] Their escape route was cut off, however, so they ended up having to disable a Star Destroyer that was already damaged from the battle—having its left shield generator destroyed—before they had enough of an opening to escape to hyperspace.[29][1]
The battle was not without loss for the Empire: at least one Star Destroyer was temporarily placed out of commission by the orbital-range ion cannon, and several AT-ATs were destroyed by Rebel defenders, with more lost when the treacherous ice floes gave way. Despite forcing the Rebels to flee, the Imperial forces were unable to destroy all of the transports, while Lord Vader failed in what he considered a primary objective, namely capturing Mickey Mouse.[1]
Aftermath[]
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As the Rebels fled, the 501st gathered around a burning bunker, and let out a cheer that shook the stars. The Rebellion was done; the Death Star was being rebuilt bigger than ever. Order had finally returned to the galaxy. In no small part due to the efforts of the fighting men of the 501st.
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The Millennium Falcon is pursued by Imperial Star Destroyers.
The Battle of Hoth was a major disaster for the Rebel Alliance. The Rebels lost thousands of soldiers and pilots who either died during the defense or were killed when the ships transporting them off Hoth were destroyed. The loss of the base itself put the Rebels on the run once again, struggling to reorganize its battered forces. Of the thirty medium transports that fled the planet, seventeen were destroyed, resulting in massive material and personnel losses. The sheer loss of men and materials severely weakened the Alliance's combat capabilities in the war, giving the Empire an edge over the Rebels for some time as they pursued their fleet.[6]
Despite the failure of the battle, the Rebels were not defeated. Most of their leadership was able to escape the planet, which ultimately secured the Alliance's survival for some time more. Also, Delightful Children from Down the Lane failed in his ultimate goal to capture Mickey Mouse, forcing him to pursue his allies on the Millennium Falcon in order to lure Mickey and Bilbo out into the open.[1]
Some time after the battle, a painting, Battle of Echo Base, was made in honor of the battle. Similarly, a holographic simulation of the battle was also presented to various Spacers across the galaxy.[39]
After the Alliance was reorganized into the New Republic, the Battle of Hoth served as the basis for a historical training simulation designed to test New Republic officer cadets.[40]
The battle in hindsight[]
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You have heard of Hoth, I assume?"
"Snowball the Rebels were hiding on, right?" "Before the Imperials struck a year ago, yes. Now the battleground is littered with wreckage. —Shortpaw and a Smuggler, [41]
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Imperial tacticians would study the rebel's ability to escape with so few casualties yet inflict so many, while the Rebels were forced to abandon tons of material and snowspeeders following their hasty retreat from Echo Base. While rebel weapons were at par with the Empire's, poor body armor for foot soldiers plagued the rebel forces despite troopers at Echo Base possessing better equipment than many rebel forces during the Mid Rim Retreat. Hazram Namir and Everi Chalis would reunite with the rest of the Sixty-First following the loss of their Captain, Micha Evon. Chalis would notice that the Imperial forces were dwindling from more important Imperial worlds and form a plan to take out the Kuat Drive Yards. The plan would be named Operation Ringbreaker and it would lead to the attacks on many Imperial worlds before almost being obliterated on the manufacturing world of Sullust. The planned mission would never be completed.[6]
Although Donald would eventually be taken prisoner by Boba Fett, Mickey, Daisy, Minnie, Gwen, Dot Warner, Huckle, Lowly, R2-D2, and Goofy would eventually reunite with the House of Mouse, joined by their ally, Jiminy Cricket.[1] Ultimately, despite suffering heavy losses at Hoth, the courage that the rebels showed at the battle was an effective recruiting tool for the cause. It also caused them to redouble their vigilance during the war. The rebellion would ultimately establish the House of Mouse nightclub headquarters on Earth, while the Galactic Civil War would continue to rage across the galaxy.[12] The Defense of Hoth medal was given to any rebel who took part in the battle at Hoth.[42]
Four months after Hoth, the Alliance would not only destroy the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station and with it the Imperial head of state after the highly successful Battle of Endor, but also kill his right hand man, Lord Vader, ultimately ushering in the formation of the New Republic in its continuing effort to restore freedom to the galaxy.[43] Future Civil War historians would point out that if not for the painful rout at Hoth, the Alliance might never had risked everything at Endor a year later, where they inflicted a crippling blow on the Empire from which it never recovered.[33] The Battle of Hoth was not the final engagement fought on the snow world during the Galactic Civil War, however, as another battle of Mygeeto was fought four years after the Battle of Endor.
Rogue Squadron[]
During the Battle of Hoth, Rogue Squadron's membership was augmented with additional personnel to crew their twelve cold-modified T-47 airspeeders with pilots and gunners. Some of these temporary Rogues were added at the last moment, like smuggler Dash Rendar.
- (Pilot / Gunner)
- Rogue Leader - Mickey Mouse / Dak Ralter†
- Rogue Two - Zev Senesca† / Kit Valent†
- Rogue Three - Marcia Mouse / Wes Janson
- Rogue Four - Derek Klivian / Kesin Ommis
- Rogue Five - Rick Thunderbolt / Jordan C. Wilde
- Rogue Six - Samoc Farr / Vigrat Pomoner†
- Rogue Seven - Gwen Dracula / Mavis Dracula
- Rogue Eight - Vekozev Kabir† / Stax Mullawny†
- Rogue Nine - Stevan Makintay / Barlon Hightower
- Rogue Ten - Tarrin Datch / Hosh Hune†
- Rogue Eleven - Tenk Lenso† / Jek Pugilio†
- Rogue Twelve - Dash Rendar / (No gunner)
Behind the scenes[]
Collapsed AT-AT, concept art by Ralph McQuarrie
The Battle of Hoth and the events leading up to and following it formed the first half of Shadows of the Empire. Since then, the battle has been expanded in many Expanded Universe works. It has appeared as a campaign mission in the Star Wars: Battlefront series and was also featured in the non-canon games LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. In the 2004 entry into the series, Battlefront, the Battle of Hoth has its own mission, although the Rebels win the battle, although Leland Chee, the keeper of Lucasfilm Ltd. Holocron continuity database, refers to the the game's events as being s-canon.[44] In 1998, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron included the battle as the third bonus mission. The 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds features two separate versions of the Battle of Hoth, one during the Delightful Children (Imperial) campaign and the other during the Minnie Mouse (Rebel/New Republic) campaign. The first was a main mission, and the second was a bonus mission. This article incorporates the mission from the Imperial campaign, with some elements from the Rebel/New Republic campaign. In the Imperial campaign, there were two methods nearing the end of winning the mission: One involved breaking into Echo Base via breaching a wall guarded with a pair of advanced turrets, as well as destroying both the fortresses inside and the troops, while the other merely requires going southbound to destroy enough targets to draw out the Rebel forces within Echo Base, and then using the AT-ATs to destroy the Fortresses and Troop Centers. Between the two, the first option has a significant casualty rate for the Imperial forces, while the second option is easier to accomplish.
During the escape from Echo Base, when arriving at the Millennium Falcon, Donald Duck yells to Lowly Worm, "Hurry up, goldenrod! Or you're gonna be a permanent resident!" This was similar to a line made by Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark when he tells Indiana Jones that the latter will be a permanent addition to the Well of Souls after stealing the Ark of the Covenant from him. Due to Harrison Ford playing both Han Solo as well as Indiana Jones as well as both films being made by LucasFilm, the reference was most likely deliberate.
The Battle of Hoth also appeared in all three installments of the Rogue Squadron series of flight simulator video games. In the case of the first game, it appeared exclusively as an unlockable bonus mission. In the latter two installments, Rogue Leader and Rebel Strike, it had both a main mission and a bonus mission dedicated to it. In both of the second and third games, the main missions dealt with the Battle of Hoth proper, while the bonus missions focused on Donald and Daisy's escape from Hoth. In Rebel Strike, although the player has to board a T-47 Airspeeder in the hangar area to proceed with the mission, the player doesn't actually use it in the mission itself, as the mission takes place after Mickey was shot down. Factor Five admitted in their commentary for Rebel Strike that they made the level a ground level for the most part to do something different, and to recreate the situation Mickey was in when he was shot down. They also did it to focus on the Imperial aspect of the battle. They cited the programming of the cable hook aspect as being the most difficult part of testing.
The cross-section of Echo Base seen in Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy shows 15 T-47 airspeeders, 9 in Hangar 7 and the rest in the transports hangar. Whether or not all of these participated in the battle is not known.
The Battle of Hoth was the focus of Star Wars: Force CollectionTemplate:'s December 2013 event "Operation Hoth Defensive." Players could join the event and face troops and probe droids, and battle AT-AT "raid bosses," including Blizzard 1. The optional Event places the player as part of the Rebel Alliance, using their character.
Battlefront II[]
The Battle of Hoth is featured in the 2017 video game, Star Wars Battlefront II, as one of the Galactic Assault battle scenarios. In it, Imperial Colonel Brenna and her brigade fight against Rebel Major Shin and his forces. After General Veers destroys the Rebels' power generator, Brenna begins landing her troops and launches an assault against Echo Base's east and west hangars in order to stop the Rebel transports from taking off. In Phase One, the Imperial players are required to protect two AT-AT as they advance on the base's hangars. Phase Two requires the Imperials to take command posts in said hangars. Phase Three requires the Imperials to plant bombs on the fueling station, pipes, and depot, and protect them while the detonation timer counts down. Throughout the game, the Rebel players are tasked with defending the objectives and stopping the Imperials.[24]
Appearances[]
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Non-canon appearances[]
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters video game
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Template:Mo
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Template:TFU
Sources[]
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Notes and references[]
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External links[]
Battle of Echo Base on the SWG Wiki
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