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Not far from the hangar, Imperial stormtroopers, their faces shielded by white helmets and white snowscreens, had begun moving down deserted corridors. With them strode their leader, the dark-robed figure who surveyed the shambles that had been the Rebel base at Hoth. Darth Vader's black image stood out starkly against the white walls, ceiling, and floor. As he moved through the white catacombs, he regally stepped aside to avoid a falling section of the ice ceiling. Then he continued on his way with such quick strides that his troops had to hurry to keep up.

A low whine, rising in pitch, began to issue from the saucer-shaped freighter. Han Solo stood at the controls in the Millennium Falcon's cockpit, at last feeling at home. He quickly flipped one switch after another, expecting to see the board flash its familiar mosaic of light; but only some of the lights were working.

Chewbacca had also noticed something amiss and barked with concern as Leia examined a gauge that seemed to be malfunctioning.

'How's that, Chewie?' asked Han anxiously.

The Wookiee's bark was distinctly negative.

'Would it help if I got out and pushed?' snapped Princess Leia, who was beginning to wonder if it were the Corellian's spit that held the ship together.

'Don't worry, Your Holiness. I'll get it started.'

See Threepio clanked into the hold and, gesturing, tried to get Han's attention. 'Sir,' the robot volunteered, 'I was wondering if I might-' But his scanners read the scowl on the face staring at him. 'It can wait,' he concluded.

Imperial stormtroopers, accompanied by the rapidly moving Darth Vader, thundered through the ice corridors of the Rebel base. Their pace quickened as they rushed in the direction of the low whine coming from the ion engines. Vader's body tensed slightly as, entering the hangar, he perceived the familiar saucer-shaped form of the Millennium Falcon.

Within the battered freighter ship, Han Solo and Chewbacca were trying desperately to get the craft moving.

'This bucket of bolts is never going to get us past that blockade,' Princess Leia complained.

Han pretended that he didn't hear her. Instead, he checked the Falcon's controls and struggled to keep his patience even though his companion had so obviously lost hers. He flipped switches on the control console, ignoring the princess's look of disdain. Clearly, she doubted that this assemblage of spare parts and welded hunks of scrap metal would hold together even if they did manage to get beyond the blockade.

Han pushed a button on the intercom. 'Chewie ... come on!' Then, winking at Leia, he said, This baby's still got a few surprises left in her.'

'I'll be surprised if we start moving.'

Before Han could make a carefully honed retort, the Falcon was jolted by a blast of Imperial laser fire that flashed outside the cockpit window. They could all see the squad of Imperial stormtroopers rushing with drawn weapons into the far end of the ice hangar. Han knew that the Falcon's dented hull might resist the force of those hand weapons, but would be destroyed by the more powerful bazooka-shaped weapon that two of the Imperial troopers were hurriedly setting up.

'Chewie!' Han yelled as he quickly strapped himself into his pilot's chair. Meanwhile, a somewhat subdued young woman seated herself in the navigator's chair.

Outside the Millennium Falcon, stormtroopers worked with military efficiency to set up their enormous gun. Behind them the hangar doors began to open. One of the Falcon's powerful laser weapons appeared from the hull and swung about, aiming directly at the storm troopers.

Han moved urgently to block the Imperial soldiers' efforts. Without hesitation he released a deadly blast from the powerful laser weapon he had aimed at the stormtroopers. The explosion scattered their armored bodies all over the hangar.

Chewbacca dashed into the cockpit.

'We'll just have to switch over,' Han announced, 'and hope for the best.'

The Wookiee hurled his hairy bulk into the