Hoth

In the fictional universe of Star Wars, Hoth is the sixth planet of a remote system of the same name. It is a world covered in snow and ice, with numerous moons, and pelted by meteorites from a nearby asteroid belt. Native creatures include the wampa and the tauntaun.

In "The Empire Strikes Back", the scenes featuring Hoth were shot at Finse and the Hardangerjøkulen glacier in Norway. [ [http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article276786.ece De norske heltene] (The Norwegian Heroes) Dagsavisen, April 22, 2005]

Planet overview

The Rebel Alliance relocated to Hoth after their victory in the Battle of Yavin. However an Imperial probe droid, before being destroyed by Han Solo, discovered the base on Hoth. The Rebels, acting on this discovery, immediately began preparations to leave. However Darth Vader's Death Squadron arrived in time to intercept them, forcing the Rebels into combat in order to cover their escape. Although the Empire won the Battle of Hoth by destroying the Rebel base and capturing many Rebel personnel and equipment, the Rebels didn't attempt a full-scale defense, but rather worked to stall the Empire's forces long enough to stage an effective evacuation, and to allow the deletion of compromising information as to the whereabouts of the Rebel Fleet. Since the Rebels did successfully evacuate vital leadership and some personnel and equipment, the Empire failed to do more than stall the Rebels' plans, and the Rebel Fleet remained elusive.

The action on Hoth features prominently in the opening of "" and is one of the Star Wars series' most memorable sequences.

Hoth is an example of the science-fictional stereotype of a planet that has only one climatic zone. However, some Expanded Universe sources show that under-ice caves containing large lichen fields exist on the planet, on which Tauntauns feed.The Rebel alliance was forced from the planet by the 501st legion of the Imperial Army.

There is a theory commonly referred to as Snowball Earth which argues that the earth went through a period several hundred million years ago, during which it was completely covered with mile thick ice sheets, while retaining an oxygen atmosphere. If this is true, it would mean that Hoth is one of the more realistic Planets depicted in science fiction.

Echo Base

Echo Base is the Rebel Alliance base established after the Alliance evacuation of Yavin IV. The base, which was featured in the opening sequence of "", is composed of a series of tunnels and caverns cut from the icy mountain side of the planet Hoth.

Echo Base was not designed with the means to repel an Imperial assault, but instead relied on its shield generator and its hidden location on a desolate planet in an unoccupied system to protect it from the Empire. Because of this most of its equipment and machinery were able to be taken apart and evacuated at a moments notice, if the base was discovered.

When the Empire's probe droids found the base, the Rebels fought a holding action to give the transports enough time to evacuate. They used the base's (misnamed) planetary defense shield to prevent an Imperial orbital bombardment, and then used small airspeeders modified for the cold climate of Hoth, called Snowspeeders, and a small contingent of soldiers, to slow the advance of the Empire's AT-AT walkers. This holding action allowed the Rebels time to use Echo Base's Planet Defender Ion Cannon to open holes in the Imperial blockade, allowing many transports and their X-Wing escorts to escape.

Echo Base suffered a series of attacks by the shaggy and carnivorous wampas soon after Commander Skywalker's encounter with one of the creatures. This is not shown in "Empire Strikes Back", but was described in the accompanying novelization.

Expanded Universe

Echo Base is also featured in the Star-Wars-based video game, . In the game, the player's character, Jaden is sent on a mission to Echo Base in order to find out information about the Cult of Ragnos. The player ends up finding the Base occupied by the Imperial Remnant.

Dash Rendar lands his snowspeeder in Echo Base soon after the Battle of Hoth to escape on his ship, the Outrider, in the Shadows of the Empire video game. He fights snowtroopers, probots, an AT-ST and wampas on the way to his ship.

In the novel Darksaber, Luke returns to Hoth with his lover, Callista. They find that Echo Base is now occupied by wampa-pelt hunters who have found their prey too much to handle. Luke and Callista try to help them but instead see the entire group killed.

In the queue for Star Tours, Echo Base is advertised as a tourist attraction. Visitors can explore the ruins of the Rebellion forces. It is there that visitors can ski the "most incredible slopes in the galaxy" or "ride a tauntaun".

Also Echo Base Is Featured in Lego star wars as a chapter.

References

* Kevin J. Anderson, "Darksaber" (1995). ISBN 0-553-57611-9

External links

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* [http://allrite.net/webworld/hoth A scientific investigation into the planet Hoth]
* [http://www.starwars.com/databank/location/echobase/ Star Wars Databank entry]
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