Star Wars - Empire of the Innocents

19 - The Funeral

"Base Eco, this is the Outsider requesting permission to land," said the young captain through the communicator.

On the other side, the flight control responded, "You may transmit the code."

Lorena transmitted the code and waited for authorization.

Beside the Outsider, following the same course, was the Green Knight, Faitt's ship, in the same waiting situation. As they approached the ground, the pressure from the gusts of snow-filled wind became more pronounced.

Finally, after a brief interval, the flight controller's response came, "Welcome back! Landing authorized in the main hangar."

The Outsider dove into the midst of the intense snowstorm, with the Green Knight by its side.

Inside the main hangar of Base Eco, there was intense activity. Technicians, engineers, androids, mechanics, and soldiers worked diligently to complete the installation of the recently established rebel base. Hoth, the chosen planet to house them, was primitive and inhospitable. With an average temperature of around minus sixty standard degrees, it consisted only of ice and a few species of resilient creatures capable of withstanding the harsh climate. It was undoubtedly an intelligent choice by the rebel command, as it provided a perfect hideout for the base that would be the center of tactical planning. It was there that military strategies of the Alliance would be drawn up, and it would be the starting point for major rebel operations. The location would also serve as a refuge for authorities and leaders from planets sympathetic to the rebel cause who had suffered persecution from the Empire.

The base was located within the labyrinthine interior of an ice mountain, which had been surgically excavated using sophisticated laser drills so that the final result met the needs of its new inhabitants without causing collapses.

As they disembarked from their ships, the newly arrived smugglers were greeted by Princess Leia, who was already waiting for them in the hangar. "You did it!" exclaimed Leia, embracing them.

"Thanks to the 'Force'," replied Lorena. "It was truly a miracle."

Paying homage to the "Force" was something Lorena had recently started doing after Luke Skywalker clarified some concepts that had long been abandoned by most people. Although Lorena had always instinctively believed in a higher energy that permeated everything, no one had made the concept as understandable to her as Luke did in just two or three conversations.

All of Leia's happiness was due to the arrival of the cargo brought by Faitt and Lorena. They were the heat converters that the Alliance so desperately needed to adapt the speeders to the harsh temperatures of Hoth. For that reason, the duo of smugglers risked their lives, and it was a close call that the plan didn't end in a tremendous failure.

"The equipment is enough for twelve vehicles only," Faitt cautioned.

"Compared to nothing, twelve is a huge amount!" Leia said, smiling.

After presenting themselves in the command center to provide valuable information to the rebel strategists, Lorena headed to Hangar Seven, where her friends Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker usually were. Upon entering the X-Wing bay, she quickly spotted Han and Chewie making repairs on the exterior of the Millennium Falcon. When he noticed the presence of the young woman, Han quickly approached her.

"Finally! We were getting worried!" he exclaimed, while Chewie waved to Lorena from a distance, not interrupting the welding he was doing on a component of the freighter.

"What happened? Why did it take you so long?" Han asked.

"The Empire almost got us. We had to abandon half of the converters to make it out alive. It was a close call..." the girl revealed.