Chapter 19: Our Finest Hour

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 39 – Location: Hoth

"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."

Three years. That’s how much time has passed ever since the success of the mission on Yavin 4. Things have been quiet since then. No Rebel attacks, no planetary conflicts, nothing.

Normally this would be a good thing, but for the 501st it was bad. Ever since they acquired that list on the planets controlled by the Rebels they’ve been searching each and every one of them for any hidden base they’ve set up there.

Sigan and the other higher up Imperial Officers agreed to the idea to send probe droids to every planet on the list to scour it for the remaining Rebels. Despite this plan, it’s still taken three whole years and still yielded no results. It would’ve taken a lot longer had they sent Star Destroyers to search them on their own. And Vader and the Emperors patience is wearing thin.

Currently the Conqueror is stationed in Imperial controlled space alongside many other Star Destroyers. High above the Conqueror, a shadow looms over it, completely consuming it in darkness.

The source of that shadow came from a new type of Star Destroyer, one that is five times bigger than the ordinary ones. Standing at 19 kilometres long, holding a total of 4,000 turbo laser cannons, and can hold thousands of TIE Fighters This was the Supe Star Destroyer, also known as The Executor. Darth Vader’s personal cruiser.

This is the first time the members of Orion Squad have actually laid eyes on it, shocked at how massive it was. Daxter, Boomstick and Thunder were all watching over the fleet from the Conquerors bridge.

Admiral Sigan wasn’t here, instead he was aboard the Executor discussing plans with the other Admirals and generals on the whereabouts of the Rebels. As for Ghost, he was still in his sleep chamber which they don’t blame him. After all they’ve been through he deserved a rest. Now that things have quieted down, the men of the 501st have done nothing but rest and properly mourn their fallen brothers.

“Look at the size of that thing.” Thunder spoke up breaking the silence.

“I know right.” Boomstick added. “I can’t even imagine how much it cost for them to build that, not to mention how much resources were used.”

“The Executor is impressive and all. But it’s nothing compared to the Emperors Super Star Destroyer, the Eclipse. Which is twice as big as the Executor. And compared to the Conqueror, it’s like the size of a TIE Fighter.” Daxter explained.

Thunder and Boomstick turned to Daxter completely slack jawed at what they just heard. They couldn’t believe what they had just heard. Emperor Palpatine’s ship was even bigger then Vader’s?! They can’t help but wonder why he has to have everything bigger than Vader. His palace on Coruscant was taller than Vader’s, not to mention decorated with expensive treasures and artefacts while Vader’s was empty and dull. They’re starting to wonder if their Emperor was purposely taunting his apprentice by having bigger, better everything than him. No wonder Vader was angry all the time.

“Do you think they’ve found the Rebels?” Thunder asked, deciding to change the subject then dig deeper into this hole.

“No idea. Admiral Sigan said that he and the other Admirals were called to the Executor to go over all the information the probe droids picked up. Who knows, maybe they have found something.” Daxter replied.

“Where’s Ghost?” Boomstick asked.

“He’s still sleeping in his chambers. I can’t blame him really.” Daxter replied as he continued to look out the window at the Imperial fleet.

“What do you mean?” Boomstick asked, confused by this.

“You haven’t heard?” Thunder interrupted. “Ghost has been dealing with a huge amount of guilt over what happened on the Death Star. He blames himself for Apex and X-Ray’s death, because the last time we were all together was on Tatooine, when he and Apex had that fight… I think what he regrets the most, was not telling them how sorry he was.”

Boomstick suddenly felt sad for Ghost. He knew that he and everyone else in the 501st have been broken up over the deaths of over half their remaining troops. But he hadn’t considered Ghost was more depressed over it then the rest of them.

“Poor Ghost.” Boomstick thought to himself. “I can’t imagine what thoughts are running through his head right now… Let’s hope we find the remaining Rebels soon, for all our sakes.”

Aboard the Executor, Sigan was being escorted to the bridge by a couple of guards. He was to report his probes findings and compare them to the other Admirals in hopes of finding the Rebels hidden base.

He noticed that Darth Vader was at the front of the bridge, staring out at the massive gathering of Star Destroyers around him. He wondered what Vader was thinking in that moment, but he was interrupted by hearing his name be called out by one of the Executors captains. Captain Firmus Piet. Next to him was Kendal Ozzel, Admiral of the Executor. And on his other side was General Maximilian Veers. Leader of the biggest ground assault Imperial army. Probably to aid the 501st in battle once they located the Rebels.

“Admiral Sigan, It’s been quite a while hasn’t it?” Admiral Ozzel addressed him. “Long time no partially see, hahaha.” He joked.

Sigan was annoyed by the disrespect he displayed towards him. He and Ozzel always had a bit of a rivalry since they were cadets. When he heard that he was given the position of Admiral for the Executor, he was fuming over his sheer arrogance and boasts about his promotion.

But in the end he was happy with the position he was given. Being admiral of the Conqueror and advisor to the 501st legion was one of the best moments of his life. Unlike Ozzel, he actually grew to respect the clones he worked with, while he and the other officers viewed them as old relics of the past.

“Ignore him.” General Veers spoke up, making sure to break up a fight he for sure would start had he continued to tick him off. He then extends his hand to him to which Sigan accepts. “I am General Veers. My troops and I will be aiding the 501st in what I hope will be our last battle against the Rebels.”

“We appreciate the support.” Sigan replied with a smile.

“Admiral!” Captain Piet addressed loud enough to get their full attention.

“Yes Captain?” Ozzel replied as he walked over to the computer he was sitting at. Curious as to what’s going on, Sigan and Veers go over there as well.

“I think we’ve got something, Sir. The report is only a fragment from a Probe Droid in the Hoth system, but its’s the only lead we have.” Piet explained to them.

“You think it’s found the Rebels?” Sigan asked.

“Possibly. The signal was cut off before it could finish its broadcast.”

“Not good enough!” Ozzel interrupted them. “We have thousands of Probe Droids searching the galaxy. I want proof, not leads.”

“The visuals indicate life readings.” Sigan pointed out, hoping to settle this argument.

“So? It could mean anything. Probably some the creatures living there.” Ozzel denied again.

“The Hoth system is supposed to be devoid of Human life. These readings indicate that there are indeed Human life forms on that planet. What more proof do you need?” Sigan argued.

But before this little argument could grow into a bigger one, it was interrupted by Darth Vader who approached them. They all knew better then to squabble in the presence of the dark lord. Even Ozzel wasn’t stupid enough to disrespect him.

“You found something?” Vader asked them.

“Yes my lord. One of our probe droids have relayed back this video footage.” Piet explained as he played the footage back for him. The video showed what looked like a giant shield generator, but die to the harsh snowy blizzards it was hard to make out. Though Vader was easily able to tell what it was and who built it.

“That’s it. The Rebels are there.” Vader concluded. This was more than enough to convince him that Hoth is where the Rebels are hiding.

“My lord.” Ozzel interrupted, which caused Sigan to flinch a little. Perhaps he was wrong about him not being stupid enough to show disrespect. “There are so many uncharted settlements, for all we know it could be smugglers or-

“That is the system!” Now it was Vader’s turn to interrupt him. “And I’m sure the Rebel responsible for destroying the Death Star is with them… Set course for the Hoth System.” Vader ordered Ozzel. He then turned to Veers. “General Veers, prepare your men.”

The general nods and leaves the bridge. Vader then turns to Sigan to give him his orders. “Admiral Sigan, return to your ship and prepare my men to join General Veers.”

“Yes my lord.” Sigan responded followed by a salute. He then took his leave as well, making his way back to the shuttle he came in on.

In the stillness of his sleep chamber, Ghost was having difficulty sleeping well. Always tossing and turning in his bed, muttering words in his sleep.

Every night after the battle of Yavin have been filled with the same nightmare replying over and over again in his mind. The nightmare being about his failure to save Apex and X-Ray during the Death Stars destruction. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the sight of the Death Star exploding out of his head. Seeing the fiery rainbow coloured blast consuming various ships behind him, as well as the shuttle Apex, X-Ray and a lot of injured clones were on.

He can not only see them get consumed by the blast, but he can also hear their screams as they died.

“No!” Ghost muttered in his sleep.

“You have failed me, Ghost. You’ve let me down.”

That voice. It may’ve sounded exactly the same as all Jango Fett clones, but Ghost recognised this particular voice anywhere. He turns around and sees an old friend of his standing in a dark void, his voice echoing all around him as he spoke.

“Fang?” Ghost spoke in his dream. He’d recognise that old clone armour anywhere. It was indeed Fangs. Only his armour still had the deep burned cut across his chest Quinlan Vos placed on him the night he killed him.

“How could you let them die like this? Your own brothers!” Fang said furiously.

“It wasn’t my fault! The Rebels killed them, not me!” Ghost attempted to defend himself.

“They wouldn’t have died had you chosen to fight your enemy instead of them! You let the Empire’s influence corrupt you, which in turn got your brothers killed.” Fang then decided to remove his helmet which horrified Ghost upon seeing that underneath was not his older brother, but his skeleton. “You are a disgrace to your armour, and everything we stand for!”

Ghost freaked out by this turn of events, attempted to make a run for it. But this void he was in went on forever, and he always ended up being back where he was with skeleton Fang.

Suddenly, zombified versions of Apex and X-Ray appeared out of the ground, stopping Ghost in his tracks. Ghost panicked even more and started backing up away from them.

“You’re not real! This is all a dream!” Ghost shouted at them.

“We thought you saw Orion Squad as equals. But we’re nothing but cattle to you aren’t we?” Both Apex and X-Ray spoke at the same time. “You never cared about us. You just used us as pawns in a pathetic attempt to impress Darth Vader. A man who will never see you as a friend.”

“Shut up!” Ghost shouted back at them.

“You’re so pathetic. Choosing him over us. You should’ve been killed that day at the Jedi Temple, not Fang. He was a real leader, unlike you!”

“SHUT UP!” Ghost shouted back again. He then tried to make another run for it to the right this time. But his path was blocked up by to his surprise, Quinlan Vos. Only he had half a face, no limbs and a burnt body. This was how he looked after their battle with him on the Death Star. He was just floating in the air in front of Ghost, preventing him from escaping.

“Leaving so soon, clone? We haven’t had a proper chance to catch up yet.”

“No! Not you!” Ghost scurried backwards on the ground, trying to get away from the floating corpse moving towards him.

Ghost however was then grabbed by Tarfful who picked him off and lifted him off the floor, holding him in place by the throat like he did before on Yavin 4.

“I told you that I’ve become one with the force. You can’t escape me clone. I’ll always be here to torture you, even in your nightmares.” Vos then started laughing manically as he got closer to Ghost.

Ghost attempted to break free but Tarfful’s grip was too strong for him to over power. The skeleton Fang and zombie Apex and X-Ray soon stand alongside Vos as he finally closed the distance between him and Ghost.

“I told you the Rebel Alliance will be the death of you… The famous Orion Squad is now down three clones. It’s only a matter of time till the rest of you meet the same end. Karma is cruel.” Vos taunted.

Then to Ghosts disgust, Vos’s two lightsabers begin to pop out of the burnt nubs of where his arms used to be. The two lightsabers ignited and he began stretching his arms out, which was then followed by his body rapidly spinning around, creating a deadly cyclone of yellow and green which was heading straight for him. Ghost again tried to break free but Tarfful was too strong.

“Death is coming for you, clone! There’s nowhere left to hide!” Vos and his fallen brothers all said in unison.

Ghost began to panic as the lightsaber blades got closer to his body. He was constantly begging for his life as well as trying to apologise for his actions as the lightsaber cyclone grew closer. Suddenly Tarfful turned him around and grabbed him by his shoulders. He then proceeded to start shaking him like a leaf. What followed was really bizarre, as Tarfful began speaking English to him instead of his usual Wookiee language. Constantly telling Ghost to wake up.

It was at that moment that Ghost had finally woken up from his nightmare and saw that the one shaking him was Daxter. Ghost quickly got up and looked around the room, confirming that he was indeed awake.

“Calm down, Ghost. Take a deep breath and relax.” Daxter told him.

Ghost did as instructed and took a couple deep breaths, calming himself down. He then looked towards Daxter with a look of relief on his face.

“You had that same nightmare again, didn’t you?” Daxter asked.

“Yeah.” Was all Ghost had to say in response. That same nightmare had been playing over and over again in his mind since the battle of Yavin, with only some minor differences playing every now and then. The latest one being Tarfful speaking with Daxters voice.

“You can’t blame yourself for what happened. I know it’s not something you want to hear, but the past is the past. You need to move on from this, or else we’ll never defeat the Rebels.” Dater explained to him.

Ghost only grunted in response. He knew deep down that Daxter was right. But he still can’t help but feel a little bit responsible. Had he not have fallen for Vos’s obvious plan; the Rebel prisoners would’ve never gotten away with the plans to begin with. His obsession with wanting to kill the Jedi responsible for killing Fang is what got over half of the 501st killed.

“What did you want, Dax?” He asked, completely changing the subject.

“I came to tell you that Admiral Sigan had returned to the Conqueror, and that they’ve finally found where the Rebels are hiding after three years of searching the entire galaxy.”

Ghosts eyes went wide upon hearing this. Finally some good news. This search for the Rebels has been going on long enough, it’s about time they yielded results. The galaxy may’ve been peaceful during those three years, but it was hell for Ghost. He knew that as long as the Rebels were still out there, order won’t truly return to the galaxy.

Ghost then got out of bed and got dressed into his uniform before putting his Purge Trooper armour on.

“I guess I’ll let the others know you’ll be joining us on the bridge in a moment then.” Daxter said as he was about to leave the room. But he was stopped by Ghost who grabbed his arm.

“Dax, thank you.”

“For what?” He asked confused.

“For always looking out for me. You’ve always been there for me ever since we were born on Kamino, and I realise now that I never thanked you for it. I wanted to do it now in case we die.” Ghost told him.

“I didn’t want anything in return for being there for my brothers. I just want to make sure each and every one of them are the best they could be. You started out as one of our best, then you descended into despair. Now I am just glad to see that the old Ghost I used to know is slowly remerging again.”

Ghost smiled at his brother and patted him on the back. “The Empire doesn’t deserve you; you know that.”

“They don’t deserve any of us, really.” Daxter joked slightly.

With that said, Daxter finally too his leave while Ghost changed into his Purge Trooper armour. He equipped all his weapons, put on his helmet and headed out of his room.

Ghost soon joined the rest of his brothers on the bridge of the Star Destroyer where Admiral Sigan was waiting for him. The Conqueror was currently traveling through hyperspace on a course for Hoth. Kinda feels nostalgic for the men of the 501st, reminding them of their first official mission for the Empire. The one where they had to kill the Queen of Naboo, one of the first Rebellions they’ve stopped. Here’s hoping this mission will be their last.

“Nice of you to finally show up, Commander.” Sigan addressed him as soon as he joined his squad at the front.

Sigan then brought up a holographic image of Hoth and the Rebels base there, using the footage sent to them from the probe droid. He then begins the next – and hopefully last - mission briefing

“Lord Vader has discovered the Rebels hidden base on the ice planet Hoth. General Veers will be leading a ground assault on the bases shield generator. We will be attacking the base directly once the shields are down. Lord Vader will be joining us on the ground to personally see the destruction of the Rebel base and the end of the Rebellion. The Rebels numbers are severely depleted, there no guarantee that these are the last of the Rebel Alliance, but we do know that their leaders are hiding here. If we can capture and kill them, then there no hope for the Rebellion to continue this war against us.”

Unlike what happened on Yavin 4. The men of the 501st were determined to see this mission through to the end. They know nothing they do will ever bring back their fallen brothers, but they will see the end of the Rebellion no matter what.

The Conqueror soon comes out of hyperspace alongside the Executor and the rest of the Imperial fleet and form a blockade over Hoth. Looking at it, the men of the 501st have never seen an ice planet before. They’ve been to jungle planets, desert planets, ocean planets, even a volcano and lava planet. But this one was different for them. It’s a good thing they’ve come prepared for this mission, wearing the Empires Snow Trooper armour to protect them from the harsh cold weather they’ll face once they land.

Suddenly, from the planet’s surface, a couple huge energy blasts flew towards the fleet. They all end up hitting one of the Star Destroyers, causing all its systems to shut down and actually begin falling towards the planet surface.

“What was that?!” Sigan asked one of the ships pilots.

“Comm 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 pilot answered.

“The Rebels are alerted to our presence.” Ghost spoke up, causing all eyes to fall on him.

“Ozzel that idiot!” Now all eyes were on Sigan again. “He’s come out of lightspeed to close to the system.”

Knowing Lord Vader, he’s probably force choked him to death for his failure to take the Rebels by surprise. Now he’s really glad he wasn’t made Admiral of the Executor. Captain Piet will have most likely taken his position, and is probably already doing a better job than Ozzel.

“Change of plans.” Sigan started again. “We’re no longer gonna be striking the base with a bombardment. We’re going with plan B which is to land down there and launch a ground assault. Our first target will be the shield generators. Our AT-AT’s will have enough firepower to destroy them, but your job is to ensure they reach the Rebel Base… We’ll be landing in the outskirts near the Rebel base to avoid any more cannon fire from them. I’ll talk you through the rest of the plan once you land… Good luck Troopers.”

The 501st all salute him and make their way off the bridge. The mission may’ve gotten off to a bad start, but that won’t stop them from bringing the Rebels down once and for all. For better or worse, this will be the beginning of the end.

Once the 501st legion had joined up with the rest of the Imperial Army led by General Veers, they immediately boarded the dropships and began their descent towards the ice planet.

Most dropships carried the troops, but there were also just as many carrying AT-ST’s and the much larger four legged AT-AT walkers. The Empire is not holding back this time. They all want these Rebels dead and their precious alliance crushed.

For so long the Rebellion had been causing them so much pain, with the destruction of the Death Star being their most heinous act ever.

Every trooper taking part in this battle, even the clones and non-clone Stormtroopers all shared one goal, one hope, one dream… To destroy the Rebellion and finally return order to the galaxy.

As Ghost looked out the window to the frozen planet they were heading towards, he couldn’t help but think about Kamino again. In a way Hoth and Kamino were the same. Kamino was an ocean planet with no land anywhere. Hoth is the same, except for the fact that all its oceans have been frozen into continents of ice and snow.

Ghost and his brothers have never even seen snow before. Kamino never had any winters or summers for that matter. The closest they ever got were the rare occasions when the planet actually stopped raining and the sun came out. They’ve seen all kinds of rain. Rain that felt like bug bites when they impact your skin. Rain that was big and fat. Rain that flew in sideways. And one time he could swear he felt rain coming straight up from the ocean rather than falling from the clouds.

On Hoth he’ll be experiencing his first snowfall. (Unless there’s a clear sky once they land) As much as he wants to take his time enjoying feeling the snow beneath his feet, he and his brothers had a war to win. He could always celebrate afterwards once they destroy the Rebel threat once and for all.

After entering the atmosphere, the dropships carrying the walkers proceeded to drop them down onto the ground. There were a total of twelve AT-AT walkers. Thirty three AT-ST’s, including Sigans advanced AT-ST used during the battle on Yavin 4, and thousands of troopers upon the ground.

All troopers were wearing the Snow Trooper armour to protect themselves from the cold. But Orion Squad were still wearing their usual armour. Luckily for them, they included an internal heating system, keeping them warm form the cold. And judging from the massive snow storm they just landed in, it must be freezing.

Admiral Sigan didn’t have any protective snow gear, but he was safe and warm inside his advanced AT-ST. General Veers was also taking part in the battle from the comfort of one of the AT-AT’s.

“Great!” They barely heard Boomstick shouting over the sounds of the heavy winds blowing past them. “Our first snow planet and we can’t see a thing!”

“Let’s all use radio communication, so we don’t lose our voices shouting at the top of our lungs.” Daxter suggested.

The rest of the troops agree and all use their communicators. Sigan then decided to radio everyone to make sure there weren’t any problems with the walkers. Daxter and the other engineers did reinforce them with anti-freeze to ensure the joints in the legs don’t lock up. But better to be safe than sorry.

“The walkers seem ok for now, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to sit here and wait for this storm to subside. I think we should seek shelter.” Sigan suggested.

“No!” General Veers interrupted, speaking to all ground troops. “We can actually use this storm to our advantage. It’s intensity is blocking all communications with the fleet above. Meaning the Rebels will most likely be having the same problems. We will use the storm as cover as we head towards their base. And by the time it lets up, it’ll be too late.”

Ghost and his men will admit that it does sound like a good plan. Giving the Rebels the element of surprise might be more than enough of an edge to take them down in case they’ve got a surprise up their sleeves.

With no one objecting to the generals suggestion, he gives the order to begin moving towards the Rebel Base. The troopers all take shelter within the twelve AT-AT’s not only to save their energy for the battle, but also to ensure nobody gets accidently squashed by the walkers massive legs.

Orion Squad were about to board the one General Veers was manning, until suddenly out of nowhere, Ghost was grabbed from behind by something big. The rest of Orion Squad all turn around and see that he was being attacked by some kind of snow creature…with one arm?

The beast was strong enough to pin Ghost down to the ground, preventing him from reaching any of his weapons. Even with one arm it was a formidable opponent.

“Hey Wampa, look over here!” Thunder shouted, getting the creatures attention.

He then began throwing a snowball at the creatures face, blinding it temporarily. Daxter then stepped in and basted the one armed Wampa with his shot gun, finishing it off for good.

Boomstick then rushed over to Ghost and helped him off the ground. “You ok?”

“Yeah. That Wampa came out of nowhere. It’s white fur makes it blend in with the snow perfectly… We better get inside before any more show up.” Ghost suggested.

As they were leaving, Thunder examined the dead Wampa. He couldn’t help but notice that the wound where it’s arm used to be was cauterised, concluding that it did have two arms, but one of them was cut off…by something hot.

“Hey Ghost, when did you cut off the beasts arm with your lightsaber?” He asked. He couldn’t remember seeing Ghost igniting his lightsaber. The blizzard made things harder to see, but he still would’ve heard the humming sound lightsabers made whenever they were activated.

“I didn’t.” Ghost replied as he looked over the Wampa as well. “It was already missing an arm the moment it attacked me.”

“If Ghost didn’t do this, then who did?” Boomstick asked.

It didn’t take them long to piece together a theory on what’s going on. The only explanation as to how a Wampa lost its limb to a lightsaber blade, is that there is a Jedi hiding among the Rebels.

Now it all makes sense. No ordinary Rebel would’ve had the skills to pilot a fighter down the Death Stars trench, evade blaster fore from Darth Vader of all people, and actually manage to perfectly aim its torpedo’s down its exhaust port with little effort… A Jedi was responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. And that caused the members of Orion Squads blood to boil so hot, it felt like the ice was melting underneath their feet. (Or it was their armours internal heating systems, one of the two)

More determined to end the Rebellion forever, Orion Squad board the AT-AT and take shelter from the cold as the walkers slowly made their way towards the Rebel base.

At last, the snow storm has finally subsided. The clouds have parted and the sun finally showed its face upon the open snow plains.

Things have become so much easier for the ones piloting the AT-AT’s. With the blizzard gone, they can see the path ahead clearly. And the AT-AT up front was the first one to spot the Rebel Base miles ahead.

“Rebel base has been located!” He announced over the shared network of signals connecting the walkers. Ghost and his squad got up from their comfortable positions on the ground and looked out the window.

Ghost then decided to join General Veers in the cockpit to get a better look. The general didn’t mind the Purge Troopers presence. He was actually relieved to have him and the 501st take part in this mission with him. With their help victory is sure to be there’s.

“Ah, Commander Ghost. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you face to face.” He addressed him and extended his hand.

Ghost returned the gesture, but his eyes were still fixed on the base ahead of them.

“Care to have a better look?” Veers asked as he gestured towards the walkers periscope.

Ghost looked into the periscope and was able to get a better look of the whole Rebel base. It was a massively fortified bunker built into the side of a snowy mountain. Next to the base was the shield generator protecting the planet from the Star Destroyers. In front of the base were long trenches they’ve dug to protect them from the ground troops. There were also a couple turrets set up along them to provide heavy cover fire.

A formidable defence, but useless compared to the power and range behind the AT-AT’s. And even if they did find some way to take them out, they still have their secret weapons. Weapons Ghost and his men still can’t get over how convenient and ironic it was.

“Once the walkers are close enough, you and your men are free to depart the walkers and lay siege on their base. Our only task is taking out the shield generator. Once that’s done, we’ll aid you in eliminating the Rebels. Lord Vader will also be here momentarily to lead you. Good luck, Commander.”

“You too, General.” Ghost replied with a nod before heading back to the others. “By the way. I happened to notice that the Rebels have an outlook not too far from our current position. With your permission, I’d like to lead my troops over there to capture it. It could serve as a perfect launching point for the rest our ground troops.” Ghost suggested.

“Permission granted. Our walkers will keep the Rebels focus on us while you do that. Who knows, toy might find a secret way into their base.”

“Thank you, General.” Ghost replied and finally exited the cockpit.

For now they’ll have to rely on the walkers to soften the Rebels up for their ground assault. Taking the outlook should provide a nice warmup for the real battle that will unfold once they reach the base. Once they were close enough, the first thing Ghost is gonna do once he’s inside the base, is find the Rebel Jedi and kill him with his own hands. He wants the privilege of beating the one responsible for killing his brothers to death. Though he won’t kill him, he’ll leave that honour to Lord Vader.

Ghost then decided to give his men what will hopefully be his last inspiring speech before what he hopes will be their last battle with the Rebels.

“There is no tomorrow, men. Today we crush the Rebellion once and for all. You all know our orders. Destroy the shield generator in preparation for Lord Vader’s arrival. Next , focus all efforts on preventing the Rebels from trying to escape. We will begin this mission by taking over the small outlook station they have east of our position. The AT-AT’s will provide cover for us as we advance on foot towards the outlook. You with me?”

All the troops present all stand up and at attention and reply with a “yes sir” Which was more than enough for Ghost.

The side doors of the AT-AT open on both sides, and the men of the 501st ready their descent by attaching cables to their belts and the top of the walkers railings. They then slowly begin their descent as the walker was still slowly making its way towards the Rebel base.

Once everyone was safely on the ground, they detached the cables and watched as they were quickly retracted back inside before the doors closed. The men of the 501st all ready their weapons and prepare for their attack on the outlook base.

“FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR THE GALAXY!” Ghost shouted with pride at the top of his lungs.

His men all let out a battle cry in unison and begin running in the direction of the outpost. The Rebels stationed there already notice their approach and to open fire on them. But they were all blasted down by Sigans AT-ST, aiding the men in their assault.

Finally things were looking up for them, and about time too. They just launched their first attack and they haven’t had any casualties yet. But Ghost didn’t wanna jynx it. If there’s two things he’s learned over the years of fighting Rebels, it’s to never underestimate them and always expect the unexpected.

Orion Squad began scouting out the forward bunker, searching for anything useful. Inside the bunker they see a couple of corridors constructed out of ice. Maybe one of them could be a shortcut to the Rebel base. It would make sense in case the Rebels needed to evacuate in situations just like this.

“Daxter, think you can get a layout of these tunnels. Find us the quickest path to the Rebels base?” Ghost asked him.

“Already have, sir. And the door in the middle leads to a labyrinth of tunnels that’ll lead us not to thew base itself, but another outpost that’s close to it. I’ve already created a holographic map of it so we don’t get lost.”

“Good job, Dax.” Ghost complimented him.

“Yeah, way to go.” Thunder continued feeding his ego.

“What about the Admiral?” Boomstick asked as he looked at his AT-ST just standing outside the outpost they just took over.

“Don’t worry about me, Commander.” Sigan spoke up through their helmets. “I’ll re-join the frontal assault. You and your men go through those tunnels and take them by surprise. Hopefully we’ll have the shield down before you get to the base.”

“Be careful.” Ghost told him. Which was probably the first time he had ever done so now that he thought about it.

Sigan however didn’t respond by talking, instead it was with a light chuckle. He then turns his AT-ST around and goes over to where the other walkers are.

Daxter then begins leading the men down the middle door and through the many tunnels of ice ahead of them. They did encounter some Rebels in the tunnels, but they were easily able to dispose of them, not even breaking their progression.

Back on the surface, the battle of Hoth began to unfold. All the AT-AT and AT-ST walkers began to open fire on the Rebels now that they were in range. The Rebels only had snow speeders to combat them, but their puny blaster were no match for the heavily armoured camel shaped tanks.

Instead they chose to target the smaller two-legged AT-ST’s first. But Sigan made sure that none of the Rebels would succeed. Firing his lock on missiles at the nearest snow speeder, blasting it out of the sky. Then with his walkers gravity arm, picks it up and throws it into another snow speeder.

A voice then booms in through his walkers intercom interrupting his killing spree. “Admiral, this is Ghost. My men and I have resurfaced. We appear to be in the Rebels outpost stationed near the shield generator, with the entrance to their base not too far off.”

“Do not attack the base yet, Commander. General Veers is still not in range to attack it yet. Keep you and your men off the field of battle until that shield is down.” He instructed them.

“Slight problem with that, sir.” Thunder interrupted. “When we got out, a huge group of Rebels were waiting for us. They’ve got us pinned down and we have no means of escape.”

“He’s right, Admiral. I can’t risk any more of my men. We need reinforcements!” Ghost continued.

“No need.” Sigan replied to the clones shock. “I’ve got a better idea.”

Sigan then cut the connection with the 501st and connected to one of the AT-AT’s pilots. “This is Admiral Sigan. The 501st are in need of backup…release the Ultra Droids!”

One of the AT-AT’s near the back of the assault force began opening its side doors. Inside were a bunch of cranes holding many Ultra Battle Droids. Ever since the mission on Mustafar, the Empire had been raiding every single CIS droid factory on various planets and had them destroyed, along with every battle droid. However, the Droideka’s and other more advanced Battle Droids were taken by the Empire to be used in their army. Including the indestructible Ultra Droids.

Orion Squad remembers them all too well. Ghost almost died to one of them, getting burned by its flamethrower, forcing him to spend several weeks in a bacta tank. Now those very same droids have been reprogramed to fight for the Empire. It was Sigans idea to use them for the attack on Hoth, to which Lord Vader agreed to.

Once deployed, the Ultra Droids activated for the first time in years to fight for their new masters. On their chests, the Empires symbol was painted on, showing where their loyalties lie now. They all make their way towards the location of the outpost the 501st are pinned in.

They all unleash their bottom arms rapid firing blaster upon the Rebels, mowing them down like weeds in a perfectly cut garden.

“What the hell!” One of the Rebels shouted out within earshot of Orion Squad.

“Are those Clone Wars Battle Droids?! I thought they were all scrapped!” Another Rebel said in a panicked state.

The Rebels may’ve outnumbered the Ultra Droids, but their weapons were useless against their heavily armoured Cortosis armour. There were only seven Ultra Droids deployed for this mission. Which even Ghost will admit might be a little bit overkill, considering he and his men have barely survived fighting just one.

But then he remembered the Death Star, and he suddenly felt fine again. Still, it was really weird seeing the very Droid he and his brothers feared actually coming to their aid and fighting alongside them. The irony was overwhelming.

Once the Ultra Droids have cleared out the majority of the Rebels, the 501st all burst out of the bunker and joined in on the fight. Some of the clones were still sceptical of the Ultra Droids, fearing that they might accidently attack them. But Sigan saw to it personally that their original programming to kill clones was completely gone.

Now that the Rebels were dead, it was time to begin the attack on the base itself. The Ultra Droids were already making their way over there now, where even more Rebels awaited them. Hiding in those trenches they dug.

“Get moving men. Use the Ultra Droids as cover. Their Cortosis armour will shield us from blaster fire, even those turrets won’t lay a scratch on them.” Ghost instructed.

The clones obey and take positions behind the Ultra Droids, firing their blasters through the gaps between their legs and the sides of them, without getting to close, fearing the droids might accidently bash their skulls in.

A bunch of snow speeders fly out of the base to engage the AT-AT’s. But the Ultra Droids fire their shoulder mounted missiles at them, blowing them all out of the sky in perfect unison. Now that was satisfying to watch. Looks like they may be able to kill all these Rebels. But deep down they all knew that no matter how many Rebel lives they take, it’ll never make up for the Death Star.

“Don’t let up! Keep fighting!” Ghost shouted back to his men.

“Things aren’t looking good for the Rebel scum. We’ve taken out two of their outposts and a lot of their soldiers. They haven’t even taken out one of our walkers yet.” Boomstick boasted, believing that they were invincible at this point.

He would later come to regret saying those words when they all notice that one of the AT-AT’s behind them ended up falling over forwards after tripping over some cables that were wrapped around its legs.

“That’s what you get for tempting fate, Boom.” Thunder said as he elbowed him.

“It’s fine, they’ll get back up. There’s no way anyone could not have anticipated this when designing those walkers. It’ll get back up again and-

He was silences once again by the sight of the downed AT-AT exploding from the snow speeders blaster fire. Thunder then responded by slapping him at the back of his helmet. Boomstick normally would detest to that, but even he will admit that he did deserve that. He spends the next hour hoping that he didn’t jynx the mission.

“Attention all units!”

The Stormtroopers all respond to General Veers sudden call, but they do not take their eyes off the Rebels in front of them.

“The AT-AT’s are in position and will now commence attack on the shield generator. All ground troops within distance of the generator are to seek shelter immediately. Once the shield is down, you are free to storm the base.” Veers explained.

The troops all respond and make a beeline for the trenches the Rebels made, killing any more of them that are hiding in them.

Boomstick was falling behind to make sure everyone made it to the trenches in time. He was too focussed on helping his brothers, that he failed to notice one of the snow speeders that was damaged by the Ultra Droids heading straight for him.

“BOOMSTICK, LOOK OUT!” Ghost warned him.

Boomstick turned around and managed to jump out the wat of its collision in time. Unfortunately, the shockwave of the explosion it made caused him to be flung forwards land face first into the snow.

Ghost rushes to help him up, but as soon as he helps Boomstick onto his feet, he suddenly let out a cry of anguish and ended up collapsing on one knee. It was then that Ghost noticed that he had a piece of shrapnel wedged into the back of his knee, one of the few spots that didn’t have armour covering it.

“My leg! I can’t stand, which means I can’t run!” He then let out a sigh of defeat and collapses to the floor. “Hehe, this is what I get for opening my big mouth… Looks like this is the day I-

“Don’t you DARE finish that sentence!” Ghost shouted angrily at him. He then begins helping him up off the ground again. “I am NOT losing another brother today. Not when we’re so close to victory!”

Ghost then used all his strength to carry a wounded Boomstick to the trenches, resting his arm over his own shoulder so he didn’t have to put any weight on his injured leg.

“We won’t get to cover in time!” Boomstick warned him. But Ghost refused to heed his warnings. “Just leave me and save yourself!”

“You are gonna survive this battle, and that’s an order, soldier!” Ghost said with authority. This time around he addressed him not as his brother, but as his commanding officer.

The AT-AT’s were closing in on the shield generator and began to open fire on it. Ghost and Boomstick however were still not behind cover. There was no time left to waste. There was no chance in them surviving the huge explosion that will head their way.

At least that’s what Ghost had expected. What he didn’t expect was Thunder flying in on his jetpack behind them and charging them into the trenches just as the heavy blaster fire impacted the shield generator. The resulting explosion grew so huge that it consumed the area the 501st were in. Each Orion Squad member brought up their forcefield that fused with each other creating a massive shield that protected the men from the fiery blast. The snow around them started to melt as a result of the explosion, but the ice trenches remained strong enough to keep them shielded from the aftershock of the blast.

Once the blast had subsided, Orion Squad deactivated their force fields and climbed out of the trenches. They were all shocked to see that some of the Ultra Droids were still standing after that. The ones that were closest to the generator likely got destroyed in the process. Now that were down from seven Ultra Droids to four. But that was still more than enough to finish off the Rebels.

Boomstick however was still injured from the speeder explosion, and without X-Ray to provide medical attention, it was down to his three brothers to try and help him.

Luckily for Boomstick, Daxter packed a couple of X-Ray’s enhanced bacta bottles.

“You know what you’re doing, Dax?” Thunder asked him.

“Not exactly, but it shouldn’t be any difficult to reaping a machine right?” He asked rhetorically.

“I’m gonna die.” Boomstick vaguely joked.

Daxter ignored him and proceeded to remove the shrapnel from under his knee. Boomstick grunted in pain as he did so. Daxter paid it no mind and proceeded to pour some bacta liquid on his wound… It would seem that the liquid was working, as Boomstick’s wound was beginning to close.

“Thank you, X-Ray. The Bacta you made using your white blood cells has prevented the loss of another one of our brothers.” Ghost mentally thanked his fallen brother.

“How you feeling, Boom?” Thunder asked.

“My leg doesn’t hurt anymore so that’s a good sign. But I don’t think I’ll be able to run or climb anything for the remainder of this battle.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Look.” Daxter pointed over to the Rebel base. “The Rebels are in full retreat. Victory is within our grasp.” He reassured him.

“Now’s not the time to celebrate.” Ghost interrupted. They’ve already tempted fate once and look where that got Boomstick. No, it’s best they hold off on any celebrations until they know for sure they’ve won.

They then hear another announcement from General Veers through their helmets communicators. “The Rebels shield generator has been reduced to rubble. All ground forces begin your assault on Echo Base!” He instructed.

“You heard the general, men. This missions not over yet. Let’s move em out!” Ghost ordered his troops.

They all get out of the trenches and begin making their way to Echo Base, alongside the four Ultra Droids. Behind them another massive army of Snow Troopers begin deploying from the AT-AT’s and charge for the base as well.

“The rest of the army can have what’s left of these Rebel scum once the 501st are through with them.” Ghost thought to himself as they were closing in on the base.

The 501st stormed through Echo Base like a stampede of Bantha’s, running down any Rebels foolish enough to stand in their way. Most of the Rebels however did the smart thing and actually run away, escaping the clones wrath.

The Rebels only way of escape was the transport ships stationed at the back end of the base, which was on the other side of the mountain. The ships were surrounded by huge chunks of ice hills, so they couldn’t have used the AT-AT’s to reach them. But Orion Squad was determined to ensure they met their end here on this frozen wasteland of a planet.

Daxter was carrying the orbital strike beacon with him in his backpack. The very same beacon they’ve used for the many other bombardments the Conqueror had issued in the past. And now they were gonna do it again. But first they had to reach the opposite end of the base.

Ghost led his men down the tunnels the Rebels have created to get around this mountain base. If not for Daxters scanner, they probably would’ve gotten lost several times and wasted their time.

“Excellent work so far, men. Now that we’ve gained control of the front hanger, we need to make our way to the back. That’s where the Rebel transport ships will be. We can’t let any more of them evacuate and prolong this war any longer. We will destroy the final transport ship and bring an end to this war!”

Upon entering another crossroad of tunnels, they were startled by a sudden explosion occurring in front of them. Ghost and his men all point their weapons at the hole expecting Rebels. But to their surprise it was another squad of Snow Troopers.

“Friendlies, hold your fire!” Ghost shouted back at his men before any of them accidently issued friendly fire.

The clones all lower their weapons and allow the other squad to enter the room. The men then stepped aside to allow Darth Vader to enter the room they were in. Ghost and his men were quite taken aback by the Sith Lords sudden appearance, but they all saluted him nonetheless.

“Lord Vader.” Ghost addressed his superior. “My men and I have successfully taken control of Echo Base. We have the Rebels on the run.”

“Very good, Commander. But the Rebel leaders, Captain Solo and the princess are attempting to escape in the Millennium Falcon. Follow me, Commander.” Vader ordered him before making his way down the left tunnel.

“Yes sir.” Ghost complied. He then turns to his men and signals them to keep up. “You heard him men, on the double!”

The 501st and the second squad of Snow Troopers all follow Vader down the labyrinth of tunnels to where the Millennium Falcon was currently parked.

Many Rebels were waiting for them up ahead and began throwing a dozen thermal detonators at them. Vader however picked them all up with the force single handily and threw them back at the Rebels killing some of them, while those that were injured by the blast ended up getting buried alive by the icy ceiling when it collapsed from the shockwave.

The men of the 501st were so happy to see that Vader was on their side. He can probably destroy those transport ships without the bombardment.

Not to mention the four Ultra Droids they’ve got fighting for them as well.

“Hey.” Boomstick whispered to Thunder. “Where do you think those Ultra Droids went?”

“They went the long way around. Trying to ambush the Rebels by attacking from atop the mountain.” Daxter answered before Thunder could.

“Ah smart. Their firepower will be enough to destroy the last transport ships in case we don’t make it in time.” Boomstick replied.

He remembers all too well that one Ultra Droid was powerful enough to bring down their shuttle. So it wouldn’t surprise him that four of them could take out a huge transport ship built to hold up to a hundred people.

Up ahead the members of Orion Squad can hear the sounds of a ships engine struggling to start up. They were closing in on the Rebel leaders ship. The one Ghost heard made the Kessel run in under twelve parsecs. He also remembers Boba Fett mentioning tracking down a smuggler who went by the name Han Solo. For some reason he, his Wookiee companion and Princess Leia and the Jedi who destroyed the Death Star are all came together to form a strange group of Rebel leaders. It kinda reminds Ghost of his own squad. He and his brothers look the same but are vastly different deep down, but their differences is what made their team strong. So in a weird way, these Rebel leaders are basically the Rebellions Orion Squad.

Ghost was then snapped out of his thoughts by the sounds of the Millennium Falcon actually powering up. They were gonna escape, and they cannot let that happen.

Once they arrived in the back hanger bay of the base, they could all see the Millennium Falcon at the back of the hanger…taking off!

“The Rebel leaders are getting away! Boomstick, shoot them down!” He ordered his brother in a panicked/furious tone.

Boomstick struggled on his injured leg to try and get to the front of the group and ready his rocket launcher. But as he tried to take aim at the Falcon, the pain in his leg only grew worse under the weight of holding up this big heavy gun. Boomstick ends up toppling over and drops his rocket launcher, just as he pulled the trigger. The rocket didn’t hit the Falcon, instead it hit the ceiling above it. Sadly the Falcon flew out of the hanger faster than the debris fell. They were too late. The Rebel leaders have escaped.

Ghost was so frustrated over this that he ended up punching the ground in anger. “Blast! We almost had em!”

“I’m sorry Ghost, it was all my fault.” Boomstick said regrettably as he struggled to get back up, using his rocket launcher as a crutch.

“No, no. It’s not your fault.” Ghost reassured him as he got up and calmed down, trying to keep his composure in the presence of Vader.

“Forgive me, Lord Vader. They got away.” Ghost apologised.

“They won’t get far on their own. It’s only a matter of time until they run into the fleet above. For now Commander, focus on destroying the remaining transport ships.” Vader ordered him.

“Yes Sir. But there’s still many Rebels in the base that need to be disposed of.”

“Leave that to me.” Vader reassured him as he ignited his lightsaber and made his way through the opposite corridor leading further into the base.

Ghost then leads his men out of the back hanger and into the open clearing where the last transport ship was stationed. They can already see the Rebels loading cargo onto it, preparing to leave as fast as they can.

But not fast enough as the 501st stormed out of the hanger and opened fire on them. The Rebels fought their hardest against the Imperial invaders. This was their last stand against the Empire. They can’t let them succeed in slaughtering them.

But their determination was not nearly as strong as the men of the 501st. With Orion Squad running through the massive exchange of blaster fire in the direction of the transport ship. Daxter was carrying the strike beacon under his left arm while using his right to fire his shotgun at the Rebels around them.

Thunder decided to use his flamethrower to clear out a lot of them while also hovering above the ground on his jetpack. As for Boomstick, while he was still injured he was still able to hold his own in the fight by throwing mines at the Rebels.

Once they got close enough to the transport, they were almost shocked at how big it was. It was almost as big as a Star Destroyer, and it’s armour looked way too thick for explosives. Now they realise why only a bombardment might be the only thing strong enough to destroy it.

Instead of wasting time starring at it, Daxter quickly got underneath the ship and placed the beacon on the underside.

Once activated he joined his brothers in the trenches by the ship, defending it and themselves from the massive gathering of Rebels attacking them from all sides. They knew what they were doing and decided to take out Orion Squad first before attacking the rest of the Snow Troopers.

“There’s too many of them!” Thunder pointed out the obvious.

“Our forcefields won’t protect us forever.” Boomstick added.

Ghost then quickly contacted Sigan, asking him how long they must hold out before the Conqueror begins its bombardment.

“I’ve already contacted the ship. With the shields down it should be there momentarily. Just try to hold out as much as you can until it does.” Sigan reassured them.

“He’s right boys.” Ghost interrupted. “This is our only chance at destroying these Rebels once and for all. Failure is not an option!”

That was easier said than done however. The Rebels were really throwing everything at them. Not only blasting but also throwing thermal detonators at them. Even the auto turret grid has been blasting them none stop. If not for their forcefields they would’ve been dead ages ago. But that protection was on the cusp of collapse, and the members of Orion Squad could feel it.

“The shields can’t take anymore punishment. And I see no other way for us out of this... I think this might be it for us.” Daxter said regrettably.

Ghost looked over to his men who were all still in the hanger bay. They’ve been trying to get to them for a while now, but the Rebels annoying auto turret grid kept forcing them back inside. Maybe it was a mistake to come out here all alone. And with Vader off doing his own thing they had no other means of escape.

Ghost however would not accept defeat. As he stood up he grabbed hold of his lightsaber and ignited it in front of them.

“What are you doing?” Thunder asked worriedly.

“What does it look like? I’m gonna go out there, kill as many Rebels as I can, and hopefully buy you guys enough time to make a quick getaway.”

“WHAT?!” They all said in an equally concerned tone.

“But you can’t take on that many Rebels and an Auto Turret grid by yourself. You’ll die!” Daxter warned him.

“I know.” Ghost said in an expected tone.

The members of Orion Squad were shocked by this. Was Ghost seriously gonna sacrifice himself like this? Just to give them a slim chance at survival?

“No!” Daxter shouted out and grabbed Ghost by the arm.

“Let go of me, Daxter.”

“NO! I am NOT letting you get yourself killed like that! The 501st need you. We need you!”

“I’ve lost so many good men ever since I took leadership of the 501st. I was powerless to save Apex and X-Ray. I am not making that same mistake again with you three.” Ghost pulled his arm away and turned to face his brothers for what may be the final time. “Guys, I’m going down anyway. There’s no need for you to go down with me. Like Fang before me I am willing to do anything to save my brothers. Even if it means giving up my own life.”

“Warning, forcefield generators overheating.” Their armours computer voices warned them. It then began a five second countdown until their shields were down completely, leaving them exposed to the carnage the Rebels will be unleashing on them.

“Five”

“Looks like we’re all gonna die anyway.” Thunder stated.

“Four”

“It’s an honour to die at your side, my brothers.” Boomstick spoke up.

“Three”

“It was an honour… To have lived at yours.” Daxter corrected him.

“Two”

“Fang, Apex, X-Ray. We’ll be with you soon.” Ghost muttered as he and his brothers clumped together.

“One”

As Orion Squad readied their weapons to fight their last battle before succumbing to exhaustion or being overpowered by the Rebels overwhelming numbers. They were shocked to see that a lot of the Rebels ended up getting set ablaze by a flamethrower. They all look over at Thunder, thinking it was him at first.

“Don’t look at me.” Thunder then pointed above the trench.

The Rest of Orion Squad then see that this was the result of the four Ultra Battle Droids descending from the snowy slopes. All of them firing their flamethrowers and plasma cannons at the Rebels.

The Rebels all attacked the droids, but their weapons were useless to their Cortosis armour. And to add insult to injury, they were soon joined by Sigan’s advanced AT-ST which began firing its blasters and rockets at the auto turret grid, shutting them down.

No longer pinned down, the men of the 501st all stormed out into the open and exacted their frustrations on the Rebels. Their numbers depleted three times faster now that the cavalry has arrived. Orion Squad then emerged from the trenches and joined in on the fight.

“Never in all my days as a Clone Trooper would I be happy to see a Clanker!” Boomstick cheered as he continues killing Rebel scum.

The others all agree on that. It felt nice not being on the receiving end of these Droids unbeatable might for a change.

The Rebels numbers have severely dropped ever since Sigan and the Ultra Droids joined the fight. The remaining Rebels had no choice but to retreat aboard the transport ship, which begun taking off as quickly as possible.

“Don’t let them get away!” Ghost shouted.

The 501st, the Ultra Droids, and Sigans AT-ST all open fire at the transport ship trying to at least slow it down before it could escape into space. Unfortunately, none of their weapons were enough to destroy it. The transport ship was damaged but it was far from crashing.

“Keep firing! Throw everything you’ve got at it!” Ghost motivated poorly.

But no matter how much he tried to motivate them, nothing they had was powerful enough.

“It’s no use, Commander.” Sigan spoke up. “Only the Conquerors heavy cannons possess enough firepower to rip through that ships heavy armour. All we can do is hope we’ve slowed it down long enough for the Star Destroyer to lock onto our coordinates in time.”

“Wait, it’s working. Look!” Thunder pointed up at the transport ship.

They all look up at the transport ship and were surprised to see that it suddenly stopped its ascension. Confused by this the troops all look amongst each other. Until Ghost was the first to notice Darth Vader standing on the tip of an icy cliff, reaching out with the force with both hands.

“It’s Lord Vader!” He called out, causing all the men to focus their attention on the dark lord of the Sith himself.

Vader then proceeded to crush the ships engine thrusters by squeezing his hands, causing the ship to begin falling back down to the ground. The impact caused a mini earthquake. (or in this case an icequake) Knocking the men on their butts. Luckily Sigans AT-ST has a built in density projector like the Ultra Droids had to prevent it from falling over.

It was at that moment that the Conqueror had finally entered Hoth’s atmosphere and hovered over the Rebel base area. Its massive size blocking out the sun, creating an artificial eclipse. Similar to the one the Executor cast on it when the Imperial fleet was gathered together.

“The Conqueror is in position. Have all troops vacate the area immediately. The bombardment will begin momentarily.” Sigan warned them.

The men of the 501st all ran like hell back to the back entrance of Echo Base. Sigan drove his AT-ST close enough to the hanger so that he could exit the walker and head inside quicker. Darth Vader simply leaped from where he was and landed all the way at the entrance. And the Ultra Droids. They just slowly made their way back to the base.

But they weren’t fast enough to evade the massive bombardment of cannon fire raining down from the sky upon the Rebel transport. Once again they were caught up in another explosion and perished.

The shockwave of the blast ended up impacting the base. Even the blast doors they brought down weren’t enough to completely shield them. Luckily they had Vader there to keep them safe. Reaching out with the force, he was able to hold the blast at bay until it finally subsided.

When the smoke cleared, the men of the 501st stared in silence at what their eyes laid on. The transport ship was destroyed. Big chunks of it were scattered about everywhere. The explosion caused the remnants of the ship to catch fire which eventually grew into probably the biggest bonfire they’ve ever seen on an ice planet.

The silence was then broken when all the troops let out a massive cheer that felt like it could last for weeks. At long last, victory is theirs for the taking. Some Rebels may’ve escaped, including their leaders. But the Rebel Alliance has been severely crippled, and they had nowhere else to go. It was only a matter of time until the Rebellion was truly dead and buried.

Even the members of Orion Squad joined in on the thunderous cheer that stretched n throughout the whole area. The only one who wasn’t celebrating was Darth Vader. Ghost noticed that he was leaving the base the same way they came in. He quickly stopped Vader and asked him what’s next for the 501st.

“Lord Vader… The mission was a success. What do we do now?”

“This victory does not mean the end of the Rebellion… Not yet.” He then turned to look at Ghost directly. “You and your men are free to enjoy this moment a little while longer. But once you’re done, I expect you to back out there, searching for the remaining Rebels.”

“Yes my Lord. But what about you?” Ghost asked.

“I must return to the Executor and report this victory to the Emperor… The tides of war have once again turned in favour of the 501st legion. And with the reconstruction of the new Death Star underway, there will be no hope for the Rebellion.” Vader then took his leave without saying another word.

Ghost did not expect things to be going THIS well for the Empire. Not only did they gain a major advantage against them, but now there’s talk of a second Death Star being built. One that will be bigger and stronger than the last. Maybe this will mark the end of the Rebellion. Either way, Ghost was for the first time in a long time, truly happy with himself and his men for their accomplishments today.

A few hours later. The men of the 501st were exhausted. Not only from all the fighting they’ve done today, but also from all the celebrating they did once all the Rebels were either dead or off world. Many of them even went so far as to get completely hammered on liquor.

To which they’ve earned it. Ever since the start of the second Galactic Civil War, the Empire had been hit or miss when dealing with the Rebels, who have proven to be a formidable force for them. Some missions were a success, while others were a failure. Their biggest one being the destruction of the Death Star, resulting in the deaths of millions of Imperials. But the battle of Hoth marks as the Empires greatest victory against the Rebel Alliance. A victory that might guarantee them winning this war.

As night fell on Hoth, the men of the 501st were preparing to board their transport ships and head back to the Conqueror. Sigan was on the ground making sure everything and everyone was accounted for.

Not to his surprise, the only ones who haven’t boarded the ships yet were the clones of Orion Squad. He notices them standing on that very cliff Vader stood to stop the Rebel ship from escaping. He decided not to bother them this time upon realising what they were doing. He felt that they needed this moment, and they’ve earned something nice for once since they’ve been through so much crap.

On the icy cliff above the Rebels destroyed base. The members of Orion Squad were gathered in front of three handmade graves, made from scrap metal of the destroyed Ultra Droids. They felt it would be better than using the Rebel ships scrap as they felt it would be disrespectful to their fallen brothers.

These graves have Fang, Apex and X-Ray’s names carved into them. Although they couldn’t recover their bodies to bury. They were able to save various objects that reminded them of their brothers. Such as Apex’s Sniper Rifle, X-Ray’s bacta gun, and Fangs old Clone Trooper helmet that Ghost had held onto since the Jedi Purge. He had Daxter bring it and the other piece offerings down with them in his backpack in case they did win and actually had time to mourn their brothers. They placed these weapons into the holes they’ve dug in front of their tombstones and covered them up with snow. And Ghost placed Fangs helmet on top of his tombstone.

During the Clone Wars, the clones were forbidden to have funerals for those who have died, as the senate believed it was unnecessary for what they saw to be their property. But that didn’t stop the clones from mourning their fallen brothers in their own way, such as marking their armour with tally marks, keeping something that belonged to them. Or in some cases, taking their names for themselves. But only a few clones did that as their names were what made each and every one of them unique and special.

“We did it boys. We’ve finally avenged our brothers and the many other souls who were claimed by the Death Stars destruction.” Ghost spoke up first. “Apex, X-Ray… Fang. You’ll be happy to know that we were able to survive up to this point. The war with the Rebels isn’t over yet, but we are close to ending them once and for all. We’ve finally brought order and peace back to the galaxy. You would’ve been proud.”

Daxter then places his hand on Ghost’s shoulder and smiles at him. “You did make him proud, Ghost. We’re all proud of you.”

“Heh… I’m surprised that you all still have so much faith in me. Apex and X-Ray lost faith in me because of the poor decisions I’ve made. They were right in the end, but I never got the chance to tell them how sorry I was.” Ghost lowered his head at his brothers graves upon saying this, with a single tear forming and trickling down his right cheek.

“They loved you, Ghost.” Daxter continued. “Deep down they knew you were sorry for your mistakes. No leader is perfect. Not even Emperor Palpatine. Yes he brought order to the galaxy, but he did it in the worst and most brutal way possible…The things you’ve done are the lesser of two evils. But what makes you better than Palpatine, is your compassion to your brothers. The fact that you’d tear the galaxy apart to avenge them. Palpatine views everyone as disposable. Not just us clones, but all non-clones, Imperial Officers, and even Lord Vader is nothing to him.”

“We may be part of an evil Empire. But that doesn’t mean all who serve it are bad.” Thunder spoke up. “All of the 501st put their loyalty to each other first, and the Empire second.”

“And we put our loyalty to you above all else. Because we know in our hearts that Fang made the right call of making you his successor. And anyone who has a problem with that, will have to fight us.” Boomstick joined in on the encouragement.

Ghost started to cry again, but this time it was tears of joy. He struggles temporally to wipe away his tears and look his three brothers on the eyes. He then to their surprise pulls them in for a group hug, to which Orion Squad complied with their commanders request and accepted it.

The four clone brothers held this hug for quite a while either one of them wanting to let go…Sigan was watching all of this from the ground as his AT-ST was the last thing to be loaded up onto the transport ship.

“Admiral.” A random Snow Trooper called out, drawing his attention to him. “Everything and everyone is accounted for and safely aboard the Conqueror. All we’re missing is you and Orion Squad. Shall I tell them to board the shuttle?”

“Not yet.” Sigan spoke up as he turned his attention back to Orion Squad. “Let them have this moment for as long as they wish. We’re in no hurry to leave yet.”

The Snow Trooper nodded and left, while Sigan continued to watch the four clones continue their embrace as the snow fell around them. The moon and stars lighting up the night sky behind them…This was indeed a day to remember for Orion Squad, the Empire… and whole the galaxy.

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 40 – Location: Hoth

"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, and in no small part due to the efforts of the fighting men of the 501st."

To Be Continued