4 BBY — Hoth — The biting cold of Hoth’s relentless wind sends snow swirling around Arya and Herm as they trek the icy plains. The shadows of looming mountains stretch across the landscape, small dark spots on the otherwise blinding whiteness. They press on, their breath visible in the frigid air. Hoth, a world forgotten by many, but not by them.
Emerging from a snow-covered ridge, a towering figure looms before them. It is Prupruff, a Gigoran scavenger, her large, muscular frame almost completely hidden under layers of fur and scavenged armor. Her presence is a welcome sight in this otherwise barren land.
“Hello” she greets, her voice a deep, rumbling growl. Behind her white fur, her eyes hold a warmth that contrasts sharply with the cold wasteland around them.
“And you are?” Arya replies, smiling despite the cold. Herm stares at the Gigoran, suppressing a shiver as a particularly harsh gust blows in their direction.
“You can call me Prupruff.”
“Prupruff. I am Arya and this is Herm and K2SO.” Arya gestures to each of her companions.
Prupruff pauses, scans the party and notices something about K2SO. Tension builds. She lifts the heavy gun resting on her shoulder, her eyes narrowing playfully. “Anything that harms the Empire is wonderful,” she declares.
Arya lets out a sigh and chuckles. “I couldn’t agree more.” K2SO looks around and seems a little… confused. Herm lets out his shiver in the cold. “What do you do out here?”
Prupruff tone remains serious as she leans in closer. “Scavenging metals, keeping an eye on the Empire’s movements. But they don’t care much for Hoth. As long as we stay under the radar, we’re safe for now.”
Herm frowns. “Why stay here, then? Surely there are safer places.”
Prupruff’s eyes darken. “I was an escaped slave. This place, it’s a refuge. And… there’s something freeing about this desolate cold.”
Arya can sense the weight of Prupruff’s words. They continue to chat in the cold and establish a friendly connection. “Thank you for meeting us. We need every ally we can get.”
Prupruff lets out a soft grunt of agreement. “Follow me. I’ll take you to my camp. But watch out for wampas. They hunt the tauntauns and aren’t afraid of humans.”
Arya’s eyes widen, and Herm stiffens. “Wampas?” Arya echoes.
“Giant snow creatures, three to four times the size of humans. They’re always hungry, always looking for their next meal,” Prupruff explains. “You hear a deep growling noise earlier? That’s them.”
Arya and Herm exchange concerned glances. “We’ll stay vigilant,” Arya promises.
As they walk, Prupruff fills them in on Hoth’s creatures, its hidden dangers, and its geological features. Snow-covered mountains rise intimidatingly in the distance, and Prupruff advises them to avoid those treacherous peaks.
“Mountains are where the wampas gather,” she says, pointing to the jagged tops cutting through the fog. “They don’t like water, though. We’ll head towards the frozen pools. Safer route.”
After a while, their path diverges, Prupruff continuing back to her camp while Arya, Herm, and K-2SO head in the direction she indicated. The frost crunches under their boots as they trudge onwards in silence, the cold nipping at their noses and toes.
They reach a pool of partially frozen water surrounded by ice flows, glistening under the dim sunlight. Prupruff was right; the area feels quieter, emptier, and devoid of the danger that haunted the mountains.
Suddenly, a deep, resonant roar echoes across the ice.
Arya’s heart skips a beat as she recognizes the sound. “Wampa!” she shouts, scanning the surroundings.
It emerges from the fog—a massive, white-furred beast, its fangs glistening, its eyes filled with predatory hunger. The wampa charges towards them with surprising speed.
“Run!” Herm screams, already dashing towards the ice flows.
They sprint, the wampa gaining ground rapidly. Arya’s hand slips into her pocket, clutching her lightsaber, though she knows it won’t be enough against the creature.
They leap onto an ice flow, the ice shifting precariously beneath their weight. Arya glances back, seeing the tauntaun separated from them, stranded on another chunk of floating ice.
K-2SO, his mechanical joints creaking in the cold, hesitates. “I am not designed for swimming,” he protests as he looks at the freezing water.
“If we don’t get that tauntaun, we’re not surviving this!” Arya snaps.
Reluctantly, K-2SO makes a clumsy leap into the waters, paddling slowly towards the floating tauntaun. Arya’s eyes narrow as she focuses, reaching out with the Force. She feels the icy touch of the water in her mind, visualizes the tauntaun’s ice chunk, and pulls with all her might.
The ice flow edges closer, slowly at first, then with greater speed as Arya’s confidence grows. The tauntaun, unbothered by the cold, seems perplexed but calm.
They reunite, panting from the effort. The wampa roars in frustration from the shore, unable to reach them. They float along the icy currents, the danger behind them for now.
After what feels like an eternity, a snow-covered island comes into view. Arya’s sharp eyes catch movement on the shore.
“Droids,” she whispers, pointing towards the snowy expanse. “Do you see that?”
K-2SO’s eyes flash a dull yellow. “My people,” he declares, his voice laden with a peculiar blend of relief and determination.
Arya’s eyes meet Herm’s. They nod in silent agreement, understanding the opportunity that lies ahead. As they approach the island, she cannot shake the feeling that their journey has only just begun, and the real challenges are still to come.