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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...

It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been
destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden
base and pursued them across the galaxy.

Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by
Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world
of Hoth.

The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has
dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space...

EXTERIOR: GALAXY -- PLANET HOTH

A Star Destroyer moves through space, releasing Imperial probe robots from
its underside.

One of these probes zooms toward the planet Hoth and lands on its ice-covered
surface. An explosion marks the point of impact.

EXTERIOR: HOTH -- METEORITE CRATER -- SNOW PLAIN -- DAY

A weird mechanical sound rises above the whining of the wind. A strange
probe robot, with several extended sensors, emerges from the smoke-shrouded
crater. The ominous mechanical probe floats across the snow plain and
disappears into the distance.

EXTERIOR: PLAIN OF HOTH -- DAY

A small figure gallops across the windswept ice slope. The bundled rider
is mounted on a large gray snow lizard, a Tauntaun. Curving plumes of snow
rise from beneath the speeding paws of the two-legged beast.

The rider gallops up a slope and reins his lizard to a stop. Pulling off
his protective goggles, Luke Skywalker notices something in the sky. He
takes a pair of electrobinoculars from his utility belt and through them
sees smoke rising from where the probe robot has crashed.

The wind whips at Luke's fur-lined cap and he activates a comlink
transmitter. His Tauntaun shifts and moans nervously beneath him.