The wind howled across the barren plains of Hoth, throwing flurries of snow across jagged ridges and ice-packed valleys. A subtle distortion in the distance shimmered against the white horizon—just enough to catch Chewbacca's sharp eyes.
Han Solo adjusted his macrobinoculars, narrowing in on the flickering figure. "What the hell is that?"
The device zoomed, focusing through the blizzard.
A black sphere floated above the snow, tendrils of sensors twitching from its sides. The thing spun slowly, scanning. Then, as if sensing it was being watched, it turned—one arm rising toward Han and Chewbacca.
Han didn't hesitate.
"Chewie, hit it!"
The Wookiee roared and raised his bowcaster, firing a blast that exploded against the droid's side. It sparked violently and dropped like a stone, disappearing into a plume of smoke and shattered metal.
Han stepped forward cautiously, staring at the burning wreckage.
"That wasn't just some scavenger bot," he muttered. "That was Imperial."
They didn't waste time. Minutes later, Han stood in front of General Rieekan inside Echo Base's war room.
"I'm telling you, that probe wasn't just out here by chance," Han said, voice sharp. "The Empire knows something."
Rieekan's grim nod said everything. "We have to assume we've been located. Begin preparations for immediate evacuation."
The alarms hadn't sounded yet, but the tension already rippled through the corridors like a gathering storm.
Meanwhile, in the medbay, the bacta tank glowed with a soft blue light, its rhythmic bubbling filling the sterile chamber. Luke floated peacefully inside, cuts sealed and colour returning to his frostbitten skin.
Leia stood with her arms crossed, watching silently, her mind ticking through a dozen thoughts.
Kai leaned against the opposite wall, arms tucked into his sleeves, his breath visible in the cool air. He glanced between Luke and Leia, then finally spoke.
"You've been standing there for twenty minutes," he said casually. "He's not going anywhere."
Leia didn't even glance at him. "He almost died, you know."
"Yeah, I heard. Wampa, blizzard, the whole dramatic mess." Kai stepped closer. "He's tough. He'll pull through."
Leia turned her head to look at him, her expression suddenly sharp. "Where have you been, Kai? You just vanished."
Kai met her eyes without flinching. "Training."
"That's it?" she snapped. "You disappear for years during the middle of a war, and all you can say is training?"
Kai tilted his head, smirking faintly. "You always this pushy, or is it just me?"
Leia opened her mouth, clearly ready to fire back, but he cut in first, eyes gleaming.
"You're kind of cute when you're angry."
She blinked, stunned into a moment of silence.
Kai grinned and finally answered, voice softer. "Dagobah. I was with Yoda. Learning the Force, the real way."
Leia frowned, still trying to get her footing after the unexpected compliment. "Dagobah? That swampy backwater? Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Didn't really know what I was walking into." Kai shrugged. "Figured I'd come back once I could actually do something useful."
Leia narrowed her eyes but nodded, accepting it for now. Her gaze drifted back to Luke in the tank.
Kai followed it and raised an eyebrow. "By the way, I'm surprised you're fine standing there, staring at a stark naked Luke."
Leia looked horrified, then flustered. "It's medical."
Kai smirked. "Sure it is."
Leia gave him a glare that might have dropped a stormtrooper, but the flush creeping up her cheeks betrayed her just enough to make Kai chuckle.
Outside, the base lights dimmed as the energy was rerouted—final preparations already beginning.
The Empire was coming.
The warmth of the bacta tank was gone now, replaced by the sterile chill of Echo Base's medbay. Luke sat at the edge of a medical cot, toweling off the last of the residue while the droid 2-1B gently wrapped a scanner around his wrist.
"You are fully stabilized," the droid said in its calm, mechanical voice. "I would advise rest, but your condition is no longer critical."
Luke nodded, still dazed from the experience—his mind not on the cold, or the pain, but on the vision.
Obi-Wan.
He stood and slipped into a fresh flight suit, his mind racing even faster than his recovering heart rate. The door slid open behind him.
Leia stepped into the room, composed but visibly relieved. "I wanted to check on you," she said, her voice softer than usual. "You gave us all a scare."
Luke smiled faintly. "I'm okay, really."
In the doorway behind her, a figure leaned lazily against the frame—arms crossed, posture casual.
Kai.
Luke's face lit up. "Kai!"
Before Leia could say anything, Luke rushed forward, grabbing Kai by the arm. "You saw him, right? Obi-Wan! He was here—I mean not here, but—he spoke to me!"
Kai arched an eyebrow. "Easy, easy." He clapped a hand on Luke's shoulder, steadying him. "You've been frozen solid and nearly eaten by a wampa. Let's take a breath."
"No, listen—he told me to go to Dagobah," Luke insisted, eyes wild with urgency. "He said… said I need to train with Yoda. He said you know the way!"
Kai gave him a steady look, then nodded. "I do. I'll help you find it in the charts. You're not wrong—if Obi-Wan said it, then that's where you need to be."
Luke let out a relieved breath, like the weight of the galaxy had been lifted just slightly.
Kai smirked then, leaning in a little. "Much to learn, you still have. Hmm, yes."
Leia blinked. "What?"
Luke squinted. "What did you just say?"
Kai straightened, laughing. "Don't worry. You'll get it later."
Leia crossed her arms. "Is this some weird Force-user thing?"
Kai glanced between the two of them, his grin widening. "Call it… an inside joke with the ghost of an old friend."
Luke looked down, still processing everything. "Dagobah," he murmured.
Kai stepped over and placed a firm hand on Luke's shoulder once more. "We'll get you there. One step at a time."
As the droid quietly shuffled out of the room, and Leia gave Kai a final suspicious look, a quiet sense of anticipation settled in the air.
The galaxy was shifting again—and now both brothers-in-arms would walk the next path side by side.
Tried to make the scene more interactive and build Kai's relationships with certain characters better, let me know what you think, and opinions on any potential comedic value being added is appreciated, apart from that, thanks for everyone's supports so far with the story, appreciate it so much, if you wouldn't mind commenting or dropping a powerstone, id be grateful, cheers.