Mastermind

Part One

Later that day, Erda was called into the intel room where Leia and General Rieekan were when Erda came onto the receiving end of her foul mood. After witnessing her express her enmity towards Han made him no cautious than how Luke and Chewbacca and Han were. 

"What happened this time? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Erda started off once he was standing behind her. 

"Not now, Erda." She said quickly, avoiding his stare.

"Leia, there's something I need to tell you." 

"Can't it wait?" She said snappily.

Forcefully, Erda grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the intelligence room into a corridor in private. Once they were able to speak in private, he let her go and kept his hands to himself when she suddenly told him off.

"Next time I want to be kissed, I'll arrange Han to let me kiss Chewbacca instead," she snapped.

"What's gotten into you?" Erda questioned. 

Leia stared at him crankily and shook her head before calming herself down a bit. "It's Han. He left when we needed him the most to escape some bounty put on him by Jabba the Hutt but he refused to stay. What did you want to tell me, Erda?"

He inhaled sharply and spoke, "I've felt a disturbance in the Force... A powerful user of the Force is nearing Hoth. I fear the Empire has found us."

"Vader?" She asked, shocked. 

Erda nodded quickly. Leia quickly became as distressed as he was when General Rieekan found them and reported that a fleet of Star Destroyers had just come out of hyper space in the planet's orbit.  

"All power has been rerouted to the energy shields. Mehur, you're on ground assault, son." General Rieekan ordered Erda.

He nodded at him and made off to join his fellow brothers and sisters in the trenches to defend the base while others got informed about the Rebel's evacuation. As everyone got busy packing up and getting armed and ready, Erda overheard Leia debrief the pilots who were to protect the transports as well as those who'd fly in airspeeders to combat the AT-AT Walkers that were about to be dropped three kilometres from base.

"The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be open for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports." Leia explained to the group of pilots surrounding her.

"Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?" A pilot questioned.

"The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure any enemy ships will be out of your flight path. When you have gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?"

As Erda made his way out to the perimeter where the other troops in the ground defence were setting up turrets, all was quiet beyond the base as everyone was ready for the assault. The first transport was flown off into the planet's orbit where the ion cannon fired twice. A minute later, it was reported that the first transport was away. Five walkers were sent out as every man and woman in the trenches ducked for cover when the AT-AT pilots opened fire. Nine speeders were sent out to combat the AT-AT's by shooting cables at the legs of the walkers and circled them until the first one went down. Though the Rebels fought hard, but the firepower Erda crafted was no match for the advanced armour the walkers were equipped with. Only one walker was brought down as the ground defence found themselves at the losing end of the battle.

"Prepare for ground offence! Watch those troopers!" Erda shouted as the walkers got close enough for them to deploy snowtroopers when a retreat was called.