I spent that evening in orbit over Hoth as the Galactic Empire's forces left to pursue the Rebellion across the Galaxy because I knew there would be vultures about soon, and I'd be damned if I'd let them take what was left of my stricken tank, Rachel!

It was not uncommon for galactic scavengers to act just like vultures and swarm over a recently abandoned battlefield to pick through the remains for ANYTHING of worth and hock those ill begotten goods through the black markets, and while as a whole my destroyed tank could be thought of as worth nothing more than for her weight in scrap metal, as Rachel in their eyes was an absolute fossil.... I on the other hand cherish Rachel as quite possibly being that one thing to save my hide when shot at by Imperials.

I wasn't in very good shape... At least one partly broken rib due to Rachel flipping on her side, as well as a multitude of bruises and a leg length slash to my right leg, so I spent that night sedated in a Bacta tank while hubby watched over me. Normally we would have used more intrusive medical micro bots and nanos to tend to my wounds since they were much quicker but my big ratty was right assuming my mental state could not tolerate the sight of more blood on top of my feeling the healing procedures being done, so he insisted I "take a bath" so to speak and tossed me into a Bacta cylinder.

By mid evening Hoth time, the slash to my hip and leg were nearly mended, and every bruise was dealt with in quick succession, leaving my hair fractured rib being the last and most time consuming step, as a medical droid would first need to laser scalple my side to expose the rib to the Bacta for direct contact, afterward the incision could be quickly mended by the healing fluid.

My haste was well founded, my Maximillian had detected several small ships closing in on Hoth which he correctly assumed were scavengers, and woke me from my liquid slumber showing me the few vultures we could consider professionals, and deal with them first whilst I headed back down into the frost of Hoth to retrieve my tank.

Not every scavenger was a threat, indeed many were simply area locals whom were struggling just to get by, and of those, Max and I allowed to pick through anything of value, save my tank, and even lent them assistance with navigation, to strong arm stuff like being an additional tow truck to lift heavy things with either our M88 Hercs or Catepillar P5000 and P6000 cargo lifters.... It's the vultures with shiny droids, forklifts and flying barges that we did our best to discourage from coming too close; even going so far as scaring the hull of their barge with a secondary turret blast from Lady Blue!

I quickly located the destroyed thermal generator of Echo Base and zoomed in to touch down just outside the hangars with a multitude of scavengers on my tail, lending them assistance as well but kindly asking for them to leave me to my recovery efforts with Rachel. Many were grateful for the help, and all graciously left me to my business at hand, so within an hour after starting my recovery, we had Rachel loaded onto a Low Boy with a vintage Dragon Wagon being the motive effort and headed back to Lady Blue for pick up.

Of course not all was glass smooth... There were a few professional "Hutt backed" vultures whom fired upon the crowded mess below, and some even foolishly fired upon my mechs, Mara and Misty, pissing off my clone troopers enough to warrant freeing of weapons and return fire while the locals huddled in the hangars of Echo Base until the professional pests were gone. Misty and Mara got a few dismissive scratches from the exchange, and quickly set back to providing over watch, while hubby in Lady Blue provided orbital assist in keeping the larger of the Hutt backed vultures at bay above.

With Rachel loaded up and ready for transport, we waited until the last of the local scavengers packed their hover platforms with metals, still useful items, and even some still functioning small caliber weapons, and departed Hoth for deep space only after the locals had themselves departed.

Over time Echo Base would fill in with glacial ice and snow to the point where unless told, you wouldn't suspect the icy world was a battleground, as nature and the Force heals itself, an this thought also helped to heal my own mental wounds having in a round about way, becoming involved with a sad moment in time for the Rebellion. My wounds and those of Hoth would heal, and if given a choice, I would have done what I did all over again without a second thought.


~~~

StarWars is Disney's thing now.

Andromeda class battleship and anything Uchuu senkan Yamato related by Leiji Matsumoto and Yoshinobu Nishizaki

Leopard eins by Krauss Maffei

M103 by Chrysler Motors and Detroit Arsenal U.S.

MechWarrior/BattleTech by Activision and FASA BattleTech - Topps.

Art and short fict by moi  NezumiYuki