Author's note: Missing scenes from The Empire Strikes Back, beginning when Luke wakes up in the Wampa cave. Some dialogue comes from The Empire Strikes Back novelization by Donald F. Glut. This story originally appeared in print form in the zine Comfort Zone (Issue 2, 2003).

The distant roars of a creature woke Luke Skywalker. He had a dim memory of being attacked by someone or, more likely, some thing.

Luke's head was aching, aching worse than any headache he'd ever had before. It felt like it was exploding, so much so that it hurt to open his eyes. But he had to open his eyes, had to find out where he was.

He discovered he was in some sort of ice cave. Worse yet, he suddenly realized that he was hanging upside down, arms dangling and fingertips several inches from the floor. He was having a hard time feeling his toes. He craned his neck and saw that his feet were frozen in ice hanging from the ceiling. His own blood was frozen on his face from where the being had slashed him.

The roars sounded again, the creature was getting closer. He had to get out; he had to free himself from the ice. But he was so cold and he felt so weak. But still, he had to try, he was not about to die here, not this way, not as dinner for some creature. With determination, he pulled himself up and reached for the ice that bound him to the ceiling. But the ice was too thick and he was too weak, so he fell back into his hanging position.

Luke's eyes darted around the cave, looking for something, anything that could help him. Suddenly he saw his belongings heaped in a corner, a few feet away. He could see his lightsaber. It almost called to him. Just out of his reach . . ..

He twisted his body, stretching as far as he could. Possibly, under different conditions, if he wasn't so cold, if he wasn't so sore, he might have reached it. But he couldn't. The creature was close now, so close he could almost see it.

Then he felt it. That soothing presence which he had felt so many times in the past few years, ever since Ben had given his life to help him and the others escape the Death Star. The presence that had come to him during the battle against the Death Star. The feeling he had come to come to recognize as the Force.

The Force. Relax, he told himself, Just Relax. His eyes fixed on the lightsaber, shutting out the pain in his body, in his head. Just focusing on that object, reaching out his hand. It took a while, but just as the creature loomed in front of Luke, the lightsaber sprang into his hand. Luke activated the saber, its blade quickly slashing through the ice that held him prisoner. Luke dropped to the icy floor.

The monster hesitated for a moment, scared by the unfamiliar weapon. But it blocked Luke's escape. Luke brought his lightsaber down, slashing through the creature. It shrieked, lumbering out of the cave. Luke wasn't sure if he had mortally wounded the beast, or merely scratched it. At any rate, he wasn't going to stay to find out.

The sky was getting darker and it was getting colder. He had used what little strength he had fighting the creature. He stumbled forward, heading roughly in the direction of the Rebel Base. Every step was more difficult than the last. Finally he stumbled down an embankment of snow and lost consciousness.

"Then I'll see you in hell."

The words echoed through Han Solo's head as he raced his Tauntaun through the frozen terrain. The snow was falling heavier and the daylight was fading rapidly. The temperature was falling rapidly. Hell, was not a word that Han would have used to describe this place. Hell would be too warm, far too warm.

The Tauntaun was wheezing, his breath becoming more labored. Even the snow-lizards were not equipped to deal with the effects of the surface after nightfall. Han hoped that the animal would last until he found Luke.

Han pushed the mount harder, until it was racing at maximum speed, way too fast for the temperatures and the distance it had already traveled. It was moaning in pain. Han felt bad about that, but all that mattered right now was finding his friend.

Every so often, he would yell into the increasing darkness, "Luke! Come on, answer me kid!"

Mostly he was met with silence: silence, darkness, and snow, endless snow.

He pushed his mount forward.