Han steadies the blaster rifle on a clump of ice, then squeezes off two shots. Two blue bolts streak from the weapon’s barrel and strike to the officer’s right. He drops to the snow and rolls. When he stops, he holds his blaster pistol in his hand. Almost before he realizes what is happening, the officer has squeezed off a shot and Han has a burn along his left shoulder.
Scarcely a moment later, the remaining troopers turn to face the rear-attack. Their blaster bolts melt snow just inches from Han’s face. Small clouds of steam and flying ice crystals sting his eyes. Han ducks back into his sinkhole, not daring to show any of his body to the snowtroopers’ deadly aim. Where is Sodarra?
Energy spurts whiz over his hole in a continuous stream. Han hopes Chewbacca has fared better than he.
A blur of white appears at the top of the hole. Han fires. The white form crashes onto him. Waves of agony shoot through his wounded shoulder. Han clubs the snowtrooper with his blaster, but that man does not respond. The first shot did the job.
The smuggler rolls the body off just in time to see another white form appear. Before Han can bring his weapon to bear, the second trooper drops limply into the hole and smashes into him. Painfully, the Corellian works his gun arm and head out from under the dead trooper. A blaster hole has been burned in the back of the snowtrooper’s armor. Han can not roll the body off – his sinkhole is too crowed for him to move.
A minute later, Captain Sodarra appears at the top of the hole. “There you are, Captain Solo. You may come out now.”
“Imperial officers aren’t too bright, are they?” Han responds, pushing weakly at the dead snowtrooper with his good arm. “Get someone to pull me out of this coffin before I bleed to death.”
Sodarra’s face does not change expression. He turns away and gives an order, then says, “I am sorry, Captain Solo. We held our fire too long. Perhaps your injury could have been avoided.”
Han grimaces. “Maybe. How’d we do?”
“They relayed a message back to their base. The radio is still intact.”