"Fire and Ice", the fourth installment of The Empire Strikes Back radio drama, was initially broadcast on National Public Radio on March 7, 1983. This episode is an adaptation of the events in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, specifically the Battle of Hoth and the subsequent evacuation of the Echo base by the Rebel forces.
General Veers informs Darth Vader that upon exiting hyperspace near Hoth, the Imperial fleet discovered the Rebel base is protected by a defensive shield. Vader deduces that the Rebels must have detected their arrival to activate the shield. He criticizes Admiral Ozzel for his sloppy hyperspace exit, which was too close to the planet, forcing Vader to initiate a costly ground assault. Vader instructs Veers to observe as he contacts Ozzel via a nearby viewscreen. Vader states, "Punishing someone so incompetent is pointless," and then uses the Force to choke Ozzel to death. Following this, he commands Veers and Piett to commence the attack immediately.
Too-Onebee converses with Luke Skywalker as Luke prepares to leave the Echo Base's medical facility. Luke explains that while most medical equipment will be evacuated, the T-47s must be destroyed to prevent their use by the Empire. Before boarding his snowspeeder, Luke seeks out Han and Chewbacca, who are still struggling to repair the Millennium Falcon. They exchange farewells.
Leia Organa briefs the Rebel pilots on the evacuation strategy: the base's planetary ion cannon and snubfighters will collaborate to ensure the transports can bypass the Imperial blockade. Leia will be on the final transport, protected by the automatically firing cannon. Before boarding his snowspeeder, Luke finds Leia and asks her to look after See-Threepio, as Artoo-Detoo will be with Luke in his fighter. They then share a heartfelt farewell. Leia believes he fears the possibility of their deaths in battle, but Luke keeps his true intentions hidden.
Reports reach the command center that Imperial ground forces have landed, and Rebel snowspeeders have launched to engage. Outpost Beta reports the ground assault involves massive, heavily armored, four-legged vehicles. Leia and General Rieekan identify them as All Terrain Armored Transports. Rieekan orders the abandonment of the outpost. Gunfire erupts at Outpost Beta and Echo Station 5-7. Rogue Flight's snowspeeders deploy to provide relief. Simultaneously, the ion cannon provides cover for the first transport and its fighter escorts, prompting cheers from the Rebels upon hearing of the successful escape.
Leading Rogue Flight, Luke, with his gunner Dak, initiates the first attack on the walkers. Finding their blasters ineffective, Luke devises a plan to use the speeders' harpoons and tow cables to bring down the walkers. Luke's speeder is hit by blaster fire, resulting in Dak's death. Wedge and his gunner, Wes Janson, execute the plan, successfully entangling a walker's legs and causing it to fall. As Luke prepares to attack another, his speeder is shot down. Rieekan orders Wedge not to attempt a rescue due to the inherent risk. However, Wedge reports that Luke is engaging the walker alone. Wedge continues to report as Luke uses a cable to climb onto the vehicle's underbelly and plants a sapper charge inside, destroying it. Wedge then leads the remaining Rogue Flight members to continue their attack, buying as much time as possible for the transports.
Veers informs Starfleet that resistance is failing and his walkers are advancing past the Rebels' outer defenses. Inside Echo Base, chaos intensifies. Leia orders all ground units to retreat to the central defensive arc, struggling to maintain order during the evacuation. She instructs Threepio to board a transport, but he replies that he has been ordered to board the final transport with her. Han arrives to assist Leia in reaching her ship. Explosions shake the base as news arrives that the defenses are collapsing and the base has been breached. However, she remains at her post until Han repeatedly urges her to leave. Finally, Leia issues the Omega Signal, instructing all remaining troops to disengage and evacuate.
"Fire and Ice" primarily adapts the events depicted in the film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, but the radio drama includes additional dialogue. Vader forces Veers to witness the execution of Admiral Ozzel. During Too-Onebee's conversation with Luke, he reveals some of his past, explaining that he once worked in an Imperial clinic and understands the importance of preventing equipment from falling into Imperial hands. The droid's complete biography and the story of his service to the Empire would be further detailed in Galaxy Guide 3, published in 1989. Additionally, there are two short scenes in which Luke earnestly bids farewell to Han and Leia. The scene with Leia is completely new, while the scene with Han replaces a moment in the film where they share a brief, wordless exchange. Leia questions Luke's behavior, and the following episode, "The Millennium Falcon Pursuit", will reveal that Luke has already decided to go to Dagobah instead of following the other Rebels.
Wedge identifies Luke's explosive as a sapper charge when he uses it to destroy the Imperial walker, a device that also appeared in Brian Daley's The Han Solo Adventures books. In 1996, the Star Wars Customizable Card Game identified the device's model as a V-59 concussion grenade.