EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Hoth Battle 3 - Luke IS the Heart of the Tiger

Flying in for another run, Luke leads Zev down the same death strewn path he led Wedge. Zev is no Wedge however, and is soon shot out of the sky. Luke gets shot down as well (hmm, guess those Walker pilots got hip to that routine quick). It's here he calls out, "Hobbie, I've been hit!" (apparently to no one), and manages a crash landing that he can walk away from.

Crash landing on a battlefield filled with walking tanks. Not a good idea. Best you can do is lay low or shag ass out of their way. That's what I'd do. But thanks to Kenobi, Luke is convinced he's a super-soldier. The Force is indeed strong with him so if he thinks he's a super-soldier then he bloody well is a super-soldier. And he acts on this conviction, clambering into the rear cockpit. Is he checking Dak for life signs? Retrieving Dak's body for a proper pyre-burnin'? No. He's shoving Dak's lifeless corpse aside to DISMANTLE THE TOW CABLE ASSEMBLY. wow.

I don't really hold this against Luke. If I were Dak, I probably wouldn't be so circumspect, however. It's cold and brutal, sure, but so is war. He responds in a refreshingly realistic manner. This is not the time for tender hearted moments or histrionic displays. What's required now is to stay alive. Being a dedicated soldier/warrior, Luke also has the presence of mind to still try and do harm to the enemy. While a Walker is bearing down on him. Give that crazy young man a medal!

After almost being stepped on by a building-sized robot, he picks himself up starts truckin' after it. What exactly does he think he's going to do with - - oh great gods of the moon and the earth! He uses the tow cable firing mechanism as a GRAPPLING DEVICE! He's climbing the Imperial Walker! He hooks the cable to his belt and rides up (what? 50 or 60 feet?) to the underbelly of this giant lumbering war machine. You do NOT want this kid comin' after you!

A quick swipe with the lightsaber (damn those things are handy!) and a hatch pops open. He chucks in a grenade and then releases the cable to DROP FIVE OR SIX STORIES into the snow. I wouldn't want to try it, but our boy doesn't give it a second thought. The snow breaks his fall, and while he's face down in it explosions set off by his grenade end the lives above him in fire. The Walker topples over.

Well core out my rectum and call me a mysterious incident. I was impressed the first time I saw it and I'm still impressed. Two Imperial Walkers downed; one with Luke's plan and the other by Luke. ALONE. Jedi or no, Luke is a dangerous man to be around. And an even more dangerous opponent to face in battle.