Echo Base Echo Base was the settlement established by the Rebel Alliance on the frigid planet of Hoth in the wake of the Battle of Yavin , so named due to its strange acoustics . Less than a month after its establishment , the base was discovered by the Galactic Empire who then invaded Hoth , forcing the Rebels to evacuate . Description . Echo Base was carved out of a glacier and connected by artificial corridors linked together with structural supports , while natural caverns were expanded to suit the Rebel Alliance ' s needs . It was protected from orbital bombardment s with a massive deflector shield generator and v - 150 ion cannon , which would help the Alliance evacuate the base in case of an attack . Designed to be evacuated at a moment ' s notice , the base was hastily constructed and often as not , wampa ice creatures would sneak into the base at night , forcing the closures of various corridors . Owing to slab - dab construction methods , a single faulty element in the base ' s electrical system could deny heat to half the base . Nevertheless , soldier s of the outpost were better equipped and displayed better discipline than those stationed elsewhere . In its cavernous ice hangars , the base hosted a contingent of speeders , which were specially modified to operate in the harsh conditions and which the Rebels used for patrol and defense of the outpost . As the technician s had trouble adapting their airspeeder s to the subzero temperatures of Hoth , the base also held a herd of native tauntaun creatures for the patrols and recon missions . Several sentry posts were stationed around the base , including Echo Station 3 - T - 8 , Perimeter Outpost Delta and Outpost Beta . Outpost Delta stood far to the northwest of Echo Base , while it was a mere hundred meter s outside the base ' s energy shield . The interior of Echo Base held a number of important locations for the Rebels . The base housed a large hangar where Rebel technicians maintained the numerous speeders that the Alliance had at its disposal . The hangar was open to the outside with a large door , which could be closed to protect the base from the frigid wastes . Most of the troops present slept in enormous bunkers with several hundred others , and often had scant rations . The medical bay contained a bacta tank used for healing wounded Rebels , which was overseen by a medical droid ; the bacta was used to heal Luke Skywalker after he was wounded in a wampa attack , and — according to Captain Han Solo — made him look strong enough to pull the ears off of a gundark . The base also contained a command center where the Rebel leadership coordinated Rebel activities , including the eventual evacuation from Hoth . Owing to the base ' s top secret nature , many soldiers fighting across the galaxy were withheld information regarding its location , while rumors of it being on an asteroid or an underwater city spread like wildfire among the Alliance Fleet . Ships en route to the base were sent on a random path through hyperspace in which they would be transmitted new jump coordinates in an effort to shake any possible Imperial pursuers . History . Early in the Galactic Civil War , the Rebel Alliance base made its home in the Great Temple on Yavin 4 , the fourth moon of the planet Yavin . The Galactic Empire tracked the Rebels to Yavin 4 and attempted to destroy the moon with the Death Star , a deep - space mobile battle station capable of destroying entire planets . The Rebels launched the Battle of Yavin in a successful attempt to destroy the Death Star , an event that was carried out by Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker . Though the Death Star was destroyed , the Rebels evacuated the Great Temple as the Empire still knew where the Alliance was housed . The initial search for a new base was conducted by General Jan Dodonna during the evacuation from Yavin 4 . The Rebels eventually decided to establish their new base of operations on the ice planet Hoth , where they carved and expanded ice caverns and built Echo Base , inhabiting it for less than a month before the Empire discovered it . For three and a half years after the Battle of Yavin , the Dark Lord of the Sith , Darth Vader , searched for Skywalker — whom he had learned was his son — across the galaxy . Vader ' s fleet sent Viper probe droid s to all corners of the galaxy , one of which was sent to Hoth . Vader believed that Hoth was the location of the Rebel base and that Skywalker was there , so he ordered his fleet to the snowy planet . Once the Rebel Alliance realized that the Empire had discovered their location , General Carlist Rieekan ordered plan kay one zero be taken into immediate effect , calling for Echo Base be evacuated , despite only having inhabited it for less than a month . With a strategy conference having been held on the planet not too long before , several key members such as Princess Leia Organa and General Carlist Rieekan were still stationed on the world , while the Rebels soon set about to pack up their base and escape on transports , hoping that they would have enough time before the Empire arrived . The Empire ' s arrival led to the Battle of Hoth . Imperial forces landed All Terrain Armored Transport s at the Moorsh Moraine to begin the ground assault on the base ' s shield generator . The Imperials were first spotted on the ground by Outpost Beta , with it being the first destroyed , while the walker s were spotted by Rebel scout s at Echo Station 3 - T - 8 , who relayed the message to the rest of Echo Base . While Rogue Squadron fought the AT - ATs , the Rebels launched their X - wing - protected transports to carry personnel off - world . The transports escaped and the shield generator was destroyed , allowing Vader and his stormtrooper s to enter Echo Base . Although Skywalker was on Hoth , he escaped before Vader could capture him .