View source for Echo Station 3-8

{{Top|ga|canon=Station 3-8}}
{{Structure
|image=[[File:EchoStation38-SW39.png]]
|name=Echo Station 3-8
|constructed=
|destroyed=[[3 ABY/Legends|3 ABY]]<ref name="ESBnovel">[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (novel)|''Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'' novelization]]</ref>
|location=Near [[Zone Twelve/Legends|Zone Twelve]], [[Hoth/Legends|Hoth]]<ref name="ESBnovel" />
|poi=
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|builder=
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|affiliation=[[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Alliance to Restore the Republic]]<ref name="ESBnovel" />}}
{{Quote|This is Echo Station Three-Eight. Unidentified object is in our scope. It's just over the ridge. We should have visual contact in about&mdash; What the&mdash;? Oh, no!|Station 3-8 trooper, upon sighting an Imperial probe droid|<ref name="ESBnovel" />}}
'''Echo Station 3-8''', or '''Advance Station 3-8''', was an isolated [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Rebel]] facility located near [[Zone Twelve/Legends|Zone Twelve]] on the [[Water/Legends|ice]] [[Planet/Legends|planet]] [[Hoth/Legends|Hoth]]. It served as an [[Echo Station/Legends|outpost]] for [[Echo Base/Legends|Echo Base]], the Alliance's [[Alliance High Command/Legends|primary headquarters]] on Hoth. In [[3 ABY/Legends|3 ABY]], a [[Unidentified Rebel trooper (Station 3-8)|Rebel trooper]] at Station 3-8 spotted an unidentified object moving toward the outpost and reported its presence to Echo Base. The object, which turned out to be an [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Imperial]] [[Viper probe droid/Legends|Viper probe droid]] searching for the Rebels' headquarters, destroyed the outpost before it could complete its transmission.

==Description==
Advance Station 3-8<ref name="SW39">[[Star Wars (1977) 39|''Star Wars'' (1977) 39]]</ref> was one of the isolated outposts, bearing the [[Comlink/Legends|comm]] designation "[[Echo Station/Legends|Echo Station]]," that served as a sentry post<ref name="Guide3">''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded]]''</ref> for the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Rebel Alliance's]] [[Alliance High Command/Legends|headquarters]] of [[Echo Base/Legends|Echo Base]]. The station was located near [[Zone Twelve/Legends|Zone Twelve]] on the [[Water/Legends|ice]] [[Planet/Legends|planet]] of [[Hoth/Legends|Hoth]],<ref name="ESBnovel" /> to the east of Echo Base and the [[Clabburn Range/Legends|Clabburn Range]].<ref name="note">''[[Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy]]'' shows that the probe droid transmitted its data to the Imperial fleet at a point east of the Clabburn Range and Echo Base. According to the film, this is its location when Echo Base learns of the droid's existence. Additionally, according to the novel and comic adaptations of the film, Station 3-8 was destroyed in this period of time, indicating its location is near the probe droid's location when it transmits its data.</ref> Echo Stations were staffed by [[Rebel trooper/Legends|Rebel troopers]] and defended with [[Artillery/Legends|artillery]] emplacements for use in the event of an [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Imperial]] attack.<ref name="CSWE">''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''</ref>

==History==
{{Quote|Send Rogues Ten and Eleven to Station Three-Eight.|General Carlist Rieekan|<ref name="ESB">{{Film|V}}</ref>}}
[[File:EchoStation38destroyed-SW39.png|thumb|left|200px|Station 3-8, destroyed by the Imperial probe droid]]
Established by the Rebel Alliance during its [[Time/Legends|time]] on Hoth, Station 3-8 served as an outpost on the frozen world,<ref name="ESBnovel" /> one of many Rebel stations tasked with monitoring [[Meteorite/Legends|meteor]] activity and searching for any Imperial intruders.<ref name="Illustrated">''[[The Illustrated Star Wars Universe]]''</ref> In [[3 ABY/Legends|3 ABY]], the Galactic Empire, continuously searching for the Alliance's primary headquarters, dispatched [[Viper probe droid/Legends|probe droids]] across [[The galaxy/Legends|the galaxy]] to aid in locating the Rebels' main base. One such [[Probe droid/Legends|probe droid]] was sent to the [[Hoth system/Legends|Hoth system]]; after landing on Hoth, it eventually discovered evidence of a Rebel base. The Alliance, likewise, became aware of the [[Droid/Legends|droid's]] presence but was unable to determine its identity.<ref name="ESB" /> While personnel at Echo Base speculated on what it could be, a [[Unidentified Rebel trooper (Station 3-8)|Rebel trooper]] stationed at Advance Station 3-8 [[Comlink/Legends|radioed]] Echo Base to inform them that the station had the object on its scope.<ref name="ESBnovel" />

The droid came into Station 3-8's visual range, but before the [[Trooper/Legends|trooper]] could announce its identity, the probe droid destroyed the outpost with its [[Blaster cannon/Legends|blaster cannon]].<ref name="SW39" /> Cut off, the trooper's message ended in static.<ref name="Storybook">''[[The Empire Strikes Back Storybook]]''</ref> As the probe droid transmitted news of the Alliance's presence on the world to the Empire, Echo Base commander [[General/Legends|General]] [[Carlist Rieekan/Legends|Carlist Rieekan]] dispatched [[Rogue Squadron/Legends|Rogues]] [[Rogue Ten/Legends|Ten]] and [[Rogue Eleven/Legends|Eleven]]<ref name="ESB" />&mdash;[[Pilot/Legends|pilots]] [[Tarrin Datch]] and [[Tenk Lenso]], respectively<ref name="GG3 2nd">[[Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back'', Second Edition]]</ref>&mdash;to Station 3-8. Rieekan instructed the pilots to fly a low-altitude holding pattern over the station and to be alert for trouble.<ref name="ESB script">''[[The Empire Strikes Back: The National Public Radio Dramatization]]''</ref> Datch and Lenso transported [[Captain/Legends|Captain]] [[Han Solo/Legends|Han Solo]] and the [[Wookiee/Legends|Wookiee]] [[Chewbacca/Legends|Chewbacca]] to the probe droid's location;<ref name="CSWE" /> Solo succeeded in destroying the droid, but its data successfully reached the Empire and was utilized to great effect in the subsequent Imperial [[Battle of Hoth/Legends|attack on Hoth]].<ref name="ESB" />

==Behind the scenes==
{{Quote|This is Three-Eight, Echo Command! We have ''visual contact!'' It looks like&mdash; N-no&hellip;!|Station 3-8 trooper|<ref name="SW39" />}}
The destruction of Station 3-8 varies from adaptation to adaptation of [[Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back|''Star Wars'': Episode V ''The Empire Strikes Back'']]. The [[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (novel)|novelization]] of the film, the [[The Empire Strikes Back Storybook|movie storybook]], and the [[Star Wars (1977) 39|Marvel comic issue that includes the outpost's destruction]] provide different quotes detailing the final moments of the unidentified trooper stationed there. Additionally, the novelization has the trooper contacting Echo Base with news of the probe droid, while in the [[Star Wars comic books|comic]] adaptation, Echo Base contacts Station 3-8 first. The film itself does not include a quote from the trooper or confirm the station's destruction; the outpost is only mentioned when General Rieekan dispatches Rogues Ten and Eleven to Station 3-8&mdash;a [[1138 (number)|reference]] to [[George Lucas]]'s first film, [[Wikipedia:THX 1138|''THX 1138'']].<ref name="Fact!">{{InsiderCite|119|The Empire Strikes Fact!}}</ref> The screenplay, however, does mention "the smoldering ruins of station three-eight" immediately after this line.<ref>''[[The Empire Strikes Back Notebook]]''</ref>

A map of the Battle of Hoth included in the [[Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (Second Edition)|second edition of ''Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back'']] (and, later, the ''[[Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition]]'') places Station 3-8 among the numerous trenches north of Echo Base, directly in the path of the main Imperial assault. ''[[Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy]]'' contradicts this map almost completely; the reference book indicates that the Alliance detected the Imperial probe east of Echo Base. According to both the novel and comic adaptations of the movie, Station 3-8 was destroyed around this time, thus placing it east of the base and away from the Empire's general advance. The outpost's location is not the only difference between the maps; the placements of the [[Deflector shield generator/Legends|shield generator]] and [[V-150 Planet Defender/Legends|ion cannon]] were also changed.

==Appearances==
*[[The Empire Strikes Back (radio)|''Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'' radio drama]] {{Mo}}
*[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (novel)|''Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'' novelization]] {{1stm|''[[The Empire Strikes Back Storybook]]''}}
*[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (junior novelization)|''Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back'' junior novelization]] {{Mo}}
*{{Film|V}} {{Mo}}
*[[Star Wars (1977) 39|''Star Wars'' (1977) 39]] {{1st}}
*''[[The Empire Strikes Back Storybook]]'' {{1stm|[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (novel)|''The Empire Strikes Back'' novelization]]}}

==Sources==
*''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe]]''
*''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded]]''
*''[[The Empire Strikes Back: The National Public Radio Dramatization]]''
*''[[The Illustrated Star Wars Universe]]''
*[[Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back'', Second Edition]]
*''[[Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays]]''
*''[[Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition]]''
*''[[Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Behind the Magic]]''
*''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded]]''
*{{TCG|set=The Empire Strikes Back (TCG)|link=https://swtcg.com/Content/Images/Cards/ESB/Snowspeeder_Rogue_Ten.webp?v{{=}}2|cardname=Snowspeeder Rogue Ten}}
*''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''
*{{InsiderCite|119|The Empire Strikes Fact!}}
*''[[The Essential Guide to Warfare]]''

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Echo Stations]]