CT That's it, the Rebels are there: How did Vader know?

While watching ESB yesterday, I wondered: How did Vader seemingly instantly know the Rebels were on Hoth? According to Ozzel, there are many uncharted settlements, but Vader seems instantly sure of the Rebels' presence. My question is: how did he know?

 

Through the Force?

 

I suppose that's a possibility, but if I may quote General Motti:
Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress...
Perhaps seeing an image of the base aided his senses?

 

To be honest, I always thought Vader was homing in on Luke, given the subsequent line:

"That's it, the Rebels are there. And I am sure Skywalker is with them."

We know from the PT, for example, that it is possible to sense people that one has encountered before with the Force. Anakin sensing Count Dooku aboard the Invisible Hand is one such example. In ROTJ, too, Vader is able to sense Luke is on the shuttle as they head towards Endor. I think it likely, therefore, that Vader was picking up on Luke. Someone like Obi-Wan was probably shielding his presence on Tatooine (given that, on Mustafar, Anakin doesn't sense his presence until he appears on the ramp) but I don't think Luke would know how to do that.

 

In Choices of One- Vader's subordinate within the military, at the time- Captain Thrawn, finds out that the Rebels have been obtaining an enormous amount of cold-weather gear. This tips the Imperials off that the Rebels will be hiding on a cold planet. Other info helped the Empire narrow it down- and they blanketed that region with thousands of probe droids.

It's also possible that Vader recognized the power plant as not something usual to the "uncharted settlements" but something big enough to power a base shield.

I could see that applying while they're in the Hoth System- not sure if it should apply from many light years away.

Still, the Emperor sensed "a great disturbance in the Force" when Luke arrived on Dagobah- and he was all the way over on Coruscant at the time.

 

The Force in combination with common sense. Ozzel seemed to think that because it was an unlikely spot it wasn't where they would hide? The guy was a moron. Of course someone who is trying to avoid you would go to the last place you would look. Not to mention he did not want to follow up on the ONE hit they got out of all the probe droids they sent. No wonder the Empire collapsed. The Rebels were much more proactive and evacuated the entire planet merely on the suspicion that the Empire might follow up on the droid's findings.

 

The script said so.

But he probably sensed the presence of a settlement there on Hoth, which is supposed to be "devoid of life". Also, if it's smugglers, as Ozzel suggests, why would they have an advanced shield generator in place? The probe droid did some scanning of the area, and enough must have come up to tip the Imps off.

 

True, but then, Vader had to choke a bitch in order to silence his criticisms. Don't forget that even Tarkin had trouble finding it as Leia lied to him, despite the threat to Alderaan. So even Tarkin, with all of his military might and skill, couldn't find the current base. In this case, Vader's instincts were right and born from the Force.

VADER: "He is clumsy as he is stupid."

I think that sums it up well. He was also arrogant like Tarkin, Motti and Tagge before him.

 

It was said Vader was "obsessed" with finding young Skywalker. Perhaps with the mix of the force, intelligence, and obsession to find something to go after to rise above his failure to protect the Death Star influenced him in the decision to go to the Hoth system.

 

You all raise some good points. Although I on Hoth, Vader and Luke are presumably spread by lightyears, whereas in another ESB moment in which Vader talks telepathically to Luke, it is a matter of a few miles.

 

If it was just a normal settlement they may have set up a shield generator to defend against pirates. But that's no reason not to follow up and confirm it.

 

I'd say Vader's knowledge of the Rebels' hidden base was found through the Force, but whenever there's something unexplainable in Star Wars, I just chalk it up to the Force. Saves a lot of time, and a lot of explanation.

 

It's probably a plothole created by the PT.

Serious reply: I've always viewed it as Vader's gut feeling and/or the Force. The guy had apparently been chasing Luke from one side of the galaxy to the other since the Death Star (going by the opening scrawl alone makes it seem that way), so of course he'd figure they'd be out in the middle of nowhere.

 

I always saw this as the tactical side of Vader. I do not believe he is using the Force, but rather seeing a power generator of that size and in that location could be nothing other than the rebellion.

 

Ozzel was a Rebel sympathizer!

 

He knows cuz he's teh Vader.

 

He also sensed Lord Vader was in danger on Courscant when Vader was on Mustafar. There's a lot of reasons why Vader would "sense" Luke, them being family is probably also one and Vader felt the Force in him way back on Death Star. Combine that with being obsessed, snap decisions, Sith-like impulses, generally liking to show Ozzel up to be a tool, I can see a lot of reasons why he'd pick Hoth.

 

I always considered that similar to Luke on Dagobah sensing his friends were in danger and in pain on Cloud City - even though they hadn't actually arrived there yet. I think through the Force you can sense extreme emotions and feelings of those close to you even at interstellar distances. Palpatine's comment about sensing Vader in danger took place during the duel, shortly before Anakin flambe.

 

Common sense. What would a smuggler need with a big-ass generator, which is what they were seeing on the screen? On a planet that's supposed to be devoided of life? A smuggler would be doing his/her damnest to not be found, and building a big generator such as that is a surefire way to be found.

Either this was possibly the stupidest smuggler in the galaxy, in the history of all smugglers...or it was the Rebel Alliance.

Even Jar-Jar could've pieced that puzzle together.

 

Based on the technology of the shield generator, Vader made a guess.

No way could it have been the force. The force didn't tell him who his daughter was or that the planet he was orbiting when she was captured was his virgin birthplace that hid his former Master and his son.

 

I think that the Force may have played a small role, but the sight of that huge power generator is what made Vader certain that the Rebels were there.

That's why it's what the probe droid is shown to be looking at when it transmits its data to the Imperial fleet, and it's what's on the screen when Piett shows Vader. I think that it's implied that no normal-sized settlement would require a generator that large.

 

He had more experience in this than the ships commanders. He knew that no one would like to live on a frozen planet for fun. Only fugitives, outlaws and the Alliance would consider such a location. The generator was the confirmation, fugitives and outlaws alone wouldn't have a generator of that size.

 

I think some of it was common sense as some people have said. An icy world isn't the best place for smugglers to set up shop because they would be putting too much money into keeping things warm and/or working. If they were just stowing things then the generator would have been smaller and hidden. As for a settlement Hoth seems to be frozen all year round so everything would have to be either imported or grown somehow in greenhouses and to keep them in power there probably would be more generators.

Something that didn't make it into the movie was that the probe had also sent "pics" of some snow speeders along with the generator. The snow speeders were out of date by decades which leads back to the smuggler or settlement theory. If you were going to either settle or build a base of operations on a frozen ice ball would you take equipment old enough for your grandfather to have admired as a child or something newer? Possibly you would choose the later.

Some of it could have been the Force and his connection to Luke.

Another part could have been his experience as a Jedi when it came to finding criminals.

And his nine years as a slave among criminals could have taught him a few things.