William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back

Amid the burning snow and winter’s bite,Have I this journey ta’en to find my friend.But lo, what is this sight that now I see?’Tis Luke, collaps’d! O lad, be thou not dead!Give me some sign thou livest! Aye, Luke, live!The cold of Hoth shall yet be warmth to meIf thou art still alive. Come now, good friend!

[The tauntaun falls over, frozen to death.

LUKE

[muttering:] O Ben, O Dagobah!

[Han takes Luke’s lightsaber and cuts open the tauntaun, pulling Luke close to its warmth.

HAN

—We’ve not much time.Stay with me, Luke. ’Tis true, this shall smell bad,But also shall it keep thee warm untilThe shelter hath erected been. O, vile!

These tauntauns have an awful stench outside,But nothing did I know of wretchedness,Disgusting rot, and sick’ning filth till thisNew smell hath made attack upon my nose.

[Han sits with Luke as night passes.

The shelter now is fashion’d by my handsBoth strong and deft. We shall await the mornWith only tauntaun’s guts as company.O guardian of nighttime travelers,Be with me and my comrade Luke this eve,For we are merely pilgrims far from homeWho wish to come again unto our mates.Now sev’ral anxious hours we’ve huddl’d here,And with the morning dawns the light of hope.My rebel friends shall surely make attemptTo find where Luke and I have spent the night.

Search well, my lads, the prize waits to be found!

EnterZEVaside, flying.

ZEV

The speeders all have been prepar’d, and nowA proper search for Luke and Han begins.But what is this? Shall fortune be so kind?My sensors do report some life forms near,Mayhap the cherish’d find shall yet be mine.Pray listen, Echo Base, to my report:There’s something here my scanner hath just found.’Tis yet unsure, but may a life form be.Commander Skywalker, dost thou hear me?’Tis Rogue Two. O good captain Solo, dostThou hear? ’Tis Rogue Two.

HAN

—Fine good morning, lads,’Twas nice of you to fin’lly come around.

ZEV

Hear, Echo Base: I say, they have been found!

[Exeunt.

Scene 6.

The rebel base on Hoth.

EnterLUKE SKYWALKER, reclining on bed.

LUKE

Through hazy dreams I have vague memoriesOf being taken to the rebel baseAnd given the droid medic’s greatest care.Now here I am, and naught but scars remain,

Thus is the creature’s foul at last made fair.

Enter C-3PO, R2-D2, and PRINCESS LEIA.

C-3PO

Good Master Luke, my wires are fill’d with joyTo see thee fully functional again.

R2-D2

[aside:] O that I too could speak aloud!

[To Luke:] Meep, squeak!

C-3PO

R2 expresseth his relief as well!

EnterHAN SOLOandCHEWBACCA.

HAN