Auugh!
HAN
—Nay, nay! This one here and that one there.
’Tis clear? [Aside:] I do admit this Wookiee here is dear,
But if he break my ship I’ll break his pate!
Enter C-3PO with R2-D2, aside.
C-3PO
My R2 small, pray be thou safe, good friend,
And take especial care of Master Luke.
Farewell, farewell! Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say farewell till thou hast left.
R2-D2
[aside:] “Till thou hast left”? No poet he, indeed.
Alas, it seems that romance is not one
Of 3PO’s six million forms of speech.
[Exit R2-D2. C-3PO moves to Princess Leia and General Rieekan. Loud sounds of shaking are heard.
HAN
O zounds! What is this pow’rful shaking here?
The base begins to crumble even now.
Our humble shelter made of snow and ice
Is now defeated by the Empire’s might
And starts to fall apart. O, shall we too?
Shall our rebellion suffer this same Fate—
To be destroyèd by the Empire cruel?
To be demolish’d by Imperi’l strength?
Though I had plann’d to go and save myself
From Jabba’s bounty hunters, I cannot:
This smuggler-captain never shall desert
Whilst friends nearby do mortal peril face.
I shall not steal away and leave behind
The princess who doth lead the rebels true.
She is of great importance, and my life
Must be but secondary to her fate.
So shall I take her in the Falcon swift
And spirit her away to someplace safe.
’Tis not because of how I feel about
Her, nay; naught there of love, that much is true—
Or if ’tis not, I’ll tell myself it is.
Now to it, Han, ere our great cause is lost.
[Han Solo moves to General Rieekan and Princess Leia.
Your Worship, art thou well?
LEIA
—O, wherefore art
Thou yet within this base? Hast thou not fled?
HAN
The center of command has been struck down.
LEIA
And yet hast thou thy clearance to depart.
HAN
Depart I shall, but first deliver thee
Unto thy ship.
C-3PO
—Your Highness, we must take
This final transport. ’Tis our only hope!
[A blast is heard, closer.
OFFICER
[through comlink:] Imperi’l troops have come into the base!
Imperi’l troops have come into the base!
HAN
Now end thy stubborn ways, and set aside
Thy prejudice. Thou wilt come with me now,
I do command it. Neither argument
Nor moving speech nor aught that thou canst say
Shall sway me now: thou wilt come with me, Princess.
LEIA
[aside:] O noble man, protector of my soul!
[To aide:] Send our evacuation code and get
Thee to thy transport.
[Exeunt General Rieekan and aide. Han Solo and Princess Leia begin to walk toward the transport.
C-3PO
—Prithee, wait for me!
[As they make their way to the ship, a wall falls in their path.
HAN
The battle is within the very walls,
And ev’ry portent tells of dread and doom.
[Into comlink:] Good transport, this is Solo. Take your leave—
Our way has now become a wayward thing,
All fill’d with mounds of ice that block our path.
This moment calls for quick decision. Thus,
I shall with Leia flee on Falcon’s wings.
[Han Solo and Princess Leia run the other way, toward the Millennium Falcon, shutting the door against C-3PO.
C-3PO
But wait, where do you go? Pray, do come back!
Most typical this is. O wretched fate,
To be deserted by my friends most dear.
These human beings care but little for
Us droids who ever serve with loyalty.
Thus shall I end my days within this base,
A frozen remnant of the rebels’ stay
On Hoth. Belike one day explorers shall
Discover this defeated base, shall dig
Into its core and find a golden droid
Whose final resting place was ice and snow.
“Who would abandon such a lovely droid?”
No doubt this shall be their response when they
Espy me here. “What wretched humans would
Leave such a one as this alone to rot?”
I shudder at this thought, let it not be!
O open up your hearts unto my kind,
Then open wide this door for kindness’ sake!
[The door opens.
HAN
Anon, thou goldenrod, thou heap of scrap,
Else shalt thou ever stay within this base
And make thyself a lasting icy grave.
C-3PO
[aside:] This man is both the reason for my pain
And for my joy. My gratitude o’erflows!
[They enter the Millennium Falcon.
HAN
[to Chewbacca:] Now wherefore doth the ship not function right?
LEIA
Pray, would it help if I did disembark
And push with all a princess’ might upon’t?
HAN
Belike!
C-3PO
—Pray, Captain Solo, Captain Solo!
HAN
Tut!
C-3PO
—It shall wait.
LEIA
—This bucket full of bolts
Shall ne’er beyond that blockade make escape.
We may as well depart the base aboard
A tauntaun’s furry back!
HAN
—The ship hath yet
Surprising, keen maneuvers, sweetheart. Watch!
The ship protects us with its lasers true
Against th’Imperi’l troops who come at us.
See, Princess, see? Now Chewie, let us fly,
And hope we shall not burn the engine out.
Repairs are made—let us repair to space!
LEIA
One day thou shalt be wrong, and well I hope
I shall bear witness to thy failure great.
HAN
Anon, Chewbacca, lead us to our fate!
[Exeunt in the Millennium Falcon.
Scene 4.
The rebel base on Hoth.
Enter LUKE SKYWALKER and R2-D2.
LUKE
The recent battle is both lost and won:
’Tis lost because of rebels who expir’d,
’Tis lost because our base is compromis’d,
’Tis lost because our time on Hoth is done,
’Tis lost because we now evacuate.
And yet, ’tis won because two walkers fell,
’Tis won because the foes arriv’d too late,
’Tis won because our transport is away,
’Tis won because we live to fight again.
R2, we leave anon. With all due speed
Prepare the ship for takeoff.