It is a dark time for the rebellion. A group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth.
Song -
Lani
The evil Lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space.
Song -
j.D.
Riding his tauntaun across the barren, snowy wastes, commander Luke Skywalker noticed what seemed to be a meteorite plummeting into the snow nearby.
Song -
Amber & Dave
With that, the terrifying Wampa snow-creature tore Luke from his mount and dragged the young rebel away, unconscious.
Some distance away, Han Solo galloped his tauntaun through the heavily armed entrance of the rebels’ snow cave hideout. The beautiful Princess Leia followed him with her eyes as captain Solo gave his report.
“I can’t stay,” Han told the general. “If I don’t pay off Jabba the Hutt, I’m a dead man.”
Leia followed Han into the corridor. “Han, we need you!” she demanded.
“That’s not it!” said Han. “You mean YOU need me!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leia replied. Han stormed away angrily.
The robot C-3P0 found Han performing repairs on his starship, the Millenium Falcon. “Commander Skywalker has not returned!” said the droid. Knowing he must act quickly, Han mounted his tauntaun and charged out into the snow as the sky grew darker.
Inside a strange ice cave, Luke Skywalker opened his eyes, to find he was pinned upside-down. The ice creature which had attacked him now sat devouring Luke’s tauntaun nearby. When Luke saw that his light saber had fallen just out of his reach, he closed his eyes, then directed his hand toward the weapon.
The light saber handle shook for a moment, then suddenly flew through the air, into Luke’s waiting hand. Immediately Luke cut the bindings from his feet and stood upright to fight the lunging creature. With a slash of Luke’s light saber, the monster’s furry arm fell to the ground, and Luke took off running into the blizzard outside.
The temperature dropping, the general gave the order to seal the entrance. Chewbacca cried out as the enormous door slammed closed. He knew his friends would now be locked outside until morning.
In the darkening haze, Luke collapsed onto the snow. When he opened his eyes again, he saw something he could not understand. Ben Kenobi, his old mentor, appeared to be standing in the snow.
Song -
Brad & Janie
“You must travel to the Dagobah system”, the apparition said. “There, you will meet Yoda – the Jedi master who trained me.” As the ghostly figure disappeared, the shape of a tauntaun emerged from the snowy horizon.
Song -
Brian R.
Activating Luke’s light saber, Han sliced open the warm carcass and shoved Luke’s legs and torso inside before creating the emergency shelter.
The next morning a snowspeeder appeared over the icy mountains. The rebel patrols had begun at sunrise, and Han and Luke were soon rescued.
Han greeted Luke again as the young Jedi lay in a hospital bed.
Song -
David & Elisabeth
With a broad smile, Luke sat back in triumph as Leia left the room.
Sensors identified a suspicious machine nearby, so Han and Chewbacca rode out again into the snow to investigate. When the mysterious robot fired a blast at the wookie, Han shot back and destroyed the machine.
“It had a self-destruct mechanism”, Han reported back to his commanders. “Odds are the empire knows we’re here.”
“Start the evacuation”, commanded Princess Leia. "“But don’t lose hope. Man the barricades! We've got to hold them till all transports are away. Prepare for ground assault!”
Song -
Bespin City Singers
The first rebel transports rocketed away from the planet as rebel soldiers battled imperial forces below. Massive Imperial Walkers charged toward the rebel base. Rebel pilots used cables to bind together the walkers' mechanical legs, which brought them crashing to the ground.
With her escape route cut off, Han Solo pulled Princess Leia onto his own ship to make their escape. Millenium Falcon roared to life and sped away from the arriving imperial troops.
Soon the Millenium Falcon encountered a fleet of imperial star destroyers and fighter ships. Han Solo prepared to make the jump to light speed – only to find that the engines were not working properly.
Yet another peril faced them. “Asteroids!” shouted Leia as Han dashed to the cockpit. Quickly Han turned the ship away from the pursuing fighters - directly into the rocky field before them.
“You’re not taking us INTO an asteroid field?!?” cried Leia.
“They’d be crazy to follow us!” replied Han.
Song -
DVB & Deb
The ships spiraled and careened past the scattered rocks until each of the imperial fighters had met with a fiery collision. Han directed Chewie to land the Falcon inside a cave deep within a giant asteroid. At last they might have a moment of rest.
Luke arrived at Dagobah, as his vision of Ben Kenobi had instructed. But this swampy planet proved more difficult than Luke had imagined. Finding no place to land in the dense fog, Luke crashed his X-Wing Fighter into the swamp. And suddenly he and R2-D2 were marooned in a strange, primitive world.
“This place gives me the creeps,” said Luke. “It feels…”
“Feel like what?” said a strange voice.
“Like we’re being watched!” said Luke, his blaster pointed at the small green creature.
“Why are you here?” said the creature.
“I’m looking for a Jedi master,” Luke replied.
“Yoda – you seek Yoda!” said the creature..
“You know him?” asked Luke.
”Yes – take you to him!” replied the creature.
Song -
Craig
“Watch over the camp, R-2!” said Luke as he followed his strange new friend into the swamp.
Meanwhile, on the Millennium Falcon, the hyperdrive wasn’t the only thing getting overhauled. Han and Leia found they were making steady progress of their own. Throwing tools and inhibitions to the wayside, the princess and the pirate found themselves on the brink of forbidden passion – Only for C-3P0 to interrupt the heated moment with all the social ineptitude that a protocol droid could muster.
Song -
Taylor
Elsewhere, Darth Vader’s ships were cautiously making their way into the asteroid field – and sustaining heavy damage. But Darth Vader himself had other duties. Entering a special chamber, Vader knelt to address his distant master, The Emperor.
“What is they bidding, my master?” asked the dark lord.
A giant shadowy hologram appeared and spoke its reply. “The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi.”
“If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally,” said Vader.
“Yes,” said The Emperor. “Can it be done?”
“He will join us or die”, said Vader.
Inside the squat dwelling of the strange creature, Luke could not help arguing with his host. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here!” Luke said. “We’re wasting our time!”
The creature let out a sigh, and sadly spoke. “I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.”
As if from a distant place, Luke heard a familiar voice offer its response. “He will learn patience.” Luke shuddered to recognize the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
“Much anger in him – like his father!” the creature said.
“Was I any different when you taught me?” asked Obi-Wan.
“Yoda!” Luke gasped. “I am ready to be trained! I’m not afraid!”
“You will be,” said Yoda. “You will be.”
Resting in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, Leia shrieked to see something leap up and attach itself to the window. Han quickly donned a breath mask and stepped outside the ship to investigate only to see a number of yellowish beasts flying past. But when he fired a laser blast to frighten the parasites away, the cave erupted in convulsions. “We’re taking off!” shouted Han, dashing back inside the ship.
Leia argued that the hyperdrive had still not been repaired – but with Han at the controls, the ship had already spiraled back toward the mouth of the cave, which was closing upon them, with two rows of teeth preparing to crush the ship. With great speed, the Millennium Falcon escaped from the biting mouth of an enormous cave lizard and returned to the deadly asteroid field.
On Dagobah, Luke ran through the jungle, his training finally underway. Master Yoda rode on Luke’s back, strapped inside a shoulder pack, feeding Luke instructions and commands. “You will know the right path when you are calm. At peace. A Jedi uses The Force for knowledge and events. Never for attack. Now clear your mind of questions.”
Nevertheless, for Luke, some questions remained.
Song -
Galactic Galoots
Luke felt strange. “There’s something not right,” he said.
“That place,” said Yoda, pointing his cane to a nearby cave, “is strong with the dark side of The Force. You must go.”
“What’s in there?” asked Luke.
“Only what you take with you,” said Yoda.
Luke strapped on his weapon belt and slipped into the cave. Dark and mysterious, this eerie place stirred strange feelings within him. He wondered if this alien place might hold the answer to a great question he’d somehow forgotten. The swampy vapor engulfed him, as if in a dream. He stepped further into the cave.
Song -
Julia & The Ad Hocket Orchestra
From the darkness an ominous figure appeared. Darth Vader rose before the boy as Luke ignited his light saber. The dark lord activated his own weapon and the two figures met in a furious battle. With a burst of sparks, Darth Vader’s helmet fell to the ground below.
Luke felt a shudder of disbelief as the helmet lay gazing up at him. Another shower of sparks burst forth, revealing Luke's own face behind the mask within the monstrous helmet.
On board Darth Vader’s ship, an army of bounty hunters had gathered – including a menacing character named Boba Fett. The dark lord addressed them: “Use any methods you wish to find the Millennium Falcon. But I want them alive – no disintegrations.”
At that moment, an officer approached Darth Vader. “We have them!”
The Millennium Falcon raced before the star destroyer. Han Solo activated the controls for the jump to light speed – but at the crucial moment, nothing happened. Desperate to evade the star destroyers’ cannon fire, Han did the only thing he could: he turned his ship to fly directly toward the bridge of the imperial ship. The imperial officers ducked in panic as the small freighter raced at them – and then, apparently, disappeared.
On Dagobah, Luke Skywalker’s training was interrupted by the sound of his X-Wing fighter sinking deep into the swamp.
Song -
Jeff H. & Crew
On board the imperial starship, the commander collapsed to his knees and fell dead. “I accept your apology for losing the Millennium Falcon,” said Darth Vader.
Song -
Wookie Wookie Wookie
Yet the Millennium Falcon itself was perched nearby, hidden on the surface of the very same imperial starship. Han Solo knew that the imperial ship would dump its garbage before traveling into hyperspace. So he released his own ship’s grip on the surface and seemed to float away, unnoticed.
Yet a sinister gaze followed the Millenium Falcon as it fired up its engines. Boba Fett accelerated his own craft and followed the rebels.
Song -
Jay
Yoda watched over Luke as the young Jedi again lifted himself and nearby objects into the air. “Through the Force many things you will see - the future, the past, old friends.”
Luke gasped and again fell to the ground. “I saw a city in the clouds. My friends were in danger!”
Song -
Lani
“It is the future you see,” said Yoda. “If you leave now, you will destroy all for which they have fought and suffered.”
The Millennium Falcon arrived at a majestic city floating in the clouds high above the surface of the planet Bespin. Han’s old friend Lando met the party on the platform with what seemed to be a barrage of long-held anger – but his grimace turned into a joyful smile as Lando embraced his old buddy.
As soon as the party entered the city, C-3P0 heard the familiar sound of an R2 unit. But when he stepped into a corridor to investigate, he saw something menacing. “Please don’t shoot!” cried Threepio – before a laser blast shattered the robot into pieces.
Back on Dagobah, Luke climbed into his X-Wing Fighter spaceship.
“You must complete your training!” said Yoda.
“But I’ve got to help my friends!” replied Luke.
The spectral image of Ben Kenobi appeared and spoke. “You will be tempted by the dark side. It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants. If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere.”
As Luke’s spaceship rose into the air, Obi-Wan cried “That boy is our last hope.”
“No,” said Yoda. “There is another.”
Miserluke -
Two Rabbis and a Luke
Deep within the cloud city, squat creatures called Ugnaughts sifted through a scrap metal junk pile before throwing the refuse into the incinerator.
Song -
Ugnaughts Local 16
Chewbacca stumbled into the facility searching for the lost C-3P0 – and when he saw the dismembered limbs of his robotic friend, Chewbacca wrestled the many parts away from the mischievous Ugnaughts and carried them back to Han and Leia.
The party now reunited, Lando invited Leia, Han and Chewbacca to dinner. But when the door opened to Lando’s exclusive dining room, an unexpected guest sat at the head of the table. It was none other than Lord Darth Vader.
Han drew his blaster and fired – yet the blasts sparked harmlessly into Darth Vader’s hands, and instantly Han’s weapon flew from his grip and into the glove of Lord Vader. Stormtroopers charged in behind the party. “I had no choice – they arrived just before you did. I’m sorry,” said Lando.
As Luke sped to rescue his friends, Chewbacca waited in frustration, now imprisoned in their cabin within the cloud city. Carefully, the wookie awkwardly reconnected C-3P0’s head to the robot’s golden torso.
Song -
Martin
As Chewbacca adjusted the circuitry, C-3P0’s distorted voice cried out in the panicked words he’d been unable to say before his destruction: “Stormtroopers? We’re in danger!” Chewbacca collected the legless robot’s parts into a sling and lifted the unhappy C-3P0 onto his back.
Near the party’s quarters, Han Solo was strapped into an elaborate torture device. Leia grimaced to hear Han’s cries of pain. As Darth Vader left the chamber, Lando demanded that Vader allow Leia and Chewbacca to go free. “No. They must never leave this city,” Vader commanded.
Song -
Wookie Wookie Wookie
Princess Leia saw the locked door open as imperial guards carried a limp Han Solo back into the room. Leia embraced Han as he collapsed in pain.
Lando then appeared with a team of his own guards. “Vader has agreed to leave Leia and Chewbacca with me.” Han struggled to attack his old friend, but Lando’s guards held him back. “Vader’s after somebody called Skywalker,” Lando said.
Soon the party was standing in a large fiery chamber, surrounded by Ugnaughts and imperial guards. Lando explained that Han would be frozen in carbonite to test the process before Solo was given to the bounty hunter Boba Fett.
As Han was led to the center of the platform, Leia cried out to him. “I love you!”
Han’s eyes never left hers as he offered his reply. “I know.”
Song -
Amber & Dave
Song -
Ugnaughts Local 16
With a blast of steam, Han was lowered into the chamber. Soon the platform raised again, revealing an ominous monolith where the man had stood. Han Solo’s grimacing face pressed out from within the cold block of carbonite.
Boba Fett left with the carbon-frozen Han Solo. As Lando left with the princess and Chewbacca, he carefully sent a secret signal to his loyal assistant Lobot. Soon the party were surrounded by Lando’s own men – and Princess Leia and Chewbacca were free. Only when Lando explained that Han might still be rescued, however, did they agree to trust him again. Lando then issued a command for all residents to abandon the cloud city. As R2-D2 joined the group, Lando led his new friends to the Millennium Falcon to escape.
Luke Skywalker walked through empty corridors glowing with orange light. Finally, on a distant platform, he spied Darth Vader. The young Jedi approached the dark lord and the two figures drew their weapons.
Luke proved his skill in a furious battle, yet Darth Vader’s terrible power proved too great. As Luke struggled, Darth Vader sent a storm of objects flying through the room. The terrible wind pulled Luke into a cavernous ventilation shaft, leaving the young Jedi dangling from a precipice.
Once more Darth Vader found Luke and attacked, his light saber brutally removing Luke’s hand and sending the boy’s weapon plummeting downward.
“You are beaten!” the dark lord said. “Join me, and I will complete your training. We will bring order to the galaxy. Obi-Wan never told me what happened to your father.”
“He told me enough,” said Luke. “He told me you killed him.”
“No,” said the dark lord. “I am your father.”
“That’s not true!” cried Luke. “That’s impossible!”
“Join me and we will rule the galaxy as father and son!” Darth Vader demanded. But instead, Luke slipped off the platform and plunged downward. A current of air carried Luke through an exhaust port and sent him crashing into a bracket dangling below the city.
Desperate, Luke closed his eyes. “Leia…” he said.
Song -
Eponine Skywalker
As the Millennium Falcon sped away, Leia felt a strange impulse.
Song -
Brendan
“I know where Luke is!” she cried. Chewbacca turned the ship back toward the cloud city and quickly rescued Luke from his desperate perch.
Within days, Luke and Leia, Chewbacca and Lando, C-3P0 and R2-D2 had joined with the rebel alliance at their remote rendezvous point. Luke was given a fully functional artificial hand and recovered from his injuries. And together, the rebels began to plan how they might rescue their friend Han and continue their struggle to defeat the evil galactic empire.
Songs -
Paul Anderson
Bespin City Singers
THE END
All songs and recordings for this show will be copyright 2012 by their respective performers.
All rights are reserved.
