"The Coming Storm" is the second episode of The Empire Strikes Back radio drama. It first aired on National Public Radio on February 21, 1983. The episode adapts events of taking place on the planet Hoth. It depicts Han Solo's decision to leave the Rebels, which is interrupted by his attempt to rescue Luke Skywalker.
Han teases Leia over her feelings for him.
The episode opens with the pained voice of Luke struggling to continue in rising winds. He calls after Ben and Yoda. Back in Echo Base, General Rieekan tells Princess Leia about a strange energy signal that appeared on the sensors. It seemed to be moving and sending a transmission. There is no way to track it during the night, but Rieekan wants Solo and Skywalker to go patrolling for it the following day. Solo arrives and tells Rieekan and Leia that he will leave the Rebellion soon, with Chewbacca, to settle his debts. Leia tries to convince Han to stay with the rebels; Han counters that she has romantic feelings for him but will not admit it.
Outside, Luke is still calling Ben's name. His strength finally gives out; he collapses in the snow. At the base, Han approaches Chewie, still working on the Millennium Falcon: Han wants leave the planet immediately, even before the doors close for the night. But the ship is not ready. While Han rushes to finish the repairs, See-Threepio approaches to tell him that Luke cannot be found. Han drops everything to go find him. Once it is clear that he never returned to base, Han resolves to ride out on a tauntaun to search for him, despite the obvious danger of being trapped outside on a Hoth night.
Outside, Han finds Luke half-conscious, delirious, and steadily freezing. His tauntaun keels over dead: Han then activates Luke's lightsaber and cuts open its carcass. He keeps Luke warm inside it while he builds an emergency shelter. Luke regains consciousness but cannot see. Han does what he can to keep Luke alive and his spirits up. Luke alternates between despairing and joking about the situation. He asks Han why he did it: "What's your excuse this time?... I guess you can't claim it was the money." Han sidesteps the question and tries to keep Luke comfortable as outside the wind blows and the temperature drops.
Leia, Chewbacca, Threepio, and Artoo-Detoo remain just inside the base's shield door watching for Han and Luke. The droids had been outside using Artoo's scanners to try locating them, but it is now too cold for them. A lieutenant tells them that the doors cannot remain open in this cold, and Artoo ominously calculates the narrow odds of surviving outside in it.
In the scene between Han and Leia, the radio actors interpret the dialogue quite differently from the film. In the original version, Han is angry with Leia throughout the exchange as he accuses her of having feelings for him. In the radio drama, Han speaks softly and flirtatiosuly. His offer of a "goodbye kiss" is playful rather than sarcastic.
The scene between Luke and Han in the emergency shelter is original with the radio drama. It serves as a window into how their friendship has deepened since the events of .
- The Empire Strikes Back: The National Public Radio Dramatization