William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back Read Online Free Page A

penn’d.
    HAN
    Now be thou careful, friend.
    LUKE
    —And thou as well.
    [Exit Luke Skywalker.
    HAN
    A noble lad, and true. If Fate is kind,
    I shall make right the danger I am in
    And live to fight aside him once again.
    [Exeunt Han Solo and Chewbacca.
    Enter the
C ONTROLLER
and
G ENERAL RIEEKAN .
    CONTROL.
    My general, a group of Star Destroy’rs
    Has just emerg’d from hyperspace, and now
    Has been detected in yon sector four.
    RIEEKAN
    Divert all pow’r unto our forward shield.
    In doing so we may protect the base
    Until the transports their escape have made.
    Then, let us all prepare for ground assault.
    [
To all:
] Good gentlemen and women, come ye near!
    For we shall now our very lives defend.
    Enter
R EBEL P ILOTS ,
including
H OBBIE
and
M AJOR D ERLIN ,
and
P RINCESS L EIA .
    LEIA
    Good cheer! All preparation hath been made,
    Both for the swift retreat of transports hence,
    And to defend our base until they’re fled.
    The carriers shall meet up at the north,
    And larger transports leave once they are full.
    Two fighter escorts shall be sent with each
    And shall remain quite close, for our strong shield
    Will be disarm’d a fleeting length of time.
    ’Twill be a passage dangerous no doubt,
    But with the Force we shall prevail, indeed.
    HOBBIE
    I prithee, say again: shall only two
    Of our small fighters match a Star Destroy’r?
    LEIA
    Pray, screw your courage to the sticking place.
    Our ion cannons shall with lethal fire
    Make ev’ry pathway clear. When you have clear’d
    The shield of energy, then go anon
    Unto our rendezvous. Do all agree?
    Will ye all go in great rebellion’s name?
    ALL
    Aye, Princess, aye!
    HOBBIE
    —We shall heed thy command.
    DERLIN
    Now ev’ryone unto their stations, go!
    [Exeunt rebel pilots, including Hobbie and Lieutenant Derlin.
    RIEEKAN
    [
to Controller:
] Belike the power generators will
    Their prim’ry target be. Prepare thou now
    To open up the shield. And may the Force
    Attend our swift retreat, our hearts inspire!
    CONTROL.
    Now standby ion cannon; aye, and fire.
    [Exeunt.

SCENE 2.
    The ice world of Hoth.
    Enter
CHORUS .
    CHORUS
    The transports make their way deep into space;
    The ion cannon leads as they take flight.
    But now the rebels grave new dangers face,
    As th’Empire sends a ground assault to fight.
    Enter
L UKE S KYWALKER
and
D ACK ,
his copilot, with
R EBEL P ILOTS ,
including
W EDGE A NTILLES , J ANSON ,
and
Z EV .
    DACK
    How dost thou fare, good Sir? For I have heard
    Of your unlucky recent incident.
    How is it with thee after the attack?
    LUKE
    Quite well, I thank thee, Dack. And art thou well?
    DACK
    Aye, truthfully, Commander—I do feel
    I could the Empire overthrow myself,
    If I were giv’n the opportunity.
    A single warrior to bring them down,
    A single hand to show rebellion’s strength,
    A single mind that could outwit them all,
    A single Dack to best the Empire’s might.
    LUKE
    O noble soul, how like a soldier said!
    It seems that thou and I are fashion’d from
    One cloth—one fabric knits our souls together.
    The feeling you express is one I’ve known.
    Indeed, it is a potent privilege,
    But also brings responsibility.
    Enter
AT-ATS 1, 2,
and
3,
giant Imperial walkers, on other side.
    AT-AT 1
    But who did bid thee join with us?
    AT-AT 3
    —Piett.
    ’Twas he who order’d me to come with ye
    To crush the rebels and their little base.
    AT-AT 2
    Well said, for I know of no baser base—
    ’Twill be a vict’ry great when ’tis destroy’d.
    But think ye we shall in this fight prevail?
    The rebels are a force formidable.
    AT-AT 1
    My friends, we have had quite enough of talk:
    The battle is upon us, let us go.
    And ye who doubt, I pray remember this:
    Although we are but AT-ATs gray and plain,
    We have a noble task to undertake—
    Our mighty Emperor’s reign to protect,
    The great Darth Vader to obey and aid,
    And Admiral Piett to serve with pride.
    So shall an AT-AT swoon before the fight,
    Or should our legs be shaken ere