William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back Read Online Free

shall this Sith pursue this rebel lad,
    And find the missing truth of Vader’s life.
    Enter
G ENERAL V EERS .
    VADER
    What news dost thou have, Gen’ral Veers?
    VEERS
    —My Lord,
    Our noble fleet hath flown to Hoth in haste
    With hopes to catch the rebels by surprise.
    The fleet has movèd out of lightspeed now,
    But com-scan hath detected a sharp shield
    Of energy surrounding planet six
    Within the system. It is strong enough
    To hinder what bombardment we can make.
    This grim news I report with sadden’d mien:
    It seems, my Lord, our fleet is all too close.
    VADER
    The rebels are aware of our attack,
    For Adm’ral Ozzel left lightspeed too near
    To the Hoth system.
    VEERS
    —He believ’d surprise
    Was wiser…
    VADER
    —Say no more. Speak not to his
    Defense. He is as clumsy as he is
    Replete with ignorance. Prepare your troops
    Now, Veers, to lead a ground attack. We shall
    Still win the day, despite the blunder.
    VEERS
    —Aye.
    [Exit General Veers.
    V ADER
hails
A DMIRAL O ZZEL
and
C APTAIN P IETT ,
who enter by balcony.
    OZZEL
    Lord Vader, I am happy to report
    The fleet has come out of lightspeed and is
    Prepar’d to—
    [Darth Vader begins to choke Admiral Ozzel using the Force.
    VADER
    —Thou hast fail’d me once again,
    But nevermore shalt thou have chance to fail.
    I bring the Force to bear upon thy throat
    That thou, in thy last breath, shalt know my pow’r.
    Captain Piett?
    PIETT
    —My Lord?
    VADER
    —Prepare to land
    Our troops beyond the shield of energy,
    And then deploy our fleet so naught can ’scape
    The system. Do it, Admiral Piett.
    And be thou sure to rise to thy new rank.
    [Admiral Ozzel dies. Exit Darth Vader.
    PIETT
    Alas, with this promotion comes some dread,
    For Vader hath no rev’rence for the head.
    [Exit.



SCENE 1.
    The rebel base on Hoth.
    Enter
H AN S OLO
and
C HEWBACCA ,
working on the
Millennium Falcon
with
a MAINTENANCE DROID .
    HAN
    A pilot must respect his ship with care,
    And play physician to her ev’ry need.
    With patience and with tender healing touch
    I caringly embrace each bolt and wire.
    Now, ’tis repair’d. [
To Chewbacca:
] Good Chewie, try it now!
    CHEWBAC.
    Egh.
    [The ship begins to smoke and spark.
    HAN
    —Nay! Act thou with speed, and turn it off!
    [
Aside:
] Physician, heal thyself from too much haste.
    Enter L UKE S KYWALKER .
    LUKE
    [
aside:
] The last time I said my farewell to these
    Compatriots of mine, ’twas ere the Death
    Star battle when it seem’d as though they were
    Deserting us. But now, their valor prov’d,
    Their hearts align’d with good Rebellion’s cause,
    I’ll wish them on their merry way with joy.
    [
To Chewbacca:
] Chewbacca, brave, ’tis now my time to leave,
    For soon to Dagobah my path is bound.
    CHEWBAC.
    [
embracing Luke:
] Egh!
    LUKE
    —How your tight embrace doth warm my heart—
    But also strains my bones, thou jolly brute.
    HAN
    Well met, young lad. [
To droid:
] There must a reason be
    Why this malfunction hath occur’d. But now,
    I prithee, get thee hence.
    [Exit maintenance droid.
    Art thou yet well?
    LUKE
    Aye, verily. [
Aside:
] O what words would I say
    To this man here, if words were loud enough!
    But hath a word e’er been created, which
    Could tell the comrade’s love I feel for him,
    Articulate the good I sense in him,
    Express the debt of life I owe to him?
    At times ’tis true that words betray us all—
    The mighty pow’r of language fails to speak,
    And neither tongue nor rhetoric gives aid.
    This Han hath found a life among our band
    That did transform his former, solo self,
    But now he takes his leave to pay the price
    Of former indiscretions come to call.
    I would explain how much he means to me,
    I would disclose my deep respect for him,
    I would unveil my brotherlike regard,
    I would reveal the workings of my soul—
    But at this moment words are render’d weak.
    Thus, he must see the story in my eyes,
    Peruse the tale that’s told within my heart,
    And there read more than ever can be