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

th’assault?
    Have we been made to cower? I say nay!
    An AT-AT should be made of sterner stuff.
    AT-AT 3
    [
to AT-AT 2:
] I pray, good walker, is he ever thus?
    AT-AT 2
    Aye, truly, Sir, I never yet have met
    An All Terrain Armorèd Transport who
    Is loftier of mind than this one here.
    Indeed, although like us he’s made of steel,
    He never enters battle zones unless
    He hath made some great speech to steel his nerves.
    It does no harm.
    AT-AT 3
    —No harm, but to mine ears.
    I’d rather fight than hear another speech.
    AT-AT 1
    Now let us go, these rebels to destroy!
    [The AT-ATs advance on Luke Skywalker and other rebel pilots.

    LUKE
    [
to rebel pilots:
] Now stay together, men.
    DACK
    —Alas, good Luke,
    The ship’s computer hath malfunction’d. O,
    I am not set for this attack!
    LUKE
    —Be patient.
    We shall use pattern delta now, anon!
    [Rebels and AT-ATs duel, and
    rebels quickly retreat.
    A hit! A very palpable hit. Wait,
    Although my shots have found their mark, their blasts
    Have no effect. It is their armor, fie!
    Our blasters are too weak to penetrate
    The strength of their robust exteriors.
    Rogue group, use thy harpoons and cables, too.
    Let us go for their legs and trip them up—
    Perhaps they may be bested from beneath.
    Dack, art thou with me?
    DACK
    —This malfunction hath
    Put fire into the system. I’ll attempt
    To quickly gain some pow’r another way.
    LUKE
    I prithee, be thou careful now, young Dack!
    [The fight resumes. Dack is struck.
    DACK
    Alas, I die! Farewell, Commander Luke!
    [Dack dies.
    LUKE
    Nay, Dack! O agony of battle, curse
    Of war, and dread of ev’ry soldier’s heart:
    To suffer at the hands of enemies,
    To end one’s days by pow’r of the unjust!
    What use is war? For it doth ravage all
    Within its path, and what hath it e’er solv’d?
    ’Tis rare that peace doth follow in war’s wake.
    Indeed, this recent blow doth only urge
    And heighten my destructive sentiments:
    I shall avenge thee, Dack, and slay these here
    Who have thy lifeblood ta’en, and seal’d thy fate.
    AT-AT 2
    No more of these amusements with the weak.
    ’Tis time to make this victory our own:
    Head for the power generator, mates,
    The battle’s nearly won!
    LUKE
              —Rogue Three, dost hear?
    WEDGE
    I do, Rogue Leader.
    LUKE
    —Wedge, I need thee now.
    I’ve lost my gunner: thou must strike their legs
    With thy harpoon. I’ll give thee aid—we’ll fly
    Together, follow close behind me.
    WEDGE
    —Aye!
    Now activate harpoon and slay these beasts!
    [The fight resumes. Wedge and his gunner, Janson, strike AT-AT 1 with a rope around the legs.
    AT-AT 1
    What treachery! The rebels have assail’d
    My weakest part. My legs, good comrades—they
    Have struck where I most vulnerable am.
    WEDGE
    Well hit, brave Janson. Now encircle him
    And bring this giant down to meet his end.
    It worketh, friends! His legs hath been confin’d,
    And thus the brute hath trouble with his stride.
    Just one more pass around, and then detach!
    JANSON
    The cable is detach’d! He falls!
    AT-AT 1
    —Alack;
    I perish now, my comrades. Win the day!
    [AT-AT 1 falls and dies.
    WEDGE
    A-ha!—and thus our Dack hath been aveng’d!
    LUKE
    I see thy handiwork; well done, strong Wedge.
    Dack’s memory we honor by this strike.
    AT-AT 2
    The rebels have destroy’d one of our lot,
    But we shall yet o’erwhelm them utterly.
    I’ll make approach unto their hidden base,
    Identify their systems in my sights,
    And then shall on the generator fire.
    LUKE
    Rogue Two, art thou beside me in this fight?
    We need the help of ev’ry fighter here.
    Not long ago thou rescu’d Han and me
    From our meek shelter on the ice of Hoth:
    Thou art a man of cunning, strength, and wit.
    And thus I ask thee on thy honor, Sir:
    Art thou prepar’d to face this harsh assault?
    ZEV
    Aye, verily, Rogue Leader, that I am.
    My life I am prepar’d to sacrifice
    To save rebellion from this fierce attack.
    LUKE
    Then let us all approach the