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 knaves again.
Prepare your swift harpoon and we shall strike!
AT-AT 3
Defend the Emp’ror’s righteousness today.
AT-AT 2
Well spoken. Let us fight for Empire’s might!
[They duel again.
ZEV
O Luke, I have been hit, and die anon!
Remember me whene’er thou speak’st of this.
[Zev is slain. Luke is struck and falls to the ground.
LUKE
Alas, poor Zev. Too many lost—such good
And worthy men have met their end to these
Confounded walkers. Fie! This battle bleak
May mean Rebellion’s end. ’Tis now my turn—
My ship hath ta’en a hit. I fall, yet am
Not slain. Indeed, though here I lie upon
The ground, I spy an opportunity.
For while this awful monster walks above,
I spy his weakness as I lie below.
He passes just beyond me—now to it!
Revenge should have no bounds when friends are slain,
And now their memory doth push me on.
My lightsaber shall strike the lethal blow;
I’ll hit where he shall feel it, in his heart—
If ever such cruel beast did have a heart.
[Luke strikes AT-AT 3 from below, and AT-AT 3 dies.
AT-AT 3
I perish, comrade true, but fall with pride!
AT-AT 2
Although my fellow AT-ATs meet their ends,
I press toward my goal with purpose firm.
The rebels’ power generator is
Within the target of my lasers keen.
Now all the fallen AT-ATs I salute
As for my noble Emperor I shoot!
[He shoots and destroys the power generator. Exeunt all, in confusion.
SCENE 3.
The rebel base on Hoth.
Enter GENERAL RIEEKAN and PRINCESS LEIA, with an aide.
RIEEKAN
Our pow’r is insufficient to protect
Two transports at one time.
LEIA
—’Tis risky, aye,
But this base overpower’d is, and shall,
I fear, withstand no more of this attack.
We have no choice.
RIEEKAN
—Indeed, thou speakest true.
[Into comlink:] Launch all patrols.
LEIA
[to aide:] —Evacuate the staff
Who do remain within the base. Make haste!
Enter HAN SOLO and CHEWBACCA on balcony, repairing the Millennium Falcon.
HAN
These endless fixes now are nearly done,
And soon we may take flight. ’Tis none too soon—
This base shall not survive this great attack.
CHEWBAC.
Auugh!
HAN
—Nay, nay! This one here and that one there.
’Tis clear? [Aside:] I do admit this Wookiee here is dear,
But if he break my ship I’ll break his pate!
Enter C-3PO with R2-D2, aside.
C-3PO
My R2 small, pray be thou safe, good friend,
And take especial care of Master Luke.
Farewell, farewell! Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say farewell till thou hast left.
R2-D2
[aside:] “Till thou hast left”? No poet he, indeed.
Alas, it seems that romance is not one
Of 3PO’s six million forms of speech.
[Exit R2-D2. C-3PO moves to Princ
ess Leia and General Rieekan. Loud sounds of shaking are heard.
HAN
O zounds! What is this pow’rful shaking here?
The base begins to crumble even now.
Our humble shelter made of snow and ice
Is now defeated by the Empire’s might
And starts to fall apart. O, shall we too?
Shall our rebellion suffer this same Fate—
To be destroyèd by the Empire cruel?
To be demolish’d by Imperi’l strength?
Though I had plann’d to go and save myself
From Jabba’s bounty hunters, I cannot:
This smuggler-captain never shall desert
Whilst friends nearby do mortal peril face.
I shall not steal away and leave behind
The princess who doth lead the rebels true.
She is of great importance, and my life
Must be but secondary to her fate.
So shall I take her in the Falcon swift
And spirit her away to someplace safe.
’Tis not because of how I feel about
Her, nay; naught there of love, that much is true—
Now to it, Han, ere our great cause is lost.
[Han Solo moves to General Rieekan and Princess Leia.
Your Worship, art thou well?
LEIA
—O, wherefore art
Thou yet within this base? Hast thou not fled?
HAN
The center of command has been struck down.
LEIA
And yet hast thou thy clearance to depart.
HAN
Depart I shall, but first deliver thee
Unto thy ship.
C-3PO
—Your Highness, we must take
This final transport. ’Tis our only hope!
[A blast is heard, closer.
OFFICER
[through comlink:] Imperi’l troops have come into the base!
Imperi’l troops have come into the base!
HAN
Now end thy stubborn ways, and set aside
Thy prejudice. Thou wilt come with me now,
I do command it. Neither argument
Nor moving speech nor aught that thou canst say
Shall sway me now: thou wilt come with me, Princess.
LEIA
[aside:] O noble man, protector of my soul!
[To aide:] Send our evacuation code and get
Thee to thy transport.
[Exeunt General Rieekan and aide. Han Solo and Princess Leia begin to walk toward the transport.
C-3PO
—Prithee, wait for me!
[As they make their way to the ship, a wall falls in their path.
HAN
The battle is within the very walls,
And ev’ry portent tells of dread and doom.
[Into comlink:] Good transport, this is Solo. Take your leave—
Our way has now become a wayward thing,
All fill’d with mounds of ice that block our path.
This moment calls for quick decision. Thus,
I shall with Leia flee on Falcon’s wings.
[Han Solo and Princess Leia run the other way, toward the Millennium Falcon, shutting the door against C-3PO.
C-3PO
But wait, where do you go? Pray, do come back!
Most typical this is. O wretched fate,
To be deserted by my friends most dear.
These human beings care but little for
Us droids who ever serve with loyalty.
Thus shall I end my days within this base,
A frozen remnant of the rebels’ stay
On Hoth. Belike one day explorers shall
Discover this defeated base, shall dig
Into its core and find a golden droid
Whose final resting place was ice and snow.
“Who would abandon such a lovely droid?”
No doubt this shall be their response when they
Espy me here. “What wretched humans would
Leave such a one as this alone to rot?”
I shudder at this thought, let it not be!
O open up your hearts unto my kind,
Then open wide this door for kindness’ sake!
[The door opens.
HAN
Anon, thou goldenrod, thou heap of scrap,
Else shalt thou ever stay within this base
And make thyself a lasting icy grave.
C-3PO
[aside:] This man is both the reason for my pain
And for my joy. My gratitude o’erflows!
[They enter the Millennium Falcon.
HAN
[to Chewbacca:] Now wherefore doth the ship not function right?
LEIA
Pray, would it help if I did disembark
And push with all a princess’ might upon’t?
HAN
Belike!
C-3PO
—Pray, Captain Solo, Captain Solo!
HAN
Tut!
C-3PO
—It shall wait.
LEIA
—This bucket full of bolts
Shall ne’er beyond that blockade make escape.
We may as well depart the base aboard
A tauntaun’s furry back!
HAN
—The ship hath yet
Surprising, keen maneuvers, sweetheart. Watch!
The ship protects us with its lasers true
Against th’Imperi’l troops who come at us.
See, Princess, see? Now Chewie, let us fly,
And hope we shall not burn the engine out.
Repairs are made—let us repair to space!
LEIA
One day thou shalt be wrong, and well I hope
I shall bear witness to thy failure great.
HAN
Anon, Chewbacca, lead us to our fate!
[Exeunt in the Millennium Falcon.
SCENE 4.
The rebel base on Hoth.
Enter LUKE SKYWALKER and R2-D2.
LUKE
The recent battle is both lost and won:
’Tis lost because of rebels who expir’d,
’Tis lost because our base is compromis’d,
’Tis lost because our time on Hoth is done,
’Tis lost because we now evacuate.
And yet, ’tis won because two walkers fell,
’Tis won because the foes arriv’d too late,
’Tis won because our transport is away,
’Tis won because we live to fight again.
R2, we leave anon. With all due speed
Prepare the ship for takeoff.
R2-D2
—Meep, beep, squeak!
LUKE
Fear not, R2, for now we fly!
R2-D2
—Beep, hoo.
LUKE
Now flies my weary soul to Dagobah,
The place that hath in vision called to me.
I know not what or who this Yoda is,
Yet do I trust the ghost of my dear Ben.
To be a Jedi is my calling now,
To learn the ways of the most potent Force.
Already have I had more mentors than
Most people would e’er know in seven lives.
But here I am, drawn t’ward another quest—
To travel to an unknown system, aye,
And meet an unknown person who, perhaps,
Doth not expect my sudden visit there.
Yet I believe the words that came from Ben
Were better than a foolproof prophet’s tale.
There is a tide in the affairs of Jedi,
Which taken at the flood, leads to the Force.
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in black holes and in miseries.
On such a full sea I am now afloat.
And I must take the current where it serves,
Or lose my chance to find my destiny.
R2-D2
[aside:] O noble speech, with feeling brute and raw.
My master’s honor shall I serve with pride.
How best to show him I stand by his side?
I’ll offer ways to help him navigate.
[To Luke:] Beep, meep, meep, squeak, beep, whistle, whistle, beep?
LUKE
Nay, nothing’s wrong, I merely change our course.
R2-D2
Meep, beep, squeak, whistle, beep, meep, meep, beep, whee?
LUKE
We shall not rendezvous with our friends yet.
Unto the system Dagobah we travel—
And what we shall meet there, time shall unravel.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 5.
Space, in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.
Enter HAN SOLO, CHEWBACCA, and PRINCESS LEIA.
HAN
Hoth is a memory, but trouble still
Doth follow close behind. With threat’ning force
The Empire’s ships aggressively pursue
My well-belovèd ship. Shall we escape?
CHEWBAC.
Auugh!
HAN
—Truly, Chewie, I did see them too!
LEIA
I prithee, say—what hast thou seen, O Han?
HAN
Two Star Destroyers coming t’ward the ship.
Enter C-3PO.
C-3PO
Sir, Sir, may I but say a thing to thee?
HAN
Pray, shut him up or shut him down, anon!
Prepare our shield—they still may be outrun.
[Aside:] With all my pilot’s wisdom, skill, and might
I shall attempt to outwit these who chase.
Now watch, you Empire vile, how I do fly!
First up and down, aye, up and down, this Han
Will lead them up and down. Away we go!
Now back and forth, then back around again.