by Ian Doescher
It is not animal.
LEIA
—Well, then ’tis not
The self-same creature that did harm our Luke.
But what do ye men think that it may be?
HAN
Belike a speeder, one of ours?
CONTROL.
—Nay, wait.
A signal dim doth reach unto mine ears.
[A faint signal is heard.
PROBE
[through comlink:] Beh mena bem bem. Mena bem bem beh.
C-3PO
Good Sir, six million forms of language do
I know, and I may tell thee true that this
Strange signal is not by th’Alliance us’d.
It may, perhaps, be an Imperi’l code.
HAN
’Tis not a friendly sound, that much is sure.
Now Chewie, come with me and we’ll to it.
[Aside:] Snow creatures first, and now Imperi’l droids,
What portents of great evil may these be?
Though I am brave, forsooth these signs do make
E’en my courageous heart begin to fear.
I find myself afraid of what may come,
That my whole soul shall freeze ere this is done.
[To all:] Chewbacca and myself have ventur’d out
To see the probe. Now Chewie gives a shout—
It fires on him, and I respond in turn.
Be gone, thou enemy of all that’s right.
But wait, now what hath happen’d? I releas’d
A blast most simple—aye, a single blast.
Yet it appears that single blast was all
It could withstand; the blast was lethal, friends.
Now naught is left, for it hath been destroy’d.
LEIA
What was’t?
HAN
—A droid. My blast did not strike hard,
Belike the thing did self-destruct.
LEIA
—’Tis clear!
A probe droid from the Empire. This doth mean
The start of our rebellion’s flight from Hoth,
For now that we discoverèd have been
We lack security.
HAN
—Agreed. Methinks
The Empire knoweth we are here on Hoth.
[Aside:] My sense of doom and dread is not without
Its cause, for this event is grave indeed.
RIEEKAN
Good friends, dear rebels, comrades one and all,
We have no choice but to flee hastily.
Our swift evacuation shall commence,
And till ’tis done, make ready our defense.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 7.
Aboard the Empire’s Super Star Destroyer.
Enter ADMIRAL OZZEL, GENERAL VEERS, and CAPTAIN PIETT.
PIETT
My admiral?
OZZEL
—Yes, Captain.
PIETT
—Here’s a thing
That thou shouldst see, good Sir. We have receiv’d
Report from a Hoth system probe, the best
That we have found so far.
OZZEL
—Your best, belike,
Shall bested be, for thousands of these probes
We have a’wandering the galaxy
And looking for the rebels. I want proof,
Piett, not leads. Proof—only that—is best.
PIETT
But Sir, this best is better yet, for it
Hath found some forms of life upon the ground.
OZZEL
How better yet? How best? It could be but
An error or some useless reading. If
We were to follow ev’ry lead, our best
Would soon turn worst.
PIETT
—And yet I do maintain
My best is better yet for this: ’tis said
That Hoth is all devoid of human forms.
It seems, good Sir, the rebels have been found.
Why else would sign of life appear on Hoth?
I’ll warrant, Sir, my forecast shall prevail.
Enter DARTH VADER.
VADER
You have found something good?
PIETT
—My Lord, we have.
A probe that late hath made descent on Hoth
Hath made discovery of both life forms
And the appearance of a power source.
[Piett shows Vader the screen.
VADER
Thy judgment hath prov’d best, Piett: ’tis them.
Forsooth, the rebels may be found therein.
OZZEL
My Lord, there are throughout the galaxy
So many settlements we have not mapp’d.
This could be smugglers, maybe even—
VADER
—Nay,
That is the system, certain am I of’t,
And Skywalker is with them there. Now set
Thy course t’ward Hoth, and Gen’ral Veers, prepare
Your men for combat.
[Exeunt Admiral Ozzel, General Veers, and Captain Piett.
—Hath not a Sith eyes?
Hath not a Sith such feelings, heart, and soul,
As any Jedi Knight did e’er possess?
If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you
Blast us, shall we not injur’d be? If you
Assault with lightsaber, do we not die?
I have a body as do other men,
Though made, in part, of wires and steel. And aye,
I vari’us passions feel, as all men do.
So I, a Sith, shall not distracted be
Till I attain the thing for which I seek.
Therefore I shall pursue this Skywalker
Unto the limit of the galaxy.
For true, he hath the Death Star quite destroy’d,
And true, he hath the Force with him as well.
But truly, more than that the boy doth have—
For truth be told, his name doth stir my soul.
The boy’s connection to myself I do
Not understand as yet. This Skywalker
Must have some link to my life past, but what?
So shall this Sith pursue this rebel lad,
And find the missing truth of Vader’s life.
Enter GENERAL VEERS.
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.
VADER hails ADMIRAL OZZEL and CAPTAIN PIETT, 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 HAN SOLO and CHEWBACCA, 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 LUKE SKYWALKER.
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 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 CONTROLLER and GENERAL 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 REBEL PILOTS, including HOBBIE and MAJOR DERLIN, and PRINCESS LEIA.
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 LUKE SKYWALKER and DACK, his copilot, with REBEL PILOTS, including WEDGE ANTILLES, JANSON, and ZEV.
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 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!