William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back (13 page)

Thou canst not know this, Luke. E’en Yoda doth

Not have the pow’r, their final fate to see.

But I may help them now; I feel the Force!

To see is one thing—to control is yet

Another. Dangerous this moment is

For thee, for thou shalt be sore tempted, in

Thy rage, toward the dark side of the Force.

Yes, to Obi-Wan

Thou must listen. The cave, Luke:

Recall thy failure!

But truly, I have learn’d so much since then.

I know what I must watch for and beware,

I know how tempted by the dark I’ll be,

I know this and shall, therefore, guard my soul.

I tell thee, Master Yoda, I’ll return

And finish all my training. This I vow.

Pray, open up thine eyes. ’Tis thee and thine

Abilities the Emperor desires.

They are the bait, and thou the colo claw—

Thou art the fish the Emperor would catch.

Thy friends do suffer only for thy sake,

So that, through them, thou mayst be easily

Drawn in.

—And that is why I have to go.

Present unto the Emperor the fish,

And rest assur’d the bait is off the hook.

O Luke, I would not lose thee as I lost

Darth Vader. His betrayal made my life

A bleak and tragic thing. Thy loss unto

The dark would make my death a hellish, cold

Eternity.

—I shall return, dear Ben.

My training thus far shall suffice, it is

Enough; I stand prepar’d to face the dark.

Stoppèd they must be;

On this depends ev’ry thing.

But pray, attend me:

Only a fully

Trainèd Jedi may defeat

Vader and his Lord.

If thou leavest now,

And here do end thy training,

Thou art choosing ease.

And once on the path

Of ease and haste, like Vader

Thou mayst become, Luke.

Attend to Yoda’s wisdom, Luke, and stay.

O, exercise thy patience, worthy lad.

And in the waiting sacrifice my friends?

Is that the choice that ye would have me make?

This hard indeed is.

But if thou honor the thing

For which they fight: yes.

If thou dost choose to face Darth Vader, thou

Shalt be alone; I cannot interfere.

I understand, and have been fully warn’d.

My mind is set; good R2, do prepare.

Fire up the ship’s converters: we depart.

O, do not give in unto hate, dear Luke,

In doing so the dark side shalt thou find.

[
Aside:
] Indeed, I once did see it happen thus.

Strong is Darth Vader.

Remember what thou hast learn’d,

For save thee it can.

I shall, and shall return: you have my word.

[Exeunt Luke and R2-D2.

Warnèd thee I have—

He a reckless spirit hath.

Now matters are worse.

That boy is our first, last, and greatest hope.

[Exit Ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

But nay, ’tis not so.

For another yet there is:

One more hope for us.

O how this plagues me!

The boy for training hath come,

But too soon is fled.

A young bird he is,

Too eager the nest to leave,

Yet trying to fly.

But young birds fly not—

Their wings still too fragile are.

Instead, they do fall.

And fall this one shall.

But how far, how fast, how long?

Time only shall tell.

Little bird, be safe.

If thou the nest seest again

I shall meet thee then.

[Exit Yoda.

Nay, nay, good Sir, as I have said before:

I have no permit that shall let me pass,

But Lando of Calrissian I seek.

[
through comlink:
] Thou shalt not enter unto Bespin, nay.

Why dost thou fire at me and my good ship?

Be not so quick to turn to blasters, Sir—

I prithee, grant me time but to explain…

[
through comlink:
] Make thou no deviation from thy course.

These Bespinites are rather petulant—

They’ve nothing of my disposition sweet.

[
to Han:
] I thought that thou didst say thou knowest this

Man Lando.

—Auugh!

—But ’twas so long ago.

Nay, surely he doth hold no grudge by now.

[
through comlink:
] Thou hast permission now to land upon

The platform three–two–seven.

—Many thanks.

Now do ye see, ye doubters all? I tell

Ye truly: Lando is a friend, indeed.

Nay, who hath worri’d? [
Aside:
] Verily, there is

A something here that seemeth not aright:

This welcome hath been less than welcoming.

Yet Han with brave nobility hath led

Our troubl’d quest—I shall not doubt him now.

[The
Millennium Falcon
lands and Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and C-3PO disembark.

Egh.

—O, there is no one to meet us here.

I do not like this, Han.

—What wouldst thou like?

At least we are no more upon the ship—

Enough of space I’ve seen to last a life.

’Twas kind of them to let us land.

[
to Princess Leia:
] —Be calm

And trust me, all things shall end well.

[
aside:
] How shall I play this? Shall I distant be?

Nay, then he shall become suspicious and

May have some cause to fear ere Vader comes.

I shall be jovial and shine with joy—

A colt is ridden best by kindly rider.

I know ’tis true: it worketh ev’ry time.

Thus, to deceive I shall employ a jest.

[
Walking to Han:
] Thou slimy, double-crossing, no-good swine!

Thou hast a nerve to show thy cheating face,

Since thou hast prov’n thyself a lying thief.

Is’t possible? Is friendship’s mem’ry slain?

Heigh-ho, I mock at thee, my goodly friend!

How art thou, pirate? ’Tis a joy to see

Thee here.

[
to Princess Leia:
]—He doth seem full of friendship’s mirth.

Aye, truly, he seems full of it indeed.

What brings thee here to Bespin?

—Ship repairs.

Methought thou couldst some kind assistance grant.

What hast thou done unto my ship?

          —Thy ship?

Remember thou didst lose her o’er to me

As fairly as the day is long.

—And how

Dost thou, Chewbacca? Hang’st thou still around

This aging renegade?

—Egh!

[
to Princess Leia:
]          —O, what light

Doth break upon mine eyes? What beauty’s this?

I give thee welcome, gentle lady. I

Am Lando of Calrissian, and do

Administer this great facility.

And who, pray tell, art thou? Eh?

—Leia, I.

[
kissing her hand:
] Most welcome, Leia.

—Aye, ’tis well, ’tis well.

Thou ever wert a lover of fair things.

C-3PO am I, and at your service…

[Lando turns his back.

[
Aside:
] I wonder that I still am talking here:

Nobody marks me.

[
to Han:
]          —What doth ail the ship?

The hyperdrive.

—My people shall begin

Work on’t immediately. I tell thee,

That ship in many cases sav’d my life!

What stories of adventure I could tell

In which the ship doth play the central part.

She is the fastest heap of scrap in all

The galaxy!