William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back

Copyright © 2014 by Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved.
Used under authorization.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Number: 2013913273

eBook ISBN: 978-1-59474-716-8
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-59474-715-1

Hardcover Designed by Gregg kulick
Text by Ian Doescher
Illustrations by Nicolas Delort
Hardcover Production Management by John J. McGurk

Quirk Books
215 Church Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
quirkbooks.com

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v3.1

FOR MURRAY BIGGS:

THE YODA TO MY LUKE

FOR JOSH HICKS:

SOUNDING BOARD AND JEDI KNIGHT

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Afterword

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

CHORUS

LUKE SKYWALKER,
a Jedi trainee

GHOST OF OBI-WAN KENOBI,
a Jedi Knight

YODA,
a Jedi Master

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA,
of Alderaan

HAN SOLO,
a rebel captain

CHEWBACCA,
his Wookiee and first mate

C-3PO,
a droid

R2-D2,
his companion

LANDO OF CALRISSIAN,
a scoundrel

LOBOT,
his man-at-arms

GENERAL RIEEKAN,
of the Rebellion

WEDGE ANTILLES,
a rebel pilot

DACK, DERLIN, HOBBIE, JANSON,
and
ZEV,
soldiers of the Rebellion

EMPEROR PALPATINE,
ruler of the Empire

DARTH VADER,
a Sith Lord

PIETT, OZZEL, VEERS,
and
NEEDA,
gentlemen of the Empire

BOBA FETT,
a bounty hunter

WAMPA ICE CREATURE,
of Hoth

EXOGORTH,
of the asteroid field

UGNAUGHTS,
merry dwarves of Bespin

REBEL PILOTS, LIEUTENANTS, CONTROLLERS, AIDES, DROIDS, BOUNTY HUNTERS, AT-ATS, IMPERIAL TROOPS, OFFICERS, GUARDS,
and
SOLDIERS

O, ’tis for the Rebellion a dark time.

For though they have the Death Star all destroy’d,

Imperi’l troops did from the ashes climb

And push the rebels closer to the void.

Across the galaxy pursu’d with speed,

The rebels flee th’Imperi’l Starfleet vast.

A group with Luke Skywalker in the lead

Hath to the ice world known as Hoth flown fast.

Meanwhile, the cruel Darth Vader is obsess’d

With finding young Skywalker. Thus he hath

Through ev’ry point of space begun his quest

By sending robot probes to aid his wrath.

In time so long ago begins our play,

In war-torn galaxy far, far away.

[Exit.

If flurries be the food of quests, snow on.

Belike upon this Hoth, this barren rock,

My next adventure waits. ’Tis time shall tell.

And yet, is it adventure that I seek?

Shall danger, fear, and action fill my days?

Shall all my life be spent in keen pursuit

Of great adventure and her fickle fame?

It seemeth I have had enough of life

To fill a thousand normal human lives—

A princess in a vision spake to me,

My aunt and uncle by stormtroopers slain,

A hasty flight from my home, Tatooine,

A pilot and a Wookiee and a Knight,

A rescue brave within our cruel foe’s grasp,

My teacher kill’d, and then the final scene:

The Death Star battle—many friends were lost,

But in the end a greater war was won.

Adventure hath both taken from my life,

And given to me ev’rything I have.

And thus I seek and shun its tempting ways.

E’en now adventure knocks upon the door:

A flaming orb hath struck the ground nearby.

Is it a portent of some ill to come?

[
Into comlink:
] ’Tis Echo-Three to

Echo-Seven: Han,

My true companion e’er, canst thou hear me?

[
through comlink:
] Aye, truly, chuck, thy voice

rings loud and clear.

What can I do for thee, my noble friend?

My circle ’round the area hath been

Completed now, but naught of life nor forms

Of life my scan hath yet uncover’d.