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 knaves again.
Prepare your swift harpoon and we shall strike!
AT-AT 3
They think themselves the noble ones, but we
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.