Read William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return for Free Online Page A

worthy and a noble chap.
    HAN
    Good luck be thine, my friend. Thou shalt need it.
    ACKBAR
    Thus endeth my report. Now General
    Madine, thine efforts for our mission wilt
    Thou presently recap?
    MADINE
    —We’ve stolen an
    Imperi’l shuttle, which, disguisèd as
    A cargo ship, shall use a secret code
    To land upon the moon. Thereon a team
    Shall fearlessly deactivate the shield.
    C-3PO
    A dangerous experience, no doubt.
    LEIA
    [
to Han:
] And who, I wonder, has agreed to it?
    For such a mission may quite futile prove.
    HAN
    Nay, be thou not afraid. A man of wit,
    Of clever mind and fine exterior
    They must have chosen, whom thou shalt approve.
    MADINE
    Good Gen’ral Solo, is thy team prepar’d?
    LEIA
    [
aside:
] A man of wit! He ne’er doth cease t’amaze.
    HAN
    My team is ready, yet I do not have
    A crew who shall the shuttle’s flight command.
    CHEWBAC.
    Auugh!
    HAN
    —It shall not be easy, friend, thus I
    Had not yet volunteer’d thy worthy name.
    CHEWBAC.
    Egh!
    HAN
    —Well! Now have I one!
    LEIA
    —And count me two.
    Good General, I gladly follow thee.
    Wherever thou dost go, then so shall I,
    Wherever thou remain, thus I shall too,
    Thy people shall my people be as well,
    And all thy battles shall my battles be.
    Enter
L UKE S KYWALKER
and
R2-D2.
    LUKE
    Why have but two when three is company?
    I shall go with thee also, noble friend.
    [
Aside:
] My sister! Ah! To see her fills my heart!
    [Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia embrace.
    LEIA
    What is’t?
    LUKE
    —Ask yet again, another time.
    HAN
    Ho, Luke!
    LUKE
    —Good Han, and Chewie!
    R2-D2
    —Beep, meep, squeak!
    C-3PO
    “Exciting” would not be my word of choice,
    ’Tis more like “harrowing,” if I were ask’d.
    [Exeunt all but Han Solo and Lando of Calrissian.
    HAN
    Now preparation’s made, good Lando, yet
    A word with thee ere thou depart, my friend:
    With heart sincere I proffer this to thee:
    Take thou my ship, the brave
Millenn’um Falcon
.
    Thou shalt be greatly aided in thy task
    If thou wilt take the fastest ship that e’er
    Did fly within our galaxy. Thou dost
    Have more experience with this swift ship
    Than any but Chewbacca and myself.
    Thou art a skill’d and worthy pilot, and
    I trust that thou shalt keep her safe.
    LANDO
    —’Tis well,
    I am persuaded, and shall take the ship
    And leave with thee both gratitude and my
    Assurance that I know how deeply thy
    Heart stirs for her. Thus do I pledge: I shall
    Take care of her as though she were my own,
    And shall deliver her sans e’en a scratch.
    HAN
    [
aside:
] This Lando doth protest too much, methinks.
    I was not nervous till he made his pledge.
    [
To Lando:
] No scratch, indeed. I take with me thy word.
    LANDO
    We part, thou pirate true. And Han, good luck.
    HAN
    To thee as well, good friend.
    [Exit Lando of Calrissian as Han Solo boards the Imperial shuttle
Tydirium.
    Enter
Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, C-3PO,
and
R2-D2
in the cockpit with Han Solo.
    CHEWBAC.
    —Auugh.
    HAN
    —Nay, I think
    The Empire had not Wookiees on their minds
    When they design’d her, Chewie. Are we set?
    Enter
P RINCESS Leia.
    I see the good
Millenn’um Falcon
yon,
    And wonder how the die for her is cast.
    LEIA
    Art thou awake, or dost thou slumber on?
    HAN
    A feeling tells me this look is my last.
    CHEWBAC.
    Auugh.
    LEIA
    —General, let us depart.
    HAN
    —Aye, true—
    Now let’s see what this heap of junk can do!
    [Exeunt, flying off in the shuttle
Tydirium.

SCENE 4.
    Inside the second Death Star.
    Enter
D ARTH V ADER .
    VADER
    The strangest feelings have been mine of late.
    To know my son exists confounds my wits
    As I did ne’er imagine. What is this
    Confusion that doth obfuscate my mind?
    For evil I am made, for punishment
    Of foes, for conquering of peoples, and
    To do the perfect will of my great lord
    And Emperor. Of these I certain am,
    For this hath been my role full many years.
    Yet where within this surety is room
    For offspring? For a son? What can a life
    Liv’d on the dark side of