William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back

Thou liest, O thou villain cruel and cold.

[They duel, and Luke falls into the carbon freezing machine.

VADER

[aside:] ’Twas far too simple, trapping him within.Perhaps the boy is not as powerfulAs my great Emperor and I did think.

[Luke leaps out of the carbon freezing machine.

LUKE

I am not captur’d yet, thou lord of hate.

Thou must another evil scheme deriveTo catch me in thy snares. For I am quick,And move with all the power of the Force.

VADER

Impressive, most impressive, worthy lad,Thine Obi-Wan hath taught thee well, and thouHast master’d all thy fears. Now, go! ReleaseThine anger, for thy hate alone can strikeMe down! [Aside:] Now ’tis the moment to provokeHis inner rage. Come walls, machines, and parts

And come at him from ev’ry side. He’ll beMade weak, and in his weakness darkness find!

[Darth Vader uses the Force to strike Luke with nearby objects.

LUKE

Alas, I fall—O Fate, be on my side!

[Luke falls out a window.

VADER

The battle goes exactly as foreseen.The boy is powerful and skill’d, ’tis true,

But his young powers are no match for mine.It seems that Obi-Wan was weak with age,For this boy’s training still is incomplete.He shall be turnèd yet, for I still holdThe news that shall undo him utterly.He thinks the speed of my lightsaber andMy power to send objects hurtling atHim are the worst that I can muster, butMy greatest weapon yet shall break his soul,Not touch his body. He shall know the truth.

But even as I plan to share with himThe story of his father, I must pause.The strange confusion I before have feltHath come again into my mind. What is’t?I know no better Fate for him and meThan to be join’d in service to my LordAnd Emperor. So why am I confus’d?Enough of this now, Vader: finish it.The boy shall turn or he shall be destroy’d.

[Exit Darth Vader. Luke begins to climb through the window.

LUKE