The prologue of Troilus and Cressida reimagined as a space opera.

"Troilus and Cressida"

In space, there lie our stars. From planets large,

The earthly prince, his high blood wounded much,

Has to the port of Saturn sent his ships,

Filled with the guns, despisèd instruments

Of cruel war. Eighty and nine that wore their

Sigils proud, from the Saturnian rings

Put forth toward Mars; and their vow is made to

Desolate Earth, within whose defense lies

Ravish’d Helen, the Saturnians’ queen,

With whom the earth prince sleeps – that’s the quarrel.

To Earth the Saturnians make with speed,

And first on Mars do they there rest and feed

Their warlike bodies; now on Martian plains

The yet unbruised Saturnians do pitch

Their brave pavilions: Station One, Two, Three,

Outposts Alpha, Beta, Charlie, Delta.

There on Earth, the eager prince with courage

And hungry words does spur the sons of man.

Now expectation on both sides of our

Stars, Earth and Saturn, sets all men on edge.

Hither I come as messenger arm’d, not

With soldier’s power or diplomat’s skills,

But suit’d to tell you, new generation,

That our story leaps over the first broils,

To find the honest earthling astronaut,

The fabled prince’s only young brother,

Whose love for a Saturn girl is our plot,

A love that the dark of space doth smother.

We begin in the middle, thus on Mars

To watch the lovers play with fate and stars.