by Ian Doescher
The vile First Order winneth when they cause
Our souls to tremble, thinking we’re alone.
’Tis not the truth, believe it not, my friends;
Good folks will join the fight if we but lead.
Our general, strong Leia, ne’er gave up,
And neither, as we spread her legacy,
Shall we give up. We’ll show we’re not afraid—
All that our mothers and our fathers fought
For, we shall not let die. Nay, not today!
This day we make our final, mighty stand
For ev’ryone within the galaxy,
For Leia, brave and worthy general,
For all whom we have lost along the way.
[All begin making preparations throughout the base.
Enter CHORUS.
CHORUS
With newfound hope doth our Resistance bold
Spring into action, soon to face the foe!
Although they fear the massacres of old,
Each person, droid, and weapon prime to go.
The ships prepar’d, they launch into the skies
Whilst friend to friend join in a last embrace.
Today, Resistance strong and sure doth rise,
The pow’rful Emp’ror finally to face!
[Exit Chorus.
FINN
They have already ta’en too much from us—
Now we shall press them with a frightful strike.
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry, “Bold Resistance shall its hope enlarge!”
[Exeunt in various ships.
1 Editor’s translation: My princess and my general, not so!
2 Editor’s translation: There is no cease of sorrow when the heart
Like refuse is cast out and thrown away.
My best friend, Han, was fell’d by his own son,
And now is reunited with his love—
The woman who such kindness show’d to me,
She who was ever noble, graceful, true,
More than a friend: my human family.
When she walk’d into our two scoundrel lives—
Brash, certain of herself, and calling me
A walking carpet moments after we
Our first encounter had on Death Star old—
I was not certain we could ever be
E’en allies, far less comrades closely knit.
The years and our shar’d cause smooth’d ev’ry edge
Of our beginning, rocky though it was.
In time, her wit and grit fit perfectly,
The piece that did complete our puzzle well.
Then were we Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Luke,
Profound quartet t’amaze a galaxy.
Han fallen, Luke did follow, Leia now—
On sorrow have I surfeited too much,
Ate too much of the bitter meat of woe.
Shall old Chewbacca outlive ev’ryone?
Hath no man’s dagger here a point for me?
3 Editor’s translation: There is not time enow for sadness when
The galaxy is threaten’d by such spite.
Bear up thy mourning shoulders and stand tall,
Chewbacca—for thou sure shalt honor all
The lost in fighting for the cause they lov’d.
SCENE 1.
On Exegol.
Enter REY stage right in the X-wing. A fleet of Star Destroyers fills the sky in the center of the stage. Enter, stage left, various FIRST ORDER OFFICERS.
OFFICER 2
Her ship is on approach.
OFFICER 3
[over loudspeaker:] —All ships ascend
Unto departing altitude anon.
[The Star Destroyers begin to rise.
REY
’Tis Exegol at last, where I meet fate.
Two lightsabers beside me—I’m prepar’d.
Beneath this mighty block my path awaits.
Descend into the depths, then, come what may.
Enter POE DAMERON with R2-D2 in his X-wing; FINN, ROSE TICO, JANNAH, BB-8, LIEUTENANT CONNIX, and BEAUMONT KIN in a lander vessel; and SNAP WEXLEY, NIEN NUNB, AFTAB ACKBAR, and other SOLDIERS and PILOTS in various ships to center stage, arriving at Exegol.
POE
[into radio:] The way is rough, my friends. Stay lock’d
upon
The course Rey valiantly hath set for us.
Yea, let us hope that matters here, again,
Take not a most unfavorable turn,
And dampen our attack.
OFFICER 3
—Pray, Captain, look!
Resistance craft arriving in a trice.
OFFICER 2
Allegiant General!
Enter ALLEGIANT GENERAL PRYDE and ADMIRAL GRISS, stage left.
PRYDE
—Use our own guns,
And shoot them from the sky an ’twere a sport.
POE
[into radio:] Infinity of matter is no dream.
Behold that fleet, beyond proportion grand!
[The First Order begins firing on the Resistance ships.
Damn this endeavor, they will wreck us all!
Now we’re in Exegol, the more fool we.
Descend unto their altitude anon,
For they’ll not fire upon us if they shall
But strike each other, making the attempt.
Go! Help shall come.
FINN
[into radio:] —Below! The tow’r I’ve found—
’Tis in my sights, if we can make it there.
[The ships rush toward the tower. Rey reaches the Emperor’s chambers.
REY
[aside:] As glorious as Takodana was—
When first I laid mine eyes upon its shores
And learn’d that all was not bleak as Jakku—
This glooming place is its stark opposite.
All blacks and grays, with flashes of white light,
Forbidding as e’er nightmare was. Be calm.
Enter TIE FIGHTER PILOTS center stage, rushing toward the Resistance ships.
SNAP
[into radio:] Incoming TIEs, upon us suddenly.
POE
[into radio:] I see them. Finn, I’ll ope thy path. Thereby,
Thy team will be enabl’d to perform
Some feats of wonderful dexterity.
OFFICER 3
[to Pryde:] They’re targeting the navigation tow’r,
To render our fleet undeployable.
PRYDE
Then we’ll not use the tower, Officer.
Switch thou the navigation signal to
This ship, wherefrom we’ll launch the eager fleet,
Steer it into the galaxy ourselves.
[The navigation tower turns off.
PILOT 1
[into radio:] The navigation tower is, at once,
Deactivated, like they knew our plan.
FINN
[into radio:] What’s this foul news thou dost report?
Alas!
SNAP
[into radio:] The ships rely upon the signal, Finn,
Thus it must come from somewhere, verily.
POE
[into radio:] They have deduc’d our operation. Fie!
By way of staying execution, call
Thou off the operation on the ground.
FINN
[into radio:] Nay, wait! The signal cometh from above—
The vast command ship flying o’er us all.
’Tis certainly our drop zone, I affirm!
JANNAH
How canst thou know?
FINN
—A feeling. ’Tis enow.
>
PILOT 1
[into radio:] Thou wouldst a ground invasion launch
upon
A Star Destroyer?
FINN
[into radio:] —Listen: from afar
The navigation functions we’ll not stop.
’Tis not my heart’s desire, yet we must fly
Unto the ship forthwith. Pray, cover us—
The fleet must here remain till help arrives.
ROSE
We hope.
FINN
—Forsooth, we hope with all our strength.
POE
[into radio:] Ye heard the general—pay heed to him!
All wings give cover to the lander now,
And give your whole attention to the mass
Of TIEs that fly beneath us.
[The lander in which Finn, Rose, and Jannah fly lands on the command ship.
FINN
[into radio:] —Venture forth!
OFFICER 4
[to Pryde:] A carrier for troops hath landed on
Our vast and hulking ship.
PRYDE
—Their speeders jam!
OFFICER 5
Sir, I cannot.
PRYDE
—Say wherefore?
OFFICER 5
—It is not
Mere speeders they employ.
[Finn, Jannah, and other Resistance soldiers ride out of the lander on orbaks.
FINN
—In faith, methinks
My riding is most fair for having had
A single lesson in the skill thereof.
[Rose, Beaumont, BB-8, and others run out of the lander.
BB-8
Zooz fllireej flirblip bloo blicroil bluu roil!
FINN
Thou art a wonder. Forward, BB-8!
The tower is ahead, for us to strike.
[Rey reaches the Sith throne.
REY
[aside:] The throne that I have seen in vision grim!
Shall I be seated thereupon anon?
[She points to the audience.
Behold, around me, minions of the dark—
Vast numbers, followers of Palpatine,
Who watch like groundlings for the final scene.
Enter EMPEROR PALPATINE stage right, connected to an Ommin harness. Enter several SOVEREIGN PROTECTORS, surrounding him.
PALPATINE
Long have I waited to regard thy face
And see my grandchild to her home return.
Ne’er did I want thee dead, but wish’d thee here,
Mine Empress Palpatine. Thou shalt the throne
Assume, for ’tis thy birthright here to reign.
’Tis in thy blood—our blood—that which we share.
REY
I have not come to lead the evil Sith,
But end them.
PALPATINE
—As a Jedi?
REY
—Even so.
PALPATINE
Nay. Hatred, spite, and anger waft from thee
Because thou dost desire to slaughter me.
’Tis what I want as well—we share the aim.
Kill me; so shall my spirit pass to thee.
As all the Sith live in me, so thou shalt
Be Empress when we two are fin’ly one.
[All the Star Destroyers engage their thrusters.
POE
[into radio:] The truth of the whole matter’s plain
enow—
The ships are hot, preparing to depart!
How goes thy mission, Finn? Give thy report.
FINN
[into radio:] We shall soon detonate our forceful bombs
And, in a flash, destroy the tower whole!
JANNAH
The hatches we must fill with deadly shells.
FINN
Fine BB-8, this is the moment, droid!
[Finn and Jannah cover BB-8 while he opens a hatch on the command ship.
JANNAH
[aside:] My former comrades, arrows fly on thee!
Feel thou my bite in vengeance and remorse—
The vengeance on your ranks for evil done,
Remorse for all I did ere I left you!
BB-8
Zooz zoomblox blay flew flitblav zzwa bluublis
Flir blikrooq zilfblip bluuzoon roil bloozilf
Zoom fllireej roil rooh roilflig bleeblic zood!
[Finn and Jannah set several explosive devices in the hatch. Finn, Jannah, and BB-8 escape as the hatch and the tower above it explode.
FINN
[into radio:] A-ha! ’Tis finish’d.
POE
[into radio:] —Well done, clever Finn!
The navigation signal silenc’d is,
Yet shall not be forever. With a shout
I call attention to the fact, and it
Becomes immediately obvious.
OFFICER 5
[to Pryde:] Our systems are offline.
PRYDE
—Reset anon
The navigation signal.
OFFICER 6
—In a trice!
[Finn and Jannah prepare to run back to the lander, but Finn hesitates.
JANNAH
Come, Finn!
FINN
—Nay, listen, for the cannons stop—
They shall refresh their systems once again.
JANNAH
What is the consequence? Why pausest thou?
FINN
There is yet something fate would spin for me.
JANNAH
Wherever thou shalt go, I’ll thither too.
SNAP
[into radio:] Fie, neither Falcon nor some backup comes.
R2-D2
[into radio:] Meep, squeak?
POE
[into radio:] —Nay, I confess I do not
know,
But feel a chafing of my mind at these
Most unaccountable vicissitudes
Of fortune, Artoo. Peradventure none
Shall come to give us aid. If so, we’re doom’d.
AFTAB
[into radio:] What shall we do, then, Gen’ral, midst this
scrap?
POE
[into radio:] We are lamentably deficient, true,
Yet must hit them ourselves, with all we have.
PILOT 1
[into radio:] What can we do against these giant ships?
POE
[into radio:] We now approach what is, by far, the most
Important and most interesting part
Of this, wherein we must but stay alive.
PALPATINE
The time hath come! With all thy hatred, take
My life and thus ascend unto the throne.
REY
Thou wantest only for my soul to hate,
Yet I shall none. I’ll hate not even thee.
PALPATINE
Weak like thy parents.
REY
—Nay, they both were strong.
They sav’d me from a greater evil: thou.
PALPATINE
Thy master, Luke Skywalker, once was sav’d
By his dear father. ’Tis unfortunate:
The only fam’ly thou hast here is I.
[He uses the Force to open a panel and
reveal the battle in the sky overhead.
They have not long, thy friends. No one shall come
To give them succor, and thou art the one
Who led them hither, that they all may die.
Strike me and take my throne, reign
over my
New Empire, and the vast fleet shall be thine.
’Tis thou alone who hast the pow’r to save
Thy weak companions from their foolery.
Refuse, and thy new family shall die.
Enter BEN SOLO stage right, arriving in a TIE fighter.
BEN
[aside:] The journey was both long and perilous,
Yet have I come to start my recompense—
The debt I owe for acts of evil done,
The obligations due to those I hurt,
The needed payments at mine own expense,
The balance due for th’life of Kylo Ren.
I see Luke’s X-wing here and sense that Rey
Hath come therein, the Emperor to face.
Toward the massive edifice I run,
Then leap within the pit where sits the throne—
Ouch! ’Twas far easier when platform did
Provide descent far gentler than this climb.
REY
[aside:] Ben, he is here! Now, trickery shall hap.
[To Palpatine:] Yea, I shall do it, even as thou say’st.
PALPATINE
Good, good.
[Rose, Connix, and Beaumont retreat into the lander, but Rose realizes Finn is gone.
ROSE
[into radio:]—Finn, where art thou? Why com’st thou
not?
The lander shall departure make anon!
FINN
[into radio:] Thou must fly sans both Jannah and myself.
We swiftly shall the ship entire destroy.
ROSE
[into radio:] What, truly? How shall ye accomplish this?
FINN
[into radio:] We’ll fire on the command deck presently.
Get hence, Rose, please. Farewell.
BEAUMONT
[to Rose:] —Rose, we must go!
[Finn aims a cannon at the command deck.
JANNAH
I’ll to the trigger that we soon may strike.
PALPATINE
So it begins! She’ll bravely strike me down,
And pledge herself unto the potent Sith.
BEN runs toward the throne room. Enter several
KNIGHTS OF REN, center stage, blocking his path.
BEN
[aside:] My former comrades now in darkness come,
They know I have defected from their cause
And gladly shall prevent my passageway.
[Ben fights the knights, who subdue him.
PALPATINE
She shall, upon my mark, her weapon draw,
Make her approach toward me and have done.
She shall take her revenge, and with a stroke
Of her lightsaber are the Sith reborn.
She shall, in doing so, proclaim to all
The Jedi now are dead and gone fore’er!
[Rey turns on Luke’s lightsaber.
