by Ian Doescher
I shall embrace my royal sister as
A pow’rful ally, and shall show to her
The path that surely leads unto the Force.
[ To Obi-Wan:] ’Tis Leia, aye? My soul doth know ’tis she.
OBI-WAN
Thine instincts serve thee well, Luke. Bury now
These feelings, for they do thee credit but
May be manipulated and abus’d
If e’er the Emperor should learn of them.
LUKE
It bringeth my heart joy to see thee, Ben,
I’ll heed thy counsel till we meet again.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 3.
The rebel fleet, in space.
Enter HAN SOLO and LANDO OF CALRISSIAN.
HAN
My friend, well met! ’Tis good to see thee here
And not a’dangling o’er a sarlacc’s pit.
Thou wast promoted well—a general!
LANDO
Belike our leaders were inform’d about
Mine actions at the battle of Taanab.
HAN
Cast not thine eyes on me for blame or thanks—
I did but tell them thou art pilot fair.
But knew not that they hop’d to find the one
Who would direct this crazy-brain’d attack.
LANDO
Nay, “crazy-brain’d” thou sayst? How may that be,
Since thou dost know a thing or two of Death
Star battles and what it doth take to win?
Surpris’d I am that they did not ask thee.
HAN
But who hath said that they did not inquire?
Yet I am not of madness made. And thou,
Remember well, art fashion’d of respect.
Enter PRINCESS LEIA, CHEWBACCA, C-3PO, MON MOTHMA, ADMIRAL ACKBAR, GENERAL MADINE, WEDGE ANTILLES, and several REBEL PILOTS.
MOTHMA
I prithee, gather ’round, ye rebels all,
And mark ye well the message I relay.
The Emperor hath made a critical
Mistake, and our time for attack is nigh.
The data brought to us by Bothan spies
Details th’exact location of the vast
New battle station that the Emperor
Hath underta’en to build. We also know
This battle station’s weapon systems are
Not fully operational as yet.
Th’Imperi’l fleet is spread both far and wide
Throughout the galaxy, with hopes—quite vain—
That they shall soon engage us in a fight.
And while the fleet’s away, the station hath
But minimal protection. This, my friends,
Would be good news enough, but there is more:
Reliable report hath come to us
That e’en the dreaded Emp’ror Palpatine
Himself doth oversee construction of
The Death Star, and is presently on board.
This news doth cheer us, friends, but pray recall
That many Bothans died to bring it here.
I call on Adm’ral Ackbar to unfold
Our plan so you may know your roles in this,
The final chapter of rebellion’s tale.
[Admiral Ackbar turns on a visual model of the Death Star and the forest moon of Endor.
ACKBAR
You may within this model see the Death
Star orbiting around the forest moon
Of Endor. Though the weapons systems on
The Death Star are not operational
As yet, the Death Star hath a strong defense:
It is secur’d by shield of energy
A’generated on the forest moon.
Deactivated must this shield be ere
We can attack. Then, when the shield hath been
Disarm’d, our cruisers shall take wing and fly
Within the superstructure to destroy
The main reactor. This attack shall be
Made by a squadron of our wingèd ships
Led by our General Calrissian,
Who is 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 LUKE SKYWALKER 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.
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br /> 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 PRINCESS 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 DARTH VADER.
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 the Force have still
To do with heirs, with flesh and bone that sprang
From me and that sweet life that once I led?
How can this Sith, this man of pain and death,
Be father to the fruit of far-gone love?
It seems well nigh impossible when one
Considers what I’ve been. For, verily,
I may not hide the man I truly am:
A warrior devoted to the cause
Of Emperor and Empire both. ’Tis who
I am: I must be mad when I have cause
And smile at no one’s jests. No humor doth
Give pleasure to my mouth or stir my heart,
Nor would I dare to ever love again,
If e’en this mess of tangl’d wires could love.
I am a Sith, most surely to be fear’d.
Yet that perplexing thing remains: a son.
Enter EMPEROR PALPATINE and royal guards.
What is thy bidding, master?
EMPEROR
—Send the fleet
Unto the farthest side of Endor. There
Let it remain, until ’tis callèd for.
VADER
What of the recent news that rebels are
Amassing near to Sullust? Is it so?
EMPEROR
It is of little consequence, for soon
This vile Rebellion shall be crushèd and
Young Skywalker shall know the dark side’s pow’r.
Thy work upon the Death Star is complete.
Thou shalt go hence to the command ship, and
Await my orders there.
VADER
—My master: aye.
[Exit Darth Vader.
EMPEROR
Now all the players and the scenes are set
To bring about our greatest triumph yet.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 1.
On the Imperial shuttle Tydirium and the Super Star Destroyer.
Enter LUKE SKYWALKER, HAN SOLO, CHEWBACCA, PRINCESS LEIA, C-3PO, and R2-D2. Enter ADMIRAL PIETT and IMPERIAL cONTROLLER on balcony, on the Super Star Destroyer.
HAN
Now if the Empire is not by our ruse
Deceiv’d, we must fly quickly, Chewie.
CHEWBAC.
—Auugh.
CONTROL.
We have you on our screens; identify
Yourselves.
HAN
—The shuttle of Tydirium
Requests deactivation of the shield
Of energy.
CONTROL.
— Tydirium, transmit
Your clearance code for passage through the shield.
HAN
Transmission doth commence.
LEIA
—Now shall we learn
If all these codes were worth the price we paid
For them—the loss of friends, the loss of life.
HAN
Aye, it shall work, ’twas sacrifice well made.
CHEWBAC.
Egh!
