by Ian Doescher
LANDO
Yet shall we fare far better than we will
If we engage the Death Star! And belike
Our deaths shall mean their deaths as well. Lay on!
[Lando of Calrissian, Nien Nunb, Admiral Ackbar, Wedge Antilles and all rebels and Imperial pilots begin to exit as they duel, while Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine watch from above.
EMPEROR
Thy fleet hath lost, and thy dear ones upon
The Endor moon shall not survive. Indeed,
My troops shall make them squeal in agony.
There’s nothing left for which to fight, and no
Escape for thee, my young apprentice. Thine
All’ance shall be destroy’d, as shall thy friends.
The cry of dying rebels—O, how sweet!
How like a song unto my spirit dark.
And now, young one, I feel thine anger rise.
I sense thy hatred, which doth stir my blood.
I sit here, all defenseless, in thy sight.
Take up thy weapon now, and strike me down
In all thy hate, and then your journey t’ward
The dark side of the Force shall be complete.
LUKE
[ aside:] This man is pure incarnate evil. Shall
He goad me past the point of no return?
But what else can I do? Shall I remain
And weakly watch the death of all I love?
Nay, I cannot—for I would rather die
Than live and know I did not fight for them.
I must have courage now, and come what may!
[Luke reaches out toward his lightsaber with the Force, drawing it into his hand. He tries to strike the Emperor but is stopped by Darth Vader’s lightsaber.
EMPEROR
Ha, ha! Thy transformation hath begun!
Your steps draw ever closer unto me.
[Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader duel.
LUKE
[ aside:] Now shall I fight, if fight I must to save
My friends so dear.
VADER
[ aside:] —He is far stronger and
More subtly skill’d than when we last did meet.
[Luke Skywalker kicks Darth Vader off the balcony. Darth Vader stands up below, ready.
EMPEROR
’Tis well, apprentice—thine aggressiveness
Shall serve thee well. Let all thy hatred flow
Within thee.
[Luke Skywalker turns off his lightsaber.
VADER
—Obi-Wan hath taught thee well.
LUKE
I shall not fight thee, Father.
[Darth Vader climbs the balcony and strikes at Luke Skywalker.
VADER
—Unwise art
Thou so to lower thy defenses, boy!
[They continue to duel. Luke Skywalker jumps away from Darth Vader.
[ Aside:] His nimbleness astounds me. Almost do
I wish I did not serve another’s will.
Imagine what we two could do, were I
Not subject to another’s ev’ry whim.
LUKE
Thy thoughts betray thee, Father. I can feel
The good within thee, and the conflict, too.
VADER
There is no conflict.
LUKE
—Aye, thou couldst not bring
Thyself to kill me earlier and I
Believe thou shalt not hurt me, even now.
VADER
Thou verily dost underestimate
The power of the dark side. If thou wilt
Not fight, then thou shalt meet thy destiny.
[Darth Vader throws his lightsaber toward Luke Skywalker, which hits the balcony where Luke stands. Luke falls and hides.
EMPEROR
Ha ha, ’tis well! Now, Vader: finish it.
VADER
[ aside:] What words shall I employ to find a son,
To drive him so to hatred that he shall
Attempt to strike me down, and then be turn’d
Unto the dark side? O, is this not strange?
Were e’er there words to such a purpose put?
[ To Luke:] Thou canst not hide forever, Luke.
LUKE
—I shall
Not fight thee.
VADER
—Give thyself unto the dark
Side. ’Tis the only way to help thy friends.
[ Aside:] O what is this I sense within him now?
Another secret kept conceal’d from me?
Shall I e’er be the last to know my past?
[ To Luke:] Indeed, thy thoughts betray thee, for thou hast
Strong feelings for thy friends, especially
For one thou dost call sister. Aye, thou hast
A sister, and a twin. Thy feelings have
Betray’d her too. ’Twas wise of Obi-Wan
To try to hide the girl from me, but now
His vast and utter failure is complete.
LUKE
[ aside:] O Leia, how my thoughts have giv’n thee o’er!
Fie, cursèd be my weak and changing mind
That e’er I did let Vader see its thoughts.
I wish’d that he would but as father see
His daughter there, and by her presence might
Be mov’d toward a better, nobler path.
But now I know he doth but wish to taunt
And draw me out by his discovery.
O Leia, ever since I first did see
Thee in the beam from R2’s light I knew
We shar’d a deep connection. Now have I
Been partner to her cause through many times
Of hardship: battles won and lost, the joys
That come from victory, and all the griefs
That flow when friends have perish’d. With regard
To this both noble and fair princess, I
Have gone from hope of romance to a far
More deep and greater form of love. I fain
Would give my life for her. But O! That I
Should here betray her so, e’en with my weak
And simple-minded thoughts—what folly! Nay,
Far more: what horrid, selfish knavery!
But how shall he, my father, use this knowledge?
Will he attempt to capture her again
And lock her in this Death Star as he hath
Before? Or shall he seek to kill her now,
Since he doth know she may a threat become?
VADER
Belike, boy, thou dost wonder how her fate
Shall alter’d be, since I do know of her.
Thus pay good heed to this I do declare:
If thou shalt not toward the dark side turn,
Mayhap she will.
LUKE
[ aside:] —O thought more evil than
Whate’er I did or could imagine. [ Revealing himself:] Nay!
[Luke Skywalker fights Darth Vader passionately.
For Leia shall I strike thee down, thou brute!
For Han and all my friends I do attack!
For Ben, whom thou didst slaughter sans remorse,
For all thou hast destroy’d, I vengeance bring!
[Luke Skywalker strikes Darth Vader and cuts off his hand.
VADER
Ah!
EMPEROR
—Good, my young apprentice. Thy strong hate
Hath made thee powerful, indeed. Fulfill
Thy destiny, and take thy father’s place
Beside me. Strike him down, and rule with me!
[Luke Skywalker looks at the stump of Darth Vader’s hand, and at his own gloved hand.
LUKE
[ aside:] My father’s hand, of wires and circuits made,
I have in fury sever’d quite. And here,
My hand, of wires and circuits also made,
For in another duel, another place,
He hath the living one dismemberèd.
�
��Tis plain to me what is transpiring here:
I do become like him. Torn up by hate,
More like machine than man with ev’ry scar,
Fulfilling the foul Emperor’s base will.
Shall this obsess’d, derang’d, and wicked man
Lead yet another Skywalker unto
A path of dark and evil? Shall it be
That I become the thing that I despise?
Protect me, Jedi ancestors, from such
A mangl’d Fate, so hopeless, grim and bleak.
[ To Emperor:] I never shall be turn’d unto the dark.
Thy plan hath fail’d, thy Highness; I am Luke
Skywalker, Jedi Knight, just like my brave
And noble father.
EMPEROR
—Then so be it, Jedi.
Thy proclamations foolish change not this:
I still control thy final destiny.
If thou shalt not be turn’d, then thou shalt be
Destroy’d! Bear witness to the terror and
The torment of the dark side of the Force!
[Emperor Palpatine strikes Luke Skywalker with lightning that flows through his hands. Luke falls. Darth Vader rises.
LUKE
O agony!
EMPEROR
—Young fool, ’tis only now
In this, thy final living moment, thou
Dost comprehend thy folly and my might.
[He continues to strike Luke with lightning.
Thy feeble skills are nothing when compar’d
To all the power of the dark side. Thou
Dost pay the rightful price for thy severe
And utter lack of vision. Aye, thy debt
Is due, and I am both thy creditor
And thy collector, too. What thou hast not
Repaid with thy belief I shall exact
From thine own flesh. And O, what joy it brings
To charge thee thus—my payment justly earn’d.
To wound thee, hurt thee, break thee, and, at last,
To bring to thee the death that I am ow’d.
[The Emperor continues to assault Luke with lightning.
LUKE
O, Father, please, do not stand idly by—
Assist me, if thou ever mercy knew!
EMPEROR
And now, young Luke Skywalker, thou shalt die.
[The Emperor gleefully assails Luke with lightning. Luke screams and writhes in pain.
LUKE
My Father, gracious father, lend me aid!
Extend to me the grace I beg of thee!
VADER
[ aside:] This torment is not only his, but mine.
His ev’ry shriek doth sound within my soul
As though ’twere I who were assaulted here.
What feeling’s this—my heart hath turn’d toward
The boy? My heart, that center of my soul
That I so long have hidden ’neath the dark
And evil deeds that well befit a Sith.
But how my heart doth groan as though it wakes
From lengthy sleep. It shakes my spirit, spurs
My aging wither’d body, and doth make
Me young again—I am a Jedi Knight,
By Obi-Wan instructed; Anakin,
The name by which my mother call’d me, calls
Me now to resurrect my former self.
Methinks I feel the Force within me here—
Not to perform the deeds of evil men
But to release myself from bitter hate
And rescue Luke, whose courage I behold.
It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul.
Be Anakin Skywalker now—recall
The man thou wert and rescue thy dear son!
[Darth Vader lifts Emperor Palpatine and throws him down a long shaft, where he is killed amid his lightning and flames.
LUKE
O Father, thou hast sav’d me from great woe—
And thou hast sav’d thyself. Now, let us go!
[Exeunt.
SCENE 3.
Inside the shield generator bunker on Endor / Space / Inside the second Death Star.
Enter IMPERIAL COMMANDER and IMPERIAL TROOPS on left side of stage. HAN SOLO appears in viewscreen, dressed as an Imperial AT-ST pilot.
HAN
The battle’s over, my commander. All
The rebels have been routed, and abscond
Unto the forest. Reinforcements are
Requir’d to aid us in our quick pursuit.
TROOPS
Hurrah!
COMMAND.
—Send thou three squads to bring them help!
Pray, open up the back door speedily.
What joy! The rebels know defeat today,
