by Ian Doescher
YODA
If to th’recordings
Of security you’d go,
Pain there shall be found.
OBI-WAN
Wise Master Yoda, still: the truth will out.
[Obi-Wan turns on the recording. Darth Vader appears in beam, slaying younglings.
It cannot be—O, Anakin, my friend!
Mine heart doth not believe what mine eyes see.
Enter DARTH SIDIOUS above, on balcony. Enter DARTH VADER, kneeling before him.
SIDIOUS
Thou hast done well, my new apprentice bold.
Go hence, and to the Empire bring full peace!
[Exeunt Sidious and Vader.
OBI-WAN
No more mine eyes shall see, else I in torment
Shall live the length of my remaining days.
YODA
End the Sith we must,
Else thus shall the curtain draw
On our fondest hopes.
OBI-WAN
I beg you, Yoda, let me undertake
To slay the emperor, not Anakin.
I cannot kill my former Padawan.
YODA
To fight Sidious,
Pow’rful enow you are not.
Be me it must. Hmm.
OBI-WAN
The man is like a brother unto me;
I cannot do this, nay, and I shall not.
YODA
Twisted by the dark
Young Skywalker hath become;
Gone is he you train’d.
Consum’d he hath been,
Destroyèd by Darth Vader,
Ruin’d by the Sith.
OBI-WAN
I know not where the emperor hath sent
Him, or what errand he doth now pursue.
Where shall I look, were I to do this thing?
YODA
Feelings, Obi-Wan:
Stretch out with your feelings, yea,
And you him shall find.
[Exit Yoda.
OBI-WAN
O, give me some employment outside this:
Some message to deliver to Naboo,
Some task upon the dunes of Tatooine,
Some embassage to the Kaminoans,
Some matter for a distant galaxy.
My Padawan, my friend, mine Anakin,
How shall I make defeat of thy good life?
How can I reconcile this with my mind,
Which so repulses at the thought of it?
Mayhap what Yoda says hath seeds of truth:
The Anakin I knew is come to naught
And hath been slain by Vader’s presence vile.
Is this but rationalization, or
Is it some higher wisdom I may trust?
Methinks one day I may believe ’tis true—
When thought of from a certain point of view.
Enter PADMÉ.
PADMÉ
Good Obi-Wan, to see you does me well—
Such worry and such fright do fill my days.
OBI-WAN
Sweet Senator, forgive me for my words,
Yet I must be direct and speak the point:
When was the last time you saw Anakin?
PADMÉ
’Twas yesterday, ere he departed hence.
OBI-WAN
Know you where he hath gone?
PADMÉ
—Nay, by my troth.
OBI-WAN
Kind Padmé, ’tis your help alone I need,
For he is in grave danger.
PADMÉ
—From the Sith?
OBI-WAN
Nay, lady, from himself. The man is chang’d:
I tell you, to the dark side he hath turn’d.
PADMÉ
Your errant accusation shocketh me!
How could you say such things of Anakin?
OBI-WAN
Mine eyes have seen the dreadful hologram,
Ta’en by the temple’s sharp security.
O, how I wish I could unsee the sight!
’Twas he, a’killing younglings innocent.
PADMÉ
Not Anakin, nay, ne’er. He could not do’t.
OBI-WAN
He was deceiv’d by vicious, hateful lies—
Forsooth, we all were utterly deceiv’d.
The chancellor hath play’d the puppeteer
And pull’d the strings that set the whole Republic
Aflame with hate, mistrust, and horrid war.
The Sith for whom we search’d—’tis Palpatine!
When old Count Dooku died, then Anakin
Did rise to be apprentice in his place.
PADMÉ
I’ll not believe these words, I never shall.
OBI-WAN
Brave Padmé, I entreat you by whate’er
Hath still some good within our galaxy:
I must discover whither he hath flown.
PADMÉ
Then you shall kill him: speak, is that your aim?
OBI-WAN
He hath become a threat unto us all.
PADMÉ
Nay, I cannot mine Anakin betray.
OBI-WAN
He is the father of the child within—
The one you carry in your womb—’tis true?
[Padmé looks down, ashamed.
Dear lady, pray forgive me for my deeds.
I ask of you: in all your orisons,
Bethink upon mine humble soul contrite.
[Obi-Wan moves as if to exit but hides instead.
PADMÉ
I must away to Mustafar anon
And warn my love, mine Anakin, of this.
Is’t possible that Obi-Wan is right—
Is Anakin turn’d murtherer? Alack!
It cannot be, I’d ne’er believe it so.
Yet with these doubts and whispers doth mine heart
Begin to ache, thus must I find him soon
And learn from his own mouth what hath transpir’d.
O, Captain Typho! Captain Typho, say!
Enter CAPTAIN TYPHO and C-3PO.
TYPHO
My lady, what is it? How may I help?
PADMÉ
I must depart at once.
TYPHO
—But where and why?
PADMÉ
The destination must remain unknown.
TYPHO
Sweet lady, prithee, let me come with you.
PADMÉ
There is no danger—this I promise thee.
The war is over; this is personal.
TYPHO
As you desire, yet I must disagree.
PADMÉ
Fear not, kind Captain: soon all shall be well.
This single journey I must make myself.
C-3PO—good droid, I’d have thee come:
Protect me well and ease this captain’s mind.
TYPHO
If he shall go with you, I shall be sway’d.
C-3PO
My heavens! Aye, my lady, I shall go—
The feat of flight I do begin t’embrace.
TYPHO
Then fare you well, until we meet again.
[Exeunt Padmé and C-3PO. Exit Captain Typho severally. Obi-Wan comes forward.
OBI-WAN
To Mustafar! I’ll follow on with haste
And join the two as they do thither fly.
Entirely hidden, though, I must remain,
Until the system Mustafar we reach.
Young Anakin I’ve known since Tatooine:
On Mustafar we play our final scene.
[Exit Obi-Wan.
SCENE 1.
On the planet Coruscant, in the chamber of the Galactic Senate.
Enter DARTH SIDIOUS. Enter DARTH VADER in beam.
VADER
The Sep’ratists have been dispatch’d, my lord.
SIDIOUS
’Tis finish’d, then. Thou hast, in one fell swoop,
Restor’d unto the galaxy the peace
And justice for which it s
o long hath yearn’d.
Pray, send a message to the far-flung ships
Of the Trade Federation—all the droids,
The armies and the units, ev’ry one,
Must be turn’d silent.
VADER
—Master, it shall be.
[Exit Vader from beam.
Enter YODA.
YODA
A new apprentice
Taken you have, Emperor—
Or, Darth Sidious.
SIDIOUS
My little Master Yoda—you surviv’d.
YODA
That tone in your voice:
Is’t the stunn’d note of surprise
That I do perceive?
SIDIOUS
Your pride o’erwhelms your sight, O, foolish one.
Now, know the power of the dark side whole!
[Sidious shoots lightning from his hands, taking Yoda by surprise and knocking him against a wall.
How I have long’d for such a time as this,
O, strange companion, small and weak and green.
’Tis certain that the Jedi are extinct.
[Yoda rises.
YODA
Not if there is aught
About these circumstances
To which my voice speaks.
[Yoda uses the Force to throw Sidious back.
SIDIOUS
O, peril! Mighty power of the Force!
YODA
Upon your harsh rule
The curtain shall quickly fall;
Not short enow ’twas.
[Sidious tries to escape.
If so powerful,
So mighty and wise you are,
Wherefore should you flee?
SIDIOUS
You shall not stand athwart my passage hence.
Darth Vader shall become more powerful
Than either you or I have ever been.
YODA
Hmm. Your profound faith
In your newfound apprentice
Misplacèd may be.
As, most verily,
Is your erroneous faith
In the dark side’s might.
[Yoda and Sidious brandish their lightsabers. They duel. The platform on which they fight rises into the chamber of the Galactic Senate.
SIDIOUS
All pow’r is mine, small Yoda, is’t not clear?
Feel now the mighty dark side of the Force!
[Sidious uses the Force to throw Senate pods at Yoda.
YODA
[aside:] Vast his strength is, troth,
An ’twere a thousand Jedi
That did serve his will.
Jump and soar I do,
Each falling pod evading,
Yet cannot for long.
Turn on him I shall
The very pods he doth heave—
On him they shall fly.
[Yoda uses the Force to send a pod hurling back toward Sidious, who dives out of the way.
SIDIOUS
If not by lightsaber or darkest Force,
My lightning shall undo you at the last.
YODA
’Tis not a device
With pow’r enow to defeat
A Jedi Master.
[Sidious shoots lightning at Yoda, who repels it.
Indeed, you shall see
The bold will of a Jedi,
’Gainst the dark to fight.
[Both Yoda and Sidious are blown backward by the concentrated lightning. Yoda tumbles to the floor.
SIDIOUS
Success and might are mine, O, Jedi rank!
[Yoda hides.
Enter CLONE TROOPERS and MAS AMEDDA.
YODA
[aside, into comlink:] I prithee, haste make!
Verily, o’erwhelm’d am I,
Of rescue I’ve need.
Enter BAIL ORGANA above, on balcony, in cruiser.
Skill, care, and judgment,
Essential in this instance
Shall these assets be.
BAIL
Pray, activate your homing beacon when
You are prepar’d for mine arrival, sir.
[Exit Bail Organa.
TROOPER 1
[to Sidious:] His body all our scanning hath not found,
My good lord Sith.
MAS
—Then lo, he is not dead.
SIDIOUS
Go! Double all thine efforts in this matter.
I shall find and destroy the imp anon.
TROOPER 1
Forsooth, sir, I’ll o’ersee the search myself.
[Exeunt clone troopers.
SIDIOUS
[to Mas:] Tell Captain Kagi to prepare my ship—
I shall depart immediately hence.
MAS
Aye, Master.
SIDIOUS
—All my senses scream to me,
As if to say that Vader hath found danger,
And doth require what help I’d proffer him.
[Exeunt Sidious and Mas Amedda. Yoda emerges from hiding.
YODA
To exile I’ll go,
For ne’er have I profoundest
Failure as this known.
Ne’er hath a Jedi,
Nay, not mere Jedi—Master!—
Been so blind as I.
Methought I was wise,
O, wherefore did I so think?
Verily, ’twas false.
The rise of the Sith,
Come upon me like a thief
In the night it hath.
How did I not sense,
How could mine inner vision
The dark not have seen?
O, woe fills my days,
I must hence, crying heigh-ho,
To banishment go.
[Exit Yoda.
SCENE 2.
On the planet Mustafar.
Enter DARTH VADER.
VADER
A ship to Mustafar makes swift approach—
A ship of the Republic. Who hath come?
What fiend doth come t’assail me in this place?
Shall I no peace discover in this life?
Just when a moment of some respite comes,
Another threat doth rise to challenge me.
Thus hath my life by others’ deeds been led,
Yea, I am pawn, and knight, and king, and fool—
Who is it that can tell me who I am?
I am a man more sinn’d against than sinning.
Enter PADMÉ.
PADMÉ
Mine Anakin, I have been sore afraid,
Yet seeing thee here, all my fear’s eras’d.
VADER
’Twas thy ship landed here, O, praise the day.
Yet wherefore art thou here in this dark place?
PADMÉ
For thee alone my deep concern hath swell’d.
’Twas Obi-Wan—he spoke a fearful word.
VADER
What hath he said to thee? I prithee, tell.
PADMÉ
He said unto the dark side thou hast turn’d,
And that thou didst slay younglings in the temple.
VADER
’Tis plain that Obi-Wan doth speak these lies
To sway thee from my love most broad and ample.
PADMÉ
He cares for us—by thee hath he been priz’d.
VADER
“For us”—how doth he know that we are us?
PADMÉ
He hath found out the secret of our love.
’Tis well, fear not, he shall not be unjust.
He fain would help thee.
VADER
—Ha! Aye, there’s the rub.
PADMÉ
O, Anakin, say wherefore speak’st thou so?
Know’st thou thy love is all that I desire?
VADER
Yet shall it save thee? Nay, not love alone,
But only these strong, newfound pow’rs of mine.
PADMÉ
What price, say, wo
uldst thou pay to have this pow’r?
Thou art a noble man—turn not to darkness.
VADER
Thou’lt not die, as my mother was devour’d.
The power Palpatine gives me to harness
Is far beyond all other Jedi Knights.
I do it all for thee, for thy protection.
PADMÉ
O, fly with me, my love, fly in a trice.
Escape! Let not our child grow up neglected.
Leave all behind and flee while still we may.
VADER
Yet do thine eyes not see with vision clear?
We do not need to run—be not dismay’d.
I’ve brought the peace th’Republic so reveres.
Above the chancellor my pow’r doth rise.
Together, we shall rule the galaxy—
Aye, thou and I, my sweet. This thought abides:
What we desire, thus shall we make indeed.
PADMÉ
What mine ears hear, my mind cannot believe:
Thy words have neither rhyme nor reason, nay.
Aye, Obi-Wan has it: thou art reliev’d
Of ev’ry sense, transform’d by thoughts insane.
VADER
I’d hear no more of Obi-Wan tonight.
The Jedi turn’d from me; do not the same.
PADMÉ
Who is this who doth speak with tongue like knife?
I tell thee truly, I know not thy name.
Mine heart is broken by thine alteration;
This path thou follow’st is not mine to walk.
VADER
’Tis due to Obi-Wan I am forsaken?
