Copyright © 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved.

Used under authorization.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Number: 2012953985

eISBN: 978-1-59474-655-0

Designed by Doogie Horner

Text by Ian Doescher

Illustrations by Nicolas Delort

Production management by John J. McGurk

Quirk Books

215 Church Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

quirkbooks.com

v3.1

TO GRAHAM AND LIAM,

MY YOUNG PADAWANS,

AND JENNIFER, “BUT NEVER

DOUBT I LOVE …”

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Dramatis Personae

Prologue

Act I

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

Scene 7

Act II

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Act III

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

Scene 7

Scene 8

Act IV

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

Scene 7

Act V

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

Afterword

Acknowledgments

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

CHORUS

LUKE SKYWALKER, a boy of Tatooine

OWEN LARS, his uncle

BERU LARS, his aunt

OBI-WAN KENOBI, a Jedi knight

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA, of Alderaan

HAN SOLO, a smuggler

CHEWBACCA, a Wookiee and Han’s first mate

DARTH VADER, a Sith Lord

GOVERNOR TARKIN, of the Imperial army

C-3PO, a droid

R2-D2, his companion

JABBA THE HUTT, a boss

GREEDO, his bounty hunter

WEDGE ANTILLES, a rebel pilot

BIGGS DARKLIGHTER, a rebel pilot

REBEL LEADERS, CHIEF PILOTS, STORMTROOPERS, CAPTAINS, COMMANDERS, ADMIRALS, GUARDS, JAWAS, DROIDS, TUSKEN RAIDERS, BAR PATRONS, IMPERIAL LEADERS, and REBEL PILOTS

PROLOGUE.

Outer space.

Enter chorus.

CHORUS It is a period of civil war.

The spaceships of the rebels, striking swift

From base unseen, have gain’d a vict’ry o’er

The cruel Galactic Empire, now adrift.

Amidst the battle, rebel spies prevail’d

And stole the plans to a space station vast,

Whose pow’rful beams will later be unveil’d

And crush a planet: ’tis the DEATH STAR blast.

Pursu’d by agents sinister and cold,

Now Princess Leia to her home doth flee,

Deliv’ring plans and a new hope they hold:

Of bringing freedom to the galaxy.

In time so long ago begins our play,

In star-crossed galaxy far, far away.

[Exit.

SCENE 1.

Aboard the rebel ship.

Enter C-3PO and R2-D2.

C-3PO Now is the summer of our happiness

Made winter by this sudden, fierce attack!

Our ship is under siege, I know not how.

O hast thou heard? The main reactor fails!

We shall most surely be destroy’d by this.

I’ll warrant madness lies herein!

R2-D2 —Beep beep,

Beep, beep, meep, squeak, beep, beep, beep, whee!

C-3PO —We’re doomed.

The princess shall have no escape this time!

I fear this battle doth portend the end

Of the Rebellion. O! What misery!

[Exeunt C-3PO and R2-D2.

CHORUS Now watch, amaz’d, as swiftly through the door

The army of the Empire flyeth in.

And as the troopers through the passage pour,

They murder sev’ral dozen rebel men.

[Fighting begins.

Enter REBELS. Many die. Enter STORMTROOPERS and DARTH VADER. Exeunt. Enter R2-D2 with PRINCESS LEIA. C-3PO is across the stage.

C-3PO Pray, R2-D2, where art thou?

[Exit Princess Leia.

R2-D2—Beep, meep.

C-3PO At last, where hast thou been? I fear they come

In this direction. Pray, what shall we do?

My circuitry o’erloads, my mind’s o’erthrown!

And fear hath put its grip into my wires.

We shall be sent unto that place I dread—

The Kessel spice mines whence no droid returns—

And there be blasted into who knows what!

[R2-D2 begins to exit.

Anon, anon, R2! Where dost thou go?

O prithee, patience, leave me not alone.

[Aside:] Aye, even though I mock and injure thee,

I’ll surely die if e’er thou leavest me!

[Exeunt droids.

SCENE 2.

Aboard the rebel ship.

Enter DARTH VADER, carrying REBEL LEADER 1 by the neck, and STORMTROOPERS.

REBEL 1 The Death Star plans we could not find herein,

Nor are they on the main computer, Lord.

In short, they are not here, and there’s an end.

VADER Thou speakest well, my stormtrooper, and yet

Not well upon my ear the message falls.

I turn to thee, thou rebel. Aye, I lift

Thy head above my own. Thou canst now choose

To keep thy secrets lock’d safe in that head,

And therefore lose the life thou holdest dear,

Or else to keep thy head and, thus, thy life.

My patience runneth quickly out much like

The sands across the dunes of Tatooine.

So tell me, else thou diest quick: where shall

We find transmissions thou didst intercept?

What hast thou done, say, with those plans?

[Darth Vader begins to choke Rebel Leader 1.

REBEL 1—My Lord,

My head and life I value—certain ’tis!

And yet to thee I must report we have

Not intercepted one transmission! Ahh!

This is a cons’lar ship, and nothing more,

On diplomatic mission. Ugh!

VADER—Thou knave!

With thy last breath hear thou this word: if this

Is but a cons’lar ship, then where is the

ambassador? [Rebel Leader 1 dies.] Commander, prithee, go!

Rend thou this ship apart until the plans

Are found, and bring me any passengers—

Upon thy life, I want them brought alive!

[Exeunt stormtroopers.

And so another dies by my own hand,

This hand, which now encas’d in blackness is.

O that the fingers of this wretched hand

Had not the pain of suff’ring ever known.

But now my path is join’d unto the dark,

And wicked men—whose hands and fingers move

To crush their foes—are now my company.

So shall my fingers ever undertake

To do more evil, aye, and this—my hand—

Shall do the Emp’ror’s bidding evermore.

And thus we see how fingers presage death

And hands become the instruments of Fate.

[Exit Darth Vader.

Enter STORMTROOPERS, searching. Enter PRINCESS LEIA, holding a blaster.

TROOPER 1 Aye, there is one. My comrades, set for stun!

[Princess Leia shoots, Stormtrooper 1 dies.

Stormtroopers stun Princess Leia.

TROOPER 2 She shall be well. Go now, inform the dread

Lord Vader we have caught a prisoner.

[Aside:] And may Mos Eisley drinks flow swift and free

When Vader grants rewards for work well done!

[Exeunt stormtroopers with Princess Leia.

Enter C-3PO and R2-D2 as the latter enters escape pod.

C-3PO Hold! Thou art not permitted to go in.

Deactivated thou shalt surely be.

R2-D2 Beep, beep, beep, meep!

C-3PO —Thou shalt not label me

A mindless, brute philosopher! Nay, nay,

Thou overladen glob of grease, thou imp,

Thou rubbish bucket fit for scrap, thou blue

And silver pile of bantha dung! Now, come,

And get thee hence away lest someone sees.

R2-D2 Beep, meep, beep, squeak, beep, beep, beep, meep, beep, whee!

C-3PO What secret mission? And what plans? What dost

Thou talk about? I’ll surely not get in!

[Sound of blast.

I warrant I’ll regret this. So say I!

[Exit C-3PO into escape pod.

R2-D2 This golden droid has been a friend, ’tis true,

And yet I wish to still his prating tongue!

An imp, he calleth me? I’ll be reveng’d,

And merry pranks aplenty I shall play

Upon this pompous droid C-3PO!

Yet not in language shall my pranks be done:

Around both humans and the droids I must

Be seen to make such errant beeps and squeaks

That they shall think me simple. Truly, though,

Although with sounds oblique I speak to them,

I clearly see how I shall play my part,

And how a vast rebellion shall succeed

By wit and wisdom of a simple droid.

[Exit R2-D2 into escape pod.

CHORUS Now climb the metal pair into the pod,

Which shooteth from the ship like laser blast.

And to the planet’s face, as straight as rod,

The capsule takes the droids by power vast.

Enter CHIEF PILOT and CAPTAIN.

PILOT There strays another one.

CAPTAIN —Pray, hold thy fire:

For certain there are no life forms aboard.

And truly what may be the chance that aught

But life alone could fly within that pod?

The rebels could not be so cunning bold

To put the Death Star plans therein. If I

Were one to bet, I’d stake my life on it!

All’s well that endeth well, so say the wise,

And so that pod shall live to land below.

[Exeunt chief pilot and captain.

Enter DROIDS, aside in escape pod.

C-3PO ’Tis but a jest—aye surely, we are mock’d!

For R2-D2, plainly canst thou see

The damage looks but minor from below.

Can thou be sure this pod is safe?

R2-D2 —Beep.

C-3PO —O.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 3.

Aboard the rebel ship.

Enter DARTH VADER and STORMTROOPERS with PRINCESS LEIA.

LEIA Darth Vader, only thou couldst be so bold.

When first my ship was under siege, I knew

’Twas thee who had this peaceful vessel sack’d.

Th’Imperi’l Senate shall not stand for this.

For when they hear thou hast attack’d a ship

On diplomatic mission—

VADER —Highness, peace!

Be thou not so surpris’d. For well thou knowst

A mercy mission this was not, this time.

Thine innocent appearance doth disguise

A heart with revolution at its core.

Aye, several transmissions were there beam’d

Unto this ship by rebel spies. I want

To know what happen’d to the plans they sent!

And prithee, speak thou well, or speak thy last,

For fairer necks than thine my hand hath crush’d.

LEIA Thine idle threat is meaningless to me.

My neck, my tongue, my mouth—these instruments

Of speech have not the power to relate

The knowledge that thou seek’st. For certain ’tis

I nothing know of what thou ask of me.

For I am but a member of the great

Imperi’l Senate, bound for Alderaan

On mission diplomatic.

VADER —Nay, thou liest!

For thou art with the reb’l alliance vile,

And worse, a traitor! Take this one away!

[Exeunt stormtroopers with Princess Leia.

The blood and wires within me leap with fire

When all these trait’rous words I must endure.

Enter COMMANDER.

COMMAND. Lord, holding her is dangerous. If word

Of this is told, then sympathy may rise

For the Rebellion in the Senate’s mind.

So shall our pow’r o’er all the universe

Be weaken’d by this wicked, cunning wretch.

’Tis like the tale my mother told me once

Of bygone emperor whose reign was lost

When putrid Ugnaughts rose against his throne.

So hath my mother said, and I with her:

A deathly blow oft comes from tiny fist,

And greatest tree may fall by smallest axe.

VADER Commander, peace, and trouble not thy mind

With tales of old. The princess shall reveal

Her treachery when all’s to do is done.

The rebel spies are aptly traced to her,

And now is she my only link to find

The hidden rebel base.

COMMAND. —I’ll wager she

Will die ere she tells thee.

VADER —Leave that to me.

Now go, be on thy way, and take this task:

Send thou a signal of distress, and then

Inform the Senate all aboard were kill’d.

So shall our presence here be hid from sight,

And thus our swift attack shall not be known.

Enter CAPTAIN.

CAPTAIN Lord Vader, sorry am I to report:

There are no battle plans aboard this ship,

And neither were transmissions made. There was

But one escape pod jettison’d amid

The fighting. But no life forms were aboard.

For certain ’twas a harmless accident.

VADER With purpose rank must she have quickly hid

The plans in the escape pod.

CAPTAIN —Woman vile!

Howe’er could she deceive my subtle mind?

The plans in the escape pod! O, most rare!

VADER Pray, cease thy speech and mark ye what I say:

Take thou a keen and swift detachment down,

And bring me back the plans. Commander, go!

See to the task thyself, before the chime—

There shall be none to stop our plan this time!

[Exeunt.

SCENE 4.

The desert planet Tatooine.

CHORUS And now, dear viewers, shall our play go to

A planet stark and drear for our next scene.

Imagine sand and rocks within thy view.

Prepare thy souls—we fly to Tatooine!

Enter C-3PO and R2-D2.

C-3PO Forsooth, how did we get into this mess?

I tell thee verily, I know not how.

A thousand tauntaun bow’ls could not produce

A greater desecration than this place.

Alas, we two are made for suffering—

I fear, R2, ’tis but our lot in life.

More than six million forms of speech I know,

Yet not a one shall help me now.

R2-D2 —Beep, beep.

C-3PO Now must I rest before I come apart,

My joints are nearly frozen! Aye, I freeze!

For ’tis as though the vicious cold of death

Hath sunken deep into my circuitry.

O what a desolate terrain this is!

[R2-D2 begins to depart.

R2-D2 Beep, beep, beep, whistle, beep, beep, meep, beep, beep!

C-3PO Where dost thou think thou goest?

R2-D2 —Beep, beep, beep!

[Aside:] Now shall I leave his company awhile—

Belike my absence shall alleviate

His obstinate resolve, and teach him thoughts

Of kindness, care and good humility.

C-3PO Well I shall not go thither with thee, droid!

’Tis far too rocky. Canst thou not perceive?

Nay, truly. For the sun upon thy cold

And hard exterior hath surely warp’d

Thine often prudent mind. Pray, understand:

The road herein is better far. Why dost

Thou think that settlements will be found yon?

R2-D2 Beep, beep.

C-3PO —Be thou not technical with me,

Or else thine input valve may swift receive

A hearty helping of my golden foot.

R2-D2 Beep, squeak.

—What mission? What dost thou speak of?

R2-D2 Squeak, squeak, beep.

C-3PO —More of thee I shall not take.

So, go thou hence! Thou shalt malfunction ere

The day is through, nearsighted pile of scrap!

Now may’st thou travel hence upon thy way

And find thy mission in a sarlacc pit!

Then shalt thou know for lo, these thousand years,

The pain I suffer as thy counterpart!

And be thou not behind me, arrant knave.

Aye, mark me—follow not, nor seek thou help,

For thou no satisfaction shalt receive.

R2-D2 Beep, beep, beep, meep. Beep, beep, beep, squeak, squeak, squeak!

C-3PO No more with thine adventures! I go not

Upon thy way. [R2-D2 exits.] Malfunctioning small fool!

’Tis all his fault. He trick’d me so that I

Should go this way. But he shall not fare well.

O gods above, why have I once again

Been short with R2, sending him away?

I trust he knoweth well I hold him dear,

Though in his presence oft my speech is cruel.

’Tis words that do betray my better self

When harshly they express my droidly rage.

And yet for protocol I’m made, and must

With words fulfill my task. So then ’tis true

That words are both my ruin and my strength.

And yet—although I find myself adrift

And lost within a speechless sea of sand—

This word is true if ever words have truth:

Forever lost I’d be should I lose him.

But wait, what’s that? A transport! Saved am I!

Hark, over here! Hey nonny non! Please help!

[C-3PO exits.

CHORUS A vessel vast comes forth across the sand,

And takes C-3PO within its hold.

But what of R2-D2’s mission grand?

How doth the tale of this small droid unfold?

Enter R2-D2 and JAWAS, hidden.

R2-D2 Beep, ooh, beep, beep, beep, squeak.

JAWA 1 —Peska bahman.

Te peska bahman. Fuligiliha!

R2-D2 Ahh! Beep, beep, squeak, beep, beep, ahh!

[Jawas stun R2-D2, who falls.

JAWA 2 —Utinni!

[Jawas carry R2-D2 into transport.

CHORUS Imagine now that on this stage you see

Full many droids and creatures quite bizarre.

And yet, amid this ghastly company,

Herein the two friends reunited are.

Enter other DROIDS and C-3PO.

C-3PO Good R2? R2-D2, O ’tis thee!

R2-D2 Beep, beep, beep, whistle, squeak, beep, meep, beep, whee!

[Exeunt.

SCENE 5.

The desert planet Tatooine.

Enter STORMTROOPERS 3 and 4.

TROOPER 3 There was someone within this pod, indeed.

The tracks go off in this direction. See?

TROOPER 4 Behold, Sir, either someone large hath dropp’d

His ring, or else this fragile circle here

Doth mean we have found droids on Tatooine!

[Exeunt stormtroopers.

Enter JAWAS with DROIDS, including C-3PO and R2-D2.

C-3PO At last this vehicle of death hath stopp’d!

So greatly fear I what shall happen next

That I am shaken to my core within.

They say that fear is better fac’d when two

Together stand. Thus, swift shall I awake

My dear R2. Wake up, wake up!

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak!

C-3PO We’re doomed! Dost thou think they shall melt us down?

JAWA 1 Me punna tynda ding. Utinni! Beh!

C-3PO Shoot not! O shall this torment never end?

First captur’d by these Jawas small and vile,

And now we face a fate that is unknown.

Now seems the first fate better than the next—

Aye, rather would I bear the ill I have,

Than fly to others that I know not of.

Enter OWEN LARS and LUKE SKYWALKER, with BERU LARS aside in Lars homestead.

OWEN Anon, now let us go!

BERU —O Luke! O Luke!

Pray, tell thine uncle that if he should find

A translator, be sure it Bocce speaks.

[Aside:] ’Tis true, the last time Owen bought a droid,

More dud than droid we purchas’d in the deal.

LUKE It seemeth we have little choice, dear aunt.

And yet shall I remind him what thou say’st.

[Exit Beru into Lars homestead.

OWEN Again it falls to me, a simple man,

To take a leading role in matters grave.

For I must choose a droid today, ’tis true,

But also must I teach this lad, this Luke,

To learn and grow, and to become a man.

Although when I was young I too had dreams

Of far-off stars and distant galaxies,

I learn’d to work the land, to raise the crops.

And thus shall I my trade pass on to him,

Adopted son of mine and strangely dear.

I had not ask’d for Fate to bring a son

To me, for I had thought to have no heir.

Yet do Beru and I feel for this child

A measure of affection, and—as well—

The burden of responsibility.

[To Jawa 2:] Pray tell me, Jawa small,

what hast today?

JAWA 2 Me punna tynda ding.

OWEN —Nay, not that one.

[Aside:] These Jawas offer first the lowliest,

’Tis ever in their nature to deceive.

[To C-3PO:] Droid, I assume that thou art

programmed well

For etiquette and protocol. ’Tis true?

C-3PO Aye, protocol—my prim’ry function ’tis!

I am well versed in all the customs, Sir.

OWEN No need have I of droids with protocol.

C-3PO Not in this habitat, thou speakest true:

Hath ever sand a need of protocol?

When did a stone or rock need etiquette?

However, I am also made—

OWEN —Peace! What

I need’s a droid who knows the bin’ry tongue

Of moisture vaporators.

C-3PO —O, but Sir!

My first employment was in programming

A bin’ry load a’lifter very like

Thy vaporators. Aye, in most respects.

[Aside:] My service and my worth I’ll prove to him

If I must speak a thousand hours more.

For certain, I shall die ere I return

Once more to be in rank captivity.

OWEN Well. Speak’st thou Bocce?

C-3PO —Truly Sir! ’Tis like

A second tongue unto my soul.

OWEN —Pray, cease!

[To Jawas:] So shall I have this one here.

C-3PO [Aside:]—Praise the day!

Now if he chooseth also my R2,

Aye, then shall I be pleas’d.

JAWA 1 —Mabbin beh!

OWEN —Luke!

Take thou these droids unto our vast garage.

My wish it is they clean’d be ere we dine.

LUKE But unto Tosche Station would I go,

And there obtain some pow’r converters. Fie!

OWEN Thou canst go with thy friends another time,

When all thy chores have been fulfilled. Go to!

LUKE [aside:] O how shall I be mock’d, and verily

Abusèd when my noble comrades hear

That once again my uncle hath denied

My fervent wish to be with them instead.

[To Owen:] ’Tis well. [To Droids:] Come hither! Thou too, Red.

R5-D4 —Beep hoo.

LUKE Go hence!

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak, beep, beep, squeak meep beep, beep!

[Aside:] If I go not with him, my foolishness

Shall render no one service. Thus, I beep.

JAWA 2 Bwana beh!

R2-D2 —Ahh!

[R5-D4 begins to smoke and fail.

LUKE —Pray, uncle Owen, look!

Behold! This R2 unit hath a foul

And smoking motivator!

OWEN —Vicious knave!

Say, in what manner dost thou try upon

Our goodly wills to ply thy thievery?

So shall I rip thy brown and ragged robes

To shreds, if thou set not this matter right.

Now speak!

JAWA 1 —Me punna tynda ding.

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak!

C-3PO [to Luke:] Your pardon, Sir. The R2 unit which

Thou seest is in prime condition, aye,

A bargain ’tis, and he shall serve thee well.

[Aside:] Now if I can convince the human here

To purchase R2 too, along with me,

So shall I win the day! And ever shall

Yon R2-D2 dwell in peace with me.

What shall he answer?

LUKE —Uncle Owen, say!

Hast thou consider’d yonder blue droid there?

OWEN What of that blue one? That one shall be ours.

C-3PO [aside:] O vict’ry! Next, I’ll praise him for his choice.

[To Luke:] A noble choice thou makest, Master, for

Thou surely shalt be pleas’d with this new droid.

I can with confidence report to thee

That he is in first-class condition, Sir,

For I have work’d with him before. He comes!

R2-D2 Beep, meep, beep, squeak.

LUKE —Anon, away we go.

[Exeunt Luke, Owen, Jawas, and Droids.

C-3PO Forget thou not this moment, faithless droid!

Why I should put my neck at risk for thee

Is quite beyond my mind’s capacity.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 6.

Inside the Lars homestead.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

C-3PO All praise be to the Maker, verily,

This oily bath much healing shall provide.

The glow of bright Coruscant doth not match

The vital warmth this soothing oil brings me.

The case of dust contamination which

Befalls me mighty is, and renders me

Unable—I’ll be sworn—to move at all!

LUKE I rue the day I came unto this place,

This drab and barren rock call’d Tatooine.

But wherefore have I reason to complain?

Do sandstorms not invade both rich and poor?—

We are not promis’d equity in life.

Both rich and poor alike pertain to me:

For certain, though in toil am I most rich,

By want of keen adventure am I poor.

Thus I declare that whether rich or poor,

The lot I have receiv’d from Fate’s unfair!

My comrade Biggs hath rightly guess’d, I fear,

That never shall I leave this stricken place!

C-3PO [aside:] O exclamation tragic! Shall I speak?

[To Luke:] Is there, dear Sir, aught I might do to help?

LUKE Nay, droid, ’less thou canst alter time, or make

The harvest come apace, or, goodly friend,

If thou canst somehow bear my body hence

By magical conveyance yet unknown.

C-3PO I think not, Sir, for merely droid am I,

And have not knowledge of such things as thou.

Not on this planet, anyway. In troth,

I do not know which planet this one be.

LUKE If center bright the universe contains,

Then surely, droid, hast thou now found thyself

As far from it as thou canst poss’bly be.

C-3PO I see, Sir.

LUKE —Surely, thou may’st call me Luke.

C-3PO I see, Sir Luke.

LUKE —Thou jolly droid, just Luke.

[Aside:] This droid, I see, is wont to prattle on,

Belike his mouth is faster than his mind.

[Luke begins to clean R2-D2.

C-3PO C-3PO am I, an expert in

The human-cyborg link. And he, my short

Blue counterpart, is R2-D2 called.

LUKE Good e’en.

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak!

LUKE —Thou hast much carbon here,

It seemeth much of Fortune thou hast known.

Aye, can it be that two such droids as you

Can know more of adventure than a man?

C-3PO With all we have been through, amaz’d am I

We yet our good condition keep, what with

Rebellion and its hurly-burly ways.

LUKE Nay, can it be? The very thing of which

I would know more thou hast experienc’d?

Pray, knowest thou of the rebellion ’gainst

The Empire, droid?

C-3PO —For certain, aye, ’tis how

We came to be in thine employment, if

Thou comprehend my simple meaning, Sir.

[Aside:] Now is his visage turn’d all eagerness—

O never in this manner have I seen

A man intoxicated with a dream!

LUKE And hast thou been in many battles? Speak!

Whatever morsel thou mayst serve to me

Shall be a feast unto my waiting ear;

The smallest tale of battle lost or won

Shall feed my soul’s ne’er-ending appetite!

C-3PO Full many battles, aye, Sir. But I fear

I have but little food to fill thy heart—

A banquet, sadly, I cannot prepare,

’Tis certain that of tales I am no chef.

But rather, I confess that not much more

Than an interpreter am I, and not

Much good at telling stories—verily,

I’ve not the salt or spice to season them.

LUKE ’Tis well, my droid. So shall my hunger wait

To feast one day upon another’s tale.

[To R2-D2:] My little ’bot, thou hast got something jamm’d

Herein. Hast thou been on a cruiser or—

Enter PRINCESS LEIA, in beam projected by R2-D2.

LEIA O help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, help.

Thou art mine only hope.

LUKE —Pray, what is this?

R2-D2 Squeak?

C-3PO —What is what? A question hath he asked!

Say, what is that?

LEIA —O help me, Obi-Wan

Kenobi, help. Thou art mine only hope.

O help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, help.

Thou art mine only hope.

R2-D2 —Beep, meep, meep, hoo.

Squeak, beep, meep, beep.

C-3PO —He says ’tis nothing, Sir.

A mere malfunction, bygone data ’tis.

Please, pay no mind.

LUKE —But who is she? For she

Is far more beautiful than all the stars.

C-3PO I truly do not know, Sir. I suspect

She was a passenger on our last trip,

A person of importance, I believe.

[Aside:] First ’twas adventure, second ’tis this lass.

’Tis certain my new Master hath a wealth

Of passion, ever eager to bestow.

LUKE Say, is there any more recording, droid?

R2-D2 Squeak, beep!

C-3PO —Behave thyself, R2! For thou

Shalt get us both in trouble. Be content,

And trust him true. He is our master now.

R2-D2 Beep, beep, beep, meep, beep, squeak, beep, meep, squeak, hoo.

C-3PO He saith he doth belong to Obi-Wan

Kenobi, resident of parts nearby,

And ’tis a private message meant for him.

For all my wit, I know not what he means,

For our last Master Sir Antilles was.

Alas, with all we have endur’d, this dear

Small R2 unit quite eccentric is.

R2-D2 Squeak!

LUKE —Obi-Wan Kenobi … I suspect

Old Ben Kenobi he doth mean, perhaps.

First droids, then tales of battles fought in space,

And now a damsel cries in beams of light!

Did ever destiny come knocking thus?

C-3PO I beg thy pardon, Sir, but know’st thou aught

Of what he speaks?

LUKE —I know not any man

Nam’d Obi-Wan Kenobi, yet old Ben

Resides beyond the Dune Sea, and there dwells

Much like a hermit, strange and lone.

LEIA —O help

Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, help. Thou art

Mine only hope.

LUKE —I wonder who she is.

Whoever she may be, whatever is

Her cause, I shall unto her pleas respond.

Not e’en were she my sister could I know

A duty of more weight than I feel now.

It seemeth she some dreadful trouble hath—

Mayhap I should replay the message whole.

R2-D2 Beep, squeak, squeak! Meep, hoo, meep.

C-3PO —R2 doth say

The bolt restraining him short-circuited

His full recording system. So saith he,

That if thou wouldst with speed remove the bolt,

He may the full recording then display.

[Aside:] What purpose shall I serve unto this man?

Am I to guide, encourage, counsel—what?

Thus shall I play the wise interpreter,

For truly ’tis the part I know the best.

LUKE What? Aye, thou seem’st too small to run away

If I should take this off. Good little droid,

So cleverly thou bringest messages,

That thou hast won my trust. Now, thou art free.

[Exit Princess Leia from beam.

But wait, where hath she gone? What villainy!

How hast thou dampen’d that celestial light

Wherein she spoke of late? Now bring her back,

Play back the message full, thou naughty droid!

R2-D2 Meep, meep?

C-3PO —What message, errant droid? The one

Thou hast been playing, which thou hold’st within

Thy rusty innards. [Aside:] O, alas! We shall

Deactivated be!

BERU [inside:]                —O Luke? Pray, Luke?

LUKE I shall be there anon, good aunt Beru!

C-3PO I’m sorry, Sir. For it doth seem he hath

Acquir’d a minor flutter.

LUKE —Thus she comes,

And thus she goes. Yet ever on my sight

Her beautiful, fine countenance shall shine.

So here’s my vow: I’ll see her once again,

In beam, or—hope on hope!—with my own eyes.

For now, I must depart to dine. Pray, see

If thou canst remedy this R2, droid.

[Exit Luke.

R2-D2 Hoo.

C-3PO —Reconsider, thou, if thou shalt play

The message back for him.

R2-D2 —Beep, meep, hoo, whee?

C-3PO Nay, I do not believe he liketh thee.

R2-D2 Beep, squeak?

C-3PO —Nay, thee I like not either.

R2-D2 —Hoo.

[Exit C-3PO.

Now are the pieces all arrang’d for me

To make a daring move, and fly this place.

The fool who sets the game in motion shall

Appear unto C-3PO and Luke

No more than if he were an arrant knave.

But hear the voice of R2-D2, all:

My noble purpose I’ll accomplish yet—

To take to Obi-Wan the princess’ news,

To take my Master Luke away from here,

And, in the end, perhaps more vital still—

To make connection twixt the two good men.

A foolish thing this flight may seem to thee,

And yet more fine than foolish shall it be.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 7.

Inside the Lars homestead.

Enter OWEN LARS, BERU LARS, and LUKE SKYWALKER, eating at a table.

LUKE Mine uncle, thou shouldst know my mind. Methinks

The R2 unit we have bought belike

May have been stolen.

OWEN —Thievery hath e’er

Been part and parcel of the Jawas’ trade.

But in thine utterance I sense there’s more,

So say, young Luke, why thinkest thou thereon?

LUKE Good uncle, well I know the Jawas’ tricks,

Yet, as thou sayest, I mean something more.

A stolen moment with those droids hath shown

To me a reason they may stolen be:

I did uncover a recording whilst

I clean’d the R2 unit. He purports

To be the property of someone known

As Obi-Wan Kenobi. Thus, thought I,

That he may stolen be. As to the name,

This Obi-Wan Kenobi, wondered I

If mayhap he meant Ben. Canst thou make sense?

OWEN Nay.

LUKE —Yet I wonder if this Obi-Wan

Perchance may be some kin to yonder Ben.

OWEN [aside:] Fie, fie! Shall that old man now haunt my home?

[To Luke:] That wizard is a damnèd scurvy man.

Tomorrow shalt thou take the R2 droid

To Anchorhead and have its memory

Eras’d. And so shall there an end be to’t.

For it belongeth only now to us.

LUKE Aye, yet what if this Obi-Wan appears

And lays his claim unto this R2 droid?

What’s stolen may be worth the looking for.

OWEN The looking shall not happen, nor the find,

For I believe the man doth not exist.

[Aside:] Now shall I by a lie destroy the man,

Lest he be giv’n new life in Luke’s young mind—

The boy a keen imagination hath.

[To Luke:] This Obi-Wan hath not for ages walk’d

Within this universe: he is no more.

’Twas many moons ago the old man died,

Aye, truly he hath met his end about

The time so long ago when wars were fought,

The time when men did battle to the grave,

The time before the Empire rul’d supreme,

The time wherein thy father died as well.

LUKE Knew he my father?

OWEN [aside:]                 —Though I tell of men

And wars and battles brave, still all he hears

Is that word “father.” [To Luke:] Prithee, Luke, forget.

Thy task is to prepare the droids for work

Tomorrow. In the morning shall they be

Upon the south ridge, laboring with those

Condensers.

LUKE —Aye, and I believe these droids

Shall serve us well. In troth, good uncle, now

I must confess my mind is mov’d to think

Upon the pact ’twixt thee and me, and our

Agreement, namely that I shall stay here

Another season. Crops that grow in these

Harsh climes will surely grow sans me. And so,

Mine uncle, if these droids will satisfy

I wish my application to transmit

Unto the great Academy this year.

OWEN Nay Luke, an uncle’s heart is breaking! Canst

Thou mean the next semester hence, before

The harvest-time?

LUKE —Just so! Quite plentiful

Are droids!

OWEN —But harvest-time I need thee most!

Wilt thou here in the desert yet desert?

’Tis only one more season. This year I

Shall make enough at harvest-time to hire

More hands to help. Then canst thou go next year

To the Academy. To pilot is

A noble trade, my boy, but family

Is nobler still. I prithee, understand,

I need thee, Luke.

LUKE —’Tis one more year entire!

OWEN ’Tis only one more season!

LUKE —Aye, so saidst

Thou when my dear friends Biggs and Tank did leave.

Now cracks a hopeful heart, when, by the land,

A man’s ambitions firmly grounded are:

So shall a bird ne’er learn to fly or soar

When wings are clipp’d by crops and roots and soil.

BERU Pray whither fly’st thou, Luke?

LUKE —It seems, dear aunt,

I nowhere go nor flee nor sail nor fly.

Instead, I must remain and clean those droids.

[Exit Luke.

BERU O Owen, he cannot abide for aye

With us. ’Tis true, his friends are mostly gone.

It hath great meaning for our well-lov’d Luke—

This bird would surely fly.

OWEN —So promise I

That I shall set all things aright, Beru.

The bird shall fly indeed, when time is ripe,

And when the nest hath no more need of him.

BERU But Owen, he hath not a farmer’s heart—

This apple falls quite near his father’s tree.

OWEN ’Tis true! And this, my dear, is what I fear.

[Exeunt Owen and Beru. Reenter Luke, gazing into the setting of Tatooine’s two suns.

LUKE O, I am Fortune’s fool. ’Tis true, ’tis true,

And gazing now upon the double sun

Of my home Tatooine, I know full well

That elsewhere lies my destiny, not here.

Although my uncle’s will is that I stay,

My heart within me bursts to think on it

For out among the spheres I wish to roam—

Adventure and rebellion stir my blood.

Those oft-repeated words of my mate Biggs

I do believe—that all the world’s a star.

Beyond that heav’nly light I shall fly far!

[Exit.

SCENE 1.

Inside the Lars homestead.

Enter C-3PO.

C-3PO Alas! My R2-D2, he hath flown,

And all the while he beepeth on and on

About his duty in rebellion’s cause.

O with what strength shall I be punishèd

When R2’s treachery discover’d is!

So shall I hide myself behind this ship

In hopes I’ll not be found by Master Luke.

[C-3PO hides.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER.

LUKE C-3PO, I say, what dost thou there?

At what game playest thou, O jolly droid?

[C-3PO emerges.

C-3PO I prithee, Sir, be thou not cross with me.

’Twas through no fault of mine, in truth I swear!

Pray let me not deactivated be.

I ask’d him, aye, and urg’d him not to go.

With sighs and words aplenty plied I him—

With many earnest pleadings made my cause—

And yet he was to me as one made deaf.

His metal ears, as ’twere, did seem to plug,

As though no word of mine could penetrate

And break upon his sense of hearing. O!

I fear a curs’d malfunction doth befall

My dear and treasur’d R2 unit.

LUKE —Nay!

C-3PO Aye, verily! His mission is supreme,

So sayeth he. He will not hinder’d be,

Nor from his wayward, stubborn purpose veer.

CHORUS Now with these words young Luke doth quickly run

Beyond the shutter’d doors, with failing hope.

And stepping out beneath the setting sun

He scans the vast horizon with his scope.

C-3PO Sir, ever hath that R2 unit been

A problem that hath vex’d me through and through.

Astromech droids have ever puzzl’d me:

Their minds have tempers mighty to behold,

Though all contain’d in frames of modest size.

LUKE Fie! How have I so easily been trick’d?

This R2 hath perform’d his greatest feat:

To vanish—scope to wheels—into the air!

O blast it! Aye, and fie and ficos too!

C-3PO [aside:] Now he is anger’d. Peace, my Master, peace!

[To Luke:] Good Sir, forgive my impudence, but may

We yet this e’en go out asearching?

LUKE —Nay.

’Tis far too dangerous. The night is dark,

But darker are the dreaded Sand People,

And darkest most of all their thievery.

Thus, as the darkness waits for light to dawn,

So must we wait for morning to arrive.

OWEN [inside:] O Luke, come hither! Swiftly come ye in!

The time hath come to darken down the pow’r.

LUKE Anon, good uncle! Thy good word I’ll heed!

[To C-3PO:] O, I shall taste the whips and scorns of my

Dear uncle’s anger. So shall that small droid,

Though yet far gone, wreak havoc on my soul.

C-3PO Aye, Sir, ’tis true. Although the droid is skill’d

At laboring and service, most doth he

Excel at wearying the hearts of men.

[Luke and C-3PO withdraw for the night.

CHORUS And so a restless night doth pass within:

While Luke doth ponder future punishment

And longs for his lost droid search to begin,

C-3PO doth fear his banishment.

At early morn, with eager wills they rise,

A shar’d endeavor binding them anew.

The fast landspeeder o’er the desert flies—

They go to find the errant droid R2.

LUKE and C-3PO enter, flying in landspeeder.

LUKE Good friend, take heed! The scanner doth report

A droid ahead. Pray, swiftly take us hence—

Belike our R2-D2 there awaits!

[Aside:] Perhaps I’ll yet escape my uncle’s wrath.

CHORUS While droid and man go racing ’cross the sand,

The Tusken Raiders watch the two pass by.

Their banthas mounting, gaffi sticks at hand,

They heave unto the air their warring cry.

Enter R2-D2.

[Luke and C-3PO dismount to speak to R2-D2.

LUKE Pray, whither goest thou, thou naughty droid?

R2-D2 Beep, meep, beep squeak.

C-3PO —Nay, Master Luke is now

Thy rightful owner. Learn obedience!

Aye, learn thou loyalty! Pray, learn respect!

And learn thou not to speak of Obi-Wan

Kenobi!

R2-D2 —Whee, nee, squeak.

C-3PO —Speak not to me

Of mission, droid! I’ll warrant, happy thou

Shalt be if our new Master doth not let

Thee know the blaster’s deadly touch today.

LUKE Pray, patience, dear C-3PO, ’tis well.

But let us hence.

R2-D2 —Beep, whistle, nee, meep, squeak!

LUKE What can the matter be? What doth he say?

C-3PO He doth report that creatures hither come,

Approaching stealthily from the southeast.

LUKE Sand People! Hither, come, and let us see!

[Aside:] Unbidden doth adventure come, yet here

I stand, prepar’d to rise and welcome Fate.

The twisting strand she threads we must but trail,

For ’tis the wire that leadeth us through life.

Fate’s hand hath plac’d me here on Tatooine

And now she beckons onward to th’abyss.

Now o’er adventure’s great abyss I perch—

Above all time, above the universe,

Above the rim of chance and destiny—

And sister Fate doth dare me to look in.

And there—aye there!— I find my happiness.

I peer therein, embrace my Fate—and blink.

Come, life! For I am ready now to live.

[With scope, to droids:] I spy two banthas,

yet no Sand People.

Wait, wait, one doth appear unto me now—

CHORUS With sudden viciousness the Tuskens come,

They knock young Luke and cause the droid to fall.

They seek to take a harshly pillag’d sum,

Till frighten’d by a false krayt dragon call.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI, who has made a krayt dragon call to frighten off the Tusken Raiders.

OBI-WAN Now enter I the scene of this boy’s life:

This boy whom I have watch’d for many years

Hath grown into the man before me now.

My hope I now entrust to him alone,

That he might be our sure deliverance.

And yet, this situation warrants care—

I must approach with caution as we speak,

And meet his questions as a trusted guide.

My inner joy I must with patience hide,

For certain ’tis it gives me great delight

To see him now—his face, his golden hair!

So long have I watch’d o’er him from afar,

So many hours and days of my life spent

In hopeful expectation of this one.

In his beginning I shall find my end;

This business shall reveal my final stage.

Yet in my closing scenes perhaps I’ll write

A worthy ending to my mortal days:

’Tis possible that in this gentle one

The dream I’ve long awaited shall come true.

So I’ll compose a final act that shall

Accomplish two most worthy ends: to set

The world aright and save this old man’s soul.

[To R2-D2:] Well met, my little one.

R2-D2 [aside:]         —Almost I could

My metal tongue release and speak to him.

This man doth show sure signs of wisdom and

Experience. [To Obi-Wan:] Beep, beep, meep, beep, meep, squeak.

OBI-WAN Come hither, tiny friend, be not afraid.

R2-D2 Beep, squeak, whee, hoo.

OBI-WAN —Nay, prithee fret thou not.

For he shall make a full recovery.

[Luke wakes.

Rest easy, lad, for thou hast had a fall—

And more adventure hast thou seen today

Than many in a lifetime do. I say,

Thou catchest Fortune’s favor to survive

A cruel attack from Sand People most vile.

LUKE But, by this light! ’Tis Ben Kenobi here!

It fills my heart with joy and soothes my pain

To meet thee.

OBI-WAN —Aye, ’tis well. But let’s go hence.

The Jundland Wastes no place for trav’lers is.

Now prithee, good young Luke, say wherefore art

Thou here, and what strange errand bringeth thee

Herein where I am wont to dwell?

LUKE —This droid.

Aye, truly, he hath brought me here.

R2-D2 —Beep, meep.

LUKE It seemeth unto me that he doth search

To find his former master, yet in all

My days I ne’er have such devotion seen—

As this one showeth—from a droid.

R2-D2 —Hoo.

LUKE —Yet

He claims that he belongeth to a man

Nam’d Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I thought,

Perchance, the man some relative of yours

May be. Dost thou know any by such name?

OBI-WAN [aside:] O how the heart inside me breaks to hear

That name I once was call’d so long ago—

But happy Fate that ’tis Luke’s voice that calls!

[To Luke:] Aye, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan

Kenobi. [Aside:] O, the name is like a song—

Yet whether glorious song of joy or else

Some dirge of bitter pain I’m yet unsure.

[To Luke:] It is a name I have not heard for lo

These many, many years—a long, long time.

LUKE My uncle knoweth Obi-Wan, I ken.

He doth report to me the man is dead.

OBI-WAN [aside:] O Owen, wretched knave! Such base deceit,

And yet I know full well why thou so spok’st.

Should I have acted diff’rent in thy place?

[To Luke:] But nay, the man takes not his final sleep.

At least—unto this moment now—not yet.

LUKE Then know’st thou him?

OBI-WAN —Aye, verily I do.

I know the man as if he were myself,

For truly, aye, he is. This Obi-Wan,

Dear Luke, ’tis I.

R2-D2 [aside:]                 —By heaven’s light! [To Obi-Wan:] Beep, meep.

OBI-WAN I have not heard this name, this Obi-Wan, Since ere e’en thou, thyself, wert born.

LUKE —Aye, then,

I see this little droid is bound to thee.

OBI-WAN I have no memory of owning such

A droid as this. ’Tis curious indeed.

[Sound of Tusken Raiders aside.] Now mark thee these my words: we must repair

Indoors to ’scape a second cudg’ling here.

The Sand People do easily take flight,

But soon they shall return with many more.

R2-D2 Beep, meep, beep, beep, meep, squeak!

LUKE —C-3PO!

[C-3PO wakes, broken in pieces.

C-3PO Where am I? Have I ta’en an ill-tim’d step?

In dreams have I seen visions of my death—

Ten thousand soldiers pranc’d upon my grave,

And I, alone to face the murd’rous mass,

Could only weep at my untimely end.

LUKE Peace, peace, good droid. Thou art alive, fear not.

Canst thou now stand? We quickly must depart

Before the Sand People attack us here

And strive to make thy dream reality.

C-3PO O whether dream or waking, I know not,

But go thee hence, and save thyself, I pray.

C-3PO by nightmare hath been slain!

OBI-WAN [aside:] This droid shall quickly stretch his welcome thin.

LUKE I shall not leave thee, droid, thou speak’st sans sense.

Come, come, I’ll bear thee up, so argue not.

OBI-WAN [aside:] What noble care he takes to soothe this droid.

[To Luke:] We must make haste or face them yet again,

So hence let us away unto my den.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 2.

Inside the Kenobi homestead.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI, LUKE SKYWALKER, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

LUKE Nay, thou art sure misled, O wise one, for

My father hath not fought in any wars.

Full many evenings as I lay abed

Such tales I heard of him I never knew:

A navigator on a freighter ship

Which carried fragrant spices hence to yon

My father was. He kneweth naught of wars.

OBI-WAN So hath thine uncle told thee. Marry, he

Did not agree with aught thy father told

Of his philosophy and brave ideals.

Thine uncle, tether’d to the land, did not

Believe thy father should become involv’d

In matters of the stars and Empires, nay.

[Aside:] What shall I of the father tell the child?

If gentle Luke knew all that’s known to me

I’ll warrant he’d not understand the rhyme

And reason for my words. And yet, what is’t

To lie? To tell the truth, all else be damn’d?

Or else to tell, perhaps, a greater truth?

Is it the truth to tell a boy each fact

And thus deface his father’s memory?

Or have I spoken better truth to Luke

When I about his father speak with pride?

Aye, ev’ry child deserves a champion.

LUKE Hast thou done battle in the Clone Wars?

OBI-WAN —Aye.

And once was I a Jedi Knight, the same

As thy dear father.

LUKE —O, how tears well up

Within me for the loss of that dear man

Whom never I did know, nor do, nor will.

OBI-WAN I tell thee truly, ’mongst the pilots he

Was e’er the greatest in the galaxy.

He also was a cunning warrior,

And to the last was he a dear, dear friend.

[Aside:] And now to play upon his natur’l sense

Of self-importance, so to draw him near

To thoughts of Jedi training for himself.

[To Luke:] I hear thou art a pilot skill’d as well.

This calleth to my mind a gift I have

For thee. Thy father hath desir’d that thou

Shouldst have this weapon when thou wert of age.

Thine uncle, though, would none of it, so fear’d

He that thou might adjoin with Obi-Wan

Upon a fool’s crusade or devil’s task

Just as thy father hath when he was young.

C-3PO Dear Sir, if thou dost need me not, I shall

Shut down upon the present moment, here.

OBI-WAN [aside:] Why speak’st he here when ’tis my time to speak?

These droids of protocol are e’er uncouth:

Of etiquette they know but little, troth!

LUKE Pray tell, what is’t?

OBI-WAN —Thy father’s lightsaber.

It is the weapon of a Jedi Knight:

If thou in thine own hand could hold a sun,

Then thou wouldst know the power of this tool.

Not merely random, neither awkward like

A blaster. Nay, the lightsaber maintains

A noble elegance, a Jedi’s pride.

’Tis something for a civiliz’d new age.

CHORUS Now holdeth Luke the weapon in his hand,

And with a switch the flame explodes in blue.

The noble light Luke’s rev’rence doth command:

That instant was a Jedi born anew.

OBI-WAN [aside:] Now doth the Force begin to work in him.

[To Luke:] For many generations Jedi were

The guarantors of justice, peace, and good

Within the Old Republic. Ere the dark

Times came and ere the Empire ’gan to reign.

LUKE How hath my father died?

OBI-WAN [aside:]                 —O question apt!

The story whole I’ll not reveal to him,

Yet may he one day understand my drift:

That from a certain point of view it may

Be said my answer is the honest truth.

[To Luke:] A Jedi nam’d Darth Vader—aye, a lad

Whom I had taught until he evil turn’d—

Did help the Empire hunt and then destroy

The Jedi. [Aside:] Now, the hardest words of all

I’ll utter here unto this innocent,

With hope that one day he shall comprehend.

[To Luke:] He hath thy Father murder’d and betray’d,

And now are Jedi nearly all extinct.

Young Vader was seduc’d and taken by

The dark side of the Force.

LUKE —The Force?

OBI-WAN —The Force.

The Force doth give a Jedi all his pow’r,

And ’tis a field of energy that doth

Surround and penetrate and bind all things

Together, here within our galaxy.

R2-D2 [aside:] In hearing this wise man I have almost

My errand quite forgot. Now to my work!

[To Obi-Wan:] Beep, meep, meep, squeak, beep, whee, squeak, whistle, meep!

OBI-WAN And now, my little friend, shall I attempt

To find out whence thou came, and to discern

The reason wherefore thou hast left thy home

For lands unknown, a mission to pursue.

LUKE He hath a message play’d—

OBI-WAN —Thus have I found.

Enter PRINCESS LEIA, in beam projected by R2-D2.

LEIA Dear General Kenobi, many years

Ago thou serv’d my noble father in

The Clone Wars. Now, he beggeth thee to come

Again and aid him in his struggle with

The Empire. Sadly may I not be there

With thee in person, my request to give.

My ship of late hath fallen under siege

And thus my mission—bringing thee unto

My cherish’d planet Alderaan—hath fail’d.

Yet have I deep within the mem’ry banks

Of this brave R2 unit stor’d the plans

Most vital for rebellion’s victory.

My father can retrieve the plans therein,

But I must ask of thee to take the droid

And bring him unto Alderaan with care.

The desp’rate hour is now upon us—please,

I beg thee, Sir. O help me, Obi-Wan

Kenobi, help. Thou art mine only hope.

[Exit Princess Leia from beam.

CHORUS The message ends, then doth a silence fall.

While Obi-Wan his duty contemplates,

Young Luke considers whether Fate doth call.

Aye—in this moment, destiny awaits.

OBI-WAN [aside:] The boy doth hear and hath the taste of fire

New burning in his ears. Now shall I play

The part of fuel and gently stoke that fire.

[To Luke:] Thou must be taught the Force if thou wouldst come

Away with me, and go to Alderaan.

LUKE Nay, Alderaan? [Aside:] This man hath many charms,

And now it seems to me that I have been

These many hours under some great spell

That he hath cast. [To Obi-Wan:] Nay, I must hence back home.

’Tis late, and Uncle Owen shall be vex’d,

If I do not return to him ere long.

OBI-WAN [aside:] And now it must be done or else ’tis lost!

[To Luke:] I need all thy good help, Luke—so doth she.

For such adventures I have grown too old.

LUKE Nay, nay, I should not be involv’d, dear friend.

Much work there is to be completed yet,

And as the seers say true, a crop without

Its harvester is like a dewback sans

Its rider. Verily, I loathe the cruel

And noisome Empire, aye, yet nothing ’gainst

It have I pow’r to do at present. Fie!

’Tis all so far, far distant from this place.

OBI-WAN Thus speaks thine uncle through thy lips, not thee.

LUKE Mine uncle, O, mine uncle! How shall I

To him explain this matter? Tell me, how?

OBI-WAN Come now with me and learn the Force, dear Luke.

LUKE [aside:] Now am I split in twain by Fate’s sharp turns.

Two paths: the one toward adventure leads,

The other taketh me back to my home.

I have, for all my life, long’d to go hence

And now this Obi-Wan hath reason giv’n

Why I should leave my Tatooine and fly

Unto the stars. Aye, he hath told me of

The pow’rful Force. And yet, another force

Doth pull me home: the force of duty and

Responsibility. I would go hence,

Would fly today and ne’er look back again,

Except Beru and Owen are my true

And loyal family. ’Tis settled, then,

I stay on Tatooine until the time

When I may leave with clear, unfetter’d soul.

[To Obi-Wan:] I shall take thee as far as Anchorhead.

From there may’st thou find transport to where’er

Thou goest—aye, throughout the galaxy.

OBI-WAN Thou must hold with thy conscience, it is true,

Whate’er thou thinkest right, thus thou shouldst do.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 3.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter Imperial generals and Senators, including ADMIRAL MOTTI and COMMANDER TAGGE.

TAGGE Until this battle station utterly

Prepar’d and operational shall be,

’Tis plainly vulner’ble to an attack.

The rebels have more resources and are

More dangerous that thou wilt deign to see.

MOTTI Perhaps of danger to thy star fleet, aye,

But not unto this battle station strong.

TAGGE Rebellion shall gain more support within

Th’Imperial Senate—

Enter GRAND MOFF TARKIN and DARTH VADER.

TARKIN [aside:]                —O, these men do talk

And quibble like a brood of clucking hens!

[To Tagge:] Th’Imperial Senate, which thou speak’st of here,

No longer any threat to us doth hold.

For truly have I just receivèd word

That our great Emperor himself dissolv’d

The Council—now the final remnants of

The Old Republic fade away like dew.

TAGGE But marry, ’tis impossible! How shall

The Emperor maintain control without

The crimson cord of vast bureaucracy?

VADER [aside:] O, how these politicians irk me so!

Of governors and territories care

I not! But I retain their company

For mine own purposes, and though their talk

Doth tire my mind I do confess that naught

I’ve found hath on their counsel yet improv’d.

For ev’ry human bond is meaningless:

All family doth leave, and friends betray,

And lovers fail, and teachers turn, and thus

Among the politicians shall I dwell—

Where lies, deceit, and garr’lous talk do make

The universe go ’round. But yet, I vow:

I’ll not be govern’d by the governors,

No policy of politicians heed.

Instead, myself and my dear Emperor

Together shall pursue our destiny.

TARKIN The governors of all the regions now

Have sole control o’er their especial lands,

And fear shall keep the people all in line—

Fear of this very battle station, aye!

TAGGE But what, pray tell, of the Rebellion vile?

For if the rebels have the plans to this

Good station stolen, possible it is

They may have found a weakness, which, in haste,

They shall exploit. Pray, Tarkin, mark my words.

VADER Those plans shall soon recover’d be, fear not.

MOTTI Attack upon this station pointless is,

Regardless of the data they have found.

I speak not rashly when I here aver:

This station now hath power ultimate

O’er all else in the vast, wide universe!

And now, I prithee, let us see it us’d!

VADER [to Motti:] Nay, peace! I warn thee, man, be not too proud

Of thy great terror technological.

A weapon for the mass destruction of

A planet—even to destroy it whole—

Is no match for the power of the Force.

MOTTI Thou shalt not ’tempt to frighten us with words

So like a man of magic, Vader. Nay,

Thy sorc’rer’s act is tir’d and overdone.

The sad religion thou dost cling to hath

No pow’r to conjure up the stolen plans.

Nor dost thou have a third-eye’s sight to make—

[Vader begins to choke Motti using the Force.

CHORUS The power of the Force is now unveil’d

As Vader holds the Admiral in check.

The Force that Motti with his words impal’d

Now hath a wampa’s hold about his neck.

VADER I find thy lack of faith disturbing.

TARKIN —Cease!

No more of this! Good Vader, let him be.

VADER As is thy will. [Aside:] My point hath well been made

Upon his prideful, unbelieving throat.

[Vader releases Motti.

TARKIN Enough! This endless bickering shall end.

Lord Vader shall provide the setting of

The errant rebel base before the time

This station shall be operational.

And then, my friends, the Empire shall rejoice—

Rebellion shall be crush’d in one swift stroke!

Now get ye gone, fulfill this purpose grand.

[Exeunt Imperial generals and Senators, including Admiral Motti and Commander Tagge.

VADER My troopers on the planet Tatooine

Have trac’d the creatures who have found the droids.

We shall retrieve those plans.

TARKIN —’Tis well, ’tis well.

Thou ever wert a faithful servant to

The Emperor, Lord Vader. Prithee, go,

And take with thee a gov’nor’s gratitude.

[Exit Darth Vader.

There goes a man who hath a mind to serve.

The Emperor doth hold him in his grasp,

And lays a claim upon his heart and soul.

Well I recall when, as a younger man,

The Emperor and Vader with me stood

And contemplated our shar’d destiny.

Now Vader, split ’twixt manhood and machine,

Fulfills a vital place within my plans.

Aye, though I fear the Force, he knows his place.

He knoweth he and I stand side by side—

Together wrapp’d in power’s warm embrace—

Our Emperor to serve until, at last,

The final curtain of life’s play is dropp’d.

As history hath made this Tarkin great,

This battle station now shall make me fear’d.

I am as constant as the Endor moon,

And shall rebellion crush, and do it soon.

[Exit Grand Moff Tarkin.

SCENE 4.

The desert planet Tatooine.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI, LUKE SKYWALKER, C-3PO, and R2-D2, surrounded by Jawa corpses.

LUKE It seemeth that the Sand People have done

This wretched deed—yon gaffi sticks and tracks

Of bantha, aye. But ne’er in all my years

Have Tuskens gone awry so far as this.

OBI-WAN And they have not, though they who this vile deed

Have done, would make us think Sand People did.

But hark! Take note, and look ye thereupon:

Yon tracks are side by side, yet Sand People,

’Tis known, e’er one behind the other ride,

So better may they hide their numbers large.

LUKE These Jawas are the very same who sold

C-3PO—and R2-D2, too—

Unto mine uncle not two days ago.

OBI-WAN And these marks here, these blast points, are too fine

And accurate for Sand People, ’tis true.

For only stormtroopers by Empire train’d

Are so precise and cunning in their work.

[Aside:] Survey’ng this scene, I fear what cometh next,

For certain have the troops more evil done.

Good Owen and Beru no doubt are slain,

And though it breaks my heart to think on it,

It may be that their deaths will spark Luke’s soul,

And lead him unto good rebellion’s cause.

So by their death may others yet find life.

LUKE But why, say why, would these Imperi’l troops

Have aught to do with Jawas? Wait, I see—

The droids! If they have trac’d them here they may

Have soon discover’d whom they sold them to,

Which—O, my soul!—would lead them to my home!

OBI-WAN Pray, patience, Luke! ’Tis far too dangerous!

[Luke runs to his landspeeder.

CHORUS Now flies Luke off in his landspeeder quick

And finds his home engulf’d in flames of red,

Then spies amid the smoke, so black and thick,

The bodies of his aunt and uncle, dead.

A sadder, wiser man he cometh back,

With noble purpose now his life’s imbu’d.

By wrongful, vicious, cowardly attack,

The Empire hath Luke’s passion quite renew’d.

OBI-WAN ’Twas nothing thou, Luke, couldst have done had thou

Been there. Thou murder’d would have been as well.

Aye, also would the droids now captur’d be

And would be in the Empire’s evil hands.

LUKE Thou knowest, friend, what I have seen today.

No sorrow like to this have I e’er known.

I wish to come with thee to Alderaan,

For nothing have I here on Tatooine.

Then shall I learn the Force, and shall become

A Jedi like my father. Thus I vow.

So let’s prepare and go upon our way,

With haste may we escape the troopers vile.

[Exeunt Obi-Wan, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

Adventure have I ask’d for in this life,

And now have I too much of my desire.

My soul within me weeps; my mind, it runs

Unto a thousand thousand varied paths.

My uncle Owen and my aunt Beru,

Have they been cruelly kill’d for what I want?

So shall I never want again if in

The wanting all I love shall be destroy’d.

O fie! Thou knave adventure! Evil trick

Of boyhood’s mind that ever should one seek

To have adventure when one hath a home—

A family so kind and full of love,

Good, steady work, and vast, abundant crops—

Why would one give up all this gentle life

For that one beastly word: adventure? Fie!

But soft, my soul, be patient and be wise.

The sands of time ne’er turnèd backward yet,

And forward marches Fate, not the reverse.

So while I cannot wish for them to live,

I can my life commit unto their peace.

Thus shall I undertake to do them proud

And take whate’er adventure comes my way.

’Tis now my burden, so I’ll wear it well,

And to the great Rebellion give my life.

A Jedi shall I be, in all things brave—

And thus shall they be honor’d in their grave.

[Exit Luke.

SCENE 1.

Mos Eisley, on the desert planet Tatooine.

CHORUS Now, in her cell the princess doth remain,

With hope and trouble written on her face.

At times she faces torture, horrid pain.

With these tools Vader seeks the rebel base.

While Leia in her captive state is kept,

Young Luke and Obi-Wan set on their way.

Approaching town, they hope to intercept

A pilot to transport them sans delay.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI, LUKE SKYWALKER, C-3PO, and R2-D2, riding in landspeeder.

OBI-WAN Mos Eisley spaceport. Never shalt thou find

A hive more rank and wretched, aye, and fill’d

With villainy. So must we cautious be.

Enter STORMTROOPERS.

TROOPER 3 I prithee, speak, how long hast thou these droids?

LUKE ’Tis three or, mayhap, four full seasons now.

OBI-WAN We are prepar’d to sell them, shouldst thou wish.

CHORUS Now is the Force to noble purpose us’d—

Not as the Sith, employing it to smite,

Hath through the dark side rank the Force abus’d—

Good Obi-Wan shall use the Force for right.

TROOPER 4 Pray, show me now thy papers.

OBI-WAN —Nay, thou dost

Not need to see his papers.

TROOPER 4 —Nay, we do

Not need to see his papers.

OBI-WAN —True it is,

That these are not the droids for which thou search’st.

TROOPER 3 Aye, these are not the droids for which we search.

OBI-WAN And now, the lad may go his merry way.

TROOPER 3 Good lad, I prithee, go thy merry way!

OBI-WAN Now get thee hence.

TROOPER 4 —Now get thee hence, go hence!

[Exeunt stormtroopers.

Enter JAWAS as OBI-WAN KENOBI, LUKE SKYWALKER, C-3PO, and R2-D2 dismount landspeeder.

C-3PO O, how those Jawas vex me!

LUKE [to Jawas:]                                         —Get thee gone!

[Exeunt Jawas.

Now by my troth, I cannot comprehend

How we those threat’ning stormtroopers did ’scape.

Aye, verily, I thought our end was nigh.

OBI-WAN The Force hath mighty power o’er the weak

And simple-minded of this universe.

LUKE Dost thou believe we shall therein, in yon

Dank place, discover any pilot who

Hath means to transport us to Alderaan?

OBI-WAN A goodly crew of freighter pilots here

May oft be found. But prithee, take good care,

This small cantina hath an ill repute.

LUKE I find myself prepar’d for ev’rything.

OBI-WAN [aside:] The youth hath vigor—hopef’lly judgment, too.

[They enter the cantina with many beings and an innkeeper.

CHORUS Now mark thee well, good viewer, what you see,

Such varied characters are on display!

For never hath there been such company

As in Mos Eisley gathers day by day.

The creatures gather ’round the central bar

While hammerheads and hornèd monsters talk,

A band compos’d of aliens bizarre:

This is the great cantina—thou may’st gawk!

INNKEEP. [to Luke:] A word! Herein we shall not serve their kind—

Thy droids! They must depart beyond these walls.

LUKE [to droids:] Good friends, pray wait beside the speeder now,

For we desire no conflict here today.

C-3PO I do with all my heart agree, dear Sir.

[Exeunt droids.

Enter CHEWBACCA, speaking with OBI-WAN and two beings speaking to LUKE.

BEING 1 Negola d’waghi wooldugger!

BEING 2 —I say!

He liketh not thy look.

LUKE —Forgive me, Sir.

[Aside:] Nor do I like his face, yet do I groan?

BEING 2 I do not like thy look. Indeed, young lad,

I bite my thumb at thee. Proceed with care,

For we two men are wanted by the law.

Aye, I have earn’d the penalty of death

In many systems, and would gladly earn

It here as well, if thou provoke me to’t.

LUKE [aside:] I would, mayhap, be fearful if this man

Hath even shoulder height on me attain’d.

[To Being 2:] Tut, careful shall I be.

BEING 2 —Thou shalt be dead!

[Obi-Wan approaches.

OBI-WAN Pray, peace, this little lad’s not worth thy time.

Now come, let us be friends, my goodly Sir,

Then shall we to thy health and welfare drink.

[Being 2 strikes Luke; Obi-Wan brandishes his lightsaber, injuring Being 2 and severing Being 1’s arm. Exeunt Beings 1 and 2.

OBI-WAN [aside:] I have no wish or purpose here to fight,

Yet have these drunkards left me little choice.

But there is yet a lesson to be learn’d:

This Obi-Wan, though old, hath still the gift.

[To Luke:] Chewbacca here doth service as first mate

Upon a ship that may our purpose meet.

Enter HAN SOLO, who joins CHEWBACCA, OBI-WAN, and LUKE at a table.

HAN Han Solo at thy service, gentlemen,

The great Millenn’um Falcon is my ship.

My first mate Chewie telleth me ye seek

Safe passage to the system Alderaan.

OBI-WAN Aye, true, if ’tis a vessel swift of flight.

HAN “A vessel swift of flight,” thou say’st? Hast thou

Not heard of the Millenn’um Falcon, Sir?

OBI-WAN [aside:] Now shall he boast. But if his ship we’d have,

Some boasting we’ll endure. [To Han:] Nay, should I have?

HAN ’Tis but the ship that hath the Kessel run

Accomplish’d in twelve parsecs, nothing more.

Imperi’l starships have I slyly ’scap’d,

But nothing more of that. And neither do

I speak about bulk-cruisers small, but vast

Corelli’n ships, yet nothing more, no more.

I shall not brag about her speed, good Sir.

Suffice to say the ship shall fill thy needs,

As she’s the fastest e’er. But nothing more.

LUKE [aside:] Aye, nothing more, I wish he’d hold his peace.

This man, it seems, doth love his ship far more

Than ere I saw a man his woman love.

HAN Pray tell, what shall the cargo be?

OBI-WAN —Myself,

The boy, two droids, and ne’er a question ask’d.

HAN ’Tis what, a touch of local trouble here?

OBI-WAN Nay, let us simply say it thus: we would

Imperial entanglements avoid.

HAN Aye, there’s the rub, so shalt thou further pay.

Ten thousand is the cost, and ev’ry bit

Shalt thou deliver ere we leave the dock.

LUKE Ten thousand? Fie! We could our own ship buy

For such a sum as this.

HAN —A goodly jest!

For who should pilot such a ship—shouldst thou?

LUKE Thou knave, I could indeed! A pilot skill’d

Am I in my own right. [To Obi-Wan:] Now should we stay,

And be abusèd more by this man’s words?

OBI-WAN Two thousand can we render to thee now,

And fifteen more deliver when we come

With safety unto Alderaan’s bright port.

HAN Say, seventeen? Congratulations, men,

Thou hast a ship secur’d, and we’ll depart

Whene’er thou art prepar’d. Thou shalt find me

At docking harbor number ninety-four.

OBI-WAN Aye, ninety-four.

HAN —It seemeth that thou may

Already have provok’d some interest.

[Exeunt Obi-Wan and Luke as stormtroopers pass by.

CHEWBAC. Egh.

HAN —Seventeen! So must they desp’rate be!

This truly may my swift deliv’rance prove.

Go thou unto the ship and be prepar’d.

[Chewbacca exits.

In times now past have I poor judgments made,

And now these errors plague my very soul.

For freedom I was made—for taking wing!—

Yet as a markèd man I cannot fly.

For bound by debts, by duty and by fear,

I live my life along the razor’s edge:

One part of me that hunts for better life,

And one part hunted for the life I’ve led.

My own existence is a paradox—

A smuggler with a lover’s kindly heart,

A gambler with a noble spirit brave.

I would be better than it seems I am

If ever I transcend the man I was.

Perhaps this new employment shall reveal

The way I shall make straight my crooked path—

Thus heal my past and write a future new.

Enter GREEDO, stopping HAN SOLO as the latter begins to exit.

GREEDO Na koona t’chuta, Solo?

HAN —Yes, indeed,

Good Greedo, I have plann’d to make my way

Unto thy Master. Tell thou Jabba plain:

I have obtain’d his money.

GREEDO —Soong peetch’lay.

Na mala tram pee chock makacheesa.

Na Jabba w’nin chee kosthpa murishan’

Tutyng ye wanya yoskah. Heh heh heh!

Na chas kee nyowyee koo chooskoo.

HAN —’Tis true,

Yet this time is the money truly mine.

GREEDO Keh lee chalya chulkah in ting coo’ng koos’.

HAN [aside:] This bounty hunter doth my patience try.

[To Greedo:] Nay, nay, I have not money with me now.

Tell Jabba—

GREEDO —Ny’chi withi! Ayl garu

Puyay enya aru gagu shuku

Shunu pu’aa ipi.

HAN —But even I

From time to time have boarded been. Dost thou

Believe that e’er I had the choice?

GREEDO —Dro Jabb’.

Na paknee abnya apna.

HAN —Nay, not that:

The day when Jabba taketh my dear ship

Shall be the day you find me a grave man.

GREEDO Nay oo’chlay nooma. Chespeka noofa

Na cringko kaynko, a nachoskanya!

HAN Aye, true, I’ll warrant thou hast wish’d this day.

[They shoot, Greedo dies.

[To innkeeper:] Pray, goodly Sir, forgive me for the mess.

[Aside:] And whether I shot first, I’ll ne’er confess!

[Exeunt.

SCENE 2.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter DARTH VADER, GRAND MOFF TARKIN, and COMMANDER TAGGE.

VADER The princess hath shown great resistance to

The mind probe—’twere as if she knew the Force

And hath a Jedi’s blood to overcome

The piercing of her mind by a machine.

Belike it shall some length of time yet be

Until we can extract the thoughts therein.

Enter ADMIRAL MOTTI.

MOTTI The final tests are now complete at last.

And thus my news: the Death Star stands prepar’d.

Aye, fully operational it is.

So, Governor, what course shall we now set?

TARKIN Perhaps the stubborn princess shall respond

To an alternative persuasiveness.

VADER I prithee, Tarkin, say: what dost thou mean?

TARKIN Pray patience, Darth—thou shalt my meaning learn.

Now time it is the power of this Death

Star shown to all shall be. Now, Admiral,

Go forth and set thy course for Alderaan.

MOTTI I understand thee, and with pride obey.

[Exeunt Grand Moff Tarkin, Commander Tagge, and Admiral Motti.

VADER The death of innocents doth bring me joy.

Because the dark side is my chosen path,

The senseless end of others pains me not.

For I have play’d the part of judge severe

And then have been the executioner.

Why would I care for those on Alderaan,

When I have murder’d innocents as they?

’Tis my dark calling, which I do embrace.

To Alderaan we fly on course direct,

And to this feast of death I’ll not object.

[Exit Darth Vader.

SCENE 3.

Mos Eisley, on the desert planet Tatooine.

Enter C-3PO and R2-D2.

C-3PO I prithee, lockest thou the door anon!

[They hide behind door.

Enter STORMTROOPERS.

TROOPER 5 This door is lock’d. And as my father oft

Hath said, a lockèd door no mischief makes.

So sure am I that, thus, behind this door

Cannot be found the droids for which we search.

And thus may we move on with conscience clear.

[Exeunt stormtroopers. C-3PO and R2-D2 emerge.

C-3PO I’ll tell thee true, I would with Master Luke

Prefer to go than now remain with thee.

I do not know what trouble here may be,

Yet certain am I thou deserv’st the blame.

R2-D2 [aside:] I’ll warrant, thou shalt have thy recompense!

[To C-3PO:] Squeak, whistle, beep, meep, nee, meep, whistle, squeak!

C-3PO Hold thou thy cursing and most cursèd tongue!

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI and LUKE SKYWALKER.

OBI-WAN Thou must thy speeder sell.

LUKE —That matters not.

For ne’er shall I return unto this place.

CHORUS Young Luke doth with a buyer swiftly meet,

And in a trice a hasty deal is wrought.

A speeder sold along a dusty street—

But with the sale new chance for hope is bought.

LUKE A paltry sum, in truth! Aye, ever since

The XP-38 hath been releas’d,

This model hath but little value. Fie!

OBI-WAN Fear not—it shall suffice. ’Twill serve our need.

[All stand aside.

CHORUS Now while young Luke and Obi-Wan prepare,

Their deeds are watch’d by eyes as yet unseen.

With black beak menacing he spies the pair,

Then comes another fiend with portly mien.

Enter HAN SOLO with CHEWBACCA and JABBA THE HUTT with henchmen.

JABBA Ba’Solo! Hay lapa no ya, Solo!

HAN [aside:] Now, marry, ’tis an unexpected scene.

[To Jabba:] Aye, here, thou Jabba slimy and rotund.

I have awaited long thy coming here.

JABBA Boonowa tweepi. Heh, ho, ha!

HAN —Nay, nay!

Thou didst not think that I should run, didst thou?

JABBA Na-Han mah bukee. Keel-ee c’leya kuk’h.

Wanta dah moolee-rah? Muh wonkee chee

Sa crispo Greedo?

HAN —Next time thou dost wish

To counsel hold with me, pray come thyself!

Send not thy churlish dismal-dreaming knaves.

JABBA Han, Han. Make-cheesay. Pa’sa tah nay

Ono caulky malia. Ee youngee

D’emperiolo teesaw. Twa spastik’

Wahl no. Yanee dah poo noo.

HAN —Nay, see here!

As I have said before—O verily,

’Tis though I just have said thus—even I

From time to time have boarded been. Dost thou

Believe that e’er I had the choice? [Aside:] Aye, true,

It sometimes seemeth I repeat myself.

[To Jabba:] Now have I, though, a simple charter found,

And soon as it is done, thy payment shall

Be done as well—belike with interest.

I need but time and I shall do it, Sir.

JABBA Na-Han ma bukee. Bargon yanah cot’

Da eetha. See fah luto tweentee, ee

Yaba na—

HAN —Nay, say thou not so much.

Fifteen percent, I’ll warrant, shall be well.

JABBA See fah luto eetheen, ee yaba ma

Dukey massa. Eeth wong che coh pa na

Geen, nah meet’ toe bunk’ dunko. Lo choda!

HAN O Jabba, thou wert e’er a kindly soul.

JABBA Boska!

[Exeunt Jabba and henchmen.

OBI-WAN —Now if yon ship is truly fast,

As quick as this Han Solo boasted so,

We shall do well.

LUKE [spying ship:]                     —What folly-fallen ship

Is this? What rough-hewn wayward scut is here?

HAN Point-five past light speed shall she make, my lad.

Now truly, earneth she low marks for looks,

But still a finer spirit hath no ship.

Full many small improvements have I made

To render her e’en faster than before.

Now, marry, gentlemen, if thou agree,

We shall be off, and speedily, from here.

[Aside:] And if thy mouth insulteth it again,

I promise, boy, thy face shall meet my hand.

[Chewbacca, Obi-Wan, Luke, C-3PO, and R2-D2 board ship.

CHORUS But ere the ship departs the sandy dock,

The stormtroopers appear with massive threat.

Informèd by the beak’d spy’s trait’rous talk,

They come upon the ship, with weapons set.

Enter STORMTROOPERS.

TROOPER 5 Pray, stop yon ship! Aye, blast them to the stars!

HAN Chewbacca, prithee, hence! Now let us go!

C-3PO O, traveling in space, it works me woe!

[Exeunt.

SCENE 4.

Space, aboard the Millennium Falcon.

CHORUS Mos Eisley now is left behind at last,

While newer scenes come into view apace.

As Han’s Millenn’um Falcon flies far fast

The action of our play moves back to space!

Enter CHEWBACCA and HAN SOLO, in ship.

CHEWBAC. Egh, auugh!

HAN —Now are we follow’d hard upon

By an Imperi’l cruiser. Verily,

These passengers of great import must be

For they by th’Empire hotly are pursu’d.

Chewbacca, prithee, swift make our defense

And angle the deflector shield whilst I

Make plain the calculations for light speed.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI and LUKE SKYWALKER.

Now vigilance, my Wookiee! Quickly come

Two further ships, to try and block our path.

LUKE Nay, wherefore canst thou not outrun them both?

For thou didst boast of this strange vessel’s speed.

HAN [aside:] Again he prattles on about the ship!

O would that I had left him on the ground.

[To Luke:] Pray mark thy words, lad, else thou surely wilt

Become like refuse to a Star Destroy’r

And float away to vanish midst the stars.

I’ll warrant we shall soon in safety fly,

Once we the jump to hyperspace can make.

And what is more, my skill doth all exceed

At making keen maneuvers. All my life

Have I escap’d one scrape and yet one more.

Well I remember when—as but a boy—

I chas’d a nerf whilst on a speeder bike.

Through rocky field in harsh terrain we went,

Within, around and backward was our game.

I caught the nerf that splendid day, but aye,

It seems I have been dodging ever since.

OBI-WAN How long, now, ere thou canst achieve lightspeed?

HAN A few more moments shall it take whilst this

Computer doth its navigation work.

LUKE But art thou mad? For certain they approach!

I have not made this journey just to die.

[Aside:] This man shall surely be the end of me.

HAN The travel unto hyperspace is not

The same as thine a’dusting of the crops

Upon thy land of infinite dry sand.

Sans calculations quite exact, we would

Belike run through a belt of asteroids,

Or hit upon a planet’s center mark.

Should such our fate become, thy trip would end

Before it had begun.

LUKE —But O, what now?

What light through yonder flashing sensor breaks?

HAN It marks the loss of yon deflector shield.

I bid thee, peace! Now sit and thou take heed,

For all’s prepar’d to jump unto lightspeed.

CHORUS Han graspeth quick the console in his hand,

Then suddenly the ship is bath’d in light.

With roar of engine—noise profound and grand—

The great Millenn’um Falcon takes her flight.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 5.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter GRAND MOFF TARKIN and ADMIRAL MOTTI.

MOTTI Now are we come to th’system Alderaan.

Enter PRINCESS LEIA, bound, with guards and DARTH VADER.

LEIA Ah! Gov’nor Tarkin, scurvy knave art thou.

Now seems it plain to me that Vader doth

Perform the part of docile dog unto

The sick’ning whinny of his Master’s voice.

Familiar stench of dog’s best friend have I

Mark’d deep within my sense of smell e’en when

I came unto this station.

TARKIN —Ever wert

Thou charming, Leia, even to the last.

Thou couldst not comprehend how hard it was—

Aye, verily, how I did sigh and weep—

To give the order to destroy thy life.

LEIA Surpris’d am I thou had the courage so

To take responsibility for such

As this unto thy cowardly, small self.

TARKIN [aside:] She groweth ever bolder, which doth but

Increase my appetite to see her scream.

[To Leia:] My Princess, ere thou executed art,

I would thou join me for a moment full

Of pomp and circumstance. For at this grand

And noble ceremony shall the pow’r

Of this great battle station here be shown

To be quite fully operational.

Now no star system shall e’er dare oppose

The Emperor.

LEIA —O but how wrong thou art!

The more that thou dost exercise thy grip,

The more star systems through that grip shall fall.

TARKIN Not after we have shown the power vast

This battle station shall to them display.

And to the point: thou hast determin’d what

The prim’ry demonstration of its force

Shall be—which planet shall oblivion face.

[Aside:] Now shall I drive this nail unto its home,

And watch with joy as she with grief is torn.

[To Leia:] Since thou hast so refus’d to grant to us

The hid location of the rebel base,

I shall unleash this station’s pow’r upon

Thine own home planet—even Alderaan.

LEIA Nay, do not so to peaceful Alderaan!

TARKIN Thou shalt a military target name,

Then render swift the system’s name as well.

Or else thy precious Alderaan goes to’t.

I tire of asking o’er and o’er, so thus

I promise: this shall be the final time—

Where is thy rebel base?

LEIA —On Dantooine.

They may be found on planet Dantooine.

TARKIN Ha, ha! Thou seest, Vader, how a cat

May have her claws remov’d. Now, Admiral,

Thou mayst continue with thy weapon’s test,

And surely mayst thou fire when all’s prepar’d.

LEIA What madness here?!

TARKIN —Thou far too trusting art.

The tiny Dantooine is too remote

To show this station’s pow’r but pray, fear not,

We shall in time thy rebel friends pursue.

CHORUS To do the Governor’s most evil will,

The people on the Death Star quickly rise.

With mighty flash, the beam bursts bright and shrill

And Alderaan is shatter’d ’fore their eyes.

LEIA [sings:] When Alderaan hath blossom’d bright,

Then sang we songs of nonny,

But now her day is turn’d to night,

Sing hey and lack-a-day.

My friend and I stood by the river,

Then sang we songs of nonny,

But I could not her soul deliver,

Sing hey and lack-a-day.

My planet hath the bluest shore,

Then sang we songs of nonny,

That noble land is now no more,

Sing hey and lack-a-day.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 6.

Space, aboard the Millennium Falcon.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI, LUKE SKYWALKER, C-3PO, R2-D2, and CHEWBACCA.

CHORUS The instant Alderaan is smash’d to bits,

Luke tries his lightsaber—a keen trainee.

The droids and Wookiee play a game of wits,

But Obi-Wan doth sense catastrophe.

OBI-WAN [aside:] Now breaks my heart as through the Force I sense

The suffering of many worthy souls.

I know not what this doth portend, and yet

I fear the worst.

LUKE —Good Sir, how farest thou?

OBI-WAN Forsooth, a great disturbance in the Force

Have I just felt. ’Twas like a million mouths

Cried out in fear at once, and then were gone,

All hush’d and quiet—silent to the last.

I fear a stroke of evil hath occurr’d.

But thou, good Luke, thy practice recommence.

Enter HAN SOLO.

HAN Thou mayest all thy troubles now forget,

Th’Imperi’l knaves have been outrun at last.

[Aside:] Well here’s a solemn gathering indeed,

Quite lacking in the proper gratitude.

[To Obi-Wan and Luke:] Nay, speak thou not thy thanks too heartily,

Else shall thy praise go swiftly to my head.

But here’s the point, we shall at Alderaan

Arrive ere long.

[R2-D2 makes a move against Chewbacca in the game they play.

C-3PO —Pray, R2, caution show.

R2-D2 Beep, whistle, squeak, beep, meep, hoo whistle.

CHEWBAC. —Auugh!

C-3PO A fair move hath he made, thou furry lump.

No use is there in screaming o’er the loss.

[Aside:] However did I join this company?

A Wookiee and his smuggler captain—O!

CHEWBAC. Egh.

HAN —Be thou wise, droid, mark well what thou dost.

As it is said: black holes are worth thy fear,

But fear thou more a Wookiee’s deadly wrath.

C-3PO But Sir, no proverb warns the galaxy

Of how a droid may hotly anger’d be.

HAN Aye, marry, ’tis because no droid hath e’er

Torn out of joint another being’s arms

Upon a lesser insult e’en than this—

But Wookiees, golden droid, are not so tame.

C-3PO Thy meaning, Sir, doth prick my circuit board.

’Tis best to play the fool, and not the sage,

To say it brief: pray let the Wookiee win.

CHEWBAC. Auugh!

R2-D2 [aside:]                            —Brute! The fool I’ll play with thee, indeed.

Yet I perceive thou and thy friend have heart.

[Luke continues to practice with his lightsaber against the remote.

OBI-WAN Remember, Luke, the Force doth smoothly flow

Within the feelings of a Jedi Knight.

LUKE But doth the Force control one’s ev’ry move?

OBI-WAN ’Tis somewhat so, but also shall the Force

Obey thine every command, young Luke.

LUKE [aside:] This Force, by troth, I’ll never comprehend!

It doth control and also doth obey?

And ’tis within and yet it is beyond,

’Tis both inside and yet outside one’s self?

What paradox! What fickle-natur’d pow’r!

Aye: frailty, thy name—belike—is Force.

[To Obi-Wan:] Alack! This small remote hath struck again!

HAN Ha, ha! Thy errant systems of belief—

Thy weapons ancient, all thy mysteries,

Thy robes and meditations o’er the air,

Thy superstitions, e’en thy precious Force—

Cannot compare to my religion true:

A trusty blaster ever by my side.

With thus I say my prayers and guard my soul.

LUKE Devoted foll’wer must thou be, with such

A speech. Pray tell me, pilgrim reverent:

Dost thou most truly disbelieve the Force?

HAN A pilgrim, truly said! For I have gone

From galaxy to galaxy and more,

Yet never hath this faithful worshipper

Found aught to recommend that strange belief—

A single Force that binds the universe.

True ’tis, no power mystical controls

Han Solo’s yet unfinish’d destiny.

And so I preach the one and only faith:

My simple, merry tricks are all my gods,

And nonsense is the only testament.

I worship at the shrine of my own will.

OBI-WAN [aside:] A wise philosopher if e’er there was.

I’ll warrant he hath character he hides.

[To Luke:] Now prithee, try again, and lay aside

Thy conscious self. Take thou this helmet thick,

Adorn thine eyes with silver shield opaque

And trust thine instincts only as thy guide.

LUKE But surely ’tis a jest! For with this shield

I nothing now can see. How can I fight?

Aye, truly—fight or walk or even stand?

Without one’s sight but little can be done.

OBI-WAN Nay, ’tis in blindness one doth truly see!

For eyes deceive and sight is known to lie.

Let feelings be thy sight—their guidance trust!

CHORUS With mind unsure Luke readies for the fight.

The small remote doth dodge most suddenly,

But with calm mind Luke blocks its lasers bright—

With inner eye the Force has let him see.

OBI-WAN Hurrah! Thou canst do it!

HAN —’Tis luck, no more.

OBI-WAN Experience hath taught me much, dear man,

And none of it hath shown me aught of luck.

HAN To find success against a small remote,

Is well, and taketh skill, I do confess.

To find success against a living soul,

However, also taketh excellence.

[Console beeps.

It seemeth we draw near to Alderaan.

[Exeunt Han Solo and Chewbacca.

LUKE I did feel something, Obi-Wan, ’tis true.

It seems I fix’d my soul’s eye on th’remote.

OBI-WAN Seems, young one? Nay, thou didst! Think thou not seems.

Thou hast thy first step ta’en toward a world

Far greater than thou now canst understand.

[Exeunt Luke, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

And thus begins—if I have seen aright—

His transformation into Jedi Knight.

[Exit Obi-Wan.

SCENE 7.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter DARTH VADER and GRAND MOFF TARKIN.

Enter OFFICER CASS opposite.

CASS My Lord, our scout ships have reach’d Dantooine.

Remains of th’rebel base the scouts have found,

Yet surely hath it been a length of time

Deserted. Now shall they begin to search

Surrounding systems, so to find the base.

[Exit Officer Cass.

TARKIN The wench hath lied! Deceiving, cut-throat girl,

Most cunning princess born of Hell’s own heart!

VADER I knew full well she never would betray

Her priz’d Rebellion whilst in her right mind.

And thus I said: she ne’er should have our trust.

TARKIN Destroy her! ’Tis a sentence more than just.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 8.

Space, aboard the Millennium Falcon.

Enter HAN SOLO and CHEWBACCA.

HAN Now dropping out of light speed’s frantic rush

We enter swift unto the area

Where should there be great Alderaan in view.

But pray, what madness meets the Falcon’s flight?

Is this an ast’roid field I see before me?

The ship hath wrought a course direct and true,

And yet no Alderaan may here be found.

O errand vile, O portents of great ill!

What shall it mean, when planets are no more,

For those who make their wages by the stars?

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI and LUKE SKYWALKER.

LUKE What news, good Han?

HAN —The ship’s position hits

The mark, and yet no Alderaan there is.

LUKE I pray thee, marry, say: what canst thou mean?

How can a planet vanish in the air?

HAN Thou hast said right, my lad. It is not there.

The planet’s gone, all turned to rock and ash.

LUKE Thou speak’st not right. Say how? Pray how? Tell how!

OBI-WAN Destroy’d it was, and by the Empire cruel.

HAN A thousand thousand ships could not destroy

The planet. Truly ’twould take greater pow’r

Than ever there was known to humankind.

But soft! Another ship approaches quick.

[A small ship flies quickly past the Millennium Falcon.

LUKE Belike they can the tale to us relate.

OBI-WAN Imperi’l fighter ’tis.

LUKE —Hath it made chase?

OBI-WAN Nay, nay! A short-range fighter ’tis. [Aside:] O how

This situation here doth give me pause.

HAN No base is there nearby. Whence cometh it?

[Aside:] The courage in me melts away at this.

My boasts cannot resolve this mystery.

LUKE The ship departeth swiftly! If they have

Identifi’d our lot, we shall have strife.

HAN ’Tis my intent to keep us from that Fate.

Chewbacca, render its transmissions block’d.

OBI-WAN Pray, let it go, ’tis too far flown.

HAN —Not long!

OBI-WAN Dost thou agree—a fighter of its size

This deep in space could not have come alone?

LUKE Belike ’twas in a group and now is lost.

HAN It shall not live to tell the tale today.

LUKE Forsooth! He makes his way to that small moon.

HAN I may play checkmate on him ere he lands.

OBI-WAN Alas—I sense the game, and we’re the pawns.

That is no moon. ’Tis a space station there.

[The Death Star looms in the distance, growing closer.

HAN ’Tis far too large a space station to be.

LUKE My feelings now do stir, I sense them well!

They tell me we shall lose the match we play.

OBI-WAN Pray, turn thee now the ship around.

HAN —I shall!

Now Chewie, lock thou quick th’auxill’ry pow’r.

LUKE Why do we still approach? What can be done?

HAN It hath th’advantage, using tractor beam

To pull us in, unto its landing bay.

LUKE But pray, some move thou must have left to make!

HAN My moves are finish’d, lad, I must shut down,

Else shall the ship entire soon come apart.

But still, with all my players I shall fight.

OBI-WAN Thou canst not win, but will by strategy

Some good alternatives to fighting see.

CHORUS So enters the Millenn’um Falcon in

Unto the Death Star, grand and stark and mean.

With fear the Wookiee and the three brave men

Look on as their space journey changes scene.

Meanwhile, the denizens within the base

Make haste to catch the ship that cometh near.

Commanders come with well-arm’d guards apace,

While stormtroopers do at their posts appear.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 1.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter DARTH VADER, GRAND MOFF TARKIN, and ENVOY.

ENVOY A freighter hath been captur’d entering

The system Alderaan. Its markings match

A ship that hath Mos Eisley quickly fled.

VADER This errant ship, belike, endeavors to

Return the plans unto the princess who,

Within this base, is lock’d in guarded cell.

[To Grand Moff Tarkin:] Perhaps the princess yet hath use to us.

[Exit Grand Moff Tarkin. Vader crosses to the ship.

Enter OFFICER 1, STORMTROOPERS, and GUARDS 1 and 2.

OFFICER 1 No person is aboard the ship, my Lord.

The log maintain’d on board doth tell a tale

Of all the crew abandoning the ship

Directly after its departure. ’Tis

No doubt a decoy, Sir. For all the pods

Have launchèd been.

VADER —Hast thou found any droids?

OFFICER 1 Nay, truly not, my Lord. If there had been,

Then surely must they have abandon’d too.

VADER Send thou a scanning crew aboard the ship,

And check its nooks and crannies, ev’ry bit.

OFFICER 1 Aye, good, my Lord.

VADER [aside:]                      —Distract’d is my mind,

But through its cloudy haze the reason comes:

Unless I am in error, someone here

Has come. I have not felt this presence since

The days that are but dark in memory.

This presence I have known since I was young,

This presence that once call’d me closest friend,

This presence that hath all my hopes betray’d,

This presence that hath turn’d my day to night.

This awful presence present here must be,

So shall I to this presence violence

Present.

[Exit Darth Vader.

OFFICER 1 —Now to thy work, and scan the ship!

TROOPER 5 The scan is done; no living soul is here.

[Exeunt stormtroopers.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI, LUKE SKYWALKER, HAN SOLO, CHEWBACCA, C-3PO, and R2-D2, hidden.

LUKE ’Tis fortunate thou hast these storage bins.

HAN Their use hath ever been for smuggling goods.

Ne’er have I thought I would myself herein

Be smuggling. All we do is madness—fie!

If I could start the ship, the tractor beam

Would wrap its eagle’s talons ’round my neck.

OBI-WAN The tractor beam thou may’st leave unto me.

HAN Thou fool, I knew that thou wouldst say as much.

OBI-WAN Aye, say thou fool? Then fool, good Sir, am I.

But when thou sayest fool remember well

That fools do walk in foolish company.

So if I am a fool, perhaps ’tis true

That other fools around me may be found.

For who is he who hath more foolish been—

The fool or other fool who follows him?

[They hide. Guards 1 and 2 standby while scanning crew enters ship and are bested by Obi-Wan, Luke, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.

GUARD 1 Oi! Didst thou hear that sound?

GUARD 2 —Pray, hear a sound?

GUARD 1 Aye, truly—I quite clearly heard a sound.

GUARD 2 Thine ears, mayhap, play tricks on thee, my friend.

GUARD 1 Nay, nay. Dost thou not think this strange?

GUARD 2 —What strange?

GUARD 1 The droids did flee the ship we have attack’d,

And unto Tatooine have gone by pod.

’Tis true, thus far?

GUARD 2 —I cannot claim ’tis false.

GUARD 1 On Tatooine they have been tracèd first

To Jawas vile and then to humans—

GUARD 2 —Dead.

GUARD 1 Aye, dead they are—our men did see to it.

But follow on: the boy who with them liv’d

Hath fled, we knew not where, till he was seen

At yon Mos Eisley with the pair of droids.

GUARD 2 Aye, aye, ’twas all in last week’s briefing. Pray,

What more of this? Hast thou aught new to say?

GUARD 1 The boy and droids together disappear’d

The very hour the ship—this ship—did fly.

And now, the ship is here, though empty seems.

GUARD 2 Nay, empty ’tis! The scanning crew doth work

E’en now.

GUARD 1 —Which bringeth me full circle to

The sound I just have heard. Is’t possible,

My friend, that boy and droids and rebels all

Have flown within this ship unto this base

And yet—e’en now—whilst thou and I do speak,

Still hide within the ship?

GUARD 2 —I am amaz’d!

GUARD 1 Aye, verily? Think’st thou I may be right?

GUARD 2 I said thou hast amaz’d me, and ’tis true.

But never did I say I think thee right—

Thou dost amaze by thy o’eractive thoughts!

A hidden boy! The droids within! A fig!

Avaunt, thou silly guard, be not so thick.

Thy great imagination hath o’erwrought

Thy better senses. Thinkest thou thy pow’rs

Of judgment far exceed our Masters true?

May’st thou outwit the great Darth Vader or

The cunning of our Gov’nor Tarkin? Nay!

We are but simple guards, our purpose here

Is plain and to the point: we have been task’d

To watch the ship and follow all commands,

And not to prattle on with airy thoughts.

GUARD 1 Aye, thou hast spoke a well-consider’d word.

Thou art a friend, as I have e’er maintain’d,

And thou hast spoken truth and calm’d me quite.

The rebels hide herein! What vain conceit!

That e’er they should the Death Star enter—ha!

GUARD 2 It warms my heart to see thee so restor’d

And back to thine own merry, native self.

HAN [within:] Pray, may we have thy good assistance here?

GUARD 1 [to Guard 2:] So, let us go together, friend. Good cheer!

[Guards 1 and 2 enter ship and are killed. Exeunt others.

SCENE 2.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter OFFICERS 2 and 3.

OFFICER 2 Say—TK-421, now wherefore hast

Thou left thy station? TK-421,

Canst thou my message hear? [To Officer 3:] Take thou command,

Belike he hath a bad transmitter. So

Shall I attend and help him if I may.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI, C-3PO, R2-D2, and CHEWBACCA with HAN SOLO and LUKE dressed as stormtroopers, killing Officers 2 and 3.

CHORUS Now through the doorway come our heroes brave.

Th’Imperi’l officers Chewbacca fights

Whilst Han with blaster doth his entry pave.

They have arriv’d: escape is in their sights.

CHEWBAC. Auugh!

LUKE —Fie! With all this howling nonsense and

With all thy blasting ’tis a miracle

That all within the station have not heard

Of our arrival.

HAN —Surely, let them come!

A fight would I prefer to sneaking yon

And hither.

R2-D2 —Beep, beep whistle, squeak, beep, meep.

C-3PO We have the outlet for the system found.

[Aside:] O that my words might end their bickering.

OBI-WAN ’Tis well! Plug R2 in and he shall read

The whole Imperi’l network.

R2-D2 —Beep, meep, squeak!

Hoo, whistle, whee, ahh, beep, meep, squeak, beep, meep.

C-3PO Now hath he found the main control unto

The power beam that holds the ship herein.

He shall attempt to show thee, presently,

Where its exact location may be found.

The tractor beam in seven places is

Connected to the main reactor, but

A power loss at any terminal

Shall set the good Millenn’um Falcon free.

OBI-WAN [aside:] That number seven shall our freedom mean.

But only one of seven shall we need.

I fear those numbers—seven and then one—

Do something dangerous portend. But why?

Our company is only six, unless

There were another join’d unto us here.

Then were we seven, yet what means the one?

O! Strangely sweeps the thought into my mind:

I have a feeling through the Force that ere

We leave this place, some seven shall we be.

Yet one shall stay behind as sacrifice.

Thus seven and thus one: the numbers tell

The story that herein shall soon be told.

[To Luke and Han:] Methinks ye two cannot assist me now.

This one—e’en I—shall go alone.

HAN —Aye, good!

So shall I hearken unto what thou sayst,

For I already on this voyage have

Done more than that for which I have been paid.

LUKE I would go with thee, Sir.

OBI-WAN —Pray, patience, Luke,

For thou must stay and guard the vital droids.

They must be taken safely to our friends,

Or other systems end like Alderaan.

Thy destiny, dear boy, doth truly go

Upon a path far different from mine,

And Fate for thee hath spun another thread

Than what she hath for Obi-Wan’s life stitch’d.

The Force, it shall be with thee always, Luke.

[Exit Obi-Wan.

LUKE [aside:] He hath bestow’d a Jedi’s blessing here,

So why then am I utterly unnerv’d?

CHEWBAC. Auugh!

HAN —Wookiee, thou hast spoken well

and true:

Whence hast thou this old bag of bones uncover’d?

LUKE Yon Ben in all good virtues doth excel.

HAN Aye, certain he excelleth when the goal

Is but to lead us into trouble great.

LUKE But thou hast not excell’d at offering

A thought to how we can this station ’scape.

HAN Yet any simple plan excelleth o’er

Remaining here till all descend on us.

It taketh not a wisdom that excels

To know for certain fact that such is true.

R2-D2 [aside:] By heav’n I’ll stop their bickering with this

New information. [To Han and Luke:] Whistle, beep, meep, whee!

LUKE I prithee, what doth all this beeping mean?

C-3PO Sir, I confess I do not know. He hath

Declar’d that he hath found her, then the droid

Repeats “She’s here, she’s here.”

LUKE —But, marry, who?

C-3PO Good Princess Leia.

LUKE —Princess Leia—here?

[Aside:] Now doth this strange adventure stir my blood!

HAN What sayst of “princess”?

LUKE —Where, thou droid? Say where!

HAN What princess? On thy life, this thing unveil.

R2-D2 Beep, meep, meep, beep, squeak, whistle, beep, meep, hoo.

C-3PO E’en now the princess is on Level 5,

Detention block of AA-23.

R2-D2 [aside:] O me! This new discovery of mine

Doth shake my core, and shall arouse their souls.

[To Han and Luke:] Meep, meep, ahh, beep, squeak, beep, meep, beep, ahh, nee.

C-3PO I fear, good Sir, it doth give certain news

The princess shall be terminated soon.

LUKE Nay, nay! So quickly met and now, with this,

So quickly lost! Now must we swiftly act!

HAN What dost thou prattle on about? Pray tell!

LUKE [aside:] O how can one describe in simple words

The import this myster’ous woman hath

Upon my life? [To Han:] The droids, these droids, are hers,

She hath appear’d in message urgent, too!

I see thou canst not understand it well,

Yet what I know is this: we must give her

Whate’er unflagging help and hope we may!

HAN Speak not with such great folly. Obi-Wan

Hath told us to remain.

LUKE —Yet knew he not

That she is here! [To C-3PO:] Pray tell me how we may

Straight make our way to the detention block.

HAN I say again what I have said before:

To this location is my purpose fix’d

And whether princess be within or no,

I tell thee plain: I shall not thither go.

LUKE She shall be executed! Thou hast said,

Mere minutes past, that thou wouldst not remain

To see our sudden, sure imprisonment.

Now is thy fondest wish that we should stay?

HAN To march to the detention block’s unwise!

To make our way to danger folly ’tis!

To there present ourselves is passing mad!

To boldly go where none hath gone is wild!

LUKE Hast thou no heart? She sentenc’d is to die!

HAN My sentence is: ’tis better she than I.

LUKE [aside:] How shall I break a heart that loveth not,

And how convince a man who lives by wits?

He hath not seen the urgency within

Her eyes. He hath not known the trembling in

Her voice. He hath not heard the manner of

Her plea. And yet, without his help I fear

My errand surely fails. What shall I do?

I know that under his exterior

More good and noble aspirations lie.

But by what tricks of speech to bring them forth,

And what persuasions shall his fix’d will move?

My aunt Beru hath told me once a tale:

She said when first the deep, vast Kessel mines

Were dug, it was revealèd that the pearls

Of greatest value must by clever means

Discover’d be. So did the miners band

Together, so to make a useful tool.

This tool would pull the pearls out of the rock

In such a way they seem’d t’emerge by ruse.

This practice had a name: the Hammer Ploy.

Now shall I play a Hammer’s Ploy upon

The soul of this good smuggler, coaxing him

By means most indirect to rescue good.

Thus may the pearl of his still ragged soul

Revealèd be and shine as ne’er before.

[To Han:] I tell thee true: the lady wealthy is.

CHEWBAC. Egh, auugh!

HAN —Say, wealthy?

LUKE —Wealthy, aye, with pow’r.

If thou wouldst rescue her, thy great reward

Would be—

HAN —Pray, what?

LUKE —Well more, I’ll warrant, than

Thou mayst imagine!

HAN —Ha, thou josh with me.

For my imagination hath few bounds.

LUKE Thou shalt have it!

HAN —So would I!

LUKE —Aye, thou wilt!

HAN Enough, I am engag’d. But I do hope

Thou knowest well of what thou speakest here.

LUKE Well, well!

HAN —Hast thou a plan?

LUKE —C-3PO,

I prithee pass those binding cuffs to me.

[To Chewbacca:] Good Wookiee, I shall put these on thee now.

CHEWBAC. Auugh!

LUKE —Han, perhaps thou shouldst that honor have.

[Han Solo cuffs Chewbacca.

HAN Fear not, dear Chewie, now his plan is plain.

C-3PO My Master Luke, forgive my question frank:

What should we do if we discover’d are?

LUKE Lock thou the door.

HAN —And pray they’ve blasters none.

C-3PO [aside to R-D2:] ’Tis not a reassuring word.

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak!

[Exeunt C-3PO and R2-D2 as Han, Luke, and Chewbacca go to detention block.

CHORUS So now Chewbacca, Han, and Luke proceed

Unto detention level 5, quite grave.

With bravery, good hope, and all Godspeed,

Their errand is a princess there to save.

The minions of the Death Star pay no mind,

Nor are they by these three at all dismay’d.

They do not fear the Wookiee, for behind

Are Han and Luke as stormtroopers array’d.

Meanwhile in stealth does Obi-Wan pass by

And to the terminal doth make his way,

But while he goes Darth Vader feels him fly—

So ev’ry character his role doth play.

HAN Thy plan, it shall not work.

LUKE —And wherefore hast

Thou not said this ere now?

HAN —Aye, but I have!

[Luke, Han Solo, and Chewbacca enter detention block with Officer 4 and soldiers.

OFFICER 4 By heav’n, I say: where takest thou this thing?

LUKE This pris’ner hath been transferr’d here, from cell 1-1-3-8.

OFFICER 4 —No one hath told me so.

Thus ’tis my duty to confirm thy word.

[Soldiers approach.

CHEWBAC. Auugh!

HAN —Be thou swift and merciless, good Luke!

[Han Solo, Luke, and Chewbacca kill Officer 4 and soldiers.

CHORUS With blasters rais’d and targets in their scopes,

The three do overtake th’Imperi’l threat.

This obstacle o’ercome, they have fresh hopes—

But still their way hath not been made clear yet.

HAN Now shall we see wherein thy princess lies …

It saith herein she now is held in cell

2-1-8-7. Go! I’ll hold them here.

[To comlink:] O be not anxious, comrades, fear ye not!

The situation here hath been controll’d.

All merry ’tis in the detention block!

OFFICER 1 [through comlink:] But what hath happen’d?

HAN —’Tis no matter, Sir—

A slight malfunction of the weapons here.

But all is well, and we are well, and all

Within are well. The pris’ners, too, are well,

’Tis well, ’tis well. And thou? Art also well?

OFFICER 1 [through comlink:] We shall dispatch a squad to verify.

HAN Nay, there’s a leak in the reactor here.

Pray give us time to mend the matter well.

The leak is large and dangerous, but fear

Thou not, for all—I tell thee true—is well!

OFFICER 1 [through comlink:] But who art thou, and what’s thy number code?

[Han Solo blasts comlink.

HAN That conversation did my spirits bore!

Now Luke, prepare thyself for company!

[Luke enters Princess Leia’s chamber aside.

LEIA Thou truly art in jest. Art thou not small

Of stature, if thou art a stormtrooper?

Does Empire shrink for want of taller troops?

The Empire’s evil ways, I’ll grant, are grand,

But must its soldiers want for fear of height?

LUKE [aside:] So hath my introduction fallen short.

She sees the uniform, but not the man.

[Removing helmet, to Leia:] Luke Skywalker am I! I have thy droids,

My noble errand is to rescue thee,

And I with Ben Kenobi have come here!

LEIA With Ben Kenobi? Where is he?

LUKE —Draw near!

[Exeunt.

SCENE 3.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter DARTH VADER and Grand Moff Tarkin.

VADER I tell thee: he is here.

TARKIN —Old Obi-Wan

Kenobi? Wherefore dost thou think ’tis so?

VADER A tremor in the Force hath been my guide.

When last I felt its movement I was in

The presence of my former Master—he.

TARKIN ’Twas years ago. He must be dead by now.

VADER Thou shouldst not underestimate the pow’r

The Force doth hold.

TARKIN —The Jedi are extinct.

Their power from the universe is gone

And thou, dear friend, art all that doth remain

Of their misguided, old religious ways.

[Comlink beeps.] Pray, what?

OFFICER 1 [through comlink:]                     —Detention AA-23

Hath sounded an emergency alert.

TARKIN The princess? Fie! Put thou all sections on

Alert.

VADER —I tell thee: Obi-Wan is here,

E’en now, and surely with him is the Force.

TARKIN If thou art right, he must not be allow’d

This station to escape. Nay, never, nay!

VADER Escape is not his plan. I must confront

My former Master, and must do’t alone.

[Exit Grand Moff Tarkin.

The Master’s lesson shall I teach in turn,

When Obi-Wan I face in battle soon.

I shall my vengeance win, my triumph gain,

When I deliver him unto his death.

Though comrades were we in full many wars,

Though friends we have been once, the past is gone—

And all is but a horrid memory.

Today my hopes shall be achiev’d when I

Strike down the vile betrayer of my youth.

This conflict shall fulfill my destiny,

And end for him in bleak eternity.

[Exit Darth Vader.

SCENE 4.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter HAN SOLO and CHEWBACCA, with STORMTROOPERS entering and LUKE SKYWALKER and PRINCESS LEIA, aside.

CHORUS With hearty blast th’Imperi’l troops appear—

Their coming doth require that Han retreat.

In moment dangerous, amidst great fear,

Here Han and Leia for the first time meet.

HAN Our exit’s block’d now.

LEIA —With a fool’s great skill

Hast thou our route to freedom quite cut off.

HAN Mayhap Thy Highness would prefer her cell?

LUKE [to comlink:] C-3PO! Canst thou by any means

Discover how we may the cellblock leave?

Our entry point is now a deadly end.

C-3PO [through comlink:] All to thy presence have alerted been!

The entrance only takes one in or out.

All other information where thou art

Hath been restricted.

LUKE [to Han:]             —Now are we quite trapp’d!

HAN I cannot hold them back forever, sure!

LEIA ’Tis quite a rescue thou hast plann’d for me.

Thou hast come in, but how shalt thou go out?

Hath folly been thy guide?

HAN —He hath the plan,

Not I, thou sweetheart of ingratitude!

[Leia takes Luke’s blaster, shoots hole in wall.

By what dark sprite of Hell art thou possess’d?

LEIA It falls to me to make our rescue good.

Now follow me into the refuse heap!

[Princess Leia exits into chute.

HAN [to Chewbacca:] Go thou hence!

CHEWBAC. —Auugh!

HAN —Get in, thou furry lump!

I care not what thou smell’st within! Unless

’Tis death, must be a sweeter smell than this

Attack! Now go, be not afear’d, my friend!

[Chewbacca exits into chute.

[To Luke:] I say, what charming girl thou here hast found!

I either shall destroy her, or, perhaps,

I may in time begin to like the wench!

LUKE [aside:] Nay, executioner or lover, both

Are far too great a role for thee to play.

HAN Now go, and follow I, all else be damn’d!

[Exeunt Luke and Han into chute.

CHORUS The scene doth shift unto the refuse space,

Where all is rot, as like a fun’ral pyre.

Though safe, our heroes other woes now face—

They go from frying pan unto the fire.

Enter HAN SOLO, CHEWBACCA, LUKE SKYWALKER, and PRINCESS LEIA in garbage pile at bottom of chute.

CHEWBAC. Auugh!

HAN —O! What wonder of the human mind

Hath thought to bring us here? Your Highness must

Be lauded greatly for discov’ring such

A wondrous smell as this! [To Chewbacca:] I’ll blast the door,

Swift get thee hence!

LUKE —Nay, prithee, shoot thou not!

[Han shoots and the blast ricochets.

Thou arrant knave! Wouldst thou undo us all?

I have already tried to exit thus,

But lo, as thou now plainly seest, thou brute,

The passageway is seal’d magnetic’lly!

LEIA Now rid us of that blaster, quickly too—

Else shall thine edgy trigger finger mean

The certain death of all of us herein!

HAN O, aye, thy Worship—ha! ’Twas all in my

Control till thou didst lead us to this heap,

Nor shall the stormtroopers need any time

To calculate where all of us have flown.

LEIA And yet, I say to you: it could be worse.

[A loud sound is heard.

HAN ’Tis worse.

LUKE —I’ll warrant, something lives in here!

HAN [aside:] I ’spect his word is true, but fear to say.

[To Luke:] ’Tis but thy keen imagination, Luke.

LUKE ’Twas not just my imagination that

Hath now swum boldly past my leg, or else

Imagination now hath body too!

Aye there—did thine eyes see? Did but a mere

Imagin’d figment just swim by?

HAN —See what?

[Luke is pulled into the water by an unseen force.

CHORUS Yet ere young Luke with answer can respond,

He’s pull’d unto the wat’ry depths below.

For sev’ral moments in that garbage pond

No sign is seen beneath the murky flow.

An om’nous sound breaks forth into the pit,

And seconds later Luke emerges, spent.

The beast’s pursuit of him for now is quit—

A greater challenge doth this represent.

[Luke rises above the surface.

LEIA O miracle, that thou art truly sav’d!

What happen’d there, below the briny sludge?

LUKE I do not know. The slimy creature hath

Releas’d its vice-like grip on me and fled.

[Another sound is heard.

HAN I have a feeling bad about this sound.

[The walls begin to contract.

LUKE The walls—O horrid Fate—begin to move!

LEIA Be not afear’d, and stand thou not in awe,

But rouse thee now and halt its sure approach!

Now lend me thy assistance!

CHEWBAC. —Auugh!

LUKE —But wait,

I have a comlink and may hail the droids.

[Into comlink:] C-3PO! Say, art thou there? Pray, speak!

CHORUS But while he tries to hail the golden droid,

C-3PO hath troubles of his own,

For stormtroopers are to their room deploy’d

And now the droids must save themselves alone.

Enter C-3PO and R2-D2 aside, with STORMTROOPERS.

C-3PO O grant us help, for there are madmen here,

Who have e’en now to th’prison level gone!

If thou but hurry, thou may’st catch them there.

R2-D2 [aside:] Well said, my friend! He hath a merry wit

When pride and scorn fall not from out his mouth.

TROOPER 7 [to other stormtroopers:] Aye, prithee fellows, come and follow me!

[Exeunt stormtroopers.

CHEWBAC. Egh.

LUKE —3PO!

HAN —Now climb on top!

LEIA —In faith,

I try!

LUKE —Where is the knave? C-3PO!

C-3PO I fear a wicked fate’s befallen them.

Pray, R2, see if they imprison’d are.

Now search apace!

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak, meep, whistle, beep!

HAN One thing is certain: we shall thinner be.

I shall not lose my wit, e’en in death’s face!

R2-D2 Beep, beep.

C-3PO —They are not found, O great relief!

Where may they be?

R2-D2 —Squeak.

C-3PO —Use the comlink? O!

I had forgotten quite, and turn’d it off.

[Into comlink:] Pray, art thou there, Sir?

LUKE [into comlink:]                —3PO? ’Tis thou?

C-3PO [into comlink:] I will confess: we have some problems fac’d.

LUKE [aside, into comlink:] Peace, 3PO! Lend ears and not thy voice!

Disarm thou ev’ry refuse masher on

Detention levels! Dost thou mark me, droid?

Be rapid, else thy Master is no more!

C-3PO [aside, to R2-D2:] Nay, shut them all down! Hurry, R2, go!

R2-D2 Beep, squeak, meep, whistle, hoo.

LUKE —Ahh!

HAN —O!

LEIA            —Ahh!

CHEWBAC.                    —Auugh!

C-3PO No heart within this golden breast doth beat,

For only wires and circuit boards are here.

Yet as I hear my Master’s dying screams

No heart is necessary for my grief.

A droid hath sadnesses, and hopes, and fears,

And each of these emotions have I felt

Since Master Luke appear’d and made me his.

No Master have I e’er respected so,

Thus at this moment grave I do declare:

There is no etiquette for shedding tears,

No protocol can e’er express my woe.

R2-D2 [aside:] A plague on 3PO for action slow,

A plague upon my quest that led us here,

A plague on both our circuit boards, I say!

LUKE [into comlink:] Nay, nay, fear not, dear droid, we all still live!

Pray open thou the door on maint’nance hatch

3-2-6-8-2-7—blessèd be!

R2-D2 [aside:] O fondest hope, O fervent pray’rs now heard!

My Master is alive, and plagues deterr’d!

[Exeunt all.

SCENE 5.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter OBI-WAN KENOBI in stealth, with two STORMTROOPERS and power terminal.

CHORUS While Luke and Leia, Han and Chewie flee,

Old Obi-Wan has reached the power source.

He cuts the tractor beam quite cunningly,

Then makes his exit drawing on the Force.

TROOPER 8 What do these warnings tell—shall we explore?

TROOPER 9 Belike ’tis just a drill, and nothing more!

[Exeunt.

SCENE 6.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER, holding stormtrooper helmet.

LUKE Alas, poor stormtrooper, I knew ye not,

Yet have I ta’en both uniform and life

From thee. What manner of a man wert thou?

A man of inf’nite jest or cruelty?

A man with helpmate and with children too?

A man who hath his Empire serv’d with pride?

A man, perhaps, who wish’d for perfect peace?

Whate’er thou wert, good man, thy pardon grant

Unto the one who took thy place: e’en me.

Enter HAN SOLO, CHEWBACCA, and PRINCESS LEIA.

HAN If we may female-giv’n advice avoid,

We should be well upon our merry way.

LUKE Aye, stand I ready to be gone from here.

[Large sound is heard.

CHEWBAC. Auugh!

HAN —Say, where dost thou go to, Wookiee? Where?

[Han fires.

LEIA Thou brute, they shall o’erhear!

HAN —Pray come thou here,

Chewbacca, else I brand thee cowardly.

LEIA Now use thine ears and, if thou hast, thy brain:

I know not who thou art or whence thou cam’st,

Yet from this moment, thou shalt heed my words.

HAN Your Worship, prithee let me be direct:

I have one Lord and Master: ’tis myself,

And only from that one take I commands.

LEIA A wonder great that thou art still alive!

Now prithee, shall this walking carpet be

Removèd from my path?

HAN [aside:]                        —A saucy wit!

A wicked tongue that will be tam’d, I vow—

No other payment is reward enough.

[They come upon the hangar where the Millennium Falcon is held.

[To Luke, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca:] There ’tis.

LUKE [into comlink:]                —C-3PO? Say, art thou there?

C-3PO [aside, in comlink:] Aye, Sir.

LUKE [into comlink:]                        —And art thou safe?

C-3PO [aside, in comlink:]                     —For now, we are.

We are position’d in the hangar just

Across, directly, from the gallant ship.

LUKE [into comlink:] And we are just above thee, so stand by.

LEIA [to Han:] Hast thou come here in that ungainly heap?

Thou art, perhaps, then braver than I thought.

HAN ’Tis well and good, though I need not thy praise.

Now let us hence, and to the ship repair!

CHORUS The foursome t’ward the ship with swift foot race,

But soon they meet with opposition dire.

Chewbacca goes with Han, both giving chase,

While Luke and Leia to other paths aspire.

HAN [running away:] Fly hence, my friends, and meet us at the ship!

[Exeunt Han Solo and Chewbacca, chasing stormtroopers.

LEIA A lion’s share of courage hath he not?

LUKE [aside:] Alas! Now is her heart mov’d unto him?

[To Leia:] What help is courage if it leads to death?

But come now, let us flee another way.

CHORUS The chase is under way as all make haste!

Han—once pursuer—soon becomes pursu’d

When with a mass of stormtroopers he’s fac’d:

He turneth quick as like a man unglu’d.

Meanwhile the princess and young Luke do flee

From troopers coming after them with speed.

They happen on an open door and see

A chasm past which they cannot proceed.

LUKE Belike we have an errant corner turn’d,

For this deep hole leads not unto the ship!

LEIA Forsooth, methinks that we shall safer be—

E’en with the pit—behind a door shut fast.

[She shuts door.

Yet now I see no lock we may employ,

So what for our dear freedom is the key?

[Luke Skywalker shoots door control.

LUKE [aside:] I take a note from Han and blaster use,

Belike that shall keep enemies at bay.

LEIA We must o’erleap this deep abyss somehow.

Pray, canst thou use thy sharp and earnest wit

To find a means for lengthening the bridge?

LUKE O! Now the wisdom of old Obi-Wan

Is proven, for the blaster was too harsh.

LEIA Do something, prithee, or they shall burst through!

CHORUS So clever Luke the scene he doth survey

And soon conceives a noble plan to cross.

To take their flight and save them sans delay,

He bares a length of rope as thin as floss.

Attack’d, now Leia matches fire with fire,

And so they cross, a’swinging o’er th’abyss.

But ere they fly, the princess doth inspire

More strength in Luke by means of royal kiss.

LEIA A kiss for luck before our flight, dear friend,

A kiss upon thy cheek from lips of mine,

A kiss to give thee hope and confidence,

A kiss to bring us courage in this time.

Now take this kiss—my gift bestow’d by choice—

And on the other side we’ll soon rejoice.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 7.

Inside the Death Star.

CHORUS While droids do worry o’er their Master’s fate,

Han and Chewbacca make their swift escape.

While Luke and Leia now in safety wait,

A mighty, final duel taketh shape.

Enter DARTH VADER and OBI-WAN KENOBI, with STORMTROOPERS watching.

VADER For certain, I have waited, Obi-Wan,

And now at last we meet together here:

Our destinies once and for all fulfill’d.

The circle of our lives is now complete—

A student was I when I left thee last,

But now I am the Master over thee.

OBI-WAN Thou art a Master, Darth, I know ’tis true,

But only evil hast thou Master’d yet.

[They duel.

VADER In time thy pow’rs have weak become, old man.

OBI-WAN And yet thou canst not win, I’ll warrant, Darth.

For if thou strike me down, e’en now, e’en here,

I shall more great and powerful become

Than e’er thou hast imagin’d possible.

VADER I tell thee plain: thou shouldst not have return’d.

CHORUS What noble battle passes twixt these men—

Lightsabers rage from Sith and Jedi Knight!

No more courageous battle hath there been:

’Tis like the day does combat with the night.

Now whilst the two in conflict strike their blows,

The others come that they the ship may find.

At first Han Solo with Chewbacca shows,

Then Luke and Princess Leia just behind.

Enter HAN SOLO, with CHEWBACCA aside.

HAN Did we not just this fright’ning party leave?

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER and PRINCESS LEIA with them.

Where hast thou been?

LEIA —We did some old friends meet,

But, finding them unfriendly, have both vow’d

To find far truer, better friends henceforth.

LUKE Hast thou seen any problems with the ship?

HAN It seemeth fine, if we may make approach

And get beyond the stormtroopers. Aye, then

My fondest hope is that thine Obi-Wan

Hath vanquishèd the wicked tractor beam.

LUKE Behold, what ease! The stormtroopers go hence.

C-3PO Now ’tis our chance, good R2-D2, come.

R2-D2 [aside:] Aye, will he now be leading me?

[To C-3PO:] Beep, squeak!

HAN Fly, fly, good friends! Unto the ship make haste.

CHORUS As ev’ryone unto the ship draws nigh,

Young Luke sees Obi-Wan trade slice with slice.

And Ben Kenobi, catching young Luke’s eye,

Prepares to make a gracious sacrifice.

OBI-WAN A Jedi is not made of fear or hate,

But must a nobler countenance display.

It is a lesson learn’d in times gone by

That still I teach myself unto this day.

Full many years I’ve spent with thoughts of this—

This instant when Darth Vader I’d confront.

But now my thirst for retribution’s cold,

While sweet forgiveness doth my spirit taste.

I know I cannot win this battle here,

Nor would I wish to slay the kindly man

Who surely still within this black shell lives.

And so, unto this death I’ll go, this sleep,

This sleep that promises the dream of peace.

This undiscover’d galaxy wherein

I’ll know at last tranquility of heart.

But ere I die, I’ll one last lesson teach.

I shall in this—my final moment—set

A keen example for the universe,

That future generations may yet know

The valor and the strength of Jedi Knights.

Put up thy lightsaber now, Obi-Wan,

And show thyself a Jedi to this son.

[Obi-Wan raises lightsaber and is killed by Darth Vader.

CHORUS The cry of “Nay!” escapes Luke’s trembling lip

And stormtroopers turn ’round to see them there.

A battle great begins before the ship

As to the Falcon these brave souls repair.

But ere the group departs amid the fray,

Luke hears the voice of Obi-Wan inside:

“Pray run, Luke run,” the inner voice doth say,

And Luke the Death Star leaves with Force as guide.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 1.

Space, aboard the Millennium Falcon.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER and PRINCESS LEIA separately, with C-3PO and R2-D2.

LUKE My heart doth break at this most recent loss,

And how shall heart be heal’d of this grave pain?

My aunt and uncle first, and now this Ben:

Did e’er a person know such grief as mine?

LEIA His heart breaks for a person, Obi-Wan—

My heart breaks for a people, Alderaan.

My ship crush’d first, and now my planet too:

Did e’er a person know such grief as ours?

LUKE I have but known this man a little time,

Yet in my heart he holds a special place.

So had I hop’d to learn from him the Force,

And be his eager new apprentice too.

LEIA My Alderaan I’ve known for all my life,

And hold it in my heart in high’st esteem.

So had I hop’d to one day make it home,

When this rebellion all is pass’d away.

LUKE But now must I another pathway take

And make my final destiny sans him.

My hopes shall not fulfillèd be as plann’d,

Yet may I hope to serve through diff’rent deeds.

LEIA But now must I some other course adopt

And write my life’s own story without them.

My dreams shall not be realiz’d as I wish’d,

Yet may I dream to see some other Fate.

LUKE Thus shall I strive to hold my head up high,

And be a beacon to this princess dear.

So I’ll in her Rebellion play my part

And show her what a Jedi Knight may be.

LEIA Thus shall I strive to hold my hands outstretch’d

And be a calming presence to this man.

So I’ll in his deep mourning act my role

And show him what a comfort friends may be.

HAN [within:] We now approach the Empire’s sentry ships,

I prithee, Chewie, keep the ships at bay

And angle our deflector shields whilst I

Do charge the weapons for our sure defense!

[He enters and speaks to Luke and Leia.

My friends, I know ye grieve most heartily,

Yet we have not made our escape complete.

I need thy help, so get thee to the guns!

CHORUS With newfound strength Luke rises to the chore

And finds the console opposite from Han.

With lasers arm’d and engines all a’roar,

TIE fighters swiftly come—the battle’s on!

HAN Now be thou sharp, young Luke.

LEIA —They come anon!

LUKE They come too fast, how shall we hold them off?

LEIA The ship is struck! All lateral controls

Have been destoy’d.

C-3PO —O heav’n! [He falls.

HAN —Be not afear’d.

I’ll warrant that the ship shall surely hold.

[Aside:] O ship, hast heard my word? I prithee, hold!

LUKE Now have I smash’d one!

HAN —Well, thou worthy lad!

[Aside:] But be thou not too full of pride and joy.

When battle’s won then mayst thou boast indeed,

But none e’er boasted yet who bested were!

LEIA Still two remain, so be thou bold and wise.

CHORUS With shouts and sweat and ev’ry skill employ’d,

Young Luke and Han contend with all their might.

At length, the last TIE fighter is destroy’d

And battle ends in fiery blast of light.

LUKE We are the victors—merry is the day!

C-3PO But I have fallen—help, O help me now.

’Tis surely thy fault, R2-D2, see!

R2-D2 Beep, meep, squeak, whistle, beep, meep, whistle, whee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 2.

Inside the Death Star.

Enter GRAND MOFF TARKIN and DARTH VADER.

TARKIN Now have they gone? The rebels truly fled?

VADER They have—e’en now—the jump to light speed made.

TARKIN And thou art sure—I prithee, say thou art—

The homing beacon safe aboard the ship

Hath placèd been? I fear this risk’s unwise.

VADER The risk and homing beacon both have been

Well plac’d. Thou, Tarkin, be assur’d thereon.

TARKIN ’Tis well, good friend, I trust thy word herein,

Yet would I have thee know what danger’s here:

While I have risk’d the world to let them flee,

Since thou dost reassure, the risk’s on thee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 3.

Space, aboard the Millennium Falcon.

Enter HAN SOLO and PRINCESS LEIA.

HAN Thy rescue hath been wondrous, think’st thou not?

Say I: at times I do myself amaze.

Amazing hath my rescue of thee been,

Amazing is my hand at piloting,

Amazing all my part in this escape,

Amazing—aye, ’tis true—my handsome looks.

LEIA Amazing is thy pride and love of self!

Thus stand I now amaz’d that e’er thou shouldst

Allow thy great, amazing self to stoop

So low that thou wouldst rescue such as I.

But let me now amaze thee if I may,

By telling thee that thy amazement is

Misplac’d! For never have Imperi’l ships

Let enemies escape with such great ease

As thou and thy amazing vessel have

Just now amazingly escap’d.

HAN —Nay, nay!

Call’st thou this venture easy, Princess? Pish!

LEIA I’ll warrant we are being track’d e’en now.

HAN This ship shall never trackèd be, good sis.

LEIA Methinks thou dost upon this vessel far

Too great a trust bestow. But none of that,

I merely am reliev’d that R2 doth

The information safely in him guard.

HAN But wherefore does this matter, Princess, say:

What carries he?

LEIA —Rebellion’s greatest hope:

For he doth hold the readouts technical

Unto that battle station, aye, the one

That such great pow’r display’d o’er Alderaan.

My hope it is that when the data can

Be read, an inner weakness we shall find.

Though thou hast seen this battle end, the war

Has not concluded yet.

HAN —But there thou err’st,

Thou dost not speak my mind. For this ship and

Its pilot, Princess, ’tis concluded now.

I have not join’d thy revolution, nay—

My purpose runs not to Rebellion help,

My purpose runs not to assist thyself.

My purpose runs toward one aim alone,

And I do speak it plain: I shall be paid,

And will be paid, and ev’ry aspect of

My being lives in expectation of

The moment when thou shalt my coffers fill.

LEIA O fiendish knave! Be thou concernèd not

O’er thy reward. If thou in money dost

Find love, then surely shalt thou have it, aye.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER.

Thy friend is ev’ry part a hirèd man,

A mercenary with no mercy, he.

I question whether he doth care for aught

Or anyone.

[Exit Princess Leia.

LUKE [aside:]              —But I do care, I do!

If only, Leia, thou didst know how much.

[To Han:] Pray tell me, Han, what dost thou think of her?

HAN I tell thee true, my mind is settl’d fast

When it thinks not of her.

LUKE —’Tis well, ’tis well.

HAN [aside:] Now is it plain to me why he doth ask!

The boy doth fancy her, I’ll warrant, else

I’ve made a great mistake in judgment here.

What use are young men’s dreams if not for mocking?

So I shall dance upon his tender heart:

[To Luke:] And yet—

LUKE [aside:]                         —Alas, a “yet”? What’s this of “yet”?

HAN The woman truly hath a spirit bold, And yet I know not.

What think’st thou, I pray:

Think’st thou a princess could with me be—

LUKE —Nay.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 4.

The rebel base on Yavin IV.

CHORUS The swift Millenn’um Falcon makes its course

Unto the place the Empire long has sought:

On Yavin IV rebellion hath its source,

O’er which the final battle shall be fought.

Enter PRINCESS LEIA and COMMANDER WILLARD, with LUKE SKYWALKER, HAN SOLO, and R2-D2 behind.

WILLARD Good Princess, thou art safe! When word we heard

About the cruel destruction of thy home

We fear’d the worst. But now to see thee safe

Is like a fragrant blossom to my sense.

LEIA In time we may recount our griefs, good Sir,

But now is the occasion we must act.

I prithee, take this R2 unit here

And use the data thou shalt find therein

To plan our great attack. Our only hope

It is, Commander, trust in what I say.

CHORUS The records R2 holds are analyz’d,

And lo, an opportunity appears!

The rebels straight are of the news appris’d

And hearts made ready as the battle nears.

But whilst they mine good R2’s database,

The Empire learns where all the rebels wait.

The Death Star makes its way unto the place

To bring to Yavin Alderaan’s grim fate.

Enter GENERAL DODONNA, WEDGE ANTILLES, and various rebel commanders and pilots.

DODONNA Now gather ’round, ye pilots good and true,

For here shalt thou a goodly lesson learn.

We have a single hope in this attack,

And ye shall hear how we may compass it:

The battle station heav’ly shielded is,

And hath more pow’r to fire than half our fleet.

It hath defenses ’gainst a large assault,

But like the king who fell for want of horse

This station may be crush’d by smaller might.

A one-mann’d fighter may have strength to clear

The outer walls and penetrate therein.

GOLD LEAD. Beg pardon, Sir, but how—I prithee—shall

A one-mann’d fighter stand its ground ’gainst that?

DODONNA A question ask’d in wisdom ’tis, good friend.

The Empire vast hath not consider’d small

Snub fighters to be any threat, methinks,

Else surely ’twould make suitable defense.

The strongest people often put their faith

Upon their strength alone, yet often such

As these are bested by a people led

By wisdom, skill and cunning. To the point:

The plans provided by the princess show

The battle station’s fatal weakness, aye.

A weakness do I call it, yet be sure:

The hard approach therein shall per’lous be.

Thou must maneuver through the trench above

The surface unto this especial point:

There shalt thou find the glory spot, my lads,

There shalt thou with a blast most keenly shot

Bring down an Empire cruel and merciless.

But take ye heed, for all is not yet told:

The hole thou must attempt to strike is but

Two meters wide, a thermal pipe for waste.

This hole shall make thy laser’s power grow,

This hole shall start a chain reaction great,

This hole, if thou canst hit it, wins the day—

This hole shall end the battle station whole.

GOLD LEAD. But Sir, the odds of such a hit are nil.

WEDGE ’Tis near impossible. Shall we, I say,

Attempt this madness or, mayhap ’tis best

If we do live to fight another day.

If we had but another thousand ships—

LUKE Friends, rebels, starfighters, lend me your ears.

Wish not we had a single fighter more,

If we are mark’d to die, we are enough

To make our planets proud. But should we win,

We fewer rebels share the greater fame.

We all have sacrific’d unto this cause.

Ye all know well the fam’ly I have lost—

My uncle dear and aunt belov’d, aye both,

And then a mentor great, a pow’rful friend.

As massive is the grief I feel for them,

I know full well they’d not have me back down.

The princess hath a planet lost, with friends

And family alike—how great her pain!

And yet as grave as that emotion is,

She knoweth they would have her lead us still.

And ye, ye goodly men and women too,

Ye all have liv’d and lov’d and lost as well,

Your stories are with mine one and the same.

For all of us have known of grief and joy,

And every one has come unto this day

Not so that we may turn our backs and flee,

But that we may a greater courage show,

Both for ourselves and those we left behind.

So let us not wish further ships were here,

And let us not of tiny holes be fear’d—

Why, I have with a T-16 back home

Gone hunting womp rats scarcely larger than

The target we are call’d upon to strike.

And ye, ye brave souls, have your memories

Of your great exploits in your own homelands,

So think on them and let your valor rise,

For with the Force and bravery we win.

O! Great shall be the triumph of that hour

When Empire haughty, vast and powerful

Is fell’d by simple hands of rebels base,

Is shown the might of our good company!

And citizens in Bespin now abed,

Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here.

For never shall rebellion see a time

More glori’us than our strong attack today!

ALL Aye!

DODONNA —Go ye then, and Force be with you all!

[Exeunt all but Luke Skywalker.

CHORUS A bustling preparation now is made,

As ev’ry man unto his post does go.

A joyful spirit doth the base pervade,

Whilst on the Death Star pride doth overflow.

Enter DARTH VADER with GRAND MOFF TARKIN, aside in Death Star.

VADER This day, I’ll warrant, lives in history:

The end of old Kenobi it hath seen,

And end of the Rebellion draweth near.

[Exeunt Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.

Enter HAN SOLO.

LUKE Now what is this? Thou hast thine only love—

Thy dear reward—and now thou leavest quick?

HAN ’Tis true, I do confess. For I shall ne’er

Be free unless I use this great reward

To clear me from the crushing weight of debt.

And be thou honest, should I here remain

To fight against a pow’r as great as this?

’Tis foolishness, this fight, ’tis lunacy.

Pray Luke, come thou with us! Thou art a brave

And worthy lad, with wit and strength to fight.

LUKE Speak thou not so! But open up thine eyes!

See here what noble cause thou leav’st behind!

Look in the hearts of these good people here!

Behold the Force that keeps rebellion strong!

Thou must have eyes to see what happens here,

How great the cost of this bleak battle is.

Thou knowest well what talent thou dost hold

To pilot and to lead with manner bold.

Turn not thy back upon thy Fate, good Han,

But turn thy heart and stay with us to fight!

HAN What value hath reward when one is kill’d?

What benefit gives honor to the dead?

To try the fight against that station, Luke,

Is not good courage, rather suicide.

LUKE Then take thou care now, Han, thou Solo act,

For certain ’tis the part thou best dost play.

HAN Nay, listen: may the Force be with thee, Luke.

[Exit Luke.

The ship that flies without a thruster fails:

Propulsion and direction must one have

To navigate the obstacles of space.

I know ’tis true, as any pilot doth.

Then how can I imagine that a man

Can fly without a conscience as his guide?

Without the inner compass of my soul,

How can I vainly hope to pilot life?

I know what ’tis to choose the right and good,

I know the small Rebellion’s cause is just,

I know the people here have need of help,

I know all this, but still do harbor doubt.

Yet shall my doubts lead me unto this choice,

And shall I choose convenience over right?

Or shall I choose myself o’er my new friends?

Aye, shall I choose rewards o’er my own soul?

A smuggler’s heart doth keep calm time inside,

No matter sways a pirate’s peaceful pulse.

But something stirs in me I ne’er have felt:

Is this a rebel’s heart I feel within?

[Exit Han Solo.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER and PRINCESS LEIA.

LEIA What is the matter, Luke?

LUKE —’Tis only Han.

Methought he had a heart for good, but nay,

He hath not chang’d his mind.

LEIA —He hath a path

Unto himself. Not thou, nor I, nor aught

Can plot the course he chooses, verily.

LUKE I wish as well that Ben were here with us.

LEIA A kiss I gave thee once to give thee strength,

Another kiss I give in friendship’s hope.

[She kisses him, then exits.

Enter BIGGS DARKLIGHTER.

BIGGS Say, Luke!

LUKE —Dear Biggs!

BIGGS —It warms my heart to see

Thee here, good friend. Shalt thou go with us

hence

Against the Empire?

LUKE —Aye! On our return

I’ll bend thine ears with stories wild and true.

Enter RED LEADER.

RED LEAD. I pray thee, Luke, canst thou these ships control?

BIGGS I’ll stand as witness, Sir, that Luke shall prove

More worthy than myself. I’ll warrant he’s

The best of pilots in the Outer Rim.

Fear not this one, good Sir, he’ll earn his way.

RED LEAD. Good lad, thou shalt suffice.

LUKE —Aye, merry, Sir,

I’ll do my part.

[Red Leader exits.

BIGGS —Now must we thither go.

But when we come again unto this place,

I’ll drink with thee a dram of Naboo’s ale

Whilst thou thy tales relate.

LUKE —Say, Biggs, take note:

For once I did assure thee I would join

Rebellion’s ranks, and here am I e’en now.

BIGGS Shall be like olden times on Tatooine.

Dear friend, it gives me comfort for to see

Thee here. E’en death could come and welcome be,

Because I know that thou dost ride beside.

[Exit Biggs. Luke ascends to ship, with R2-D2 and rebel chief.

CHIEF This R2 unit hath known better days.

Wouldst thou a fit replacement for it find?

R2-D2 [aside:] Thou knave, say’st thou I have known better days?

I’ll better my days yet upon thy pate!

LUKE Nay, say not so! For R2 hath been mine

Through many an adventure and, belike,

Hath exploits still to undergo.

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak!

Enter C-3PO.

C-3PO O be thou safe, dear R2, and return!

For thou wouldst not that my existence should

Become a bore! [Aside:] O Fate, I prithee, keep

Them safe—my Master and my only friend—

Else should I find a lonely, tragic end.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 5.

Space. The final battle.

CHORUS As our scene shifts to space, so deep and dark,

O’er your imagination we’ll hold sway.

For neither players nor the stage can mark

The great and mighty scene they must portray.

We ask you, let your keen mind’s eye be chief—

Think when we talk of starships, there they be.

If you can soon suspend thy disbelief,

The Death Star battle shall you plainly see!

So now: the preparation made with care,

Toward the Death Star rides the noble fleet.

By whirr of engines rebels take the air,

With courage strong their unknown Fate to meet.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER, R2-D2, WEDGE ANTILLES, BIGGS DARKLIGHTER, RED LEADER, GOLD LEADER, and other pilots, each standing in a different place to represent his ship. C-3PO, PRINCESS LEIA, and GENERAL DODONNA stand aside.

COMPUTER The Death Star doth approach, and shall within

The range of Yavin’s rebel base arrive

Within these fifteen minutes. Lo! Alert!

RED LEAD. Good men, each now shall speak and state his name.

RED TEN Red Ten doth here stand by.

RED SEVEN —Red Seven doth

Stand by.

BIGGS —Red Three doth here stand by.

RED SIX —Red Six

Doth here stand by.

RED NINE —Red Nine doth here stand by.

WEDGE Red Two doth here stand by.

RED ELEVEN —Red Eleven

Doth here stand by.

LUKE —Red Five doth here stand by.

[Aside:] We have our numbers, yet our souls have names.

For I am Luke Skywalker, here beside

My friends, good Biggs and Wedge Antilles, too—

No war shall render us unto mere threes

And twos and fives. We ride, for ride we must—

And here we ride in Ben’s most worthy name,

True, here we ride in Leia’s noble name,

Aye, here we ride in Alderaan’s slain name—

O here we ride for all the names which have,

Throughout our lives, been written on our hearts.

Our debt to them is past all numbering.

RED LEAD. Now lock thine S foils in attacking mode.

We shall pass through the thin magnetic field.

Use your deflector shields and form in line!

I prithee, men, take care and be ye bold.

WEDGE But look, I say, how large this Death Star is!

[Aside:] I am afear’d that this shall be my end.

RED LEAD. Pray, peace, Red Two! Now all accelerate

Unto the speed wherein we may attack.

The time is here, good men, ’tis not to come:

It will be now. The readiness is all.

GOLD LEAD. Red Leader, dost thou hear me?

RED LEAD. —Verily.

GOLD LEAD. The Gold Team leads unto the target shaft.

RED LEAD. We have a positive position reach’d,

Thus shall I fly across the axis for

To draw their fire whilst thou dost penetrate.

CHORUS The rebel ships now make their first attack

And fire unto the Death Star’s iron walls.

The Empire shoots with lethal laser back:

’Tis death to anyone on whom it falls.

WEDGE The volleys fall from close at hand.

RED LEAD. —I see!

LUKE Red Five reporting: swiftly I go in!

[Aside:] My first attempt here falls—O hit the mark!

CHORUS With courage rare Luke makes initial pass

And blasts his way unto the Death Star’s hull.

But now maneuvers he too close, alas!

Shall he escape the fire’s most deadly pull?

BIGGS How goes it, Luke?

LUKE —I nearly cook’d my goose,

But all is well. [Aside:] Now shall I take more care!

Enter DARTH VADER and OFFICER 5, aside.

OFFICER 5 Full thirty ships descend upon us, Sir.

So small are they our lasers pass them by.

VADER Aye, then shall we destroy them ship to ship.

Tell thou the crews “be ready to attack.”

[Exeunt Darth Vader and Officer 5.

RED LEAD. Now take ye care, good men! Great fire doth rage

From outside of the harsh deflection tow’r.

LUKE I stand prepar’d.

BIGGS —Now shall I strike! Pray, give

Me thy good cover, Porkins.

RED SIX —Stand I strong

And ready for to give thee aid, Red Three.

CHORUS Now bravely Biggs doth render sharp, hard blast

Unto the evil Death Star’s armor’d side.

The Empire’s fire unto his mate hath pass’d,

And now Red Six doth face a troubl’d ride.

RED SIX Disaster at me strikes.

BIGGS —Eject, forsooth!

RED SIX I yet may set it right.

BIGGS —Anon, pull up!

RED SIX Nay, nay, I’ll warrant that all shall be well—

[Explosion. Red Six dies.

COMPUTER In seven minutes shall the Death Star be

Within the range of our fair rebel base.

CHORUS As rebels’ spirits with great strength redound,

A voice speaks unto Luke, as to a son.

Luke hears the voice and its familiar sound:

’Tis his old friend and Master Obi-Wan.

Enter GHOST OF OBI-WAN KENOBI.

GHOST [aside:] Pray, trust thy feelings, Luke.

LUKE —I hear this voice

And know it well. O me! Speak thou again!

And heed the voice, my soul, and trust thyself:

On Ben’s command I’ll strike a hearty blow!

[He shoots and strikes Death Star.

Exit Ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Enter CONTROL OFFICER.

OFFICER Squad leaders, mark me well. New fighters have

Appear’d, and come toward you presently.

LUKE My scope shows naught, my eyes to them are blind.

RED LEAD. Employ thy visu’l scanning—they approach!

Red Seven, thou hast one upon thy rear.

RED SEVEN My ship is hit! Now must I die, dear friends.

[Explosion. Red Seven dies.

LUKE Good friends, if thou dost catch an enemy

Behind thy ship, I prithee watch it well!

BIGGS Now am I plagued by such a one, help help!

For neither can I see where he doth go—

He flies so close that my maneuvers fail.

LUKE Hold fast, brave Biggs, till I can give thee aid.

Upon the enemy I fly, and shoot!

BIGGS Bold Luke, thou hast a life return’d to me.

So may I one day give to thee in turn.

Enter DARTH VADER with IMPERIAL PILOTS 1 and 2.

VADER I prithee, soldiers, let us hence away.

For many of our fighters are remov’d

From their own fleet. Thus let us swiftly go

And straightway make pursuit of these rogue ships.

[Darth Vader and pilots enter ships.

BIGGS O Luke, thou art pursued, pull in!

WEDGE —Pray, guard

Thy back, good Luke. More fighters do approach.

LUKE I have been hit, but not unto the death.

Small R2, see if thou the damage canst

Repair.

R2-D2 —Beep, whistle.

LUKE —Hang thou on, good droid!

RED LEAD. Red Ten, canst thou see whither’s gone Red Five?

RED TEN A heavy fire appears upon this side.

Red Five, where art thou?

LUKE —Here, but cannot shake

The villain who doth hotly follow me.

WEDGE I come for thee, good Luke, be not afraid.

LUKE [aside:] O fie, my dear friend Biggs, where canst thou be?

Thou promis’d that thou ow’dst to me a life,

But where is now that help of which thou spok’st?

’Twas partly for our friendship I am here,

For long I wish’d to join thee as thou fought

And many were the tales adventurous

Thou brought’st with thee whilst visiting our home

When still I worked the crops on Tatooine.

But now hast thou deserted me, old friend?

When I am even at the door of death

Hast thou both flown and fled? Say nay, dear Biggs!

WEDGE Take that, thou scoundrel base, Imperi’l scum!

LUKE Great thanks, good Wedge, heroic’lly hast thou done.

GOLD LEAD. Red Leader, hear my word: the Gold team shall

Begin our swift attack into the trench.

RED LEAD. Godspeed, Gold Leader, go with might and strength!

VADER I fly, and fly toward my enemies.

This day the dark side of the Force shall reign,

As I disrupt the weak Rebellion’s plans

And with my men destroy their ev’ry hope.

[To Imperial Pilots 1 and 2:] Good pilots both, remain set for attack!

GOLD LEAD. The port for the exhaust hath been lock’d in

And mark’d! That hole shall make us whole, my mates.

Now switch thy pow’r to front deflector screens.

Gold Five, what say’st thou? Canst thou count the guns?

GOLD FIVE Belike ’tis twenty yon and hither, both

Upon the surface and within the tow’rs.

COMPUTER Within five minutes shall the Death Star be

Upon our rebel base, and set to strike.

GOLD LEAD. To targeting computer presently

I switch.

GOLD TWO —I have receiv’d a signal on

The ship’s computer—that the port will soon

Be in our range. But soft, good friends, what’s this?

The guns! It seemeth that their guns have stopp’d.

GOLD FIVE So watch thy rear, and stabilize thy shields.

Perhaps an enemy doth come behind.

GOLD LEAD. Aye, aye, they come! Three ships at point-two-ten.

CHORUS The battle heats as Vader and his men

Approach the threefold members of group Gold.

The Empire’s hate will be fulfillèd when

Darth makes his power known with blows full bold.

VADER I shall destroy the rebels vile myself.

Just give me thy good cover and ’tis done.

Now shoot I once, and death is the result.

[Darth Vader shoots. Explosion. Gold Two dies.

GOLD LEAD. I have no power to maneuver, fie!

GOLD FIVE Stay thou on target.

GOLD LEAD. —Nay, we run too close!

GOLD FIVE Stay thou on target!

GOLD LEAD. —Wretch, pray give me room!

[Darth Vader shoots. Explosion.

Gold Leader dies.

GOLD FIVE Gold Five doth this ill news report: we have

Lost Dutch and Tiree both.

RED LEAD. —In troth, I hear!

Stay ready.

GOLD FIVE —From behind they do attack!

[Darth Vader shoots. Explosion. Gold Five dies.

LUKE [aside:] So much of desolation and of death.

Is this Rebellion worth the lives here lost?

Yet I would gladly my life give to it—

Thus reason not the need, my troubl’d soul.

CHORUS Whilst all the rebels mourn the loss of life,

Upon the Death Star tensions have been prov’d.

The rebels’ plan hath rear’d the threat of strife,

But Gov’nor Tarkin stands assur’d, unmov’d.

Enter GRAND MOFF TARKIN with CHIEF OFFICER aside, in Death Star.

CH. OFFICER The rebels’ sharp attack hath been well prob’d

And now it doth appear a danger looms.

I do confess my love to thee, good Sir,

And would my very life lay down for thee.

Wouldst thou that I make ready thine own ship,

That thou may’st flee should fighting turn to death?

TARKIN Retreat whilst we do win the day? You jest!

Forsooth, I stand unmovèd like a rock.

[Exeunt Grand Moff Tarkin and Chief Officer.

COMPUTER The Death Star shall within three minutes be

Upon the rebel base.

RED LEAD. —Red boys, ’tis I,

Thy tried and true Red Leader. We shall meet

Upon the mark at six-point-one. Make haste!

WEDGE Red Two doth stand obedi’nt at thy side.

BIGGS Red Three doth come.

DODONNA —Red Leader, hear me now.

It is Base One who speaks to thee. Keep half

Thy fighters out of range upon thy next

Attempt. If one group sadly falls, belike

The other shall succeed: so shall we make

The Empire take our fleet by halves, not wholes.

RED LEAD. I hear and understand, good Sir. Now Luke,

Take thou Red Two and Three with thee and wait

Upon my signal ere thou mak’st thy run.

Now hence we go an Empire for to slay!

CHORUS Red Leader, with the others, Twelve and Ten,

Make their descent into the trench with speed.

Their brav’ry, cunning, and their acumen

May give these men the victory they need.

RED TEN Dost thou agree, it should be in our sights?

RED LEAD. Pray keep thine eyes a’watching for those ships

That have our comrades cruelly destroy’d!

RED TEN The interference hath become too wide.

Red Five, canst thou yet see them where thou standst?

LUKE I see no ships, but—wait. Aye, they approach!

They come at point-three-five.

RED TEN —I see them now.

RED LEAD. My ship hath come in range of that sly port,

The port that hath evaded us so far.

But now, aye now, the target shall be mine.

If ye, good friends, may hold them there awhile,

I shall this battle end with one swift stroke!

VADER Close in, my lads—we three shall ride as one.

RED LEAD. Heigh, almost there.

[Darth Vader shoots. Explosion. Red Twelve dies.

RED TEN —Pray fire, else we die too!

RED LEAD. Heigh, almost there.

RED TEN —They set upon my back!

I can no more withstand their quick attack.

[Darth Vader shoots. Explosion. Red Ten dies.

RED LEAD. I shoot, I shoot! For rebels’ glory, shoot!

The blast hath left the shaft!

RED NINE —Hast hit? Hast hit?

Is vict’ry yet within our sights?

RED LEAD. —Alas,

My finest effort I have giv’n, and yet,

The blast falls errant and doth miss the mark.

’Tis but an impact on the surface. Pooh!

LUKE Red Leader, be thou not dismay’d. We shall

Protect thee even now. Turn thou toward

The point-oh-five and we shall cover thee.

RED LEAD. Nay, save me not! My engine hath been crush’d

And death is welcome now. Instead, dear Luke,

Good Wedge, brave Biggs, be thou preparèd for

Thy run, for thou art now our only hope!

[Darth Vader shoots. Explosion. Red Leader dies.

COMPUTER The Death Star now in but a minute shall

Upon the rebel base on Yavin come.

LUKE Once more unto the trench, dear friends, once more!

The death of our dear friends we see today,

And by my troth their souls shall be aveng’d!

I was not angry since I came to space

Until this instant! Strike at us and thou

Shalt know the power of the Force, thou brute,

Thou Empire full of hate and evil deeds.

Aye, pluck us down and we shall rise again—

Our cause is not alone for these good men

Who here were kill’d today. Our cause is not

Alone for those on Alderaan who died.

Our cause is for the truth, for righteousness,

For anyone who e’er oppression knew.

’Tis not rebellion for the sake of one,

’Tis not a cause to serve a priv’leg’d few—

This moment shall resound in history

For ev’ry person who would freedom know!

So Biggs, stand with me now, and be my aide,

And Wedge, fly at my side to lead the charge—

We three, we happy three, we band of brothers,

Shall fly unto the trench with throttles full!

WEDGE We stand with thee, a’ready for the fight.

BIGGS But Luke, at that quick pace shalt thou escape

Before thy speedy ship is blown in twain?

LUKE ’Twill be like Beggars Canyon back at home.

CHORUS The youth descend at once into the trench

Wherein their fates shall surely written be.

Darth Vader, close behind, prepares to quench

His thirst upon the blood of martyrs three.

BIGGS We shall stand fast at hand to give thee help.

WEDGE My scope doth show the tower, but the port

Appeareth not. How certain art thou, Luke,

That our computers each can hit the mark?

LUKE Good pilot, watch thyself! Increase to full.

WEDGE I prithee, what shall we do ’bout the tow’r?

LUKE Give thou unto the enemy thy thoughts,

But let the tow’r be my concern alone.

[To R2-D2:] Now R2, fix the stabilizer that

Hath once more come unhing’d. Pray, fix it fast!

R2-D2 [aside:] Now shall I be not fool, but fix!

[To Luke:] Beep, squeak!

WEDGE The fighters are behind us, at point-three.

They come upon my rear too fast. Alack!

I have been hit, and must depart, my friends.

LUKE Aye, get thee clear, good Wedge. Thou shalt not help

Our cause if thy ship flyeth not. Anon!

And live to fight another day with me.

WEDGE With all my heart, I truly wish thee well.

[Exit Wedge.

VADER Aye, let him go—the leader we pursue!

BIGGS Make haste, O Luke. Methinks they do approach

E’en faster than before. I shall not hold

Them back for long!

LUKE —Now, R2, straight increase

The pow’r.

R2-D2 —Beep, whee.

BIGGS —Make haste, Luke. O, alas!

[Darth Vader shoots. Explosion. Biggs dies.

LUKE That ever I should see this day, O woe!

My childhood friend from Tatooine now slain

Protecting me from harm. Thou ow’dst a life—

Dear Biggs, sweet Biggs—and thou hast paid. And now

’Tis down to me: the boy turn’d warrior.

Be still, my errant heart, and seek the Force.

VADER The leader now is mine.

R2-D2 —Meep, beep.

C-3PO —Take care

Sweet R2-D2! Come thou back, I pray!

CHORUS Luke’s ship comes closer to the little port

While Vader and his crew draw all too near.

Young Luke to his computer doth resort

Until he hears the voice speak in his ear.

Enter GHOST OF OBI-WAN KENOBI.

GHOST O use the Force, dear Luke. Let go and trust!

VADER I sense the Force in this one here, almost

As if I did my younger self espy.

GHOST I prithee, trust me, Luke. All shall be well.

LUKE The hearing of these words is like a balm

Unto my soul. So shall I trust the Force

And not this fallible computer here.

[Luke turns off computer.

COMPUTER What is this, Luke? Thy targeting machine

Hath been turn’d off. What can be wrong? Pray tell!

LUKE Nay, all is well. Fear not, good friends.

R2-D2 —Beep, squeak.

[Darth Vader shoots. R2-D2 is hit.

Ahh hoo!

LUKE —Small R2-D2 hath been lost!

COMPUTER The Death Star now has come within our range.

TARKIN Commander, thou may’st fire when thou hast made

All goodly preparation thereunto.

VADER Now face thy death, thou rebel.

PILOT —Sir, take heed!

CHORUS Now in a trice brave Han is on the scene!

The smuggler hath return’d on errand kind.

With sly approach he makes his way unseen

And slays th’Imperi’l pilots from behind.

[Enter Han Solo with Chewbacca, firing on

Darth Vader and Imperial Pilots. Explosion.

Imperial Pilots 1 and 2 die.

VADER But how?—

[Darth Vader exits in confusion, his ship spinning out of control.

HAN —Thy path is clear, young Luke. Now do

Thy deed and let us all make way back home.

LUKE I stretch my feelings out and use the Force,

And on the instant seems the porthole vast—

Not small or difficult to strike, but large.

The ship is arm’d, and now I take the chance—

The blast’s away, and with it all our hopes!

[Luke shoots and hits the target.

CHORUS The laser hits its mark with certain aim,

And as the Death Star arms to strike the base

The chain reaction sets the orb aflame:

The Death Star hath exploded into space.

HAN Thy timely blast hath hit the perfect mark—

One in a million was thy Force-fill’d shot!

GHOST Remember me, O Luke, remember me,

And ever shall the Force remain with thee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 6.

The rebel base on Yavin IV.

Enter LUKE SKYWALKER from ship, with PRINCESS LEIA and various rebels.

REBELS Hurrah!

LUKE —O Leia!

LEIA —Luke! Thou didst succeed!

Enter HAN SOLO.

HAN Heigh-ho!

LUKE —Good friend! I knew thou wouldst return.

I knew thou must, ’twas in thy spirit good.

HAN Nay, should a pirate let another take

His own reward?

LEIA —Thou gentle soul, I knew

Thou wert of sterner stuff than money made.

Enter R2-D2, injured, and C-3PO.

C-3PO O R2, R2, canst thou hear me? Speak!

Canst thou repair him? Say thou canst, I beg!

If any of my parts may be of use,

Pray say the word!

LUKE —Fear not, he’ll be made whole.

REBEL 2 We shall at once begin our best repair.

[Exeunt C-3PO with R2-D2 and Rebel Leader 2.

LUKE Now ends a noble quest, a battle won.

Now hath a true adventure reach’d its goal.

Now hath the good Rebellion fac’d its foe

And triumph’d though it seem’d that all was lost.

LEIA Along the way, dear friends were lost and made,

Along the way, strange creatures have we found.

The stories have been told, the villains met,

The griefs and exultations all play’d out.

HAN A chance for new beginnings we have made,

Directing hearts unto the rebels’ cause.

These are the star wars we have fought and won—

For now our battles and our scenes are done.

Enter CHORUS as epilogue.

CHORUS Now dawns a new day with the sun of Peace,

The day whereon the rebels welcome Fate.

For from their enemies they find release

And now with mirth they come to celebrate.

Young Luke, strong in the Force, doth walk beside

The noble Han, whose valor won the day.

The rebels form an aisle and rise with pride,

As Luke and Han march forth in grand display.

Now Leia smiles and gives them their reward,

As each bows low with hope and joy sincere.

C-3PO and R2, now restor’d,

Look on as brave Chewbacca sounds the cheer.

There let our heroes rest free from attack,

Till darkness rise and Empire striketh back.

[Exeunt omnes.

END.

AFTERWORD.

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars.

At first glance, the title seems absurd.

But there’s a surprising and very real connection between George Lucas’s cinematic masterpiece and the thirty-seven (give or take) plays of William Shakespeare. That connection is a man named Joseph Campbell, author of the landmark book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Campbell was famous for his pioneering work as a mythologist. He studied legends and myths from throughout world history to identify the recurring elements—or archetypes—that power all great storytelling. Through his research, Campbell discovered that certain archetypes appeared again and again in narratives separated by hundreds of years, from ancient Greek mythologies to classic Hollywood westerns. Naturally, the plays of William Shakespeare were an important source for Campbell’s scholarship, with brooding prince Hamlet among his cadre of archetypal heroes.

George Lucas was among the first filmmakers to consciously apply Campbell’s scholarship to motion pictures. “In reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” he told Campbell’s biographers, “I began to realize that my first draft of Star Wars was following classic motifs … so I modified my next draft according to what I’d been learning about classical motifs and made it a little bit more consistent.”

To put it more simply, Campbell studied Shakespeare to produce The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and Lucas studied Campbell to produce Star Wars. So it’s not at all surprising that the Star Wars saga features archetypal characters and relationships similar to those found in Shakespearean drama. The complicated parent/child relationship of Darth Vader/Luke Skywalker (and the mentor/student relationship of Obi-Wan Kenobi/Luke Skywalker) recalls plays like Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, The Tempest, and Hamlet. Like Sith lords, many of Shakespeare’s villains are easily identifiable and almost entirely evil, with notable baddies including Iago (Othello), Edmund (King Lear), and Don John (Much Ado about Nothing). Still others, like Darth Vader, are more conflicted and complex in their malevolence: Hamlet’s Claudius and the band of conspirators in Julius Caesar. Destiny and fate are key themes of Star Wars, as they are in Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth.

Shakespeare’s plays and Star Wars also feature a host of colorful supporting players. C-3PO and R2-D2 observe and comment on the action like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Chewbacca is as untamable as Caliban. Lando is as smooth and self-interested (at first) as Brutus. Obi-Wan Kenobi is like a wise Prospero (before death) or a haunting King Hamlet (after). Jabba the Hutt enjoys a diet worthy of Falstaff. Boba Fett is like Richard III’s murderers 1, 2, and 3, but with a jetpack and blaster instead of a knife. Yoda’s speech is as backward as Dogberry’s but as wise as Polonius’s.

The works of Shakespeare and the Star Wars movies also share a comparable level of popularity and relevance. All well-rounded postmodern cultural connoisseurs are expected to have at least passing familiarity with both sets of stories, and both have percolated into our everyday language: you’re as likely to hear one of Shakespeare’s enduring phrases (“good riddance,” “faint-hearted,” “elbow room,” and many others) as an encouragement to “use the force.” If Star Wars were an actual Shakespearean play, we would most likely classify it as a fantasy, in the vein of The Tempest. However, it also has elements of a history (the story of the Galactic Empire with all the intrigue of Richard III), a comedy (all’s well that ends well, after all), or, taken as a six-movie arc, the Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker.

I had the idea for William Shakespeare’s Star Wars after watching the original trilogy for the millionth time and (soon afterward) attending four shows at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I’d already committed every scene and speech of the Star Wars saga to memory, but the Shakespeare festival introduced me to something new: The Very Merry Wives of Windsor, Iowa, an adaptation by Alison Carey of the classic comedy set in contemporary Iowa among a populace happily embracing gay marriage. I saw the appeal of applying the Shakespearean tradition to surprising and nontraditional story elements, and the next morning I woke up with the idea for this book.

My interests in language and wordplay came in handy while attempting to translate so much classic movie dialogue into iambic pentameter. For those unfamiliar with the phrase, iambic pentameter is the metrical form that Shakespeare uses in his plays and sonnets. An iamb is the syllable pattern unstressed-stressed, and pentameter means each line has five iambs, so a line of iambic pentameter sounds like this: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM (Simon and Garfunkel’s “I’d rather be a hammer than a nail” is a perfect example). The rhythm of iambic pentameter feels natural and intuitive to me, so I had a lot of fun writing 3,076 lines of it. Geeky trivia: this puts William Shakespeare’s Star Wars at an average length for a Shakespearean play (A Comedy of Errors is the shortest, at 1,786 lines; Hamlet is the longest, at 4,024).

This has been a labor of love, and I’ve enjoyed every syllable.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

The process of writing this, my first book, has been a thrilling journey into the publishing world, and I am grateful to all those who made the way clear. Thank you to Jason Rekulak, my editor at Quirk Books, for believing in this book and for encouraging me to write it in the first place. Thank you to Adriann Ranta, my agent, for guiding me through the maze of contracts and answering the thousand questions of a first-time author. Thanks to both Jennifer Heddle and Carol Roeder at Lucasfilm for making the editorial process a smooth one, to Nicolas Delort for his amazing illustrations, and to the rest of the Quirk and Lucasfilm staff for their wonderful contributions.

Great thanks to my literal and metaphorical brothers Erik Doescher, Josh Hicks, and Ethan Youngerman for being early readers of the manuscript and constant cheerleaders along the way. Thank you to my parents, Beth and Bob Doescher, for their unconditional love and for making Star Wars a part of my reality since before I can remember.

Profound thanks to Murray Biggs, my college English professor and good friend. Murray performed a Herculean task for this book, poring over the manuscript and making minor corrections to improve my Shakespearean pastiche (and teaching me the word pastiche). Thank you to Jane Bidwell, my high school English teacher, for instilling in me a love of Shakespeare and an understanding of iambic pentameter.

Additional thanks to others who offered help and support: Heidi Altman, Jeff and Caryl Creswell, Mark Fordice, Holly Havens, Jim and Nancy Hicks, Apricot Irving, Steve Maddoux, Chris Martin, Matt Matros, Joan and Grady Miller, Michael Morrill, Dave Nieuwstraten, Naomi Walcott, and Doug Zabroski.

Finally, thank you to my spouse, Jennifer Creswell, and our children Liam and Graham. Though not a lover of Shakespeare—and possessing a general antipathy toward Star Wars—Jennifer has shown support, love, and encouragement throughout the development of this book. Liam and Graham have been excited about “daddy’s book” from the start and (he notes with pride) have become big Star Wars fans in the process.

quirkbooks.com/shakespearestarwars