by Ian Doescher
Neglected or forgotten? Shoot, I pray!
[Finn shoots at a TIE fighter and destroys it.
FINN
A-ha! The first is done, with more to come.
POE
How many yet remain? I do confess,
True, dreadf’ly nervous I had been and am!
FINN
In troth, too many for my comfort, Poe.
CHEWBAC.
Auugh!5
POE
—Thought most wondrous, Chewie, well devis’d!
O, this great problem is, at length, Finn, solv’d:
Let us put boulders in the path of TIEs.
FINN
’Twas foremost in my thoughts as well. Aim, guns!
[Finn shoots at a support structure, which
collapses after the Falcon flies under
it and destroys two TIE fighters.
A fair maneuver. Fly, then, to our base!
POE
More fighters make approach—a mighty wave
And we a tiny vessel on the sea.
[Aside:] When first this apparition I beheld—
For scarcely I regard these foes as less—
My wonder and my terror were extreme.
[To Chewbacca:] How thick, brave Chewie, is this ice
wall?
CHEWBAC.
—Auugh!6
[The Millennium Falcon bursts through a
wall of ice into space. It jumps into lightspeed
and is pursued by many TIE fighters.
POE
This either shall be brilliant or be mad—
Th’idea of it hath ne’er occur’d to us.
FINN
What is this lunacy? Fie on it, Poe!
POE
’Tis lightspeed skipping, gambit hazardous,
True wretchedness, indeed, woe ultimate!
I’ll jump through lightspeed quickly, then again,
Repeating once and twice and thrice and more,
Until the stratagem hath shaken all
These foes who would destroy us as we flee.
FINN
When didst thou learn such fearful, horrid tricks?
[As the Falcon jumps through
lightspeed, more TIE fighters smash
into obstacles and are destroyed.
CHEWBAC.
Egh, egh!7
POE
—’Tis well Rey is not here. Tut, tut!
After the next lightspeed jump, enter a GIANT BEAST,
opening its mouth to swallow the Millennium Falcon.
This is our final shot, belike fore’er!
I plan to fan this spark into a flame,
Which may yet prove a blaze of glory, friends.
This bold idea upon my fancy seiz’d;
I lost myself forthwith in reverie.
Hold tight, courageous comrades, for we fly
And death or triumph cometh, by and by!
[The Falcon shoots past the beast. Exeunt
Poe Dameron, Finn, Chewbacca, Klaud, and
R2-D2 in the Millennium Falcon. The final TIE
fighters are devoured by the beast. Exeunt.
SCENE 3.
On Ajan Kloss.
Enter REY.
REY
The training which I once began with Luke
Here on the planet Ajan Kloss persists.
I spend my days in Leia’s tutelage,
So that I may a stronger Jedi be.
She hath the knowledge and th’experience
To teach me ev’ry lesson I need know.
Once I had no one, liv’d a lonesome life,
Reclaiming wreckage back on dour Jakku,
Yet longing to be known, accepted, lov’d.
How shaken was my life when, suddenly,
A kindly, wand’ring droid came unto me.
Then follow’d one who fled the trooper life.
He led me to a Wookiee and a rogue—
These all became the dearest friends to me.
Hook’d by a greater cause—Resistance—I
Escap’d my former home and came to see
Undream’d-of planets, stars, and forms of life,
Now open to this sometime scavenger.
I sought Luke Skywalker in his exile,
Vied with his stubbornness, that he might come
Erase our fear with Jedi might. But he
Refus’d to help us—so it seem’d, until
Surprisingly he did appear on Crait,
Establishing his legend for all time,
Bewitching Kylo Ren so we could flee.
Embolden’d, the Resistance liveth on;
Great General Organa leadeth us,
Undaunted by our disadvantages.
It is to her, to hallow’d ancestors,
Luke, all the Jedi now one with the Force—
E’en these I bid: be with me, be with me.
Distressingly, I sense they’re not with me.
Enter GENERAL LEIA ORGANA and BB-8, approaching REY.
LEIA
Be patient, Rey, their voices shall yet speak.
REY
My thoughts turn pessimistic, and methinks
It is impossible to hear their words—
The voices of the Jedi gone before.
LEIA
Naught is impossible. Speak thou the words.
REY
Naught is impossible. Thus shall I strive
To know and to believe. Excuse me now,
The training course awaits my daily run.
Perchance ’twill free my mind for clearer thought.
LEIA
Take thou Luke’s lightsaber, and all my hopes.
[Exit General Leia Organa as Rey begins to run.
REY
The training doth begin, a simple trot.
My legs go coursing through the trees and fog,
Atop the rocky face, past waterfalls,
Unto a chasm o’er a craggy drop.
My helmet here awaiteth, which I don
As flieth the remote toward the spot.
[A remote flies into view as
Rey puts on her helmet.
Down, blast shield, to remove mine outer sight,
That I mine instincts must rely upon.
Now, balancing atop the sturdy rope,
O’er the abyss I parry, block, and dodge!
Past this wide gulf, I leap to climb a tree
And cut a single length of scarlet cord—
My mark that half the course is now complete.
I clasp it in my hand and make return—
Fleet-footed like my life depended on’t—
And hurdle o’er the prior opening.
Enter KYLO REN above, on balcony,
holding the mask of DARTH VADER.
KYLO
With newfound knowledge of the girl, e’en Rey,
Reported to me by the Emperor,
Our earlier connection I’ll restore
That she and I communication share.
O, mask once worn by my grandfather strong,
Grant me the pow’r to find her once again.
[Rey trips.
REY
How many times have I this course fulfill’d,
And never did my feet slip errantly.
I sense some presence here, which I’ve not felt
Since last I was too close to Kylo Ren.
[The remote begins shocking her.
Alas, the small remote appears to have
A mind its own, as if it were controll’d
By human bidding ra
ther than machine.
Now grows mine anger suddenly—I’ll slash
And kill the impish, rotten flying pest
Sans thought of anything around me here!
[She slashes wildly with her lightsaber,
destroying many trees.
If my lightsaber shall not do the deed,
I shall be more creative in my wrath!
[Using the Force, she picks up a stick and
spears the remote to a tree with it.
KYLO
I feel her fury, burning with the heat
Of sun that rises o’er a desert plain.
REY
Now I do sense it! Ren is in my head,
And in a flash such horrid images
Rush like a torrent into my mind’s eye.
My parents taken rapidly from me,
My darker self install’d upon a throne,
The hand of Kylo Ren held out to me
In solemn invitation and desire,
The face of Luke, my master, sad and scar’d,
The voice of Han ere slain by his own son.
KYLO
Her visions are mine own, as if we two
Shar’d but one eye, one ear, one mind, one heart.
I must needs find her and discover more.
[Exit Kylo Ren.
BB-8
Blic blooblis roohblik bleezooz roilzoon blip!
[Rey looks at BB-8, who has been
caught under a felled tree.
REY
Poor BB-8, profound apologies!
She frees him and they return to the Resistance
base. Enter GENERAL LEIA ORGANA.
I finish’d not the training course today—
Distractions plentiful took focus hence.
I do not feel myself—be patient, pray,
I know it seemeth I excuses make.
LEIA
Seems, Rey? Nay, say what is; I know not seems.
REY
Belike I am exhausted, nothing more.
Enter LIEUTENANT CONNIX.
CONNIX
Good General, the Falcon is not back
And our commander seeketh your advice.
[Rey hands Luke’s lightsaber back to Leia.
REY
One day I shall obtain the inner worth
To wield the saber of thy brother Luke—
When I have earn’d it, fain would I receive’t.
BB-8
Rooqzoom bluu zzwablav blayzooz flliblik rooh
Zoon bleezilf roilflig blip?
REY
—Nay, BB-8,
Thou mayst not help me earn it, kindly droid.
LEIA
Nay, never underestimate a droid.
REY
Yea, master.
Enter NIMI.
NIMI
—Ho, the Falcon hath return’d!
Enter POE DAMERON, FINN, CHEWBACCA, R2-D2, and KLAUD
in the Millennium Falcon, which is in flames. Enter C-3PO and
various RESISTANCE PILOTS and SOLDIERS, including MAZ KANATA,
ROSE TICO, SNAP WEXLEY, AFTAB ACKBAR, and BEAUMONT KIN.
POE
Anon, the ship! Look to the ship, I pray!
The rear, it is aflame. The front as well!
The lurid luster of a fire that I
Cannot force my imagination to
Regard as yet unreal. Attend to it!
REY
Holla, Poe. What is this I hear of spies?
POE
To all appearance, we have—by thee, Rey—
Been temporarily abandonèd.
We could have us’d thy help.
REY
—How went your task?
POE
But poorly, truth be told. No pestilence
Hath ever been so hideous to me.
REY
Han’s ship in tatters maketh its return—
POE
[seeing BB-8:] The thousand injuries that I have seen
I’ve borne as best I could, but when upon
My droid they venture, I shall vow revenge.
I prithee, speak: what didst thou to the droid?
REY
What didst thou to the Falcon? Wilt thou say,
Or art thou too embarrass’d to respond?
POE
The Falcon is in better shape than he.
No word speaks the deliverer, I see.
REY
Nay, little BB-8 is not afire.
POE
What parts of him remain are not afire.
My nerves are very much affected, Rey.
REY
Pray, speak thou plainly, tell me what hath happ’d.
POE
Speak thou! The buzz of curiosity
Doth overwhelm my patience and my tongue.
REY
There is a word created for such men
As thou art, Poe; wouldst thou hear me declare’t?
POE
What is’t? Expressions piquant would I learn.
REY
Thou art most difficult, as though thou wert
A door with many locks but none of keys.
POE
And thou art—O, it is beyond mine art
Of speech to speak the words. I candidly
Confess my feelings are e’en now of the
Most singular, myster’ous character—
Incomprehensible, perplexing, too!
[Finn approaches.
REY
Finn, friend forever—safely thou return’st!
[Rey and Finn embrace.
FINN
Yet barely, if the truth be known.
REY
—Foul moods
Do overwhelm the senses, is it true?
FINN
Foh, mean’st me?
REY
—Him.
FINN
—Forever and a day.
REY
Is there a spy?
[Chewbacca approaches.
CHEWBAC.
—Auugh!8
REY
[to Poe:] —Thou didst lightspeed skip?
POE
Indeed I did, our safety to secure.
The consequence is clear: we did return.
All this was scarcely more than justice, troth.
REY
Yet, Poe, thou knowest the compressor’s weak.
POE
I know it well; ’twas I who present was,
Unlike thyself. Thou look’st to number one,
We’re number two and must look to ourselves.
FINN
[aside:] These two shall ever be like fighting kin.
REY
Thou canst not make the Falcon lightspeed skip!
POE
The evidence runs contrary to speech,
For truly, thus did I. It hath been driv’n
To an extremity, ’tis clear to all.
FINN
We have but landed these few moments past—
I bid ye, friends, can we not find some peace?
REY
What happen’d?
POE
—More bad news, and nothing more.
Such as will happen now and then.
REY
—No spy?
POE
To all this I am sorry I cannot
Reply with anything but this: no, spy!
REY
Thou frightest ev’ry word from its right sense!
Speak pl
ainly: made we contact with a spy?
FINN
A message we receiv’d from th’inner ranks
Of the First Order, yet near not escap’d.
BB-8
Zood flirflit blee flew blayzoom zoodreej flir
Bluu bloozilf blip bleeblip blav bleeblik zood
Blox zzwaflig flitrooh flirblip bleereej blee
Zoom bluuzilf bliprooq blooblay zoon blic zoom
Rooq blayzooz bliprooh zzwaflli flit fligblee.
POE
My strict integrity comes into play:
Thou dropp’dst a tree upon him? Is this true?
REY
Thou blewest both subalternators, Poe?
POE
Belike thou shouldst have been with us, if thou
Art so concernèd o’er the Falcon’s fate.
Remarkable! Though this plain word is but
A feeble term t’express my meaning full.
REY
Well knowest thou I would be—
POE
—Yet art not.
Make up thy mind to be annoy’d at me:
Remain’st thou here to train, but to what end?
Of all our fighters, talent hast thou most.
We need thee there, not here. Soft—I have done.
[Poe walks aside with others.
FINN
The man speaks fervently but truly, Rey.
REY
What is the message ye glean’d from the spy?
POE
My friends and soldiers both, pray take ye heed.
[All gather around Poe.
We have th’intelligence giv’n by the spy
Decoded, that we may its secrets know.
Perhaps no exhibition of the kind
Hath e’er elicited so general
Attention as this ominous report.
The worst hath been confirm’d: somehow, some way,
The Emperor, e’en Palpatine, return’d.
LEIA
[aside:] Base name of evil creeping from the past!
ROSE
Wait, is this foul report believable?
Shall we assume this spy hath truth declar’d?
AFTAB
It cannot be! The Emperor is dead!
He fell within the last war with a zap.
BEAUMONT
Dark science, cloning, such dread physic as
Was only known of by the wretchèd Sith.
POE
Look down into th’abysmal distances—
It doth appear he long hath plann’d revenge,
And now his followers build something vast
That hath seen many years’ development:
A fleet such as the galaxy ne’er knew.
’Tis call’d the Final Order. Sixteen hours
Have we until attacks begin upon
Each world that currently doth freedom know.
CHEWBAC.
Egh, auugh!9
POE