by Ian Doescher
C-3PO
I am unable, sir. Apologies.
Mechanic’ly incapable am I
Of speaking a translation from the Sith.
The legal rule was by the senate pass’d—
Enter a VEXIS SERPENT behind C-3PO.
BB-8
Blee blisflit zoonflig zzwablav blikroil blee!
C-3PO
A serpent, foul and nasty—O, alack!
I prithee, save me from the dreadful beast!
[Poe points his blaster at the vexis.
REY
Nay, Poe, stand down. Methinks ’twill turn out well.
[She hands her lightsaber to Finn
and steps toward the vexis.
[Aside, to the vexis:] Peace, friend, we have not come to
do thee harm.
I see thou hast been injur’d mightily,
The pain of which must plague thee. Be thou still,
For I believe I have the pow’r to help.
[The snake bristles.
POE
I’ll shoot it. ’Twill be executed to
The best of my ability, in sooth.
FINN
Nay, be thou sure of Rey—she knows herself.
[Rey puts her hand on the vexis’s
injury, using the Force to transfer life
to it. The wound slowly heals.
VEXIS
[aside, to Rey:] Particular and radi’nt sense—e’en life
Thou offer’st! Now, go upward, exeunt.
[Exit vexis snake, swiping the wall with its
body and creating a hole out of the cave.
BB-8
Blay flewzooz rooh blox zzwablav flit flirzood
Rooq flliblip zood zoonblis zoomflit roil flit
Blikrooh reej blooflig bluuzilf zood blic bloo?
REY
I transferr’d to the snake a bit of life—
Force energy from me to him dispens’d.
BB-8
Zilf zoodroil fllirooq zoodroil flliblip flit
Zoom roohblox bluuflib flirblik flit?
REY
—Methinks
Thou wouldst have done the selfsame, BB-8.
[Chewbacca puts the dagger in his belt.
All walk outside toward Ochi’s ship.
Enter the KNIGHTS OF REN and STORMTROOPERS, aside.
C-3PO
We cannot fly within this ancient ship.
POE
We must proceed, until we someone find
Who can the dagger translate—e’en, perhaps,
A helpful droid, and not one of thine ilk.
Marry, this is all that could be desir’d.
C-3PO
To the Millen’um Falcon let’s return.
POE
With all thy cogs this mystery explore:
They shall wait at the Falcon, us to take.
FINN
Belike to fling us in the pits of Griq.
POE
And use thee as a simple target droid.
’Tis hardly possible to e’en conceive
Th’extremity of terror thou wouldst have.
C-3PO
Ye both make points most excellent. At times.
[Rey stares into the distance.
REY
[aside:] A feeling doth wash o’er me like a flood.
Some ripple in the Force—the darkness comes.
FINN
What is it, Rey? What art thou feeling? Speak.
REY
I shall be close behind ye. All is well.
[She hands her staff to Finn and descends
toward the open plain while the others
climb to Ochi’s ship and enter it.
POE
Let us discern what help the ship can give—
Fire thou the old converters speedily,
Search narrowly the lines, controls, and gears!
C-3PO
A filthy ship, if e’er I one beheld.
[Poe flips switches, and the
ship’s controls light up.
POE
No dirge will I upraise, for all bodes well:
There is still life within the old ship yet!
FINN
Yet where is Rey, and wherefore takes so long?
POE
Finn, help me, prithee. O, be with me still.
FINN
Chewbacca, hie outside and find thou Rey—
Tell her we must soon fly or be seiz’d.
CHEWBAC.
—Egh!2
[Chewbacca runs out of the ship toward
Rey. The Knights of Ren approach
him and take him prisoner.
POE
I cannot speak or think for worrying—
What is she doing? Why doth she delay?
FINN
’Tis Ren, I fear, or she would tarry not.
[Finn goes out of the ship and sees
Chewbacca being put into a transport by
the Knights of Ren. Exeunt Chewbacca, the
Knights of Ren, and stormtroopers. Rey,
aside, takes position in the plain below.
Enter KYLO REN in his TIE whisper, flying toward REY.
REY
[aside:] Anon he cometh, even Kylo Ren—
Now have I put my friends in jeopardy.
Did I not wish to take this trip alone,
Instead of placing them in peril, too?
Nay, say not so, Rey—’tis unjust of thee.
I would not have it other than it is,
To have my friends and comrades with me here.
Instinctively, lightsaber by my side,
Next shall I face the threat that Ren presents.
Once did I fear him, thought he was too strong,
Lack’d I the confidence to face his might.
Opposing him by impulse natural,
Negated I his efforts when he would
Gaze on the hidden secrets of my mind.
E’en then I did resist, and have done since—
Resistance hath become my strength and stay.
Put now each small distraction from thy mind,
Let full serenity be in thy soul.
Advance he shall, and ready shall I be.
Yea, long have I imaginèd this scene:
The moment when our conflict would resume.
He comes at me with ship at racing speed,
Endeavoring to fill my mind with dread—
Perchance he shall be shock’d, discovering
A Jedi utterly prepar’d for him,
Who neither shirks nor cowers at his name.
Ne’er was an instant critical as this!
[Rey flips above Ren’s ship as it approaches.
She slices off one of its wings, and it crashes
loudly. A transport flies into the sky.
FINN
Rey, look! The fiends hath taken Chewie hence!
REY
’Tis more than rocks—this transport is immense.
Yet if I do believe, I’ll make it still.
[Rey extends her hand, using the Force
to halt the transport. Kylo Ren emerges
from the wreckage of his ship.
POE
[aside:] What strange abilities thou hast, rare lass!
I feel thee now—I feel thee in thy strength.
Thou art a Jedi true and masterful.
KYLO
[aside:] Her powers are immense, yet mine prevail.
[He extends his hand, using the
Force to pull the transport, too.
/>
REY
[aside:] A test of wills, yet mine shall greater prove!
Each second I have train’d, I train’d for this!
KYLO
[aside:] She shall not overcome me—never, nay!
REY
[aside:] The villain’s strength shall not o’ertake mine
own!
[Lightning emerges from Rey’s hand and
strikes the transport, which explodes.
Nay, Chewie! Foh, what have I done? Nay, nay!
FINN
Alack, for Chewie sake, ne’er let it be!
KYLO
[aside:] This o’erabundance of the Force doth shock—
Ne’er did I think she had such stuff in her.
[Exit Kylo Ren.
POE
We must away! They come! TIE fighters come!
FINN
Come, Rey, or we are finish’d! Get thee gone!
[Finn and Rey run back to Ochi’s ship.
REY
[aside:] Chewbacca, friend and furry confidant,
Forgive me for this o’eruse of my will,
The loss of life that cometh by my hand.
Belike I never would have sought to train
As Jedi, were the consequences thus.
[Rey, Poe, Finn, C-3PO, and BB-8 take off in
Ochi’s ship. Exeunt Poe, C-3PO, and BB-8.
[To Finn:] I lost control.
FINN
—’Twas not thy fault, though,
Rey.
REY
’Twas, truly.
FINN
—Nay, ’twas Ren who forc’d thy hand—
REY
Our Chewie’s gone, and words bring him not back.
The power that destroy’d him came from me.
Finn, there is much thou dost not, couldst not, know.
FINN
Fill thou the gaps within my knowledge, Rey.
REY
A vision came to me, a portent bleak—
The dark throne of the Sith I gaz’d upon,
And there was seated—
FINN
—Ren, so fathom I.
REY
Both Ren and I were seated there, we two,
Together, reigning o’er the galaxy.
And thus, this vision full of tragedy
Wills me to leave my base vocation, flee,
And free my comrades from calamity.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 3.
Aboard the Steadfast.
Enter GENERAL HUX and ALLEGIANT GENERAL PRYDE.
HUX
The scavenger’s junk ship, as Falcon known,
We have recover’d, though she slipp’d our bonds.
Commanded by the errant Knights of Ren,
Much loss we’ve suffer’d, most regrettably.
A transport was destroy’d—
PRYDE
—Yea, the report
Was clear in ev’ry detail. Is there more?
Or hast thou merely come to lay the blame?
HUX
One item more, Allegiant General:
Another transport to the desert flew,
Which captur’d an important prisoner.
PRYDE
A prisoner? Pray, bring it hither.
Enter CHEWBACCA, bound and led by STORMTROOPERS.
CHEWBAC.
—Egh!3
HUX
The beast once flew withal Han Solo.
CHEWBAC.
—Auugh!
Egh, egh, auugh, auugh!4
PRYDE
—Let it be taken hence,
Unto the room interrogation six.
Let us awhile employ collective wit
To think how we may make best use of it.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 4.
Aboard Ochi’s ship, the Bestoon Legacy, and on Kijimi.
Enter REY, POE DAMERON, FINN, C-3PO, and
BB-8. Enter D-O, unmoving, aside.
POE
Eight hours remain until the mighty fleet
By th’Emperor may be sent harshly forth,
Which shall the skies turn ashen—sober, too.
What shall we do?
FINN
—What choice hath fate giv’n us?
We must flee back unto our base posthaste.
POE
Was it not fate—whose name is also sorrow—
That led us here? No time have we to flee.
We shall not, must not give up. If we do,
Then Chewie died for naught and we are lost.
FINN
The dagger was to Chewie fasten’d tight.
POE
There must, then, be another way—no one
Can e’er dissever this, my soul, from the
Belief we’ll make it right.
FINN
—We can but find
The wayfinder withal th’inscription set
Upon the knife blade, which is lost to us.
C-3PO
’Tis true. Th’inscription liveth only in
My memory.
POE
—Trash of all trash! Is’t so?
Th’inscription that was on the dagger lies
Within thy memory?
C-3PO
—Yea, Master Poe.
Translation from forbidden languages,
However, can in no wise be retriev’d.
Unless, that is, one would attempt a full
Redactive mem’ry bypass.
FINN
—Full mind what?
C-3PO
A dangerous and sinful act perform’d
On witless droids by dregs and ruffians.
FINN
Let us do thus! Fulfills it ev’ry need!
POE
I know of one black market droidsmith, yea.
[Aside:] Mute, motionless, aghast, afeard am I,
Though, at the thought of it.
C-3PO
—Black market, what?
A droidsmith? Fie!
POE
—Upon Kijimi, though—
Its turbulency tells a terror tale.
FINN
What wrong is found upon Kijimi, Poe?
POE
Bad fortune had I on Kijimi once—
It fills my heart of hearts with dread and woe.
Yet, if this mission fails ’tis all for naught,
All we have done these many months and years.
FINN
Together strive we, till the final note.
[Rey stands and takes Finn’s hand.
REY
For Chewie, then, our company goes forth.
POE
This taking of the hands, is this our sign
Of spirits moving music’ly as one?
FINN
Yea, hold hands fast—let not the moment pass.
[Poe takes Finn’s other hand.
POE
For Chewie, then, a play of hopes and fears.
C-3PO
[aside:] I shall not, from this congress, be forsook.
[C-3PO takes Poe’s other hand.
POE
Then from our present pathway part not, friends,
Unto Kijimi, there to make amends.
They set course for Kijimi. Enter CHORUS.
CHORUS
The happy few toward Kijimi fly,
Believing they escape from ev’ry foe.
Yet as their ship departs, I pray, espy
A rival ship pursues them as they go.
>
[Exit Chorus. BB-8 spots D-O, approaches
it, and inserts a cable into D-O’s head.
BB-8
Zoom fllizoon blis roil rooh bloo zzwa blikroil
Blip roilreej flir rooq bleeflig blisbluu blee
Zilf flitblav flitzood rooh flewblee blic blee.
[D-O awakens.
D-O
Charg’d battery! Holla!
BB-8
—Blox roohflib bloo!
[BB-8 and D-O roll to Rey.
D-O
Holla!
REY
—Well met, small droid.
[She reaches out to touch D-O.
D-O
—No, prithee! Nay!
BB-8
Flig flewblip roohblik zzwazooz flitreej flli
Zoomblis blox flliroil flit?
REY
—It doth appear
That someone hath abus’d it mightily,
And made it most afeard of being touch’d.
[To D-O:] Thou shalt not need to fear me, little one.
Thou art, herein, among a group of friends,
And thou art welcome to our merry band.
POE
Unto Kijimi make we our approach!
Take heed, friends: nothing there is motionless—
They all disembark on Kijimi. Enter
STORMTROOPERS and RESIDENTS OF KIJIMI.
The vile First Order searcheth ev’ry street,
Ubiquitous and menacing throughout
Kijimi City. This, a place of crime,
Is ripe for the First Order’s heavy hand.
Stay close, I pray; I know what we must do.
C-3PO
Yea, as do I: we must depart anon!
POE
Tut, Threepio. Pray, follow, gentles all—
It seemeth death hath rear’d himself a throne
In this strange city, lying all alone.
Yet still we may succeed. Let us advance—
Enter ZORII BLISS, pointing her blaster at POE’s
head, and other KIJIMI SPICE RUNNERS.
ZORII
’Twas said thou wert at Monk’s Gate spotted, though
Methought thou wert not dumb enow t’return.
POE
Thou wouldst be most surpris’d how dumb I am.
I stand beneath the mystic moon, ensnar’d.
REY
Who is this?
POE
—Zorii ’tis. Meet Rey and Finn.
O, this is but a dream within a dream.
ZORII
Most gladly would I pull this trigger now.
POE
In human memories and tearful lore,
I have seen thee do worse—
ZORII
—Yea, for far less.
POE
Within this nook most melancholy, there
The traveler—e’en I—have met, aghast,