by Ian Doescher
Young Anakin by guilt is overrun,
Thinks he of her he left with sad regret.
Old Qui-Gon and the younger Obi-Wan
Consider this portentous recent threat.
O, how fleet Rumor does her labor—see?—
Runs to and fro to make them sick with fear.
Unsung is my impact on history,
Such times as these are wherefore I am here.
Catch all, I shall, within the net I threw
And witness each sharp pain they undergo.
Now, watch as one more cometh into view:
The maiden Padmé, full of care and woe.
[Exit Rumor.
Enter PADMÉ.
PADMÉ
By dark of night I come to hear what news
I can of my defenseless countrymen.
Would that I could be present with them there
To share in their torment and suffering
And be handmaiden to their ev’ry hope.
Yet since, for now, I am a traveler
And spinning through the echelons of space,
My path lies not with that of my dear ones.
Thus must I steal a hidden glimpse of them.
PADMÉ turns on the computer.
Enter SIO BIBBLE in beam.
SIO
The death toll hath been catastrophic here.
Conform unto their wishes, Highness, please,
And contact me anon, ere more are dead.
[Exit Sio Bibble from beam.
Enter ANAKIN SKYWALKER.
PADMÉ
Sweet boy, how dost thou fare?
ANAKIN
—I’m very ill.
And how do you?
PADMÉ
—Ahh, very ill, too, lad.
ANAKIN
I find the depths of space turn my blood cold,
The blood that knows the heat of Tatooine.
[Padmé wraps a blanket around Anakin.
PADMÉ
Forsooth, thou comest from a planet warm,
Belike too warm for mine own temp’rate taste.
In truth, space is a cold and empty place.
ANAKIN
And you: why doth my lady say she’s ill?
Your visage could recite a thousand woes.
PADMÉ
The queen is worried; her concern is mine.
The people of Naboo face pain and death.
The queen must make the Senate understand
That they must rise anon and intervene
To stop the cruel invasion, else all’s lost.
The outcome is beyond what I can see.
[Anakin removes a pendant from his pouch.
ANAKIN
I fashion’d this small trinket for you, miss,
That you might oft remember Anakin.
’Tis carvèd from a snippet of japor—
Perchance it shall bring fortune to your path.
PADMÉ
’Tis passing beautiful, kind Anakin.
Yet need I not a trinket to recall
The brave and solemn boy before me here.
Ne’er shall your memory be far from me,
Whether I am adorn’d with this or no.
Pray understand that many things must change
When safely we arrive at Coruscant;
What shall not change is how I care for thee.
ANAKIN
My heart doth hold you in its care as well,
Though even this reeks of duplicity,
For how can one heart hold the care for two?
PADMÉ
Thou dost yearn for thy mother kind, I know.
’Tis meet and right to do so, Anakin.
[Exit Padmé.
ANAKIN
Then wherefore doth it make my spirit burn?
Enter RIC OLIÉ.
RIC
Attend, lad, we soon land on Coruscant!
Behold its lights and iridescent glow—
The planet whole is but one city vast,
Which giveth light at all times, day or night.
Below, ’tis Chancellor Valorum’s craft,
And there, upon the landing dock, doth wait
Sir Palpatine, an honorable man.
Enter QUI-GON JINN, OBI-WAN KENOBI, SABÉ dressed as Queen Amidala, PADMÉ, JAR JAR BINKS, CAPTAIN PANAKA, and, separately, CHANCELLOR VALORUM and SENATOR PALPATINE.
QUI-GON
With humble mien, we greet ye heartily.
[Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi bow to Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine.
PALPATINE
And you as well, ye noble Jedi Knights.
[To Sabé:] Your Majesty, ’tis gift to see you well.
I fear’d the worst, but you are here: alive.
The dire communications breakdown did
Upset us quite, and have us all concern’d.
I shall with eagerness hear your report
Of all that hath befallen since Naboo.
Straight may I introduce unto your grace
The Chancellor Supreme, Valorum, he.
VALORUM Your Highness, I do bid you hearty welcome:
It is a privilege to meet your person.
SABÉ
All thanks, respected Chancellor Supreme.
VALORUM
Your situation is full well distressing,
The Senate is most strain’d by all the rumors.
I’ve call’d a special meeting of the Senate,
Wherein we may your circumstance consider.
SABÉ
Most grateful am I for thy deep concern.
PALPATINE
A question of procedure did arise,
Yet I am confident we’ll overcome.
QUI-GON
[aside, to Valorum:] Good Chancellor, I must anon address
The Jedi Council. All is not as ’twas,
The situation hath new obstacles.
[Exeunt Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Chancellor Valorum as the others move to Senator Palpatine’s quarters.
PALPATINE
My queen, here is there no civility.
Aye, no civility: mere politics.
What once the strong Republic was it is
No longer: weak and feeble ’tis become.
The Senate’s rife with babbling delegates,
E’er greedy for their taste of power’s meat.
The common good’s become a most rare dish,
Unsav’ry to their growing appetites.
I would not lie to you, Your Majesty,
There is but little chance the Senate shall
Move to suppress or censor this attack.
SABÉ
The chancellor, it seems, would disagree.
He spoke of hope it may yet be put right.
PALPATINE
And yet, the chancellor hath little pow’r.
He e’er by accusations is beset,
All whispering corruption’s damning name.
Full baseless, yea, but still he lacketh might—
’Tis bureaucrats who rule the Senate now.
SABÉ
I prithee, say: what options have we, then?
PALPATINE
’Twould grant us greatest chance of Fate’s esteem
If we could push t’elect a chancellor
Who could be stronger, verily supreme.
Belike a one as this could then control
The bureaucrats and rule for justice’s sake.
If you put forth a vote: no confidence
In Chancellor Valorum, ’twould suffice.
SABÉ
Are you beyond all reason? He hath been
An ardent friend and patron of Naboo.
PALPATINE
’Tis not the only course: we could, as well,
Submit a plea unto the courts of law.
SABÉ
Which would but take far longer even than
The Senate in its plodding, snail-like pace.
Our people groan and die
, O, Senator:
The Federation must be quickly stopp’d.
PALPATINE
If we bethink but realistically,
Your Majesty, it well may be our lot
To bear the Federation’s cruel control—
Not for eternity, but for a time.
SABÉ
Not even for a second, Senator.
I never shall accept their unjust rule.
Were we to let it be, e’en for a trice,
Their vicious claws would sink far deeper in,
And ev’ry day that pass’d would render their
Control o’er our most happy, peaceful globe
More palatable for th’Republic to
Take in: a moment would become a time,
A time would quickly turn into an age,
And all would soon forget that e’er Naboo
Had once been rul’d by its own government.
Seek not to make me hide their vice from view,
For this is something that I cannot do.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 1.
On the planet Coruscant.
Enter YODA, MACE WINDU, QUI-GON JINN, OBI-WAN KENOBI, KI-ADI-MUNDI, and other members of the JEDI COUNCIL.
QUI-GON
Whate’er it was that fought with me that day,
’Twas trainèd well in all the Jedi arts.
’Tis my conclusion, painful though it be,
That I did face a Sith on Tatooine.
KI-ADI
Impossible. The evil Sith have been
Extinct well nigh a thousand years. ’Tis true?
MACE
It seemeth quite unlikely they could rise
Again, without the Jedi Council’s knowledge.
Indeed, it is unthinkable to me.
YODA
Yet be we mindful
’Tis hard to see, the dark side,
Hard enough, forsooth.
MACE
Our ev’ry resource we’ll to this employ,
So this dark menace to society
May swiftly be discover’d. By my troth,
I’ll warrant we shall find th’assailant soon.
The Force be ever with thee, Qui-Gon Jinn.
[Obi-Wan turns to leave, but Qui-Gon hesitates.
YODA
Good Master Qui-Gon,
More to say have you to us?
I bid you, speak it.
QUI-GON
With your permission, Master, I report:
A vergence I’ve encounter’d in the Force.
YODA
A vergence, say you?
Divergent is your news, which
Converges on us.
MACE
Located ’round a person? ’Tis a fluke.
QUI-GON
Nay, ’tis a boy: a boy whose cells have stores
Of midi-chlorians that do surpass
The number found in any life-form I
Did e’er encounter, or think possible.
Yea, ’tis a number higher than I did
Imagine could be found in anyone.
Perchance the boy was actu’lly conceiv’d
By midi-chlorians, strange though it seems.
MACE
You reference the prophecy that speaks
Of one who shall bring balance to the Force.
And you believe it is this fresh young boy?
QUI-GON
’Tis not my will nor place to here presume—
YODA
But presume you do.
Reveal’d your opinion is.
’Tis plain enough, hmm?
QUI-GON
I do but wish the boy to tested be.
YODA
Ahh, train’d as Jedi?
For him this is your request?
So certain are you?
QUI-GON
It was the Force’s will that we would meet.
’Twas not by chance we came unto his shop,
But we were thither brought to set him free,
That he, in turn, would bravely rescue us,
And we together should make journey here.
MACE
Bring him before us then, unto our sphere,
And we shall test him in the Council here.
[Qui-Gon bows as all exeunt.
SCENE 2.
On the planet Coruscant.
Enter ANAKIN SKYWALKER, a GUARD, and RABE, a handmaiden to the queen.
GUARD
The boy doth seek to visit Padmé here.
ANAKIN
Indeed, if ’tis permissible to do.
[Exit guard.
RABE
Apologies, but Padmé is not here.
Enter QUEEN AMIDALA.
AMIDALA
Who is’t who comes?
RABE
—’Tis Anakin, who would
Hold one or two brief words with Padmé, Highness.
AMIDALA
Upon an errand Padmé hath been sent.
ANAKIN
I take my leave now, to the temple bound,
Therein my Jedi training to begin.
Methinks I never may see her again,
And did but wish to say a fond farewell.
AMIDALA
Thy message shall we soon relay to her,
And hear thou this: by royal wisdom we
Are certain that her heart doth follow thee.
ANAKIN
With gratitude I thank Your Majesty.
[Exeunt Anakin and Rabe.
AMIDALA
My hope lies past all expectation now:
Unto the Senate I am bound at last,
To plead my case and ask for mercy there.
Yet ’mongst the politicians shall I find
A kindly voice to answer mine appeal?
The senator—e’en Palpatine—doth thirst
To set things right for us, yet hath consum’d
More than a measure of ambition’s drink.
Another friend we’ve none within the hall
Where the Galactic Senate soon shall meet.
Thus, if the time hath not supplied a friend,
I’ll fashion one or two with mine own plea.
Mayhap when they behold the regal tears,
Their hearts shall open, blocking out their greed.
I cannot be a man and threaten them,
So shall I with a woman’s cunning win.
Pray, hold me fast, O Fate, let me not slip:
Support me by your ever-weaving hands.
Enter MEMBERS OF THE GALACTIC SENATE, including SENATOR PALPATINE, CHANCELLOR VALORUM, LOTT DOD of the Trade Federation, and the SENATOR OF MALASTARE.
VALORUM
The high, exalted, and unquestionable
Galactic Senate now is call’d to order—
Let harmony be present as we gather.
The chair doth recognize the senior statesman
Who cometh from Naboo, the sov’reign system.
PALPATINE
Wise Chancellor Supreme, and delegates
Of this strong Senate, I must make report:
A tragedy of vast proportions hath
Occurr’d upon our innocent Naboo.
Its genesis was in this chamber here,
Taxation of the trade routes its first cause.
The tragedy engulf’d our planet in
Th’oppression of the Federation cruel.
LOTT
These accusations are outrageous words!
Unto these statements I object with zeal.
VALORUM The chair hath not yet seen fit to acknowledge
The senator from the Trade Federation.
PALPATINE
To speak for our great planet and present
Our allegations solemn and severe,
I introduce the newly minted queen—
She of the late election in Naboo—
Queen Amidala, who shall prick your ears,
And, if they can be movèd, hearts as well.
AMID
ALA
O, honorable representatives
Of this republic we do call our home:
I speak before you as a broken queen,
Within your presence due to dire events
That have of late befallen on Naboo.
Our system hath been senselessly attack’d
By the droid armies of the Federation.
LOTT
I heartily object! Where is her proof?
Her words are but an idle tale, spun out
From some outlandish dream or whim. Instead,
We recommend a quick commission, sent
To ascertain the truth about Naboo.
SENATOR
The senator of Malastare concurs
With what the Federation’s delegate
Doth in this matter recommend and wish.
A commission must be sent unto Naboo.
VALORUM The point is made. Pray, grant me consultation …
[Chancellor Valorum leans aside to speak with his advisors.
PALPATINE
[aside:] The perfect part the chancellor now plays,
That I may write the passage I desire.
[To Amidala:] Behold, Your Majesty, the bureaucrats
A group of thespians who craftily
Do rule the scene upon their stage of pow’r.
Their coffers by the Federation fill’d,
They act to bend the chancellor’s own thoughts
And sap his strength by softly spoken lines,
Until the curtain falls and they have won.
VALORUM
The Federation’s point hath been conceded.
Will you, Your Majesty, defer your motion
That we may soon appoint a keen commission,
Which shall investigate your accusations?
AMIDALA
Nay, I shall not defer nor be deterr’d,
Nor shall I grant you any deference.
I come before you here in urgency,
Not that we may be turn’d aside again