by Ian Doescher
I know not yet for certain if it be.
My friends I have not heard from, hide nor hair,
And yet the Force doth call in clearest tones
As if to say: “Here lies thy destiny!”
[Luke sees Bespin guards carrying Han Solo.
But wait, what’s this? Procession most sincere,
And with such maimèd rites? This doth betoken
The corpse they follow was an enemy.
These Bespin guards do make odd pallbearers;
This scene is verily a sign of ill.
Enter BOBA FETT, shooting at Luke. Luke shoots back. Exit Boba Fett.
Aha! It seems that I expected am—
This then must be the place my vision saw.
The Force hath led me here by prophet’s hand—
I shall pursue the fiend most ardently,
Belike he shall lead me unto my mates.
[Exeunt Luke and R2-D2.
Enter CHEWBACCA, PRINCESS LEIA, and LANDO, with GUARDS and BOBA FETT.
LANDO
These blasts and great commotion indicate
Skywalker’s recent advent unto Bespin.
This great upheaval his arrival makes
Doth grant me the diversion that I seek
To call upon my man-at-arms for help.
[Lando presses buttons on his wrist communicator.
Enter LUKE SKYWALKER and R2-D2. Boba Fett shoots again.
LEIA
O Luke, pray fly! ’Tis but a trap! A trap!
Flee now, dear friend, ere thou art captur’d too.
LUKE
But what is this? ’Tis Leia in distress!
Yet here, beset by blasts, I’ll not prevail.
[Exit Luke Skywalker under fire, with R2-D2 behind him. Exit Boba Fett.
Enter LOBOT with ARMED BATTALION.
CHEWBAC.
Auugh!
LANDO
—Aye, well done, my aide! Pray, put them in
The tower most secure, and be ye quiet!
LOBOT
. . .
[Exeunt Lobot with battalion and Imperial guards.
LEIA
[aside:] O, will he play the hero now? A fig!
[To Lando:] What is in thy imagination, man?
LANDO
We shall depart at once.
[He releases the bands from Chewbacca’s hands.
C-3PO
[aside:] —I knew ’twas thus,
A regular misunderstanding.
[Chewbacca begins to choke Lando.
CHEWBAC.
—Auugh!
LANDO
[choking:] I had no choice!
C-3PO
—What is this foolishness?
Pray, trust him!
LEIA
—Aye, we understand, thou knave,
Thou didst have neither choice nor will to act.
Thou brute! Imperi’l officers act by
Their Lord’s command and blind obedience,
The bounty hunter is well paid for his
Nefari’us actions, e’en Darth Vader and
The Emperor are fully driven by
Their power, aye! But shalt thou say thou hadst
No choice? What lily-liver’d weak excuse
Is this? At least assume thy stature as
A man, and here confess thy shameful deeds!
We’ll give thee opportunity to ’fess
Thy wrongs before thou diest at Chewie’s hand.
LANDO
[choking:] I did but try to help.
LEIA
—We do not need
Thy help, thou whoreson, senseless villain!
LANDO
[choking:] —Han!
LEIA
What didst thou say?
C-3PO
—It sounded like a “Han!”
LANDO
[choking:] There may yet be a chance we can save Han.
The bounty hunter’s ship, the platform east.
LEIA
Pray, Chewie, let him go.
[Chewbacca releases Lando. He and Princess Leia begin to walk away, followed by Lando.
C-3PO
—My ferventest
Apologies for this, good Sir. See, he
Is but a Wookiee, ignorant and plain.
Enter BOBA FETT on balcony, with Guards and the frozen body of HAN SOLO.
FETT
Now put him in the cargo hold. Who now
hath been victorious, Solo? Who is the winner
clear? And as the victor, so go the spoils. Jabba’s
bounty and his great pleasure shall I enjoy when
I arrive with thee on Tatooine. I shall become a
courtier in the palace of the Hutts ere this is
through. Boba Fett triumphant!
[Exeunt Boba Fett and guards.
Enter R2-D2.
R2-D2
[aside:] I have been separated from my master.
Yet happy circumstance, for here I see
The others, and may now rejoin them.
[To C-3PO:] Squeak!
C-3PO
O R2, R2, say, where hast thou been?
It does me well to see thee, little droid.
Yet prithee, haste thee, for we all now strive
To save our captain from the clutches of
The bounty hunter!
R2-D2
—Meep, beep, whistle, squeak!
C-3PO
At least thou art still in one piece—observe
My sad fragmented fate!
[They arrive at the east platform to see Boba Fett’s ship flying away.
LEIA
[aside:] —O flown, alack!
My Han—his body flown and fled. Now break
My heart, and weep mine eyes. A princess I
May be, but first and foremost human with
Emotions that betray my higher sense.
O gracious Han, forgive that I did come
To love thee late, and only then to lose thee.
I’ll find thee in the stars, my Han—I’ll search
The galaxy until I find thee.
C-3PO
—O!
[To Chewbacca:] Pray, Chewie, look, they come behind thee!
CHEWBAC.
—Egh!
Enter STORMTROOPERS from behind, who battle with CHEWBACCA, PRINCESS LEIA, and LANDO. The stormtroopers are slain.
LEIA
The soldiers are dispatch’d; now let us go.
A princess doth command thee, Lando: make
Thy choice once and for all whom thou shalt serve.
Wilt thou remain the Empire’s stooge, or shalt
Thou go with us to serve rebellion’s cause?
LANDO
Good lady, this demand is fairly made.
Forgive me of the things I’ve done, I pray,
And I shall fly with thee and serve thee true.
But first, let me a final action take
To serve the Bespinites I love so well—
One moment for the greater good. [Into comlink:] Hear ye,
’Tis Lando of Calrissian who speaks.
The Empire doth control the city now—
I do advise ye all: evacuate
At once, before more troops arrive within.
[Lando tries to open a door and fails.
[To Princess Leia:] This door shall lead us to the Falcon, but
The codes have chang’d. I know not how!
C-3PO
—R2,
Thou canst o’erride the door’s security.
Pray, R2, speed thee!
[R2-D2 tries to plug into the computer and gets shocked.
R2-D2
—Beep, meep, whistle, beep!
C-3PO
O blame me not, I am interpreter,
And know not power socket from computer!
[More stormtroopers enter and begin to shoot at Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and Lando.
LANDO
Now under si
ege again! O, let us hence
Away unto the Falcon. Droid, canst thou
Release these doors that we may pass and fly?
LEIA
If ever droid were worthy, R2 is.
Go to it, R2, make our good escape!
R2-D2
Beep, meep, beep, beep, squeak, whistle, beep, meep, meep!
C-3PO
We do not care about the hyperdrive—
The great Millenn’um Falcon is repair’d!
R2-D2
[aside:] Fie! This computer tells me all’s not well,
But how shall I convey this ’midst these blasts?
The doorway first; the hyperdrive shall wait.
[To C-3PO:] Beep, meep!
C-3PO
—Pray, ope’ the door, thou stupid lump!
[The door opens.
O, R2, never did I doubt thee, thou
Art wonderful!
[Exeunt R2-D2, Lando, and Chewbacca with C-3PO, into the Millennium Falcon.
LEIA
—I know that I should fly,
And yet for Han’s sake would I stay and slay
Each enemy that cometh from within.
Love unfulfill’d turns quickly into spite,
And vengefulness doth fill the empty place
Within my heart. O die a thousand times,
Ye basest beasts who fed upon my love.
O brutes, ye think not of the lives ye take—
You are but senseless minions who fulfill
The sordid whims of your Imperi’l lords.
Belike ’tis not your fault, for you are by
A merciless, vile Emperor controll’d.
Yet I shall strike at ye till you do fall
For ev’ry pain that you have giv’n to me:
The loss of Alderaan, of my great friends,
And now the loss of my belovèd one.
O die, ye mindless men of Empire cruel!
I shall upon the Empire be reveng’d
Until my gallant Han hath been aveng’d.
[Exit Princess Leia.
SCENE 3.
Bespin, the cloud city.
Enter LUKE SKYWALKER.
LUKE
Where am I now, and where are all my friends?
Some wrong turn have I ta’en, and now am lost
Within a cavern, dark and fill’d with mist.
R2 is left behind; I am alone.
What evil lurks within this passage bleak?
What fate shall I discover in this place?
What pow’r hath brought me here—is it the Force?
If not, what messenger of darkness vile
Hath giv’n me up unto this realm of fear?
The cold I feel is as on Dagobah,
When in the cave my darkest self I fac’d.
The thoughts I thought therein do now return,
The questions that did rise and give me pause:
O, what is life, and what our purpose here?
Are living creatures made for pain and strife,
Do we but walk our days upon the ground
To perish without memory or fame?
If so, what shall we seek whilst we yet live?
Is brave adventure worthy of our time,
Or should we seek the principle of pleasure?
Are family and children noble aims,
Or is the Force itself our holy goal?
Is life a quest or is it but a farce—
A splendid journey or a fool’s crusade?
Such questions plague my soul, and make me doubt.
They draw my mind toward the darkest thoughts
That e’er I’ve known since I became a man.
And here, away from Dagobah, I have
No firm assurance of my safety, nor
The comfort of my master being here.
Thus shall I face my fortune by myself,
Without my mentors great to give me help.
The thought doth bring me trepidation, for
I have relie’d upon their counsel wise.
Be with me here in spirit, if not form,
Good Obi-Wan and Yoda—masters true.
O life, O Fate! I would I knew my place,
My time, my end, my destiny complete—
But I cannot see why or how life is.
Because the past is not a perfect guide,
And since the future still remains unknown:
My fate shall I meet in the present tense.
[A sound is heard.
But soft, I hear slow footsteps drawing near.
Enter DARTH VADER.
VADER
The Force is with thee now, young Skywalker,
In troth—but thou art not a Jedi yet.
LUKE
[aside:] ’Tis Vader, and ’tis Fate. Let it begin.
[They duel.
Enter CHORUS.
CHORUS
O mighty duel, O action ne’er surpass’d:
The lightsabers do clash and glow like fire.
Darth Vader in the villain’s role is cast,
While Luke’s young temper turneth soon to ire.
They flash and fly like dancers in a set,
Yet never dance did know such deadly mood.
Luke tires, and soon his brow begins to sweat,
Whilst Vader doth attack with strength renew’d.
VADER
Forsooth, young one, ’tis plain thou hast learn’d much.
LUKE
Thou shalt find me full of surprises yet!
VADER
Thy destiny doth lie with me, Skywalker.
Your teacher Obi-Wan did know ’twas true.
LUKE
Thou liest, O thou villain cruel and cold.
[They duel, and Luke falls into the carbon freezing machine.
VADER
[aside:] ’Twas far too simple, trapping him within.
Perhaps the boy is not as powerful
As my great Emperor and I did think.
[Luke leaps out of the carbon freezing machine.
LUKE
I am not captur’d yet, thou lord of hate.
Thou must another evil scheme derive
To catch me in thy snares. For I am quick,
And move with all the power of the Force.
VADER
Impressive, most impressive, worthy lad,
Thine Obi-Wan hath taught thee well, and thou
Hast master’d all thy fears. Now, go! Release
Thine anger, for thy hate alone can strike
Me down! [Aside:] Now ’tis the moment to provoke
His inner rage. Come walls, machines, and parts
And come at him from ev’ry side. He’ll be
Made weak, and in his weakness darkness find!
[Darth Vader uses the Force to strike Luke with nearby objects.
LUKE
Alas, I fall—O Fate, be on my side!
[Luke falls out a window.
VADER
The battle goes exactly as foreseen.
The boy is powerful and skill’d, ’tis true,
But his young powers are no match for mine.
It seems that Obi-Wan was weak with age,
For this boy’s training still is incomplete.
He shall be turnèd yet, for I still hold
The news that shall undo him utterly.
He thinks the speed of my lightsaber and
My power to send objects hurtling at
Him are the worst that I can muster, but
My greatest weapon yet shall break his soul,
Not touch his body. He shall know the truth.
But even as I plan to share with him
The story of his father, I must pause.
The strange confusion I before have felt
Hath come again into my mind. What is’t?
I know no better Fate for him and me
Than to be join’d in service to my Lord
And Emperor. So why am I confus’d?
Enough of this now, Vader: finish it.
The boy shall turn or he shall be destroy’d.
[Exit Darth Vader. Luke begins to climb through the window.
LUKE
O pain, O bitter weariness. I did
Not know the power of the Force till now—
Till it, to purpose rank, was turn’d on me!
Now for my very life I grasp and hold
Unto the precipice whereon I cling.
Be with me now, O Ben, restore my strength.
I see that Vader hath ta’en flight, yet it
Is plain he doth but wait for his next chance.
Some hope remains, e’en now, amidst my fear—
He may yet be defeated, all’s not lost.
I have regain’d my footing, and may rest
Until the fight must be resum’d. Now quick:
Look deep within your heart, Luke, and recall
The teachings of your gentle master Yoda.
Breathe deeply and call on the Force, that it
May show to thee the path that thou must take.
O, give me strength to win this battle now
Or, if not win, maintain my sense of right.
But lo, Darth Vader cometh once again!
Enter DARTH VADER. They duel, and Luke is forced to the edge of a deep cavern.
VADER
This is the end for thee, Skywalker. See,
Thou art defeated now; resistance would
Be futile. Let yourself not be destroy’d
As Obi-Wan did, weak old man he was.
[They duel. Darth Vader cuts off Luke’s right hand with his lightsaber.
LUKE
O horror! O vast pain exceeding words!
VADER
Thou shalt find no escape. Do not make me
Destroy thee. Great importance shalt thou have
Within the Empire’s power, and thine own
Shall only grow with time. I prithee, join
With me, and I your training shall complete.
When our strength is combin’d, we shall conclude
This bitter conflict and bring order to