SCENE 4.

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!

Egh, auugh!

—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.

Now vigilance, my Wookiee! Quickly come

Two further ships, to try and block our path.

Nay, wherefore canst thou not outrun them both?

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

[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.

How long, now, ere thou canst achieve lightspeed?

A few more moments shall it take whilst this

Computer doth its navigation work.

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.

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.

—But O, what now?

What light through yonder flashing sensor breaks?

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.

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.