SCENE 3.

Thy rescue hath been wondrous, think’st thou not?

Say I: at times I do myself amaze.

Amazing hath my rescue of thee been,

Amazing is my hand at piloting,

Amazing all my part in this escape,

Amazing—aye, ’tis true—my handsome looks.

Amazing is thy pride and love of self!

Thus stand I now amaz’d that e’er thou shouldst

Allow thy great, amazing self to stoop

So low that thou wouldst rescue such as I.

But let me now amaze thee if I may,

By telling thee that thy amazement is

Misplac’d! For never have Imperi’l ships

Let enemies escape with such great ease

As thou and thy amazing vessel have

Just now amazingly escap’d.

—Nay, nay!

Call’st thou this venture easy, Princess? Pish!

I’ll warrant we are being track’d e’en now.

This ship shall never trackèd be, good sis.

Methinks thou dost upon this vessel far

Too great a trust bestow. But none of that,

I merely am reliev’d that R2 doth

The information safely in him guard.

But wherefore does this matter, Princess, say:

What carries he?

—Rebellion’s greatest hope:

For he doth hold the readouts technical

Unto that battle station, aye, the one

That such great pow’r display’d o’er Alderaan.

My hope it is that when the data can

Be read, an inner weakness we shall find.

Though thou hast seen this battle end, the war

Has not concluded yet.

—But there thou err’st,

Thou dost not speak my mind. For this ship and

Its pilot, Princess, ’tis concluded now.

I have not join’d thy revolution, nay—

My purpose runs not to Rebellion help,

My purpose runs not to assist thyself.

My purpose runs toward one aim alone,

And I do speak it plain: I shall be paid,

And will be paid, and ev’ry aspect of

My being lives in expectation of

The moment when thou shalt my coffers fill.

O fiendish knave! Be thou concernèd not

O’er thy reward. If thou in money dost

Find love, then surely shalt thou have it, aye.

Thy friend is ev’ry part a hirèd man,

A mercenary with no mercy, he.

I question whether he doth care for aught

Or anyone.

[Exit Princess Leia.

[aside:]              —But I do care, I do!

If only, Leia, thou didst know how much.

[To Han:] Pray tell me, Han, what dost thou think of her?

I tell thee true, my mind is settl’d fast

When it thinks not of her.

—’Tis well, ’tis well.

[aside:] Now is it plain to me why he doth ask!

The boy doth fancy her, I’ll warrant, else

I’ve made a great mistake in judgment here.

What use are young men’s dreams if not for mocking?

So I shall dance upon his tender heart:

[To Luke:] And yet—

[aside:]                         —Alas, a “yet”? What’s this of “yet”?

The woman truly hath a spirit bold, And yet I know not.

What think’st thou, I pray:

Think’st thou a princess could with me be—

—Nay.

[Exeunt.