SCENE 5.

The end of this bleak scene is almost near,

For I shall play the part of helpmate to

My master true, securing freedom for

Us all. No more shall Jabba terrorize

The planet Tatooine, for he shall be

Destroy’d before the double sun doth set.

O pardon me, I do apologize.

Beep, squeak!

—My R2, ah! What dost thou here?

Beep, whistle, meep, beep, nee!

—Well can I see

That thou art serving drinks, but dangerous

This place is. Soon they plan to execute

Good Master Luke, and if we take not care,

No doubt we shall be executed too!

Beep, meep!

—I wish I had thy confidence.

[ aside:] Here is the hour that ends in our escape,

Here is the moment Jabba sees defeat,

Here is the instant I have plannèd for,

Here is the battle grand: the skiff’s the thing

Wherein I’ll catch Han’s rescue and take wing.

Methinks mine eyes have quite improv’d, for now

Instead of just a blur of dark I see

A blur of light. ’Tis almost pleasant. Ha!

Alas, ’tis nothing here to see. I did

Once live on Tatooine, as thou dost know.

And thou shalt die here too. Convenient ’tis.

Stay close to Lando and Chewbacca. All

Things shall end well, for I have plann’d it so.

So sayest thou. [ Aside:] His confidence is such

As I’ve not seen in him before; I know

Not whether to guffaw or be impress’d.

[Guards extend the skiff’s plank and force Luke onto it.

The plank hath been set forth, and I shall walk

Not unto death, but our deliverance.

Koneetah!

—Hear ye! Victims of the great

Almighty sarlacc: Jabba of the Hutt,

His excellency, hopeth ye shall die

With honor. Should ye wish for mercy now

To beg, great Jabba of the Hutt shall hear

Your pleas.

—Nay, 3PO! Say thou to that

Vast slimy piece of filth bestrewn with worms

He shall have no such pleasure out of us!

Now that I am no more a markèd man,

I shall most fully proffer my belief

That Jabba is a horrid murderer

Far worse than any I have ever known.

Who here shall prove me wrong or argue, eh?

’Tis right, good Chewie, I speak true?

—Egh, auugh!

Pray, Jabba, hear: I shall not ask again—

Thou mayst free us, or be destroy’d anon.

So give us liberty or give thyself death.

Ho, ho! Sabutah mayr.

—Aye, put him in!

No more of these fools’ speech my ears would hear!

[ aside:] The scene is set. Pray, Lando, play thy part,

And R2, thou hast ever been most true,

Now fail me not in this most vital time.

[ aside:] This is the moment; aye, this is the time.

Koos nooma!

—Let the suffering begin!

I shall enjoy this show of pain and death.

Alas, Luke jumps! But wait, he flips aright

Onto the skiff, and R2 hath releas’d

Into the air Luke’s lightsaber! He has’t,

’Tis his! O clever droid, with aim so true,

And clever Luke, devising such a plan.

The battle’s here! Mine eyes see well enough

To know that now ’tis time for combat!

—Auugh!

Now, Lando, to thy recompense for all

That thou hast done! Betrayer shall become

The bravest fighter e’er rebellion’s seen!

My courage here shall render payment for

The villainy I’ve tender’d in the past.

[They battle, and many of Jabba’s court are thrown into the sarlacc’s pit.

Ahh!

—What role shall I play in this? I shall

Not stand aside and let them fight for me.

I am no fragile damsel to be sav’d,

But have, since I was young, fought for myself.

Thus, to my work: to slay the biggest foe—

Thou, Jabba, art for me and me alone!

I shall fly unto the fray, for no mere band of

rebels shall outwit the great Jabba of the Hutt.

They shall not easily defeat the one who doth

fill my coffers. Not, indeed, as long as Boba Fett

hath pow’r to live and breathe. To it!

[Lando fights with a guard and falls off the skiff toward the pit.

Alas, my friends, I fall!

[Boba Fett flies to the skiff.

Han Solo and Chewbacca fall.

—Nay, thou vile Fett!

Thou shalt not have the best of us. A-ha!

[Luke strikes Boba Fett’s blaster.

Thy blaster’s now in twain by my lightsaber.

A hit, a very palpable hit! He hath torn my

blaster in twain with his lightsaber, but I shall

have him yet, and protect my great reward.

Go, ropes, and bind this rascal Jedi. Belike

Jabba shall further payment render when he

doth see the noble deeds done for his sake.

[Boba Fett binds Luke Skywalker with ropes, but then is knocked down. Luke escapes and jumps to another skiff, fighting the guards there.

Han! Chewie! Can ye hear me?

—Lando!

—Auugh!

[Boba Fett stands up and takes aim at Luke.

I have thee in my sights now, Jedi. Thou shalt

feel the pow’r of my rockets, and be no more.

Egh!

—Boba Fett? What Boba Fett, and where?

[Han Solo moves and activates Boba Fett’s jets, sending him flying into the pit.

Alas! The greatest Fett shall not die like this!

O horrid Fate! Where is now my great reward?

[Boba Fett falls into pit and dies.

Nuh oola koobah!

—Those shall be thy words

Most final! Now, the chains that bind me to

This wretched lump of flesh shall be my hope!

Whilst Jabba worries o’er the battle, I

Shall throw the chains about his neck. Then, pull!

Aye, pull—a princess’ vengeance! Die, thou brute!

Thou unsuspecting Hutt, I curse thy life!

For all the innocent whoe’er did die,

For all the noble souls thou didst torment,

For all the gentle lives that are no more,

For all the galaxy’s injustice—die!

[Princess Leia strangles Jabba of the Hutt. He dies.

Good Lando, thou didst turn thy back on me,

But thou shalt have a chance to earn thy due

Since Luke and Chewie tell me of thy shame.

Chewbacca, lift me down that I may save

Him from a thousand years of pain.

—Brave Han

Attempts to rescue Lando, but the gun

From on the barge doth block his progress. Fie!

No rest from trouble have we here—these foes

Will not let us escape without a fight.

They do intend to block us all the way—

Then to the barge, to aid the rescue. Fly!

[Luke jumps onto Jabba’s barge.

Pray, grasp the staff!

—I almost have it!

—Auugh!

Alack! The sarlacc’s tentacle wraps ’round

My leg. I fear this is the end! O give

Me strength to face my death well.

—Be thou still,

And Chewie, hand the blaster unto me.

A blaster in the hands of one who’s blind?

Methinks I may do better in the pit.

Good Han, think on the defects of thine eyes!

My sight is much improv’d: my aim is true!

[Han Solo shoots the tentacle and lifts Lando onto the skiff.

Good Lando is safe once again, and Han

And Chewie steady are upon the skiff.

Thus shall I find the droids and Leia, then

Destroy this barge and Jabba’s courtiers all.

[ aside:] Now to the princess, to release her bonds!

All thanks, R2, now let us flee from here—

Find thou C-3PO, and we’ll away!

Beep, squeak!

—My master’s dead, but no fool I—

I’ll fight these droids until my fate’s secure.

[Salacious Crumb pokes at C-3PO’s eyes.

Mine eyes, alas—O R2, help!

—Meep, squeak!

[ Aside:] Tear not my friend apart, you tallow face!

[R2-D2 shocks Salacious Crumb, who jumps away.

The droid hath zapp’d me quite! O naughty imp!

O counterpart from Heaven sent, my thanks!

But now, R2, say where dost thou lead me?

Why do we swift approach the vessel’s edge?

This is most curious and passing strange,

For I could not jump to the sand, and ’tis

From here a mighty drop indeed—

[R2-D2 pushes C-3PO off the edge of the barge into the sand and falls in after him.

—Nee, hoo!

I prithee, Leia, take the gun and point

It yonder, at the deck! The barge shall fall!

[Luke is shot in the hand by a guard.

[ Aside:] Alas, my hand, but ’tis my hand of steel,

It causes me some pain, but not as ’twould

Were it my own real flesh. Strange notion, this.

I have not time to think on it, but shall,

Another time, consider this my hand.

The gun is pointed at the deck: ’tis time.

Then let it fly, and we’ll escape forsooth!

’Tis well a rope is here to swing us o’er

Another chasm—what serendipity!

[Luke and Princess Leia swing from the barge onto the skiff.

[ aside:] Once have I swung with him across a chasm,

Now swing we once more to the waiting skiff.

We have a way of swinging through our fears!

We all are now on board the skiff—away!

This brave event shall be remember’d, Luke,

And since I have been thaw’d, my warmest and

My most sincere appreciation do

I give thee for my rescue well devis’d.

My friend, ’tis none but what thou wouldst for me.

Now, let us flee—the droids, do not forget.

We fly indeed, by foes no more beset.

[The barge explodes and all on board die. Exeunt Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Lando, R2-D2, and C-3PO on skiff.