SCENE 4.

E’en now my son doth come to me, I feel’t.

Thus is the moment near when I bring him

Unto my Lord and, in so doing, bind

Together those two forces of my life:

My skillful son and my true Emperor.

The two become one: ’Tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish’d. I’ll see Luke turn’d

Toward the dark side of the Force, and we

Shall rule the galaxy—the father, son,

And mighty Emperor. O make it so,

Most slippery and cunning Fate, for great

Shall be the combination of our pow’rs.

My Lord, this is the rebel who did bring

Himself to us in full surrender. He

Denieth there are others here, yet I

Believe there may be more. I do request

Permission to conduct a search of the

Surrounding area. “No stone unturn’d,”

As my dear father us’d to say. Is not

A father’s wisdom precious more than gold?

But I digress: the rebel came here arm’d

With this and this alone, a lightsaber.

[The Imperial commander hands Luke’s lightsaber to Darth Vader.

[ aside:] O how it stirs my soul to hear him tell

The love of his good father. Now, be calm!

[ To commander:] Thou hast fulfill’d thine office faithfully,

Commander. Leave us now, conduct thy search,

And bring this one’s companions back to me.

I’ll warrant thou shalt find them as thou think’st.

Of course, my Lord. My pleasure ’tis to see

Thy great will done. If further rebels are

Upon the moon, we shall discover them.

[Exit Imperial commander.

The Emperor hath been expecting thee.

[ aside:] Now it begins. [ To Darth Vader:] I know, my father.

—Ah,

Thou hast accepted what is true.

—I have

Accepted thou wert once call’d Anakin

Skywalker, and as such, my father wert,

And art, and whate’er come to pass, shall be.

That “Anakin” is meaningless to me.

The name hath neither relevance nor worth.

My life is chang’d, and I with it, fore’er.

’Tis but the name of thy true self, which thou

Hast but forgotten. Furthermore, I know

That there is good within thee yet, for thy

Great Emperor cannot have driven it

From thee entirely. That is wherefore thou

Couldst not destroy me when we met at first,

And wherefore thou wilt not deliver me

A pris’ner to thine Emperor.

[ aside:]    —Almost

I know not what to say, so shall I turn

The conversation unto matters that

Are simple to discuss, with no confusion.

[ To Luke:] I see thou hast constructed for thyself

A lightsaber. Thy skills are now complete,

Except I see its beam is green, much like

Thine innocent opinion of my fate.

But still thou hast become quite powerful,

Just as the Emperor himself foresaw.

If green doth mark me as a man naïve,

I’ll claim the color proudly. Come with me—

My father, turn toward the good, and live!

Old Obi-Wan once thought as thou dost think.

Thou canst not understand the power of

The dark side: I shall be obedient

Unto my master—aye, I must, and will.

I shall not turn toward the dark, and thou

Shalt verily be forc’d to kill me then.

[ aside:] Confusion, be thou gone. ’Tis madness, this!

[ To Luke:] If that shall be thy destiny, so be’t.

O, search thy feelings, father. Thou canst not

Do this to me. I feel the conflict rise

Within thee. Let thy hatred go, be free!

It is too late for me, my son. I shall

Deliver thee unto the Emperor.

’Tis he who shall reveal to thee the true

And pow’rful nature of the Force. He is

Thy master now, and thou shalt serve him well.

Then may I say these words with confidence:

My father who once liv’d is truly dead.

[Exeunt Luke Skywalker with stormtroopers guarding.

O what a rogue and peasant Sith am I.

This turmoil in my spirit doth not suit

A dark and vicious warlord like myself.

My son a rebel—fickle-minded Fate

That e’er would be so cruel to have me see’t!

And not a simple rebel, nay, but he

A hero, noble, brave, and true, a lad

Whose character befits his parentage.

Were he within the Empire’s ranks employ’d,

I would be proud to govern by his side.

A worthy lad is he, of virtues full,

A Jedi Knight and pow’rful in the Force,

A brave, courageous, cunning warrior,

A shadow of my former, noble self.

Yet if he will not turn he’ll be destroy’d.

O shall it be? The strands of Fate do seem

To wind themselves about my neck as if

To strangle me and drag me down into

The measureless, uncharted depths of my

Beloved Emperor’s most perfect will.

Thus shall I drown within the dark side’s pull:

A murky grave to bury Vader’s soul.

The rudder of my conscience runs not straight,

Thus am I tow’d along toward my Fate.

[Exit.