SCENE 3.

Imagine you see space, ye viewers true,

In which the final battle shall be fought.

The rebels put their trust i’the Endor crew:

Unless the shield is down, ’tis all for naught.

Yet little do they know that plan hath fail’d,

For Palpatine hath work’d his great deceit.

On Endor is the rebel crew assail’d,

Which doth create disaster for the fleet.

[Exit chorus.

Great Admiral, we’re in position now.

Each rebel fighter is accounted for,

And all are now prepar’d for our attack.

Proceed, then, with the countdown in a snap.

[ to Lando:] Ungate-oh ah theyairee uhareh

Mu-ah-hareh. Mu-ah-hareh mu-kay?

Nay, worry not, my strangely membran’d friend.

My friend, the valiant Han, shall play his part,

And shall the shield disable in good time.

Emutee bitchu me.

[ aside:]    —Or this shall be

The shortest onslaught we will e’er attempt.

All groups assume attack coordinates,

And craft prepare to jump to hyperspace

When I have giv’n the sign to make it hap’.

[The ships jump to hyperspace.

Now we approach the Death Star, Admiral.

The moment hath arriv’d for us to strike

And win the day in grand Rebellion’s name.

All wings, I prithee, make report.

—’Tis I,

Red Leader, standing by.

—Gray Leader doth

Stand by.

—’Tis I, Green Leader standing by.

Now lock thine S-foils in attacking mode.

And may the Force be with us in this scrap.

[ aside:] Like thee, dear friends, I have observer been

Of all this great Rebellion for a time.

Yet I have also been participant,

And fortunate enough to keep my life

E’en when full many others have expir’d.

The first grave Death Star battle I did see,

All ships but Luke’s and mine were cruelly wreck’d.

I dwelt within the rebels’ base on Hoth,

Where I fac’d AT-ATs in the snowy fight.

The second Death Star shall I here confront,

But know not whether I shall live or die.

Still, my life is but little consequence,

For though it ever in grave danger be,

I know I play a mere supporting part

Unto the greater cause of this Rebellion.

I am an actor in a drama vast—

A witness to the tragedy and hope,

The pain, the joy, the sadness, and the fear

That ever follow bold Rebellion’s name.

Like thee, I wonder how the tale will end,

And who shall live to see the glorious day

When falls the curtain on the Empire’s might.

Until that day I shall be on the scene,

To play my part as pilot: faithful, true,

Committed to the play that doth play out,

Determin’d to help write our final act—

To lift our noble cause e’en by a Wedge.

[ to Lando:] Lamou-be-o-tee?

—But what dost thou mean?

We must be able to detect the shield,

Whether ’tis up or down.

—Na mateeou.

How could the Empire jam our scan, unless

They knew that we were coming—O, alas!

What awful understanding hath just now

Broke in upon mine unsuspecting mind!

I see now we are caught—break off th’attack!

The shield is up.

—I get no reading, Sir.

Canst thou be sure?

—Pull up, good men, pull up!

[The rebels begin to change course and retreat from the Death Star.

Prepare to take evasive action! Heed

My words, ye pilots all. Green Team, hear now:

Stay close to sector MV-7 on

The map.

—Good admiral, approaching ships!

It is the enemy.

—O knavery

Most vile, O trick of Empire’s basest wit.

A snare, a ruse, a ploy: and we the fools.

What great deception hath been plied today—

O rebels, do you hear? Fie, ’tis a trap!

The fighters come upon us!

—Woe is me,

There are too many! O, what shall we do?

Accelerate to full attacking speed.

Be sure thou draw their fire far from the cruisers.

I copy and obey, Gold Leader.

—Come,

My boy, and see what doth befall thy friends.

From here thou shalt bear witness to the end—

The final, whole destruction of the weak

Alliance, and Rebellion’s ruin, too.

How stir thy feelings now, apprentice mine?

[ aside:] What torment fills my soul! Shall I take up

My lightsaber and so destroy this man?

Be still, else by my thoughts I am betray’d.

This lightsaber that resteth by my side—

Thou dost desire it hotly, dost thou not?

The hate doth swell within thee even now—

It hath an aura palpable. Take up

Thy Jedi weapon, use it. I—as thou

Canst see—am quite unarm’d. So strike me down

With all thy hatred, let thine anger stir.

Each moment thou dost more become my slave.

Nay, thou shalt not condemn me to the dark.

My father’s tragic fate shall not be mine.

’Tis unavoidable. ’Tis destiny.

No person ever dodg’d their final fate,

Or kept the sands of time from flowing free.

Thou shalt not ’scape the bounds of providence,

Or trick the whims of fortune’s fickle wheel.

So hear these words and well believe them, boy:

Thou now art mine, just as thy father is.

Together we are powerful, we three—

When thou art turn’d, we’ll rule the galaxy.

[Exeunt.