William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return by Ian Doescher Read Free Book Online Page B

answer for her furtive presence here.
    SCOUT 8
    Indeed, Sir.
    [Imperial Scout 8 begins to exit. Wicket comes out of hiding and strikes Imperial Scout 7.
    SCOUT 7
    —O! What manner of a beast—
    [Princess Leia hits Imperial Scout 7, who falls unconscious. Imperial Scout 8 begins to run.
    LEIA
    Now, blaster, hit thy mark, else we’re found out!
    [Princess Leia shoots and kills Imperial Scout 8.
    Good cheer! The scout is slain, and we are safe.
    I give thee thanks, thou bantam warrior,
    For thy protection and thy bravery.
    Come, let us go at once, ere others come.
    WICKET
    A yubnub, yubnub,
    Shessa noolub,
    Shessa frenda,
    Yubyub, yubyub.
    LEIA
    [
aside:
] Although it seems I came from over there
    He wisheth me to follow him that way.
    Belike in following I’ll earn his trust.
    Then shall I make our budding friendship real
    And see what this chance meeting may reveal.
    [Exeunt.

SCENE 2.
    Inside the second Death Star.
    Enter
D ARTH V ADER , E MPEROR P ALPATINE ,
and
ROYAL GUARDS .
    EMPEROR
    Now wherefore hast thou come to see me here?
    Thine orders were to stay aboard thy ship.
    VADER
    I would not disobey thine orders, were
    It not of grave importance to our cause.
    A rebel force hath made it past the shield,
    And landed on the forest moon of Endor.
    EMPEROR
    I know all this already.
    VADER
    —And my son
    Is with them on their mission.
    EMPEROR
    —Art thou sure?
    VADER
    Forsooth, for I have felt him.
    EMPEROR
    —Strange that I
    Have not. Lord Vader, are thy feelings on
    This matter clear, or need’st thou clarity?
    VADER
    [
aside:
] Well ask’d, for my confusion he doth sense.
    [
To Emperor:
] My thoughts are clear, my master.
    EMPEROR
    —This, then, shalt
    Thou do: fly to the sanctuary moon,
    And wait upon him there, for he shall come.
    VADER
    Indeed? ’Tis he who shall come unto me?
    EMPEROR
    I have foreseen it. His compassion for
    His long-lost father shall mean his defeat.
    ’Tis he shall come to thee, and thou shalt bring
    Him hither, unto me. Thus it shall be.
    VADER
    Whatever thou dost wish, I grant to thee.
    [Exeunt.

SCENE 3.
    The forest moon of Endor.
    Enter
Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO,
and
R2-D2.
    HAN
    A’searching in the forest, we have found
    No trace of my belovèd. Yet I see
    These wreck’d and tangl’d bikes afore mine eyes,
    And must assume the worst. Some horrid fate,
    Some accident of fortune hath befall’n,
    And ta’en my love too quickly from my grasp.
    O let it ne’er be so, and let me not
    With grief and anguish live out all my days.
    Although we find not Leia, let us still
    Some hope discover deep within these woods.
    Enter
L UKE S KYWALKER
, holding Princess Leia’s helmet.
    LUKE
    This helmet have I found, near yonder log.
    The tree that once so tall and stately stood,
    Hath been by some unnat’ral force knock’d down.
    But all that doth remain there is the top,
    That once rose high above the forest’s roof.
    O tree, that lost its trunk and turn’d to log!
    O helmet—without wearer—turn’d to shell.
    C-3PO
    Good Master Luke, his heart doth break within.
    LUKE
    Two more wreck’d speeders yonder did I see,
    And this poor, empty helmet tells a tale.
    C-3PO
    I fear that R2’s sensors can find no
    Suggestion of dear Princess Leia near.
    HAN
    I hope—O greatest hope, O fondest hope—
    With all my being hope she may be well.
    CHEWBAC.
    Auugh!
    HAN
    —What is it, thou Wookiee?
    [Chewbacca finds a piece of meat hanging from a rope.
    CHEWBAC.
    —Egh. Egh, auugh!
    HAN
    I do not understand, Chewbacca. It
    Is just a piece of meat, and nothing more.
    CHEWBAC.
    Auugh!
    LUKE
    —Nay! Pray, patience!
    [All are caught in a net and raised into the air.
    HAN
    —Wonderful! The ones
    Who wish’d to find become the ones found out,
    Who wish’d to net a princess, netted are,
    Who pray’d to find her, find themselves now prey.
    And why? Because the one who thinketh least
    Hath thought with appetite and not with mind.
    LUKE
    Since fault of thought hath got us to this place,
    Let us be calm, and