Han
’Tis thine imagination, Luke. Pray, be
More optimistic; let thy heart be still.
Luke
[ aside:] What stillness can there be when moves the Force?
It shall move mountains if it so desires.
No inner strength or outer brawn can match
The movement of the Force that now ’twixt me
And Vader passeth. Han hath no idea,
Yet all, belike, shall know quite soon enough,
For Ben and Yoda both were right: I must
My father yet confront ere I—or he—
Shall ever freedom know.
PIETT
[ to Vader:] —Shall they be held?
Vader
Nay, Admiral, thou mayst let them proceed.
They shall be mine—mere cards that I shall play,
And I shall serve as dealer for their deck.
PIETT
Then shall I wager that the house shall win.
Thy wish is mine, my Lord, and it shall be.
[ To controller:] Thou canst now carry on, and let them pass.
Han
This hesitation pregnant is with doubt:
Mayhap they are not taken in, Chewbacca.
Control.
Good shuttle of Tydirium, the swift
Deactivation of the shield begins.
Hold fast unto thy present course.
[Exeunt Darth Vader, Admiral Piett, and
Imperial controller.
Han
—’Tis well!
Did I not tell ye all that it would work?
No problems here, when Han is at the helm.
Leia
My scoundrel-love, thou ever hast a boast—
Yet often there’s a reason to thy rhyme.
Enter several IMPERIAL SCOUTS, aside, as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2 disembark.
Han
Now have we landed on the forest moon,
And our good company has disembark’d.
We make our way through trees and bushes here.
But what is that, a sound—pray all, alert!
C-3PO
You see, R2, I told thee this would be
Quite dangerous. Alack, be calm, my core!
Han
I see a building with Imperial
Motifs and markings. There, beside it, are
Two scouts. This shall require some care, methinks.
Leia
Then shall we try and go around the side?
Luke
Han
—And all shall be for naught
If we are seen. Yet I do have a plan:
Chewbacca and myself shall handle this.
Ye both stay here.
Luke
—But prithee, soft, good Han.
Be quiet, for there may be others near.
Han
Thy words unnecessary are—’tis me!
[Han Solo and Chewbacca move toward the
Imperial scouts.
Now shall I move in stealth to take them in,
Then take them out. With catlike tread I step,
Ne’er to be notic’d till my prey is mine,
Then I—alack! A twig snaps underfoot!
[Imperial Scouts 1 and 2 turn toward the sound and see Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Scout 1
What is that sound? Alas, ’tis rebels, go!
And warn our comrades quickly.
Luke
[Han fights with Imperial Scout 1. Imperial
Scout 2 boards his speeder bike to fly away but is shot by Chewbacca. Imperial Scouts 3 and 4 jump on their speeder bikes and fly away.
Leia
Behold the two scouts speed from out our grasp!
Upon the instant I shall give them chase.
Luke
Pray, Leia, patience—straight I come with thee!
[Luke and Leia board a speeder bike behind Imperial Scouts 3 and 4, in pursuit. Exeunt Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 in the melee.
Enter CHORUS.
Chorus
Do not our play too harshly judge, dear friends,
For with imagination may you see:
Into the forest now the fight extends
On speeder bikes that whip ’twixt tree and tree.
What haste their dauntless riders undergo
As they fly swiftly past both brush and stumps!
The rapid derring-do our scene doth show,
And when ’tis over, some shall have their lumps.
[Exit chorus.
Luke
Jam thou their comlink, center switch!
Leia
Luke
Canst thou yet closer go? Pray, pull aside
The one before us. Now I jump aboard
His bike, and he is mine and I’m for him.
[Luke throws Imperial Scout 3 from his speeder bike, and Imperial Scout 3 dies.
Enter IMPERIAL SCOUTS 5 and 6 on speeder bikes.
Aye, he is gone, but others take his place!
Good Leia, follow that one up ahead.
I shall remain behind, to face these two.
Leia
’Tis well. Be safe, and I shall see thee soon.
Luke
[ aside:] O sister, all my thanks for tender words.
[Luke falls behind, alongside Imperial Scouts 5 and 6.
Now shall this bike’s keen blaster find its mark!
I shoot, and one is dead; the other next.
[Luke shoots and kills Imperial Scout 6.
Leia
I shall fly high o’er this one’s bike, that he
May think that I have fled. Then shall I from
Above make my attack. Ha! Now beside
His bike, surprise is my sure strategy.
[Imperial Scout 4 shoots at Leia.
Alas! My bike is hit, and off I fall!
[Leia falls to the ground, unconscious. Imperial Scout 4 looks behind him to make sure she has fallen.
Scout 4
Ha! There’s a rebel scum who shall no more
Make trouble for our mighty Empire. We
Are e’er the strongest in the galaxy,
With pilots such as I whose skill is—O!—
[Imperial Scout 4 collides with a tree and dies.
Luke
This latest scout is skill’d beyond the rest—
I may not best him in a battle thus.
Yet by another method I shall win,
For why rely on bikes and blasters when
I have the Force, and my lightsaber, too?
[Luke leaps from his bike.
Now to it, scout! Return and meet thy fate!
He comes a’blasting, but my lightsaber
Deflects the shots, and now I slice his bike!
Aye, broke in twain his bike doth falter fast,
And now against a tree he meets his end!
