William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return

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.

Wedge

—I get no reading, Sir.
Canst thou be sure?

Lando

—Pull up, good men, pull up!

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

Ackbar

Prepare to take evasive action! Heed
My words, ye pilots all. Green Team, hear now:
Stay close to sector MV-7 on
The map.

Control.

—Good admiral, approaching ships!
It is the enemy.

Ackbar

—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!

EnterIMPERIAL PILOTS. They begin to duel with the rebels.

Lando

The fighters come upon us!

Pilot 1

—Woe is me,
There are too many! O, what shall we do?

Lando

Accelerate to full attacking speed.
Be sure thou draw their fire far from the cruisers.

Wedge

I copy and obey, Gold Leader.

EnterLUKE SKYWALKER, DARTH VADER, andEMPEROR PALPATINEabove on balcony watching the battle as rebels andImperial pilots exeunt.

Emperor

—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?

Luke

[ 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.

Emperor

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.

Luke

Nay, thou shalt not condemn me to the dark.
My father’s tragic fate shall not be mine.

Emperor

’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.

Act V

Scene 1.

The forest moon of Endor.

EnterHAN SOLO, PRINCESS LEIA, CHEWBACCA, and severalREBELSguarded byIMPERIAL TROOPS, COMMANDERS, CONTROLLERS, and multiple AT-ST IMPERIAL WALKERS.

TROOPER 1