William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return

EnterLUKE SKYWALKERandDARTH VADERon balcony.

I bid thee welcome, young Skywalker. Long
Have I awaited thee. Guards, leave us now.

[Exeunt royal guards.

I do look forward to the moment when
Thy training shall completed be. In time
Thou shalt bow low and call me Master.

Luke

—There
Thou art mistaken gravely, for I am
Not thine to be converted as thou in
The past did turn my father.

Emperor

—Nay, my young
Apprentice. Thou shalt find ’tis thou who art
Mistaken vis-à-vis so many things.

[Darth Vader hands Luke’s lightsaber to the Emperor.

Vader

His lightsaber I give to thee.

Emperor

—Indeed.
The weapon of a Jedi Knight, much like
Thy father. Surely, boy, thou knowest well
That never shall thy father turnèd be
Away from dark toward the good; so shall
It be for thee.

Luke

—O, thou art wrong. Anon
I shall be dead, and thou with me.

Emperor

—Ha, ha!
Belike thou speakest of the imminent
Attack that hath been plannèd by the fleet
Of rebel ships?

Luke

[ aside:

] —Alas! How can he know?

Emperor

Aye, let me reassure thee we are safe
Here from the foolish undertaking of
Thy wretched friends.

Luke

—Thine overconfidence
Is thy great weakness.

Emperor

—And thy faith in thy
Base friends is thine.

Vader

—’Tis pointless to resist,
My son. Thou shalt be turn’d unto the dark,
And then we three shall rule the galaxy.

Emperor

Dost thou not see? All that hath happen’d doth
Proceed according to my grand design.
Thy friends upon the sanctuary moon
Now walk into a trap that I shall spring.
Thy rebel fleet as well: the snare is set
To catch the pests and crush them ’twixt my fingers.
Hast thou yet understood? ’Twas I who did
Allow thy bold Alliance to find out
The site of the shield generator; it
Is wholly safe from thy band pitiful.
I let thy spies believe they had reveal’d
A secret great about this station, yet
’Twas I who leak’d intelligence to them,
So all the pieces would be perfectly
Arrang’d to strike rebellion down at last.
A legion of my finest troops awaits
Their piteous attack. But O, fear not,
For fully operational the shield
Shall be when thy misguided friends arrive.
With skill the players all are put in place,
Much bloodshed and destruction shall they face.

[Exeunt.

Scene 3.

Space / Inside the second Death Star.

EnterCHORUS.

Chorus

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.