Show me, I bid thee, so that I may end
What thou, in all thy wisdom, didst begin.
[Exit Kylo Ren. Han, Maz, Rey, and Finn sit around a table. BB-8 stands on the floor nearby.
HAN
We seek safe passage for this little droid,
Which carrieth a map to Luke Skywalker.
MAZ
A map that leads to Skywalker himself?
Ha, ha! Thou findest thyself in the mire,
Where ever it doth seem thou landest, Han.
HAN
Maz, canst thou get the droid to Leia?
MAZ
—Nay.
Too long hast thou been fleeing from this fight.
Han, nyagi neko toya—go thou home!
HAN
My Leia doth not wish to see my face.
FINN
We travel’d far, just to entreat thy help.
REY
This fight of which thou speak’st—what dost thou mean?
MAZ
The only fight that we need ever know:
Against the dark side. Lo these many years
I’ve seen the many forms that evil takes:
The cruel, bloodthirsty Sith, the Empire rank,
And now the vile First Order in their place.
Like wolves who run in packs, with fur most black,
Or like a shroud pull’d over the deceas’d,
Or like the dark that comes in bleakest night,
They spread their shadows o’er the galaxy.
They must be fac’d and fought by each of us.
FINN
No fight ’gainst the First Order can be won.
Look ’round this shady place: for surety
Our faces have been recogniz’d by some.
Belike the swift First Order draweth near,
E’en as we speak in awe and fear of it.
[Maz adjusts her spectacles and looks more closely at Finn. She climbs on the table to get closer to him.
What is this folly? Solo, canst thou tell?
HAN
I know not, but I do not like its look—
It seems she looks on thee with special eyes.
MAZ
When one lives long enow, one doth observe
The selfsame eyes appearing in a host
Of people. I have seen thine eyes before:
The fearful eyes of one who wants to run,
The craven eyes of one who fears a fight,
The wounded eyes of one who hath seen evil,
The doubtful eyes of one who longs for truth.
FINN
Thou know’st me not, nor that from which I come,
What I experienc’d before this time.
Thou canst not know the ways of the First Order
As I do: they shall bring our swift defeat.
Forsooth, we all should run, not I alone.
[Maz returns to her seat.
MAZ
Look yonder, see the two a’sitting there?
They shall trade work for transportation to
The Outer Rim, where thou canst disappear.
REY
Finn?
FINN
—Rey, pray follow thou along with me.
REY
But what of BB-8? Our task still calls—
Thy base it is to which he must return.
BB-8
Flew roilzoon flliblic bleezooz blisblik blee
Roohzoom flit bleerooq flirzilf flig blayblee.
FINN
I cannot—fear too much doth lead my course.
[Finn hands his blaster back to Han.
HAN
’Tis thine, lad—thou may yet have need of it.
[Finn moves to another table and sits with Captain Ithano and Quiggold. Rey follows him, and BB-8 follows her.
MAZ
[to Han:] Who is the girl, and whence comes she? Dost know?
[Exeunt Han and Maz in conversation. Exeunt Bazine, Grummgar, GA-97, and other aliens.
QUIGGOLD
[to Finn:] Dah igga ga.
ITHANO
—Ni ante ante, beh.
FINN
Good sirs, it rumor’d is that you fine folk
Can take me swiftly to the Outer Rim.
REY
[approaching:] What art thou doing?
FINN
[to Ithano and Quiggold:] —Pray, fly not sans me.
[Finn steps aside with Rey.
REY
I bid thee, look around: thou canst not leave.
I shall not let thee so abandon me.
FINN
Forsooth, I’m not the man thou think’st I am.
REY
What dost thou mean?
FINN
—Foh, I am not Resistance!
No hero I upon a fearless task,
No bold adventurer on fate-fill’d quest,
No frank and gallant man with noble aim,
No clever soldier, fast of wit and shrewd.
I am—or was—a rank stormtrooper first.
Like ev’ry trooper, I was taken from
A family whom I shall never know
And rais’d but for one thing alone: to kill.
Then on Jakku, I my first battle fac’d
And made a choice: I would not fight for them,
Not slaughter, not destroy, not feed their hate.
Then did I run and found thee at the end.
Thou look’dst on me as no one had before.
Fill’d was I with the shame of th’man I was,
Yet ne’er shall I return, not even if
I live forever. With the rank First Order
I have progress’d from Finn to finishèd.
Now, face-to-face, I beg, Rey: come with me.
REY
I beg thee in return, Finn: do not leave.
FINN
It cannot be; fear doth o’erwhelm desire.
I prithee, Rey, take care of thy kind self.
[Exeunt Finn, Captain Ithano, and Quiggold.
REY
O, misery, abandon’d yet again—
Resounding grief within my very core!
My lot, belike, is ne’er to know a bond
As strong as that Fate doth to others bring.
Yet set aside these thoughts—what is that noise?
Hear I some child who cries somewhere below.
Am I imagining? I shall descend,
Perchance to find the child and ease my mind.
Climb down these steps, with BB-8 behind.
Herein I see no child, yet hear the call.
It seems to come from deep within this chest,
Left here in this dark room—but can it be?
Do voices speak within insensate things?
Ope I the lid and see what is inside.
Feast, eyes—a lightsaber! Hold it I must!
Lo, strange and forceful visions do befall:
Electric lights within a chamber vast,
I fall as it beginneth to collapse!
A hooded man who reacheth to a droid—
Alas, behind me, people slain by foes,
Now, people dress’d in black, all menacing,
Dark emanates from one with wicked mask.
Here I, a child, beset by fear and want
E’en as the ones I love did fly away.
Releas’d from this, I hear a voice say “Rey.”
How now, convey’d unto a forest scene,
A red lightsaber meant to do me harm!
Ne’er let this be, O, let this vision cease!
REY is released from her vision, stumbling to the floor. Enter MAZ KANATA.
BB-8
Zoozflew blikrooh flig zzwablox flitrooq flib
Zoom bleeblis zilfflir blee flitroil fligroil?
REY
What happen’d? I should not have gone therein.
I dreamt a dream inside.
MAZ
—And so did I.
REY
&nbs
p; Well, what was thine?
MAZ
—That dreamers often lie.
REY
Upon the ground while they do dream things true.
MAZ
O, then I see keen Maz hath been with you.
She is the vision giver, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate stone
On the forefinger of a Jedi Knight.
The lightsaber that thou didst touch was Luke’s,
And ere ’twas his, it was his father’s, too—
Now doth it call to thee, thy heart, thy soul.
REY
I must return unto Jakku anon.
MAZ
Han told me all. O, child, I see thine eyes—
Already thou dost know the truth entire:
They on whom thou dost wait, there on Jakku,
Shall ne’er return. Yet someone else still may.
REY
Thou meanest Luke.
MAZ
—The deep belonging thou
Dost seek is not behind thee, but before.
I am no Jedi, yet I know the Force.
It moveth through each thing and doth surround
Each one of us. Pray close thine eyes and feel’t.
The light hath been there e’er—guide thee it shall.
The lightsaber—take it, and let it lead.
REY
Nay, this is not the future I do seek,
Nor is’t the course on which I set my steps.
That lightsaber I would not touch once more;
A part within this scene I look’d not for.
[Exit Rey, running away. Exeunt Maz and BB-8.
* * *
*9 Editor’s translation: Who taught thee how to mend an arm—a rancor?
*10 Editor’s translation: Depart, thou orange tin—else face my wrath!
*11 Editor’s translation: Afeard I am mine age begins to show,
I was not fast enow in this last scuffle—
This Wookiee’s body moveth far too slow.
*12 Editor’s translation: I should attend unto the Falcon’s call.
SCENE 2.
At Starkiller Base.
Enter GENERAL HUX addressing companies of STORMTROOPERS.
HUX
This is the weak Republic’s final hour,
The end of those who foster such unrest.
They shall observe the strong First Order’s pow’r!
E’en now, far hence, th’Republic false and dour
Doth lie unto a galaxy oppress’d.
This is the weak Republic’s final hour!
Supporting the Resistance, they devour
All chance for peace, which else might manifest.
They shall observe the strong First Order’s pow’r!
This fierce machine you built shall make them cow’r,
And bring an end unto the Senate pest—
This is the weak Republic’s final hour!
Th’Republic’s fleet, once a colossal tow’r,
Shall crumble like an old bird’s feeble nest—
They shall observe the strong First Order’s pow’r!
At our vast might and boldness all shall glow’r,
Then bow—our eminence at last confess’d.
This is the weak Republic’s final hour—
They shall observe the strong First Order’s pow’r!
[All salute General Hux.
TROOPER
All is prepar’d to bring destruction dire.
HUX
Then let it be! I bid thee, sirrah, fire!
Starkiller Base fires at a distant planetary system. Enter CHORUS.
CHORUS
I bid ye, look away or be undone,
As this Starkiller weapon takes its aim.
For with the vim and vigor of a sun,
Not one, but many planets doth it maim.
Full millions, billions meet a sudden end,
Bereft of hope, of love, of life, of all,
Ne’er more to know the laughter of a friend,
Ne’er more to hear a tender lover’s call,
Ne’er more to see the growing of a child,
Ne’er more to sing life’s joyful melody.
This lunacy of the First Order wild
Doth shake, at once, the whole sad galaxy.
[Exeunt.
SCENE 3.
On the planet Takodana.
Enter HAN SOLO and CHEWBACCA, looking to the skies. Enter FINN severally, running to them.
FINN
I near had left, had flown fore’er away,
Until I saw this fire light up the sky.
O, shocking day! The vile First Order hath
Fulfill’d its vengeance on the galaxy.
But soft, whilst we look heav’nward, where is Rey?
[Exeunt.
Enter REY, aside.
REY
Confus’d by visions I did not desire,
My heart hath turn’d to something less robust—
The blood all turn’d water—and in fear
I ran, and do run still, and e’er may run.
Enter BB-8, pursuing REY.
BB-8
Flig flewblay roohblik flliblis flitroil rooh
Zoomblee rooqflir flib zoonblip blooblix flew?
REY
Say, wherefore hast thou hither follow’d me?
BB-8
Flig zzwazoom rooh, bloxflew zilfrooh zooz blay?
REY
I must depart and fly back to Jakku.
Sweet BB-8, thou art far more important
Than know’st thou. Go, thy mission to fulfill.
[A sound is heard in the sky. Rey looks up.
Alas, a sound of ships and there—above
The trees and drawing nearer—horrid ships
Mark the First Order’s entrance on the scene.
[Exeunt.
Enter HAN SOLO, CHEWBACCA, and FINN led by MAZ KANATA.
She shows them the lightsaber.
MAZ
This Rey did see and run; I did acquire
It many moons ago and kept it safe.
HAN
Luke’s lightsaber! Where camest thou by it?
MAZ
A worthy question, ask’d another time,
Yet now we cannot stop for myths and tales.
Take it and find thy friend, I bid thee, Han.
[A blast rocks Maz’s castle.
The beasts—they come and shall not be deterr’d.
[Exeunt.
Enter REY and BB-8, aside.
REY
The battle is upon us, and I’ll not
Sit idly by—come blaster, gift of Han,
And bring the fire that else they’d send on me!
Alack, the wretched safety is engag’d—
Han was, belike, correct to question me
And my ability to fire the weapon.
Enter two STORMTROOPERS, firing at REY.
Feel ye my fire—Rey shall not die today!
[Rey fires at the stormtroopers, hitting one.
Enter a legion of STORMTROOPERS severally.
Enter KYLO REN near them, descending from his shuttle.
TROOPER
My liege, the droid was witness’d trav’ling west—
His sole companion was a lowly girl.
KYLO
A girl—those words have prick’d mine ears before!
[Exit Kylo Ren, looking for Rey.
REY
[to BB-8:] Thou shalt press on and keep thyself well hid.
I’ll give thee cover—thou must make escape!
BB-8
Zooz flliblay roohblox bloo flewblip blav blee
Blav fllibluu roil flirroil rooqblis zoomblee
Blikblee reej flitzilf roohzood bleeblic blee
Flib zzwazooz flig blayzzwa blox flliflew zoon.
REY
I hope so, too, kind BB-8. Now, go!
[Exeunt
Rey and BB-8 severally.
Enter HAN SOLO, MAZ KANATA, CHEWBACCA, and FINN, emerging from the castle. Chaos reigns.
HAN
The battle’s on, as in the days of yore.
Stormtroopers never were a welcome sight,
And still I find them loathsome, by my troth.
My skill withal a blaster in my hand
Remaineth, though my body hath grown old.
Behold how they like sitting marks do fall—
Without e’en looking may I bring them down.
I would not boast were I not so endow’d.
Wish you to skirmish with Han Solo, eh?
Prepare, therefore, to speak your final words.
Come, Chewie, we must to the Falcon fly.
MAZ
[to Finn:] Keen Rey and BB-8—they need thee now.
Go find them, quickly. Bring them back alive.
FINN
For certain—yet a weapon do I need.
MAZ
The lightsaber thou holdest in thy hand:
Thou hast a weapon—use it faithfully.
[Finn activates Luke’s lightsaber. Exit Maz.
FINN
I feel the strength within this pulsing light,
And Finn is now equipp’d to join the fight!
HAN
[to Chewbacca:] Can I try out thy crossbow blaster?
CHEWBAC.
—Egh.*13
[Han shoots Chewbacca’s blaster.
HAN
A worthy weapon, powerful and true!
Enter FN-2199, a powerful stormtrooper, holding a Z6 baton. He bears down on FINN.
FN-2199