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He and the Senate and, my dear, e’en thee

Are all that matter in the world entire.

PADMÉ

Yet what of Obi-Wan, thy teacher he?

VADER

I know not how he fares within this mire.

Full many Jedi have been kill’d this day,

Thus do I hope he pins his fealty

Upon the chancellor, his strength and stay.

PADMÉ

Thy words infuse me with anxiety—

Aye, Anakin, thy Padmé is afeard.

VADER

Serve our high chancellor, love me, and mend.

These hindrances to love shall soon be clear’d.

The chancellor thine Anakin doth send

Upon a mission of importance great:

The Sep’ratists are gone to Mustafar,

I thither shall go forth to rewrite fate

And end the war that doth our quiet mar.

I prithee, wait for me till I return.

All shall be well, this is my solemn vow.

O, how mine heart within my breast doth burn—

I’d not leave thee, and yet I must, e’en now.

[They kiss. Vader climbs into the ship, as R2-D2 boards.

R2-D2

Meep, beep!

C-3PO

—The man doth have too much distress.

R2-D2

Beep, meep, squeak, whistle, beep!

C-3PO

—Farewell, small friend.

[Exeunt Vader and R2-D2 in ship.

My lady, is there aught that I may do?

Whate’er assistance I may grant is yours.

PADMÉ

I thank thee, kind C-3PO, but nay;

In bottomless confusion I am lost.

[Exit Padmé.

C-3PO

What is a droid who hath no help to give?

What matters etiquette when none receive?

Yea, wherefore practice protocol for th’air?

A helpless droid’s a hapless droid indeed.

I live to serve, yet cannot conquer grief,

I long to brief relief, yet cannot comfort.

O, Fate, look on this wretched Threepio

Whose utter helplessness doth work him woe.

[Exit C-3PO.

SCENE 6.

Aboard the Alderaan starcruiser, and on the planet Mustafar.

Enter
Y
ODA,
O
BI
-W
AN
K
ENOBI
,
and
B
AIL
O
RGANA
above, on balcony.

OBI-WAN

How many other Jedi have surviv’d?

E’en as the question doth escape my lips,

I am afeard the answer to receive.

YODA

Well may you tremble,

For none of the Jedi Knights

A word have sent us.

BAIL

With mine own eyes I witness’d the assault:

A thousand troops or more who made attack

Upon the Jedi temple. ’Twas most dire,

And thereupon I search’d out Master Yoda.

OBI-WAN

And hath there been an ounce of contact thence?

YODA

A coded message

Urging our speedy retreat

We did receive, aye.

BAIL

The message urges all to make return

Unto the temple, saying th’war is o’er.

OBI-WAN

Then surely we must thither make return.

If any Jedi do remain, they shall

Receive this false word, fall into the trap.

Their fate shall knit be like the rest: to die.

YODA

Dismantle th’message,

This is the path you propose?

Dangerous it is.

OBI-WAN

Indeed, my Master. ’Tis of import vast:

What other course could we, their comrades, take?

YODA

With you I agree,

And more knowledge shall, perforce,

Light our future steps.

Enter
PILOT
.

PILOT

A message cometh from the office of

The chancellor, good sir.

BAIL

—I’d have it heard.

PILOT

Indeed.

Enter
M
AS
A
MEDDA
on screen.

MAS

—Bold Senator Organa, hear:

The chancellor supreme your presence doth

Request immediately, as our Congress

Doth meet in special session. Will you come?

BAIL

I shall not fail.

MAS

—He shall expect you, then.

[Exit Mas from screen. Exit pilot.

BAIL

Think ye this is some trap that’s set to spring?

OBI-WAN

Nay, Senator—the chancellor shall not

Control the systems in their thousands sans

The Senate and their influence expansive.

YODA

If there is to be

A special session, wherein

The Congress shall meet,

Simpler shall it be

The Jedi temple to breach:

This to our good works.

[Exeunt Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Bail.

Enter
D
ARTH
V
ADER
.

VADER

I have arriv’d on Mustafar at last,

The bidding of Darth Sidious to do.

R2 is left behind, the ship to watch,

Whilst I walk forth to find the Sep’ratists.

What is this horrid place of warmth and dark?

Volcanoes spurting magma by the barrels,

Which doth run down in rivulets and streams

Upon the planet’s surface. Orange, gray,

And black are all colors of this place,

As though the rainbow’s other hues were banish’d.

The lava doth create a scene intense,

A’scorching the severe ground o’er and o’er.

I sense an awful burning in this place,

As though ’twere made to blister mine own soul

And scald the very core of mine intent.

Yea, somehow I am chill’d by this land’s heat.

I shall fulfill my Master’s task anon,

Then make escape from this most dreadful place.

Here come the Sep’ratists; I’ll hide me here.

[Vader hides.

Enter
R2-D2
above, on balcony.

R2-D2

My thoughts do wonder wherefore I was left

To watch the ship whilst Master Anakin

Doth wander on, within this planet bleak.

My Master kind doth not seem like himself—

No expert am I in the human mind,

Yet e’en my droid’s eye senseth something wrong.

What can I do but here remain as told?

My fear doth keep me here, in frozen state,

Although the wind howls like a storm inside.

O, let it go—fear not, but be at ease:

The heat ne’er bother’d R2 anyway.

[Exit R2-D2.

Enter
N
UTE
G
UNRAY
, W
AT
T
AMBOR
, S
HU
M
AI
, S
AN
H
ILL
, P
OGGLE THE
L
ESSER
,
other
MEMBERS OF THE
C
OUNCIL OF
S
EPARATISTS
,
and several
BATTLE DROIDS
and
M
AGNA
G
UARDS
.
Enter
D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS
in beam
.

NUTE

The plan proceeds as you design’d, my lord.

SIDIOUS

Thou hast done well, good Viceroy, in this matter.

When mine apprentice, Lord Darth Vader, comes,

He shall take care of ye, as fits a Sith.

[Exit Sidious from beam as Vader reveals himself.

NUTE

Lord Vader, welcome! You have entrance made

E’en as Darth Sidious hath promis’d it.

VADER

You shall have more than promis’d, Viceroy. Ha!

[Vader uses the Force to close the blast doors and begins killing the Separatists and destroying battle droids.