Luke
[ aside:] This man is pure incarnate evil. Shall
He goad me past the point of no return?
But what else can I do? Shall I remain
And weakly watch the death of all I love?
Nay, I cannot—for I would rather die
Than live and know I did not fight for them.
I must have courage now, and come what may!
[Luke reaches out toward his lightsaber with the Force, drawing it into his hand. He tries to strike the Emperor but is stopped by Darth Vader’s lightsaber.
Emperor
Ha, ha! Thy transformation hath begun!
Your steps draw ever closer unto me.
[Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader duel.
Luke
[ aside:] Now shall I fight, if fight I must to save
My friends so dear.
Vader
[ aside:] —He is far stronger and
More subtly skill’d than when we last did meet.
[Luke Skywalker kicks Darth Vader off the balcony. Darth Vader stands up below, ready.
Emperor
’Tis well, apprentice—thine aggressiveness
Shall serve thee well. Let all thy hatred flow
Within thee.
[Luke Skywalker turns off his lightsaber.
Vader
—Obi-Wan hath taught thee well.
Luke
I shall not fight thee, Father.
[Darth Vader climbs the balcony and strikes at Luke Skywalker.
Vader
—Unwise art
Thou so to lower thy defenses, boy!
[They continue to duel. Luke Skywalker jumps away from Darth Vader.
[ Aside:] His nimbleness astounds me. Almost do
I wish I did not serve another’s will.
Imagine what we two could do, were I
Not subject to another’s ev’ry whim.
Luke
Thy thoughts betray thee, Father. I can feel
The good within thee, and the conflict, too.
Vader
There is no conflict.
Luke
—Aye, thou couldst not bring
Thyself to kill me earlier and I
Believe thou shalt not hurt me, even now.
Vader
Thou verily dost underestimate
The power of the dark side. If thou wilt
Not fight, then thou shalt meet thy destiny.
[Darth Vader throws his lightsaber toward Luke Skywalker, which hits the balcony where Luke stands. Luke falls and hides.
Emperor
Ha ha, ’tis well! Now, Vader: finish it.
Vader
[ aside:] What words shall I employ to find a son,
To drive him so to hatred that he shall
Attempt to strike me down, and then be turn’d
Unto the dark side? O, is this not strange?
Were e’er there words to such a purpose put?
[ To Luke:] Thou canst not hide forever, Luke.
Luke
—I shall
Not fight thee.
Vader
—Give thyself unto the dark
Side. ’Tis the only way to help thy friends.
[ Aside:] O what is this I sense within him now?
Another secret kept conceal’d from me?
Shall I e’er be the last to know my past?
[ To Luke:] Indeed, thy thoughts betray thee, for thou hast
Strong feelings for thy friends, especially
For one thou dost call sister. Aye, thou hast
A sister, and a twin. Thy feelings have
Betray’d her too. ’Twas wise of Obi-Wan
To try to hide the girl from me, but now
His vast and utter failure is complete.
Luke
[ aside:] O Leia, how my thoughts have giv’n thee o’er!
Fie, cursèd be my weak and changing mind
That e’er I did let Vader see its thoughts.
I wish’d that he would but as father see
His daughter there, and by her presence might
Be mov’d toward a better, nobler path.
But now I know he doth but wish to taunt
And draw me out by his discovery.
O Leia, ever since I first did see
Thee in the beam from R2’s light I knew
We shar’d a deep connection. Now have I
Been partner to her cause through many times
Of hardship: battles won and lost, the joys
That come from victory, and all the griefs
That flow when friends have perish’d. With regard
To this both noble and fair princess, I
Have gone from hope of romance to a far
More deep and greater form of love. I fain
Would give my life for her. But O! That I
Should here betray her so, e’en with my weak
And simple-minded thoughts—what folly! Nay,
Far more: what horrid, selfish knavery!
But how shall he, my father, use this knowledge?
Will he attempt to capture her again
And lock her in this Death Star as he hath
Before? Or shall he seek to kill her now,
Since he doth know she may a threat become?
Vader
Belike, boy, thou dost wonder how her fate
Shall alter’d be, since I do know of her.
Thus pay good heed to this I do declare:
If thou shalt not toward the dark side turn,
Mayhap she will.
Luke
[ aside:] —O thought more evil than
Whate’er I did or could imagine. [ Revealing himself:] Nay!
[Luke Skywalker fights Darth Vader passionately.
For Leia shall I strike thee down, thou brute!
For Han and all my friends I do attack!
For Ben, whom thou didst slaughter sans remorse,
For all thou hast destroy’d, I vengeance bring!
[Luke Skywalker strikes Darth Vader and cuts off his hand.
Vader
Ah!
Emperor
—Good, my young apprentice. Thy strong hate
Hath made thee powerful, indeed. Fulfill
Thy destiny, and take thy father’s place
Beside me. Strike him down, and rule with me!
[Luke Skywalker looks at the stump of Darth Vader’s hand, and at his own gloved hand.
Luke
[ aside:] My father’s hand, of wires and circuits made,
I have in fury sever’d quite. And here,
My hand, of wires and circuits also made,
For in another duel, another place,
He hath the living one dismemberèd.
’Tis plain to me what is transpiring here:
I do become like him. Torn up by hate,
More like machine than man with ev’ry scar,
Fulfilling the foul Emperor’s base will.
Shall this obsess’d, derang’d, and wicked man
Lead yet another Skywalker unto
A path of dark and evil? Shall it be
That I become the thing that I despise?
Protect me, Jedi ancestors, from such
A mangl’d Fate, so hopeless, grim and bleak.
[ To Emperor:] I never shall be turn’d unto the dark.
Thy plan hath fail’d, thy Highness; I am Luke
Skywalker, Jedi Knight, just like my brave
And noble father.