William Shakespeare's The Phantom Menace (2 page)

Is it their nature, so to make us wait?

Nay, truly I do sense a fear too grand

For such a wee affair as trade disputes.

Enter
TC-14,
with serving tray
.

[
aside:
] I serve the drinks these Jedi to appease

And in so doing serve my masters' will.

We droids are here to serve: 'tis protocol,

Yet here my service lacketh etiquette,

For it doth serve these Jedi to deceive.

[TC-14 serves drinks to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan
.

Enter
D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS
in beam on balcony, speaking with
N
UTE
G
UNRAY
and
D
AULTAY
D
OFINE
.

What is't?

—The scheme that you have schem'd hath fail'd,

Lord Sidious. Our ruse—e'en this blockade—

Is finish'd, for would we dare fight against

The Jedi? Nay! It would be foolishness.

[
to Nute Gunray:
] Hear me now, Viceroy: I'll not have this filth,

This stunted slime of rank and worthless nerve,

This craven, simple-minded lump of flesh

Within my presence e'er again. Put not

Such weak examples of resolve and will

Before a mighty Sith.

[Exit Daultay Dofine
.

This recent twist

Of Fate's blind spinning wheel hath luckless been.

We must, therefore, accelerate our plans:

Begin to send the troops unto Naboo.

My lord, your words astound! For shall the law

Be with us in this action we shall take?

I tell thee, I am arbiter and law:

It shall be legal if I make it so.

What shall be done with these two Jedi, then?

'Twas ill-conceivèd of the chancellor

To bring the Jedi into this affair.

Hear my command and follow: kill them both!

Indeed, my lord: as you wish, it shall be.

[Exit Darth Sidious from beam
.

Exit Nute Gunray
.

Enter
PILOT
and
CAPTAIN
,
aside in Republic ship
.

Alas, good captain, look upon the guns—

They turn in our direction. We are slain!

Raise shields, my man, to grant us some defense.

Too late, too late!

[The Trade Federation guns fire on the Republic ship, killing Pilot and Captain. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan brandish their lightsabers
.

—What villainy is this?

My senses tell of some abrupt attack.

I sense it, too, my master. I believe

Our comrades have been kill'd whilst they did wait.

[Gas begins to seep into the room
.

And what is more, now comes a vapor rank!

Dioxin—poison'd gas. Pray, hold thy breath!

[The Jedi hold their breath
.

Enter
BATTLE DROIDS
including
OWO-1,
standing at attention outside door. Enter
N
UTE
G
UNRAY
in beam.

[
to battle droids:
] For certain they are dead by now—since these

Two Jedi are not politicians, they

Are not with hot air fill'd, and thus have not

The stores of breath essential to survive.

Still: go, destroy what remnant may remain.

[Exit Nute Gunray from beam. The door opens
.

TC-14 passes through the doorway and sees the battle droids
.

I beg your pardon, droids of mettle made.

Go forth, investigate, good corporal.

Forsooth, forsooth!

[The Jedi come forth suddenly, fighting
.

Enter
N
UTE
G
UNRAY
, R
UNE
H
AAKO
,
and
T
EY
H
OW
aside on bridge
.

—Fight for our masters true!

What now—the monitors have been destroy'd?

What circumstance unhappy doth befall?

Transmission hath been wholly lost, my liege!

[
to Nute:
] Hast thou e'er had a clash with Jedi Knights?

Nay, truly not till now. Thy warning doth

Give me some pause. [
To Tey:
] Seal off the bridge entire!

Indeed!

—Dost thou not see? 'Tis not enough.

And call a host of droidekas anon!

Yet thou art deaf, and in thy panic shalt

Not listen to the truth: we'll not survive.

[The bridge doors are sealed as the Jedi continue to fight and advance
.

The battle droids are worthless when fac'd by

The power of the Force. All are o'erthrown!

Indeed, now may my lightsaber be to

This door the key, that we may entrance make.

[Qui-Gon uses his lightsaber to bore through the bridge door
.

Behold, they come! Swift, close the blast doors. Aye,

For certain that shall keep the two at bay

Until the fearsome droidekas appear.

The lightsaber cuts not as't did before—

Belike another door hath seal'd the way.

Well play'd, shrewd sirs, and yet not well enough:

Observe the power of a burning sun,

This mystic beam I wield here in my hand.

[Qui-Gon pushes his lightsaber directly through the center of the door
.

They still make headway—how is't possible?

Where are the droidekas thou summon'd forth?

Enter
DROIDEKAS
.

My master, look—destroyer droids approach!

[Qui-Gon pulls his lightsaber from the door to face the droidekas, which begin shooting at the Jedi
.

They generate their own strong shields, too. Fie!

We parry ev'ry blast; they'll not break through.

But neither are we close enough to strike

And their strong shields do block what we reflect.

'Tis but an errant game that none can win.

So let us fly and find another way.

[Exeunt Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan
.

The droidekas have sent them fleeing, ha!

Sir, I report: the Jedi speedily

Retreat unto the ventilation shaft.

[Exeunt Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, and Tey How
.

Enter
Q
UI
-G
ON
J
INN
and O
BI
-W
AN
K
ENOBI
to the main hangar above, on balcony
.

Do you behold this here, young Obi-Wan?

'Tis battle droids—and hundreds, mayhap more.

Indeed, an army for invasion made.

This is a strategy most strange for the

Trade Federation. By my troth, this strange

And unexpected twist doth warrant care.

We must inform the innocent Naboo

And Chancellor Valorum, too. Hear this,

My young apprentice: let us split our paths

And use these ships as transport to Naboo

Where, on the planet's surface, we shall meet.

Aye, Master, I shall do as you command,

And rendezvous with you upon Naboo.

What's more—your foresight wise they could not thwart:

Negotiations were, indeed, quite short.

[Exeunt
.

A person young is thought to have no pow'r,

E'en when she is a queen, as like myself.

Those older do surround, e'er pressing in

And questioning each word that I do speak.

One thinks I shall a poor decision make,

Another thinks himself more competent.

The best of them do bow and show respect

And treat me with the def'rence due my throne,

Yet even their eyes speak of disbelief—

Their courtesy becomes a stifling thing.

A youth is no more frail than older folk,

No less intelligent, no less sublime.

Our steps are newer, yet we are no jewel

To be protected and encas'd by them.

We know of violence and life's harsh ways,

Our tears descend in grief as their tears do.

We are not made of softer stuff than they,

The moods we feel oft run irate and rough.

We have no thoughts less noble than our elders'—

In truth, compassion may we ably teach.

Then why is't thought that youth are so beneath

Those older than we are, of any rank?

'Tis foolishness, yea, 'tis foul treachery!

If e'er these older ones could look within

And plumb the depths of youth, what wonders would

Before their eyes appear: the courage, strength

And valor it requires to be a youth:

The daily struggle to survive amid

The thousand constant doubts we do receive

From ev'ry person, e'en those who are dear,

The ever-present skirmishes with those

Of our own age, who should support and praise

Us, bound within the sacred bond of youth,

But who, instead, do injure with harsh words.

To be a youth within a world run by

An older generation taketh strength—

Yea, that beyond a hundred elders' might.

To be both youth and leader truly is

To be a target ever in their sights.

I would not trade my station for the world,

Nor would I wish it on mine enemy.

Although the path is fraught, this is our cause:

We youth shall mold the future we desire.

[Queen Amidala presses a comlink switch
.

Enter
N
UTE
G
UNRAY
, R
UNE
H
AAKO
,
and
T
EY
H
OW
,
above on balcony in Trade Federation battleship
.

Transmission from the planet of Naboo.

It is Queen Amidala—aye, herself.

At last, we shall begin to see results,

For speaking to the head shall move the body.

[
To Amidala:
] Again, you come before us, highness grand.