William Shakespeare's The Phantom Menace (13 page)

—I'm very ill.

And how do you?

—Ahh, very ill, too, lad.

I find the depths of space turn my blood cold,

The blood that knows the heat of Tatooine.

[Padmé wraps a blanket around Anakin
.

Forsooth, thou comest from a planet warm,

Belike too warm for mine own temp'rate taste.

In truth, space is a cold and empty place.

And you: why doth my lady say she's ill?

Your visage could recite a thousand woes.

The queen is worried; her concern is mine.

The people of Naboo face pain and death.

The queen must make the Senate understand

That they must rise anon and intervene

To stop the cruel invasion, else all's lost.

The outcome is beyond what I can see.

[Anakin removes a pendant from his pouch
.

I fashion'd this small trinket for you, miss,

That you might oft remember Anakin.

'Tis carvèd from a snippet of japor—

Perchance it shall bring fortune to your path.

'Tis passing beautiful, kind Anakin.

Yet need I not a trinket to recall

The brave and solemn boy before me here.

Ne'er shall your memory be far from me,

Whether I am adorn'd with this or no.

Pray understand that many things must change

When safely we arrive at Coruscant;

What shall not change is how I care for thee.

My heart doth hold you in its care as well,

Though even this reeks of duplicity,

For how can one heart hold the care for two?

Thou dost yearn for thy mother kind, I know.

'Tis meet and right to do so, Anakin.

[Exit Padmé
.

Then wherefore doth it make my spirit burn?

Enter
R
IC
O
LIÉ
.

Attend, lad, we soon land on Coruscant!

Behold its lights and iridescent glow—

The planet whole is but one city vast,

Which giveth light at all times, day or night.

Below, 'tis Chancellor Valorum's craft,

And there, upon the landing dock, doth wait

Sir Palpatine, an honorable man.

Enter
Q
UI
-G
ON
J
INN
, O
BI
-W
AN
K
ENOBI
, S
ABÉ
dressed as Queen Amidala
, P
ADMÉ
, J
AR
J
AR
B
INKS
, C
APTAIN
P
ANAKA
,
and, separately
, C
HANCELLOR
V
ALORUM
and
S
ENATOR
P
ALPATINE
.

With humble mien, we greet ye heartily.

[Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi bow to Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine
.

And you as well, ye noble Jedi Knights.

[
To Sabé:
] Your Majesty, 'tis gift to see you well.

I fear'd the worst, but you are here: alive.

The dire communications breakdown did

Upset us quite, and have us all concern'd.

I shall with eagerness hear your report

Of all that hath befallen since Naboo.

Straight may I introduce unto your grace

The Chancellor Supreme, Valorum, he.

VALORUM Your Highness, I do bid you hearty welcome:

It is a privilege to meet your person.

All thanks, respected Chancellor Supreme.

Your situation is full well distressing,

The Senate is most strain'd by all the rumors.

I've call'd a special meeting of the Senate,

Wherein we may your circumstance consider.

Most grateful am I for thy deep concern.

A question of procedure did arise,

Yet I am confident we'll overcome.

[
aside, to Valorum:
] Good Chancellor, I must anon address

The Jedi Council. All is not as 'twas,

The situation hath new obstacles.

[Exeunt Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Chancellor Valorum as the others move to Senator Palpatine's quarters
.

My queen, here is there no civility.

Aye, no civility: mere politics.

What once the strong Republic was it is

No longer: weak and feeble 'tis become.

The Senate's rife with babbling delegates,

E'er greedy for their taste of power's meat.

The common good's become a most rare dish,

Unsav'ry to their growing appetites.

I would not lie to you, Your Majesty,

There is but little chance the Senate shall

Move to suppress or censor this attack.

The chancellor, it seems, would disagree.

He spoke of hope it may yet be put right.

And yet, the chancellor hath little pow'r.

He e'er by accusations is beset,

All whispering corruption's damning name.

Full baseless, yea, but still he lacketh might—

'Tis bureaucrats who rule the Senate now.

I prithee, say: what options have we, then?

'Twould grant us greatest chance of Fate's esteem

If we could push t'elect a chancellor

Who could be stronger, verily supreme.

Belike a one as this could then control

The bureaucrats and rule for justice's sake.

If you put forth a vote: no confidence

In Chancellor Valorum, 'twould suffice.

Are you beyond all reason? He hath been

An ardent friend and patron of Naboo.

'Tis not the only course: we could, as well,

Submit a plea unto the courts of law.

Which would but take far longer even than

The Senate in its plodding, snail-like pace.

Our people groan and die, O, Senator:

The Federation must be quickly stopp'd.

If we bethink but realistically,

Your Majesty, it well may be our lot

To bear the Federation's cruel control—

Not for eternity, but for a time.

Not even for a second, Senator.

I never shall accept their unjust rule.

Were we to let it be, e'en for a trice,

Their vicious claws would sink far deeper in,

And ev'ry day that pass'd would render their

Control o'er our most happy, peaceful globe

More palatable for th'Republic to

Take in: a moment would become a time,

A time would quickly turn into an age,

And all would soon forget that e'er Naboo

Had once been rul'd by its own government.

Seek not to make me hide their vice from view,

For this is something that I cannot do.

[Exeunt
.

Whate'er it was that fought with me that day,

'Twas trainèd well in all the Jedi arts.

'Tis my conclusion, painful though it be,

That I did face a Sith on Tatooine.

Impossible. The evil Sith have been

Extinct well nigh a thousand years. 'Tis true?

It seemeth quite unlikely they could rise

Again, without the Jedi Council's knowledge.

Indeed, it is unthinkable to me.

Yet be we mindful

'Tis hard to see, the dark side,

Hard enough, forsooth.

Our ev'ry resource we'll to this employ,

So this dark menace to society

May swiftly be discover'd. By my troth,

I'll warrant we shall find th'assailant soon.

The Force be ever with thee, Qui-Gon Jinn.

[Obi-Wan turns to leave, but Qui-Gon hesitates
.

Good Master Qui-Gon,

More to say have you to us?

I bid you, speak it.

With your permission, Master, I report:

A vergence I've encounter'd in the Force.

A vergence, say you?

Divergent is your news, which

Converges on us.

Located 'round a person? 'Tis a fluke.

Nay, 'tis a boy: a boy whose cells have stores

Of midi-chlorians that do surpass

The number found in any life-form I

Did e'er encounter, or think possible.

Yea, 'tis a number higher than I did

Imagine could be found in anyone.

Perchance the boy was actu'lly conceiv'd

By midi-chlorians, strange though it seems.

You reference the prophecy that speaks

Of one who shall bring balance to the Force.

And you believe it is this fresh young boy?

'Tis not my will nor place to here presume—

But presume you do.

Reveal'd your opinion is.

'Tis plain enough, hmm?

I do but wish the boy to tested be.

Ahh, train'd as Jedi?

For him this is your request?

So certain are you?

It was the Force's will that we would meet.

'Twas not by chance we came unto his shop,

But we were thither brought to set him free,

That he, in turn, would bravely rescue us,

And we together should make journey here.

Bring him before us then, unto our sphere,

And we shall test him in the Council here.

[Qui-Gon bows as all exeunt
.

The boy doth seek to visit Padmé here.

Indeed, if 'tis permissible to do.

[Exit guard
.

Apologies, but Padmé is not here.

Enter
Q
UEEN
A
MIDALA
.

Who is't who comes?

—'Tis Anakin, who would

Hold one or two brief words with Padmé, Highness.

Upon an errand Padmé hath been sent.