[Back to Scene 8]
[Scene: Hilltop.
Palpatine and Soldiers stop their speeder bikes.]
Palpatine: He disappeared. He must have
seen us closing in. It might account for his panicking into error. Unless I
am wrong, and I am never wrong, they are headed dead into the fire swamp.
[Scene: A Gully. The Sith Lord lost his mask on the roll down.]
Anakin: Can you move at
all?
Amidala: Move? You're alive! If you want I can fly.
Anakin: I told you
I would always come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?
Amidala: Well, you
were dead.
Anakin: Death cannot stop True Love. All it can do is delay it for
a while.
Amidala: I will never doubt again.
Anakin: [quietly] There will never be a need. [they kiss]
[Scene: Luke's bedroom] Luke: Aw, no. No, please.
Ben
Kenobi: What is it? What's the matter?
Luke: They're kissing again. Do we have
to hear the kissing part?
Ben Kenobi: Someday, you may not mind so much.
Luke: Skip on to the fire swamp. That sounded good.
Ben Kenobi: Oh. You're sick, I'll
humor you. So now...where were we? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh...okay. "Anakin
and Amidala raced along the ravine floor."
[Scene: Ravine floor. Ahead looms the dark of the Fire Swamp]
Anakin: Ha! Your pig fiance is too late. A few more
steps and we'll be safe in the fire swamp.
Amidala: We'll never survive.
Anakin:
Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has.
[Scene: Inside the
Fire Swamp]
Anakin: It's not that bad. [pause] Well, I'm not saying I'd like
to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely. [As they
walk, their is a series of thumping sounds approaching Amidala. A Flame Spout
appears beside her]
Amidala: [ screams ]
Anakin: Well now, that was an adventure. Singed a bit, were you?
Amidala: [shakes head] You?
Anakin: [shakes head] Well, one thing I will say. The fire swamp certainly
does keep you on your toes. This will all soon be but a happy memory. ---Vader's
Star Destroyer Revenge and I came at the far end. And I, as you know, am the
Sith Lord.
Amidala: But how is that possible, since he's been maurauding
twenty years, and you only left me five years ago?
Anakin: I myself am often
surprised at life's little quirks. See, what I told you before about saying
"please" was true. It intrigued the Sith Lord, as did my descriptions of your
beauty. Finally, the Sith Lord decided something. He said, "All right Anakin,
I've never had an Apprentice, you can try if you'd like. I'll most likely kill
you in the morning." Three years he said that. "Good night, Padawan. Good work.
Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It was a fine time for
me. I was learning to fence, fight, use the dark side of the Force, anything
anyone would teach me. And the Sith Lord and I eventually became friends. And
then it happened.
Amidala: What? Go on.
Anakin: Well, the Sith Lord had grown
so rich, he wanted to retire. So he took me to his cabin, and told me his secret.
"I am not the real Sith Lord", he said. "My name is Sidious, and I inherited
the ship from the previous Sith Lord, just as you will inherit it from me. The
man I inherited it from was not the real Sith Lord either. His name was Cummerbund.
The real Sith Lord has been retired fifteen years and living like a king on
Bespin." Then he explained that the name was the important thing
for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Sith
Lord Anakin. So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely new crew, and he stayed
aboard for a while as my Apprentice, all the time calling me Master. Once the
crew believed, he left the ship, and I have been the Sith Lord Vader ever since.
Except now that we're together, I shall retire and hand the name over to someone
else. Is everything clear to you?
Amidala: [She doubtfully nods her head, then steps
into a patch of Lightning Sand and promptly disappears. Anakin ignites his
light saber, cuts off a length of vine, and dives in after her]
Amidala and Anakin: [gasp!! cough!!!]
Amidala:
We'll never succeed. We may as well die here.
Anakin: No, no. We have already
succeeded. I mean, what are the three terrors of the fire swamp? One, the flame
spurt. No problem. There's a popping sound preceding each, we can avoid that.
Two, the lightning sand, but you were clever enough to discover what that looks
like, so in the future we can avoid that too.
Amidala: Anakin, what about the J.O.U.S's?
Anakin: Jawas Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.
Amidala: Anakin!!
Anakin:
Arr! Aarrrggghhh!! [Anakin and the J.O.U.S wrestled for a while until, hearing
the popping of a flame spurt, rolls the J.O.U.S. onto it as it discharges. Anakin retrieves
his lightsaber and stabs it] Jawa: oopteeeeee...deeeeee...!!!
[Scene: Outside the Fire Swamp, in a lightly wooded area] Amidala: We did it.
Anakin:
Now, was that so terrible?
[Anakin and Amidala have been surrounded by Palpatine's guards]
Palpatine: Surrender!
Anakin: You mean you wish to
surrender to me? Very well, I accept.
Palpatine: I give you full marks for bravery.
Don't make yourself a fool.
Anakin: Ah, but how will you capture us? We know
the secrets of the fire swamp. We can live there quite happily for some time,
so whenever you feel like dying, feel free to visit.
Palpatine: I tell you once
again, surrender!
Anakin: It will not happen.
Palpatine: For the last time,
surrender!
Anakin: Death first!!
Amidala: Will you promise not to hurt him?
Palpatine: What was that?
Anakin: What was that?
Amidala: If we surrender and
I return with you, will you promise not to hurt this man?
Palpatine: May I live
a thousand years and never run for reelection again.
Amidala: He is a sailor
on a star destroyer. Promise to return him to his ship.
Palpatine: I swear it will be done.
[Palpatine turns to Lord Maul and says, quietly] Once we're out of sight, take him back to Naboo and throw him
in the Pit of Carkoon.
Lord Maul: Yes, my master.
Amidala: [to Anakin
] I thought you were dead once and it almost destroyed me. I could not bear
it if you died again, not when I could save you.
Lord Maul: [Lord Maul bares his teeth at Anakin and pushes back his cowl]
Come, sir, we must get you to your ship. [pause]
Anakin: We are men of action.
Lies do not become us.
Lord Maul: Well spoken, sir. [Anakin notices Maul's head (as if anyone could
miss it)] What is it?
Anakin: You have six horns on your head. Someone was looking for
you. [Maul knocks Anakin cold]
[Go to Scene 10]
[Go to the Index]
[Her gown catches fire. Anakin smothers
it]
[A large J.O.U.S appears and pounces on Anakin] Whoopteedee!!!
[Vader-Anakin lost his helmet rolling down the hill.]
[Ahead looms the dark of the Fire Swamp.]
[Anakin and Amidala proceed cautiously through the Swamp]
[EXT: The Star Destroyer Revenge]
[The Jawas Of Unusual Size do, in fact, exist.]
[Amidala offers to surrender in exchange for Anakin's life...]
[Lord Maul removes his cowl]
