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STAR WARS sequel

Screenplay

by

LEIGH BRACKETT

Notes on the transcription:

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{ notes } represent handwritten notes from an editor, that are not part of the story

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Leigh Brackett – feb 17, 1978

FADE IN

1 EXT PLAIN OF ICE PLANET – DAY

A sweeping dramatic shot of LUKE SKYWALKER, mounted on a white snow-lizard, racing across a white snowy landscape. Luke’s scarlet cloak flies in the wind. Curving plumes of snow rise from beneath the speeding paws of the lizard. All about in the distance, snow-wraiths blow on the wind across a cruel and beautiful landscape, in the light of a strange sun.

2 EXT LOW RIDGE – DAY

The low ridge rises from the plain like a long-backed dune of snow. Luke gallops up the slope into CLOSE SHOT and reins his lizard to a halt. Luke’s face is protected by a masking helmet and goggles, but now he pushes up the goggles so that we can see that it is indeed Luke. He looks keenly about at the land beyond the ridge. He carries a blaster on his right hip and his light-saber on the left.

3 LUKE’S POV

More of the lovely, cruel, white country, apparently deserted except for the blown veils of snow. Dimly there appears through these veils a formation of rocks or perhaps ice of exceptional beauty, catching points of fire from the sun.

4 BACK TO LUKE

He smiles and activates his helmet radio.

LUKE

Han. Come in, Han Solo.

CUT TO

5 EXT PLAIN – DAY HAN SOLO

Han is also mounted on a white snow lizard. He is galloping along on another part of the plain, distinguished perhaps by some tumbled rock ice formations. He pulls up.

6 HAN SOLO

He speaks into his helmet radio.

HAN

Yeah, Luke. What is it?

7 LUKE

LUKE

(into radio)

Nothing. No sign of life. I’m at the north ridge. How about you?

8 HAN SOLO

HAN

(into radio)

I’m at the cliffs. I haven’t seen anything either. I guess the survey was right – the planet’s clean. We might as well go back to Base. I’ll wait for you.

9 LUKE

LUKE

(into radio, looking o.s.)

No, you go on…no use freezing to death. There’s a real pretty ice formation on the other side of the ridge…want to get a closer look at it. I’ll Follow you in a few minutes.

10 HAN

HAN

(into radio, big-brother style)

Now wait a minute, Luke. Orders said just to the ridge. Don’t take any chances…

The helmet radio makes some angry squawking noises that cause Han to wince.

HAN

Okay, okay, break your fool neck. I was just asking you if you were….

The mike makes one final snarl and goes dead.

HAN

(shrugs)

…All right. I guess he’s all right.

(to lizard)

Come on, my animated ice-berg, let’s get back where it’s warm. Or at least, warmer.

He prods the lizard into motion and races away, cloak flying.

11 EXT RIDGE – DAY LUKE

Luke readjusts his helmet and goggles, looks off at the alluring ice-formation, and starts jauntily off along the farther slope of the low ridge, angling his mount in a graceful curve. The scene is one of sheer beauty, both in motion and setting.

12 CLOSER ANGLE

A veil of snow blows across the slope…no different from any of the others. It momentarily obscures Luke and his mount…and suddenly, without warning, a gigantic form explodes out of the snow almost under the feet of the lizard, which screams and rears, throwing Luke. The monstrous shape…white on white against the snow-cloud, we do not see it clearly except that it is huge and menacing…utters a weird and bestial groaning like rocks boulders grinding together in the bowels of a mountain. It strikes the lizard dead with one horrendous blow, breaking its neck. Half stunned by the fall, Luke staggers up and attempts to draw the light-saber blaster holstered at his hip. The snowman fetches him a blow across the face that would have taken part of his head off if it had not been for the helmet. Luke falls. Loses blaster. He also has his light-saber.

13 LUKE

He lies motionless in the snow, bleeding, his helmet torn, goggles gone, one side of his face a mass of blood. Above him, obscure in the snow-cloud, the white monster looks down at him, then bends and grasps him by one ankle and drags him away.

CUT TO

14 EXT ICE CASTLE AND APPROACHES – DAY

The ice castle is a natural structure of great beauty with fantastic domes and spires, much akin to the one that lured Luke into trouble only larger. No banners fly from its “battlements”. There are no visible sentries and the wind-scoured ice of the approaches shows no tracks. Yet Han Solo gallops his snow-lizard confidently toward the blank glittering wall of the structure. In upper natural caves hollowed out there are hooded gun emplacements and radar installations all constructed to be invisible from above.

15 THE ICE CASTLE – DAY

As Han approaches the seemingly blank wall, a section of the ice slides open and he disappears inside, the wall closing behind him.

16 INT ICE CASTLE – DAY OUTER COURT

Inside, the ice has been hollowed out into a series of chambers and halls. In this, the outer court, Han dismounts and gives his lizard to an attendant. Stripping off helmet and goggles, he hurries on toward an inner door. Here he is stopped by a SOLDIER JUNIOR OFFICER on duty with several SOLDIERS.

HAN

Han Solo, with a report for the.…Princess.

OFFICER

Captain Solo, the Princess Leia wishes you to report to her immediately.

HAN

Well, that’s what I just….

17 INT INNER HALL – DAY AT DOOR

OFFICER

She’s in the War Room on the Third Level. Soldier, escort Captain…

HAN

I know the way.

He turns and strides impatiently across the inner hall, which is large and busy, with people and robots going back and forth on errands. There are corridors opening off the hall, and a bank of lifts. Han Solo steps into one of these and is taken down. The officer meanwhile turns to an intercom.

18 INT THIRD LEVEL – DAY

This level has been blasted out of solid rock ice and is huge in extent. Stretching away on either side, as Han steps out of the lift, we see a hangar deck with rebel ships ranked in line. An X-wing fighter is being towed into place. Mechanics and mech-robots work among the ships. In other places are banks of indicators with flashing lights showing the status of various life-support systems. Men, women, and robots monitor these indicators. Huge pipes snake across the roof overhead. The scene is one of great activity, planned and orderly.

Han Solo crosses toward a door that says WAR ROOM Authorized Personnel Only. He hesitates briefly, then strides on past along the hangar deck.

19 INT HANGAR DECK – THIRD LEVEL – DAY

Han approaches the battered, unorthodox shape of the MILENNIUM FALCON, looking out of place among the sleek war-craft. He runs up the gangway.

HAN

Chewie…?

20 INT FALCON – DAY

CHEWBACCA, the Wookie, answers with growling pleasure from the control cabin as Han enters the main cabin. Chewie comes in wiping his paws on oily waste and talking a blue streak. Han laughs and pats his huge chest.

HAN

You’re not any more bored than I am, Chewie. I never thought I’d go for a sojer, and I doubt if it’ll last long I can put up with it much longer. You just keep the old Falcon in….

They both break off as a heavy BOOMING SOUND interrupts, and the ground shakes. Chewbacca roars.

HAN

Calm down…they’re just blasting more space to put more ships as they come in. You just keep the old Falcon in top shape, Chewie. Never know when we may want to jump.

(moving his shoulders uneasily)

I’ve got that funny old itch again, just like when the hot breath of the law was puffing down the back of my neck.

Chewie growls understandingly.

21 INT WAR ROOM – DAY

FEATURING a huge map or three-dimensional galactic model occupying one entire wall of a good-sized room. The model shows the heavily-clustered stars at the central core, thinning out along the outflung spiral arms.

20 (cont.)

Chewie growls a question and Han shrugs, shaking his head.

HAN

How should I know? Nobody’s likely to find us in this forsaken hole. I doubt if even God remembers where He hung this star.

21 INT WAR ROOM – DAY THE PLOTTING TANK

At first we think we’re in space looking down from above at the entire galaxy…the burning core of stars at the center, the outflung spiral arms. It is dizzying. Then a single point of light brightens…green light…and a man’s voice speaks OVER.

MAN’S VOICE

We are here…the second fourth planet of this detached system at the edge of the Granida Cluster.

The green light is indeed close to a great hive of suns, burning with many colors.

22 INT WAR ROOM – DAY FULL SHOT

We see now that the galaxy is a three-dimensional model occupying a huge tank in the center of a rock hewn great ice chamber. Men and women stand or move about on a catwalk that surrounds it. Lining the walls are control panels, indicator panels, computers, and communicators.

The man who has spoken, COMMANDER WILLARD, stands on the walk with PRINCESS LEIA, GENERAL DODONNA, and some other brass, looking down at the plotting tank.

WILLARD

It is to be We hoped that the massive energy output of the cluster will mask hide our comings and goings from the Empire radar sweeps, which we know will eventually quarter the entire galaxy. See Threepio….

23 INT WAR ROOM – DAY

At one of the control panels, C3PO stands ready, with R2D2 beside him.

THREEPIO

Yes, Commander.

WILLARD

Let us have the display, based on our latest calculations.

THREEPIO

Right away, sir. (officiously to Artoo) Artoo, you have your orders.

Artoo whistles derisively and does things to the panel.

24 THE TANK

Princess Leia, Willard, and others in f.g. looking down. The galaxy model now shifts color. Part of it, the largest part, is engulfed in red.

WILLARD

That is the Empire.

Other areas begin to glow green, first a small well-defined center and then scattered patches or single lights.

WILLARD

Since we destroyed the Empire’s Death Star, many more systems have found courage to join the rebellion. At the last count, one thousand and twenty-six. But as you see, we’re widely scattered and still vastly inferior in ships and men. This base, if we can establish and hold it, is strategically placed for….

He breaks off and looks up, as they all do, as Han Solo flings the door open and enters.

WILLARD

Captain Solo, I believe you were ordered to report at once. Where have you been? Something more important delayed you no doubt.

Han reddens. Princess Leia puts a hand on Willard’s arm.

LEIA

I’ll handle this. Please continue, gentlemen. Han—

24 (cont.)

She walks quickly to Han, whose mouth is open on an angry retort. He shuts it as she smiles at him.

LEIA

Let’s go outside.

They go

25 THREEPIO AND ARTOO

They have watched this; they see Han and Leia go out, and Threepio gives the robotic equivalent of a chuckle.

THREEPIO

For a moment I really thought Captain Solo was going to simply fuse all his circuits. He’s as undisciplined as you, Artoo.

Artoo makes a rude noise and continues to manage the board as men’s voices continue behind them at the plotting tank.

THREEPIO

(serious now)

I have to admit I’m worried. What the commander says is true. The Empire is so powerful even without the Death Star, and we’re taking an awful chance with this base…putting all our eggs in one basket, as it were.

Artoo makes a series of whistling sounds.

THREEPIO

We don’t have haven’t got enough eggs for two baskets? That’s a profound remark, Artoo. I’ll treasure it.

26 EXT DOCKING BAY – DAY

Leia has drawn is leading Han into a quiet area of the hangar. Han has recovered his good humor and is bending over Leia with a smile. But her small face is serious and intent.

LEIA

So you saw no signs of any inhabitants.

HAN

(Shaking his head)

Hostile or otherwise. Leia…

LEIA

Where’s Luke?

26 (cont.)

HAN

He’ll be along. He had to go look at something pretty on the other side of the ridge.

(halts)

Leia, I’ve been meaning to…

She holds up her hand imperiously, every inch a princess.

LEIA

Han. I want you to Listen to me. And you’re not going to like what I have to say.

(a beat)

We’ve been in touch with your stepfather.

Han’s face changes, hardens. He steps back from her.

HAN

He’s not my stepfather.

LEIA

Well, whatever he is. He was fond of you once…of all the people in the galaxy, you’re the only one he might listen to.

HAN

No. And anyway, he won’t…

LEIA

He’s agreed to talk to you.

HAN

He has. Well, that’s fine. I don’t want to talk to him.

LEIA

I don’t know why you quarreled with him and ran away from him. I don’t care. All that matters is that Ovan Marekal is the most powerful man in the galaxy next to the Emperor himself…and Darth Vader. Through the his Transport Guild he controls…

HAN

(impatiently)

…he controls all the pilots and navigators in commercial space, and wars aren’t won entirely with weapons. I know that. I also know that Ovan Marekal goes with the winning side, and that’s the Empire. He doesn’t exactly love it, but that’s where the power is.

26 (cont.)

27 INT ICE CORRIDOR – DAY

Han and Leia have stopped now in an unfinished side corridor away from the noise and activity of the docking area. The corridor stretches away into dimness beyond where the light strip ends. Leia is looking up at Han, and he at her neither of them see what might be vague shadowy motion, white-on-white, at the far dim end of the corridor.

LEIA

You might change his mind.

HAN

I might. And all this ice might melt and become a tropical garden. Leia…

LEIA

(ignoring his tone)

When If the Emperor crushes the rebellion and comes to full power, how long does Ovan Marekal think his precious Guild will last? Han, we must have him on our side. You must try to win him for us.

Han puts his hands gently on either side of the (sic) Leia’s face, turning her lips toward his his (sic). He bends over her.

HAN

Leia…for you…I’d try even that…

LEIA

You would? For me?

She smiles. Now his arms go around her. He pulls her closer to him and for a moment it seems that she is melting in his arms, ready for his kiss. In the background, unnoticed, the dim white shapes move and watch. At the very last minute, Leia slaps Han’s face with a resounding crack and he starts back, letting her go, thoroughly startled. Coldly angry, she faces him.

LEIA

Captain Solo, a great war is raging. What you would do for me, or I for you, are matters of no consequence. The mission is vital. The success or failure of the Rebel Alliance may depend on it. As an officer of that Alliance, do you will you or will you not accept the mission?

HAN

(rigidly)

I’ll think about it. Your Highness.

27 (cont.)

She turns and stalks away and he follows her. Behind them at the end of the corridor the white-on-white shadows seem also to have departed.

DISSOLVE TO

28 INT SNOWMAN CAVE – DAY NIGHT

Luke Skywalker lies on the floor of an ice cave, alone. Somewhere in the recesses of the cave we can hear voices; the deep growling unhuman voices like the grinding of rocks together of rocks, the cadence very slow, the rise and fall of tones very limited. We can understand no single word; perhaps there are no words. Yet there is menace in the voices, chillingly alien and incomprehensible.

Luke stirs. The cave is suffused with a strange light, as of starlight but much brighter. Luke’s face is covered in dried or frozen blood on one side. He sits up, touching himself to discover the extent of his injuries, looking about him, listening to the muttering voices. His light-saber is still holstered at his side. He can see no one. Gathering himself, moving unsteadily, he steals toward what appears to be the cave mouth.

He has almost reached it when, through glittering shapes of ice at one side, a gigantic white form emerges and bars the way. It reaches for Luke with huge amorphous paws, grating and grumbling, and for a moment Luke stands appalled…and then a voice seems to speak to him very softly and quietly, a remembered voice a familiar and well-loved voice.

BEN’S VOICE (over)

Remember the Force, boy. Let the Force be with you. Open your mind to it, open your heart…

LUKE

Ben…Ben!

Stepping back from the monstrous form, only half glimpsed in the starlight, Luke seems to grow taller, to take on stature, his weakness leaving him. He draws the light-saber, and when the beast lunges at him he moves expertly, slashing with the beam…and the beast with one strange cry vanishes in a burst of vapor back into the icy formations.

Luke runs out of the cave.

29 EXT ICE PLANET PLAIN – NIGHT

Luke runs across the snowy plain under a night sky of incredible magnificence, with the great star cluster burning overhead. At the mouth of the cave behind him there are groanings and grumblings and moving shapes but the

29 (cont.)

creatures do not attempt to follow.

30 EXT ICE PLANET PLAIN – NIGHT

Luke runs on, a small figure in the vastness of snow and cluster-light. His pace begins to slow and his track weaves from side to side. He stumbles, goes to his hands and knees.

LUKE

Ben…help me. I can’t control…The Force. It’s gone.

There is no help. Luke drags himself erect. And stagger

LUKE

Please help me, Ben. Please help…

He staggers on, toward the foot of a long slope of snow. He essays the ascent, falls again, and lies still for a moment, then begins painfully to crawl upward.

31 HAN SOLO, LEIA, AND OTHERS

A search party pulls up mounted on snow-lizards pulls up at to (sic) top of the slope some distance away and Han points to the still figure of Luke lying in the snow.

HAN

There he is!

LEIA

Thank God.

They race down the slope toward Luke.

DISSOLVE TO

32 INT BASE SICK BAY – DAY NIGHT

Threepio and Artoo hurry together down a long corridor cut from the ice of the base.

THREEPIO

Poor Master Luke! If I’d been with him, this might never have happened.

Artoo beeps and whistles.

THREEPIO

Certainly my joints would have frozen, but not at once, and I might have been able to -what is it now?

CONTINUED

32 (cont.)

Passing the mouth of a side corridor, Artoo has halted and turned, apparently caught by something he sees or senses in the side corridor. He takes a few tentative steps into the side corridor, beeping uncertainly.

THREEPIO

What do you mean, you saw something? It’s only storage space, and not even finished yet.

He follows Artoo into the corridor.

33 INT SIDE CORRIDOR – NIGHT

At the end of the corridor, where the light does not reach, there is a suggestion of movement, white-on-white. Artoo begins making urgent noises, halting abruptly. Threepio peers into the dimness.

THREEPIO

Nonsense, you silly collection of spare parts! Your sensors are You’d better have your sensors checked…the cold here seems to be affecting them. Come along now…

(but Artoo is way ahead of him, scooting back into the main corridor)

Artoo! Wait for me!

34 INT MAIN CORRIDOR – NIGHT

But Artoo is waiting for no man, nor robot. Beeping furiously, he hurries on, with Threepio lumbering in his wake.

THREEPIO

Artoo! Wait..!

35 INT BASE SICK BAY – NIGHT

Luke lies in a bunk in the small sick bay, his face roughly bandaged. Leia hovers sits on the side of the bunk, holding his hand, her face showing her concern. Han Solo, standing at the foot of the bunk, does not miss this. Commander Willard is also there.

LUKE

I don’t know what they are. I couldn’t get a good look at them, even at the one I killed or drove away. It just…vanished. I only know they’re big huge and white, and cold. they seem to live in the snow and ice the way sharks do in water. And they’re just about as friendly.

CONTINUED

35 (cont.)

WILLARD

Could you make any estimate as to their number? Were there many of them?

LUKE

No. I don’t know. I heard strange voices.

An inner door of the bay opens and a DOCTOR and NURSE enter.

DOCTOR

Your Highness…Commander. This man has lost an awful lot of blood, and his wounds need attention. I must ask you….

WILLARD

One moment, Doctor. This is vital. Skywalker…do you believe that these snow-creatures pose any threat to the base?

LUKE

I can’t…

He is interrupted by a beeping and whistling o.s. outside. The outer door opens. Artoo and Threepio enter.

LUKE

Artoo! Threepio!

THREEPIO

Master Luke. Oh, Master Luke! If I’d only been there to help…

LUKE

The Force helped me.

HAN

(derisively)

The Force!

LUKE

Yes. I heard old Ben…or I thought I did…telling me to open my mind to the Force, and I must have because suddenly I was strong and able to fight kill the thing fight. That’s how I got away.

HAN

You only got one of them. Why didn’t the others follow you?

LUKE

Maybe they’re afraid of the night sky, the cluster of [unreadable] the Force. The Force held them. But after that I lost it. But after I lost it, I couldn’t get it back. If you hadn’t found me, I…

(he shakes his head, then starts up in alarm)

My sabre. My father’s light-sabre. Where is it?

CONTINUED

35 (cont.)

THREEPIO

Right here, Master Luke.

The saber lies on a table nearby. Luke reaches out for it and Threepio picks it up…fumbles it…grasps the hilt…

36 CLOSE SHOT

On Threepio’s hands with the light sabre. As he grips the hilt awkwardly there is a sharp click and something crystalline and shiny pops out of a hidden recess in the hilt.

THREEPIO

Oh dear.

36 BACK TO SCENE

THREEPIO

Oh, dear, what have I done? I’ve broken it, Master Luke…

HAN

No, wait a minute, wait a minute, calm down.

He takes the sabre from Threepio and studies it.

HAN

Stupid contraption. You’d do better to throw the thing away and get yourself a good blaster. It’s a miracle he could do anything with this antique. Let’s see – There’s a little stud here hidden here. It activates a spring and….

LUKE

(almost feverishly)

Let me have it…

DOCTOR

Skywalker, if you want….

LUKE

Let me have it, Han!

The Doctor shrugs and Han gives Luke the saber. Luke looks at the crystal projecting from the hilt. He works it gently with his fingers, and it comes free.

LUKE

Yes. It belongs there. It fits. But what is it?

Artoo, who has kept up a steady, if subdued, beeping, now gives a shriller whistling.

THREEPIO

I could have told him that, Artoo.

36 (cont.)

LUKE

A memory cell…like from a computer?

LEIA

Luke…put it away now and let the doctor….

But Artoo, having finally managed to get people’s attention, goes into a renewed burst of urgent noises.

HAN

What is he babbling about? He hasn’t shut up once since he came in here.

THREEPIO

He claims he saw something big and white moving at the end of a corridor. Sheer nonsense, of course, and I’ve told him to have his sensors…..

Threepio suddenly becomes aware of the frozen stares he is getting from everyone in the room.

THREEPIO

It is nonsense…isn’t it?

WILLARD

Princess…I think we’d better continue this the discussion outside and let the doctor get on with his work.

DOCTOR

That would be nice. I’d appreciate it.

LUKE

Leia…if those things are in the base….

LEIA

We’ll be careful. Don’t worry.

She kisses him quickly on his unbandaged cheek. They all go out, Artoo giving one final triumphant beep. Doctor and nurse approach Luke’s bed. He is still holding the saber and the crystal. Staring at the crystal, he starts to replace it in the sabre-hilt, fumbling a bit from weakness.

DOCTOR

Perhaps you’d better let me do that.

LUKE

No. I’ll manage.

Fascinated, he stares at the enigmatic crystal. CAMERA MOVES IN TO A CLOSE on the glittery thing and

DISSOLVES TO

37 CLOSE SHOT

A moving beam of light reflects splintered radiance from knobs and spikes of ice on a rough ice wall.

WILLARD’S VOICE

(over)

No sign of anything here now.

38 INT SIDE CORRIDOR – NIGHT

Willard, holding a torch in one hand and a blaster in the other, Han and Leia each armed with a blaster, stand in a wary group of with Threepio and Artoo.

HAN

It’s possible Artoo was mistaken.

Artoo makes a noise like Hmph! They start to move back into the main corridor.

WILLARD

I’m afraid we have to believe that…Artoo…assume that –

He breaks off and they all pause a moment as the dull booming shock of an explosion somewhere reaches them from somewhere in the base.

LEIA

I’ll be glad when they stop that.

WILLARD

We all will.

39 INT MAIN CORRIDOR – NIGHT

As they come back into the main corridor.

WILLARD

We have to assume that Artoo saw exactly what he said he did.

LEIA

But how in the world could these creatures get into the base?

WILLARD

There’s no rock around us – just ice. They could tunnel.

HAN

And What could they do, anyway? They sound very primitive…just animals.

WILLARD

Nevertheless, until we know a little more about it I’m going to

39 (cont.)

Suddenly alarm hooters begin to SOUND all through the base and mechanical voices speak through boom through speakers mounted in the corridor.

VOICE FROM SPEAKER

Red alert! Red alert! Security squads Six and Eight to Sector K-12 on the double! All other personnel evacuate the area immediately. I repeat, Red Alert. All personnel report to assigned stations.

WILLARD

K-12…that’s where they’ve been blasting.

He starts to run. Leia and Han follow. The mechanical voice and the hooting continue as a blurred background as they go. Threepio and Artoo hesitate.

THREEPIO

Report to assigned stations. Thank heaven ours is nowhere near K-12! Come on, Artoo! We’re needed.

They take off in along the corridor.

40 INT SECTOR K-12 – NIGHT

Several A number of bodies are sprawled around like dolls hurled and broken by giant children. Heavy equipment is smashed. The security people are standing around looking baffled, with nothing to shoot at. Willard, Leia, and Han are looking at the death and destruction, their faces grim. At one side a WOMAN in uniform coveralls stands weeping, a security man beside her.

WILLARD

(to Han)

You were asking what they could do.

(Han nods)

Corporal, Bring the sergeant her over here.

The security man brings the weeping woman to Willard. He looks at her shoulder patches.

WILLARD

Sergeant. Technician, First Class.

The woman straightens up and controls herself.

WOMAN SERGEANT WOMAN

Yes, sir. Monitoring the blasting excavation procedures. I’m sorry, sir. It’s just that I saw them…great white things. All of a sudden they were here, and this all happened…in seconds. So fast!

40 (cont.)

WILLARD

And how did they get away?

SERGEANT WOMAN

They seemed to just…disappeared.

WILLARD

I see. Thank you. Dismissed.

(the woman goes; Willard looks at Han)

You were asking what these primitive animals could do.

Han nods. He and Leia and Willard leave the area as clean-up operations begin and paramedics arrive.

41 INT BASE – NIGHT

Leia, Han, and Willard walking across the main hangar.

WILLARD

I’m putting the base on a 24-hour Red Alert…maximum precautions, everyone to go armed at all times –

LEIA

Can we control these creatures? Do we dare to take the risk?

They halt, and Willard looks around at the ships, a haggard and tired man.

WILLARD

Princess, we don’t do not dare not to take the risk. If we move, searching for another base…with all this to do over again…there’s no chance we’d get away with it. This base is our best hope. We’ve got to hold onto it. At least here, so far, we’re safe from the Empire.

(turns to look at Han)

Has Captain Solo granted us a decision yet on whether he will he’ll undertake the mission to Ovan Marekal?

HAN

Why don’t you just order me to go, Commander?

CONTINUED

41 (cont.)

WILLARD

Because I have Princess Leia’s orders not to do that.

LEIA

Either you go of your own free will, Han, or there’s no point in your going at all. Good night, gentlemen. If you need me, Commander, I’ll be in the sickbay.

HAN

Where are you going?

LEIA

Back to the sickbay, to make sure Luke’s all right.

She strides away, her back straight and uncompromising. Han looks after her with a peculiar expression.

Secretly, tired as he is, Willard smiles.

DISSOLVE TO

42 EXT TON MUUND – DAY ESTABLISHING

View of an enormous city, covering all we can see of a planet. CAPTION: TON MUUND, THE CITY-PLANET, ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER OF THE EMPIRE.

43 EXT BUILDING – DAY

(Ton Muund should have an odd sort of daylight; perhaps a blue star)

One of a complex of mighty, squat, towering buildings with a look of cold efficiency about them, totally devoid of beauty.

44 INT DARTH VADER’S QUARTERS – TON MUUND – DAY

The office room is large, Spartan in its furnishings, with a bank of communicators and computer terminals indicating that it is an office devoted to the business of the Empire.

DARTH VADER, huge, black-clad and caped cloaked, his face hidden by the black breathing mask, stands in watching as two of his minions interview an alien ALIEN…a very alien-looking alien who speaks in quick chittering bursts, glancing uneasily at Vader’s menacing height. One of the minions is an INTERPRETER, who listens to the alien speech and then relays the translation to Vader and the other minion, who is recording it the conversation.

44 (cont.)

INTERPRETER

This individual is a native of one of says it is a small trader the worlds of the Granida Cluster makes occasional small trader voyages into the Granida Cluster, where he has several contacts…

VADER

Thief, smuggler, and slaver. No one else goes into the Granida. Continue.

There is another brief exchange of chittering and squeaking.

INTERPRETER

As the individual was approaching he was leaving the Cluster, still at light speed normal velocity, he it saw a number of ships drop out of hyper-space and head away from the cluster. He It counted twenty-three, all most of these bearing rebel insignia. Because of the intense glare of the cluster, they did not see him. He It did not dare to follow them, but he it was able to get a fix on the direction of flight –

VADER

The coordinates, man! Give me the coordinates!

More chittering and squeaking. The interpreter looks unhappy.

INTERPRETER

Lord Vader, the individual believes that this information is of considerable value to the Empire. It desires a reward…

VADER

Naturally. Whatever it requests. The Empire is gracious to its friends. Give me the coordinates. Or the name of the solar system. Anything.

More chittering. The interpreter writes down a series of numbers. Vader gestures to him to hand the paper to the second man.

VADER

Put it on the screen.

The second man sets up a pattern on a keyboard. A huge screen lights up, showing the lower segment of the Granida Cluster. A light-pointer appears in the area where the rebel ships were sighted. It begins to move, away from the cluster. The picture moves with it, leaving the cluster farther behind. Vader watches tensely. A spot of light appears…a star…planets. The pointer zeroes in on the solar system, and stops. Vader’s great gauntleted hand crashes down on a table-top in triumph.

44 (cont.)

VADER

(to interpreter)

Remove this unpleasant lump of protoplasm from my sight. Give it whatever its heart desires, if it has a heart…but see that it’s kept under lock and key until we’re sure it’s the information is accurate.

And he sweeps out of the office, striding like a man with a mighty purpose.

DISSOLVE TO

45 INT SICKBAY – THE REBEL BASE – DAY

Luke is up and around the sickbay, convalescent. He still looks a bit shaky and his face shows some scarring. Leia is with him. They speak are in the midst of a tentative, and very tender love scene.

LUKE

You must have spent a lot of time here, Leia Leia. It seemed to me that whenever every time I woke up you I could see you, sitting beside the bed.

LEIA

All the time I could spare. You very nearly didn’t make it. The doctor said if it hadn’t been for your helmet…

(she shivers)

You were lucky.

LUKE

And those snow-things are inside the base.

LEIA

There hasn’t been another attack since that night. Perhaps they’ve been scared off.

LUKE

Leia, I wish you’d go somewhere safe.

LEIA

There isn’t any safe place for me, you know that. Not as long as Darth Vader and the Empire….

LUKE

Leia….

45 (cont.)

He takes her in his arms and kisses

LUKE (cont.)

I love you. I want to keep you safe.

He kisses her and she returns it…a sweet and tender kiss. Then she pushes him gently away.

LEIA

Dear Luke. Please Try to understand. Whether I will it or not, I’m the Princess Leia Organa, a leader of the rebel forces…

LUKE

(sadly)

And I’m just the farmboy from Tatooine.

LEIA

You’re Luke Skywalker, the fighter pilot who destroyed the Death Star. You have duties, Luke, just as I have. …much greater ones than we can could possibly have owe to each other. It isn’t that I couldn’t love you…there isn’t any place for love – not now.

LUKE

(tries to take her in his arms again)

Do you, Leia? Say it. Might there be – later?

LEIA

(unhappily, backing off)

Luke…I wish…

She is interrupted by a brisk knock on the door.

LEIA

Yes…come in.

Han Solo enters, looking very brisk, brash, and pleased with himself. Leia seems relieved to see him. Luke is somehow, subtly, relegated to the background.

LEIA

Oh…hello, Han.

HAN

I was looking for you, Hello, Leia. They told me I’d find you up here. How’s it going, Luke? You’re looking great.

LUKE

I’m Fine, thanks.

HAN

Good. We thought for a while there you were going to leave us.

CONTINUED

45 (cont.)

HAN

You’re looking great, kid. I’m Glad to see hear it. Leia, I wanted to tell you…

LEIA

You’ve decided to undertake the mission.

HAN

How did you…?

LEIA

(smiling)

I know you better than you know yourself.

HAN

(wincing)

A man always hates to hear a woman tell him that. It might just be true, and what a catastrophe that would be!

LEIA LUKE

(eagerly)

Can I go with you, Han? I’m strong enough now.

HAN

No, I can’t take anyone, Luke. Just me and Chewbacca. Chewie’s been there before, and anyway, Wookiees don’t get involved much with politics. See, Ovan Marekal knows he’s a prime target for assassination or kidnapping. I’m one of the very few people in the galaxy who knows where to find him. I’m one of the few people in the galaxy who knows where to find him. He lives a very private life.

LUKE

But he’s head of the Transport Guild. He must….

HAN

A face on the vidscreen. He even attends board meetings by remote control. I’m one of the very few people in the galaxy who know where to find him. Anyway, those were his orders. Chewie and me, alone. I’m sorry, Luke. I’d really like to have you along. But it’s not going to be any pleasure jaunt.

45 (cont.)

LEIA

It’s going to be very extremely dangerous. That’s another reason I couldn’t order you to go. I’m very grateful, too. When do you plan to leave?

HAN

I’ve got a list of stores we’ll need. As soon as we get them loaded….

LEIA

Come on. I’ll see that the requisitions are put through right away. Luke, why don’t you get some rest?

HAN

Chewie and I’ll be up to see you before we go.

She smiles at him and goes out arm in arm with Han Solo.

Leia and Han go out together.

46 LUKE

He looks after them, dejected.

LUKE

If I were a Jedi knight, she’d she’d…look at me the way she looks at him.

Full of anger and hurt pride, he goes to where the saber lies and picks it up, as if it holds the answer to all his problems if only he can find it.

LUKE

Why can’t I learn to control the Force? If only old Ben had waited a little longer….

BEN’S VOICE

(very softly)

But I’d waited long enough, Luke. It’s your time now.

LUKE

Ben! Ben, tell me what to do.

He has not noticed that the door has opened and the nurse is watching him.

NURSE

I’ll tell you what to do, young man. You climb right back into that bed, where you while I go and call the doctor. You’re hallucinating again, hearing voi…

She breaks off, her jaw dropping, as Luke abruptly turns toward her, adopting an almost ritual pose with the light-saber [Missing]

46 (cont.)

She makes a brave attempt to stand her ground.

NURSE

Now, you stop. Stop right there, Luke. Luke… You stay –

Luke is neither seeing nor hearing her. His face is remote and strange.

NURSE

Luke, you can’t… The doctor… Doctor! Doctor…!

She is running down the corridor, calling for the doctor. Luke leaves the room, paying no attention.

CUT TO

47 INT BASE – DAY A DESERTED AREA – DAY

In a Threepio and Artoo are hurrying rather furtively along a corridor. Threepio looks about nervously.

THREEPIO

You don’t sense anything, do you, Artoo? I haven’t felt safe for one minute since….

He breaks off as Artoo beeps, stops and looks at him in horror.

THREEPIO

You do sense something? Oh, my..!

He is turning around, on the verge of running, when Artoo beeps some more, impatiently. Threepio calms down at once.

THREEPIO

Well, why didn’t you say so, instead of frightening the titanium out of me?

They go round a bend in the corridor and find Luke waiting in a kind of recess.

THREEPIO

We came as soon as we could, Master Luke. I think they’re looking for you.

LUKE

I know they are.

He presses the stud in the hilt of his sabre and lifts out the crystal.

CONTINUED

47 (cont.)

LUKE

Artoo, you said this was a memory cell. Can you read it?

Artoo beeps.

THREEPIO

He says he’ll try. Insert it there, Master Luke.

He points to a slot that Artoo has opened on his front. Luke inserts the crystal. Artoo stands quietly humming for a moment, digesting. Then he beeps and whistles.

THREEPIO

He says it appears to contain the coordinates of a star-system in the north-west quadrant a distant remote part of the galaxy. Very far away, and neither of us is familiar with it.

Luke removes the crystal and stares at it.

LUKE

Perhaps it’s where my father was trained. Perhaps if I went there…

{cut this down}

THREEPIO

But Master Luke…even if it were, there are no more Jedi knights. Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi, or Ben as you call him, was the last.

Artoo beeps and whistles.

THREEPIO

All right, yes, I know. Darth Vader is a is really the last Jedi knight, but Master Luke can hardly go to him for lessons!

(to Luke)

There’s no one left to teach you now. Besides, we can’t leave our posts now here.

Luke sighs and replaces the crystal in the hilt.

LUKE

I suppose you’re right. I’ll just have to…

A distant rumbling shock interrupts him; he stops until it has passed.

LUKE

…do the best I can myself.

47 (cont.)

Threepio follows him with Artoo. As they go away, CAMERA PANS to show white shadows in the far depths of the corridor. Faintly, like a menacing whisper, comes the SOUND of deep, grinding, grumbling voices.

DISSOLVE TO

48 EXT SPACE IN SPACE

The An Empire fleet moves swiftly through space in the cluster light.

49 INT DARTH VADER’S SHIP – THE BRIDGE

Darth Vader stands with a high-ranking OFFICER looking out the forward port. Others are present in b.g.; the PILOT, NAVIGATOR, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER.

NAVIGATOR

If the coordinates are accurate, Lord Vader, we should make star-fall in approximately two-and-a-half time units.

OFFICER

But then we still won’t know which planet the rebels have occupied… and you can be sure they’re well hidden.

DARTH VADER

I’ll know. Already I can sense a disturbance in the Force.

OFFICER

Luke Skywalker?

DARTH VADER

Obi-Wan’s protégée apprentice knight who disabled my ship and sent me spinning off into space, to drift for days until I was rescued just before he blew up the Death Star.

(Vader laughs)

I should be grateful to him, at that. He saved me from my life. Perhaps I can find a suitable way to repay him.

The Officer look at him sidelong, uncomfortable.

49 (cont.)

DARTH VADER

(half to himself)

Obi-Wan’s fledgling. He {Rewrite – Han did this.} disabled my fighter and sent me spinning off into space with all systems dead, even the radio…but I knew. I knew when he destroyed the Death Star, using the Force to find the target. I had much time to consider Master Skywalker while I was waiting to be rescued. He’s too much like his father…

Darth Vader pauses, remembering old betrayals. The Officer glances sidelong at him, uneasily; he does not break the silence.

DARTH VADER

His control is still rudimentary, but his potential is strong. It must not be allowed to develop into a weapon for the rebels.

DISSOLVE TO

50 INT BASE – THE HANGAR – DAY

By the Millenium (sic) Falcon. Chewie and some others a couple of WORK MEN are finishing a loading operation. A little distance away, Han Solo is shaking hands talking with Willard, while Luke and Leia look on. Luke has the light-saber holstered at his side.

WILLARD

I don’t need to stress again the importance of this mission.

HAN SOLO

But you’re doing it anyway. Don’t you trust me?

WILLARD

I have to, Captain Solo. Good luck.

He goes. Han goes to Leia.

HAN

Leia…

LEIA

(smiling at him)

I know you’ll… He’ll listen to you. I know he –

A distant but very powerful explosion BOOMS. Things shake and fall. Everyone reacts, startled.

CONTINUED

50 (cont.)

HAN

If they’re not careful they’ll have the whole place down around our ears.

Chewie and the men start working again. Han turns again to Leia. And the lights go out. There is a moment of intense quiet.

LUKE

The air-duct fans have stopped, too.

One of the workmen switches on a flashlight hand lamp.

LEIA

They’ll have the emergency generators on in a moment.

The second workman turns on a flashlight his hand lamp, making two wavering beams of light in the intense darkness. From elsewhere in the base come sudden shouts and cries and the sound of blasters.

51 THE HANGAR DECK – FULL SHOT

HAN

Sounds like an attack in force. Chewie, turn on the…

But Chewie growls an urgent warning. It is answered by deep, grinding voices.

LEIA

There…over there! Something moving!

51 THE HANGAR

The wavering swinging flashlight beams show huge, dim white shadows moving in the darkness, sliding swiftly just beyond the edges of the light. Suddenly one of the workmen who has moved incautiously away from the Falcon in the effort to see, goes flying with a scream, broken by a huge paw. He drops his His flashlight goes too. Chewie fires his blaster.

LUKE

Leia! Get inside the ship!

He draws his light-saber and activates it. The blade sheds its strange radiance. Everybody else is pulling blasters. The white shapes move very swiftly, elusive targets. The fighter The ship next to the Falcon in the bay goes over with a crash. The Falcon itself begins to shake. Chewie runs forward, firing at a white shape by the stern. A flying piece of wreckage knocks the blaster from his hand. Roaring, he grapples with the beast. {Fight with Chewie/beast} Han seems to have killed one of the things. More wreckage and containers are hurled. Leia is firing. The second workman is killed. Han runs toward Chewie and the beast; Chewie is huge himself, but he looks child-sized by

CONTINUED

51 (cont.)

comparison with his adversary. He is also becoming covered with frost where the snow-creature touches him. A human would have been dead by now; Wookiees are made of tougher stuff, but Chewie is not long for the world. Han runs toward him for a close shot at the creature. As he does so, another one of the creatures attacks Luke. Luke wields the light-saber. The beast easily eludes it and knocks Luke spinning, a glancing blow. It rears over him for the death-blow. Leia screams.

LEIA

Luke!

She runs toward him, firing, but misses as she is knocked down by a piece of debris hurled by the third creature. Han perforce turns aside to help Luke. The snow creature attacks him but he fires turns to attack him but he fires and the creature vanishes back into the darkness, whether hit or not. Han hauls the half-stunned Luke to his knees, snarling.

HAN

The Force is not with you today, kid. Get out of this.

He runs back toward Chewie. Leia, unhurt, is now firing coolly from a kneeling position.

LEIA

Over here, Luke. I’ll cover you.

But Luke, crushed and humiliated, stays where he is, the shining saber lying on the ice beside him. Han runs in and gets off a close shot into the dim white body of the snow-creature. There is a sound like an avalanche of boulders. Both Chewie and Han go flying. When they look up the creature has vanished and everything around them is quiet, though there are still sounds of turmoil in the distance.

HAN

I don’t believe those things. Just one of them shook the Falcon…?! And yet they’re like phantoms.

He scrambles up and goes to Chewie, who is picking himself up growling, wincing, and saying bad things in Wookie. Leia goes to Luke picks up the saber and gets unsteadily to his feet. Leia comes to him.

LEIA

Luke, are you hurt?

Luke is staring at the saber and does not look at her.

LUKE

No, I’m fine.

51 (cont.)

Luke turns and starts away. Leia looks worried. Han has been brushing the frost from Chewie’s fur.

HAN

A little moth-eaten, but I guess you’ll do.

(Chewie growls)

Get the lights on and we’ll check for damage. Hey, Luke, where are you going? Wait a minute.

Chewie climbs into the Falcon. Han catches up with Luke.

52 LUKE, HAN, AND LEIA

HAN

Listen, I’m sorry I was so rough. I didn’t mean it. It’s just that…Luke, those light-sabers were ceremonial weapons, even for the Jedi knights. They’re deadly, sure they are, but only at close quarters, hand to hand, and that snow-creature was just too fast for you.

LEIA

Luke hasn’t recovered yet, Han. He’s still weak.

LUKE

You don’t have to defend me, Leia. He’s right. I almost got all three of you killed.

HAN

The point is, you’re going to get yourself killed. I know old Ben got you all excited about the knights and the Force and all that stuff. But you’ve got to stop daydreaming, kid. You’re not a Jedi knight, and you never will be.

The Falcon’s landing lights come on, illuminating a part of the hangar deck. Leia, sorry for Luke’s distress and anxious to break up the talk, interrupts.

LEIA

Well, that’s better.

WILLARD’S VOICE (o.s.)

Princess Leia!

Willard, with a hand-lamp, now comes running into the deck area from the war-room, calling.

WILLARD

CONTINUED

52 (cont.)

LEIA

I’m here, Commander.

WILLARD

Thank Heaven. I’ll take you You’ll be safer in the war room…if there’s any safety anywhere.

Luke deactivates the saber, watching the light die.

LEIA

(to Willard)

What’s happening?

WILLARD

Everything.

(starts to lead her away)

HAN

I’ve got (sic) check out the Falcon.

He goes and Leia motions Willard to stop. She looks at Luke.

LEIA

Come on, Luke.

Her gentle sympathy is more humiliating to Luke than a slap in the face blow. It is the ultimate wound. He holsters the saber. Willard and Leia start on again and he trails after them, looking as if he had been whipped.

DISSOLVE TO

51 (cont.)

LEIA

(as Han goes)

Come on, Luke.

Her gentle sympathy and pity is more painful is more humiliating to Luke than a blow. It is the ultimate wound. He holsters the deactivates the sabre, watching the light die. Holstering the weapon, he follows Leia, looking as if he had been whipped.

DISSOLVE TO

52 53 IN SPACE

The Empire fleet, approaching the system of the ice-planet.

53 54 INT DARTH VADER’S SHIP – THE BRIDGE

Darth Vader and the officer are stand on the bridge, looking through the forward port.

OFFICER

There is the system, Lord Vader. There are four planets. Which one?

Vader’s black gauntlet rises and points like the hammer of doom.

VADER

The outermost…there!

CAMERA ZOOMS in on the port, on the little icy ball glittering in the light of its primary.

OFF SCREEN VOICE

Attention all fleet units. Assume attack formation. Attack formation.

DISSOLVE TO

54 INT WAR ROOM – THE BASE

54 INT BASE

55 INT BASE – SERIES OF SHOTS

In dark corridors, men and women with handlamps run, the wildly-tossing beams glittering off the icy walls. There is a confusion of voices, shouts, cries, screams, the deep grinding grumbling voices of the snow-creatures. A white-on-white spectre emerges from a side-corridor and tosses a man screaming to the roof of the corridor down which he has been running. Men clatter down emergency ladders. The sound of shots echo echoes irregularly from o.s.

56 BASE – THE GENERATOR LEVEL

Bodies lie about amid wrecked equipment and debris. There is a portal completely blocked with fallen ice; from this ice-fall a pair of boots protrudes stiffly. Above the portal a sign hangs drunkenly: GENERATOR ROOM. An Several engineering-maintenance technicians CAPS run about, through other doorways, blasters in hand. An ENGINEER speaks into a portable, self-powered radio unit. He is understandably in shock.

ENGINEER

Chief Engineer, Squad Three, Generator Level. I have a damage report…

57 INT BASE – THE WAR ROOM

Lighted by handlamps, the war-room resembles the catatonic ward of a mental hospital. Technicians with nothing to do stand to (sic) beside their blacked-out panels. Everything is dead. Threepio and Artoo stand quietly. Various officers and orderlies stand by, along with Princess Leia. Luke looks on. Willard is speaking into one of the self-contained walkie-talkie units.

WILLARD

Commander Willard here. Go on.

INTERCUT with Engineer on Generator Level.

ENGINEER

Sir, the main generators…there isn’t even a generator room left. Relays are burnt out right across the board…cables fused…power surge of some kind…probably what blew the…

WILLARD

Let’s skip the technical speculations for the moment. Have you checked the emergency generators? They should cut in automatically.

ENGINEER

My men are doing that now.

57 (cont.)

ENGINEER

Haven’t had time yet. It’s cold here. Getting colder.

WILLARD

Engineer…we need those air pumps going again. Check out those generators. Jury rig anything you have to but get those air pumps going again.

ENGINEER

Sir…The main pumps…they’re wrecked.

He is looking through another portal at a mass of twisted metal.

WILLARD

The back-up system, then, get on it, man. We’re going to run out of breathable air pretty quick now.

ENGINEER

Yes, sir.

58 INT BASE – GENERATOR LEVEL

The engineer

ENGINEER

Yes, sir.

He beckons to his squad and they hurry after him into an adjoining chamber and begin into an adjoining corridor.

59 INT BASE – GENERATOR LEVEL

The engineer and his squad enter a chamber containing the emergency generators and a bank of pumps. They walk around quickly, inspecting the equipment. The engineer speaks into his radio.

ENGINEER

It looks all right, sir. Power packs intact. Pumps haven’t been damaged. We’ll have to start the generators manually…

Suddenly there are ghostly white shapes all around and a man screams, and the deep grinding voices blot out human speech.

60 INT BASE – GENERATOR LEVEL

Running for his life, a man comes out of the generator room. As he runs, an overhead pipe bursts suddenly, drenching the man with water which instantly freezes, encasing him in ice. The water itself freezes into a gigantic icicle.

61 WAR ROOM

In utter silence, everyone listens horrified to the sounds issuing from Willard’s radio…screams, the deep grinding voices, then another explosion. The radio goes dead.

DODONNA

WILLARD

That explains This is why the creatures have been so quiet since that first attack. They were making planning a concerted effort to drive us off their world completely.

WILLARD

Well, it They’ve succeeded very well. Without power and an air supply… With no power and no air, we won’t survive long.

People are running past the room outside, onto the hangar deck. A MAN runs in. the vanguard of people fleeing the terror below. A MAN comes in unceremoniously, shouting panicky.

MAN

The water pipes are bursting. The water’s freezing everything…people freezing right where they stand. water freezing everything..people The lower levels are filling up with ice. And those creatures…they’re everywhere.

WILLARD

Get on to your evacuation area.

(to OFFICER)

Pass the order…immediate evacuation. clear the base, immediately.

He turns to Dodonna and Leia and the senior officers.

WILLARD

Now we have to make a decision. Do we evacuate to the surface and try to find some way of combating these beasts …these…I don’t know what to call them, mere beasts would be incapable of doing what they’ve done, and they’re certainly not human…or shall we bow to them and abandon the base entirely?

Luke, who has been sitting quietly in his corner, with an increasingly strange look on his face as if he listens to something far away, now speaks up.

LUKE

Leia. Leia, tell them to go. Now.

They stare at him, and Leia puts her hand out to him.

LEIA

Why, Luke? What is it?

61 (cont.)

LUKE

I can’t explain it. I just feel…danger. Dark. Reaching…

DODONNA

(not unkindly)

I’m afraid This is too big a decision to be made on the basis of a hunch. We….

The radio comes alive abruptly, a man’s voice sharp with panic.

MAN’S VOICE

(on radio)

Condition Red! Condition Red! Does anyone read me?

WILLARD

(into radio)

Commander Willard here.

62 INT BASE – UPPER RADAR INSTALLATION

In one of the hollowed-out ice towers of the castle, two RADAR TECHNICIANS stare at a screen. The screen shows a large number of unmistakable blips. One of the men has the radio.

RADAR MAN

Sir, this is Radar Installation Six. Operating on power-pack. Our screen shows ships approaching…attack formation…a whole fleet, heading straight for us.

63 THE WAR ROOM INTERCUT with Willard in the war room.

A wave of shock has gone around the room as this news penetrates. White-faced, Willard asks a question.

WILLARD

How long do we have?

RADAR MAN

Estimate…no more than contact in twenty minutes before contact.

63 INT WAR ROOM

Leia looks at Luke, who shakes his head as if not quite believing it. Willard puts down the radio. Dodonna is already barking orders to subordinates.

DODONNA

Find out how many guns we’ve got operative up there. Tell the crews to hold We’ll hold out as long as we can to cover the evacuation. And get those people moving!

An OFFICER comes up.

OFFICER

Sir, shall I scramble the fighters?

DODONNA

No. We can’t stop to pick them up. And there’s no point in wasting good men. We’re going to lose enough as it is.

Willard has gone to Leia.

WILLARD

Princess, you must go now, at once.

LEIA

Wait a minute. Luke…in case of evacuation, you and Artoo and Threepio were supposed to go with Han, weren’t you.

LUKE

Yeah…we were all kind of extra personnel.

LEIA

Well, you can’t now do that now.

WILLARD

And I’m afraid some of the ‘droids will have to be left behind.

A shudder goes through Threepio, and Artoo whistles plaintively.

LUKE

(fiercely)

Not these two. Unless you want to leave me with them.

LEIA

My spacer will hold five if Artoo doesn’t mind being crowded a little.

Artoo indicates that he won’t mind it at all. Threepio all but faints.

THREEPIO

[Missing]

63 (cont.)

LEIA

(looks around)

Sedge!

A PILOT in a flying suit shoulders his way to Leia, and salutes.

LEIA

Oh, there you are. Let’s go. I’ve got to warn Han…he must get away.

They all move out of the war room, into the increasing tumult and confusion beyond.

64 INT BASE – THIRD LEVEL

The group hurrying toward the hangar deck.

LEIA

Luke, how did you know that You couldn’t have known the fleet was coming.

LUKE

I didn’t. It’s crazy…what I felt was like the Force, but…The dark side of the Force. That’s what Ben called it.

LEIA

Darth Vader.

LUKE

Could be. We knew he’d been picked Could be. We know he was picked up by an Imperial ship after the Death Star blew up. I guess Hey, you’ve got to get away. If he takes you again…

LEIA

Han’s more important than I am right now, and…look there!

65 INT BASE – THE HANGAR DECK

In the distance the Falcon stands in the bright pool of its lights. Han and Chewbacca, with welding equipment, are working on one of the after lifting vanes. Leia runs

CONTINUED

65 (cont.)

toward the Falcon.

LUKE

(to Threepio)

Help Sedge get Artoo into the spacer.

(starts after Leia)

SEDGE

I can manage. There’s a magnetic lift hoist right over there. But there’s no power to open bays. See if you can operate the manual controls.

The Falcon Leia’s spacer, much smaller than the Falcon, is in another bay, across from the Falcon one where the Falcon is. Men are already straining to open the doors of the Falcon’s bay these doors. Reluctantly, Luke looks after Leia and goes with Threepio in the opposite direction. The two of them begin to heave on the manual controls wheel, which resists.

66 INT BASE – SERIES OF QUICK SHOTS

Men with battery-powered loud-hailers run along the corridors.

MEN WITH LOUD-HAILERS

Condition Red! All personnel to evacuation areas! Move!

And the people are moving. running through the corridors, swarming up ladders. Bodies lie about here and there.

MAN WITH LOUD-HAILER

Get to your evacuation areas!

He turns a corner and skids to a halt, staring in horror. The people in the corridor ahead are frozen, encased in ice. Huge icicles depend from the pipes. The man turns to run. The pipe overhead ruptures and he too is frozen.

67 THE HANGAR DECK

At the Falcon. Han and Leia are shouting at each other.

HAN

Imperial fleet or not, we can’t fly until we get this fixed.

LEIA

Well, hurry up!

67 EXT BASE – DAY

On the snow-plain in front of the ice-castle, Imperial ships land. The transports disgorge great tank-type crawlers and armored troopers. Gun-emplacements in the upper castle open up. The tank guns fire back. Troops and tanks attack the ice-castle.

68 INT BASE – THE HANGAR

The rumblings and shocks of heavy gunfire are transmitted from above. Men and women pour into the hangar deck, into the ships. Loud-hailers bellow.

69 THE FALCON

Leia, hugging herself with cold and impatience, watches Han and Chewie.

LEIA

Aren’t you finished yet. I could do better with a needle and thread.

70 LUKE AND THREEPIO

In the opposite bay. They’re still wrenching at the wheel, the bay doors have begun to open. Luke is looking nervously at the Falcon. The pilot, Sedge, has just finished lifting Artoo into the spacer with a magnetic hoist.

LUKE

THREEPIO

Is it very cold here, Master Luke? This mechanism appears to be partly frozen.

LUKE

No wonder. So am I. It’s cold. There…I think it’ll go now. Threepio, go and get the Princess Leia.

Threepio sets off. The pilot begins to back the hoist away. Luke heaves on the door, looking after Threepio, who disappears into the crowd.

71 EXT BASE – DAY

Imperial troops and tanks hammer at the ice castle. Tank guns and castle guns carry out a vicious duel. Casualties mount on both sides. Part of the ice castle collapses, shattered by cannon-fire.

72 INT BASE

Quick SHOTS of corridors collapsing, people running to escape.

73 THE HANGAR DECK

At the Falcon. Threepio runs up to Leia. Chunks of ice begin to fall from the roof. People are struck, injured, killed.

THREEPIO

Princess Leia! Master Luke says to come now.

LEIA

Just a minute!

(to Han and Chewie)

Hurry!

HAN

We’re doing our best. Why don’t you just get out?

Threepio tries to protect Leia from falling ice. Water

74 THE HANGAR DECK

74 THE ROOF

CAMERA ponders for a moment on the network of pipes.

75 SEDGE

In another part of the bay, he has parked the lift out of the way and is climbing down to return to the spacer when a pipe overhead bursts and he is frozen in the act. of

76 LUKE

He sees this, horrified. The bay is open now.

LUKE

Sedge…

He begins to run toward the Falcon. As he

76 77

Luke fights his way toward the Falcon. He sees Han and Chewie jump down at last, their repairs completed. He runs toward them, They and Leia and Threepio.

LEIA

LUKE

Leia!

Another overhead pipe lets go, spurting water in a curtain between him and the Falcon. Some people are caught and frozen. Han snatches Leia out of the way, but Threepio is frozen in a thin casing of ice by the edge of the spray.

CONTINUED

77 (cont.)

Luke halts, cut off. Dimly he can see Han thrust Leia up the steps into the Falcon. Chewie picks up the rigid Threepio and carries him after. The hatch slams shut.

78 EXT BASE – DAY

The battle continues. Imperial troops are forcing an entrance.

79 THE HANGAR DECK

The Falcon takes off through the bay doors. Luke runs for Leia’s spacer, as more of the ceiling falls in.

80 INT COCKPIT – SPACER

Luke Artoo is beeping wildly as Luke straps himself into the pilot’s seat and scans the controls.

LUKE

Chewie took him Threepio into the Falcon. I think he’ll be all right. Quiet down. I’ve got to figure these controls.

He figures them quickly and starts punching buttons.

81 THE HANGAR DECK

The spacer takes off.

82 INT SPACER – IN SPACE

Luke is dropping the ice-planet behind him as fast as he can…which is very fast indeed.

LUKE

(into helmet mike)

Han Falcon, do you read me?

83 INT. FALCON – IN SPACE

Han and Chewbacca at the controls. Leia looks out of a port. The frozen Threepio reposes stiffly where Chewie put him. He is beginning to drip.

HAN

Yeah, Luke. You okay?

LUKE

Off like a skyrocket. This thing really [Missing]

83 (cont,)

HAN

All healthy.

LUKE’S VOICE

(on radio)

Threepio?

HAN

He’ll be all right when he thaws. He (sic) already beginning to drip.

LEIA

Now that’s all settled, we’d better move. Look there.

84 HER POV

Imperial ships are rising from the planet, pursuing the ships which are taking off, including the Falcon.

85 INT FALCON

Han and Chewie see the ships and Chewie growls.

HAN

(into radio)

‘Ware ships, kid. How’ll we find you again?

86 INT SPACER – IN SPACE

LUKE

Never mind that now…just go! Out.

He cracks on more speed.

87 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

HAN

Hang on!

He pours on the coal. Leia, hanging on, watches the distant ships through the port.

LEIA

Can’t you go into hyper-space?

HAN

Not till we get farther out. There’s a thing called gravity. There’s also a thing called [Missing]

87 (cont.)

LEIA

Well, there’s also a thing called an Imperial destroyer, and it seems to be coming our way.

88 INT SPACER – DAY

Luke is nursing every last ounce of speed out of the fighter. Artoo beeps a questioning note.

LUKE

If you’re asking where we’re going, little friend, I don’t know yet. At least we don’t seem to have anybody on our tail.

89 IN SPACE

The spacer screams (figuratively) streaking through space at tremendous speed.

90 INT BASE

Darth Vader stands amid the shambles of the base, speaking to an unhappy-looking officer.

OFFICER

We haven’t found him among the prisoners, Lord Vader. Unless he’s buried in one of the tunnels…

DARTH VADER

No. He lives. Leave me, you incompetent idiot.

The officer is glad to scuttle away. Darth Vader stands and the pattern of his breathing changes.

DARTH VADER

(very softly)

Luke Skywalker.

91 INT SPACER – IN SPACE

Luke shakes his head. It is suddenly difficult for him to breathe.

LUKE

What’s the matter? I can’t breathe…

(checks the oxygen system)

Continued

91 (cont.)

He checks the oxygen system.

LUKE

(cont.)

No malfunction…

(his face changes; realization, horror)

No. No, I won’t. I won’t…!

But inexorably he is losing consciousness. With the last of his strength he unholsters the light saber; desperately he releases the crystal.

LUKE

Artoo…

He sags in the harness, unconscious…or dead? Artoo extends an auxiliary arm and picks up the crystal, beeping and whistling the while in a general tone of, “Why does everything happen to me?” and, “Humans are the oddest contraptions.” Placing the crystal in the slot, he punches out some coordinates on the little navigational computer and then flips a toggle.

92 IN SPACE

The spacer vanishes, into hyper-space, leaving only a brief flicker behind.

93 INT BASE –

Darth Vader relaxes.

DARTH VADER

Good bye, Luke Skywalker.

He turns and stalks from the room.

DISSOLVE TO

94 IN SPACE

The Falcon racing through space. Some distance behind it, a much larger ship is closing fast.

95 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

LEIA

There’s an Imperial destroyer closing on us.

The Falcon lurches as a shot from the destroyer bursts astern.

HAN

[Missing]

87 (sic) (cont.)

LEIA

Can’t you go into hyper-space?

Another blast rocks the ship. Han takes evasive action.

HAN

Need a destination. Can’t jump blind, and They must have I can’t take you to Ovan Marekal. Marekal’s out unless you want to stay Weren’t you given a rendezvous point for your group? I can drop you there and go on.

Leia pulls a cord from around her neck; a small metal cylinder container like a locket depends from it.

LEIA

Yes. Just a minute. These things have to be opened right the right way –

HAN

I know. They’re anti-personnel bombs in case they get into the wrong hands.

(taking evasive action as the destroyer closes in)

Don’t blow it but don’t fiddle around, either.

LEIA

Here it is.

She extracts a metal strip chip to and She starts to give it to (sic) Han when a near miss, or a glancing hit, almost throws the Falcon over. Red lights glow on the panel.

HAN

Just a second too late, Princess. That one shook the teeth {Some corrections} out of our overdrive generator. Keep her going, Chewie! I’ll see what I can do.

He crowds back past Leia toward the generator hatch, passing Threepio on the way; he is the ‘droid is still encased in ice but visibly dripping. Muffled sounds come from Threepio’s voice box, but Han ignores them. He disappears down the through the hatch while the Falcon dances and leaps wildly. Leia clings close to Chewbacca, who is outdoing himself as a pilot.

88 IN SPACE – RUNNING BATTLE – FALCON AND DESTROYER

The Falcon darts and swerves as the larger and faster destroyer inexorably overhauls it. Bolts of energy from the destroyer’s guns burst brightly.

89 INT FALCON – LEIA AND CHEWBACCA

LEIA

What’s he doing down there?

Chewbacca makes a series of grunts and growls growling noises, as if wishing that Han would get the lead out of his spanners. On the other hand, if the damage is too severe…

LEIA

What if he can’t fix it?

Again the Falcon leaps and yaws. Chewie grunts.

LEIA

Even I can understand that.

90 IN SPACE – RUNNING BATTLE – FALCON AND DESTROYER

The destroyer pressing hard after the Falcon. Her time is running out.

91 INT FALCON

Threepio is moaning and muttering through the ice, unintelligibly, as his still partially-rigid body is thrown about. Leia is still with Chewie. There is a particularly violent lurch, and Chewie’s grumblings indicate that accompanied by an anxious look around at the fabric of the ship, mean that the ship won’t hold together too much longer. Suddenly, on the board panel, the red lights go off. Chewie growls insistently at turns demandingly to Leia, talking a blue streak, holding out one paw urgently. She hesitates, then hands him the metal strip metal chip. He thrusts it into the computer. Han emerges from the hatch just as Chewie slams in the overdrive.

HAN

Okay, let’s go!

Chewie slams in the overdrive. The blazing stars become streaks of light as they go into hyperspace the Falcon makes the jump into hyperspace. It’s suddenly quiet.

HAN

Chewie…just supposing that that had been a false reading on the panel, and I hadn’t really finished the repairs?

Chewie gives the Wookie equivalent of a shrug.

HAN

Yeah. I guess you’re right.

continued

91 (cont.)

Shaken by the suddenness swiftness and violence of everything that has happened, and the abrupt cessation, for the moment anyway, of danger, everybody relaxes undergoes a reaction. Han sinks down in the pilot chair.

HAN

(to Chewie)

Nice going.

Leia sinks down in the cabin.

LEIA

Nice going for both of you. For a while there, I didn’t think…What is it, Threepio?

He is still making muffled noises. Leia goes to him and with her fingers cracks the mask of ice covering his face.

THREEPIO

Oh, that’s much better. Thank you, Princess Leia. Do you think it would be too great an annoyance if I were to ask for some a little bit of oil, before my joints rust to prevent my joints rusting?

FADE OUT

FADE IN

92 EXT BOG PLANET – DAY

This is an eerie place, full of drifting mists and the distorted shapes of trees and undergrowth clawing upward out of mud and stagnant stagnant water. There are pools, lakes, bogs. Bubbles of marsh gas rise and burst with plopping noises. Things slither and gubble (sic) through the mud, flap with weird screamings through the murky air.

An object appears in the sky.

93 EXT BOG PLANET – SKY AND LAKE POND

In the sky above a fair sized pond, or lake, an object appears, moving swiftly…Leia’s spacer.

94 INT SPACER – DAY

Luke is still comatose. Artoo is flying the spacer, making noises both irritable and doubtful; this is not his job, and he’s making a botch of it. Obviously he’s coming in too fast.

95 EXT BOG PLANET POND – DAY

The spacer comes in for a crash landing in the pond. There is a mighty splash.

96 INT SPACER – DAY

Luke starts up, still dazed but roused by the shock. The spacer is volplaning (sic) forward on momentum, sinking as it goes.

LUKE

What the…What’re you doing, Artoo?

Artoo beeps and whistles furiously. The spacer, scudding forward, piles onto a muddy beach and comes to a jarring halt. It settles comes to a jarring halt with its nose buried in a mudbank. It settles gently into the water, remaining in its upper half remaining clear. Artoo cuts the power.

LUKE

That was a great landing. What happened to me? Where are we?

Artoo beeps and produces the crystal. Luke takes it.

LUKE

You brought me here? And I’ve been out ever since. Artoo, I owe you an apology. Hadn’t been for you…

He gropes about for the light saber.

96 (cont.)

LUKE

Doesn’t look like much. Let’s go see.

He rises and staggers back to the hatch.

97 EXT BOG PLANET SPACER AND POND – DAY

The hatch opens. Luke falls into the water and starts to flounders ashore. Artoo appears in the hatch. He beeps, then steps forward and disappears with a splash into the water.

LUKE

Artoo!

He starts to go back. But a small periscope appears above the water, turns till it gets a fix on him, then moves steadily through the water. as the submerged Artoo trundles toward him we watch the periscope

98 ARTOO

We watch the periscope as the submerged ‘droid trundles toward the muddy beach. Artoo emerges, retracting the periscope. He swivels stands besides Luke’s prostrate form looks around for Luke, then moves to stand beside a prostrate body; Luke has passed out again. Artoo bubbles electronic profanity and ejects a stream of muddy water.

DISSOLVE TO

99 CLOSE SHOT – DAY LUKE

On Luke’s face as he lies on the muddy ground. There is a shadow across it. He stirs and opens his eyes, blinks upwards.

100 LUKE’S POV

A darkish blur is hanging over him…something watching him.

101 LUKE

LUKE

Artoo?

He strives for a clearer focus.

102 LUKE’S POV

The dark blur wavers, then begins to clear. A strange face peers down

102 (cont.)

peers down at him…wizened, froglike, totally unhuman, with with eyes that show a curious bright, intent eyes that show a curious mixture of intelligence and what could be madness. Luke yells. CAMERA PULLS BACK TO A WIDER ANGLE as he flounders away from the creature in fear.

LUKE

Artoo!

Artoo is nearby. He beeps placidly irritably and the froglike creature, which is quite small and has a shiny slippery-looking skin, laughs at him.

MINCH

Skywalker. Skywalker. And why do you walk my sky do you come to walk my sky, with the sword of a Jedi knight?

LUKE

(astounded)

How do you know my…? How is it you speak my… Who are you?

MINCH

My name, or part of it, is Minch. As for the language, I’ve always been ugly by your standards, but I haven’t always been old. I’ve travelled the starways in my time. And your name…that was easy.

He points to Luke’s communications belt.

LUKE

My communications belt. ID. All right, Minch. What do you know about the Jedi knights?

MINCH

I knew them.

LUKE

(brightening)

You served them?

MINCH

(with an odd smile)

Yes, I served them. I served them well. I remember another Skywalker.

LUKE

My father. Did you know Ben…Obi-Wan Kenobi…

(a wave of weakness comes over him; he finishes [Missing]

102 (cont.)

MINCH

You need food…and a certain [unreadable] restoratives. You’ve had a close brush with the Force…the wrong side of it.

(he hops away)

LUKE

Wait! Why do you say that?

MINCH

I can smell it.

He disappears into the muddy, misty swamp-growth.

LUKE

(to Artoo)

I remember now. Just before I passed out, I felt…but this is weird. He couldn’t know. He’s just guessing, or making it up, trying to impress me.

Artoo makes a sour comment. He doesn’t like Minch.

DISSOLVE TO

103 CLOSE SHOT – DAY

On a wooden bowl in Luke’s hands. There is a wooden spoon. The bowl is filled with a highly unappetizing-looking mess.

LUKE’S VOICE

What is this glop?

MINCH’S VOICE

Better eat it, Skywalker.

104 LUKE, MINCH, ARTOO

LUKE

If I do, it’ll come right up again.

MINCH

It’s all there is on this world. So unless you mean to fly away…

(Luke looks sadly at the half-sunk spacer. Minch laughs)

Obi-Wan Kenobi ate it…he and all the other boys young ones who came here to learn to be knights.

LUKE

Then this was a training center! Is anyone left? Anyone who can [Missing]

104 (cont.)

MINCH

(with mocking amusement)

Eat, Skywalker. Eat, and dream. And when you feel strong enough, you’d better wade out and find an oil-can for your bad-tempered friend. This climate eats ‘droids.

Artoo makes a rude noise. Minch hops away, laughing.

LUKE

Crazy little… Well, how can you blame him, living in a place like this?

(looks at the bowl and steels himself)

I wonder if Ben was ever really here?

He raises a spoonful to his mouth, hesitates, shuts his eyes, forces the stuff in, and swallows.

LUKE

It’s not too bad, really, if you just don’t look at it.

DISSOLVE TO

105 IN SPACE INT FALCON – IN HYPERSPACE

Chewie is in the cockpit. In the cabin, Han Solo and Leia are playing the three-dimensional chess game, or what you prefer. Threepio sits quietly in the background. Han is watching Leia closely; she seems distracted, occupied with thoughts of her own which she is finding disturbing. She makes a misplay, and Han shakes his head.

HAN

Your mind’s not on it, Princess.

LEIA

I guess it isn’t. We’re almost there, aren’t we?

(she rises and moves around the cabin)

HAN

Yeah. We’ll have you at your rendezvous point and among friends in no time. You don’t seem too happy about it.

LEIA

Perhaps it’s a mistake to have an interlude of peace and quiet like this. You lose your fighting pitch…begin to think about other things…

105 (cont.)

HAN

Worried about Luke?

LEIA

Naturally.

THREEPIO

I, too, Mr. Solo. And Artoo. I do hope they’re all right.

HAN

(to Leia)

But that’s not the whole story, is it?

Chewie barks from the cockpit.

LEIA

I think Chewbacca wants you.

HAN

Mm. Time to go sublight.

(rising, he puts his hand gently on her shoulder)

Leia…if you think I’m going to enjoy leaving you behind, not knowing if I’ll ever see you again, you’re wrong.

He goes into the cockpit. Leia looks after him briefly, then looks down at her hands locked very tightly in her lap.

DISSOLVE TO

106 IN SPACE

The blackness of space, the glory of stars. There is a wink and a shimmer as the spatial fabric is disturbed and Falcon drops out of hyper-space.

107 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

Han and Chewie in the cockpit. Leia is close behind them still sits in the cabin, with Threepio.

HAN

Deflector screens up. Good. Okay, Chewie, that’s it. Now we get a Get me a fix on the star.

THREEPIO

CONTINUED

107 (cont.)

Chewbacca growls suddenly and points to the tracking screen.

THREEPIO

No matter how many times I do it, going in and out of jump makes all my circuits simply leap with shock.

HAN

(looking into screen)

You want a really good shock?

Leia rouses up, the warrior princess again, and joins Han.

LEIA

What?

HAN

Look there.

LEIA

Empire ships?

HAN

Do we have a fleet in this area?

LEIA

No. But how did they find out…?

An imperious voice suddenly speaks over the cockpit radio.

VOICE

Imperial cruiser Darkason. Identify yourself.

HAN

(improvising swiftly)

Deep-space trader Verrill, out of Terrix, Empire Sector Seven.

VOICE

Maintain constant speed, Verrill. Prepare for boarding. We’re coming alongside.

HAN

Yes, sir.

Motioning the others to caution, Han yanks a locket identical to Leia’s from his neck and gingerly opens it.

LEIA

(whispering)

What are you doing?

HAN

Continued

107 (cont.)

HAN

We need a new destination, real quick. They gave me a rendezvous point, too, before this Marekal mission came up. See what it is.

He extracts the metal chip, places it in the nav computer, and looks disgusted.

HAN

Same as yours.

Chewie grunts and indicates the radar screen.

108 IN SPACE

An Imperial cruiser, a great ominous shape against the stars, approaches the much-smaller Falcon, still some distance away.

109 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

VOICE ON RADIO

Screens down, Verrill.

HAN

Yes, sir. Right away.

(to others)

Well, here we go again. Hang on.

He punches hits the control board and Falcon takes off in a screaming (figuratively speaking) streaking curve away from the cruiser.

110 IN SPACE

As Falcon speeds away. In a moment Much more slowly, the cruiser alters course to pursue, and begins firing.

111 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

Han is taking evasive action, the Falcon bouncing and swerving as bolts from the cruiser burst nearby. Leia and Threepio are hanging on. Chewbacca is operating a scanner, grumbling.

HAN

(plaintively, to Leia)

I remember how peaceful things used to be when I was just a low-down rotten smuggler, involved with people like Jabba the Hut, who might try to kill me, but it was on a kind of person-

(cont.)

111 (cont.)

HAN (cont.)

to-person level. I could handle it. But since I’ve been treading the straight-and-narrow…

(a particularly violent shock interrupts him)

I mean. Entire fleets thrown at me? I’m giving away too much weight!

112 IN SPACE – THE CRUISER

From open bays, fighters are being launched from the cruiser. They outspeed the larger ship in pursuit of the Falcon.

113 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

LEIA

They’re dropping fighters now.

Chewie says something, pointing to the scanner. Han looks.

HAN

What would I do without you, my hairy friend?

Again he hits the controls, and Falcon darts away on a new course.

HAN

(to Leia)

An asteroid swarm. Must be a million of ‘em. Try and find a place to hide.

LEIA

Isn’t that dangerous?

HAN

You think it’s safe out here?

Change of course and a very near miss dump Leia on the deck, to make his point very thoroughly.

114 IN SPACE – THE ASTEROID SWARM THE RADAR SCREEN

A swarm of glittering points of light.

115 THE ASTEROID SWARM

The shattered fragments of some nameless world lighted by a distant sun (the one the Falcon was [unreadable]), still travelling in company, bound by gravitational attraction. Some are the size of pebbles rocks, some of large buildings, some as large great as little planets. They range in size from rocks to big planetoids. The Falcon plunges toward the swarm, out- [Missing]

116 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

Leia is manning the turret gun, firing in erratic bursts.

HAN

Getting Hitting anything, Princess?

LEIA

No, they’re still too far away. But maybe I’m slowing them down a little.

HAN

We’ll be inside the swarm in a minute. That’ll make their radars useless.

LEIA

But they can still pick up the heat and ionization stream from our drive.

HAN

That’s why I have to find a place to roost…and quick.

The edge of the asteroid swarm rushes past the forward port.

HAN

All right, Chewie. Here we go.

Chewie roars.

117 THE ASTEROID SWARM

The Falcon threads its way into the swarm. Deflector screens ward off the small ones. Pilot skill evades the large ones. It is a very hairy trip.

Imperial fighters follow.

118 INT FALCON

Leia has left the gun and is watching speechless as asteroids blunder by, them seeming to miss the Falcon by a hair’s breadth. Astern, doggedly, a couple of fighters still follow. One of them is struck collides with a LEIA small asteroid and there is an annihilating burst of flame. A thing the size of the Empire State Building bears down on Falcon; Chewie sees it and roars. Han evades by a cat’s whisker; beyond the large asteroid a second burst of flame is seen as the other fighter collides.

THREEPIO

I do think Artoo will miss me, don’t you?

DISSOLVE TO

119 EXT BOG PLANET – DAY

Luke, with Artoo giving unintelligible advice, is setting up a light but very strong collapsible hoist on the mudbank where by the spacer; it is complete with cable, a small motor and powerpack. Minch hovers about, watching. Luke is quite himself again physically, but very bitter and downcast with disappointment.

LUKE

Found this in the ship. I guess it’s standard emergency equipment for spacers of this class.

MINCH

In a hurry to leave, Skywalker?

LUKE

(bitterly)

As soon as I can.

MINCH

Haven’t I fed you, brought you back to health?

LUKE

You have, and I thank you. But there’s nothing for me here. Ben was the last of the Jedi knights. There’s no one left to teach.

MINCH

Suppose I told you that I taught Obi-Wan Kenobi?

LUKE

I’d say that you were lonesome and wanted trying to con me so you can have someone to talk to. Don’t you have any people? All right, Artoo. Start the motor.

He has made the grapple fast on the nose of the spacer. Artoo starts the motor. The winch drum turns, taking up the slack.

MINCH

We’re a solitary folk. Probably why we haven’t killed each other off. Not coming, is she?

She isn’t. She’s stuck, hard and fast.

LUKE

You really did a good job, Artoo. We may be here for the rest of our lives. Try again. Gently…don’t snap the cable!

CONTINUED

119 (cont.)

The spacer remains firmly stuck.

MINCH

Why don’t you use the Force to help you?

LUKE

The Force! I’ll never learn to use it now.

MINCH

Won’t hurt you to try. Open your mind to it, boy…

LUKE

(startled)

You sounded almost like old Ben. All right, I’ll try. But it won’t work.

He faces the spacer and concentrates. Minch has dropped behind him.

120 MINCH

He watches Luke, his strange face both cunning and abstracted. His eyes glow. He seems to grow in stature.

121 THE SPACER

Reluctantly, it sucks free of the mud, rises, and slides onto the bank, the winch chugging merrily. Luke walks over and stares at it while Artoo whistles triumphantly and kills the motor.

LUKE

It did work! It did!

Minch, having regained his normal appearance, hops up and peers at the spacer.

MINCH

Told you it was worth trying. Trouble with you, Skywalker, you’re too impatient and too easily discouraged. Both diseases of faith. From the looks of that hull, you’re you’ll going to be around here for a while yet.

LUKE

Mm. Okay, Artoo. Let’s see how much damage we’ve got.

They converge on the spacer while Minch watches, grinning.

DISSOLVE TO

122 IN SPACE – THE ASTEROID SWARM

Moving through space, lighted by the distant sun as they turn. Everything seems peaceful…except for the cruiser hovering above.

123 PLANETOID

One of the larger masses. What appears to be a shadow on its surface becomes a cave as we move in closer.

124 INT PLANETOID CAVE – IN SPACE

The Millennium Falcon nestles comfortably in the wide, flat cave, gun-ports closed so that no light escapes. It is invisible, as is the cave, except at very close range.

125 INT FALCON

Lights are on Cabin lighting is at a minimum. Falcon is like a sub hiding on the bottom, powered down. Only the life-support system is functioning, and a small worklight in the cockpit where Chewie is working on some of the electronic gear. Threepio is with him, but is looking into the cabin. Typical old gossip, he nudges Chewie in the ribs with his elbow and points. Chewie turns to look. In the cabin, Han and Leia are in a close embrace.

126 HAN AND LEIA

He holds her tight, kissing her. She is reciprocates. Then, as if coming to her senses, she pulls back and half raises her hand.

HAN

You’re not going to do that again, Princess!

(she turns from him)

(he studies her)

Are you in love with Luke?

LEIA

I’m not in love with anybody, and I don’t want to be! You’re forgetting something. Since we don’t know where the other secret rendezvous points are, we have to think of somewhere we can go…

HAN

We’re not going anywhere as long as that cruiser’s up there. In the meantime…

127 THE CRUISER – IN SPACE

The bays open, the fighters drop and flash in toward the asteroid swarm.

128 INT FALCON

Han has moved in on Leia again.

HAN

We’re two people, alone in the immensity of space…

(stops, shakes his head)

No, no, hold it. That’s too much even for me.

Leia suddenly doubles up with laughter.

LEIA

It’s a great line, Han, and well-polished with use.

HAN

No. Matter of fact, you’re the only woman who’s ever flown in Falcon. Trouble is, I can’t make seem to make anything sound convincing. Leia…

129 THE ASTEROID SWARM

The fighters dart and wheel among the asteroids; more cautiously this time since they’re not pursuing. Methodically they fire and drop bombs shining pellets that explode with considerable violence against the larger asteroids…silently, of course.

130 INT FALCON

There is no outside atmosphere to carry sound, but the Falcon shudders and the air inside picks up a dull booming. Things rattle and quake.

HAN

They’re still just quartering, trying to shake us out.

(he and Leia sit down)

Mind if I hold your hand?

LEIA

Why? Are you frightened?

CONTINUED

130 (cont.)

HAN

You bet I am. Aren’t you?

They sit together, holding hands, while the booming and shaking go on. Chewie gives a disgusted grunt and returns to his work. Threepio sighs audibly.

131 THE ASTEROID SWARM

The fighters move on in their charted path, pounding away.

DISSOLVE TO

132 EXT BOG PLANET – DAY

Artoo The spacer is partly suspended by the hoist. Artoo works away at repairing the hull. From time to time he looks around at Luke and Minch, and beeps softly but sarcastically.

Luke is practicing with the light-saber. Minch capers nearby in an about, jeering at him.

MINCH

Skywalker! Farmboy! That’s not an axe to chop your wood with.

LUKE

There was precious little wood on Tattooine to chop.

MINCH

Nor it’s not a sickle, either, to reap your grain. Lightness, Skywalker! Grace. Speed. Skill. That was how the Jedi knights used the saber. not like a

Artoo practically snorts. He moves farther in under the hull.

LUKE

I suppose you had a lot of chance to watch them.

MINCH

Yes, I did. I did indeed.

LUKE

You know, Minch, I’m going to be so glad…

Whatever he was going to say is cut short by a sudden burst of shrill whistling from Artoo. The note of urgency spins Luke around. The hull has shifted and Artoo is in trouble, pinned beneath. Luke deactivates the saber and puts it down on a [Missing]

132 (cont.)

Minch goes to the stump, looks at the saber with strange pride and affection. He puts out a tentative hand.

Luke starts the hoist motor and lifts the spacer a bit higher. He manages to tilt the hull a bit enough to free Artoo, who comes waddling out from under doing the ‘droid equivalent of breathing hard.

LUKE

You all right?

Artoo lets go a string of sounds that might mean, “I think so. Checking circuitry now.”

LUKE

Well, be more careful, will you?

He turns and sees Minch. Minch has the saber now, activated, and is flourishing it. Luke yells.

LUKE

Hey! Put that down!

He runs back to Minch to take the saber away from him, but Minch holds him off with it, and Luke is afraid of being killed.

MINCH

You want to watch the swordplay of the Jedi knights? Very well, young Skywalker. Stand and I’ll show you.

He moves quickly away from Luke. In a voice quite unlike his usual one, a voice of dignity and power, he calls out.

MINCH

In the name of the Force By the Force I call you!

Luke gasps. Suddenly Ben is there…Obi-Wan Kenobi, with a saber in his hand. He is there, but not quite; the swamp woods are partially visible through him.

LUKE

Ben! Is it really…

BEN

It is. Stand clear, Luke, and watch.

He brings the saber to the formal salute. So does Minch. They begin a fencing match which develops into a thing of breathtaking skill and beauty…and Minch is clearly the superior. His skill with the light-blade is dazzling. Luke watches, still not quite believing. At last Ben breaks off,

CONTINUED

132 (cont.)

brings his saber again to the salute and deactivates it. He bows to Minch.

BEN

The victor, as always.

Minch smiles, salutes, and deactivates his saber.

BEN

(to Luke)

Minch was my teacher. He was a Jedi knight, one of the best of them. We came from many worlds, each with our special talents.

LUKE

And you did this because otherwise I’d never have believed him.

(ashamed)

I’m sorry. Ben, there are so many things I want to ask you questions –

BEN

When you’re able to call me here yourself, I’ll come and talk to you. But I must warn you of one thing, Luke. Darth Vader believes you dead. But as you learn to control use the Force and use it, he’ll find you again. And he’ll do his best to destroy you.

LUKE

But…why? I’m nobody.

BEN

He senses in you the same potential I did…though from the other side.

LUKE

I don’t understand.

BEN

Be careful, Luke.

LUKE

Ben!

But Ben has gone. Minch comes up to him and salutes with the hilt of the deactivated saber, then holds it out to Luke.

MINCH

Your saber, young Jedi.

(he produces his own from a hiding place nearby and activates it)

Now shall we get to work?

133 IN THE ASTEROID SWARM

The fighters are pursuing their methodical shake-down bombing and strafing.

134 INT FALCON

Again the shaking, rattling, and muffled booming.

LEIA

One accidental hit and we’re done. I don’t know how much more of this I can take….

HAN

They’ll get tired of it; figure we’re dead, or somehow managed to slip away. As soon as they quit, we’ll go.

LEIA

Yes, but where?

HAN

I’ll think of someplace. Don’t worry.

Over in the far corner of the cabin, a game forgotten between them, Chewie and Threepio sweat through the attack and watch Han and Leia. Han takes her in his arms.

LEIA HAN

Leia…

LEIA

You’re trying to make me say what I don’t want to say. Han, if we live through this, there’ll still be your mission, and mine. We may never see each other again.

HAN

Will not saying that you love me make that any easier?

LEIA

(after a moment)

I guess not.

HAN

Then why waste what little time we have? You do, don’t you?

Leia sighs…what’s the use of denying it? It shows, unmistakably. She kisses him. The kiss is interrupted by a large hairy paw shaking Han.

CONTINUED

134 (cont.)

HAN

What is it, Chewie?

Chewie growls and rumbles, gesticulating.

HAN

All right. All right. You’re bored with this, you don’t want to hang around while I…

(to Leia)

Wookie is sometimes difficult to translate.

(to Chewie)

I will think, Chewie. I will think very hard, of a place we can go to be safe from the Empire. And any time we haven’t had a raid for two days, we’ll get going. Okay?

Chewie nods and goes grumbling back to Threepio. Leia laughs.

LEIA

He makes a great chaperone.

HAN

Oh, forget him.

(listens)

I think they’ve gone on.

They kiss again. Over in the corner Chewie and Threepio watch.

THREEPIO

I’ve never been able to understand the pleasure human beings get from placing their mouths together.

LEIA

O, Han…

She begins to weep, hugging him closer, burying her face against him.

THREEPIO

They And they seem to get so much an equal amount of sorrow from it as well. {very confusing} Sometimes I’m thankful that I’m not a human, or… being or an —

(looks at Chewie, who is daring him to say it)

Well, that I am what I am. Your move, I believe?

DISSOLVE TO

135 EXT MINCH’S HOUSE – THE BOG PLANET – DAY

The house, scaled to Minch’s size, sits on a hummock on the swamp. It’s a small gem, beautifully constructed of reeds rather in the fashion of the Marsh Arabs.

136 INT MINCH’S HOUSE – DAY

It is spotlessly clean. The floor is covered with reed mats. Various exotic items hang on the walls, mementos of Minch’s years as a Jedi. Luke sits on the floor…even so, the roof is close over his head…listening to Minch, who crouches on a small bed.

MINCH

For the novice, the body must be comfortable, neither hungry not overfed, neither hot nor cold. You must not be sleepy or tired, and your mind must be clear.

(Luke nods; Minch assumes a posture of intense concentration)

Very well. Close Shut your eyes if you like. Let your mind go free. I’ll help you as much as I can. Reach out with it. Reach for the Force…the Force that runs between the stars, between the galaxies. The Force that lights the suns, and sparks the life in all of us…tree and fish, bird and animal, man and creatures such as I surrounds all living things. Reach for it, Luke. Reach…

LUKE

(whispers)

I’m trying.

CUT TO

137 EXT DARTH VADER’S CASTLE

A grim castle of black iron that squats on a rock in the midst of a crimson sea.

138 INT DARTH VADER’S CASTLE

In a tower room, grim and darkling, lighted by the red glow outside. Vader is at home, at ease. He has companions; several small gargoyles that perch or caper on the massive furniture. He is feeding them tid-bits from a golden bowl, enjoying their ugliness and their greed. Abruptly he stiffens. He sweeps the gargoyles aside and stands up, his fists on the table. The gargoyles skitter away, fightened (sic).

139 INT MINCH’S HOUSE – DAY

Minch and Luke. Luke’s face glistens with sweat. Minch is staring at him in amazement.

LUKE

I think… I think…

140 INT DARTH VADER’S CASTLE

Darth Vader, feeling the disturbance in the Force, knowing it can only derive from one source, hurls his own dark power against Luke.

141 INT MINCH’S HOUSE – DAY

Luke, in semi-trance, shows signs of distress.

LUKE

Dark. Dark.

Minch is instantly alert.

MINCH

Come back, Luke.

But Luke straightens and something unfamiliar comes into his face. When he speaks his voice is harsh and deep, and he is not speaking to Minch but to someone far away.

LUKE

No! Fight. Dark…with dark!

Minch, frightened, bends all his efforts to bring Luke

142 INT DARTH VADER’S CASTLE

The gargoyles cower. Darth Vader recoils as if from a blow. And then he laughs, AS IF HE HAS DISCOVERED something that bodes no good for Luke.

143 INT MINCH’S HOUSE – DAY

Minch, frightened, bends every effort to call Luke back.

MINCH

Luke!

Luke’s eyes open and he looks dazedly around at Minch.

LUKE

Darth Vader knows Touched me struck at me. And I felt…power. I struck back.

MINCH

The dark side of the Force. You must never use it, Luke.

143 (cont.)

LUKE

Why not?

MINCH

It’ll destroy you, as it destroyed Darth Vader. Luke, you’re in greater danger than I realized. Even untrained, you’re far more powerful than I, more far more powerful than Obi-Wan. I was trying to show you the way, and you outran me. You don’t just touch the Force, you rend it. You tear it. No wonder Darth Vader knew.

LUKE

(taking this in)

But why should that be dangerous? I mean, to be strong?

MINCH

The more strength, the greater the temptation. Skywalker, if your ship could fly, I’d order you off my world right now. You’re too great a burden.

144 INT DARTH VADER’S CASTLE

Darth Vader has sat down, lost in thought, and the small gargoyles are taking courage, coming back to him. Abruptly a communications device shrills a summons. He rises and goes to it, flips a switch. The screen comes to life. The man revealed is draped and hooded in cloth-of-gold, so that we cannot see his face, but the figure is instinct (sic) with power and Darth Vadar (sic) bows before it.

DARTH VADER

Your Imperial Majesty Highness.

The voice that speaks is silken and deadly as a strangler’s cord.

EMPEROR

You are aware of the disturbance in the Force?

DARTH VADER

I am.

EMPEROR

Then you know that Skywalker is not dead. And he is more dangerous than [unreadable] I had realized. Remove him this time, Lord Vader… Or I shall remove you.

Darth Vader bows. The screen goes blank. Vader turns away. From his posture and the rhythm of his breathing, he is in a rage because he is afraid of the Emperor.

CONTINUED

144 (cont.)

angry because of his fear of the emperor. He knocks the golden bowl off the table with a mighty clang, and once more the gargoyles cower.

DISSOLVE TO

145 INT FALCON THE ASTEROID SWARM

It looks peaceful and deserted.

146 INT FALCON

Han is pacing up and down the cabin, deep in thought, while the others watch.

HAN

Trouble is, the places I know are just not suitable for leaving Princesses in. If nothing else, they’re full of people characters who’d sell you to the Empire for the price of a drink. Need a place that’s safe for you, somebody dependable to…

(scowls)

Hey, Maybe I’ve got it. Chewie, you remember Lando Kadar?

(Chewie does)

We used to be friends years ago. I think his family were refugees from the Clone Wars. Anyway, he was kicking around and we flew some…well, trips together.

LEIA

You mean he was a smuggler?

HAN

But an honest one. And the last time I saw him, he’d gone respectable on a world gone called Hoth. Chewie and I visited him dropped in on him once. Lando’s all right. Lando’s the man.

LEIA

How does he stand on the Empire?

HAN

Never had any more politics than a frog.

Han goes to the cockpit and consults the computer.

HAN

Hoth. Hoth. What are Need the coordinates for Hoth.

He waits for the readout, then begins to set it up on the console. Chewie and Leia join him.

145 (cont.)

LEIA

Are we going now?

HAN

I said, when we had two clear days with nobody shooting at us.

(Chewie says something)

I know they may be sitting out there standing off, waiting for us to do just this. But we can’t sit here forever, wondering.

He begins to flip switches. Chewie slips into the copilot’s seat. Leia goes back to the cabin, looking apprehensive. Threepio somehow manages to display extreme nervousness. The Falcon throbs to life.

HAN

Okay. Here we go!

146 EXT THE FALCON

As it lifts and moves out of the asteroid cave.

147 THE FALCON

Threading its way as swiftly as possible through the swarm.

148 THE ASTEROID SWARM AND ADJACENT SPACE

Falcon comes clear of the swarm and speeds away. Immediately, Imperial fighters which have been stooging (sic) around the swarm hoping for something to come out of it, begin to converge.

149 SHOTS OF FIGHTERS

Still at a distance, but having sighted their quarry, closing in. The cruiser hovers at a in b.g.

150 INT FALCON – IN SPACE

Han and Chewie pouring on the coal.

HAN

Yep…there they are. Figured if they stopped making a noise we’d poke our heads out.

(makes an insolent gesture at the enemy)

Sorry, friends, but this time we really are in a hurry. Chewie…!

151 IN SPACE

Th