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46 EXT
SPACE - DEATH STAR AND ENDOR 46 A Super
Star Destroyer and several ships of the Imperial Fleet rest in
space above the half-completed Death Star and its green neighbor,
Endor. Four squads of TIE fighters escort an Imperial shuttle
toward the Death Star. 47 INT
DEATH STAR - CORRIDOR TO DOCKING BAY 47 Lord
Vader strides down the hallway, accompanied by a very nervous
Death Star commander. 48 INT
DOCKING BAY - DEATH STAR 48 Thousands
of Imperial troops in tight formation fill the mammoth docking
bay. Vader and the officer walk to the landing platform, where
the shuttle is coming to rest. The
shuttle's ramp lowers and the Emperor's Royal Guards come out and
create a lethal perimeter. The assembled troops move to rigid attention
with a momentous SNAP. Then, in
the huge SILENCE which follows, the EMPEROR appears. He is a
rather small, shriveled old man. His bent frame slowly makes its way
down the ramp with the aid of a gnarled cane. He wears a hooded
cloak similar to the one Ben wears, except that it is black.
The Emperor's face is shrouded and difficult to see, except
for his piercing yellow eyes. Commander Jerjerrod and Darth
Vader kneel to him. The Supreme Ruler of the galaxy beckons to the
Dark Lord. EMPEROR
(to Vader) Rise, my
friend. Vader
rises and falls in next to the Emperor as he slowly makes his way
along the rows of troops. Jerjerrod and the other commanders
stay kneeling until the Supreme Ruler and Vader, followed
by several Imperial dignitaries, pass by; only then do they
join in the procession. VADER The
Death Star will be completed on schedule. EMPEROR You have
done well, Lord Vader. And now I sense
you wish to continue your search for young
Skywalker. VADER Yes, my
Master. EMPEROR Patience,
my friend. In time he will seek you out. And
when he does, you must bring him before
me. He has grown strong. Only together can we
turn him to the dark side of the Force. VADER As you
wish. EMPEROR Everything
is proceeding as I have foreseen. He
laughs to himself as they pass along the vast line of Imperial troops. 49 EXT
YODA'S HOUSE - DAGOBAH 49 Once
again, Artoo finds himself waiting around in the damp environs
of the swamp planet, and he's none too happy about it. He beeps
disconsolately to himself and turns to look at Yoda's cottage.
Warm yellow light escapes the oddly shaped windows to fight
the gloom. 50 INT
YODA'S HOUSE 50 The tip
of a walking stick taps hesitantly across the earthen floor of
the cottage. Our view travels up the stick to the small green
hand that clutches it, and then to the familiar face of YODA,
THE JEDI MASTER. His manner is frail, and his voice, though cheerful,
seems weaker. YODA Hmm.
That face you make. Look I so old to young
eyes? Luke is
sitting in a corner of the cramped space and, indeed, his look has
been woeful. Caught, he tries to hide it. LUKE No... of
course not. YODA
(tickled, chuckles) I do,
yes, I do! Sick have I become. Old and weak.
(Points a crooked finger) When nine hundred
years old you reach, look as good you will
not. Hmm? Yoda
chuckles at this, coughs, and hobbles over toward his bed. YODA Soon
will I rest. Yes, forever sleep. Earned it, I
have. Yoda
sits himself on his bed, with great effort. LUKE Master
Yoda, you can't die. YODA Strong
am I with the Force... but not that strong!
Twilight is upon me and soon night must
fall. That is the way of things ... the way of
the Force. LUKE But I
need your help. I've come back to complete
the training. YODA No more
training do you require. Already know you that
which you need. Yoda
sighs, and lies back on his bed. LUKE Then I
am a Jedi? YODA
(shakes his head) Ohhh.
Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must
confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you
be. And confront him you will. Luke is
in agony. He is silent for a long moment, screwing up his courage.
Finally he is able to ask. LUKE Master
Yoda... is Darth Vader my father? Yoda's
eyes are full of weariness and compassion. An odd, sad smile
creases his face. He turns painfully on his side, away from Luke. YODA Mmm...
rest I need. Yes... rest. Luke
watches him, each moment an eternity. LUKE Yoda, I
must know. YODA Your
father he is. Luke
reacts as if cut. YODA Told
you, did he? LUKE Yes. A new
look of concern crosses Yoda's face. He closes his eyes. YODA Unexpected
this is, and unfortunate... LUKE Unfortunate
that I know the truth? Yoda
opens his eyes again and studies the youth. YODA
(gathering all his strength) No.
Unfortunate that you rushed to face him...
that incomplete was your training. Not ready
for the burden were you. LUKE Well,
I'm sorry. YODA Remember,
a Jedi's strength flows from the Force.
But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark
side are they. Once you start down the dark
path, forever will it dominate your destiny. He
beckons the young Jedi closer to him. YODA Luke...Luke...Do
not...Do not underestimate the
powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father's
fate, you will. Luke, when gone am I (cough),
the last of the Jedi will you be. Luke,
the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on
what you have learned, Luke... (with great
effort) There is... another...Sky...Sky...walker. He
catches his breath. A shiver runs through the ancient green creature,
and he dies. Luke stares at his dead master as he disappears
in front of his eyes. 51 EXT
DAGOBAH SWAMP - X-WING 51 Luke
wanders back to where his ship is sitting. Artoo beeps a greeting,
but is ignored by his depressed master. Luke kneels down,
begins to help Artoo with the ship, then stops and shakes his head
dejectedly. LUKE I can't
do it, Artoo. I can't go on alone. BEN (OS) Yoda
will always be with you. Luke
looks up to see the shimmering image of BEN KENOBI. LUKE Obi-Wan!
Why didn't you tell me? The
ghost of Ben Kenobi approaches him through the swamp. LUKE You told
me Vader betrayed and murdered my father. BEN You
father was seduced by the dark side of the
Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and
became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good
man who was your father was destroyed.
So what I have told you was true...
from a certain point of view. LUKE
(turning away, derisive) A
certain point of view! BEN Luke,
you're going to find that many of the truths
we cling to depend greatly on our own point of
view. Luke is
unresponsive. Ben studies him in silence for a moment. BEN I don't
blame you for being angry. If I was wrong in
what I did, it certainly wouldn't have
been for the first time. You see, what happened
to your father was my fault. Ben
pauses sadly. BEN Anakin
was a good friend. Luke
turns with interest at this. As Ben speaks, Luke settles on a stump,
mesmerized. Artoo comes over to offer his comforting presence. BEN When I
first knew him, your father was already
a great pilot. But I was amazed how strongly
the Force was with him. I took it upon
myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought
that I could instruct him just as well as
Yoda. I was wrong. My pride has had
terrible consequences for the galaxy. Luke is
entranced. LUKE There's
still good in him. BEN I also
thought he could be turned back to the good
side. It couldn't be done. He is more machine
now than man. Twisted and evil. LUKE I can't
do it, Ben. BEN You
cannot escape your destiny. LUKE I tried
to stop him once. I couldn't do it. BEN Vader
humbled you when first you met him, Luke...but
that experience was part of your training.
It taught you, among other things, the
value of patience. Had you not been so impatient
to defeat Vader then, you could have
finished your training here with Yoda. You
would have been prepared. LUKE But I
had to help my friends. BEN
(grinning at Luke's indignation) And did
you help them? It was they who had to save
you. You achieved little by rushing back prematurely,
I fear. LUKE
(with sadness) I found
out Darth Vader was my father. BEN To be a
Jedi, Luke, you must confront and then go
beyond the dark side - the side your father
couldn't get past. Impatience is the
easiest door - for you, like your father. Only,
your father was seduced by what he found on
the other side of the door, and you have
held firm. You're no longer so reckless now,
Luke. You are strong and patient. And now, you
must face Darth Vader again! LUKE I can't
kill my own father. BEN Then the
Emperor has already won. You were our only
hope. LUKE Yoda
spoke of another. BEN The
other he spoke of is your twin sister. LUKE But I
have no sister. BEN Hmm. To
protect you both from the Emperor, you were
hidden from your father when you were
born. The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin
were to have any offspring, they would be a
threat to him. That is the reason why your
sister remains safely anonymous. LUKE Leia!
Leia's my sister. BEN Your
insight serves you well. Bury your feelings
deep down, Luke. They do you credit. But they
could be made to serve the Emperor. Luke
looks into the distance, trying to comprehend all this. BEN
(continuing his narrative) When
your father left, he didn't know your mother
was pregnant. Your mother and I knew he would
find out eventually, but we wanted to keep
you both as safe as possible, for as long as
possible. So I took you to live with my
brother Owen on Tatooine... and your mother took
Leia to live as the daughter of Senator Organa, on
Alderaan. Luke
turns, and settles near Ben to hear the tale. BEN
(attempting to give solace with his words) The
Organa household was high-born and politically
quite powerful in that system. Leia
became a princess by virtue of lineage...
no one knew she'd been adopted, of course.
But it was a title without real power,
since Alderaan had long been a democracy.
Even so, the family continued to be
politically powerful, and Leia, following in her
foster father's path, became a senator as well.
That's not all she became, of course...
she became the leader of her cell in the
Alliance against the corrupt Empire. And
because she had diplomatic immunity, she was a
vital link for getting information to the
Rebel cause. That's what she was doing when her
path crossed yours... for her foster parents
had always told her to contact me on Tatooine,
if her troubles became desperate. Luke is
overwhelmed by the truth, and is suddenly protective of his
sister. LUKE But you
can't let her get involved now, Ben. Vader
will destroy her. BEN She
hasn't been trained in the ways of the Jedi the
way you have, Luke ... but the Force is
strong with her, as it is with all of your family.
There is no avoiding the battle. You must
face and destroy Vader! 52 EXT
SPACE - REBEL FLEET 52 The vast
Rebel Fleet stretches as far as the eye can see. Overhead
a dozen small Corellian battleships fly in formation. Fighters
and battlecruisers surround the largest of the Rebel Star
Cruisers, the HEADQUARTERS FRIGATE. 53 INT
HEADQUARTERS FRIGATE - MAIN BRIEFING ROOM 53 Hundreds
of Rebel commanders of all races and forms are assembled in the
WAR ROOM. WEDGE is among them. In the center of the room is a
holographic model depicting the half-completed Imperial Death
Star, the nearby Moon of Endor, and the protecting deflector
shield. MON
MOTHMA, the leader of the Alliance, enters the room. She is a stern
but beautiful woman in her fifties. Conferring with her are several
military leaders, including GENERAL MADINE and ADMIRAL ACKBAR
(a salmon-colored Mon Calamari). Lando moves through the crowd
until he finds Han and Chewie, standing next to Leia and the two
droids. Han
peers at Lando's new insignia on his chest, and is amused. HAN Well,
look at you, a general, huh? LANDO Oh,
well, someone must have told them about my
little maneuver at the battle of Taanab. HAN
(sarcastic) Well,
don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a
fair pilot. I didn't know they were lookin'
for somebody to lead this crazy attack. LANDO
(smiling) I'm
surprised they didn't ask you to do it. HAN Well,
who says they didn't. But I ain't
crazy. You're the respectable one,
remember? Mon
Mothma signals for attention, and the room falls silent. MON
MOTHMA The
Emperor has made a critical error and the time for
our attack has come. This
causes a stir. Mon Mothma turns to a holographic model of the
Death Star, the Endor moon and the protecting deflector shield
in the center of the room. MON
MOTHMA The data
brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints
the exact location of the Emperor's new
battle station. We also know that the weapon
systems of this Death Star are not yet operational.
With the Imperial Fleet spread throughout
the galaxy in a vain effort to engage
us, it is relatively unprotected. But most
important of all, we've learned that the Emperor
himself is personally overseeing the final
stages of the construction of this Death
Star. A volley
of spirited chatter erupts from the crowd. Han turns to Leia as
Chewie barks his amazement. MON
MOTHMA (cont) Many
Bothans died to bring us this information.
Admiral Ackbar, please. Admiral
Ackbar steps forward and points to the Death Star's force field
and the Moon of Endor. ACKBAR You can
see here the Death Star orbiting the forest
Moon of Endor. Although the weapon systems
on this Death Star are not yet operational,
the Death Star does have a strong
defense mechanism. It is protected by an
energy shield, which is generated from the nearby
forest Moon of Endor. The shield must be
deactivated if any attack is to be attempted.
Once the shield is down, our cruisers
will create a perimeter, while the fighters
fly into the superstructure and attempt
to knock out the main reactor. There's
a concerned murmur. ACKBAR
(cont) General
Calrissian has volunteered to lead the
fighter attack Han
turns to Lando with a look of respect. HAN Good
luck. Lando
nods his thanks. HAN You're
gonna need it. ACKBAR General
Madine. Madine
moves center stage. GENERAL
MADINE We have
stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised
as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial
code, a strike team will land on the moon and
deactivate the shield generator. The
assembly begins to mumble among themselves. THREEPIO Sounds
dangerous. LEIA (to
Han) I wonder
who they found to pull that off. GENERAL
MADINE General
Solo, is your strike team assembled? Leia,
startled, looks up at Han, surprise changing to admiration. HAN Uh, my
team's ready. I don't have a command crew for
the shuttle. Chewbacca
raises his hairy paw and volunteers. Han looks up at him. HAN Well,
it's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak
for you. Chewie
waves that off with a huge GROWL. HAN
(smiles) That's
one. LEIA Uh,
General... count me in. VOICE
(OS) I'm with
you, too! They
turn in that direction and peer into the crowd as there are more
cheers. The commanders part, and there at the back stands Luke.
Han and Leia are surprised and delighted. Leia
moves to Luke and embraces him warmly. She senses a change in him
and looks into his eyes questioningly. LEIA What is
it? LUKE
(hesitant) Ask me
again sometime. Han,
Chewie, and Lando crowd around Luke as the assembly breaks up. HAN Luke. LUKE Hi,
Han... Chewie. Artoo
beeps a singsong observation to a worried Threepio. THREEPIO "Exciting"
is hardly the word I would use. 54 INT
HEADQUARTERS FRIGATE - MAIN DOCKING BAY 54 The
Millennium Falcon rests beyond the stolen IMPERIAL SHUTTLE, which
looks anomalous among all the Rebel ships in the vast docking
bay. Chewie barks a final farewell to Lando and leads Artoo
and Threepio up the shuttle, crowded now with the Rebel strike
team loading weapons and supplies. Lando turns to face Han.
Luke and Leia have said their good-byes and start up the ramp. HAN Look. I
want you to take her. I mean it. Take her. You
need all the help you can get. She's the
fastest ship in the fleet. LANDO All
right, old buddy. You know, I know what she
means to you. I'll take good care of her. She-she
won't get a scratch. All right? HAN
(looks at him warmly) Right. I
got your promise now. Not a scratch. LANDO Look,
would you get going, you pirate. Han and
Lando pause, then exchange salutes. LANDO Good
luck. HAN You,
too. Han goes
up the ramp. Lando watches him go and then slowly turns away. 55 INT
IMPERIAL SHUTTLE - COCKPIT 55 Luke is
working on a back control panel as Han comes in and takes the
pilot's seat. Chewie, in the seat next to him, is trying to figure
out all the Imperial controls. HAN You got
her warmed? LUKE Yeah,
she's comin' up. Chewie
growls a complaint. HAN No. I
don't think the Empire had Wookiees in mind
when they designed her, Chewie. Leia
comes in from the hold and takes her seat near Luke. Chewie
barks and hits some switches. Han's glance has stuck on something
out the window: the Millennium Falcon. Leia nudges him gently. LEIA Hey, are
you awake? HAN Yeah, I
just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not
gonna see her again. Chewie,
hearing this, stops his activity and looks longingly out at the
Falcon, too. Leia puts a hand on Han's shoulder. LEIA
(softly) Come on,
General, let's move. Han
snaps back to life. HAN Right.
Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can
do. Ready, everybody? LUKE All set. THREEPIO Here we
go again. HAN All
right, hang on. 56 EXT
SPACE - THE REBEL FLEET 56 The
stolen Imperial shuttle leaves the main docking bay of the Headquarters
Frigate, lowers its wings into flight position, and zooms
off into space. 57 INT
EMPEROR'S THRONE ROOM 57 The
converted control room is dimly lit, except for a pool of light at
the far end. There the Emperor sits in an elaborate control
chair before a large window which looks out across the half-completed
Death Star to the giant green moon of Endor. Darth
Vader, standing with other members of the Imperial council, cautiously
approaches his master. The ruler's back is to Vader. After
several tense moments, the Emperor's chair rotates around to face
him. VADER What is
thy bidding, my Master? EMPEROR Send the
fleet to the far side of Endor. There it
will stay until called for. VADER What of
the reports of the Rebel fleet massing
near Sullust? EMPEROR It is of
no concern. Soon the Rebellion will be
crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us! Your
work here is finished, my friend. Go out to
the command ship and await my orders. VADER Yes, my
Master. Vader
bows, then turns and exits the throne room as the Emperor walks
toward the waiting council members. 58 EXT
SPACE - DEATH STAR - MOON 58 There is
a great deal of Imperial traffic in the area as construction
proceeds on the Death Star. Transports, TIE fighters,
and a few Star Destroyers move about. Now the huge Super
Star Destroyer announces itself with a low roar and soon fills
the frame. 59 INT
STOLEN IMPERIAL SHUTTLE - COCKPIT 59 Han
looks back at Luke and Leia as Chewie flips several switches. Through
the viewscreen, the Death Star and the huge Super Star Destroyer
can be seen. HAN If they
don't go for this, we're gonna have to get
outta here pretty quick, Chewie. Chewie
growls his agreement. CONTROLLER
(over radio) We have
you on our screen now. Please identify. HAN Shuttle
Tydirium requesting deactivation of the
deflector shield. CONTROLLER
(over radio) Shuttle
Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for
shield passage. HAN Transmission
commencing. Leia and
Chewbacca listen tensely as the sound of a high speed transmission
begins. LEIA Now we
find out if that code is worth the price we
paid. HAN It'll
work. It'll work. Chewie
whines nervously. Luke stares at the Huge Super Star Destroyer
that looms ever larger before them. LUKE Vader's
on that ship. HAN Now
don't get jittery, Luke. There are a lot of
command ships. Keep your distance though, Chewie,
but don't look like you're trying to keep
your distance. Chewie
barks a question. HAN I don't
know. Fly casual. LUKE I'm
endangering the mission. I shouldn't have come. HAN It's
your imagination, kid. Come on. Let's keep a
little optimism here. Chewie
barks his worries as the Super Star Destroyer grows larger out the
window. 60 INT
VADER'S STAR DESTROYER - BRIDGE 60 Lord
Vader stands, back to us, staring out a window at the Death Star.
Now, some vibration felt only by him causes him to turn. After a
moment of stillness, he walks down the row of controllers to where
ADMIRAL PIETT is leaning over the tracking screen of the controller
we've seen earlier. Piett straightens at Vader's approach. VADER Where is
that shuttle going? PIETT
(into comlink) Shuttle
Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination? PILOT
VOICE (HAN)(filtered) Parts
and technical crew for the forest moon. The
Bridge Commander looks to Vader for a reaction. VADER Do they
have a code clearance? PIETT It's an
older code, sir, but it checks out. I was
about to clear them. Vader
looks upward, as he senses Luke's presence. PIETT Shall I
hold them? VADER No.
Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself. PIETT
(surprised) As you
wish, my lord. (to
controller) Carry on. Piett
nods at controller, who switches on his comlink. 61 INT
STOLEN IMPERIAL SHUTTLE - COCKPIT 61 The
group waits tensely. HAN They're
not goin' for it, Chewie. CONTROLLER
(filtered) Shuttle
Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will
commence immediately. Follow your present
course. Everyone
breaths a sigh of relief. Everyone but Luke, who looks worried.
Chewie barks. HAN Okay! I
told you it was gonna work. No problem. 62 EXT
SPACE - STOLEN IMPERIAL SHUTTLE - ENDOR 62 The
stolen Imperial shuttle moves off toward the green Sanctuary Moon. 63 EXT
FOREST LANDING SITE - ENDOR 63 The
stolen Imperial shuttle sits in a clearing of the moon's dark,
primeval forest, dwarfed by the ancient towering trees. On an
adjacent hill, the helmeted Rebel contingent makes its way up a
steep trail. Leia and Han are slightly ahead of Chewie and Luke.
The troops of the strike-team squad follow, with Artoo and Threepio
bringing up the rear. Artoo beeps. Up
ahead, Chewie and Leia reach a crest in the hill and drop suddenly
to the ground, signaling the rest of the group to stop. Han and
Luke crawl up to take a look. THREEPIO Oh, I
told you it was dangerous here. THEIR
POV. Not far below them, two IMPERIAL SCOUTS are wandering through
bushes in the valley below. Their two ROCKET BIKES are parked
nearby. LEIA Shall we
try and go around? HAN It'll
take time. This whole party'll be for nothing
if they see us. Leia
motions for the squad to stay put, then she, Han, Luke and Chewie
start quietly down. 64 EXT
FOREST CLEARING - CAMPSITE 64 The four
friends make their way to the edge of the clearing not far from
the two Imperial scouts. HAN Chewie
and I will take care of this. You stay here. LUKE Quietly,
there might be more of them out there. HAN
(grins) Hey...
it's me. Han and
Chewie turn and start through the bushes toward the scouts.
Luke and Leia exchange smiles. Han
sneaks up behind one of the scouts, steps on a twig and the scout
whirls, knocking Han into a tree. The scout shouts for his companion. SCOUT #1 Go for
help! Go! The
second scout jumps on his speeder bike and takes off, but Chewie
gets off a shot on his crossbow laser weapon, causing the scout to
crash into a tree. Han and Scout #1 are in a rousing fistfight. LUKE
(sarcastic) Great.
Come on. Luke
starts for the scuffle, followed by Leia with her laser pistol
drawn. As they run through the bushes, Leia stops and points
to where two more scouts are sitting on their speeder bikes,
with an unoccupied bike parked nearby. LEIA Over
there! Two more of them! LUKE I see
them. Wait, Leia! But Leia
doesn't hear him and races for the remaining speeder bike.
She starts it up and takes off as Luke jumps on the bike behind
her. LUKE
(pointing to the controls) Quick!
Jam their comlink. Center switch! Luke and
Leia speed into the dense foliage in hot pursuit, barely avoiding
two huge trees. HAN Hey,
wait! Ahhh! He flips
the remaining scout to the ground. 65 EXT
FOREST - THE BIKE CHASE 65 The two
fleeing Imperial scouts have a good lead as Luke and Leia pursue
through the giant trees at 200 miles an hour, the fire from
their bike's laser cannon hitting harmlessly near the moving targets. LUKE Move
closer! Leia
guns it, closing the gap, as the two scouts recklessly veer through
a narrow gap in the trees. One of the bikes SCRAPES a tree,
slowing the scout. LUKE Get
alongside that one! Leia
pulls her speeder bike up so close to the scout's bike that their
steering vanes SCRAPE noisily. Luke leaps from his bike to the back
of the scout's, grabs the Imperial warrior around the neck,
and flips him off the bike, into a thick tree trunk. Luke gains
control of the bike and follows Leia, who has pulled ahead. They
tear off after the remaining scout. LUKE Get him! The
speeding chase passes TWO MORE IMPERIAL SCOUTS. These two swing
into pursuit, chasing Luke and Leia, firing away with their laser
cannon. The two Rebels look behind them just as Luke's bike takes a
glancing hit. LUKE
(indicating the one ahead) Keep on
that one! I'll take these two! With
Leia shooting ahead, Luke suddenly slams his steering vanes into the
braking mode. Luke's bike is a blur to the two pursuing scouts
as they zip by him on either side. Luke slams his bike into
forward and starts firing away, having switched places with his
pursuers in a manner of seconds. Luke's aim is good and one scout's
bike is blasted out of control. It explodes against a tree
trunk. The
scout's cohort takes one glance back at the flash and shifts into
turbo drive, going even faster. Luke keeps on his tail. FAR
AHEAD, Leia and the first scout are doing a highspeed slalom through
the death-dealing trunks. Now Leia aims her bike skyward and
rises out of sight. The
scout turns in confusion, unable to see his pursuer. Suddenly,
Leia dives down upon him from above, cannon blasting. The
scout's bike takes a glancing hit. Leia
moves in alongside him. The scout eyes her beside him, reaches
down, and pulls out a handgun. Before Leia can react, the scout
has blasted her bike, sending it out of control. Leia dives off as
her bike explodes against a tree. The happy scout looks back at
the explosion. But when he turns forward again, he is on a
collision course with a giant fallen tree. He hits his brakes to no
avail and disappears in a conflagration. ANOTHER
PART OF THE FOREST: Luke and the last remaining scout continue
their weaving chase through the trees. Now Luke moves up close.
The scout responds by slamming his bike into Luke's. A fallen
tree forms a bridge across their path. The scout zips under.
Luke goes over the top and crashes his bike down on the scout's.
Both riders look ahead - a wide trunk looms directly in Luke's
path, but the scout's bike beside him makes it almost impossible
for him to avoid it. Luke banks with all his might, leaning
almost horizontal over the scout's bike, and is able to make it
by, just clipping the tree. When he straightens, he and the
scout discover that their two bikes have locked front vanes and are
moving as one. Another
big tree looms in Luke's path. He reacts instinctively and
dives off his bike. The two bikes come apart a second before Luke's
explodes against a tree. The scout sweeps out and circles back to
find Luke. Luke
rises from the undergrowth as the scout bears down on him and
opens fire with his laser cannon. Luke ignites his laser sword
and begins deflecting the bolts. The scout's bike keeps coming
and it appears that in a second it will cut Luke in half. At the
last instant, Luke steps aside and chops off the bike's control
vanes with one mighty slash. The scout's bike begins to shudder,
then, pitching and rolling, it rises up to slam directly into a
tree in a giant ball of fire. 66 EXT
SCOUT CAMPSITE - FOREST 66 Han,
Chewie, and the droids, along with the rest of the squad, wait
anxiously in the clearing. Artoo's radar screen sticks out of his
domed head and revolves, scanning the forest. He beeps. THREEPIO Oh,
General Solo, somebody's coming. Oh! Han,
Chewie, and the rest of the squad raise their weapons. Luke
steps out of the foliage to find the weapons trained on him. He's too
tired to care. He plops himself down on a boulder and looks
around. HAN Luke!
Where's Leia? LUKE
(concerned) What? She
didn't come back? HAN I
thought she was with you. LUKE We got
separated. Luke and
Han exchange a silent, grim look. Luke gets up wearily. LUKE Hey, we
better go look for her. Han
nods, and signals to a Rebel officer. HAN Take the
squad ahead. We'll meet at the shield
generator at 0300. LUKE Come on,
Artoo. We'll need your scanners. Luke,
Chewie, Han, and the droids move off in one direction as the
squad proceeds in another. THREEPIO Don't
worry, Master Luke. We know what to do. They
move off into the woods. THREEPIO
(to Artoo) And you
said it was pretty here. Ugh! 67 EXT
FOREST CLEARING - LEIA'S CRASH SITE 67 A
strange little furry face with huge black eyes comes slowly into
view. The creature is an EWOK, by the name of WICKET. He seems
somewhat puzzled, and prods Leia with a spear. The princess groans;
this frightens the stubby ball of fuzz and he prods her again.
Leia sits up and stares at the three-foot-high Ewok. She tries to
figure out where she is and what has happened. Her clothes
are torn; she's bruised and disheveled. The Ewok
jumps up and grabs a four-foot-long spear, which he holds in
a defensive position. Leia watches him as he circles warily
and begins poking her with the sharp point of the spear. LEIA Cut it
out! She
stands up, and the Ewok quickly backs away. LEIA I'm not
gonna hurt you. Leia
looks around at the dense forest, and at the charred remains of her
speeder bike, then sits down, with a sigh, on a fallen log. LEIA Well,
looks like I'm stuck here. Trouble is, I don't
know where here is. She puts
her head in her hands to rub away some of the soreness from her
fall. She looks over at the watchful little Ewok and pats the
log beside her. LEIA Well,
maybe you can help me. Come on, sit down. Wicket
holds his spear up warily and growls at her like a puppy. Leia
pats the log again. LEIA I
promise I won't hurt you. Now come here. More
growls and squeaks from the little bear creature. LEIA All
right. You want something to eat? She
takes a scrap of food out of her pocket and offers it to him. Wicket
takes a step backward, then cocks his head and moves cautiously
toward Leia, chattering in his squeaky Ewok language. LEIA That's
right. Come on. Hmmm? Sniffing
the food curiously, the Ewok comes toward Leia and sits on the
log beside her. She takes off her helmet, and the little creature
jumps back, startled again. He runs along the log, pointing
his spear at her and chattering a blue streak. Leia holds
out the helmet to him. LEIA Look,
it's a hat. It's not gonna hurt you. Look.
You're a jittery little thing, aren't you? Reassured,
Wicket lowers his spear and climbs back on the log, coming
to investigate the helmet. Suddenly his ears perk up and he
begins to sniff the air. He looks around warily, whispering some
Ewokese warning to Leia. LEIA What is
it? Suddenly
a laser bolt comes out of the foliage and explodes on the log
next to Leia. Leia and Wicket both roll backwards off the log,
hiding behind it. Leia holds her own laser gun ready, while Wicket
disappears underneath the log. Another shot, and still no sight of
anyone in the forest. Then Leia senses something and turns to
find a large IMPERIAL SCOUT standing over her with his weapon
pointed at her head. He reaches out his hand for her weapon. SCOUT #l Freeze!
Come on, get up! She
hands the weapon over, as a second scout emerges from the foliage
in front of the log. SCOUT #1 Go get
your ride and take her back to base. SCOUT #2 Yes,
sir. The
second scout starts toward his bike, as Wicket, crouched under
the log, extends his spear and hits the first scout on the leg. The
scout jumps and lets out an exclamation, and looks down at
Wicket, puzzled. Leia grabs a branch and knocks him out. She dives
for his laser pistol, and the second scout, now on his bike,
takes off. Leia fires away and hits the escaping bike, causing
it to crash into the first scout's bike, which flies end over end
and explodes. The forest is quiet once more. Wicket pokes
his fuzzy head up from behind the log and regards Leia with new
respect. He mumbles his awe. Leia hurries over, looking around
all the time, and motions the chubby little creature into the
dense foliage. LEIA Come on,
let's get outta here. As they
move into the foliage, Wicket takes the lead. He shrieks and tugs
at Leia to follow him. 68 INT
DEATH STAR - CORRIDOR TO EMPEROR'S TOWER 68 Darth
Vader walks down the corridor to the Emperor's Tower and private
elevator. The Emperor's private guard steps in Vader's path. GUARD Halt!
The Emperor does not wish to be disturbed
at the moment. VADER (raising
his gloved hand to the two guards and
choking them with the Force) The
Emperor will see me, now! GUARD (repeating
Vader's command) The
Emperor will see you, now. 69 INT
EMPEROR'S TOWER - THRONE ROOM 69 Two red
Imperial Guards stand watch at the elevator as the door opens to
reveal Vader. Vader enters the eerie, foreboding throne room. It
appears to be empty. His footsteps echo as he approaches the
throne. He waits, absolutely still. The Emperor sits with his back to
the Dark Lord. EMPEROR I told
you to remain on the command ship. VADER A small
Rebel force has penetrated the shield and
landed on Endor. EMPEROR
(no surprise) Yes, I
know. VADER
(after a beat) My son
is with them. EMPEROR
(very cool) Are you
sure? VADER I have
felt him, my Master. EMPEROR Strange,
that I have not. I wonder if your feelings
on this matter are clear, Lord Vader. Vader
knows what is being asked. VADER They are
clear, my Master. EMPEROR Then you
must go to the Sanctuary Moon and wait for
them. VADER
(skeptical) He will
come to me? EMPEROR I have
foreseen it. His compassion for you will be
his undoing. He will come to you and then you
will bring him before me. VADER
(bows) As you
wish. The Dark
Lord strides out of the throne room. 70 EXT
FOREST CLEARING - LEIA'S CRASH SITE 70 Han,
Luke, Chewie, and the two droids are spread out as they move through
the heavy foliage near the clearing where we last saw Leia.
Luke finds Leia's helmet, picks it up with an expression of concern. HAN (OS) Luke!
Luke! Luke
runs with the helmet to where Han has found the charred wreckage
of a speeder bike in the grass. THREEPIO Oh,
Master Luke. LUKE There's
two more wrecked speeders back there. And I
found this. He
tosses the helmet to Han. THREEPIO I'm
afraid that Artoo's sensors can find no trace of
Princess Leia. HAN
(gravely) I hope
she's alright. Chewbacca
growls, sniffing the air, then, with a bark, pushes off through
the foliage. HAN What,
Chewie? What? Chewie! The
others rush to keep up with the giant Wookiee. As he scoots |