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21. MED VAC
EMERGENCY ROOM - UNDERGROUND FORTRESS Captain Starkiller waits in an outer chamber as General
Skywalker rushes into the Med Vac emergency room where several doctors are
working on the prostrate Whitsun. GENERAL What's his condition?
Is he conscious? DOCTOR Partially. He's be
all right - a few bruises, primary exhaustion.... Whitsun thrashes around in a semi-conscious state. He sees the general. GENERAL What happened, boy?
What's going on? WHITSUN (with difficulty) The Imperial Starforce is already on its way, not far
behind me... They're going to attack. GENERAL Are you sure? WHITSUN I have tapes...A giant space fortress.... He struggles to give General Skywalker his ring. GENERAL As big as our Third Moon? WHITSUN Bigger. It's unlike
anything I've ever seen. Sophisticated
deflection systems.... work in opposition to the suns. GENERAL They will show up on our screens at sunrise. They'll attack before that. The general rushes into the outer chamber where Captain
Starkiller is waiting for him. GENERAL Take the fastest landspeeder to Chathos. Pick up Princess Leia... and only Princess Leia.
Return by way of the Great Reef.
Most speed. Starkiller exits and the general goes to an intercom and
pushes several buttons. GENERAL Montross. MONTROSS Sir! GENERAL Full alert....everything!
Get the Royal Family back here. MONTROSS The princess is at Chathos. There are no transports.... GENERAL I've already sent Captain Starkiller for her! Contact the king, first priority. He's probably
still en route to Amsel. Use the scan
com. I'm on my way. 22. WAR ROOM -
UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE The war room is on full alert. Everyone is at attention, waiting for the command that will put them into action. The general enters a communication center, followed by many aides. Captain Montross and the com aide salute. MONTROSS We're having a problem getting through, Sir. There is a great deal of interference. PRUE It could be jamming. GENERAL Try a surface link through Amsel. The aides go back to the com-link system to try to get a
line through to the king. PRUE We should be able to spot them at sunrise....That's not
too far off. GENERAL They'll attack with sunrise. Until the king gives us that code to start
the war computers, we'll just have to sit tight. PRUE All units are on alert, Sir. GENERAL (to Montross) Have you made contact yet? (to himself) This is one hell of a way to run a war. PRUE Sir? 23. COURTYARD -
ACADEMY OF CHATHOS - AQUILAE A landspeeder roars into a courtyard of the Academy at
Chathos. Starkiller jumps out, and runs up to the large, heavy doors of the
academy. They are locked. He bangs
madly on the carved metallic door, until finally an old woman manages to swing it open. Starkiller rushes past her into the main courtyard where Princess Leia and her hand-maiden, Mina,
struggle with two large cases. They
are followed by two very old matrons, dragging several more cases. STARKILLER Forget the cases - we've no time. LEIA These are my things.
They must... STARKILLER I said forget them, and hurry... LEIA Just who do you think you are? Starkiller grabs the princess by the arm, and hauls her
to the speeder. Mina and the old women run after them. LEIA I will not be treated like this! You bring my things.... My father will
have your head... (etc.) Leia struggles to break away from the young warrior's
grasp as he opens the door of the speeder. STARKILLER Settle down! When the door to the speeder is opened, Mina starts in,
and Starkiller stops her. STARKILLER You must stay.
Here, take the Crest. Starkiller rips the royal crest from the princess' neck,
and hands it to the startled handmaiden.
The old women gasp in horror.
The princess starts hitting Starkiller with little result. PRINCESS Mina's not staying...I'm not leaving her. You can't.... Starkiller punches her square on the jaw and knocks her
cold. Mina is panic stricken, one of the old women faints, and another starts
for Starkiller with a large staff. STARKILLER She'll be all right.
I'm taking her to safety...as ordered.
You will wear the crest and continue as before. The authority of Starkiller's voice stops the old
lady. He places the princess into the speeder, and maneuvers it out of the
courtyard. Mina puts on the crest as the speeder races away from the academy. 24. WAR ROOM -
UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE Queen Breha, Biggs and Windy are escorted into a rest
area of the war room. General Skywalker sits rigidly in a chair in the
communications area, apparently asleep. MONTROSS Sir, we've made contact! The general opens his eyes and takes the intercom mike. KAYOS What is it, General? GENERAL The Empire will attack on the rising of the sun. My agent made it back. I now have proof. I
need the war code... KAYOS I'll relay it directly to the computer. Is Breha...? GENERAL The Royal Family is safe.
Starkiller has gone after Princess Leia... KAYOS I'm on my way back. 25. RED PLAINS -
AQUILAE The small caravan of four speeders sits motionless on the
vast red plains of Aquilae. The king
returns the intercom to the pilot and takes a small metallic card from around his neck and gives it to the
co-pilot. KAYOS Send this sub-land, priority one. (to the pilot) Get us back to Calvas immediately! The four speeders turn around and scream away in the
direction they had come. They pass a huge ultrasleek powerplow, planting green
fungus in endless furrows. Two
clay-covered farmers, riding atop the ponderous machine, watch the speeders disappear over the horizon, and into the rising
twin suns. A bright object, twinkling in early morning heavens,
catches the eye of the older of the two farmers, and he brings the machine to a
lumbering halt. The younger farmer also notices the object, and stares
skyward, shading his eyes to get a better view. Suddenly there is a huge, bright atomic flash on the
horizon. A few moments later, a thunderous shaking, followed by high winds,
tumbles the older farmer from his perch. A
second flash on the opposite horizon brings another jolting earthquake, and the younger farmer collapses, terror
frozen on his face. 26. READYROOM -
SPACEPORT OUTPOST - AQUILAE Chaos. Red
scramble lights are flashing. Alert
horns and attack buzzers create an unbelievable cacophony. Air warriors, with the distinctive circle and cross medallion on their white space suits, scramble
out of the low, concrete readyroom, grabbing helmets and spacepacks as
they race out of the door. 27. ATTACK RUNWAY
- SPACEPORT OUTPOST - AQUILAE Twelve pilots and navigators dash in unison to a line of
waiting two-man starships of the destroyer class. Ground crews scurry back and forth, loading last-minute armament, and unlocking power couplings. Pilot Leader, a rugged, handsome boy of twenty, gives his ground crew a signal
that his is okay. He has a winning smile and a distinctive scar along the side
of his face. His crew chief pats him on the back. CHIEF Knock them all the way back to Alderaan. The canopy is closed and the powerful starship moves onto
the runway. Other crewmen say good-bye to their pilots, some grin, some
kidding - all with a great deal of hidden emotion. The din of two dozen retrorockets cuts
through the uproar, and six silver spacecraft leave the runway,
and disappear into the morning cloud cover. 28. WAR ROOM -
UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE The general stands before a giant display of the
Aquilaean solar system. Montross signals the general. MONTROSS They're away, Sir.
Six from Gordon. All other
spaceports were hit. The king hasn't arrived yet. GENERAL Keep checking. Put
those fighters' intercom over the P.A. The general sits at one of the intercom panels, and puts
on a headphone. A row of monitors is before him. He turns to Montross. GENERAL Where are they? 29. SPACE -
AQUILAE IN ECLIPSE The eerie, reddish-yellow planet of Aquilae slowly drifts
into view from total eclipse. A small,
bright speck, orbiting the planet, sparkles in the light of the twin suns. The
six deadly Aquilaean starships settle ominously into the foreground, moving swiftly toward the orbiting
speck. As the sleek starships move closer, the orbiting speck is revealed to be a
gargantuan space fortress. The moon-sized satellite fortress dwarfs the approaching
fighters. Every few moments, explosions create blinding flash on the planet's
surface, as the fortress bombards the planet with a fusillade of laser
bolts. 30. AQUILAEAN
STARSHIP - INTERIOR Pilot Leader, in the first ship, signals to his navigator
who sits in a small, isolated glass bubble to the rear of the craft. General Skywalker is seen on one of many monitors.
A view of the space fortress is on another. The rest are filled with various computer readouts and
displays. One of the other starships reports to Pilot Leader. DEVIL SIX (intercom) Look at the size of that thing! Hey, Bowman, I hope you remembered to bring your pop gun, 'cause I think we caught us a big one this
time.... PILOT LEADER Cut off, Devil Six....Stand by. GENERAL (monitor) It looks like they're still using the basic
quad-tristation configuration. Use a "ranger defense." Concentrate on breath ports and lock areas. PILOT LEADER Affirmative base...Copy and transmit....Devil Two, check
your rotation plates. DEVIL TWO Roger, Boss. We're
getting a threshold disturbance on gyro-three. GENERAL (monitor) Switch over, Five, cover it! ...Devil pack, generate a
spread six formation...May the force of others protect you. PILOT Settle in...Devil pack, stand by. Mark five...break off. Here we go.
God save us all. 31. SPACE -
AQUILAEAN STARSHIP Fuel pods are jettisoned.
The half-dozen fighters break off into a powerline attack on the huge fortress. Multiple laserbolts streak from the
starships, creating small explosions on the complex surface of the
fort. 32. INTERIOR MAIN
CORRIDOR - IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS The chaos of battle echoes through the vast corridors of
the fortress. Walls buckle and cave in, sucking debris and personnel into the
vacuum of outer space. Alarm
sirens scream as soldiers scramble to large turbo-powered laser gun emplacements.
Sergeants yell orders through the smoke and confusion. Men and robots of various shapes and sizes run to their
battle stations. 33. WAR ROOM -
UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE The monitors with pictures from the starships suddenly go
blank. Technicians check channels as others in the war room silently listen
to the action over the intercom. The
general remains calm, but concerned. PILOT LEADER (intercom) Tighten it up... Devil Two, tighten it up. Watch those towers.... DEVIL TWO (CHEWIE) Heavy fire, Boss.
Twenty-three degrees. PILOT LEADER I see it. Pull
in... we're picking up some interference. DEVIL SIX Wow, I've never seen such fire power. PILOT LEADER Pull in, Devil Two...Pull in! Chewie???!! DEVIL TWO (CHEWIE) I'm all right, Boss.
I've got a target. DEVIL SIX There is too much action, Chewie. Get out! PILOT LEADER Break off, Chewie....Acknowledge. Devil Six, can you see Devil Two? DEVIL SIX I've lost him.
There's a very heavy fire zone on this side. My radar's jammed. DEVIL FIVE He's gone....no, wait.
There he is...Fin damage, but he's all right. A sigh of relief sweeps across the war room. The monitors flash on, then off again. DEVIL FOUR (intercom) Watch your back, Boss!
Watch your back!! 34. AQUILAEAN
STARSHIP The speedy little fighters dart back and forth across the
soft underbelly of the fortress, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. PILOT LEADER Converge on south axis point, point three nine four. It appears accessible. I'm going to map the surface. Devil Four, cover me! Pilot Leader and Devil Four dive in unison through a
forest of radar domes, antennae, and gun towers.
Devil Four fires into the protrusions as the two starships criss-cross the surface of the fortress. Suddenly, a dense barrage of laserfire erupts from a tower, catching Devil Four
broadside. The spacecraft bursts into a million flaming pieces. Pilot Leader reacts to the loss of his wing man, but continues on his mission. 35. SUB-HALLWAY -
IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS Constant explosions rock the interior of the
fortress. Civilians, including women and children, scurry for safety in the panic-ridden
hallways. Two construction robots, Artwo Detwo (R2D2) and See Threepio
(C3P0), are blown, slipping and sliding across the hallway floor into some
freight canisters. Both robots are rather old and battered. Artwo is a short, (three feet) claw- armed tri-pod. His
face is a mass of computer lights, surrounding a radar eye. Threepio is a
tall, gleaming android of human proportions.
He is thin, with a totally metallic surface of an Art Deco
design. The robots attempt to get out from under the canisters, but rushing gas from a
broken pipe keeps knocking them over. THREEPIO This is madness; we're going to be destroyed. I'm still not accustomed to space travel. ARTWO The external bombardment does appear to be concentrated
in this area. The structure has exceeded the normal stress quotient by
point four, although there appears to be no immediate danger. THREEPIO No immediate danger!
You're faulty. This is madness! Artwo gives Threepio a sheepish look and clings to a
siderail for dear life, as debris flies through the hallway. 36. AQUILAEAN
STARSHIP Devil Two (Chewie), a young hotshot of about sixteen
years, miraculously dives his ship through a virtual wall of laser fire, and blasts
a huge radar disc into dust. Chewie
signals his navigator, who lets out a whooping cheer, as the craft veers into a victory roll. PILOT LEADER Great moves, Chewie.
Regroup at point two, zero one.
Coincide, Devil Six. GENERAL Mace, your map projection shows a weak point at south
portal: niner point six. Concentrate
the attack on that point. Coordinate. PILOT LEADER I see it... It looks good. Devil Five and Devil Three bob and weave in formation
toward a giant transformer jutting from the fort's surface. DEVIL THREE I've got a... We're hit.
We're hit. PILOT LEADER Eject...Eject.
Babs, Babs, do you read? DEVIL THREE I'm okay. I can
hold it. Clear me a little, Devil
Five... Watch it! Watch it! Devil Three wobbles a little, then drops away sharply,
plowing into a lasergun emplacement, causing a hideous series of chain reaction
explosions. 37. SUB-HALLWAY -
IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS A huge explosion rips a large hole in the ceiling of a
subhallway. Artwo and Threepio are in a state of shock as they scramble through
the rubble. There is a constant sound of creaking and snapping as the
sections of the hallway resettle in the fortress superstructure. ARTWO You're a mindless, useless philosopher... Come on! Let's go back to work; the system is all right. THREEPIO You overweight glob of grease. Quit following me. Get away.
Get away. Suddenly, the hallway lurches, and a dead trooper falls
through a gaping hole in the ceiling.
The foot of the carcass is caught in the rubble and it hangs upside down, staring at the two robots. Artwo grabs Threepio, and they cling to each other in terror. ARTWO We're lost. We're
destroyed. Three sharp blasts from an airhorn send the two androids
running for cover in a burned-out doorway.
Five grim-faced troopers riding small rocket platforms pass the two mechanical men. 38. GOVERNOR'S
QUARTERS - IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS The five troopers race through several hallways, and
finally stop in front of an important looking office complex. Two officers dismount and enter the complex. They pass
through several heavily guarded doorways until they reach the main chamber.
Seated behind a large, cluttered desk surrounded by generals and attaches is Governor Hoedaack. General Vader paces in front of a row of blank monitors.
The two officers salute General Vader. FIRST OFFICER All com-link power is out. Twenty-two transformer sections have been destroyed. The
situation is grave on all southern levels.
Com-link communication should be repaired shortly. The officers salute, turn and leave the chamber. The general turns to Governor Hoedaack, who looks a little worried. VADER Don't look so worried.
Not even a Jedi could penetrate this fortress...We've already wiped out most of their forces. HOEDAACK If it goes on too long, we'll run over budget. When do the landings begin? VADER As soon as the attack has been broken: not long. A short, stocky attache salutes the general. ATTACHE Contamination has set in on quadrants B-5 and R-4. All sections are sealed. We've lost two major power stations in the southern
quadrants. That puts section 5-1 in serious trouble. The general turns away in controlled anger and
embarrassment. 39. WAR ROOM -
UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE The general sits in a glass enclosed computer station,
watching the battle progress on several monitors. An officer enters and salutes the general. OFFICER Analysis reports those ZQ configurations are definitely
power transformers...Everything in the southern sectors of the
fortress is out. GENERAL SKYWALKER I'm surprised they are still using external power
units. It's a definite weak point. Concentrate
on searching for the main crosslink transformer. The officer exits as Montross rushes in. MONTROSS The senate has voted to end the war. GENERAL They can't do anything without the king's approval; which
gives us a little time...Have you been able to regain contact with the
king? MONTROSS No, Sir. All
ground communications are jammed. GENERAL Send four men..from third squad, to meet the king, and
escort him back. Let me know before he arrives. Is Starkiller back with the princess? MONTROSS No, Sir. They're
long overdue. Pilot Leader checks in over the intercom. PILOT LEADER All right, base one, we're in position. An officer with headphones looks to the general. He signals to attack. 40. AQUILAEAN
STARSHIPS All four starships dive in formation toward a main
transformer area, flanked by several solar towers. PILOT LEADER Hold your fire until we're within point zero five four...
Make it count. Several ack-ack lasers begin to open fire on the
approaching spacecraft. The starships direct their fire at a large black transformer,
which when hit, spurts bright blue and white electrical arcs. One of the starships (Devil Five) explodes and careens out of formation, leaving an
erratic trail of smoke, before eventually crashing into a solar panel. 41. SUB-HALLWAYS -
IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS The impact of the exploding starship can be felt throughout
the giant fortress. The
tall, gleaming Threepio races through several corridors, yelling at Artwo, who struggles vainly to e keep pace
with his stubby mechanical feet. THREEPIO ....I don't care what you do, but I'm getting out. All the power's out. Those explosions are coming from the reactor
section. This is the end. Abandon ship. ARTWO Our work - we can't leave! It's desertion. It's not possible. It's not possible. THREEPIO Your programming is so limited. My first order is preservation. You stay. I'm going to eject before the whole thing goes up. Threepio breaks open the seal on an emergency
lifepod. A red warning light begins to flash, and a low hum is heard. The lanky chrome android works his way into the cramped four-man craft. ARTWO These lifepods aren't for us! It's not right! A new explosion, this time very close, sends dust and
debris through the narrow passageway.
Flames lick at the two robots.
The runt-sized Artwo jumps into the lifepod. ARTWO It's the end.
Eject. Eject. The safety door snaps shut, and the pod ejects from the
fortress. 42. AQUILAEAN
STARSHIPS The terrified androids in the lifepod speed away from the
fortress, and pass the attacking starships. DEVIL TWO Object approaching.
Attack bearing... DEVIL FOUR It's a lifepod.
Forget it. We've got... Devil Four is hit by laser fire, and disintegrates,
leaving a trail of flaming particles. The two
remaining craft continue the assault.
Chewie and Pilot Leader watch the remains of Devil Four disappear. The general appears over one of the monitors. GENERAL Analysis indicates transformer code zero three is the
main relay. Hit it, and the whole thing goes dead. PILOT LEADER We're on our way. 43. GOVERNOR'S
QUARTERS - IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS A row of monitors and the main overhead lights go on, and
a trooper appears on one of the screens. TROOPER Internal relays operative. All power restored. All contaminated areas sealed. An officer appears on another monitor. OFFICER Only two enemy craft remain operative. We calculate victory by zero three hundred. General Vader switches to another monitor. VADER Alert the invasion forces. (turning to the governor). The planet is ours. A three hour war.
You expected longer. Jedi or
not, we've beaten him, and the culture is intact. HOEDAACK A truly great prize for the Empire. They have a treasure of biotic science. Genetics, cloning - they've added two-hundred years to a
lifespan. Remember, you must capture at least one member of the Royal Family
alive. The Aquilae family has ruled this system for ten thousand years. The people will follow no other. If the
royal line is broken, there is a good chance the entire population will destroy themselves and their knowledge
before submitting to our rule. The general is interrupted by a call on one of the
monitors. OFFICER (on monitor) We've received a message from the planet.... 44. WAR ROOM -
UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE General Skywalker watches a giant computer display of the
space fortress mapped by the starships.
An aide approaches. AIDE Sir! The king's
convoy has destroyed at Caldin. All
the bodies were contaminated. GENERAL I will audience with the queen.... Who knows of this? AIDE Many. It came
through civilian sources. GENERAL Confine Senator Sandage to his quarters. Use any pretext. Where is the senator now? Sandage and several other senators enter the computer
station. SANDAGE Right here, General...It's over. We've already relayed peace terms to the Empire, and they've been accepted. Your war has ended. The general is angry and stands pointing at the
senators. They jump back, as if the general were pointing a gun at them. GENERAL Senator, this war isn't over. It's just begun. I take my commands from the Royal Family. SANDAGE The queen concurs.
I have her written decree. It
is to be implemented immediately..... I order you to cease the attack. GENERAL Not likely... SANDAGE Treason?
Revolution? The people won't
follow you, General...nor will your troops. I suggest
you follow your orders. General Skywalker stands angrily pondering the
situation. Sandage and the other senators are tense, a little afraid that he might
cut them down on the spot. SANDAGE Well, General? 45. LIFEPOD - SKY
OVER AQUILAE The reddish-yellow mass of Aquilae seems to engulf the
tiny lifepod containing the two fleeing androids. ARTWO It's desertion.
They'll destroy us. How could
this happen? THREEPIO That's funny. The
damage doesn't look as bad from out here. 46. AQUILAEAN
STARSHIPS Pilot Leader and Devil Two make a second dive on the now
smoldering transformer area.
All firing from the fortress suddenly stops. Pilot Leader looks back to his navigator, who is equally puzzled. The two fighters continue to attack the now silent fortress. CHEWIE (DEVIL TWO) I don't get it.
What do you think, Boss? General Skywalker appears on the monitors. GENERAL (with difficulty) Base one to Devil Leader...Scramble code niner. Break your attack, and return to base. Repeat,
break your attack. Confirm. PILOT LEADER They're hurt, Sir, but they still have power. We should finish.... GENERAL Break off. The war
is over. Run on white lights. Get back here, Mace. We're going to need you. |