by George Lucas
EXTERIOR SPACE -- TIE FIGHTER.
The last of the attacking Imperial TIE fighters looms in,
firing upon the Falcon.
INTERIOR MILLENNIUM FALCON -- GUNPORT.
Solo swivels behind his cannon, his aim describing the arc of
the TIE fighter. The fighter comes closer, firing at the
pirateship, but a well-aimed blast from Solo's laser cannon
hits the attacker, which blows up in a small atomic shower of
burning fragments.
LUKE (laughing) That's it! We did it!
The princess jumps up and gives Chewie a congratulatory
hug.
LEIA We did it!
INTERIOR MILLENNIUM FALCON -- PASSAGEWAY.
Threepio lies on the floor of the ship, completely tangled in
the smoking, sparking wires.
THREEPIO Help! I think I'm melting! (to Artoo) This is all your
fault.
Artoo turns his dome from side to side, beeping in
response.
EXTERIOR SPACE -- MILLENNIUM FALCON.
The victorious Millennium Falcon moves off majestically
through space.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR -- CONTROL ROOM.
Darth Vader strides into the control room, where Tarkin is
watching the huge view screen. A sea of stars is before him.
TARKIN Are they away?
VADER They have just made the jump into hyperspace.
TARKIN You're sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship? I'm
taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work.
INTERIOR MILLENNIUM FALCON -- COCKPIT.
Han, removes his gloves and smiling, is at the controls of the
ship. Chewie moves into the aft section to check the damage.
Leia is seated near Han.
HAN Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh? You know, sometimes I even amaze
myself.
LEIA That doesn't sound too hard. Besides, they let us go. It's the
only explanation for the ease of our escape.
HAN Easy...you call that easy?
LEIA Their tracking us!
HAN Not this ship, sister.
Frustrated, Leia shakes her head.
LEIA At least the information in Artoo is still intact.
HAN What's so important? What's he carrying?
LEIA The technical readouts of that battle station. I only hope that
when the data is analyzed, a weakness can be found. It's not over yet!
HAN It is for me, sister! Look, I ain't in this for your revolution,
and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid. I'm in
it for the money!
LEIA You needn't worry about your reward. If money is all that you
love, then that's what you'll receive!
She angrily turns, and as she starts out of the cockpit,
passes Luke coming in.
LEIA Your friend is quite a mercenary. I wonder if he really cares
about anything...or anyone.
LUKE I care!
Luke, shaking his head, sits in the copilot seat. He and
Han stare out at the vast blackness of space.
LUKE So...what do you think of her, Han?
HAN I'm trying not to, kid!
LUKE (under his breath) Good...
HAN Still, she's got a lot of spirit. I don't know, what do you
think? Do you think a princess and a guy like me...
LUKE No!
Luke says it with finality and looks away. Han smiles at
young Luke's jealousy.
EXTERIOR SPACE AROUND FOURTH MOON OF YAVIN.
The battered pirateship drifts into orbit around the planet
Yavin and proceeds to one of its tiny green moons.
EXTERIOR FOURTH MOON OF YAVIN.
The pirateship soars over the dense jungle.
EXTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST.
An alert guard, his laser gun in hand, scans the countryside.
He sets the gun down and looks toward the temple, barely
visible in the foliage.
EXTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- JUNGLE TEMPLE.
Rotting in a forest of gargantuan trees, an ancient temple
lies shrouded in an eerie mist. The air is heavy with the
fantastic cries of unimaginable creatures. Han, Luke and the
others are greeted by the Rebel troops.
Luke and the group ride into the massive temple on an
armored military speeder.
INTERIOR MASSASSI -- MAIN HANGAR DECK.
The military speeder stops in a huge spaceship hangar, set up
in the interior of the crumbling temple. Willard, the
commander of the Rebel forces, rushes up to the group and
gives Leia a big hug. Every one is pleased to see her.
WILLARD (holding Leia) You're safe! We had feared the worst.
Willard composes himself, steps back and bows formally.
WILLARD When we heard about Alderaan, we were afraid that you were...
lost along with your father.
LEIA We don't have time for our sorrows, Commander. The battle
station has surely tracked us here (looking pointedly to Han). It's
the only explanation for the ease of our escape. You must use the
information in this R2 unit to plan the attack. It is our only hope.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
The surface of the Death Star ominously approaches the red
planet Yavin.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR -- CONTROL ROOM.
Grand Moff Tarkin and Lord Vader are interrupted in their
discussion by the buzz of the comlink. Tarkin moves to answer
the call.
TARKIN Yes.
DEATH STAR INTERCOM VOICE We are approaching the planet Yavin. The
Rebel base is on a moon on the far side. We are preparing to orbit the
planet.
EXTERIOR YAVIN -- JUNGLE.
A lone guard stands in a tower high above the Yavin landscape,
surveying the countryside. A mist hangs over the jungle of
twisted green.
INTERIOR MASSASSI -- WAR ROOM BRIEFING AREA.
Dodonna stands before a large electronic wall display. Leia
and several other senators are to one side of the giant
readout. The low-ceilinged room is filled with starpilots,
navigators, and a sprinkling of R2-type robots. Everyone is
listening intently to what Dodonna is saying. Han and
Chewbacca are standing near the back.
DODONNA The battle station is heavily shielded and carries a
firepower greater than half the star fleet. It's defenses are designed
around a direct large-scale assault. A small one-man fighter should be
able to penetrate the outer defense.
Gold Leader, a rough looking man in his early thirties,
stands and addresses Dodonna.
GOLD LEADER Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are snub
fighters going to be against that?
DODONNA Well, the Empire doesn't consider a small one-man fighter to
be any threat, or they'd have a tighter defense. An analysis of the
plans provided by Princess Leia has demonstrated a weakness in the
battle station.
Artoo-Detoo stands next to a similar robot, makes beeping
sounds, and turns his head from right to left.
DODONNA The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver
straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The
target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust
port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the
reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should
destroy the station.
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A murmer of disbelief runs through the room.
DODONNA Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is
ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes.
Luke is sitting next to Wedge Antilles, a hotshot pilot
about sixteen years old.
WEDGE That's impossible, even for a computer.
LUKE It's not impossible. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my
T-sixteen back home. They're not much bigger than two meters.
DODONNA Man your ships! And may the Force be with you!
The group rises and begins to leave.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
The Death Star begins to move around the planet toward the
tiny green moon.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
Tarkin and Vader watch the computer projected screen with
interest, as a circle of lights intertwines around one another
on the screen showing it's position in relation to Yavin and
the forth moon.
DEATH STAR INTERCOM VOICE Orbiting the planet at maximum velocity.
The moon with the Rebel base will be in range in thirty minutes.
VADER This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of
Kenobi and it will soon see the end of the Rebellion.
INTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- MAIN HANGAR DECK.
Luke, Threepio and little Artoo enter the huge spaceship
hangar and hurry along a long line of gleaming spacefighters.
Flight crews rush around loading last-minute armaments and
unlocking power couplings. In an area isolated from this
activity Luke finds Han and Chewbacca loading small boxes onto
an armored speeder.
MAN'S VOICE (over loudspeaker) All flight trooper, man your stations.
All flight troops, man your stations.
Han is deliberately ignoring the activity of the fighter
pilots' preparation. Luke is quite saddened at the sight of
his friend's departure.
LUKE So...you got your reward and you're just leaving then?
HAN That's right, yeah! I got some old debts I've got to pay off with
this stuff. Even if I didn't, you don't think I'd be fool enough to
stick around here, do you? Why don't you come with us? You're pretty
good in a fight. I could use you.
LUKE (getting angry) Come on! Why don't you take a look around? You
know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a
good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them.
HAN What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides,
attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like
suicide.
LUKE All right. Well, take care of yourself, Han. I guess that's
what you're best at, isn't it?
Luke goes off and Han hesitates, then calls to him.
HAN Hey, Luke...may the Force be with you!
Luke turns and sees Han wink at him. Luke lifts his hand in
a small wave and then goes off.
Han turns to Chewie who growls at his captain,
HAN What're you lookin' at? I know what I'm doing.
INTERIOR MAIN HANGAR DECK -- LUKE'S SHIP.
Luke, Leia, and Dodonna meet under a huge space fighter.
LEIA What's wrong?
LUKE Oh, it's Han! I don't know, I really thought he'd change his
mind.
LEIA He's got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him.
LUKE I only wish Ben were here.
Leia gives Luke a little kiss, turns, and goes off. As Luke
heads for his ship, another pilot rushes up to him and grabs
his arm.
BIGGS Luke! I don't believe it! How'd you get here...are you going
out with us?!
LUKE Biggs! Of course, I'll be up there with you! Listen, have I got
some stories to tell...
Red Leader, a rugged handsome man in his forties, comes up
behind Luke and Biggs. He has the confident smile of a born
leader.
RED LEADER Are you...Luke Skywalker? Have you been checked out on the
Incom T-sixty-five?
BIGGS Sir, Luke is the best bushpilot in the outer rim territories.
Red Leader pats Luke on the back as they stop in front of
his fighter.
RED LEADER I met your father once when I was just a boy, he was a
great pilot. You'll do all right. If you've got half of your father's
skill, you'll do better than all right.
LUKE Thank you, sir. I'll try.
Red Leader hurries to his own ship.
BIGGS I've got to get aboard. Listen, you'll tell me your stories
when we come back. All right?
LUKE I told you I'd make it someday, Biggs.
BIGGS (going off) You did, all right. It's going to be like old
times, Luke. We're a couple of shooting stars that'll never be
stopped!
Luke laughs and shakes his head in agreement. He heads for
his ship.
As Luke begins to climb up the ladder into his sleek,
deadly spaceship, the crew chief, who is working on the craft,
points to little Artoo, who is being hoisted into a socket on
the back of the fighter.
CHIEF This R2 unit of your seems a bit beat up. Do you want a new
one?
LUKE Not on your life! That little droid and I have been through a
lot together. (to Artoo) You okay, Artoo?
The crewmen lower Artoo-Detoo into the craft. Now a part of
the exterior shell of the starship, the little droid beeps
that he is fine.
Luke climbs up into the cockpit of his fighter and puts an
his helmet. Threepio looks on from the floor of the massive
hangar as the crewmen secure his little electronic partner
into Luke's X-wing. It's an emotional-filled moment as Artoo
beeps good-bye.
CHIEF Okay, easy she goes!
THREEPIO Hang on tight,Artoo, you've got to come back.
Artoo beeps in agreement.
THREEPIO You wouldn't want my life to get boring, would you?
Artoo whistles his reply.
All final preparations are made for the approaching battle.
The hangar is buzzing with the last minute activity as the
pilots and crewmen alike make their final adjustments. The hum
of activity is occasionally trespassed by the distorted voice
of the loudspeaker issuing commands. Coupling hoses are
disconnected from the ships as they are fueled. Cockpit
shields roll smoothly into place over each pilot. A signalman,
holding red guiding lights, directs the ships. Luke, a trace
of a smile gracing his lips, peers about through his goggles.
BEN'S VOICE Luke, the Force will be with you.
Luke is confused at the voice and taps his headphones.
EXTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- JUNGLE.
All that can be seen of the fortress is a lone guard standing
on a small pedestal jutting out above the dense jungle. The
muted gruesome crying sounds that naturally permeate this
eerie purgatory are overwhelmed by the thundering din of ion
rockets as four silver starships catapult from the foliage in
a tight formation and disappears into the morning cloud cover.
INTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- WAR ROOM.
The princess, Threepio, and a field commander sit quietly
before the giant display showing the planet Yavin and its four
moons. The red dot that represents the Death Star moves ever
closer to
the system. A series of green dots appear around the
fourth moon. A din of indistinct chatter fills the war room.
MASSASSI INTERCOM VOICE Stand-by alert. Death Star approaching.
Estimated time to firing range, fifteen minutes.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
The Death Star slowly moves behind the massive yellow surface
of Yavin in the foreground, as many X-wing fighters flying in
formation zoom toward us and out of the frame.
EXTERIOR SPACE -- ANOTHER ANGLE.
Light from a distant sun creates an eerie atmospheric glow
around a huge planet, Yavin. Rebel fighters flying in
formation settle ominously in the foreground and very slowly
pull away.
INTERIOR RED LEADER STARSHIP -- COCKPIT.