by George Lucas
Red Leader lowers his visor and adjusts his gun sights,
looking to each side at his wing men.
RED LEADER All wings report in.
INTERIOR ANOTHER COCKPIT.
One of the Rebel fighters checks in through his mike.
RED TEN Red Ten standing by.
INTERIOR BIGGS' COCKPIT.
Biggs checks his fighter's controls, alert and ready for
combat.
RED SEVEN (over Biggs' headset) Red Seven standing by.
BIGGS Red Three standing by.
INTERIOR PORKINS' COCKPIT.
PORKINS Red Six standing by.
RED NINE (over headset) Red Nine standing by.
INTERIOR WEDGE'S FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
WEDGE Red Two standing by.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
RED ELEVEN (over headset) Red Eleven standing by.
LUKE Red Five standing by.
EXTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER
Artoo-Detoo, in position outside of the fighter, turns his
head from side to side and makes beeping sounds.
INTERIOR RED LEADER'S FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
RED LEADER Lock S-foils in attack position.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
The group of X-wing fighters move in formation toward the
Death Star, unfolding the wings and locking them in the "X"
position.
INTERIOR BIGGS' COCKPIT
READ LEADER (over headset) We're passing through their magnetic
field.
INTERIOR RED LEADER'S COCKPIT.
RED LEADER Hold tight!
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
Luke adjusts his controls as he concentrates on the
approaching Death Star. The ship begins to be buffeted
slightly.
RED LEADER (over headset) Switch your deflectors on.
INTERIOR ANOTHER COCKPIT.
RED LEADER (over headset) Double front!
EXTERIOR SPACE.
The fighters, now X-shaped darts, move in formation. The Death
Star now appears to be a small moon growing rapidly in size as
the Rebel fighters approach. Complex patterns on the metallic
surface begin to become visible. A large dish antenna is built
into the surface on one side.
INTERIOR WEDGE'S COCKPIT.
Wedge is amazed and slightly frightened at the awesome
spectacle.
WEDGE Look at the size of that thing!
RED LEADER (over headset) Cut the chatter, Red Two.
INTERIOR RED LEADER'S COCKPIT.
RED LEADER Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, boys!
EXTERIOR SPACE.
As the fighters move closer to the Death Star, the awesome
size of the gargantuan Imperial fortress is revealed. Half of
the deadly space station is in shadow and this area sparkles
with thousands of small lights running in thin lines and
occasionally grouped in large clusters; somewhat like a city
at night as seen from a weather satellite.
INTERIOR GOLD LEADER'S COCKPIT.
GOLD LEADER Red Leader, this is Gold Leader.
RED LEADER (over headset) I copy, Gold Leader.
GOLD LEADER We're starting for the target shaft now.
INTERIOR RED LEADER'S COCKPIT.
Red Leader looks around at his wingmen; the Death Star looming
in from behind. Two Y-wing fighters bob back and forth in the
background. He moves his computer targeting device into
position.
RED LEADER We're in position. I'm going to cut across the axis and
try and draw their fire.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
Two squads of Rebel fighters peel off. The X-wings dive
towards the Death Star surface. A thousand lights glow across
the dark grey expanse of the huge station.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
Alarm sirens scream as soldiers scramble to large turbo-
powered laser gun emplacements. Electronic drivers rotate the
huge guns into position as crew adjust their targeting
devices.
EXTERIOR SPACE AROUND THE DEATH STAR.
Laserbolts streak through the star-filled night. The Rebel
X-wing fighters move in toward the Imperial base, as the Death
Star aims its massive laser guns at the Rebel forces and
fires.
INTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- WAR ROOM.
Princess Leia listens to the battle over the intercom.
Threepio is at her side.
WEDGE (over war room speaker system) Heavy fire, boss! Twenty-degrees.
RED LEADER (over speaker) I see it. Stay low.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
An X-wing zooms across the surface of the Death Star.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
Technical crews scurry here and there loading last-minute
armaments and unlocking power cables.
INTERIOR WEDGE'S COCKPIT.
Wedge maneuvers his fighter toward the menacing Death Star.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
X-wings continue in their attack course on the Death Star.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
Luke nosedives radically, starting his attack on the monstrous
fortress. The Death Star surface streaks past the cockpit
window.
LUKE This is Red Five; I'm going in!
EXTERIOR SPACE.
Luke's X-wing races toward the Death Star. Laserbolts streak
from Luke's weapons, creating a huge fireball explosion on the
dim surface.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
Terror crosses Luke's face as he realizes he won't be able to
pull out in time to avoid the fireball.
BIGGS (over headset) Luke, pull up!
EXTERIOR SURFACE OF DEATH STAR.
Luke's ship emerges from the fireball, with the leading edges
of his wings slightly scorched.
INTERIOR BIGGS' COCKPIT.
BIGGS Are you all right?
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
Luke adjusts his controls and breathes a sigh of relief. Flak
bursts outside the cockpit window.
LUKE I got a little cooked, but I'm okay.
EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE DEATH STAR.
Rebel fighters continue to strafe the Death Star's surface
with laserbolts.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
Walls buckle and cave in. Troops and equipment are blown in
all directions. Stormtroopers stagger out of the rubble.
Standing in the middle of the chaos, a vision of calm and
foreboding, is Darth Vader. One of his Astro-Officers rushes
up to him.
ASTRO-OFFICER We count thirty Rebel ships, Lord Vader. But they're so
small they're evading our turbo-lasers!
VADER We'll have to destroy them ship to ship. Get the crews to their
fighters.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
Smoke belches from the giant laser guns as they wind up their
turbine generators to create sufficient power. The crew rushes
about preparing for another blast. Even the troopers head gear
is not adequate to protect them from the overwhelming noise of
the monstrous weapon. One troopers bangs his helmet with his
hand in an attempt to stop the ringing.
INTERIOR READ LEADER'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
Red Leader flies through a heavy hail of flak.
RED LEADER Luke, let me know when you're going in.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING -- COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
The Red Leader's X-wing flies past Luke as he puts his nose
&n
bsp; down and starts his attack dive.
LUKE I'm on my way in now...
RED LEADER Watch yourself! There's a lot of fire coming from the
right side of that deflection tower.
LUKE I'm on it.
EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE DEATH STAR.
Luke flings his X-wing into a twisting dive across the horizon
and down onto the dim grey surface.
EXTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING TRAVELING.
A shot hurls from Luke's guns. Laserbolts streak toward the
onrushing Death Star surface. Several small radar emplacements
erupt in flame. Laserfire erupts from a protruding tower on
the surface.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING -- COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
The blurry Death Star surface races past the cockpit window as
a big smile sweeps across Luke's face at the success of his
run. Flak thunders on all sides of him.
EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE DEATH STAR.
The Death Star superstructure races past Luke as he maneuvers
his craft through a wall of laserfire and peels away from the
surface towards the heavens.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
The thunder and smoke of the big guns reverberate throughout
the massive structure. Many soldiers rush about in the smoke
and chaos, silhouetted by the almost continual flash of
explosions.
INTERIOR BIGGS' COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
Biggs dives through a forest of radar domes, antennae, and gun
towers as he shoots low across the Death Star surface. A dense
barrage of laserfire streaks by on all sides.
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
Imperial star pilots dash in unison to a line of small
auxiliary hatches that lead to Imperial TIE fighters.
INTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- WAR ROOM.
Princess Leia, surrounded by her generals and aides, paces
nervously before a lighted computer table. On all sides
technicians work in front of many lighted glass walls. Dodonna
watches quietly from one corner. One of the officers working
over a screen speaks into his headset.
CONTROL OFFICER Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of
signals. Enemy fighters coming your way.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING -- COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
Luke looks around to see if he can spot the approaching
Imperial fighters.
LUKE My scope's negative. I don't see anything.
INTERIOR RED LEADER'S X-WING -- COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
The Death Star's surface sweeps past as Red Leader searches
the sky for the Imperial fighters. Flak pounds at his ship.
RED LEADER Keep up your visual scanning. With all this jamming,
they'll be on top of you before your scope can pick them up.
EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE DEATH STAR.
Silhouetted against the rim lights of the Death Star horizon,
four ferocious Imperial TIE ships dive on the Rebel fighters.
Two of the TIE fighters peel off and drop out of frame. Pan
with the remaining two TIE ships.
INTERIOR BIGGS' COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
Biggs panics when he discovers a TIE ship on his tail. The
horizon in the background twists around as he peels off,
hoping to lose the Imperial fighter.
INTERIOR RED LEADER'S COCKPIT.
RED LEADER Biggs! You've picked one up... watch it!
BIGGS I can't see it! Where is he?!
EXTERIOR SPACE AROUND THE DEATH STAR.
Biggs zooms off the surface and into space, closely followed
by an Imperial TIE fighter. The TIE ship fires several
laserbolts at Biggs, but misses.
INTERIOR BIGGS' COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
Biggs see the TIE ship behind him and swings around, trying to
avoid him.
BIGGS He's on me tight, I can't shake him...I can't shake him.
EXTERIOR SPACE AROUND THE DEATH STAR.
Biggs, flying at high altitude, peels off and dives toward the
Death Star surface, but he is unable to lose the TIE fighter,
who sticks close to his tail.
INTERIOR X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
Luke is flying upside down. He rotates his ship around to
normal attitude as he comes out of his dive.
LUKE Hang on, Biggs, I'm coming in.
EXTERIOR SPACE AROUND THE DEATH STAR.
Biggs and the tailing TIE ship dive for the surface, now
followed by a fast-gaining Luke. After Biggs dives out of
sight, Luke chases the Imperial fighter.
EXTERIOR SURFACE AROUND THE DEATH STAR.
In the foreground, the Imperial fighter races across the Death
Star's surface, closely followed by Luke in the background.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT -- TRAVELING.
There is a shot from Luke's X-wing of the TIE ship exploding
in a mass of flames.
LUKE Got him!
INTERIOR DEATH STAR.
Darth Vader strides purposefully down a Death Star corridor,
flanked by Imperial stormtroopers.
VADER Several fighters have broken off from the main group. Come with
me!
INTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- WAR ROOM.
A concerned Princess Leia, Threepio, Dodonna, and other
officers of the Rebellion stand around the huge round readout
screen, listening to the ship-to-ship communication on the
room's loudspeaker.
BIGGS (over speaker) Pull in! Luke...pull in!
WEDGE (over speaker) Watch your back, Luke!
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
WEDGE (over headset) Watch your back! Fighter's above you, coming in!
EXTERIOR SPACE.
Luke's ship soars away from the Death Star's surface as he
spots the tailing TIE fighter.
INTERIOR TIE FIGHTER'S COCKPIT.
The TIE pilot takes aim at Luke's X-wing.
EXTERIOR SPACE.
The Imperial TIE fighter pilot scores a hit on Luke's ship.
Fire breaks out on the right side of the X-wing.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER -- COCKPIT.
Luke looks out of his cockpit at the flames on his ship.
LUKE I'm hit, but not bad.
EXTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER.
Smoke pours out from behind Artoo-Detoo.
LUKE'S VOICE Artoo, see what you can do with it. Hang on back there.
Green laserfire moves past the beeping little robot as his
head turns.
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING -- COCKPIT.
Luke nervously works his controls.
RED LEADER (over headset) Red Six...
INTERIOR MASSASSI OUTPOST -- WAR ROOM.
In the war room, Leia stands frozen as she listens and worries
about Luke.
RED LEADER (over speaker) Can you see Red Five?
RED TEN (over speaker) There's a heavy fire zone on this side. Red
Five, where are you?
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING -- COCKPIT.
Luke spots the TIE fighter behind him and soars away from the
Death Star surface.
LUKE I can't shake him!
EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE DEATH STAR.
Luke's ship soars closer to the surface of the Death Star, an
Imperial TIE fighter closing in on him in hot pursuit.
INTERIOR WEDGE'S COCKPIT.
The Death Star whips below Wedge.
WEDGE I'm on him, Luke!
INTERIOR LUKE'S X-WING -- COCKPIT.
WEDGE (over headset) Hold on!
EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE DEATH STAR.
Wed
ge dives across the horizon toward Luke and the TIE
fighter.
INTERIOR WEDGE'S COCKPIT.