Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back
Page 6
HAN I'm going to shut down everything but the emergency power
systems.
THREEPIO Sir, I'm almost afraid to ask, but...does that include
shutting me down, too?
Chewie barks "yes". But Han thinks otherwise.
HAN No, I need you to talk to the Falcon, find out what's wrong with
the hyperdrive.
Suddenly, the ship lurches, causing all the loose items in
the cockpit to go flying. Chewie howls.
THREEPIO Sir, it's quite possible this asteroid is not entirely
stable.
HAN Not entirely stable? I'm glad you're here to tell us these
things. Chewie, take the professor in the back and plug him into the
hyperdrive.
THREEPIO Oh! Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior. After
all, I'm only trying to do my job in the most...
The sliding door closes behind the indignant Threepio as
Chewie and he move back to the hold. Suddenly, the ship
lurches again, throwing Leia across the cabin into Han's arms.
Then, abruptly, the motion stops as suddenly as it started.
With some surprise, Han and Leia realize they are in each
other's arms.
LEIA Let go.
HAN Sshh!
LEIA Let go, please.
Leia flushes, averting her eyes. She's not exactly fighting
to get free. But, of course, Han blows it...
HAN Don't get excited.
The anger rises in Leia.
LEIA Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited.
HAN Sorry, sweetheart. We haven't got time for anything else.
Han grins quickly wickedly at Leia as he turns and exits
through the door. Leia's confused emotions show clearly on her
lovely face.
EXTERIOR DAGOBAH -- BOG CLEARING -- DUSK
The mist has dispersed a bit, but it is still a very
gloomy-looking swamp.
Luke pulls an equipment box from the shore to the clearing.
He ignites a little fusion furnace and warms his hands before
it. Taking a power cable, he plugs it into Artoo's noselike
socket.
LUKE Ready for some power? Okay. Let's see now. Put that in there.
There you go.
The droid whistles his appreciation. Luke then opens a
container of processed food and sits before the thermal
heater.
LUKE (sighs) Now all I have to do is find this Yoda...if he even
exists.
Nervously, he looks around at the foreboding jungle.
LUKE Still...there's something familiar about this place. I feel
like...I don't know...
STRANGE VOICE Feel like what?
Luke jumps out of his skin. Artoo screeches in terror. The
young warrior grabs for his lightsaber as he spins around,
looking for the speaker. Mysteriously standing right in front
of Luke is a strange, bluish creature, not more than two feet
tall. The wizened little thing is dressed in rags. It motions
toward Luke's sword.
LUKE (looking at the creature) Like we're being watched!
CREATURE Away with your weapon! I mean you no harm.
After some hesitation, Luke puts away his weapon, although
he really doesn't understand why. Artoo watches with interest.
CREATURE I am wondering, why are you here?
LUKE I'm looking for someone.
CREATURE Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmmm?
The little creature laughs.
LUKE (Trying to keep from smiling) Right.
CREATURE Help you I can. Yes, mmmm.
LUKE I don't think so. I'm looking for a great warrior.
CREATURE Ahhh! A great warrior. (laughs and shakes his head) Wars not
make one great.
With the aid of a walking stick, the tiny stranger moves
over to one of the cases of supplies. He begins to rummage
around.
Artoo moves to the edge of the case -- standing almost eye
level to the creature who is carelessly handling the supplies
-- and squeaks his disapproval.
Their tiny visitor pick up the container of food Luke was
eating from and takes a bite.
LUKE Put that down. Hey! That's my dinner.
The creature spits out the bite he has taken. He makes a
face.
CREATURE How you get so big, eating food of this kind?
He flips the container in Luke's direction and reaches into
one of Luke's supply cases.
LUKE Listen, friend, we didn't mean to land in that puddle, and if we
could get our ship out, we would, but we can't, so why don't you
just...
CREATURE (teasing) Aww, cannot get your ship out?
The creature spots something of interest in Luke's case.
Luke loses patience and grabs the case away. The creature
retains his prize -- a tiny power lamp -- and examines it with
delight.
LUKE Hey, you could have broken this. Don't do that. Ohhh...you're
making a mess. Hey, give me that!
CREATURE (retreating with the lamp) Mine! Or I will help you not.
Clutching its treasure, the creature backs away from Luke,
drawing closer to Artoo. As Luke and the creature argue, one
of Artoo's little arms slowly moves out toward the power lamp,
completely unnoticed by the creature.
LUKE I don't want your help. I want my lamp back. I'll need it to get
out of this slimy mudhole.
CREATURE Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is.
Artoo grabs hold of the lamp and the two little figures are
immediately engaged in a tug-of-war over it.
Artoo beeps a few angry, "Give me thats."
CREATURE Ah, ah, ah!
LUKE Oh, Artoo, let him have it.
CREATURE Mine! Mine!
LUKE Artoo!
CREATURE Mine!
The creature lets go with one hand and pokes Artoo lightly
with one finger. Artoo reacts with a startled squeal, and lets
go.
CREATURE Mine!
LUKE (fed up) Now will you move along, little fella? We're got a lot
of work to do.
CREATURE No! No, no! Stay and help you, I will. (laughs) Find your
friend, hmm?
LUKE I'm not looking for a friend, I'm looking for a Jedi Master.
CREATURE Oohhh. Jedi Master. Yoda. You seek Yoda.
LUKE You know him?
CREATURE Mmm. Take you to him, I will. (laughs) Yes, yes. But now, we
must eat. Come. Good food. Come.
With that, the creature scurries out of the clearing,
laughing merrily. Luke stares after him. All he sees is the
faint light from the small power lamp moving through the fog.
Luke makes his decision and starts after the creature.
CREATURE (in the distance) Come, come.
Artoo, very upset, whistles a blue streak of protest.
LUKE Stay here and watch after the camp, Artoo.
Artoo beeps even more frantically. But as Luke disappears
from view, the worried little droid grows quieter, and utters
a soft electronic sigh.
INTERIOR MILLENNIUM FALCON -- MAIN HOLD AREA
Threepio whistles and beeps a strange dialect into the
control panel in front of him. The control panel whistles back
a few mystifying beeps.
THREEPIO Oh, where is Artoo when I need him?
Han enters the hold area and kneels on the floor near the
control box.
THREEPIO
Sir, I don't know where your ship learned to communicate,
but it has the most peculiar dialect. I believe, sir, it says that the
power coupling on the negative axis has been polarized. I'm afraid
you'll have to replace it.
HAN Well, of course I'll have to replace it.
He hands a wire coil up to Chewie who is working near the
ceiling.
HAN Here! And Chewie...
Chewie brings his head back through the trap door in the
ceiling and whines. Han glances back at Threepio, then speaks
quietly to Chewie so only he can hear.
HAN (continued)...I think we'd better replace the negative power
coupling.
Leia finishes welding the valves she has been working on
and attempts to reengage the system by pulling a lever
attached to the valve. It doesn't budge. Han notices her
struggle, and moves to help her. She rebuffs him.
HAN Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help.
LEIA (still struggling) Would you please stop calling me that?
Han hears a new tone in her voice. He watches her pull on
the lever.
HAN Sure, Leia.
LEIA Oh, you make it so difficult sometimes.
HAN I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. (he
watches her reaction) Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all
right.
She lets go of the lever and rubs her sore hand.
LEIA Occasionally (a little smile, haltingly) maybe...when you aren't
acting like a scoundrel.
HAN (laughs) Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that.
With that, Han takes her hand and starts to massage it.
LEIA Stop that.
HAN Stop what?
Leia is flushes, confused.
LEIA Stop that! My hands are dirty.
HAN My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?
LEIA (looking right into his eyes) Afraid?
Han looks at her with a piercing look. He's never looked
more handsome, more dashing, more confident. He reaches out
slowly and takes Leia's hand again from where it is resting
on a console. He draws it toward him.
HAN You're trembling.
LEIA I'm not trembling.
Then with an irresistible combination of physical strength
and emotional power, the space pirate begins to draw Leia
toward him...very slowly.
HAN You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough
scoundrels in your life.
Leia is now very close to Han and as she speaks, her voice
becomes an excited whisper, a tone completely in opposition to
her words.
LEIA I happen to like nice men.
HAN I'm a nice man.
LEIA No, you're not. You're...
He kisses her now, with slow, hot lips. He takes his time,
as though he had forever, bending her body backward. She has
never been kissed like this before, and it almost makes her
faint. When he stops, she regains her breath and tries to work
up some indignation, but finds it hard to talk.
Suddenly, Threepio appears in the doorway, speaking
excitedly.
THREEPIO Sir, sir! I've isolated the reverse power flux coupling.
Han turns slowly, icily, from their embrace.
HAN Thank you. Thank you very much.
THREEPIO Oh, you're perfectly welcome, sir.
The moment spoiled, Han marches out after Threepio.
EXTERIOR SPACE -- ASTEROID FIELD
The Imperial fleet moves through the asteroid-filled void,
intently seeking its prey.
INTERIOR VADER'S STAR DESTROYER -- BRIDGE
Asteroids collide, creating a fireworks display outside the
bridge window. Darth Vader stands, staring out the window
above the control deck. Then slowly turns toward the bridge.
Before him are the hologram images of twenty battleship
commanders. One of these images, the commander of a ship that
has just exploded, is fading away quickly. Another image, in
the center and a little apart from the others, is faded and
continually disrupted by static. It is the image of Captain
Needa, commander of the Star Destroyer most hotly on the tail
of the Millennium Falcon. Admiral Piett and an aide stand
behind the Dark Lord.
NEEDA (in hologram)...and that, Lord Vader, was the last time they
appeared in any of our scopes. Considering the amount of damage we've
sustained, they must have been destroyed.
VADER No, Captain, they're alive. I want every ship available to
sweep the asteroid field until they are found.
The Imperial star captains fade out one by one as Vader
turns to Admiral Piett.
PIETT Lord Vader.
VADER Yes, Admiral, what is it?
The admiral is scared, his face white as a sheet.
PIETT The Emperor commands you make contact with him.
VADER Move the ship out of the asteroid field so that we can send a
clear transmission.
PIETT Yes, my lord.
EXTERIOR ASTEROID FIELD -- VADER'S STAR DESTROYER
Vader's Imperial Star Destroyer moves against the vast sea
of stars away from the rest of the fleet.
INTERIOR VADER'S STAR DESTROYER -- VADER'S CHAMBER
The Dark Lord, Darth Vader, is alone in his chamber. A
strange sound enters the room and a light begins to play
across Vader's black figure. He looks up and bows quickly.
A twelve-foot hologram of the Galactic Emperor materializes
before Vader. The Emperor's dark robes and monk's hood are
reminiscent of the cloak worn by Ben Kenobi. His voice is even
deeper and more frightening than Vader's.
VADER What is thy bidding, my master?
EMPEROR There is a great disturbance in the Force.
VADER I have felt it.
EMPEROR We have a new enemy -- Luke Skywalker.
VADER Yes, my master.
EMPEROR He could destroy us.
VADER He's just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him.
EMPEROR The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not
become a Jedi.
VADER If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally.
EMPEROR Yes. Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?
VADER He will join us or die, my master.
Vader kneels. The supreme Emperor passes a hand over the
crouched Lord of the Sith and fades away.
EXTERIOR DAGOBAH -- CREATURE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
A heavy downpour of rain pounds through the gnarled trees.
A strange baroque mud house sits on a moss-covered knoll on
the edge of a small lagoon. The small, gnomish structure
radiates a warm glow from its thick glass windows. As rain
tap-dances a merry tune on Artoo's head, the stubby little
droid rises up on his tip-toes to peek into one of the glowing
portals.
INTERIOR CREATURE'S HOUSE
Artoo, peeking in the window, sees the inside of the house
-- a very plain, but cozy dwelling. Everything is in the same
small scale as the creature. The only thing out of place in
the miniature room is Luke, whose height makes the four-foot
ceiling seem even lower. He sits cross-legged on the floor of
the living room.
The creature is in an adjoining area -- his little kitchen
-- cooking up an incredible me
al. The stove is a steaming
hodgepodge of pots and pans. The wizened little host scurries
about chopping this, shredding that, and showering everything
with exotic herbs and spices. He rushes back and forth putting
platters on the table in front of Luke, who watches the
creature impatiently.
LUKE Look, I'm sure it's delicious. I just don't understand why we
can't see Yoda now.
CREATURE Patience! For the Jedi it is time to eat as well. Eat, eat.
Hot. Good food, hm? Good, hmm?
Moving with some difficulty in the cramped quarters, Luke
sits down near the fire and serves himself from the pot.