Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Page #11

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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.

INT. 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:

(continuing)

... 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)

... 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.

EXT. SPACE - ASTEROID FIELD

The Imperial fleet moves through the asteroid-filled void, intently

seeking its prey.

INT. 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.

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