Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Page #16

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YODA:

Concentrate... feel the Force

flow. Yes. Good. Calm, yes.

Through the Force, things you

will see. Other places. The

future... the past. Old friends

long gone.

Luke suddenly becomes distressed.

LUKE:

Han! Leia!

The two packing boxes and Artoo fall to the ground with a crash, then

Luke himself tumbles over.

YODA:

(shaking his head)

Hmm. Control, control. You must

learn control.

LUKE:

I saw... I saw a city in the

clouds.

YODA:

Mmm. Friends you have there.

LUKE:

They were in pain.

YODA:

It is the future you see.

LUKE:

Future? Will they die?

Yoda closes his eyes and lowers his head.

YODA:

Difficult to see. Always in

motion is the future.

LUKE:

I've got to go to them.

YODA:

Decide you must how to serve

them best. If you leave now,

help them you could. But you

would destroy all for which they

have fought and suffered.

Luke is stopped cold by Yoda's words. Gloom shrouds him as he nods his

head sadly.

EXT. BESPIN SYSTEM - MILLENNIUM FALCON - DAWN

The powerful pirate starship blasts through space as it heads toward

the soft pink planet of Bespin.

EXT. BESPIN SURFACE - MILLENNIUM FALCON

It is down on the gaseous planet. Huge billowing clouds form a canyon

as the ship banks around them, heading toward the system's Cloud City.

Suddenly, two twin-pod cloud cars appear and move toward the Falcon.

The cloud cars draw up alongside the starship.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - COCKPIT

One of the cloud cars opens fire on the Falcon, its flak rocking the

ship. Chewie barks his concern.

HAN:

(into transmitter)

No, I don't have a landing

permit. I'm trying to reach

Lando Calrissian.

More flak bursts outside the cockpit window and rattles the ship's

interior. Leia looks worried.

HAN:

(into transmitter)

Whoa! Wait a minute! Let me

explain.

INTERCOM VOICE:

You will not deviate from your

present course.

THREEPIO:

Rather touchy, aren't they?

LEIA:

I thought you knew this person.

Chewie barks and growls at his boss.

HAN:

(to Chewie)

Well, that was a long time ago.

I'm sure he's forgotten about

that.

INTERCOM VOICE:

Permission granted to land on

Platform Three-two-seven.

HAN:

(into transmitter)

Thank you.

Angry, Han snaps off the intercom. Chewie looks at him and grunts.

Han turns to the worried princess and her droid.

HAN:

There's nothing to worry about.

We go way back, Lando and me.

Leia doesn't look convinced.

LEIA:

Who's worried?

EXT. CLOUD CITY - MILLENNIUM FALCON - CLOUD CARS

The clouds part to reveal a full view of the city as it bobs in and out

of the cloud surface. The cloud cars and the Falcon head for the

gleaming white metropolis.

EXT. CLOUD CITY - LANDING PLATFORM - MILLENNIUM FALCON

With the cloud cars still guarding it, the Falcon lands on one of the

Cloud City's platforms.

EXT. LANDING PLATFORM - DOOR OF MILLENNIUM FALCON

Han and Leia stand at the open door, armed. Behind them, Chewie, also

armed, surveys the scene warily.

THREEPIO:

Oh. No one to meet us.

LEIA:

I don't like this.

HAN:

Well, what would you like?

THREEPIO:

Well, they did let us land.

HAN:

Look, don't worry. Everything's

going to be fine. Trust me.

INT. CLOUD CITY - CORRIDOR - DAY

Lando Calrissian, a suave, dashing black man in his thirties, leads a

group of aides and some Cloud City guard rapidly toward the landing

platform.

The group, like the other citizens of the city, is a motley collection

of aliens, droids, and humans of all descriptions. Lando has a grim

expression on his face as he moves onto the landing platform.

EXT. LANDING PLATFORM - DOOR OF MILLENNIUM FALCON

HAN:

See? My friend.

(to Chewie)

Keep your eyes open, okay?

Chewie growls as Han walks down the ramp. Lando and his men head

across the bridge to meet the space pirate.

EXT. CLOUD CITY - LANDING PLATFORM

Lando stops ten feet from Han. The two men eye each other carefully.

Lando shakes his head.

LANDO:

Why, you slimy, double-crossing,

no-good swindler! You've got a

lot of guts coming here, after

what you pulled.

Han points to himself innocently, mouthing, "Me?"

Lando moves threateningly toward Han. Suddenly, he throws his arms

around his startled, long-lost friend and embraces him.

LANDO:

(laughs)

How you doing, you old pirate?

So good to see you! I never thought

I'd catch up with you again. Where

you been?

The two old friends embrace, laughing and chuckling.

EXT. LANDING PLATFORM - DOOR OF MILLENNIUM FALCON.

THREEPIO:

Well, he seems very friendly.

LEIA:

(wary)

Yes... very friendly.

EXT. CLOUD CITY - LANDING PLATFORM

LANDO:

What are you doing here?

HAN:

(gestures toward

the Falcon)

Ahh... repairs. I thought you

could help me out.

LANDO:

(in mock panic)

What have you done to my ship?

HAN:

Your ship? Hey, remember, you

lost her to me fair and square.

Chewie growls a reserved greeting. Lando suddenly notices the princess

and smiles.

LANDO:

Hello. What have we here?

Welcome. I'm Lando Calrissian.

I'm the administrator of this

facility. And who might you be?

LEIA:

Leia.

LANDO:

Welcome, Leia.

Lando bows before Leia and kisses her hand.

HAN:

All right, all right, you old

smoothie.

Han takes Leia by the hand and steers her away from Lando.

THREEPIO:

Hello, sir. I am See-Threepio,

human-cyborg relations. My

facilities are at your...

Before Threepio can finish his self-introduction, Lando has turned to

follow Han and Leia, who are walking toward the city.

THREEPIO:

Well, really!

Lando, his aide, Lobot, and Han lead the way across the bridge,

followed by Threepio, Chewie and Leia.

LANDO:

What's wrong with the Falcon?

HAN:

Hyperdrive.

LANDO:

I'll get my people to work on it.

HAN:

Good.

Lando turns to Leia.

LANDO:

You know, that ship saved my life

quite a few times. She's the

fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.

INT. CLOUD CITY - CORRIDOR

The group has crossed the narrow bridge and entered the city. They

walk down the lovely Art Deco passageway, rounding several corners and

passing many small plazas as they go. Threepio lags a bit behind.

HAN:

How's the gas mine? Is it

paying off for you?

LANDO:

Oh, not as well as I'd like.

We're a small outpost and not

very self-sufficient. And I've

had supply problems of every kind.

I've had labor difficulties...

(catches Han

grinning at him)

What's so funny?

HAN:

You. Listen to you - you sound

like a businessman, a responsible

leader. Who'd have thought that,

huh?

Lando is reflective. He looks at Han a moment.

LANDO:

You know, seeing you sure

brings back a few things.

HAN:

Yeah.

LANDO:

(shakes his head)

Yeah. I'm responsible these days.

It's the price you pay for being

successful.

Han and Lando laugh together, and the group moves on through the

corridor.

The lagging Threepio passes a Threepio-type silver droid who is coming

out of a door.

THREEPIO:

Oh! Nice to see a familiar face.

SECOND THREEPIO:

(mumbles)

E chu ta!

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