Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Page #22

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Vader puts away his sword and holds his hand out to Luke.

A calm comes over Luke, and he makes a decision. In the next instant

he steps off the gantry platform into space. The Dark Lord looks over

the platform and sees Luke falling far below. The wind begins to blow

at Vader's cape and the torrent finally forces him back, away from the

edge. The wind soon fades and the wounded Jedi begins to drop fast,

unable to grab onto anything to break his fall.

INT. REACTOR SHAFT

Suddenly Luke is sucked into an exhaust pipe in the side of the shaft.

When Vader sees this, he turns and hurries off the platform.

INT. EXHAUST PIPE

Luke tumbles through the exhaust pipe.

He slides to the end of the slickly polished pipe and stops as his feet

hit a circular grill and knock it open. Luke claws at the surface of

the pipe, trying to keep from sliding out into space.

EXT. BOTTOM OF CLOUD CITY - WEATHER VANE - DUSK

Unable to hang onto the pipe, Luke tumbles out, emerging at the

undermost part of Cloud City. Reaching out desperately, he manages to

grab onto on electronic weather vane.

LUKE:

Ben... Ben, please!

Luke tries to pull himself up on the weather vane but slips back down.

He hooks one of his legs around the fragile instruments. All the

while, a powerful current of air rushes out at him from the exhaust

pipe.

LUKE:

Ben. Leia!

There is an ominous cracking sound from the base of the

weather vane and a piece breaks off, falling into the clouds far below.

LUKE:

Hear me! Leia!

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - COCKPIT

Leia seems to be lost in a fog, her expression troubled. Chewie is

busy operating the ship. Lando stands next to the Wookiee, watching a

readout on the control panel.

LEIA:

Luke... We've got to go back.

Chewie growls in surprise.

LANDO:

What?

LEIA:

I know where Luke is.

LANDO:

But what about those fighter?

Chewie barks in agreement with Lando.

LEIA:

Chewie, just do it.

LANDO:

But what about Vader?

Chewie turns on Lando, the newcomer, with an ominous growl.

LANDO:

All right, all right, all right.

EXT. CLOUD CITY - MILLENNIUM FALCON - DUSK

The Falcon makes a graceful banking turn back toward Cloud City.

EXT. CLOUD CITY - LANDING PLATFORM

Vader enters the landing platform and watches as the speck that is the

Falcon disappears. The wind blows at his cape.

He turns to two aides who are standing near the entrance to the landing

platform.

VADER:

Bring my shuttle.

EXT. BOTTOM OF CLOUD CITY - WEATHER VANE

Nearly unconscious, Luke hangs upside-down on the weather vane as his

body shifts in the wind.

EXT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - BOTTOM OF CLOUD CITY

The Falcon dives to the underside of the floating city. Three TIE

fighter close in on the starship.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON

Leia tries to remain calm.

LANDO:

(pointing out the

cockpit window)

Look, someone's up there.

LEIA:

It's Luke. Chewie, slow down.

Slow down and we'll get under him.

Lando, open the top hatch.

Lando rushes out of the cockpit.

EXT. BOTTOM OF CLOUD CITY - WEATHER VANE

Luke hangs by one arm from the crossbar of the weather vane. He slips

from the bar and grabs onto the pole of the vane as the Falcon banks

toward him. The Falcon positions itself under Luke as Lando moves up

through the opening of the hatch. Luke begins to slide and finally

falls from the vane into space.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - COCKPIT

Out the cockpit window, Leia sees Luke falling from the bottom of the

city. The ship gains on him.

LEIA:

Okay. Easy, Chewie.

The Falcon closes in on Luke.

EXT. BOTTOM OF CLOUD CITY

Three TIE fighters race toward the Falcon, firing away.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - HATCH

The hatch pops open with a hiss of pressure. Lando reaches out to help

the battered warrior inside the ship.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - COCKPIT

Flak bursts all around it as the Falcon banks away from the city. Leia

and Chewie struggle with the controls.

LEIA:

(into intercom)

Lando?

LANDO:

(over intercom)

Okay, let's go.

EXT. BOTTOM OF CLOUD CITY

The Falcon races away. It is closely followed by three TIE fighters,

all of which keep up a heavy laser assault on the fleeing starship.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - COCKPIT

Explosions erupt all around the cockpit, buffeting the ship wildly.

Chewie howls as he frantically tries to control the ship.

Leia and Chewie turns to see Luke, bloody and battered, enter the

cockpit supported by Lando. Leia jumps up and hugs him while Chewie

barks in joyous relief.

LUKE:

Oh, Leia.

LANDO:

All right, Chewie. Let's go.

Leia helps Luke from the cockpit as another huge blast rocks the ship.

EXT. SPACE - CLOUD CITY - DAY

The Falcon, still followed by the three TIE fighters, races away from

the cloud-covered city.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - SLEEPING QUARTERS

Luke rests on a cot, his injured arm wrapped in a protective cuff.

Leia gently wipes his face. The ship lurches again.

LEIA:

I'll be back.

She kisses him, then leaves the quarters.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - COCKPIT

All over the ship muted alarm buzzers sound. Lando anxiously watches

the flashing lights on the control panel and hurriedly adjusts some

switches. Seated next to him, Chewie points out a new blip appearing

on the panel. Leia, watching over their shoulders, recognizes the

shape.

LEIA:

Star Destroyer.

LANDO:

All right, Chewie. Ready for

light-speed.

LEIA:

If your people fixed the

hyperdrive.

Another explosion rocks the ship. Leia notices as a green light on the

panel next to her flashes on.

LEIA:

All the coordinates are set.

It's now or never.

Chewie barks in agreement.

LANDO:

Punch it!

The Wookiee shrugs and pulls back on the light-speed throttle. The

sound of the ion engine changes...it is winding up. Faces are tense,

expectant. But nothing happens, and the engine goes off. Chewie lets

out a frustrated howl. The flak still violently rocks the ship.

LANDO:

They told me they fixed it. I

trusted them to fix it. It's not

my fault!

Chewie gets up from his chair and starts out of the cockpit. He gives

Lando and angry shove as he storms past him.

EXT. SPACE

In the distance the TIE fighters continue their chase, still shooting

lasers. Vader's Star Destroyer moves behind them, determinedly

following the Falcon.

INT. VADER'S STAR DESTROYER - BRIDGE

Vader stands on the bridge looking out the window as Admiral Piett

approaches him.

PIETT:

They'll be in range of our

tractor beam in moments, my lord.

VADER:

Did your men deactivate the

hyperdrive on the Millennium

Falcon?

PIETT:

Yes, my lord.

VADER:

Good. Prepare the boarding party

and set your weapons for stun.

PIETT:

Yes, my lord.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON

Beeping while he works, Artoo is busy connecting some wires to Threepio

who now has one leg attached.

Chewie enters through the doorway, grunting to himself.

THREEPIO:

Noisy brute. Why don't we just

go into light-speed?

Artoo beeps in response.

THREEPIO:

We can't? How would you know the

hyperdrive is deactivated?

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