Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Page #6

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LUKE:

(into comlink)

Rogue Group, use your harpoons

and tow cables. Go for the legs.

It might be our only chance of

stopping them.

(to Dack)

All right, stand by, Dack.

Dack is at the gunner's controls.

DACK:

Luke, we've got a malfunction in

fire control. I'll have to cut in

the auxiliary.

LUKE:

Just hang on. Hang on, Dack. Get

ready to fire that tow cable.

Barely keeping his seat in the tumbling ship, Dack struggles to set up

his harpoon gun.

Luke swings his speeder around and heads toward an oncoming walker.

Laser bolts and flak fill the air, creating a deadly obstacle course

for the tiny craft.

EXT. HOTH - ICE PLAIN - BATTLEFIELD

Rogue Leader and another snowspeeder fly in tight formation toward the

walker as explosions burst all around them.

INT. LUKE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER - COCKPIT

After sustaining a heavy volley of fire, Luke turns around to see if

Dack is all right.

LUKE:

Dack? Dack!

Dack is lost. Blood streams down his forehead, which rests on his

smoldering controls. Out the back window, an Imperial walker recedes

in the distance.

EXT. HOTH - ICE PLAIN - SNOW TRENCH AREA

Rebel troops fire the dishlike ray gun while explosions erupt around

them.

EXT. HOTH - ICE PLAIN - BATTLEFIELD

Two walkers lumber toward the Rebel base as a speeder between them

explodes in a ball of flames.

EXT. HOTH - ICE PLAIN - SNOW TRENCH

The dislike ray gun is hit by a laser bolt and instantly explodes.

INT. IMPERIAL SNOW WALKER - COCKPIT

Through the cockpit window, Veers and his pilot can see the Rebel power

generators in the distance.

A hologram of Darth Vader appears on a control panel screen.

VEERS:

Yes, Lord Vader. I've reached the

main power generator. The shield

will be down in moments. You may

start your landing.

INT. LUKE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER - COCKPIT

LUKE:

(into comlink)

Rogue Three.

INT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE - COCKPIT

WEDGE:

(into comlink)

Copy, Rogue Leader

LUKE:

(over comlink)

Wedge, I've lost my gunner. You'll

have to make this shot. I'll cover

for you. Set your harpoon. Follow

me on the next pass.

WEDGE:

(into comlink)

Coming around, Rogue Leader.

INT. LUKE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER - COCKPIT

LUKE:

(into comlink)

Steady, Rogue Two

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

Wedge's speeder races through the legs of one of the monstrous walkers.

INT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE - COCKPIT

WEDGE:

(to gunner)

Activate harpoon.

Wedge's gunner reaches for a firing switch to activate the harpoon.

The harpoon flashes out, and speeds toward the receding legs of the

walker.

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

The harpoon hurtles toward the walker, In an instant it is embedded in

one of the walker's legs.

INT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE - COCKPIT

WEDGE:

(to gunner)

Good shot, Janson.

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

The speeder Rogue Three races around one of the giant walker's feet,

trailing the cable behind it. Continuing around the back foot, Rogue

Three then circles the walker around the tail end.

INT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE - COCKPIT

Wedge checks his controls and banks around the front of the walker.

WEDGE:

One more pass.

JANSON:

Coming around. Once more.

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

The speeder sweeps left to right in front of the giant legs, towing the

cable behind it.

INT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE - COCKPIT

JANSON:

Once more.

Wedge swings the speeder between the legs of the giant walker.

JANSON:

Cable out! Let her go!

WEDGE:

Detach cable.

EXT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE

The cable release on the back of the speeder snaps loose and the cable

drops away.

INT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE - COCKPIT

JANSON:

Cable detached.

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

The speeder zooms away into the distance. The tangled legs of the

enormous war machine attempt a step, but as they do the giant Imperial

walker begins to topple. It teeters for a moment, and then crashes

onto the icy ground, sending snow and metal pieces flying.

EXT. HOTH - ICE PLAIN - SNOW TRENCH

The troops in the trenches cheer at the sight of the crashing walker.

An officer gives a signal to his men and Rebel troops charge the fallen

war machine.

TRENCH OFFICER:

Come on!

The troops run toward the downed walker, followed by two Rebel speeders

flying overhead. Just as they reach the walker, it explodes, the

impact throwing some of the men onto the frozen ground.

INT. WEDGE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE THREE - COCKPIT

Wedge lets out a triumphant yell, banking his speeder away from the

fallen walker.

WEDGE:

(into comlink)

Whooha! That got him!

INT. LUKE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER - COCKPIT

LUKE:

(into comlink)

I see it, Wedge. Good work.

INT. REBEL BASE - COMMAND CENTER

Large chunks of ice tumble into the command center as Leia and General

Rieekan monitor computer screens.

RIEEKAN:

I don't think we can protect two

transports at a time.

LEIA:

It's risky, but we can't hold out

much longer. We have no choice.

RIEEKAN:

(into comlink)

Launch patrols.

LEIA:

(to an aide)

Evacuate remaining ground staff.

INT. REBEL BASE - MAIN HANGAR

Muffled distant explosions create widening cracks in the ice roof of

the hangar. Trying to ignore the noise and falling bits of snow, Han

works on one of the Falcon's lifters while Chewie works on one of the

wings. Noticing Chewie attach a wrong part, Han grows impatient.

HAN:

No, no! No! This one goes there,

that one goes there. Right?

In another area of the hangar, Threepio watches as Artoo is raised up

into Luke's X-wing fighter.

THREEPIO:

Artoo, you take good care of

Master Luke now, understand? And

... do take good care of yourself.

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

The fierce battle on the vast snow plains of Hoth rages on. The

Imperial walkers continue their slow, steady assault on the Rebel base,

firing lasers as they lumber ever onward. In the snow trench, Rebel

troops fire large bazookalike guns and dishlike ray guns as explosions

erupt around them. A gun tower is hit by a laser bolt and instantly

explodes. Another blast destroys a ray gun.

INT. IMPERIAL SNOW WALKER - COCKPIT

General Veers studies various readouts on his control panel.

VEERS:

All troops will debark for ground

assault. Prepare to target the

main generator.

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

Luke's speeder and Rogue Two fly in formation, banking from right to

left and flying above the erupting battlefield. Flak bursts all around

them.

INT. LUKE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER - COCKPIT

Luke, glancing over, sees Rogue Two on his left. His ship shudders as

flak bursts nearby.

LUKE:

(into comlink)

Rogue Two, are you all right?

INT. ZEV'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE TWO - COCKPIT

ZEV:

(into comlink)

Yeah. I'm with you, Rogue Leader.

INT. LUKE'S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER - COCKPIT

LUKE:

(into comlink)

We'll set harpoon. I'll cover for you.

EXT. HOTH - BATTLEFIELD

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