Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Page #3

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THREEPIO:

Uh, oh... but what, what did I say?

(to Boushh)

Uh, the mighty Jabba asks why he must pay fifty thousand.

The bounty hunter holds up a small silver ball in his hand. Threepio looks at it, then looks at Jabba, then back to the bounty hunter. The droid is very nervous and Jabba is getting very impatient.

THREEPIO:

Because he's holding a thermal detonator.

The guards instantly back away, as do most of the other monsters in the room. Jabba stares at the silver ball, which begins to glow in the bounty hunter's hand. The room has fallen into a tense hush. Jabba stares at the bounty hunter malevolently until a sly grin creeps across his vast mouth and he begins to laugh.

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

This bounty hunter is my kind of scum. Fearless and inventive.

Jabba continues.

THREEPIO:

Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five. And I suggest you take it.

Bib and the other monsters study the bounty hunter and wait for his reaction. Boushh releases a switch on the thermal detonator and it goes dead.

BOUSHH:

Zeebuss.

THREEPIO:

He agrees!

The raucous crowd of monsters erupts in a symphony of cheers and applause as the party returns to its full noisy pitch. Chewbacca growls. As he is led away we spot LANDO CALRISSIAN, disguised as a skiff guard in a partial face mask. The band starts up and dancing girls take the center of the floor, to the hoots of the loudly appreciative creatures.

Boushh leans against a column with gunfighter cool and surveys the scene, his gaze stopping only when it connects with a glare from across the room. Boba Fett is watching him. Boushh shifts slightly, cradling his weapon lovingly. Boba Fett shifts with equally ominous arrogance.

12 INT DUNGEON CORRIDOR AND CELL

Gamorrean guards lead Chewie down the same hallway we saw before. When a tentacle reaches out at the Wookiee, Chewie's ferocious ROAR echoes against the walls and the tentacle snaps back into its cell in terror. It takes all the guards to hurl Chewie roughly into a cell, slamming the door behind him. Chewie lets out a pathetic howl and bangs on the iron door.

13 EXT JABBA'S PALACE

The palace is sitting in the light of the double sunset. On the road in front, a large toadlike creature flicks its tongue out for a desert rodent and burps in satisfaction.

14 INT JABBA'S THRONE ROOM - NIGHT

Silence. The room is deserted, only the awful debris of the alien celebration giving mute witness to the activity here before. Several drunk creatures lie unconscious around the room, snoring loudly.

A shadowy figure moves stealthily among the columns at the perimeter of the room and is revealed to be Boushh, the bounty hunter. He picks his way carefully through the snoring, drunken monsters.

Han Solo, the frozen space pirate, hangs spotlighted on the wall, his coffin-like case suspended by a force field. The bounty hunter deactivates the force field by flipping a control switch to one side of the coffin. The heavy case slowly lowers to the floor of the alcove.

Boushh steps up to the case, studying Han, and then turns to the controls on the side of the coffin. He activates a series of switches and, after one last hesitant look at Han, slides the de-carbonization lever. The case begins to emit a sound as the hard shell covering the contours of Han's face begins to melt away. The bounty hunter watches as Han's body is freed of its metallic coat and his forearms and hands, previously raised in reflexive protest, drop slackly to his side. His face muscles relax from their mask of horror. He appears quite dead.

Boushh's ugly helmet leans close to Han's face listening for the breath of life. Nothing. He waits. Han's eyes pop open with a start and he begins coughing. The bounty hunter steadies the staggering newborn.

BOUSHH:

Just relax for a moment. You're free of the carbonite.

Han touches his face with his hand and moans.

BOUSHH:

Shhh. You have hibernation sickness.

HAN:

I can't see.

BOUSHH:

Your eyesight will return in time.

HAN:

Where am I?

BOUSHH:

Jabba's palace.

HAN:

Who are you?

The bounty hunter reaches up and lifts the helmet from his head, revealing the beautiful face of PRINCESS LEIA.

LEIA:

Someone who loves you.

HAN:

Leia!

LEIA:

I gotta get you out of here.

As Leia helps her weakened lover to stand up, the relative quiet is pierced by an obscene HUTTESE CACKLE from the other side of the alcove.

HAN:

What's that? I know that laugh.

The curtain on the far side of the alcove opens, revealing Jabba the Hutt, surrounded by Bib and other aliens. He laughs again, and his gross cronies join in a cacophony of alien glee.

HAN:

Hey, Jabba. Look, Jabba, I was just on my way to pay you back, but I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault.

Jabba laughs.

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

It's too late for that, Solo. You may have been a good smuggler, but now you're Bantha fodder.

HAN:

Look...

JABBA (cont Huttese subtitled)

Take him away!

The guards grab Han and start to lead him away.

HAN:

Jabba... I'll pay you triple! You're throwing away a fortune here. Don't be a fool!

Han is dragged off, as Lando quickly moves forward and attempts to lead Leia away.

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

Bring her to me.

Jabba chuckles as Lando and a second guard drag the beautiful young princess toward him. Threepio peeks from behind a monster and quickly turns away in disgust.

LEIA:

We have powerful friends. You're gonna regret this...

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

I'm sure.

Inexorably her lovely face moves to within a few inches of Jabba's ugly blob of a head, and Leia turns away in disgust.

LEIA:

Ugh!

THREEPIO:

Ohhh, I can't bear to watch.

15 INT DUNGEON CELL

The heavy metal door of the dungeon whines and slowly creaks open. A guard throws the blinded star captain into the dark cell and the door slams shut behind him, leaving only a thin sliver of light from a crack in the door. Han is trying to collect himself when suddenly a growl is heard from the far side of the cell. He jumps back against the cell door and listens.

HAN:

Chewie? Chewie, is that you?

The shadowy figure lets out a crazy yell and races toward Han, lifting him off the ground with a big hug that carries them into the light, revealing Chewie.

HAN:

Ah! Chew--Chewie!

The giant Wookiee barks with glee.

HAN:

Wait. I can't see, pal. What's goin' on?

Chewie barks an excited blue streak.

HAN:

Luke? Luke's crazy. He can't even take care of himself, much less rescue anybody.

Chewie barks a reply.

HAN:

A...Jedi Knight? I--I'm out of it for a little while, everybody gets delusions of grandeur.

Chewie growls insistently. He holds Han to his chest and pets his head.

HAN:

I'm all right, pal. I'm all right.

16 INT MAIN GATE AND HALL - JABBA'S PALACE

Noisily, the main gate lifts to flood the blackness with blinding LIGHT and reveal the silhouetted figure of LUKE SKYWALKER. He is clad in a robe similar to Ben's and wears neither pistol nor laser sword. Luke strides purposefully into the hallway. Two giant guards move to block Luke's path. Luke halts.

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