Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Page #4

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Luke raises his hand and points at the puzzled guards, who immediately lower their spears and fall back. The young Jedi lowers his hand and moves on down the hallway.

Bib Fortuna appears out of the gloom. He speaks to Luke as they approach each other, but Luke doesn't stop and Bib must reverse his direction and hurry alongside the young Jedi in order to carry on the conversation. Several other guards fall in behind them in the darkness.

LUKE:

I must speak with Jabba.

Bib answers in Huttese, shaking his head in denial. Luke stops and stares at Bib; he raises his hand slightly.

LUKE:

You will take me to Jabba now!

Bib turns in hypnotic response to Luke's command, and Luke follows him into the gloom.

LUKE:

You serve your master well.

Bib responds.

LUKE:

And you will be rewarded.

17 INT JABBA'S THRONE ROOM

Jabba is asleep on his throne, with Leia lying in front of him. Salacious sits by Jabba's tail, watching it wriggle. Leia is now dressed in the skimpy costume of a dancing girl; a chain runs from a manacle/necklace at her throat to her new master, Jabba the Hutt. Threepio stands behind Jabba as Bib comes up to the gangster slug.

THREEPIO:

At last! Master Luke's come to rescue me.

BIB:

Master.

Jabba awakens with a start and Bib continues, in Huttese.

BIB:

...Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight.

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

I told you not to admit him.

LUKE:

I must be allowed to speak.

BIB (in Huttese subtitled)

He must be allowed to speak.

Jabba, furious, clobbers Bib and shoves him away.

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

You weak-minded fool! He's using an old Jedi mind trick.

Luke stares hard at Jabba.

LUKE:

You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me.

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

Your mind powers will not work on me, boy.

LUKE:

Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit by this... or be destroyed! It's your choice. But I warn you not to underestimate my powers.

Jabba's laugh is mean and loud. Threepio attempts to warn Luke about the pit.

THREEPIO:

Master Luke, you're standing on...

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching you die.

Luke reaches out, and a pistol jumps out of a guard's holster and flies into Luke's hand. The bewildered guard grabs for it as Jabba raises his hand.

JABBA:

Bascka!

The floor suddenly drops away, sending Luke and the hapless guard into the pit. The pistol goes off, blasting a hole in the ceiling. Jabba laughs and his courtiers join in. Leia starts forward but is restrained by a human guard-- Lando, recognizable behind his mask. She looks at him and he shakes his head "no."

18 INT RANCOR PIT

Luke and the guard have dropped twenty-five feet from a chute into the dungeonlike cage. Luke gets to his feet as the guard yells hysterically for help. A crowd gathers up around the edge of the pit as the door in the side of the pit starts to RUMBLE open. The guard screams in panic. Luke looks calmly around for a means of escape.

THREEPIO:

Oh, no! The Rancor!

At the side of the pit, an iron door rumbles upward and a giant, fanged RANCOR emerges. The guard runs to the side of the pit and tries futilely to scramble to the top. The hideous beast closes in on him.

The Rancor moves past Luke, and as the guard continues to scramble, the Rancor picks him up and pops him into its slavering jaws. A few screams, and the guard is swallowed with a gulp. The audience cheers and laughs at the guard's fate.

The monster turns and starts for Luke. The young Jedi dashes away just ahead of the monster's swipe at him, and picks up the long arm bone of an earlier victim. The monster grabs Luke and brings him up to his salivating mouth. At the last moment, Luke wedges the bone in the monster's mouth and is dropped to the floor. The monster bellows in rage and flails about, hitting the side of the pit, causing an avalanche.

The monster crushes the bone in its jaws and sees Luke, who squeezes into a crevice in the pit wall. Luke looks past the monster to the holding cave beyond. On the far side of the holding cave is a utility door--if only he can get to it. The Rancor spots Luke and reaches into the crevice for him. Luke grabs a large rock and raises it, smashing it down on the Rancor's finger.

19 HOLDING TUNNEL - RANCOR PIT

The Rancor lets out a loud howl as Luke makes a run for the holding cave. He reaches the door and pushes a button to open it. When he succeeds, he sees a heavy barred gate between him and safety. Beyond the gate two guards look up from their dinner. Luke turns to see the monster heading for him, and pulls with all his might on the gate. The guards move to the gate and start poking at the young Jedi with spears, laughing.

Luke crouches (against the wall) as the monster starts to reach for him. Suddenly he notices a main door control panel halfway up the wall. As the Rancor moves in for the kill, Luke picks up a skull from the cave floor and hurls it at the panel. The giant overhead door comes crashing down on the beast's head, squashing it like a sledgehammer on an egg.

A startled gasp is heard from the stunned court. There's consternation at this turn of events. Heads look to Jabba, who is actually turning red with anger. Leia cannot suppress her joy. Jabba utters harsh commands to his guards and they hurry off.

JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

Bring me Solo and the Wookiee. They will all suffer for this outrage.

21 INT RANCOR PIT

The Rancor KEEPERS have come into the cage and are examining their dead beast. One of them breaks down and weeps. The other glares menacingly at Luke, who is unworried. Several guards rush into the holding tunnel and take Luke away.

22 INT THRONE ROOM

The crowd of creepy courtiers parts as Han and Chewie are brought into the throne room, and other guards drag Luke up the steps.

LUKE:

Han!

HAN:

Luke!

LUKE:

Are you all right?

HAN:

Fine. Together again, huh?

LUKE:

Wouldn't miss it.

HAN:

How are we doing?

LUKE:

The same as always.

HAN:

That bad, huh? Where's Leia?

Luke looks to Leia.

LEIA:

I'm here.

Threepio is standing behind the grotesque gangster as he strokes Leia like a pet cat. Several of the guards, including Lando, bring Luke from the other side of the room. Boba is standing behind Jabba.

Threepio steps forward and translates for the captives.

THREEPIO:

Oh, dear. His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately.

HAN:

Good, I hate long waits.

THREEPIO:

You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc.

HAN (to Luke)

Doesn't sound so bad.

THREEPIO:

In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over a thousand years.

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