Star Wars Page #17

LEIA:

Grab him!

Luke seems to be released by the thing.

LEIA:

What happened?

LUKE:

I don't know, it just let go of

me and disappeared...

HAN:

I've got a very bad feeling about

this.

Before anyone can say anything the walls begin to rumble and edge

toward the Rebels.

LUKE:

The walls are moving!

LEIA:

Don't just stand there. Try and

brace it with something.

They place poles and long metal beams between the closing walls, but

they are simply snapped and bent as the giant trashmasher rumbles on.

The situation doesn't look too good.

LUKE:

Wait a minute!

Luke pulls out his comlink.

LUKE:

Threepio! Come in Threepio!

Threepio! Where could he be?

INT. DEATH STAR - MAIN GANTRY - COMMAND OFFICE

A soft buzzer and the muted voice of Luke calling out for See-Threepio

can be heard on Threepio's hand comlink, which is sitting on the

deserted computer console. Artoo and Threepio are nowhere in sight.

Suddenly there is a great explosion and the door of the control tower

flies across the floor. Four armed stormtroopers enter the chamber.

FIRST TROOPER:

Take over!

(pointing to the dead

officer)

See to him! Look there!

A trooper pushes a button and the supply cabinet door slides open.

See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo are inside. Artoo follows his bronze

companion out into the office.

THREEPIO:

They're madmen! They're heading

for the prison level. If you

hurry, you might catch them.

FIRST OFFICER:

(to his troops)

Follow me! You stand guard.

The troops hustle off down the hallway, leaving a guard to watch over

the command office.

THREEPIO:

(to Artoo)

Come on!

The guard aims a blaster at them.

THREEPIO:

Oh! All this excitement has

overrun the circuits of my

counterpart here. If you don't

mind, I'd like to take him down

to maintenance.

TROOPER:

All right.

The guard nods and Threepio, with little Artoo in tow, hurries out the

door.

INT. DEATH STAR - GARBAGE ROOM

As the walls rumble closed, the room gets smaller and smaller. Chewie

is whining and trying to hold a wall back with his giant paws. Han is

leaning back against the other wall. Garbage is snapping and popping.

Luke is trying to reach Threepio.

LUKE:

Threepio! Come in, Threepio!

Threepio!

Han and Leia try to brace the contracting walls with a pole. Leia

begins to sink into the trash.

HAN:

Get to the top!

LEIA:

I can't

LUKE:

Where could he be? Threepio!

Threepio, will you come in?

INT. DEATH STAR - MAIN FORWARD BAY - SERVICE PANEL

THREEPIO:

They aren't here! Something

must have happened to them. See

if they've been captured.

Little Artoo carefully plugs his claw arm into a new wall socket and a

complex array of electronic sounds spew from the tiny robot.

THREEPIO:

Hurry!

INT. DEATH STAR - GARBAGE ROOM

The walls are only feet apart. Leia and Han are braced against the

walls. The princess is frightened. They look at each other. Leia

reaches out and takes Han's hand and holds it tightly. She's terrified

and suddenly groans as she feels the first crushing pressure against

her body.

HAN:

One thing's for sure. We're all

going to be a lot thinner!

(to Leia)

Get on top of it!

LEIA:

I'm trying!

INT. DEATH STAR - MAIN FORWARD BAY - SERVICE PANEL

THREEPIO:

(to Artoo)

Thank goodness, they haven't found

them! Where could they be?

Artoo frantically beeps something to See-Threepio.

THREEPIO:

Use the comlink? Oh, my! I

forgot I turned it off!

INT. DEATH STAR - GARBAGE ROOM

Meanwhile, Luke is lying on his side, trying to keep his head above the

rising ooze. Luke's comlink begins to buzz and he rips it off his

belt.

INT. DEATH STAR - MAIN FORWARD BAY - SERVICE PANEL

Muffled sounds of Luke's voice over the comlink can be heard, but not

distinctly.

THREEPIO:

Are you there, sir?

INT. DEATH STAR - GARBAGE ROOM

LUKE:

Threepio!

INT. DEATH STAR - MAIN FORWARD BAY - SERVICE PANEL

THREEPIO:

We've had some problems...

LUKE:

(over comlink)

Shut down all the garbage mashers

on the detention level, will you?

Do you copy?

INT. DEATH STAR -- GARBAGE ROOM.

LUKE:

Shut down all the garbage mashers

on the detention level.

INT. DEATH STAR - MAIN FORWARD BAY - SERVICE PANEL

LUKE:

(over comlink)

Shut down all the garbage mashers

on the detention level.

THREEPIO:

(to Artoo)

No. Shut them all down! Hurry!

Threepio holds his head in agony as he hears the incredible screaming

and hollering from Luke's comlink.

THREEPIO:

Listen to them! They're dying,

Artoo! Curse my metal body! I

wasn't fast enough. It's all my

fault! My poor master!

LUKE:

(over comlink)

Threepio, we're all right!

INT. DEATH STAR - GARBAGE ROOM

The screaming and hollering is the sound of joyous relief. The walls

have stopped moving. Han, Chewie and Leia embrace in the background.

LUKE:

We're all right. You did great.

Luke moves to the pressure sensitive hatch, looking for a number.

LUKE:

Hey... hey, open the pressure

maintenance hatch on unit number

... where are we?

INT. DEATH STAR - MAIN FORWARD BAY - SERVICE PANEL

Threepio looks at the computer panel as Han reads the number.

HAN:

(over comlink)

Three-two-six-eight-two-seven.

INT. DEATH STAR - TRACTOR BEAM - POWER GENERATOR TRENCH

Ben enters a humming service trench that powers the huge tractor beam.

The trench seems to be a hundred miles deep. The clacking sound of a

huge switching devices can be heard. The old Jedi edges his his way

along a narrow ledge leading to a control panel that connects two large

cables. He carefully makes several adjustments in the computer

terminal, and several lights on the board go from red to blue.

INT. DEATH STAR - UNUSED HALLWAY

The group exits the garbage room into a dusty, unused hallway. Han and

Luke remove the trooper suits and strap on the blaster belts.

HAN:

If we can just avoid any more

female advice, we ought to be

able to get out of here.

Luke smiles and scratches his head as he takes a blaster from Solo.

LUKE:

Well, let's get moving!

Chewie begins growling and points to the hatch to the garbage room, as

he runs away and then stops howling.

HAN:

(to Chewie)

Where are you going?

The dianoga bangs against the hatch and a long, slimy tentacle works

its way out of the doorway searching for a victim. Han aims his

pistol.

LEIA:

No, wait. They'll hear!

Han fires at the doorway. The noise of the blast echoes relentlessly

throughout the empty passageway. Luke simply shakes his head in

disgust.

HAN:

(to Chewie)

Come here, you big coward!

Chewie shakes his head "no."

HAN:

Chewie! Come here!

LEIA:

Listen. I don't know who you are,

or where you came from, but from

now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?

Han is stunned at the command of the petite young girl.

HAN:

Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's

get one thing straight! I take

orders from one person! Me!

LEIA:

It's a wonder you're still alive.

(looking at Chewie)

Will somebody get this big walking

carpet out of my way?

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