The Star Wars Page #20

The princess rushes back to her lifepod and straps herself in. Whitsun and

Artwo help Starkiller make his way out of the lasercannon turrets and through

a series of locks, to the lifepod area.

121. BRIDGE - STARSHIP - SPACE

The asteroids hit hard. The ship is buffeted to and fro as the general, Han,

and Threepio struggle into their spacesuit-like lifepods. The Imperial

hunter-destroyer closest to the rebel ship explodes in the onrush of deadly

asteroids. The new reinforcement hunter-destroyers turn back and give up the

pursuit. They disappear from the tracking monitors. The asteroid bombardment

becomes almost unbearable. Warning lights begin to flash. Extending foils,

antennae, and armament pods are scraped away from the starship hull. A

baseball-sized hole is punched through the midsection, and hundreds of objects

are sucked into space. A large locker eventually plugs the opening. The

starship and her passengers shudder and sway under the punishment of the

asteroid storm.

THREEPIO:

The ship is breaking up.

HAN:

We're almost clear of the storm.

THREEPIO:

We'll never make it. Eject, we must eject.

The general watches the computer monitor as the starship emerges from the far

side of the Asteroid Belt.

HAN:

We're approaching one of the Forbidden Systems....

GENERAL:

We've got to achieve orbit.

THREEPIO:

We'll never make it.

The starship heads for a small blue-green planet in the distance.

122. AFT SECTION - STARSHIP - SPACE

Starkiller was considerably shaken in the destruction of his laserturret. He

is slightly dazed as Whitsun straps him into a lifepod with Artwo.

WHITSUN (to Artwo)

You watch him. Make sure this pod gets off all right.

Artwo nods, and Whitsun moves to the second lifepod and straps himself in next

to the princess.

LEIA:

Will he be all right?

WHITSUN:

I think so.. His feelings for you are dangerous. You should discourage him.

She is surprised that Starkiller has any feeling for her, but keeps her

emotions to herself.

123. BRIDGE - STARSHIP - YAVIN ORBIT

The general is strapped into the lifepod with the two micro-packs containing

the young princes. Han and Threepio are in the second lifepod.

HAN:

We're in orbit.

THREEPIO:

We've got to eject now! Those reactors won't hold much longer. This ship's

going to end up in a million little pieces,... and I don't want to be one of

them.

HAN:

All lifepod systems are operative.

GENERAL (into intercom)

If you boys are ready back there, we'll get off this bucket.

WHITSUN:

All systems operative...I have the signal.

ARTWO:

All systems operative...We have the signal.

Han salutes the general, and his lifepod jettisons away from the crippled

starship. He is quickly followed by the general.

124. AFT SECTION - STARSHIP - YAVIN ORBIT

Artwo pushes the jettison switch, but nothing happens. Starkiller slowly and

with some difficulty, pushes the switch two or three times. Nothing happens.

He begins to look a little worried.

STARKILLER (into intercom)

We've got a problem...Wait a second...

Artwo pushes the switch again, and the lifepod blasts off in a cloud of smoke

and debris. Whitsun also seems to be having a problem. Half the lights on

his control panel have gone dead. He struggles to reactivate them.

WHITSUN:

My power's out!

GENERAL (over intercom)

Is it a faulty switch?

WHITSUN:

No. The whole bank is out.

Whitsun gives the princess a reassuring look, then punches some information

into the computer. The monitor flashes: "Income line main power." He looks

outside the lifepod and sees a damaged cable.

WHITSUN:

I've found it...

GENERAL:

You haven't much time...The auxiliary units have already blown....

Whitsun scrambles out of the lifepod and rushes over to the severed connector.

He works on it for a few moments, then stops with a rather defeated look. The

princess watches him as he tries to think of a solution. A great explosion is

heard in the forward part of the ship.

125. LIFEPODS - SPACE - YAVIN ORBIT

The two lifepods containing the general, and Han and Threepio drift away from

the disabled starship.

GENERAL:

Where's Starkiller?

HAN:

I can't see him either.

Starkiller uses the small rockets on his lifepod to maneuver back toward the

burning starship. He can hear the general over the intercom.

GENERAL:

Starkiller, where are you? Report in.

Starkiller reaches down and switches off the intercom.

126. AFT SECTION - STARSHIP - YAVIN ORBIT

Whitsun appears to have found a solution to his situation and rushes back to

the princess. He reaches in and locks on the power switch.

WHITSUN:

There is only one possible solution, and we must use it. Lock the hitch and

make sure it is sealed.

PRINCESS:

But what of...

Another explosion creates a large bulge in the wall of the aft section.

WHITSUN:

We've no time!

He slams the hatch shut and runs to the power connector. Smoke begins to fill

the chamber, as Whitsun slams a large metallic dampening tool across the

damaged connector terminals, and the lifepod jettisons away.

127. LIFEPODS - SPACE - YAVIN ORBIT

The princess jettisons free, as Starkiller moves toward the crippled ship.

Leia calls the general on the intercom.

LEIA:

I'm all right, but Clieg is still on board.

GENERAL:

Starkiller, stay out of there.

With a rumble, the starship disappears in a spectacular explosion, sending

debris in all directions. Starkiller stops his lifepod and it starts to

drift. He is weeping. Han and the general helplessly watch the remains of

the explosion drift away.

GENERAL:

Starkiller, stay near Leia. Use your beacon. Coordinate with us.

Starkiller's intercom is weak, and there is a great deal of static. The

lifepods drift toward the awesome blue-green Yavin surface. The general loses

sight of the other lifepods as the descend through the cloud cover.

GENERAL:

Captain, I'm losing your beacon. Send me a new signal.

All he gets is static. The planet surface rushes toward the falling lifepods.

Retrorockets automatically kick in and slow the pods. Two of the small craft

break through the clouds and land in the dense, steaming jungles.

128. VINE JUNGLE - YAVIN

The general's lifepod crashes through the foliage until it comes to rest in

the middle of a large vine-covered tree. He grabs the two micro-packs and

climbs out of the lifepod, and onto a large moss-covered limb. Han and

Threepio run to the base of the huge tree.

HAN:

Are you all right?

GENERAL:

Fine...Any signal from Annikin?

HAN:

Nothing yet. I think they landed further south.

The general attaches a thin cable from his utility belt to the tree trunk, and

slides to the ground. Han takes the micro-packs from him. The general looks

around at the jungle.

GENERAL:

This is dangerous country...We'd better stay together.

THREEPIO:

The wildlife in the forbidden system is extremely hostile...Perhaps we should

seek shelter?

Han inspects the power units of the micro packs.

HAN:

Windy's unit is very low. I can't tell if the unit is still functioning.

GENERAL:

We have to find a place to revive them. We'll start moving south. We should

find protection along that ridge.

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