A New Hope (8 page)

HAN Marching into the detention area is not what I had in mind. LUKE But they’re going to kill her!

HAN Better her than me…

LUKE She’s rich.

Chewbacca growls.

HAN Rich?

LUKE Yes. Rich, powerful! Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be…

HAN What?

LUKE Well more wealth that you can imagine.

HAN I don’t know, I can imagine quite a bit!

LUKE You’ll get it!

HAN I better!

LUKE You will…

HAN All right, kid. But you’d better be right about this. Han looks at Chewie, who grunts a short grunt.

LUKE All right.

HAN What’s your plan?

LUKE Uh…Threepio, hand me those binders there will you? Luke moves toward Chewbacca with electronic cuffs. LUKE Okay. Now, I’m going to put these on you.

Chewie lets out a hideous growl.

LUKE Okay. Han, you put these on.

Luke sheepishly hands the binders to Han.

HAN Don’t worry, Chewie. I think I know what he has in mind. The Wookiee has a worried and frightened look on his face as Han binds him with the electronic cuffs.

THREEPIO Master Luke, sir! Pardon me for asking…but, ah…what should Artoo and I do if we’re discovered here? LUKE Lock the door!

HAN And hope they don’t have blasters.

THREEPIO That isn’t very reassuring.

Luke and Han put on their armored stormtrooper helmets and start off into the giant Imperial Death Star.

INTERIOR DEATH STAR —DETENTION AREA —ELEVATOR TUBE. Han and Luke try to look inconspicuous in their armored suits as they wait for a vacuum elevator to arrive. Troops, bureaucrats, and robots bustle about, ignoring the trio completely. Only a few give the giant Wookiee a curious glance.

Finally a small elevator arrives and the trio enters. LUKE I can’t see a thing in this helmet.

A bureaucrat races to get aboard also, but is signaled away by Han. The door to the pod-like vehicle slides closed and the elevator car takes off through a vacuum tube.

INTERIOR DEATH STAR —MAIN HALLWAY.

Several Imperial officers walk through the wide main passageway. They pass several stormtroopers and a robot similar to Threepio but with an insect face. At the far end of the hallway, a passing flash of Ben Kenobi appears, then disappears down a small hallway. His appearance is so fleeting that it is hard to tell if he is real or just an illusion. No one in the hallway seems to notice him.

INTERIOR DEATH STAR —INTERIOR ELEVATOR —DETENTION SECURITY AREA. Luke and Han step forward to exit the elevator, but the door slides open behind them. The giant Wookiee and his two guards enter the old grey security station. Guards and laser gates are everywhere. Han whispers to Luke under his breath. HAN This is not going to work.

LUKE Why didn’t you say so before?

HAN I did say so before!

INTERIOR DETENTION AREA.

Elevator doors open. A tall, grim looking Officer approaches the trio.

OFFICER Where are you taking this…thing?

Chewie growls a bit at the remark but Han nudges him to shut up.

LUKE Prisoner transfer from Block one-one-three-eight. OFFICER I wasn’t notified. I’ll have to clear it. The officer goes back to his console and begins to punch in the information. There are only three other troopers in the area. Luke and Han survey the situation, checking all of the alarms, laser gates, and camera eyes. Han unfastens one of Chewbacca’s electronic cuffs and shrugs to Luke. Suddenly Chewbacca throws up his hands and lets out with one of his ear-piercing howls. He grabs Han’s laser rifle. HAN Look out! He’s loose!

LUKE He’s going to pull us all apart.

HAN Go get him!

The startled guards are momentarily dumbfounded. Luke and Han have already pulled out their laser pistols and are blasting away at the terrifying Wookiee. Their barrage of laserfire misses Chewbacca, but hits the camera eyes, laser gate controls, and the Imperial guards. The officer is the last of the guards to fall under the laserfire just as he is about to push the alarm system. Han rushes to the comlink system, which is screeching questions about what is going on. He quickly checks the computer readout.

HAN We’ve got to find out which cell this princess of yours is in. Here it is…cell twenty-one-eight-seven. You go get her. I’ll hold them here.

Luke races down one of the cell corridors. Han speaks into the buzzing comlink.

HAN (sounding official) Everything is under control. Situation normal.

INTERCOM VOICE What happened?

HAN (getting nervous) Uh…had a slight weapons malfunction. But, uh, everything’s perfectly all right now. We’re fine. We’re all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?

INTERCOM VOICE We’re sending a squad up.

HAN Uh, uh, negative. We had a reactor leak here now. Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak…very dangerous. INTERCOM VOICE Who is this? What’s your operating number? Han blasts the comlink and it explodes.

HAN Boring conversation anyway. (yelling down the hall) Luke! We’re going to have company!

INTERIOR DEATH STAR —CELL ROW.

Luke stops in front of one of the cells and blasts the door away with a laser pistol. When the smoke clears, Luke sees the dazzling young princess-senator. She had been sleeping and is now looking at him with an uncomprehending look on her face. Luke is stunned by her incredible beauty and stands staring at her with his mouth hanging open.

LEIA (finally) Aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper? Luke takes off his helmet, coming out of it.

LUKE What? Oh…the uniform. I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.

LEIA You’re who?

LUKE I’m here to rescue you. I’ve got your R2 unit. I’m here with Ben Kenobi.

LEIA Ben Kenobi is here! Where is he?

LUKE Come on!

INTERIOR DEATH STAR —CONFERENCE ROOM.

Darth Vader paces the room as Governor Tarkin sits at the far end of the conference table.

VADER He is here…

TARKIN Obi-Wan Kenobi! What makes you think so? VADER A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master.

TARKIN Surely he must be dead by now.

VADER Don’t underestimate the power of the Force. TARKIN The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that’s left of their religion. There is a quiet buzz on the comlink.

TARKIN Yes.

INTERCOM VOICE Governor Tarkin, we have an emergency alert in detention block A A-twenty-three.

TARKIN The princess! Put all sections on alert!

VADER Obi-Wan is here. The Force is with him.

TARKIN If you’re right, he must not be allowed to escape. VADER Escape is not his plan. I must face him alone. INTERIOR DEATH STAR —DETENTION AREA —HALLWAY. An ominous buzzing sound is heard on the other side of the elevator door.

HAN Chewie!

Chewbacca responds with a growling noise.

HAN Get behind me! Get behind me!

A series of explosions knock a hole in the elevator door through which several Imperial troops begin to emerge. Han and Chewie fire laser pistols at them through the smoke and flame. They turn and run down the cell hallway, meeting up with Luke and Leia rushing toward them.

HAN Can’t get out that way.

LEIA Looks like you managed to cut off our only escape route. HAN (sarcastically) Maybe you’d like it back in your cell, Your Highness.

Luke takes a small comlink transmitter from his belt as they continue to exchange fire with stormtroopers making their way down the corridor.

LUKE See-Threepio! See-Threepio!

THREEPIO (over comlink) Yes sir?

LUKE We’ve been cut off! Are there any other ways out of the cell bay?…What was that? I didn’t copy!

INTERIOR DEATH STAR —MAIN BAY GANTRY —CONTROL TOWER. Threepio paces the control center as little Artoo beeps and whistles a blue streak. Threepio yells into the small comlink transmitter.

THREEPIO I said, all systems have been alerted to your presence, sir. The main entrance seems to be the only way in or out; all other information on your level is restricted.

Someone begins banging on the door.

TROOPER VOICE Open up in there!

THREEPIO Oh, no!

INTERIOR DEATH STAR —DETENTION CORRIDOR.

Luke and Leia crouch together in an alcove for protection as they continue to exchange fire with troops. Han and Chewbacca are barely able to keep the stormtroopers at bay at the far and of the hallway. The laserfire is very intense, and smoke fills the narrow cell corridor.

LUKE There isn’t any other way out.

HAN I can’t hold them off forever! Now what?

LEIA This is some rescue. When you came in here, didn’t you have a plan for getting out?

HAN (pointing to Luke) He’s the brains, sweetheart. Luke manages a sheepish grin and shrugs his shoulders. LUKE Well, I didn’t…

The princess grabs Luke’s gun and fires at a small grate in the wall next to Han, almost frying him.

HAN What the hell are you doing?

LEIA Somebody has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute, wise guy.

She jumps through the narrow opening as Han and Chewbacca look on in amazement. Chewbacca sniffs the garbage chute and says something.

HAN Get in there you big furry oaf! I don’t care what you smell! Get in there and don’t worry about it.

Han gives him a kick and the Wookiee disappears into the tiny opening. Luke and Han continue firing as they work their way toward the opening.

HAN Wonderful girl! Either I’m going to kill her or I’m beginning to like her. Get in there!

Luke ducks laserfire as he jumps into the darkness. Han fires off a couple of quick blasts creating a smokey cover, then slides into the chute himself and is gone. INTERIOR DEATH STAR —GARBAGE ROOM.

Han tumbles into the large room filled with garbage and muck. Luke is already stumbling around looking for an exit. He finds a small hatchway and struggles to get it open. It won’t budge. HAN (sarcastically) Oh! The garbage chute was a really wonderful idea. What an incredible smell you’ve discovered! Let’s get out of here! Get away from there…

LUKE No! wait!

Han draws his laser pistol and fires at the hatch. The laserbolt ricochets wildly around the small metal room. Everyone dives for cover in the garbage as the bolt explodes almost on top of them. Leia climbs out of the garbage with a rather grim look on her face.

LUKE Will you forget it? I already tried it. It’s magnetically sealed!

LEIA Put that thing away! You’re going to get us all killed. HAN Absolutely, Your Worship. Look, I had everything under control until you led us down here. You know, it’s not going to take them long to figure out what happened to us.

LEIA It could be worst…

A loud, horrible, inhuman moan works its way up from the murky depths. Chewbacca lets out a terrified howl and begins to back away. Han and Luke stand fast with their laser pistols drawn. The Wookiee is cowering near one of the walls. HAN It’s worst.

LUKE There’s something alive in here!

HAN That’s your imagination.

LUKE Something just moves past my leg! Look! Did you see that? HAN What?

LUKE Help!

Suddenly Luke is yanked under the garbage.

HAN Luke! Luke! Luke!

Solo tries to get to Luke. Luke surfaces with a gasp of air and thrashing of limbs. A membrane tentacle is wrapped around his throat.

LEIA Luke!

Leia extends a long pipe toward him.

LEIA Luke, Luke, grab a hold of this.

LUKE Blast it, will you! My gun’s jammed.

HAN Where?

LUKE Anywhere! Oh!!

Solo fires his gun downward. Luke is pulled back into the muck by the slimy tentacle.

HAN Luke! Luke!

Suddenly the walls of the garbage receptacle shudder and move in a couple of inches. Then everything is deathly quiet. Han and Leia give each other a worried look as Chewbacca howls in the corner. With a rush of bubbles and muck Luke suddenly bobs to the surface.

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 to 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? INTERIOR 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.

INTERIOR 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!