Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Page #3

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Han abruptly puts his hand over Threepio's mouth as the deck officer

approaches.

DECK OFFICER:

Yes, sir?

HAN:

Do you know where Commander

Skywalker is?

DECK OFFICER:

I haven't seen him. It's possible

he came in through the south entrance.

HAN:

It's possible? Why don't you go

find out? It's getting dark out there.

DECK OFFICER:

Yes, sir.

The deck officer leaves hurriedly, as Han takes his hand off Threepio's

mouth.

THREEPIO:

Excuse me, sir. Might I inquire

what's going on?

HAN:

Why not?

THREEPIO:

Impossible man. Come along, Artoo,

let's find Princess Leia. Between

ourselves, I think Master Luke is

in considerable danger.

INT. HOTH - REBEL BASE - MAIN ICE TUNNEL

The deck officer and his assistant hurry toward Han as he enters the

tunnel.

DECK OFFICER:

Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn't

come in through the south entrance.

He might have forgotten to check in.

HAN:

Not likely. Are the speeders ready?

DECK OFFICER:

Not yet. We're having some trouble

adapting them to the cold.

HAN:

Then we'll have to go out on

Tauntauns.

DECK OFFICER:

Sir, the temperature's dropping too

rapidly.

HAN:

That's right. And my friends out

in it.

ASSISTANT OFFICER

I'll cover sector twelve. Have

com-control set screen alpha.

Han pushes through the troops and mounts a Tauntaun.

DECK OFFICER:

Your Tauntaun'll freeze before you

reach the first marker.

HAN:

Then I'll see you in hell!

Han maneuvers his mount out of the cave and races into the dark bitter

night.

EXT. HOTH - ICE GORGE - DUSK

The jagged face of a huge ice wall sits gloomily in the dim twilight of

a Hoth day. Luke hangs upside down, ankles frozen into icy

stalactites, his extended arms within a foot of the snow floor. One

side of his face is covered in a dried mask of frozen blood. He opens

his eyes as a chilling moan of the hideous ice creature echoes off the

gorge walls. Luke pulls himself up, grabs hold of his ankles, and

futilely tries to unfasten the throngs.

Exhausted, he drops back into his hanging position. As he hangs there,

he spies his lightsaber lying near a pile of his discarded gear, about

three feet out of reach.

He focuses on the saber and, as his hand strains toward the weapon, he

squeezes his eyes tight in concentration.

Just as the ice creature looms over Luke, the lightsaber jumps into

Luke's hand.

The young warrior instantly ignites his sword, swinging up, and cuts

himself loose from the ice. He flops to the snow in a heap. The

startled creature moves back, his giant yellow eyes blinking. Luke

scrambles to his feet. He swings his lightsaber and the beast screams

in pain.

EXT. HOTH - ENTRANCE TO ICE GORGE - DUSK

Luke staggers out of the gorge into the dark and snowy twilight. Weak

and exhausted, he stumbles down a snow bank.

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