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Post #1120005

Author
DuracellEnergizer
Parent topic
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Divergent Edition) *COMPLETE*
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1120005/action/topic#1120005
Date created
18-Oct-2017, 10:17 PM

INT. FOREST MOON – GENERATOR BUNKER/MAIN CONTROL ROOM – DAY

Inside the bunker, Han looks up from setting charges as an Imperial colonel enters.

COLONEL: Freeze!

In a flash of anger, Han hurtles a bag of charges at the colonel. He is knocked backwards over a rail, plummeting with a scream to his death. Han and Leia spin to find dozens of Imperial weapons trained on them and their cohorts. An Imperial lieutenant levels a blaster at them.

LIEUTENANT: You Rebel scum.

A poised force of ebon-armoured shadowtroopers surround them. Even more pour into the room, roughly disarming the Rebel contingent. Han, Leia, and Chewie exchange looks. They’re helpless.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

Lando operates the controls to come out of hyperspace.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The Death Star II, its sanctuary moon, and its parent planet hang distant in space as the Rebel fleet comes out of hyperspace with an awesome roar. The _ and several Rebel fighters are at the front as the space armada bears down on its target.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

Lando flips switches, checks his screen, and speaks into the radio.

LANDO: All wings report in.

INT. WEDGE’S X-WING/COCKPIT

WEDGE: Red Leader standing by.

INT. GRAY LEADER’S A-WING/COCKPIT

GRAY LEADER: Gray Leader standing by.

INT. GREEN LEADER’S B-WING/COCKPIT

GREEN LEADER: Green Leader standing by.

INT. WEDGE’S X-WING/COCKPIT

WEDGE: Lock S-foils in attack positions.

EXT. SPACE –- ENDOR

The fighters’ wings split into battle configuration. The Rebel fleet converges on the Death Star II.

INT. HOME ONE/BRIDGE

Adm. Ackbar watches the fighters massing outside his viewscreen.

ADM. ACKBAR: May the Force be with us.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

Lando looks worriedly at Nien Nunb, who points to the control panel and talks to Lando.

LANDO: We’ve got to be able to get some kind of a reading on that shield, up or down.

Lando shoots a concerned look out at the approaching battle station.

INT. SUPERWEAPON/EMPEROR’S THRONE ROOM

EMPEROR PALPATINE: (into comlink) Deactivate hologram, Commander.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The gray, opaque surface of the unfinished DS-2 Orbital Battle Station loses its resolution and colour as it becomes a blue-white wireframe image. Then that, too, is gone, leaving emptiness in its place. The Death Star II has been nothing more than a supersized holographic projection this entire time, broadcast from the Imperial complex on the moon’s surface below.

INT. HOME ONE/BRIDGE

A Mon Calamari sensor officer turns away from his screen and calls out to Ackbar, quite excited. The admiral rushes over to the sensor officer.

SENSOR OFFICER: Admiral, we have enemy ships in Sector 47.

ADM. ACKBAR: It’s a trap!

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The Rebel fleet flies headlong into the massive Imperial armada.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

LANDO: (into comlink) Star Destroyers coming our way.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The Executor and its large contingent of Imperator II-class Star Destroyers engages the Rebel ships. Opening fire with their turbolaser banks, they pummel the Rebel cruisers and mow down one-third of the fighters.

INT. MIDDLE-AGED FEMALE PILOT’S A-WING/COCKPIT

MIDDLE-AGED FEMALE PILOT: There’s too many of them!

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

LANDO: (into comlink) Accelerate to attack speed! Draw their fire away from the cruisers.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The battle continues.

INT. SUPERWEAPON/EMPEROR’S THRONE ROOM

Through the round window behind the emperor’s throne can be seen the distant flashes of the space battle in progress.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: Come, boy. See for yourself.

The emperor is sitting in his throne, with Vader standing at his side. Luke moves to look through a small section of the window.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: From here you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance, and the end of your insignificant Rebellion.

Luke is in torment. He glances at his lightsaber sitting on the armrest of the throne.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: (cont’d) Unless … you swear fealty to me. Make yourself my servant, and I will withdraw my forces; your upstart insurrection will be permitted to exist a while longer.

Vader watches Luke in his agony.

LUKE: No.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: With each passing moment, another of your friends dies. Will the next one be the lovely Princess Leia … (feigns sadness) or has she fallen already?

EXT. FOREST MOON – GENERATOR BUNKER – DAY

Han, Leia, Chewie, and the rest of the strike team are led out of the bunker by their captors. The surrounding area, deserted before, is now crowded with two-legged Imperial AT-DP walkers and hundreds of Imperial shadowtroopers, stormtroopers, and scout troopers. The situation looks hopeless.

SHADOWTROOPER: Alright, move it!

From the undergrowth beyond the clearing comes a wild series of beeps and whistles. And –

C-3PO: Hello! I say, over there! Were you looking for me?

BUNKER COMMANDER: Bring those two down here!

STORMTROOPER #1: Let’s go!

Artoo and Threepio are standing near one of the big trees. As six stormtroopers rush over to take them captive, the two 'droids duck out of sight behind the tree.

C-3PO: Well, they’re on their way. Artoo, are you sure this was a good idea?

The stormtroopers come around the tree and find the two 'droids waiting quietly to be taken.

STORMTROOPER #1: Freeze! Don’t move!

C-3PO: We surrender.

As the Imperial troops move to take the robots, however, a band of Ewoks drops down from above. Attacking with their sharp knives, claws, and teeth, they quickly overpower them.

C-3PO: Ohhh! Stand back, Artoo.

In a nearby tree, an Ewok raises a horn to his lips and sounds the EWOK ATTACK CALL. All hell breaks loose as hundreds of Ewoks throw their hairy bodies into the fray against the assembled troopers and their awesome two-legged walkers.

CUT TO

Ewok archers.

The archers let fly a volley of arrows. The stone arrowheads carom off the plasteel armour of the shadowtroopers, who mow the Ewoks down with heavy blasterfire.

CUT TO

Biker scouts darting about blasting Ewoks.

They are crushed by a volley of rocks tossed by Ewoks from the trees above.

CUT TO

An Ewok in a handmade, primitive hang glider.

He dive-bombs his deadly adversaries, dropping rocks. A blaster bolt hits him in the wing and he crashes. An AT-DP comes along and steps on him, crushing his glider and his body into the earth.

CUT TO

Han and Leia.

In the confusion of the battle, they break away and dive for the cover of the bunker door as explosions erupt around them. Leia goes to the bunker door control panel.

LEIA: The code’s changed. We need Artoo!

HAN: Here’s the terminal.

LEIA: (into comlink) Artoo, where are you? We need you at the bunker right away.

CUT TO

Artoo and Threepio hiding behind a log as the battle rages around them.

C-3PO: Going‽ What do you mean, you’re going‽

the stubby little astrodroid lets out a series of whistles.

C-3PO: But-but going where, Artoo?

Artoo shoots off across the battlefield. Threepio, panicked, runs after him.

C-3PO: No, wait! Artoo! Oh, this is no time for heroics! Come back!

CUT TO

A group of Ewoks moving primitive catapults into position.

They fire off large boulders that hit one of the walkers. The walker turns and blasts away with its gun. The catapults – and many of their attendant Ewoks – are blown to kingdom come.

CUT TO

Two speeder bikes chasing Ewoks through the underbrush.

As the scouts round a tree, they are knocked off their bikes by a vine tied between two trees.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The Rebel ships are engaged in ferocious combat with the Imperial capital ships. They are losing.

INT. HOME ONE/BRIDGE

ADM. ACKBAR: (into comlink) All craft prepare to retreat.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

Upon Ackbar’s command, the Rebels prepare to beat a hasty retreat. When they go to make their collective jump, however, their hyperdrives fail.

INT. HOME ONE/BRIDGE

NAVIGATOR: Hyperdrive will not engage!

SENSOR OFFICER: It’s not just Home One. The entire fleet is stationary.

SCIENCE OFFICER: A massive gravity well is keeping us from leaving the system!

INT. RED THREE’S A-WING/COCKPIT

RED THREE: Three Star Destroyers coming in, twenty degrees!

INT. WEDGE’S X-WING/COCKPIT

WEDGE: They’re heading for the medical frigate.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

Lando steers the Falcon through a complete flip as his crew fires at the nearest Star Destroyer attacking the frigate.

INT. SUPERWEAPON/EMPEROR’S THRONE ROOM

The emperor, Vader, and a horrified Luke watch the fireworks out the window. Another Rebel ship explodes under green turbolaser fire.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: As you can see, my young apprentice, your friends have failed. Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational warship! (into comlink) Engage.

Luke, in shock, looks out across the gulf of space to the Rebel fleet beyond.

EXT. SPACE – EXECUTOR

As the Executor trades blows with a number of Corvettes and B-Wings, a massive shadow passes over it, blotting it out.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

From the dark side of the gas giant, the Empire’s latest true superweapon emerges. Wedge-shaped, 17,500 metres in length, as black as the space that surrounds it and the heart of the man who dreamt it, is the Eclipse, the first of a new class of Star Dreadnought with enough firepower to sterilize a planet.

The axial superlaser powers up; then a powerful beam shoots out toward the space battle.

INT. GEN. MADINE’S STAR CRUISER/BRIDGE

Madine and his bridge crew barely have time to flinch as the green superlaser beam converges on them.

EXT SPACE – ENDOR

Madine’s cruiser is hit by the Eclipse’s beam and is blown to dust.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

The ship is buffeted by the tremendous explosion of the Rebel cruiser. Lando and his copilot are stunned by the sight of the Eclipse and its firepower.

LANDO: (stunned) We’re going to need a bigger ship.

EXT. FOREST – GENERATOR BUNKER – DAY

Artoo and Threepio make it to the door as Han and Leia provide cover fire.

C-3PO: We’re coming!

HAN: C’mon! C’mon!

C-3PO: Oh, Artoo, hurry!

The little 'droid moves to the terminal and plugs in his computer arm. A blaster bolt hits Artoo, sending him reeling back. The stubby astrodroid’s head is spinning and smoldering.

C-3PO: My goodness!

Suddenly there is a loud SPROOING and all of Artoo’s compartment doors open and all of his appendages stick out; liquids and smoke spurt out of the nozzles in his body.

C-3PO: Artoo, why did you have to be so brave?

Han turns to the terminal.

HAN: Well, I suppose I could hotwire this thing.

LEIA: I’ll cover you.

CUT TO

A walker lumbering forward, shooting red plasma blasts at frantic Ewoks running in all directions.

Two Ewoks are struck down by plasma blasts. One tries to awaken his friend, then realizes that he is dead. With a cry of grief, he buries his head in the dead Ewok’s chest.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The Rebel fleet continues to be picked off, from one side by the Eclipse’s deadly superlaser, from the other by the rampaging Star Destroyers.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

Lando steers the Falcon wildly through an obstacle course of floating giants. He’s been yelling into the comlink.

LANDO: (desperate) Yes! I said closer! Move as close as you can and engage those Star Destroyers at point-blank range!

INT. HOME ONE/BRIDGE

ADM. ACKBAR: At that close range, we won’t last long against those Star Destroyers.

INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON/COCKPIT

LANDO: We’ll last longer then we will against that behemoth! And we might just take a few of them with us.

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The Rebel cruisers move very close to the Imperial Star Destroyers and begin to blast away at point-blank range. Tiny fighters race across the giant surfaces, against a backdrop of weapons fire.

CUT TO

The control tower of a Star Destroyer under attack.

The middle-aged female pilot’s A-Wing is struck.

INT. MIDDLE-AGED FEMALE PILOT’S A-WING/COCKPIT

MIDDLE-AGED FEMALE PILOT: She’s gonna blow!

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The A-Wing disintegrates as a turbolaser beam grazes a B-Wing.

INT. MON CALAMARI PILOT’S B-WING/COCKPIT

MON CALAMARI PILOT: Fried Calamari tonight!

EXT. SPACE – ENDOR

The damaged B-wing plummets toward another Star Destroyer and crashes into the ship, exploding.

INT. ECLIPSE/THRONE ROOM

Out of the window, the Rebel fleet is being decimated in blinding explosions of light and debris. But in here there is no sound of battle. The Emperor turns to Luke.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: Your fleet has lost. And your friends on the Endor moon will not survive.

INT. ECLIPSE/BRIDGE

The comm twitters.

MOFF JERJERROD: Yes, Your Highness.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: (O.S.) Commander, should the Rebels manage to blow up the shield generator, you will turn the Eclipse onto the Endor moon and destroy it.

MOFF JERJERROD: (apprehensive) Yes, Your Highness … but we have several battalions stationed on the moon.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: (O.S.) You will destroy it!

MOFF JERJERROD: (resigned) Yes, Your Highness.

INT. ECLIPSE/THRONE ROOM

EMPEROR PALPATINE: (to Luke) There is no escape, my young apprentice. (beat) The Alliance will die … as will your friends.

Luke’s eyes are full of rage. Vader watches him.

EMPEROR PALPATINE: (in rapture) Good. I can feel your anger. I am defenseless. Take your weapon! Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!

Luke can resist no longer. The lightsaber flies into his hand. He ignites it in an instant and swings at the emperor. Vader’s crimson lightsaber flashes into view, blocking Luke’s blow before it can reach the emperor. The two blades spark at contact. Palpatine cackles.