Star Wars - Return of the Jedi Read online

He pushes a button and, before the dancer can flee, a trap door

  in the floor springs open and swallows her up. As the door snaps

  shut, a muffled growl is followed by a hideous scream. Jabba and

  his monstrous friends laugh hysterically and several revelers

  hurry over to watch her fate through a grate.

  Threepio cringes and glances wistfully at the carbonite form of

  Han Solo, but is immediately distracted by a gunshot offscreen.

  An unnatural quiet sweeps the boisterous gathering. On the far

  side of the room, the crush of debauchers moves aside to allow

  the approach of two guards followed by BOUSHH, an oddly cloaked

  bounty hunter, leading his captive, Han Solo's copilot, CHEWBACCA

  THE WOOKIEE.

  Bib takes his place next to his disgusting master, and whispers

  into his ear, pointing at Chewbacca and the bounty hunter. Jabba

  listens intently, then the bounty hunter bows before the gangster

  and speaks a greeting in a strange, electronically processed

  tongue (Ubese).

  BOUSHH (in Ubese subtitled)

  I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee.

  THREEPIO

  Oh, no! Chewbacca!

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  At last we have the mighty Chewbacca.

  Jabba lets out a loud, long, blood-curdling laugh and turns to

  Threepio, waving him closer. The reluctant droid obeys.

  THREEPIO

  Oh, uh, yes, uh, I am here, Your

  Worshipfulness. Uh... yes!

  Jabba continues speaking, as Threepio nervously translates.

  Boushh listens, studying the dangerous creatures around the roo m.

  He notices BOBA FETT standing near the door.

  THREEPIO

  Oh. The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome

  and will gladly pay you the reward of twenty-

  five thousand.

  BOUSHH (in Ubese subtitled)

  I want fifty thousand. No less.

  Jabba immediately flies into a rage, knocking the golden droid

  off the raised throne into a clattering heap on the floor. Boushh

  adjusts his weapon as Jabba raves in Huttese and Threepio

  struggles back onto the throne. The disheveled droid tries to

  compose himself.

  THREEPIO

  Uh, oh... but what, what did I say?

  (to Boushh)

  Uh, the mighty Jabba asks why he must pay

  fifty thousand.

  The bounty hunter holds up a small silver ball in his hand.

  Threepio looks at it, then looks at Jabba, then back to the

  bounty hunter. The droid is very nervous and Jabba is getting

  very impatient.

  THREEPIO

  Because he's holding a thermal detonator.

  The guards instantly back away, as do most of the other monsters

  in the room. Jabba stares at the silver ball, which begins to

  glow in the bounty hunter's hand. The room has fallen into a

  tense hush. Jabba stares at the bounty hunter malevolently until

  a sly grin creeps across his vast mouth and he begins to laugh.

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  This bounty hunter is my kind of scum.

  Fearless and inventive.

  Jabba continues.

  THREEPIO

  Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five. And I

  suggest you take it.

  Bib and the other monsters study the bounty hunter and wait for

  his reaction. Boushh releases a switch on the thermal detonator

  and it goes dead.

  BOUSHH

  Zeebuss.

  THREEPIO

  He agrees!

  The raucous crowd of monsters erupts in a symphony of cheers and

  applause as the party returns to its full noisy pitch. Chewbacca

  growls. As he is led away we spot LANDO CALRISSIAN, disguised as

  a skiff guard in a partial face mask. The band starts up and

  dancing girls take the center of the floor, to the hoots of the

  loudly appreciative creatures.

  Boushh leans against a column with gunfighter cool and surveys

  the scene, his gaze stopping only when it connects with a glare

  from across the room. Boba Fett is watching him. Boushh shifts

  slightly, cradling his weapon lovingly. Boba Fett shifts with

  equally ominous arrogance.

  12 INT DUNGEON CORRIDOR AND CELL 12

  Gamorrean guards lead Chewie down the same hallway we saw before.

  When a tentacle reaches out at the Wookiee, Chewie's ferocious

  ROAR echoes against the walls and the tentacle snaps back into

  its cell in terror. It takes all the guards to hurl Chewie

  roughly into a cell, slamming the door behind him. Chewie lets

  out a pathetic howl and bangs on the iron door.

  13 EXT JABBA'S PALACE 13

  The palace is sitting in the light of the double sunset. On the

  road in front, a large toadlike creature flicks its tongue out

  for a desert rodent and burps in satisfaction.

  14 INT JABBA'S THRONE ROOM - NIGHT 14

  Silence. The room is deserted, only the awful debris of the alien

  celebration giving mute witness to the activity here before.

  Several drunk creatures lie unconscious around the room, snoring

  loudly.

  A shadowy figure moves stealthily among the columns at the

  perimeter of the room and is revealed to be Boushh, the bounty

  hunter. He picks his way carefully through the snoring, drunken

  monsters.

  Han Solo, the frozen space pirate, hangs spotlighted on the wall,

  his coffin-like case suspended by a force field. The bounty

  hunter deactivates the force field by flipping a control switch

  to one side of the coffin. The heavy case slowly lowers to the

  floor of the alcove.

  Boushh steps up to the case, studying Han, then turns to the

  controls on the side of the coffin. He activates a series of

  switches and, after one last, hesitant look at Han, slides the

  decarbonization lever. The case begins to emit a sound as the

  hard shell covering the contours of Han's face begins to melt

  away. The bounty hunter watches as Han's body is freed of its

  metallic coat and his forearms and hands, previously raised in

  reflexive protest, drop slackly to his side. His face muscles

  relax from their mask of horror. He appears quite dead.

  Boushh's ugly helmet leans close to Han's face listening for the

  breath of life. Nothing. He waits. Han's eyes pop open with a

  start and he begins coughing. The bounty hunter steadies the

  staggering newborn.

  BOUSHH

  Just relax for a moment. You're free of the

  carbonite.

  Han touches his face with his hand and moans.

  BOUSHH

  Shhh. You have hibernation sickness.

  HAN

  I can't see.

  BOUSHH

  You eyesight will return in time.

  HAN

  Where am I?

  BOUSHH

  Jabba's palace.

  HAN

  Who are you?

  The bounty hunter reaches up and lifts the helmet from his head,

  revealing the beautiful face of PRINCESS LEIA.

  LEIA

  Someone who loves you.

  HAN

  Leia!

  LEIA

  I gotta get you out of here.

  As Leia helps her weakened lover to stand up, the relative quiet

  is pierced by an obscene HUTTESE C
ACKLE from the other side of

  the alcove.

  HAN

  What's that? I know that laugh.

  The curtain on the far side of the alcove opens, revealing Jabba

  the Hutt, surrounded by Bib and other aliens. He laughs again,

  and his gross cronies join in a cacophony of alien glee.

  HAN

  Hey, Jabba. Look, Jabba, I was just on my way

  to pay you back, but I got a little

  sidetracked. It's not my fault.

  Jabba laughs.

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  It's too late for that, Solo. You may have

  been a good smuggler, but now you're Bantha

  fodder.

  HAN

  Look...

  JABBA (cont Huttese subtitled)

  Take him away!

  The guards grab Han and start to lead him away.

  HAN

  Jabba... I'll pay you triple! You're throwing

  away a fortune here. Don't be a fool!

  Han is dragged off, as Lando quickly moves forward and attempts

  to lead Leia away.

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  Bring her to me.

  Jabba chuckles as Lando and a second guard drag the beautiful

  young princess toward him. Threepio peeks from behind a monster

  and quickly turns away in disgust.

  LEIA

  We have powerful friends. You're gonna regret

  this...

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  I'm sure.

  Inexorably her lovely face moves to within a few inches of

  Jabba's ugly blob of a head, and Leia turns away in disgust.

  LEIA

  Ugh!

  THREEPIO

  Ohhh, I can't bear to watch.

  15 INT DUNGEON CELL 15

  The heavy metal door of the dungeon whines and slowly creaks

  open. A guard throws the blinded star captain into the dark cell

  and the door slams shut behind him, leaving only a thin sliver of

  light from a crack in the door. Han is trying to collect himself

  when suddenly a growl is heard from the far side of the cell. He

  jumps back against the cell door and listens.

  HAN

  Chewie? Chewie, is that you?

  The shadowy figure lets out a crazy yell and races toward Han,

  lifting him off the ground with a big hug that carries them into

  the light, revealing Chewie.

  HAN

  Ah! Chew--Chewie!

  The giant Wookiee barks with glee.

  HAN

  Wait. I can't see, pal. What's goin' on?

  Chewie barks an excited blue streak.

  HAN

  Luke? Luke's crazy. He can't even take care

  of himself, much less rescue anybody.

  Chewie barks a reply.

  HAN

  A...Jedi Knight? I--I'm out of it for a

  little while, everybody gets delusions of

  grandeur.

  Chewie growls insistently. He holds Han to his chest and pets his

  head.

  HAN

  I'm all right, pal. I'm all right.

  16 INT MAIN GATE AND HALL - JABBA'S PALACE 16

  Noisily, the main gate lifts to flood the blackness with blinding

  LIGHT and reveal the silhouetted figure of LUKE SKYWALKER. He is

  clad in a robe similar to Ben's and wears neither pistol nor

  laser sword. Luke strides purposefully into the hallway. Two

  giant guards move to block Luke's path. Luke halts.

  Luke raises his hand and points at the puzzled guards, who

  immediately lower their spears and fall back. The young Jedi

  lowers his hand and moves on down the hallway.

  Bib Fortuna appears out of the gloom. He speaks to Luke as they

  approach each other, but Luke doesn't stop and Bib must reverse

  his direction and hurry alongside the young Jedi in order to carry

  on the conversation. Several other guards fall in behind them in

  the darkness.

  LUKE

  I must speak with Jabba.

  Bib answers in Huttese, shaking his head in denial. Luke stops

  and stares at Bib; he raises his hand slightly.

  LUKE

  You will take me to Jabba now!

  Bib turns in hypnotic response to Luke's command, and Luke

  follows him into the gloom.

  LUKE

  You serve your master well.

  Bib responds.

  LUKE

  And you will be rewarded.

  17 INT JABBA'S THRONE ROOM 17

  Jabba is asleep on his throne, with Leia lying in front of him.

  Salacious sits by Jabba's tail, watching it wriggle. Leia is now

  dressed in the skimpy costume of a dancing girl; a chain runs

  from a manacle/necklace at her throat to her new master, Jabba

  the Hutt. Threepio stands behind Jabba as Bib comes up to the

  gangster slug.

  THREEPIO

  At last! Master Luke's come to rescue me.

  BIB

  Master.

  Jabba awakens with a start and Bib continues, in Huttese.

  BIB

  ...Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight.

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  I told you not to admit him.

  LUKE

  I must be allowed to speak.

  BIB (in Huttese subtitled)

  He must be allowed to speak.

  Jabba, furious, clobbers Bib and shoves him away.

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  You weak-minded fool! He's using an old Jedi

  mind trick.

  Luke stares hard at Jabba.

  LUKE

  You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee

  to me.

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  Your mind powers will not work on me, boy.

  LUKE

  Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his

  friends. You can either profit by this... or

  be destroyed! It's your choice. But I warn

  you not to underestimate my powers.

  Jabba's laugh is mean and loud. Threepio attempts to warn Luke

  about the pit.

  THREEPIO

  Master Luke, you're standing on...

  JABBA (in Huttese subtitled)

  There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall

  enjoy watching you die.

  Luke reaches out, and a pistol jumps out of a guard's holster and

  flies into Luke's hand. The bewildered guard grabs for it as

  Jabba raises his hand.

  JABBA

  Bascka!

  The floor suddenly drops away, sending Luke and the hapless guard

  into the pit. The pistol goes off, blasting a hole in the

  ceiling. Jabba laughs and his courtiers join in. Leia starts

  forward but is restrained by a human guard-- Lando, recognizable

  behind his mask. She looks at him and he shakes his head "no."

  18 INT RANCOR PIT 18

  Luke and the guard have dropped twenty-five feet from a chute

  into the dungeonlike cage. Luke gets to his feet as the guard

  yells hysterically for help. A crowd gathers up around the edge

  of the pit as the door in the side of the pit starts to RUMBLE

  open. The guard screams in panic. Luke looks calmly around for a

  means of escape.

  THREEPIO

  Oh, no! The Rancor!

  At the side of the pit, an iron door rumbles upward and a giant,

  fanged RANCOR emerges. The guard runs to the side of the pit and

  tries futilely to scramble to the top. The hideous beast closes

  in on him.

  The Rancor moves past Luke, an
d as the guard continues to

  scramble, the Rancor picks him up and pops him into its slavering

  jaws. A few screams, and the guard is swallowed with a gulp. The

  audience cheers and laughs at the guard's fate.

  The monster turns and starts for Luke. The young Jedi dashes away

  just ahead of the monster's swipe at him, and picks up the long

  arm bone of an earlier victim. The monster grabs Luke and brings

  him up to his salivating mouth. At the last moment, Luke wedges

  the bone in the monster's mouth and is dropped to the floor. The

  monster bellows in rage and flails about, hitting the side of the

  pit, causing an avalanche.

  The monster crushes the bone in its jaws and sees Luke, who

  squeezes into a crevice in the pit wall. Luke looks past the

  monster to the holding cave beyond. On the far side of the

  holding cave is a utility door--if only he can get to it. The

  Rancor spots Luke and reaches into the crevice for him. Luke

  grabs a large rock and raises it, smashing it down on the

  Rancor's finger.

  19 HOLDING TUNNEL - RANCOR PIT 19

  The Rancor lets out a loud howl as Luke makes a run for the