EMPEROR: Yes. Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?
VADER: He will join us or die, my master.
Vader kneels. The supreme Emperor passes a hand over the
crouched Lord of the Sith and fades away.
EXTERIOR: DAGOBAH -- CREATURE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
A heavy downpour of rain pounds through the gnarled trees.
A strange baroque mud house sits on a moss-covered knoll on
the edge of a small lagoon. The small, gnomish structure
radiates a warm glow from its thick glass windows. As rain
tap-dances a merry tune on Artoo's head, the stubby little
droid rises up on his tip-toes to peek into one of the glowing
portals.
INTERIOR: CREATURE'S HOUSE
Artoo, peeking in the window, sees the inside of the house
-- a very plain, but cozy dwelling. Everything is in the same
small scale as the creature. The only thing out of place in
the miniature room is Luke, whose height makes the four-foot
ceiling seem even lower. He sits cross-legged on the floor of
the living room.
The creature is in an adjoining area -- his little kitchen
-- cooking up an incredible meal. The stove is a steaming
hodgepodge of pots and pans. The wizened little host scurries
about chopping this, shredding that, and showering everything
with exotic herbs and spices. He rushes back and forth putting
platters on the table in front of Luke, who watches the
creature impatiently.
LUKE: Look, I'm sure it's delicious. I just don't understand why we
can't see Yoda now.
CREATURE: Patience! For the Jedi it is time to eat as well. Eat, eat.
Hot. Good food, hm? Good, hmm?
Moving with some difficulty in the cramped quarters, Luke
sits down near the fire and serves himself from the pot.
Tasting the unfamiliar concoction, he is pleasantly surprised.
LUKE: How far away is Yoda? Will it take us long to get there?
CREATURE: Not far. Yoda not far. Patience. Soon you will be with him.
(tasting food from the pot) Rootleaf, I cook. Why wish you become
Jedi? Hm?
LUKE: Mostly because of my father, I guess.
CREATURE: Ah, your father. Powerful Jedi was he, powerful Jedi, mmm.
LUKE: (a little angry) Oh, come on. How could you know my father? You
don't even know who I am. (fed up) Oh, I don't even know what I'm
doing here. We're wasting our time.
The creature turns away from Luke and speaks to a third
party.
CREATURE: (irritated) I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.
Luke's head spins in the direction the creature faces. But
there is no one there. The boy is bewildered, but it gradually
dawns on him that the little creature is Yoda, the Jedi
Master, and that he is speaking with Ben.
BEN'S VOICE: He will learn patience.
YODA: Hmmm. Much anger in him, like his father.
BEN'S VOICE: Was I any different when you taught me?
YODA: Hah. He is not ready.
LUKE: Yoda! I am ready. I...Ben! I can be a Jedi. Ben, tell him I'm
ready.
Trying to see Ben, Luke starts to get up but hits his head
on the low ceiling.
YODA: Ready, are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years
have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be
trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious
mind. (to the invisible Ben, indicating Luke) This one a long time
have I watched. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was
doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these
things. (turning to Luke) You are reckless!
Luke looks down. He knows it is true.
BEN'S VOICE: So was I, if you'll remember.
YODA: He is too old. Yes, too old to begin the training.
Luke thinks he detects a subtle softening in Yoda's voice.
LUKE: But I've learned so much.
Yoda turns his piercing gaze on Luke, as though the Jedi
Master's huge eyes could somehow determine how much the boy
had learned. After a long moment, the little Jedi turns toward
where he alone sees Ben.
YODA: (sighs) Will he finished what he begins?
LUKE: I won't fail you -- I'm not afraid.
YODA: (turns slowly toward him) Oh, you will be. You will be.
EXTERIOR: SPACE -- STAR DESTROYERS -- ASTEROID FIELD
The Imperial fleet around Vader's ship is surrounded by the
asteroid storm. Asteroids big and small pelt the vast
exteriors of the menacing ships. One of the smaller Imperial
vessels is hit by a huge asteroid and explodes in a brilliant
flash of light.
INTERIOR: ASTEROID CAVE -- MILLENNIUM FALCON -- COCKPIT
The cockpit is quiet and lit only by the indicator lights
on the control panel. Princess Leia sits in the pilot's seat.
She runs her hand across the control panel as she thinks of
Han and the confusion he has created within her. Suddenly,
something outside the cockpit window catches her eye. The
reflection of the panel lights obscures her vision until a
soft suctionlike cup attaches itself to the windscreen. Leia
moves closer to see what it might be. Large, yellow eyes flash
open and stare back at her. Startled, she jumps back into her
seat, her heart pounding. There is a scurry of feet and a loud
screech, and in an instant the eyes are gone. The young
princess catches her breath, jumps out of her chair, and races
from the cockpit.
INTERIOR: ASTEROID CAVE -- MILLENNIUM FALCON -- HOLD AREA
The lights go bright for a second then out again. Threepio
and Chewbacca watch as Han finishes with some wires.
THREEPIO: Sir, if I may venture an opinion...
HAN: I'm not really interested in your opinion, Threepio.
Leia rushes into the cabin just as Han drops the final
floor panel into place.
LEIA: (out of breath) There's something out there.
HAN: Where?
LEIA: Outside, in the cave.
As she speaks, there comes a sharp banging on the hull.
Chewie looks up and barks anxiously.
THREEPIO: There it is. Listen! Listen!
HAN: I'm going out there.
LEIA: Are you crazy?!
HAN: I just got this bucket back together. I'm not going to let
something tear it apart.
He and Chewie grab their breath masks off a rack and hurry
out. Leia follows.
LEIA: Then I'm going with you.
THREEPIO: I think it might be better if I stay here and guard the
ship. (hears another mysterious noise) Oh, no.
EXTERIOR: ASTEROID CAVE -- MILLENNIUM FALCON
It is very dark inside the huge asteroid cave, too dark to
see what is attacking the ship.
Leia stamps her foot on the floor of the cave.
LEIA: This ground sure feels strange. It doesn't feel like rock at
all.
Han kneels and studies the ground, then attempts to study
the outline of the cave.
HAN: There's an awful lot of moisture in here.
LEIA: I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this.
HAN: Yeah.
Chewie barks through his face mask, and points toward the
ship's cockpit. A five-foot-long shape can be seen moving
across the top of the Falcon. The leathery creature lets out a
screech as Han blasts it with a laser bolt.
HAN: (to Leia) Watch out!
The black shape tumbles off the spaceship and onto the
ground in front of the princess. Han bends down to investigate
the dead creature.
HAN: Yeah, that's what I thought. Mynock. Chewie, check the rest of
the ship, make sure there aren't any more attached. They're chewing on
the power cables.
LEIA: Mynocks?
HAN: Go on inside. We'll clean them off if there are any more.
Just then, a swarm of the ugly creatures swoops through the
air. Leia puts her arms over her head to protect herself as
she runs toward the ship. Chewie shoos another Mynock away
with his blaster. Several of the batlike creatures flap their
wings loudly against the cockpit window of the Falcon. Inside,
Threepio shudders at their presence.
THREEPIO: Ohhh! Go away! Go away! Beastly thing. Shoo! Shoo!
Han looks around the strange, dripping cave.
HAN: Wait a minute...
He unholsters his blaster and fires at the far side of the
huge cave. The cavern begins to shake and the ground starts to
buckle.
Chewie barks and moves for the ship, followed closely by
Leia and Han. The large wings of the Mynocks flap past them as
they protect their faces and run up the platform.
INTERIOR: ASTEROID CAVE -- MILLENNIUM FALCON -- ENTRY AREA
As soon as Han and Leia are on board, Chewie closes the
main hatch. The ship continues to shake and heave.
HAN: All right, Chewie, let's get out of here!
The Wookiee heads for the cockpit as Han, followed by
Threepio, rushes to the hold area and checks the scopes on the
control panel. Leia hurries after.
LEIA: The Empire is still out there. I don't think it's wise to...
Han rushes past her and heads for the cockpit.
HAN: (interrupting) No time to discuss this as a committee.
And with that he is gone. The main engines of the Falcon
begin to whine. Leia races after him, bouncing around in the
shaking ship.
LEIA: (angry) I am not a committee!
INTERIOR: ASTEROID CAVE -- MILLENNIUM FALCON -- COCKPIT
Han is already in the pilot's seat pulling back on the
throttle. The cave-quake has greatly diminished.
LEIA: You can't make the jump to light-speed in this asteroid field...
HAN: Sit down, sweetheart. We're taking off!
As the ship begins to move forward, Chewie barks. He
notices something out the window ahead. Threepio sees it too.
THREEPIO: Look!
HAN: I see it, I see it.
Suddenly, a row of jagged white stalagmites and stalactites
can be seen surrounding the entrance. And as the Falcon moves
forward, the entrance to the cave grows ever smaller. Han
pulls hard on the throttle, sending his ship surging forward.
THREEPIO: We're doomed!
LEIA: The cave is collapsing.
HAN: This is no cave.
LEIA: What?
Leia's mouth drops open . She sees that the rocks of the
cave entrance are not rocks at all, but giant teeth, quickly
closing around the tiny ship. Chewie howls.
INTERIOR: SPACE SLUG MOUTH
The Millennium Falcon, zooming through the monster's mouth,
rolls on its side and barely makes it between two of the
gigantic white teeth before the huge jaws slams closed.
EXTERIOR: CAVE ENTRANCE -- GIANT ASTEROID
The enormous space slug moves its head out of the cave as
the Falcon flies out of its mouth. The monster tilts its head,
watching the starship fly away.
EXTERIOR: MILLENNIUM FALCON -- GIANT ASTEROID
The Falcon races out of the asteroid crater and into the
deadly rain of the asteroid storm.
EXTERIOR: DAGOBAH -- DAY
With Yoda strapped to his back, Luke climbs up one of the
many thick vines that grow in the swamp. Panting heavily, he
continues his course -- climbing, flipping through the air,
jumping over roots, and racing in and out of the heavy ground
fog.
YODA: Run! Yes. A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of
the dark side. Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force
are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you
start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny,
consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.
LUKE: Vader. Is the dark side stronger?
YODA: No...no...no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.
LUKE: But how am I to know the good side from the bad?
YODA: You will know. When you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses
the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.
LUKE: But tell me why I can't...
YODA: (interrupting) No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I
teach you today. Clear your mind of questions. Mmm. Mmmmmm.
Artoo beeps in the distance as Luke lets Yoda down to the
ground. Breathing heavily, he takes his shirt from a nearby
tree branch and pulls it on.
He turns to see a huge, dead, black tree, its base
surrounded by a few feet of water. Giant, twisted roots form a
dark and sinister cave on one side. Luke stares at the tree,
trembling.
LUKE: There's something not right here.
Yoda sits on a large root, poking his Gimer Stick into the
dirt.
LUKE: I feel cold, death.
YODA: That place...is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain
of evil it is. In you must go.
LUKE: What's in there?
YODA: Only what you take with you.
Luke looks warily between the tree and Yoda. He starts to
strap on his weapon belt.
YODA: Your weapons...you will not need them.
Luke gives the tree a long look, than shakes his head "no."
Yoda shrugs. Luke reaches up to brush aside some hanging vines
and enters the tree.
INTERIOR: DAGOBAH -- TREE CAVE
Luke moves into the almost total darkness of the wet and
slimy cave. The youth can barely make out the edge of the
passage. Holding his lit saber before him, he sees a lizard
crawling up the side of the cave and a snake wrapped around
the branches of a tree. Luke draws a deep breath, then pushes
deeper into the cave.
The space widens around him, but he feels that rather than
sees it. His sword casts the only light as he peers into the
darkness. It is very quiet here.
Then, a loud hiss! Darth Vader appears across the
blackness, illuminated by his own just-ignited laser sword.
Immediately, he charges Luke, saber held high. He is upon the
youth in seconds, but Luke sidesteps perfectly and slashes at
Vader with his sword.
Vader is decapitated. His helmet-encased head flies from
his shoulders as his body disappears into the darkness. The
metallic banging of the helmet fills the cave as Vader's head
spins and bounces, smashes on the floor, and finally stops.
For an instant it rests on the floor, then it cracks
vertically. The black helmet and breath mask fall away to
reveal...Luke's head.
Across the space, the standing Luke gasps at the sight,
wide-eyed in terror.
The decapitated head fades away, as in a vision.
EXTERIOR: DAGOBAH -- CAVE -- DUSK
Meanwhile, Yoda sits on the root, calmly leaning on his
