Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

unused footage: scenes 381 - 400

382 - INT. CLOUD CITY - ANTEROOM Luke runs into an anteroom and stops to get his bearings. Leia and the others are nowhere to be seen. Behind Luke, Artoo scoots down the corridor toward the anteroom when suddenly a giant metal door comes slamming down, cutting off Luke's exit. Several more doors clang shut, echoing through the chamber. 2 383 - INT. CLOUD CITY - HALLWAY LEADING TO ANTEROOM Artoo stands with his nose pressed against the giant metal door. 1 He whistles a long sigh of relief and, a little dazed, wanders off in the other direction. 2 384 - INT. CLOUD CITY - CARBON-FREEZING CHAMBER - ANTEROOM Luke cautiously walks forward among hissing pipes and steam. Seeing an opening above him, he stops to look up. As he does, the platform he stands on begins to move. 2 390 - EXT. EAST LANDING PLATFORM - SIDE BAY Chewie HOWLS and starts firing at the ship. LANDO It's no use, they're out of range. THREEPIO Oh my, no! A laser bolt explodes near the Princess and everyone turns to see what Threepio has already spotted coming from the other direction: a squad of Stormtroopers running toward them. Artoo peeks out from the elevator. LANDO Come on, let's move! Leia and Chewbacca start firing at the troopers as Lando makes a break for the elevator. Laser bolts continue to explode around the Princess and the Wookiee, but they refuse to budge. Lando sticks his head out of the elevator and motions for the pair to run. But they barely notice. They seem possessed, transported, as all the frustration of captivity and anger of loss pour out through their death-dealing weapons. Threepio, at the center of all this, is frantic. THREEPIO Artoo, help me! How did I get into this? ... What a fate worse than death is to be strapped to the back of a Wookiee! LANDO Get in here! Now! Both of you, hurry up! Reluctantly, Leia and Chewbacca move through the rain of laserfire toward the elevator. Once they're inside, the door slams shut and the Stormtroopers race forward. 391 - INT. ELEVATOR - CLOUD CITY - BESPIN Leia is out of breath as the levels slowly pass outside the translucent windows. Lando watches the display panel. LANDO You're nuts! THREEPIO With all respect, I'm tempted to agree ... LEIA We should have stayed and finished them off. CHEWIE Barks his agreement. LANDO You two almost signed off out there. THREEPIO Three! I count three of us ... LEIA I don't care. It would've been worth it .... for Han. CHEWIE Barks his "right on!" LANDO Very noble. Not smart, but noble. LEIA You've probably never done an honorable thing in your life. LANDO Sure I did ... once. It turned out lousy. LEIA What chance have we got in here? What are we going to do when they cut ... Suddenly, the elevator stops with a jolt and the main lights go out, leaving only the running lights. LEIA ... the power? CHEWIE Howls. ARTOO Whistles. 393 - INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT Lando climbs into the dimly lit elevator shaft from a door in the top of the elevator. There is no cable, but a great deal of mechanical and electronic gadgetry. Leia and Chewie can be seen inside the elevator looking at him. Lando fiddles with several large braking devices and then starts banging one with his weapon. LEIA You'd better know what you're doing, or this is going to get very messy. LANDO (completely dumbfounded) Don't worry about a thing. I'll get us going. 394 - INT. ELEVATOR Artoo has found a computer outlet in the side of the elevator control panel. Beeping and whistling madly, he inserts his control arm in the socket. THREEPIO Artoo can release the brakes through the central controls. Lando pops his head in as a loud clanking echoes through the shaft. LANDO Then do it! They're breaking in! ARTOO Beeps a snappy okay. With a jolt, the brakes release and the elevator rockets into oblivion. Leia, Chewie and Threepio are smashed to the ceiling. 395 - INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT Elevator races away from camera with Lando hanging on the back. LANDO Reverse! Stop it! Stop! 396 - INT. ELEVATOR Artoo whistles madly, but the elevator doesn't stop. THREEPIO Oh my, he's lost contact. 397 - INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT Lando manages to hang on with one hand and fire his laser pistol at the huge brake with the other. A direct hit and the brake snaps closed, stopping the elevator instantly with a loud, horrible SCREECH. 400 - INT. GANTRY OUTSIDE CONTROL ROOM - REACTOR SHAFT - BESPIN A calm comes over Luke, and he makes a decision. In the next instant he steps off the gantry platform into space. 3 An alternate camera angle. The Dark Lord looks over the platform and sees Luke falling far below. The wind begins to blow at Vader's cape and the torrent finally forces him back, away from the edge. 2 ... Sources: 1 - The Empire Strikes Back trading cards, Topps Series 2, #229. 2 - as scripted in The Empire Strikes Back Notebook, Diana Attias and Lindsay Smith, eds. Ballantine Books, 1980. 3 - The Empire Strikes Back, theatrical trailer. Courtesy of T'Bone's Star Wars Universe.

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