AN: Nazgủl are like the higher-ranking stormtroopers.
EV stands for Extra-Vehicular
The Alderaan is Leia's personal ship which she owns under a made-up identity, and is, of course, named after you-know-what. It's not a fighter as far as I know, but it is in this.
Part Six
INT. VADER'S MANSION – THRONE ROOM
Anakin picks up the Holocron and activates it. A hologram of a dark shape appears.
VADER
The firepower of Bburru is yours, Master.
KUN
Good. Make me an army, Vader. A grand army that will crush –
VADER
All right, no need to get all poetic on me!
He flicks off the Holocron and goes into his study, shoving the Holocron into his pocket.
INT. VADER'S MANSION – STUDY
He settles down in his study, looking rather troubled. Stormtroopers enter, looking extremely out of place in their white armour against the dark walls of the mansion.
STORMTROOPER
KJ-649 at your command, sir.
VADER
There is much to do.
EXT. ROOF OF VADER'S MANSION
Yoda, wrists bound to the topmost spire of the roof, watches as stormtroopers force people to build more starships at blasterpoint.
VADER
Enslave them all.
INT. BEN'S X-WING – COCKPIT
The mottled blue sky of hyperspace swirls past the cockpit window as Ben tries as hard as he can to stretch in his pilot's chair. He clicks on the commlink.
BEN
We're coming up on Alderaan. Get ready, I'm going to –
He is suddenly thrown back on his seat as the mottled sky becomes starlines, which then contract into the little pinpricks that are stars – ten seconds too early. The cockpit shudders as it is bombarded by thousands of tiny rocks, and as bigger ones sweep past. Ben furiously struggles to regain control of his ship.
BEN
(Angrily)
RIGHT! WHO THE %^&* DID THAT?
THREEPIO
(Tentatively, over commlink)
Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir, but it was I –
BEN
DAMN RIGHT, YOU'D BETTER BE TERRIBLY SORRY! WE CAME OUT OF HYPERSPACE 10 SECONDS TOO EARLY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED?
THREEPIO
(Over commlink)
Well, sir –
BEN
(ignoring Threepio)
WE COULD HAVE FLOWN RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF A STAR, AND –
INT. LUKE'S X-WING – COCKPIT
BEN
(Cont'd, over commlink)
- THIS TRIP WOULD HAVE ENDED BEFORE WE COULD THINK ANOTHER THOUGHT!
Luke looks down at his radar screen and sees several red dots approaching.
LUKE
Erm, Ben…?
BEN
(Over commlink)
Hang on, I see them.
THREEPIO
(Over commlink)
See them? See what?
INT. BEN'S X-WING – COCKPIT
BEN
(Checking his radar)
Imperial TIE Fighters, five of them, coming right at us. Alright, everyone, lock S-foils in attack position!
EXT. SPACE – X-WINGS
The wings of the five fighters seem to split, forming the X-shape that gives them their name, and turn to face the incoming TIE fighters. As they approach, an exchange of laserfire begins.
EXT. SPACE – LUKE'S X-WING
Luke sweeps in for a closer shot at the TIE fighters, but a stray green laserbolt scores the hull of his X-Wing, and bursts into flame.
INT. LUKE'S X-WING – COCKPIT
Luke repeatedly presses the firing button, but nothing happens. The cabin begins to electrify and he panics.
LUKE
I'm hit!!!
THREEPIO
(Over commlink)
Oh, dear! Hold on, Master Luke!
BEN
(Over commlink)
You can't do much good with your X-Wing out of control, Luke! Go EV and I'll pick you up!
LUKE
All right!
EXT. SPACE – LUKE'S X-WING
The canopy opens and Luke is propelled upwards from his X-Wing, just as another stray laserbolt strikes it. The X-Wing explodes into a ball of flame and sends shrapnel flying everywhere. Luke is bombarded by the shrapnel and wraps his arms tightly around himself, trying desperately to seal any holes in his flight suit, ignoring the pain of the hot metal against his skin. He feels the Gem and wraps his fingers around it, but doesn't disappear.
DETOO'S X-WING – R2 SOCKET
Detoo pilots his X-Wing from the R2 socket, just behind the cockpit, as does Artoo.
DETOO
*Is Luke going to die?*
BEN
(Over commlink)
No, but I don't know how to properly heal such burns. Threepio, do you have any spare bacta patches?
INT. THREEPIO'S X-WING – COCKPIT
Threepio deftly evades the laserfire pouring in from all sides.
THREEPIO
Bacta? Of course I have bacta patches, but they're still in the homestead on Tatooine.
BEN
(Over commlink)
Damn it!
EXT. SPACE - BATTLE
Another, slightly bigger fighter, known as the Alderaan, appears out of hyperspace, and into the dogfight.
INT. ALDERAAN – COCKPIT
Princess Leia sits in the pilot's chair, steely faced and ready for battle.
LEIA
What's this, a Jedi Knight caught off his guard?
BEN
(Over commlink, stubbornly)
Shut up. You're a Jedi, too!
LEIA
(Laughs)
Yeah, yeah. Listen, I'll take Luke and take care of those TIE fighters, alright? My ship's faster.
BEN
(Blows raspberry, over commlink)
Damn you.
LEIA
Anytime, Ben.
EXT. SPACE - LUKE
The Alderaan dodges the laserfire and approaches the orange-suited figure floating around in space. Luke is barely conscious, and he turns his head to see the approaching starfighter. He hears a female voice in his head
LEIA'S VOICE
Luke. Hear me, Luke. I'm Princess Leia Organa; I'm here to rescue you.
LUKE
(Weakly)
You're…who?
LEIA'S VOICE
I'm here to rescue you. Yoda's down on the planet, and I'll take you to him and my father.
LUKE
Yoda?
LEIA'S VOICE
(Angrily)
DER! What did I just say? I've been looking for you for two whole days, damn it! I need a bath! I need real food! I need to get out of this ship!
LUKE
Sorry, just asking!
LEIA'S VOICE
Listen, I'll open the airlock for about three seconds, that's all the time you have to get on board, before I can't breathe.
LUKE
Yeah, okay.
INT. ALDERAAN – AIRLOCK
The airlock opens and Luke fumbles his way on board. The hatch closes. Leia runs up to him and drags him along the floor towards the cockpit.
INT. ALDERAAN – COCKPIT
Leia throws Luke into the copilot's chair, strapping him in, before settling back into her own chair and taking the controls again.
EXT. SPACE – ALDERAAN
The Alderaan lingers in front of the TIE fighters, luring their attention.
INT. BEN'S X-WING – COCKPIT
BEN
(To Leia, yelling)
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT OF HERE WHILE YOU'VE STILL GOT THE CHANCE!
LEIA
(Over commlink)
Yeah, alright.
EXT. SPACE – ALDERAAN
The Alderaan turns and streaks away from the battle, taking with it the TIE fighters. They are being lured towards an asteroid field.
INT. BEN'S X-WING – COCKPIT
Ben sees what is happening and yells.
BEN
(Disbelieving)
You're not actually going to be flying into an asteroid field?
LEIA
(Over commlink)
They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?
THREEPIO
(Panicked, over commlink)
Your Royal Highness, the odds of getting through an asteroid field are three thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one!!!
INT. ALDERAAN – COCKPIT
Leia has an annoyed scowl on her face as the ship hurtles towards the asteroid field.
LEIA
Shut up.
She switches off the commlink.
EXT. SPACE – ASTEROID FIELD
The Alderaan hurtles into the asteroid field, skilfully dodging the giant rocks that fly at it. Part of the way through, it stops and lands on an asteroid, while the TIE fighters wait fearfully at the edge of the asteroid field.
INT. ALDERAAN – COCKPIT
With the flip of a switch, Leia opens a commlink channel to the waiting TIE fighters.
TIE PILOT
(Over commlink)
Give Skywalker to us.
LEIA
(Bluffs)
Skywalker? What's a Skywalker? This guy here's no Skywalker, he's my fiancé, we're getting married right after we land!
TIE PILOT
(Over commlink)
Congratulations to the both of you. Hand him over to us.
LEIA
Nope, you'll just have to come and get him if you want him.
She flicks off the commlink and waits.
EXT. SPACE – ASTEROID BELT
The TIE fighters enter the asteroid belt, heading for the small ship waiting on an asteroid not far ahead of them.
INT. ALDERAAN – COCKPIT
Leia squeezes her eyes shut and stretches out her hand towards the fighters, summoning the Force.
LEIA
(Mutters)
C'mon…c'mon!
EXT. SPACE – ASTEROID BELT
As the TIE fighters make their way through the gigantic floating rocks, other asteroids suddenly converge upon them, crushing them flat and pulverising whatever is left of the pilots. The explosions cannot be seen or heard.