Star Wars: Episode III - Page Nine

Star Wars Episode III

The Path of Darkness

page 9

EXT BOTHAM CARUZ - SAME TIME

A Jedi Transport retreats from the planet. It races towards the Imperial Star Destroyers.

INT STAR DESTROYER - BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Grand Moff Tarkin calmly watches the Jedi Cruiser streak away from the planet.

GRAND MOFF TARKIN

That's far enough. Destroy them.

Turbolasers lance out. The Jedi Cruiser explodes in a huge fireball.

CUT TO:

INT BOTHAM CARUZ - GEOTHERMAL GENERATOR - CHASM - CONTINUING

Anakin drives Obi Wan backwards across the catwalk. Obi Wan continues on the defensive. He whirls and parries masterfully, but still Anakin drives him backwards.

OBI WAN KENOBI

Come with me, Anakin.

ANAKIN

It is too late for you, Old Man.

OBI WAN KENOBI

I can save you.

ANAKIN

No. My path is clear.

Obi Wan backs onto another platform. He backs all the way into a thick pipe. There is nowhere else for him to run.

Anakin breathes deeply, as if gaining new life.

ANAKIN

You don't know the power of the dark side. You warned me, but you were wrong.

OBI WAN KENOBI

I trust the living force.

Obi Wan ducks as he slashes the pipe behind him. Superheated steam and geothermal energy bursts forth from the pipe, showering Anakin. He falls to the floor, nearly dead. His shattered body twitches only a little.

Obi Wan turns a wheel to turn off the flow in the pipe. The stream of superheated gases cease.

Obi Wan walks over to Anakin's lifeless body.

OBI WAN KENOBI

Amidala told me to make it quick. Mace Windu told me to kill you.

The tip of Obi Wan's lightsaber floats barely a centimeter above Anakin's neck. Obi Wan tenses and lifts his lightsaber for the killing stroke. He resists.

Again, he raises his lightsaber, emotions warring within. Again he lowers it. A third time he raises his lightsaber to kill Anakin.

Pain, grief, anger, and frustration all mix on Obi Wan's face. He shuts off his lightsaber and clips it to his belt.

OBI WAN KENOBI

I can't. You are my friend, Anakin.

Obi Wan picks up Anakin's lightsaber.

OBI WAN KENOBI

I'll give this to Luke when he is ready. He will be a Jedi.

Obi Wan turns and walks away.

Through the thick smoke, footsteps echo on the catwalk. Boba Fett emerges from the haze. He kneels next to Anakin and checks to see if he still has a pulse.

CUT TO:

EXT BOTHAM CARUZ - NIGHT

The Geothermal Generator explodes. The explosion is visible from space. The Imperial Star Destroyers move in for the kill. They rain destruction down on the surviving Jedi and the Clones.

In the hail of fire, Obi Wan flies his ship away from the planet and blasts into hyperspace, heading for Tattooine.

Unseen by the Star Destroyers, another ship, the SLAVE I blasts away, going the opposite direction - toward Coruscant.

CUT TO:

INT CORUSCANT - LOWER LEVELS - MEDICAL ROOM - NIGHT

Anakin lies on a table. His body is shattered beyond organic repair. Medical Droids fuse mechanical limbs to his frame.

Palpatine and Boba Fett watch through a window.

EXT TATTOOINE - DESERT - MOISTURE FARM - DAY

Shaded from the sun by his heavy jedi cloak, Obi Wan Kenobi knocks on the door of his brother's moisture farm.

Owen Lars answers.

OWEN LARS

Ben. She said you'd come.

OBI WAN KENOBI

Where is Luke? Where is the boy?

OWEN LARS

He's somewhere safe.

OBI WAN KENOBI

Give him to me.

OWEN LARS

No. The girl said to take care of him, so that's what we're doing.

OBI WAN KENOBI

I promised his mother I'd watch over him.

OWEN LARS

Looks like you'll have to break that promise.

OBI WAN KENOBI

May I see him?

Owen crosses his arms stubbornly.

OWEN LARS

You are not welcome here. You jedi bring death and destruction wherever you go. I won't let that happen to him. He won't suffer the same fate as his father.

CUT TO:

INT CORUSCANT - LOWER LEVELS - MEDICAL ROOM -

PRESSURIZED CHAMBER - DAY

Anakin sits in the chamber, very angry. Dark armor covers his new mechanical limbs. His lungs are still shattered, so he must remain in the chamber.

Palpatine stands outside the glass wall. A sardonic smile crosses his face.

PALPATINE

My apprentice. You look well.

Anakin just glares at him, angry at this isolation.

PALPATINE

Isolated from everyone. A traitor to the jedi. The hero of Naboo has become the destroyer of the Jedi.

Anakin's anger rises. His breathing grows more pronounced. A respirator on his throat rattles as he breathes.

PALPATINE

Good. Hate me. Hate me for putting you in here. Hate me for making you my apprentice.

Palpatine pauses, choosing his next words carefully.

PALPATINE

Hate me for killing Amidala.

Anakin screams in fury and lashes out with the force. The glass barrier shatters. Palpatine crashes against the far wall. Anakin falls to the ground, gasping for breath. There is not enough pressure inside the chamber, and his lungs collapse again.

PALPATINE

Hate me. But know this - I am your master.

As Anakin gasps for breath, Palpatine stands over him. Anakin glares at him for as long as he can. Anakin's eyes roll back, and he lapses into unconsciousness.

PALPATINE

(continuing; to doctors)

Fix him.

CUT TO:

INT CORUSCANT - LOWER LEVELS - PRESSURIZED CHAMBER - DAY

Anakin sits strapped to a large chair. The pressurized chamber is small and filled with circuitry. A mechanical arm rises above Anakin, holding a dark HELMET.

The arm lowers. The helmet drops over Anakin's head. He screams. But it is no use.

INT CORUSCANT - IMPERIAL PALACE - EMPEROR'S THRONE ROOM - NIGHT

Anakin, now DARTH VADER stalks angrily into the throne room. Emperor Palpatine, visibly aged, sits in his throne.

PALPATINE

Welcome, Darth Vader.

DARTH VADER

Why have you summoned me?

PALPATINE

One of your rivals has something to tell you.

INT INT SITH COMPOUND - TRAINING ARENA - CONTINUING

Darth Vader enters the arena. Dark Jedi step backwards, overwhelmed by his sheer presence. Only one does not give way - Darthine Jez.

DARTH VADER

The Emperor said you have information about my mother.

Darthine Jez lays one hand on her lightsaber hilt. The other grasps her Chakram.

DARTHINE JEZ

What if I do?

Darth Vader reaches out with the force and chokes her.

DARTH VADER

You will tell me.

Sajo Yex steps forward. He pulls his lightsaber and ignites it.

Darth Vader throws Darthine Jez backwards with the force. He pulls out a RED lightsaber and ignites it, facing Sajo Yex.

DARTH VADER

(continuing; to Sajo Yex)

You side with a traitor.

SAJO YEX

I've survived so far.

DARTH VADER

That can change.

They clash. The sound echoes off the walls. They battle across the whole arena. Darth Vader clearly has the advantage. He drives Sajo Yex back against the wall.

Four red cloaked Imperial Guards enter the arena. One of them heads towards Darthine Jez. She hurls her Chakram at him. He dodges once. She brings the Chakram back around with the force and slices through his armor. The Imperial Guard falls dead.

Darth Vader cuts down Sajo Yex. He kicks the fallen lightsaber away. Darth Vader looks around for any others who wish to challenge him. No one steps forward. He walks back toward Darthine Jez.

Darthine Jez glares with hate-filled eyes at Darth Vader. She holds her Chakram at the ready.

DARTHINE JEZ

I was to be the next dark lord.

DARTH VADER

It was not your destiny.

DARTHINE JEZ

Don't talk to me of destiny. You're the bastard son of a worthless slave.

Darth Vader towers over her, even though he stands several meters away.

DARTHINE JEZ

Shmi was worthless. She died without honor. No one mourned her.

DARTH VADER

You killed her?

DARTHINE JEZ

The same way I'll kill you.

Darthine Jez hurls her Chakram with all her might at Darth Vader. He holds out his hand. The Chakram stops in mid air between them.

Darthine grits her teeth, exerting all her force of will to move the Chakram.

Darth Vader closes his fist. The Chakram shatters into a thousand shards. He advances on Darthine Jez. All she can do is watch and tremble.

She reaches out with one final, hopeless plea.

DARTHINE JEZ

If you kill me, you'll never find the frozen jedi-

Darth Vader slashes down, cutting off anything else she might have said.

CUT TO:

INT CORUSCANT - DEEP LOWER LEVELS - STORAGE - SAME TIME

A mechanical arm lifts a block of carbonite and puts it in place in a huge rack. The rack extends into the distance, no end in sight.

Another block of carbonite rises with the arm. A frozen body is visible inside.

CUT TO:

EXT CORUSCANT - IMPERIAL PALACE - SUNSET

Darth Vader overlooks the city. Hands clasped behind his back, he watches as the sun dips below the horizon.

Behind him, a masked DELEGATE approaches. Darth Vader turns slightly, sensing the delegate's presence.

DARTH VADER

What is it?

In a mechanically disguised voice, the DELEGATE speaks.

DELEGATE

I have a message for you.

Darth Vader turns back to the sunset.

DARTH VADER

Speak.

The Delegate removes his mask. Revealing the face of Obi Wan Kenobi.

OBI WAN KENOBI

I've come to bring you back, Anakin.

Darth Vader turns around to face his old teacher.

DARTH VADER

That name means nothing to me.

OBI WAN KENOBI

It is your true name.

DARTH VADER

I am Vader.

Darth Vader ignites his lightsaber.

OBI WAN KENOBI

If you kill me, you will never find Luke.

This gives Darth Vader pause.

OBI WAN KENOBI

He is in a place where you will never find him.

Darth Vader raises his lightsaber.

OBI WAN KENOBI

I let you live on Botham Caruz. I could have killed you. But you were my friend.

Darth Vader turns off his lightsaber.

DARTH VADER

Go. When we meet again, I will destroy you.

CUT TO:

EXT TATTOOINE - DESERT - MOISTURE FARM - SUNSET

A three year old LUKE SKYWALKER plays outside. He turns and looks into the setting suns.

OBI WAN KENOBI (V.O.)

When we meet again, Luke will be a Jedi. He will bring you back. He will bring balance.

FADE OUT:

Continued in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

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