Air Battle: The two armadas, like their sea-bound ancestors, blast away at each other in individual point-blank confrontations. A Star Destroyer explodes. The Rebel victor limps away, its back half alive with a series of minor explosions. The Rebel cruiser manages to move in next to a second Star Destroyer before it explodes completely, taking the Imperial Star Destroyer with it. The Falcon and several fighters attack one of the larger Imperial ships.
Bunker Control Room: Controllers watch the main viewscreen on which a vague figure of an Imperial walker pilot can be seen. There is a great deal of static and interference. Han with an Imperial helmet on reports it's over. The Rebels have been routed. They're fleeing into the woods. They need reinforcements to continue the pursuit. The controllers cheer. The Control Room Commanders orders three squads to help, open the back door.
Generator Bunker: As the door to the bunker opens and the Imperial troops rush out, they're surprised to find themselves surrounded by Rebels, their weapons pointed at them. Ewoks holding bows and arrows appear on the roof of the bunker. The Imperial troops throw down their guns as Han and Chewie rush inside the bunker with explosive charges.
Bunker Control Rooom:Han, Chewie, and several troops rush into the control room and plant explosive charges on the control panels and rush out. They place charges throughout control room.
Emperor's Tower, Throne Room: Vader stalks the low-ceilinged area on the level below the throne, searching for Luke in the semi-darkness, his lightsaber held ready. Luke refuses to fight Vader as he taunts him to give in to the dark side. Vader stops and senses something. Luke shuts his eyes tightly, in anguish. Vader, "Sister! So...you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will."
Luke ignites his lightsaber and screams in anger, rushing at his father with a frenzy we have not seen before. Sparks fly as Luke and Vader fight in the cramped area. Luke's hatred forces Vader to retreat out of the low area and across a bridge overlooking a vast elevator shaft. Each stroke of Luke's sword drives his father further toward defeat.
The Dark Lord is knocked to his knees, and as he raises his sword to block another onslaught, Luke slashes Vader's right hand off at the wrist, causing metal and electronic parts to fly from the mechanical stump. Vader's sword clatters uselessly away, over the edge of the platform and into the bottomless shaft below.
Luke moves over Vader and holds the blade of his sword to the Dark Lord's throat. The Emperor watches with uncontrollable, pleased agitation. The Emperor beckons Luke to fulfill his destiny and take his father's place at the Emperor's side.
Luke looks at his father's mechanical hand, then to his own mechanical, black-gloved hand, and realizes how much he is becoming like his father. He makes the decision for which he has spent a lifetime in preparation. Luke steps back and hurls his lightsaber away. Luke, "Never! I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." The Emperor's glee turns to rage.
Generator Bunker: Han and several of the fighters run out of the bunker and race across the clearing. A shock wave knocks them flat as the bunker explodes, followed by a spectacular display as the huge shield-generator radar dish explodes along with the bunker.
Rebel Star Cruiser: Ackbar, sitting in his control chair, speaks into the radio. Now that the shield is down he orders the fleet to commence their attack on the Death Star's main reactor. Lando and all the fighters are on their way. The Falcon, followed by several smaller Rebel fighters, heads toward the unfinished superstructure of the Death Star.
Emperor's Tower, Throne Room: The Emperor raises his arms toward Luke. Blinding bolts of energy, evil lightning, shoot from the Emperor's hands at Luke. Even in his surprise, the young Jedi tries to use the Force to deflect them. At first he is half successful, but after a moment the bolts of energy are coming with such speed and power the young Jedi shrinks before them, his knees buckling. The wounded Vader struggles to his feet, and moves to stand at his master's side. Luke is almost unconscious beneath the continuing assault of the Emperor's lightning.
He clutches a canister to keep from falling into the bottomless shaft as the bolts tear through him. Luke writhes on the floor in unbearable pain, reaching weakly up toward where Vader stands watching. Luke pleads to his father for help. Again Vader stands, watching Luke. He looks at his master, the Emperor, then back to Luke on the floor.
Deeply affected by the sight of his son dying before him, Vader grabs the Emperor from behind, fighting for control of the robed figure despite the Dark Lord's weakened body and gravely weakened arm. The Emperor struggles in his embrace, his bolt-shooting hands now lifted high, away from Luke. Now the white lightning arcs back to strike at Vader.
He stumbles with his load as the sparks rain off his helmet and flow down over his black cape. He holds his evil master high over his head and walks to the edge of the abyss at the central core of the throne room. With one final burst of his once awesome strength, Darth Vader hurls the Emperor's body into the bottomless shaft.
The Emperor's body spins helplessly into the void, arcing as it falls into the abyss. Finally, when the body is far down the shaft, it explodes, creating a rush of air through the room.
Vader's cape is whipped by the wind and he staggers, and collapses toward the bottomless hole. Luke crawls to his father's side and pulls him away from the edge of the abyss to safety. Both the young Jedi and the giant warrior are too weak to move.
Rebel fighters follow the Falcon across the surface of the Death Star to the unfinished portion, where they dive into the super-structure of the giant battle station, followed by many TIE fighters.
Three X-wings lead the chase through the ever-narrowing shaft, followed by the Falcon and four other fighters, plus TIE fighters who continually fire at the Rebels. Lights reflect off the pilot's faces as they race through the dark shaft.
The fighters and the Falcon race through the tunnel, still pursued by the TIE fighters. One of the X-wings is hit from behind and explodes. The Rebel fighters split up and head back to the surface to get the TIE fighters to follow them. The Rebel ships peel off pursued by three of the TIE's, while Lando and Wedge continue through the main tunnel. It narrows, and the Falcon scrapes the side dangerously. Two other TIE fighters continue to blast away at them. The battle between the Rebel and Imperial fleet rages on. Several cruisers fire at the giant Super Star Destroyer.
Rebel Star Cruiser: To give Lando's and his fighters more time, Ackbar orders the fleet to concentrate all fire on that Super Star Destroyer. X-wings pilots head across the surface of the huge battleship.
Vader's Star Destroyer, Bridge: Admiral Piett and a commander stand at the window, looking out to the battle. They look concerned. Rebel fighers destroy their bridge deflector shield. Piett orders his troops to intensify the forward batteries, but it's too late. The commander is looking out of the window where a damaged Rebel fighter is out of control and heading directly toward the bridge. The Rebel pilot screams as his ship hits the Star Destroyer, causing a huge explosion. The giant battle ship loses control, crashes into the Death Star, and explodes.
Rebel Star Cruiser, Bridge: There is excitement on the bridge as the battle rages on all sides. They cheer as the giant Star Destroyer blows up.
Death Star, Main Docking Bay: Chaos. For the first time, the Death Star is rocked by explosions as the Rebel fleet, no longer backed against a wall, zooms over, unloading a heavy barrage. Imperial troops run in all directions, confused and desperate to escape. In the midst of this uproar, Luke is trying to carry the enormous deadweight of his father's weakening body toward an Imperial shuttle. Finally, Luke collapses from the strain. The explosions grow louder as Vader draws him closer.
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