Revenge of the Sith: Illustrated Screenplay: Star Wars: Episode III (16 page)

Y
ODA:
With the help of the Wookiees, barely escape, I did.

O
BI-
W
AN:
How many other Jedi managed to survive?

Y
ODA:
Heard from no one, have we.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi Temple. That’s why I went looking for Yoda.

O
BI-
W
AN:
Have we had any contact from the Temple?

Y
ODA:
Received a coded retreat message, we have.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
It requests all Jedi to return to the Temple. It says that the war is over . . .

O
BI-
W
AN:
Well, then we must go back! If there are other stragglers, they will fall into the trap and be killed.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
It’s too dangerous to return.

Y
ODA:
Suggest dismantling the coded signal, do you?

O
BI-
W
AN:
Yes, Master. There is too much at stake here, and we need a clearer picture of what has happened.

Y
ODA:
I agree. In a dark place we find ourselves . . . a little more knowledge might light our way.

165 EXT. MUSTAFAR—LAVA FIELDS—DAY

Workers move across the lava beds, gathering the magma. A column of aliens riding giant MUSTAFAR FLEAS marches forward.

166 INT. MUSTAFAR—MAIN CONTROL CENTER—DAY

A HOLOGRAM of DARTH SIDIOUS is in the center of the room. NUTE GUNRAY and the REST OF THE SEPARATIST COALITION watch SIDIOUS.

N
UTE
G
UNRAY:
The plan has gone as you had promised, My Lord.

D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS:
You have done well, Viceroy. When my new apprentice, Darth Vader, arrives, he will take care of you.

The hologram disappears.

167 INT. CRUISER—COCKPIT

The Republic Cruiser heads toward Coruscant. OBI-WAN, BAIL, YODA, and TWO PILOTS sit in the cockpit.

P
ILOT:
We are receiving a message from the Chancellor’s office, sir.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
Send it through.

P
ILOT:
Yes, sir.

The PILOT pushes some buttons. MAS AMEDDA appears on screen.

M
AS
A
MEDDA:
Senator Organa . . . the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic requests your presence at a special session of Congress.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
Tell the Chancellor I will be there.

M
AS
A
MEDDA:
Very well. He will be expecting you.

MAS AMEDDA’s image disappears from the screen.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
It could be a trap.

O
BI-
W
AN:
No, I don’t think so. The Chancellor will not be able to control the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact.

Y
ODA:
If a special session of Congress there is, easier for us to enter the Jedi Temple it will be.

168 EXT. CORUSCANT—SENATE LANDING PLATFORM—LATE DAY

OBI-WAN, BAIL, and YODA land on Coruscant. The elevator door opens, and they step out.

G
UARD:
Welcome back, Senator. May I see your clearance?

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
Certainly.

G
UARD:
Thank you, you may proceed. We will take custody of the Jedi.

O
BI-
W
AN:
It would be better if we stayed with the Senator.

G
UARD:
It would be better if they stayed with you.

BAIL and his AIDES go into the Senate. YODA and OBI-WAN head for the Jedi Temple.

169 EXT. MUSTAFAR—JEDI STARFIGHTER—SPACE

ANAKIN’s Jedi Starfighter heads for the hazy blood-red planet of Mustafar.

170 EXT. MUSTAFAR—LANDING PLATFORM—DAY

ANAKIN flies over the volcanoes of Mustafar and lands his Jedi Starfighter on a complex of Landing Platforms. His cockpit opens as R2-D2 pops from the ship with a happy BEEP.

A
NAKIN:
Artoo . . . stay with the ship.

ARTOO lets out a sad little BEEP and moves back toward the ship.

171 EXT. MUSTAFAR—LANDING PLATFORM—DAY

ANAKIN, putting on his hood, walks across a walkway upon arriving on Mustafar.

172 INT. MUSTAFAR—MAIN CONTROL CENTER—DAY

ANAKIN appears in the doorway of the control center.

N
UTE
G
UNRAY:
Welcome, Lord Vader. We’ve been expecting you.

Everyone in the room looks to him as he raises his hand toward a control panel, and all the exits close. The confused SEPARATISTS look around in bewilderment.

173 EXT. CORUSCANT—JEDI TEMPLE—LATE DAY

Smoke from the smoldering shell of the Jedi Temple fills the air with a brown haze.

174 (132) INT. CORUSCANT—JEDI TEMPLE—MAIN ENTRANCE—LATE DAY

A DOZEN CLONE TROOPERS stand guard at the entrance of the Jedi Temple. Suddenly there is a flash of a lightsaber, a flurry of confusion, and all of the Clone Troopers are dead on the floor. YODA and OBI-WAN stand in the middle of the carnage.

O
BI-
W
AN:
There are several battalions of Clone Troopers on every level. Many are dressed as Jedi.

Y
ODA:
Dismantle the coded signal quickly. That group back there, soon discovered will be.

175 EXT. CORUSCANT—SENATE BUILDING—SUNSET

The awesome Senate Building looms over the city. The endless traffic continues to clutter the skyline.

176 (137) INT. CORUSCANT—SENATE CHAMBER—SUNSET

The Chancellor is in the podium in the center of the vast arena giving a speech. MAS AMEDDA stands to the right of SIDIOUS.

BAIL ORGANA walks through the hallway of the Main Senate Chamber. He enters the Senate Pod of Naboo and sits next to PADMÉ. JAR JAR, CAPTAIN TYPHO and TWO HANDMAIDENS are in the pod also.

P
ALPATINE:
. . . and the Jedi Rebellion has been foiled.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
I was held up. What’s happening?

P
ADMÉ:
The Chancellor has been elaborating on a plot by the Jedi, to overthrow the Senate.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
That’s not true!

P
ADMÉ:
He’s been presenting evidence all afternoon.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
And the Senate will go along with it, just like they always do.

P
ALPATINE:
The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated.
(applause
) Any collaborators will suffer the same fate.
(applause
) These have been trying times, but we have passed the test.

177 (133) INT. CORUSCANT—JEDI TEMPLE—HALLWAY—SUNSET

YODA and OBI-WAN make their way through the Temple, avoiding the HUNDREDS OF CLONE TROOPERS. They use the Force to distract the CLONES when they can.

YODA and OBI-WAN walk through the ruins of the Temple until they come across the bodies of some students.

O
BI-
W
AN:
Not even the younglings survived.

Y
ODA:
Killed not by clones, this Padawan. By a lightsaber, he was.

O
BI-
W
AN:
. . . Who?? Who could have done this?

178 (130) INT. MUSTAFAR—MAIN CONTROL CENTER—DAY

ANAKIN ignites his lightsaber, NUTE and the OTHERS panic. The DROIDS at the controls and the GUARDS grab their weapons, but it is too late. They are cut down in a flash. The Separatists bang on the doors, and NUTE and RUNE HAAKO flee under a table. ANAKIN, stone-faced, moves through the room like the grim reaper. Bodies drop everywhere. SCREAMS are cut short as the head of the Banking Clan dies.

Then POGGLE THE LESSER loses his head; WAT TAMBOR, SHU MAI, and the REST OF THE SEPARATISTS run into the conference room.

179 INT. CORUSCANT—SENATE CHAMBER—SUNSET

P
ALPATINE:
The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger.

Applause.

180 INT. MUSTAFAR—MAIN CONTROL CENTER—DAY

In the hallway, ANAKIN cuts down DROIDS and SEPARATISTS alike. He is unstoppable. ANAKIN turns his head—his eyes are yellow.

181 (137) INT. CORUSCANT—SENATE CHAMBER—SUNSET

PALPATINE continues his speech at the podium.

P
ALPATINE:
The war is over.
(applause
) The Separatists have been defeated,
(applause
) and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshhold of a new beginning.

There is a long period of APPLAUSE.

P
ADMÉ:
Well, this is the moment we discover if he intends to return the Republic to a democracy.

P
ALPATINE:
In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you, will last for ten thousand years.

There is a loud, sustained CHEER from the Senate. BAIL ORGANA and PADMÉ sit, dumbfounded.

P
ALPATINE:
(continuing
) An empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body, and a sovereign ruler chosen for life . . .

The Senate CHEERS again. BAIL and PADMÉ are devastated. PADMÉ begins to cry.

P
ALPATINE:
(continuing
) An empire ruled by the majority . . . Ruled by a new constitution . . .

The Senate APPLAUDS.

P
ADMÉ:
So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause . . .

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
We cannot let this happen.

He starts to stand up. PADMÉ stops him.

P
ADMÉ:
Not now! There will be a time.

182 (142) INT. MUSTAFAR—MAIN CONTROL CENTER—CONFERENCE ROOM—DAY

After everyone in the Main Control Room is dead, ANAKIN moves to the small conference room where WAT TAMBOR, SHU MAI, and some OTHER SEPARATISTS are hiding. RUNE HAAKO tries to run but is trapped by a dead-end as ANAKIN advances.

R
UNE
H
AAKO:
Stop! Enough, this is not right!

RUNE is cut down. NUTE GUNRAY crawls out from under the table and opens the Main Door, allowing DESTROYER DROIDS to enter. WAT TAMBOR is cut down, along with SHU MAI. DESTROYER DROIDS appear in the doorway and blast away, causing total destruction. When the firing is over, ANAKIN is gone. Blown away? No. ANAKIN drops from the ceiling behind the TWO DROIDS and cuts them to pieces before they know what hit them.

183 INT. MUSTAFAR—MAIN CONTROL CENTER—HALLWAY—DAY

NUTE GUNRAY is the last Separatist leader alive. ANAKIN moves on to find NUTE GUNRAY hiding in an alcove.

N
UTE
G
UNRAY:
The war is over. Lord Sidious promised us peace . . . we only want . . .

NUTE GUNRAY is cut down in midsentence.

184 (138) INT. CORUSCANT—JEDI TEMPLE—COMPUTER ROOM—NIGHT

OBI-WAN stands in a large computer area as YODA looks on, in the hatchway to the Main Control Center.

O
BI-
W
AN:
I’ve recalibrated the code warning all surviving Jedi to stay away.

Y
ODA:
Good . . . For the Clones to discover the recalibration, a long time it will take. To change it back, longer still. Hurry.

185 (138A) INT. CORUSCANT—JEDI TEMPLE—CONTROL CENTER—NIGHT

OBI-WAN enters the Main Control Center with YODA and heads for the hologram area.

O
BI-
W
AN:
Wait, Master. There is something I must know . . .

Y
ODA:
If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find.

O
BI-
W
AN:
I must know the truth, Master.

OBI-WAN moves to a panel and flips some switches. He sees a HOLOGRAM of ANAKIN slaughtering JEDI, including the YOUNG ONES. OBI-WAN and YODA react.

O
BI-
W
AN:
(continuing
) It can’t be . . . It can’t be . . .

As ANAKIN surveys the carnage, a DARK-ROBED SITH LORD enters. ANAKIN turns to DARTH SIDIOUS and kneels before him.

A
NAKIN:
The traitors have been taken care of, Lord Sidious.

D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS:
Good . . . good . . . You have done well, my new apprentice. Do you feel your power growing?

A
NAKIN:
Yes, My Master.

D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS:
Now, Lord Vader, now go and bring peace to the Empire.