INT. TATOOINE - MOS EISLEY - CANTINA
The young adventurer and his two mechanical servants follow
Ben Kenobi into the smoke-filled cantina. The murky, moldy
den is filled with a startling array of weird and exotic
alien creatures and monsters at the long metallic bar. At
first the sight is horrifying. One-eyed, thousand-eyed, slimy,
furry, scaly, tentacled, and clawed creatures huddle over
drinks. Ben moves to an empty spot at the bar near a group
of repulsive but human scum. A huge, rough-looking Bartender
stops Luke and the robots.
BARTENDER
We don't serve their kind here!
Luke still recovering from the shock of seeing so many
outlandish creatures, doesn't quite catch the bartender's
drift.
LUKE
What?
BARTENDER
Your droids. They'll have to wait
outside. We don't want them here.
Luke looks at old Ben, who is busy talking to one of the
Galactic pirates. He notices several of the gruesome creatures
along the bar are giving him a very unfriendly glare.
Luke pats Threepio on the shoulder.
LUKE
Listen, why don't you wait out by
the speeder. We don't want any
trouble.
THREEPIO
I heartily agree with you sir.
Threepio and his stubby partner go outside and most of the
creatures at the bar go back to their drinks.
Ben is standing next to Chewbacca, an eight-foot-tall savage-
looking creature resembling a huge grey bushbaby monkey with
fierce baboon-like fangs. His large blue eyes dominate a fur-
covered face and soften his otherwise awesome appearance.
Over his matted, furry body he wears two chrome bandoliers,
and little else. He is a two-hundred-year-old Wookiee and a
sight to behold.
Ben speaks to the Wookiee, pointing to Luke several times
during his conversation and the huge creature suddenly lets
out a horrifying laugh. Luke is more than a little bit
disconcerted and pretends not to hear the conversation between
Ben and the giant Wookiee.
Luke is terrified but tries not to show it. He quietly sips
his drink, looking over the crowd for a more sympathetic ear
or whatever.
A large, multiple-eyed Creature gives Luke a rough shove.
CREATURE
Negola dewaghi wooldugger?!?
The hideous freak is obviously drunk. Luke tries to ignore
the creature and turns back on his drink. A short, grubby
Human and an even smaller rodent-like beast join the
belligerent monstrosity.
HUMAN
He doesn't like you.
LUKE
I'm sorry.
HUMAN
I don't like you either.
The big creature is getting agitated and yells out some
unintelligible gibberish at the now rather nervous, young
adventurer.
HUMAN
Don't insult us. You just watch
yourself. We're wanted men. I have
the death sentence in twelve systems.
LUKE
I'll be careful than.
HUMAN
You'll be dead.
The rodent lets out a loud grunt and everything at the bar
moves away. Luke tries to remain cool but it isn't easy. His
three adversaries ready their weapons. Old Ben moves in behind
Luke.
BEN
This little one isn't worth the
effort. Come let me buy you
something...
A powerful blow from the unpleasant creature sends the young
would-be Jedi sailing across the room, crashing through tables
and breaking a large jug filled with a foul-looking liquid.
With a blood curdling shriek, the monster draws a wicked
chrome laser pistol from his belt and levels it at old Ben.
The bartender panics.
BARTENDER
No blasters! No blaster!
With astounding agility old Ben's laser sword sparks to life
and in a flash an arm lies on the floor. The rodent is cut
in two and the giant multiple-eyed creature lies doubled,
cut from chin to groin. Ben carefully and precisely turns
off his laser sword and replaces it on his utility belt.
Luke, shaking and totally amazed at the old man's abilities,
attempts to stand. The entire fight has lasted only a matter
of seconds. The cantina goes back to normal, although Ben is
given a respectable amount of room at the bar. Luke, rubbing
his bruised head, approaches the old man with new awe. Ben
points the the Wookiee.
BEN
This is Chewbacca. He's first-mate
on a ship that might suit our needs.
EXT. TATOOINE - MOS EISLEY - STREET
Threepio paces in front of the cantina as Artoo carries on
an electronic conversation with another little red astro-
droid. A creature comes out of the cantina and approaches
two stormtroopers in the street.
THREEPIO
I don't like the look of this.
INT. TATOOINE - MOS EISLEY - CANTINA
Strange creatures play exotic big band music on odd-looking
instruments as Luke, still giddy, downs a fresh drink and
follows Ben and Chewbacca to a booth where Han Solo is
sitting. Han is a tough, roguish starpilot about thirty years
old. A mercenary on a starship, he is simple, sentimental,
and cocksure.
HAN
Han Solo. I'm captain of the
Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells
me you're looking for passage to the
Alderaan system.
BEN
Yes, indeed. If it's a fast ship.
HAN
Fast ship? You've never heard of the
Millennium Falcon?
BEN
Should I have?
HAN
It's the ship that made the Kessel
run in less than twelve parsecs!
Ben reacts to Solo's stupid attempt to impress them with
obvious misinformation.
HAN
I've outrun Imperial starships, not
the local bulk-cruisers, mind you.
I'm talking about the big Corellian
ships now. She's fast enough for
you, old man. What's the cargo?
BEN
Only passengers. Myself, the boy,
two droids, and no questions asked.
HAN
What is it? Some kind of local
trouble?
BEN
Let's just say we'd like to avoid
any Imperial entanglements.
HAN
Well, that's the trick, isn't it?
And it's going to cost you something
extra. Ten thousand in advance.
LUKE
Ten thousand? We could almost buy
our own ship for that!
HAN
But who's going to fly it, kid! You?
LUKE
You bet I could. I'm not such a bad
pilot myself! We don't have to sit
here and listen...
BEN
We haven't that much with us. But we
could pay you two thousand now, plus
fifteen when we reach Alderaan.
HAN
Seventeen, huh!
Han ponders this for a few moments.
HAN
Okay. You guys got yourself a ship.
We'll leave as soon as you're ready.
Docking bay Ninety-four.
BEN
Ninety-four.
HAN
Looks like somebody's beginning to
take an interest in your handiwork.
Ben and Luke turn around to see four Imperial stormtroopers
looking at the dead bodies and asking the bartenders some
questions. The bartender points to the booth.
TROOPER
All right, we'll check it out.
The stormtroopers look over at the booth but Luke and Ben
are gone. The bartender shrugs his shoulders in puzzlement.
HAN
Seventeen thousand! Those guys must
really be desperate. This could really
save my neck. Get back to the ship
and get her ready.
EXT. TATOOINE - MOS EISLEY - STREET
BEN
You'll have to sell your speeder.
LUKE
That's okay. I'm never coming back
to this planet again.
INT. MOS EISLEY - CANTINA
As Han is about to leave, Greedo, a slimy green-faced alien
with a short trunk-nose, pokes a gun in his side. The creature
speaks in a foreign tongue translated into English subtitles.
GREEDO
Going somewhere, Solo?
HAN
Yes, Greedo. As a matter of fact, I
was just going to see your boss.
Tell Jabba that I've got his money.
Han sits down and the alien sits across from him holding the
gun on him.
GREEDO
It's too late. You should have paid
him when you had the chance. Jabba's
put a price on your head, so large
that every bounty hunter in the galaxy
will be looking for you. I'm lucky I
found you first.
HAN
Yeah, but this time I got the money.
GREEDO
If you give it to me, I might forget
I found you.
HAN
I don't have it with me. Tell Jabba...
GREEDO
Jabba's through with you. He has no
time for smugglers who drop their
shipments at the first sign of an
Imperial cruiser.
HAN
Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you
think I had a choice?
Han Solo slowly reaches for his gun under the table.
GREEDO
You can tell that to Jabba. He may
only take your ship.
HAN
Over my dead body.
GREEDO
That's the idea. I've been looking
forward to killing you for a long
time.
HAN
Yes, I'll bet you have.
Suddenly the slimy alien disappears in a blinding flash of
light. Han pulls his smoking gun from beneath the table as
the other patron look on in bemused amazement. Han gets up
and starts out of the cantina, flipping the bartender some
coins as he leaves.
HAN
Sorry about the mess.