Revenge of the Sith: Illustrated Screenplay: Star Wars: Episode III (6 page)

M
ACE
W
INDU:
Chancellor Palpatine, what a welcome sight! Are you all right?

P
ALPATINE:
Yes, thanks to your two Jedi Knights. They killed Count Dooku, but General Grievous has escaped once again.

M
ACE
W
INDU:
General Grievous will run and hide as he always does. He is a coward.

P
ALPATINE:
That may be true, but with Count Dooku dead, he is the leader of the Droid Army, and I assure you, the Senate will vote to continue the war as long as Grievous is alive.

M
ACE
W
INDU:
Then the Jedi Council will make finding Grievous our highest priority.

BAIL, ANAKIN, and the crowd walk away from the platform toward the Senate Building Grand Hallway.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
Skywalker, the Republic cannot praise you enough.

ANAKIN and BAIL ORGANA, walking in the hallway.

A
NAKIN:
Thank you, Senator Organa. The kidnapping was a bold move by the Separatists, but it was a mistake that Obi-Wan and I were able to take advantage of.

ARTOO and THREEPIO follow behind the crowd.

C
-
3PO
:
It couldn’t possibly be as bad as all that.

ARTOO beeps.

C
-
3PO
:
(continuing
) Well, there, I agree with you. In fact, I could do with a tune-up myself.

70 (50) INT. CORUSCANT—SENATE OFFICE BUILDING—MAIN HALLWAY—LATE AFTERNOON

ANAKIN is at the back of the crowd of SENATORS, talking with BAIL ORGANA. R2-D2 and C-3PO scoot along ahead of them.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
The end of Count Dooku will surely bring an end to this war, and an end to the Chancellor’s draconian security measures.

A
NAKIN:
I wish that were so, but the fighting is going to continue until General Grievous is spare parts . . . The Chancellor is very clear about that.

Behind a row of large columns, a SHADOWY FIGURE follows the JEDI and the SENATOR. ANAKIN senses the figure.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
I’ll do everything I can with the Senate.

A
NAKIN:
Excuse me.

B
AIL
O
RGANA:
Certainly.

ANAKIN stops, and BAIL goes off after PALPATINE and the others. ANAKIN goes behind one of the giant columns to meet up with the SHADOWY FIGURE, who is revealed to be SENATOR PADMÉ AMIDALA. They embrace and kiss.

P
ADMÉ:
Oh, Anakin! Thank goodness, you’re back.

A
NAKIN:
I missed you, Padmé. I’ve missed you so.

P
ADMÉ:
There were whispers . . . that you’d been killed. I’ve been living with unbearable dread.

A
NAKIN:
I’m back, I’m all right. It feels like we’ve been apart for a lifetime. And it might have been . . . If the Chancellor hadn’t been kidnapped. I don’t think they would have ever brought us back from the Outer Rim sieges.

ANAKIN starts to give her another kiss. She steps back.

P
ADMÉ:
Wait, not here . . .

He grabs her again.

A
NAKIN:
Yes, here! I’m tired of all this deception. I don’t care if they know we’re married.

P
ADMÉ:
Anakin, don’t say things like that. You’re important to the Republic . . . to ending this war. I love you more than anything, but I won’t let you give up your life as a Jedi for me . . .

A
NAKIN:
I’ve given my life to the Jedi order, but I’d only give up my life, for you.

P
ADMÉ:
(playfully
) I wouldn’t like that. I wouldn’t like that one bit. Patience, my handsome Jedi . . . Come to me later.

ANAKIN embraces her, then looks at her.

A
NAKIN:
Are you all right? You’re trembling. What’s going on?

P
ADMÉ:
I’m just excited to see you.

A
NAKIN:
That’s not it. I sense more . . . what is it?

P
ADMÉ:
Nothing . . . nothing . . .

A
NAKIN:
You’re frightened.
(a little angry
) Tell me what’s going on!

PADMÉ begins to cry.

P
ADMÉ:
You’ve been gone five months . . . it’s been very hard for me. I’ve never felt so alone. There’s . . .

A
NAKIN:
. . . Is there someone else?

P
ADMÉ:
(peeved, angry
) No! Why do you think that? Your jealousy upsets me so much, Anakin. I do nothing to betray you, yet you still don’t trust me. Nothing has changed.

A
NAKIN:
(sheepish) I’m afraid of losing you, Padmé . . . that’s all.

P
ADMÉ:
I will never stop loving you, Anakin. My only fear is losing you.

A
NAKIN:
It’s just that I’ve never seen you like this . . .

P
ADMÉ:
Something wonderful has happened.

They look at each other for a long moment.

P
ADMÉ:
(continuing
) I’m . . . Annie, I’m pregnant.

ANAKIN is stunned. He thinks through all of the ramifications of this. He takes her in his arms.

A
NAKIN:
That’s . . . that’s wonderful.

P
ADMÉ:
What are we going to do?

A
NAKIN:
We’re not going to worry about anything right now, all right? This is a happy moment. The happiest moment of my life.

71 EXT. UTAPAU—LANDING PLATFORM—DAY

A small NEIMOIDIAN SHUTTLE lands. BATTLE DROIDS surround the ramp as GENERAL GRIEVOUS descends onto the platform. SUPER BATTLE DROID G21 approaches.

S
UPER
B
ATTLE
D
ROID
G21
:
The planet is secure, sir. The population is under control.

G
ENERAL
G
RIEVOUS:
Good. Where is the Separatist Council?

S
UPER
B
ATTLE
D
ROID
G21
:
This way, sir . . .

GENERAL GRIEVOUS takes the elevator to an upper level. He enters a conference room and presses a series of buttons on the table, and bows.

72 INT. UTAPAU—CONFERENCE ROOM—GRAND CHAMBER—DAY

A hologram of Darth Sidious appears.

G
ENERAL
G
RIEVOUS:
Yes, Lord Sidious.

D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS:
General Grievous, I suggest you move the Separatist leaders to Mustafar.

G
ENERAL
G
RIEVOUS:
It will be done, My Lord.

D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS:
The end of the war is near, General, and I promise you, victory is assured.

The hologram of Sidious talks to GRIEVOUS about the death of Count Dooku.

G
ENERAL
G
RIEVOUS:
But the loss of Count Dooku?

D
ARTH
S
IDIOUS:
His death was a necessary loss, which will ensure our victory. Soon I will have a new apprentice . . . one far younger and more powerful than Lord Tyranus.

73 INT. CORUSCANT—PADMÉ’S APARTMENT—TWILIGHT

PADMÉ stands in the balcony brushing her hair. ANAKIN leans against the wall, watching her lovingly.

A
NAKIN:
. . . every second I was thinking of you. Protecting the endless, nameless Outer Rim settlements became a torture . . . the battles were easy, the longing became unbearable . . . I’ve never been so happy as I am at this moment.

P
ADMÉ:
Annie, I want to have our baby back home on Naboo. We could go to the lake country where no one would know . . . where we would be safe. I could go early—and fix up the baby’s room. I know the perfect spot, right by the gardens.

A
NAKIN:
You are so beautiful!

P
ADMÉ:
It’s only because I’m so in love . . .

A
NAKIN:
No, it’s because I’m so in love with you.

P
ADMÉ:
So love has blinded you?

A
NAKIN:
Well, that’s not exactly what I meant . . .

P
ADMÉ:
But it’s probably true!

They laugh.

A
NAKIN:
I haven’t laughed in so long . . .

P
ADMÉ:
Neither have I.

74 INT. POLIS MASSA—MEDICAL CENTER—DREAM

The view is strangely distorted and disorienting. PADMÉ is on a table in an alien medical chamber. She is giving birth and is screaming.

P
ADMÉ:
Anakin, help me! Help, Anakin! Anakin, I love you. I love you.

She screams and dies.

75 (54) INT. CORUSCANT—PADMÉ’S APARTMENT—BEDROOM—NIGHT

ANAKIN awakens in a panic. He is covered in sweat. He looks over in the bed and sees PADMÉ sound asleep next to him.

ANAKIN gets out from under the sheets and sits on the side of the bed. He is breathing heavily. He puts his head in his hands and weeps. He regains his composure and leaves the room down a set of stairs. PADMÉ awakens, realizes Anakin is gone.

P
ADMÉ:
Anakin??

She gets out of bed and goes downstairs to look for him.

76 (55) EXT. CORUSCANT—PADMÉ’S APARTMENT—VERANDA—NIGHT

ANAKIN walks down a flight of stairs onto a large veranda. The vast city planet of Coruscant, smoldering from the battle, is spread out before him. He is distraught.

PADMÉ descends the stairs and joins ANAKIN on the veranda. She takes his hand. He doesn’t look at her.

P
ADMÉ:
What’s bothering you?

A
NAKIN:
Nothing . . .

ANAKIN touches the japor snippet around PADMÉ’S neck, that Anakin gave her when he was a small boy.

A
NAKIN:
(continuing
) I remember when I gave this to you.

P
ADMÉ:
Anakin, how long is it going to take for us to be honest with each other?

A
NAKIN:
It was a dream.

P
ADMÉ:
Bad?

A
NAKIN:
Like the ones I used to have about my mother just before she died.

P
ADMÉ:
And?

A
NAKIN:
It was about you.

They look at each other. A moment of concern passes between them.

P
ADMÉ:
Tell me.

A
NAKIN:
It was only a dream.

PADMÉ gives him a long, worried look. ANAKIN takes a deep breath.

A
NAKIN:
(continuing
) You die in childbirth . . .

P
ADMÉ:
And the baby?

A
NAKIN:
I don’t know.

P
ADMÉ:
It was only a dream.

ANAKIN takes PADMÉ in his arms.

A
NAKIN:
. . . I won’t let this one become real, Padmé.

They embrace, then part.

P
ADMÉ:
Anakin, this baby will change our lives. I doubt the Queen will continue to allow me to serve in the Senate, and if the Council discovers you are the father, you will be expelled from the Jedi Order.

A
NAKIN:
I know . . .

P
ADMÉ:
Anakin, do you think Obi-Wan might be able to help us?

A
NAKIN:
(suspicious
) Have you told him anything?

P
ADMÉ:
No, but he’s your mentor, your best friend . . . he must suspect something.

A
NAKIN:
He’s been a father to me, but he’s still on the Council. Don’t tell him anything!

P
ADMÉ:
I won’t, Anakin.

A
NAKIN:
I don’t need his help . . . Our baby is a blessing, not a problem.

77 INT. CORUSCANT—JEDI TEMPLE—YODA’S QUARTERS—DAY

YODA and ANAKIN sit in Yoda’s room, deep in thought.