INT. GANTRY — OUTSIDE CONTROL ROOM — REACTOR SHAFT

Luke moves along the railing and up to the control room.

Vader lunges at him and Luke immediately raises his lit sword to meet
Vader’s. Sparks fly as they duel, Vader gradually forcing Luke
backward toward the gantry.

VADER
You are beaten. It is useless
to resist. Don’t let yourself
be destroyed as Obi-Wan did.

Luke answers by rolling sideways and thrusting his sword at Vader so
viciously that he nicks Vader on the shoulder. The black armor sparks
and smokes and Vader seems to be hurt, but immediately recovers.

Luke backs off along the narrow end of the gantry as Vader comes at
him, slashing at the young Jedi with his sword. Luke makes a quick
move around the instrument complex attached to the end of the gantry.
Vader’s sword comes slashing down, cutting the complex loose; it begins
to fall, then is caught by the rising wind and blown upward.

Luke glances at the instrument complex floating away. At that instant,
Vader’s sword comes down across Luke’s right forearm, cutting off his
hand and sending his sword flying. In great pain, Luke squeezes his
forearm under his left armpit and moves back along the gantry to its
extreme end. Vader
follows. The wind subsides. Luke holds on. There is nowhere else to
go.

VADER
There is no escape. Don’t make
me destroy you. You do not yet
realize your importance. You
have only begun to discover your
power. Join me and I will complete
your training. With our combined
strength, we can end this destructive
conflict and bring order to the
galaxy.

LUKE
I’ll never join you!

VADER
If you only knew the power of the
dark side. Obi-Wan never told
you what happened to your father.

LUKE
He told me enough! It was you
who killed him.

VADER
No. I am your father.

Shocked, Luke looks at Vader in utter disbelief.

LUKE
No. No. That’s not true!
That’s impossible!

VADER
Search your feelings. You know
it to be true.

LUKE
No! No! No!

VADER
Luke. You can destroy the Emperor.
He has foreseen this. It is your
destiny. Join me, and together
we can rule the galaxy as father
and son. Come with me. It is the
only way.

Vader puts away his sword and holds his hand out to Luke.

A calm comes over Luke, and he makes a decision. In the next instant
he steps off the gantry platform into space. The Dark Lord looks over
the platform and sees Luke falling far below. The wind begins to blow
at Vader’s cape and the torrent finally forces him back, away from the
edge. The wind soon fades and the wounded Jedi begins to drop fast,
unable to grab onto anything to break his fall.