The Clash of Lightsabers

The intensity of the firefight escalates as more and more Stormtroopers converge on the embattled Rebels. After a period of intense struggle, Artoo-Detoo succeeds in opening the doors. To provide cover for their retreat across the exposed landing platform, Artoo employs his fire extinguisher to generate a concealing smokescreen. All five individuals manage to board the Falcon, but even Leia concedes that there is no possibility of returning for Luke.

Deep within the confines of Cloud City, Vader confronts Luke. In a display of his mastery over the Force, Vader uses telekinesis to lift and hurl numerous objects at Luke, subsequently generating a powerful wind that propels him into a reactor shaft. Simultaneously, the Millennium Falcon initiates its departure amidst a barrage of enemy fire.

Far below, Luke manages to achieve a safe landing on a gantry. However, Vader locates him and emphasizes the substantial distance remaining to the ground. Luke persists in his combat, briefly striking Vader with his lightsaber, until Vader retaliates, severing Luke's sword hand. Vader, determined to avoid killing Luke, implores him repeatedly to embrace the Dark Side of the Force. Upon Luke's continued refusal, Vader reveals the shocking truth: "I am your father." Vader then makes a final appeal, suggesting that together, he and Luke can overthrow the Emperor and jointly rule the Galaxy. Luke, however, chooses to leap into the shaft, prioritizing suicide over yielding to Vader's desires.

Despite his fall, Luke survives. In desperation, he calls out, first to Ben Kenobi, and then to Leia. Aboard the Falcon, Leia receives his message telepathically and suddenly gains awareness of Luke's location. Chewbacca trusts her intuition, and the Falcon reverses its course, despite the pursuing imperial TIE fighters. Leia pinpoints Luke's position beneath Cloud City, suspended from a vane. Chewie carefully pilots the ship, enabling Lando to open an airlock and retrieve Luke. Subsequently, the ship accelerates away.

Once the Millennium Falcon escapes the gravitational pull of Bespin, Chewbacca attempts to initiate the jump to lightspeed, only to discover that the hyperdrive remains non-functional, despite Lando's prior instruction for its repair. Luke and Vader engage in telepathic communication, addressing each other as "Father" and "Son." Vader reiterates his invitation for Luke to join him. Elsewhere on the Falcon, Artoo informs Threepio that the hyperdrive was deliberately sabotaged, a revelation he obtained from the city's computer. Artoo interrupts his efforts to reassemble Threepio and performs a rapid repair on the starship. Finally, the Falcon successfully jumps to lightspeed.

Sometime later, Luke is once again under the care of the medical droid Too-Onebee, who is in the process of fitting him with a new prosthetic hand. Lando and Chewbacca arrive to bid farewell, as they are embarking on a journey to Tatooine to locate Han Solo. Luke will rendezvous with them later, accompanied by the droids. Lando and the droids have developed a mutual respect: Lando extends an open invitation for them to travel with him at any time, while Threepio addresses Lando as "Captain Calrissian" with evident respect and affection. Lando assures Leia that he will bring Han back to her. With his new hand in place, Luke joins Leia and the droids to observe the Falcon's departure as they prepare for their upcoming mission.

"The Clash of Lightsabers" maintains a high degree of fidelity to the corresponding scenes in the film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, with only minor variations in timing and interpretation. Specifically, when a gust of wind propels Luke into the reactor shaft, the radio adaptation explicitly states that Vader generated the wind using the Force, whereas the film leaves this point ambiguous. At the climax of the duel, Darth Vader is portrayed as being increasingly desperate to convince Luke to join him. His voice betrays a sense of panic when Luke threatens to jump.