“ALDERAAN’S GRAVEYARD, 0.011 ABY”
(to the sound of an x wing coming out of hyperspace)
BEN GASPS AND BREATHES HEAVILY.
OPEN TO X WING IN GRAVEYARD, FLOATING AMIDST THE ASTEROIDS.
CUT TO BEN INSIDE X WING.
BEN, shaking and panting, pulls off his helmet and looks around in shock at the debris. All we can hear is BEN, and his breathing deepens, but doesn’t even out. He is hyperventilating.
BEN(stuttering and gasping, turning to moans)
No. No. No.
BEN starts wheezing and looking faint. The ASTROMECH warbles, sounding worried.
BEN
This—it’s gone. Gone.
BEN starts weeping, curling into himself and shuddering. It is a visceral cry, coming from his gut and his chest; he is shattering. He opens his eyes and is unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of Alderaan’s remains around him. His weeping turns to moans and screams. He starts reaching out to the canopy, as if to touch the floating rocks through it. He is still all we hear.
BEN(whimpering through his sobs)
I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe! It’s g-gone. No. I can’t...
BEN wipes his eyes and continues whispering to himself, and looks for a button. The ASTROMECH screeches and its headpiece spins around in fright as BEN jabs the button to open the canopy, and the sounds of the canopy locking into place echo. BEN jabs the button again, and starts punching and smashing it when the canopy doesn’t open.
BEN
No! Let me out! I can’t breathe! N-no! It’s—they’re gone! Let me out! LET ME OUT! I can’t, I can’t, I can’t—
BEN cuts himself off and starts trying to pry the canopy open with his bare hands, still shouting and weeping. Unable to budge the glass, he starts punching and slapping it, his strikes getting harder and more violent with each one. The canopy starts shaking and the ASTROMECH shrieks. BEN slows and stops, gasping and gripping the console in desperation.
BEN(whispering through his sobs)
Just let me out. Let me out.
The ASTROMECH spits out a denial, and beeps some more.
BEN
I know! I know what it’ll do! JUST LET ME OUT! Damn it, let me—
BEN collapses back into his seat, looking up through the canopy. We see the stars with him as BEN’s sobs and weeping slowly quiet and soon there is silence.
CUT to view of X WING from above, BEN clearly visible through the canopy. The view slowly zooms in, showing BEN looking at us and the GRAVEYARD with dead eyes and no expression, and completely still. His eyes fill the screen until they are all we see, and then the view zooms out, this time showing BEN looking at the stars out of the viewport of JOVAN where S’ILANCY left him.
BEN’S expression is the same, and the implication is clear: He is still in that cockpit, and is staring at the galaxy and everyone in it with the same eyes.
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