THESTAR

WARS

"THESTARWARS"
May,1973

StorySynopsis
BY
GEORGELUCAS

A
LUCASFILMLTD.
FILM

THESTARWARS
by
GeorgeLucas

LUCASFILMLIMITED

May,1973

DeepSpace.

TheeeriebluegreenplanetofAquilaeslowlydrifts
intoview.Asmallspeck,orbitingtheplanet,glints
inthelightofanearbystar.

Suddenlyasleekfightertypespacecraftsettles
ominously
intotheforegroundmovingswiftlytowardtheorbiting
speck.Twomorefighterssilentlymaneuverintobattle
formationbehindthefirstandthenthreemorecraft
glideintoview.Theorbitingspeckisactuallya
gargantuanspacefortresswhichdwarfstheapproaching
fighters.Fuelpodsarejettisoned.Thesixfighters
breakoffintoapowerdiveattackonthehugefortress.
Lazerboltsstreakfromthefighterscreatingsmall
explosionsonthecomplexsurfaceofthefort.Return
firecatchesoneofthefightersanditburstsintoa
millionpieces.Anotherofthecraftplowsintoagun
emplacementjuttingfromthefortresscausingahideous
seriesofchainreactionexplosions.Thechaosof
battleechoesthroughthevastnessofspace.

Itisthethirtythirdcentury,aperiodofcivilwars
inthegalaxy.Arebelprincess,withherfamily,
herretainers,andtheclantreasure,isbeingpursued.
IftheycancrossterritorycontrolledbytheEmpire
andreachafriendlyplanet,theywillbesaved.The
Sovereignknowsthis,andpostsarewardforthecapture
oftheprincess.

Sheisbeingguardedbyoneofhergenerals,(Luke
Skywalker)anditishewholeadsheronthelongand
dangerousjourneythatfollows.Theytakealongwith
themtwohundredpoundsofthegreatlytreasured"aura
spice",andalsotwoImperialbureaucrats,whomthe
generalhascaptured.

Thetwoterrified,bickeringbureaucratscrashland
onAquilaewhiletryingtofleethebattleofthe
spacefortress.Theyaccidentlydiscoverasmall
containerofthepriceless"auraspice"andarerummaging
aroundtherockspushingandpullingeachothertrying
tofindmorewhentheyarediscoveredbyLukeSkywalker
andtakentohiscamp.

Theprincessandthegeneralaredisguisedasfarmers,
andthebureaucratsjointheirpartywiththeintention
ofstealingtheir"landspeeder"and"auraspice".
Itdoesn'ttakethemtoolongtorealizethegeneral

isn'tafarmerandthattheyarecaptivesaboutto
embarkonadangerousmission.Thetwobureaucrats
areessentiallycomicreliefinsertedamongthegeneral
seriousnessoftheadventure.

Thesmallgroupintheirsleek,white,twoman"land
speeders"travelacrossthewastelandsofAquilae,
headedforthespaceportcityofGordon,wherethey
hopetogetaspacecraftthatwilltakethemtothe
friendlyplanetofOphuchi.

Atadesolatereststop,therebelsarestoppedand
questionedbyanImperialpatrol.Apparentlysatisfied,
thecaptianletsthegroupcontinueontheirway,but
ashortdistanceintothewilderness,theyareattacked
bythepatrol.TheImperialpatroloftwelvemenisno
matchfortheincrediblyskilledandpowerfulgeneral,
whomakesshortworkoftheenemy.

Oneofthetwoman"speeders"isdestroyedinthefight
andthebureaucratsmustrideonthebackofthe
remaining
one,whichslowsthegroupdownconsiderably.They
driveintoastorm,runlowonfoodandwater,but
eventuallymakeittotheruinofareligioustemple.
Inthetempletheydiscoverarebelbandoftenboys
(aged15to18)whoareplanninganattackononeof
theImperialoutposts.Theboyslaughinanticipation
oftheblowtheywillstriketheEmpireinthenameof
theprincess.Theyallstoplaughing,butthelaughing
continuesandtheylookaroundinconsternation.Into
thesanctuaryamblesSkywalker,scratchinghimself,
amusedattheidealismoftheyouths.Hebarely
glancesatthem.Thecontrastbetweentheboyrebels
withtheirtersenods,theirmeaningfulglances,and
Skywalker,arealgeneral,arealmancouldnotbe
greater.Theboyspleadtojointhepartytoprotect
theprincess,butthegeneralrefuses,andinsists
theyallreturntotheirhomes.Theysaytheyhave
noplacetogoandbegintofollowthepartyacross
thewasteland.

Onenightthepartyisattackedbyoneofthelarge
beaststhatroamtheplains,andiseventuallykilled

bytheboyrebels.Thegeneralreluctantlyaccepts
thepresenceoftheboys,andallowsthemtojoin
thegroup.

Thegeneral,oneofthebureaucrats,andoneofthe
boys,ventureintoashabbycantinaontheoutskirts
ofthespaceport,lookingfortherebelcontactwho
willhelpthemgetaspacecraft.Themurkylittle
denisfilledwithastartlingarrayofweirdand
eroticAlienslaughinganddrinkingatthebar.The
bureaucratandtheboyarebothterrifiedasthegeneral
orderstwodrinksandquestionsthebartenderabout
therebelcontactman.Agroupofbulliesbeginto
tauntandridiculetheboy.Skywalkerattemptstoavoid
aconfrontation,butworsecomestoworse,andheis
forcedtofight.Withaflashoflight,hislazer
swordisout.Anareliesontheground,oneofthe
bulliesliesdouble,slashedfromchintogroinand
Skywalker,withquietdignity,replaceshisswordin
itssheath.Theentirefighthaslastedamatterof
seconds.

Skywalker,theprincess,andtheirpartymakecontact
withtherebelunderground,butnotbeforeanImperial
spy,whofollowedthemfromthecantina,reportstheir
planstothecitygovernor.Therebelsenterthe
spaceporttoboardatrader'sship,whosecaptain
isfriendlytowardtherebels.Thegroupdoesn't
realizeuntilitistoolate,thatitisatrap.Guards
pounceonthemfromeverywhere.Theprincess,the
bureaucrats,andtheboysrunforashipwhileSkywalker
holdsofftheguards.Theynarrowlyescapeinastolen
spacefighterandlosethemselvesamongthegiant
Imperialfleetlookingfortherebels.

Thegeneralorbitshisshipfurtherandfurtheraway
fromtheplanet,untilhefeelsitissafetoheadout
intodeepspacetowardOphuchi.Ashemaneuversto
breakoutoforbit,apatrolcrafthailstheshipand
requeststoboardandsearchher.Skywalkertrysto
discouragethem,butthepatrolbecomessuspicious.
Skywalkermakesarunforitandthepatrolcraft
firesonthem.Therebelsreturnthefireanddestroy
thepatrolcraft.ThestolenImperialshipracestoward
thesafetyofdeepspaceastwelvefightercraftconverge

onthedestroyedpatrolandgivechase.

Aragingairtoairbattleandchasebeginswhich
continueshalfwayacrossthegalaxy.Therebelboys
shootdownmanyImperialshipsundertheharshand
uncompromisinginstructionsofthegeneral.Afewof
theboysareangeredathiscoldandrelentless
directions,
althoughtheygrowtorespecthimwhentheybeginto
seetheresultsofhistraining.Theirshipishit
severaltimesandbeginstobreakup,causingthem
toslowdown.Theymaneuverthecrippledfighterto
anasteroidinanattempttohidefromtheirpursuers.
Thetrickworks,butastheyresumetheirtrekacross
thegalaxy,theshipisrockedbyaseriesofexplosions
andplummetstowardtheforbiddenplanetofYavin.

Everyonejettisonssafelyawayfromthedoomedcraft
beforeitexplodes,andusingrocketpack,slowly
drifttotheforebodingsurface.Thegeneral,the
princess,
thetwobureaucratswiththe"auraspice",andoneof
therebelboysregroupandsetupcamp.Whenonly
oneotherboyshowsup,thegroupdecidestosplitup.
Thegeneral,princess,andbureaucratsheadforwhat
appearstobeacity,whilethetwoboysgoofflooking
fortheircomrades.Theyarewatchedbyagiantfurry
Alien,whoquietlydisappearsintothefoliage.

Skywalkerandhispartyracealonganarrowpathway
riding"jetsticks"fashionedfromtheirrescuepacks.
Theyroundabendandseethewayisblockedbythree
orfourAliens,ridinglargebirdlikecreatures.The
generalinstantlychangesdirectionontoasidepath,
theothersfollowclosebehind,chasedbytheAliens.
Skywalkerdropsbehindtheothersandbeginsshooting
attheAlienswithhislazergun.TheAliensslinga
dartlikeobjectatSkywalkerastheyrushalongthe
road.ThegeneralkillsthelastAlienjustashe
reachesthegatetotheAliencamp.Skywalkercannot
curbhis"jetstick"intimeandthemomentumcarries
himdirectlyintotheenemies'hands.

ThegroupissurroundedbyAliens.Skywalkerjumps

offhis"jetstick"andtakesadefensestance.The
Aliensgivehimroom.Theyseempuzzledbythese
intrudersandjabbertothemselves.Twoleaderscarry
onaheatedargument.Finallyonestormsoffindisgust
andtheothersummonsaguardwhostepsforwardwith
alargespearinhishand.SkywalkerandtheAlien
standsurveyingeachother.TheAlienmakesalunge,
thegeneralcounters,andthefightbegins.Adesperate
fightensues,buteventuallySkywalkerwinsbycutting
theAlieninhalfwithhislazersword.Atthis,all
theAliensworkedintoafrenzymob,carrythegeneral
offandthrowhimoverathousandfootcrevasseinto
aboilinglake.

Thegeneral'ssuredeath,terrifiesthebureaucrats
andmovestheprincess.TheAliensleadthemtoa
smallhutwheretheyareimprisoned.Unknownto
everyone,
thegeneralgrabsanoverhangingvineonhisdescent
andswingstosafety.Hestartsbacktorescuethe
otherswhenheencountersanAlien.Skywalkerstarts
toattack,buttheAliendropstothegroundjabbering
andcarryingon.ThegeneralrecognizestheAlienas
theonewhoarguedwiththeleader,whoorderedhis
death.
ThegeneraltrystocommunicatewiththeAlien,but
allhecanmakeoutisthatthecreatureworshipshim
andwantstotakehimsomeplaceurgently.

TheAlienleadsSkywalkertoaclearingwhereaplatoon
oftheImperialguardislounging,obviouslywaiting
forsomeoneorsomething.Thegeneraljumpsundercover
asaherdofAliensarrivewiththeprincessand
bureaucratsintow.Atradeismadeandtheplatoon
leavesina"speedtank"withthethreecaptives.The
generaltriestofollow,butisunabletokeepup.

TheAlienleadsSkywalkertoasmallfarmwherehe
discovers
theboyrebelsarewaitingforhim.Thefarmisowned
byacantankerousoldfarmerwhoismarriedtoanAlien.
HetellsthegroupthathehatestheEmpireandshows
themthe
locationofanoutpostwheretheymighthave
takentheprincess.

Thegeneralandhisarmyofyouthfulwarriorsplan
anattackonthesmallImperialoutpost.Theyuse
surpriseandthegeneral'srigoroustrainingtoovercome
theenemyandcapturetheoutpost.Theydiscoverthe
princesshasbeentakentoAlderaan,thecapitolof
theEmpire.Theymakeplanstorescuetheprincess
fromrightunderthenoseoftheEmperor.Theonly
craftattheoutpostcapableofintergalactictravel
isasquadronofonemandevilfighters,whichthe
generaltrainsthekidstouse.Whentheyfeelthey
areready,theystrikeouttowardthecenterofthe
galaxyandtheheartoftheEmpire.

DisguisedasImperialrangers,thesmallarmadaflies
rightthroughthegatesoftheimpressivecityplanet
ofAlderaanandstopsattheprisoncomplex.After
overcomingaseriesofdifficultbarriersandtraps
theyfindtheprincessandfreeher.

Analarmsounds.Therebelsareforcedtofighttheir
wayoutoftheprisonwith"multiplelazerguns"and
swords.Afewoftheboysarekilled,butmostof
themmakeittotheirspacecraftfollowedbySkywalker
andtheprincess.TheybreakthrougharingofImperial
shipsattemptingtostopthemandescapeintodeep
space.

Theprincess'arrivalonOphuchiiscelebratedby
ahugeparade,honoringthegeneralandhissmallband.
Theprincess'uncle,rulerofOphuchi,rewardsthe
bureaucrats,whoforthefirsttimeseetheprincess
revealedashertruegoddesslikeself.Thegeneral
commissionsthe"boyrebels"intotheprincess'special
guard.Aftertheceremonyisover,andthefestivities
haveended,thedrunkenbureaucratsstaggerdownan
emptystreetarminarmrealizingthattheyhavebeen
adventuringwithdemigods.

THEEND?

MAY25,
1973