The deep dark secret of Alderaan...

[CorporalCaptain]

I suppose another interpretation of the holographic message would be that once it became evident that she might not make it back, perhaps Leia was able to consult with her father somehow, who suggested that she divert to Tatooine to get Kenobi. That seems risky though, given that it would require communication with Alderaan which could be intercepted.

Even if the Empire didn't trace a signal between the Tantive IV and Alderaan approximate to the time when the Tantive IV also received the plans to the Death Star, the Senator from Alderaan, Leia, was an accused traitor. Punishing Alderaan for allowing its traitorous Senator to represent it, by blowing it up, is not a course of action that I would consider out of the question for an evil Empire to do.

 

[Myasishchev]

Uh, I thought (a) he already always wanted to go fight the Empire, (b) he returned to Ben with grim determination, full of shock and grief, (c) he had nowhere else to go, (d) he recognized his peril if he stayed.

I was under the impression he just wanted to leave Tatooine. Didn't he mention something about going to the (Imperial) Academy? Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Well OK, I might have been adding one and one together, possibly even going a bit too far, based on what's actually in the film. Maybe a fairer statement is that Luke had always at least fantasized about joining the Rebellion, which I might be willing to roll back to. However, based on the following dialog, I do think that in his heart of hearts he really always wanted to go and fight.

Some dialog from the film. This source claims to be the Revised Fourth Draft screenplay; even if it isn't, it seems close enough to my hard copy for reference.

THREEPIO: With all we've been through, sometimes I'm amazed we're in as good condition as we are, what with the Rebellion and all.

LUKE: You know of the Rebellion against the Empire?

THREEPIO: That's how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning, sir.

LUKE: Have you been in many battles?

Seems eager.

OWEN: Look, it's only one more season.

LUKE: Yeah, that's what you said last year when Biggs and Tank left.

AUNT BERU: Where are you going?

LUKE: It looks like I'm going nowhere. I have to finish cleaning those droids.

...

LUKE: I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here.

BEN: That's your uncle talking.

But held back by his uncle.

In one of the scenes put back in for the Special Edition (which is a little different from this script), Luke admits that he said he'd make "it" someday.

LUKE: I told you I'd make it someday, Biggs.

BIGGS: You did, all right. It's going to be like old times, Luke. We're a couple of shooting stars that'll never be stopped!

As to what "it" is, I'm afraid we do have to go to the outtakes, since that's where actual conversation with Biggs had occurred before. But here, I think it's even clearer that Luke had at least always thought about joining the Rebellion.

BIGGS: Luke, I didn't come back just to say good-bye... I shouldn't tell you this, but you're the only one I can trust... and if I don't come back, I want somebody to know.

LUKE: What are you talking about?

BIGGS: I made some friends at the Academy. (he whispers) ...when our frigate goes to one of the central systems, we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance...

LUKE: Join the Rebellion?! Are you kidding! How?

BIGGS: Quiet down will ya! You got a mouth bigger than a meteor crater!

LUKE: I'm sorry. I'm quiet. (he whispers) Listen how quiet I am. You can barely hear me...

BIGGS: My friend has a friend on Bestine who might help us make contact.

LUKE: You're crazy! You could wander around forever trying to find them.

BIGGS: I know it's a long shot, but if I don't find them I'll do what I can on my own... It's what we always talked about. Luke, I'm not going to wait for the Empire to draft me into service. The Rebellion is spreading and I want to be on the right side -- the side I believe in.

LUKE: And I'm stuck here...

BIGGS: I thought you were going to the Academy next term. You'll get your chance to get off this rock.

LUKE: Not likely! I had to cancel my application. There has been a lot of unrest among the Sandpeople since you left... they've even raided the outskirts of Anchorhead.

BIGGS: Your uncle could hold off a whole colony of Sandpeople with one blaster.

LUKE: I know, but he's got enough vaporators going to make the place pay off. He needs me for just one more season. I can't leave him now.

BIGGS: I feel for you, Luke, you're going to have to learn what seems to be important or what really is important. What good is all your uncle's work if it's taken over by the Empire?... You know they're starting to nationalize commerce in the central systems... it won't be long before your uncle is merely a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire.

LUKE: It couldn't happen here. You said it yourself. The Empire won't bother with this rock.

BIGGS: Things always change.

LUKE: I wish I was going... Are you going to be around long?

BIGGS: No, I'm leaving in the morning...

LUKE: Then I guess I won't see you.

BIGGS: Maybe someday... I'll keep a lookout.

LUKE: Well, I'll be at the Academy next season... after that who knows. I won't be drafted into the Imperial Starfleet that's for sure... Take care of yourself, you'll always be the best friend I've got.

BIGGS: So long, Luke.

Sorry for the length, but I love Star Wars. That's all I got though.

 

[Gov Kodos]

So is there some deep dark secret event that took place on Alderaan before it was reduced to a ring of dust?

You mean, besides the rampant incest?

Luke: The Force runs strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And... my sister has it. Yes. It's you, Leia.

Princess Leia: I know. Somehow, I've always known.

Mmmhmmmm.

They just swing that way on Alderan.

 

[Kegg]

LEIA: General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed.

Point to you. I assume in this case the original plan was something like taking R2-D2 to Alderaan and on the way picking up Obi-Wan on Tattooine. Knocking out two birds with one stone and arriving on Alderaan with Death Star plans and the last known surviving Jedi Master.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I assume in this case the original plan was something like taking R2-D2 to Alderaan and on the way picking up Obi-Wan on Tattooine. Knocking out two birds with one stone and arriving on Alderaan with Death Star plans and the last known surviving Jedi Master.

I think that meshes really well, and it allows for that two part plan to have been formulated in advance before Leia takes off on the mission. Although I bet the original plan didn't specifically include R2; it just was to intercept the transmission of the Death Star plans and take them back to Alderaan, possibly on that disk she was carrying, and drop by Tatooine to pick up Kenobi. I believe that storing the plans in R2 was something she improvised when the ship was captured (and maybe the disk was also improvised for the same reason).

For what it's worth, I just checked the script to the Star Wars radio drama, and that exact two part plan is what Leia was up to in it. (I only heard the drama once, in first run, and hadn't cracked that script until just now. Even first run it came across as quite apocryphal, and in the end it's not consistent with the PT in details such as the name of Leia's father.)

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Utapau was also the name for Tattooine in basically all the scripts for the original film. In the end, though, no name for Luke's desert world was ever said on screen.

Oh wow, I never noticed that before.

Of course, I always felt having Leia say the Rebel Base was on Dantooine was confusingly similar, but I guess that is only if they also said Tattoine, which the didn't. It's really amazing that I knew both the name Anakin Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine before the Prequels without any knowledge of the expanded universe. That's some impressive cultural infusion.

Thanks. I did get the impression that she was hiding, as the implication was made in ANH, and the prequels only reinforced that.

Actually, Vader explicitly mentions that she was using her diplomatic status in the past as a shield. He said it wouldn't help her this time since they intercepted a rebel transmission. I think it's clear, based on that and the prequels that both she and Bail Organa continued to use take advantage of their diplomatic statuses in order to support the rebellion without fear of retaliation. She likely served in the Senate as well until the Emperor dissolved it (right before blowing up her planet).

 

[Owain Taggart]

Thanks. I did get the impression that she was hiding, as the implication was made in ANH, and the prequels only reinforced that.

Actually, Vader explicitly mentions that she was using her diplomatic status in the past as a shield. He said it wouldn't help her this time since they intercepted a rebel transmission. I think it's clear, based on that and the prequels that both she and Bail Organa continued to use take advantage of their diplomatic statuses in order to support the rebellion without fear of retaliation. She likely served in the Senate as well until the Emperor dissolved it (right before blowing up her planet).

Interesting. Did Vader know who she really was though, with her different last name? See, from what I understood, at the end of Revenge of the Sith, the twins are taken away from him, so that they can be safe from him having turned to the dark side. That's also heavily implied in original trilogy. So, obviously there's some form of hiding involved, for the both of them. It's when Luke is of age that Vader starts to look for him. It's odd though that considering Anakin spent so much of his time on Tattooine, that Luke would be sent there, as that would most likely be the first place Anakin would look.

 

[David cgc]

Anakin didn't know Padme was pregnant with twins, and at the funeral, her body was dressed to make it appear that she died before delivering the baby. Anakin bought it hook, line, and sinker (Palpatine also told him that Padme had died immediately after he choked her, so he wouldn't have any troublesome child to divide his loyalty). Vader didn't realize (or, at least, couldn't be sure) the baby had actually been born until he learned the name of the suspiciously force-adept pilot who destroyed the Death Star. He didn't suspect that he actually had two children until Luke accidentally thought about it while Vader was goading him in RotJ and, even then, it's ambiguous if he found out it was Leia (he only refers to her as "your sister").

They didn't have to worry about Vader finding the children as long as they kept quiet, because as far as he was concerned, there were no children to find. Tatooine was a wilderness, and I'm sure the Queen and Prince Consort of Alderaan have the resources to fake the record of one orphaned girl to be adopted.

 

[Marc]

LEIA: General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed.

Point to you. I assume in this case the original plan was something like taking R2-D2 to Alderaan and on the way picking up Obi-Wan on Tattooine. Knocking out two birds with one stone and arriving on Alderaan with Death Star plans and the last known surviving Jedi Master.

well the last Jedi Master who's location was possible known though part of that is with exposition from ROTS where Kenobi says he'll take Luke to live on Tatooine when aboard the Tantive IV.

 

[Dream]

It's really amazing that I knew both the name Anakin Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine before the Prequels without any knowledge of the expanded universe. That's some impressive cultural infusion.

Anakin's name was stated in ROTJ.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

I wonder if Naboo was originally planned to be Alderaan, but Lucas realised that the daughter of Padme as a senator from Alderaan would be too easy to figure out...

I thought that too, but decided that was probably not the case. For one, Lucas never showed any concern over making the prequels fit in securely with the originals. If having Leia be from where Padme is from would be too obvious, what about having Luke be raised by his own aunt and uncle on the planet his father was raised on in the home his father once visited and buried his own mother next to!

Someone here long ago theorized that having Alderaan in TPM would conflict with Leia's assertion that they have no weapons, since, as we saw, Naboo has space fighters. I don't buy that as a valid reason either since the prequels take place 30 years in the past, and I doubt the Naboo fighters we saw would have been able to stand against the Empire.

In my opinion, it would have been perfect to have Naboo be Alderaan. For one, it fleshes out the planet and the culture so we care when the planet is destroyed. Second, it makes Vader look that much more cold and badass when he doesn't bat an eye as Padme's planet is obliterated.

 

[The Wormhole]

BIGGS: Luke, I didn't come back just to say good-bye... I shouldn't tell you this, but you're the only one I can trust... and if I don't come back, I want somebody to know.

LUKE: What are you talking about?

BIGGS: I made some friends at the Academy. (he whispers) ...when our frigate goes to one of the central systems, we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance...

LUKE: Join the Rebellion?! Are you kidding! How?

BIGGS: Quiet down will ya! You got a mouth bigger than a meteor crater!

LUKE: I'm sorry. I'm quiet. (he whispers) Listen how quiet I am. You can barely hear me...

BIGGS: My friend has a friend on Bestine who might help us make contact.

LUKE: You're crazy! You could wander around forever trying to find them.

BIGGS: I know it's a long shot, but if I don't find them I'll do what I can on my own... It's what we always talked about. Luke, I'm not going to wait for the Empire to draft me into service. The Rebellion is spreading and I want to be on the right side -- the side I believe in.

LUKE: And I'm stuck here...

BIGGS: I thought you were going to the Academy next term. You'll get your chance to get off this rock.

LUKE: Not likely! I had to cancel my application. There has been a lot of unrest among the Sandpeople since you left... they've even raided the outskirts of Anchorhead.

BIGGS: Your uncle could hold off a whole colony of Sandpeople with one blaster.

LUKE: I know, but he's got enough vaporators going to make the place pay off. He needs me for just one more season. I can't leave him now.

BIGGS: I feel for you, Luke, you're going to have to learn what seems to be important or what really is important. What good is all your uncle's work if it's taken over by the Empire?... You know they're starting to nationalize commerce in the central systems... it won't be long before your uncle is merely a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire.

LUKE: It couldn't happen here. You said it yourself. The Empire won't bother with this rock.

BIGGS: Things always change.

LUKE: I wish I was going... Are you going to be around long?

BIGGS: No, I'm leaving in the morning...

LUKE: Then I guess I won't see you.

BIGGS: Maybe someday... I'll keep a lookout.

LUKE: Well, I'll be at the Academy next season... after that who knows. I won't be drafted into the Imperial Starfleet that's for sure... Take care of yourself, you'll always be the best friend I've got.

BIGGS: So long, Luke.

Sorry for the length, but I love Star Wars. That's all I got though.

Interesting, I was always under the impression that whenever Luke talked about "the Academy" he was referring to an Imperial military flight academy that he intended to join, stay long enough to get his flight training done and then run to the Rebels. But this dialogue seems to indicate that the Academy isn't an Imperial military facility, since Luke and Biggs both talk about not wanting to be drafted by the military, despite attending this Academy.

So that just begs the question, what was "the Academy?"

 

[CorporalCaptain]

For one, Lucas never showed any concern over making the prequels fit in securely with the originals. If having Leia be from where Padme is from would be too obvious, what about having Luke be raised by his own aunt and uncle on the planet his father was raised on in the home his father once visited and buried his own mother next to!

Why did you have to bring this up?

So that just begs the question, what was "the Academy?"

Probably something cool and interesting from before the Star Wars universe got dumbified.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

So that just begs the question, what was "the Academy?"

I always assumed it was the Imperial academy, but I could be wrong. It could just be a place where they train pilots of all sorts. Who knows.

Or I could be wrong in assuming Luke wanted to be a pilot at all. Maybe he was applying to his local Hair Stylist Academy.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

It's really amazing that I knew both the name Anakin Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine before the Prequels without any knowledge of the expanded universe. That's some impressive cultural infusion.

Anakin's name was stated in ROTJ.

Original version? I know it does now, I just want to check.
(ETA: Nevermind, he said "that name has no meaning for me" didn't he?)

So that just begs the question, what was "the Academy?"

As I understand it, the Academy is a place where pilots are trained. It's a good recruiting ground for Imperial pilots, but plenty of them escape for the rebellion. Then again, that's ambiguous enough. It might be an officer corp for the Empire and he just meant he wants to escape so he doesn't have to serve.

 

[David cgc]

It's really amazing that I knew both the name Anakin Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine before the Prequels without any knowledge of the expanded universe. That's some impressive cultural infusion.

Anakin's name was stated in ROTJ.

Original version? I know it does now, I just want to check.
(ETA: Nevermind, he said "that name has no meaning for me" didn't he?)

Yep. And Obi-Wan mentions it during the "point of view" scene. "He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker, and became Darth Vader."

 

[PsychoPere]

So that just begs the question, what was "the Academy?"

The EU has taken the course that it was, indeed, the Imperial Academy that Biggs Darklighter attended before defecting to the Rebellion* but there's long been speculation that the line may have been intended to refer to a merchant marine academy.

(* Han, too, was once an Imperial officer, but was court-martialed for assaulting a superior officer who was going to kill a certain Wookiee slave.)

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Anakin's name was stated in ROTJ.

Original version? I know it does now, I just want to check.
(ETA: Nevermind, he said "that name has no meaning for me" didn't he?)

Yep. And Obi-Wan mentions it during the "point of view" scene. "He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker, and became Darth Vader."

OK, but certainly Emperor Palpatine falls on this list (I think I remember a toy that had his name on the box, but still).

 

[David cgc]

Yep, Palpatine was never called by name in the OT. Nor was "Ewok" ever spoken aloud. "X-Wing" and "TIE fighter" were each said only once in the three movies, as was the name "Boba Fett" (well, twice, technically).