The Star Wars: Rough Draft

The Star Wars was written as a full rough draft by George Lucas in May 1974. The script was begun in the winter of 1973 as an expansion of the original The Star Wars Treatment. It was considerably rewritten into the Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode I: The Star Wars (the second draft) over the summer and winter of 1974.

Summary
The Jedi Kane Starkiller and his two sons, Deak and Annikin Starkiller were living on the Fourth Moon of Utapau. Their seclusion from the forces of the Galactic Empire was interrupted by the arrival of a Sith flying a Banta Four starfighter.

The Jedi and his sons went to investigate, but the Sith got a jump on them, killing Deak with a single blow. Their foe was no match, however, for a Jedi Master, and Kane avenges his apprentice. It is clear that the exiles must flee the Kissel system and they leave for their homeworld of Aquilae.

Aquilae is a planet not yet controlled by the Empire, ruled by the wise King Kayos and Queen Breha. Unfortunately, even as the Jedi arrive in system, the Galactic Emperor, Cos Dashit, is plotting with his advisors to annex it, one of the last of the Independent Systems. Spies on Alderaan, the gas giant capital of the Empire, left to bring news of this to Aquilae's leadership.

Meanwhile, Kane and his sons arrived at Aquilae and contacted the royal government at their Underground Fortress. Kane reunited with a fellow Jedi, Luke Skywalker, now a General in the Aquilaean military. Kane revealed to his friend the extent of his cybernetic replacements-- only his head and arm remained flesh. Because of this, he believed that he could not adequately train his remaining son, and asks Skywalker to train him as a padawaan learner.

Not long after princess Leia, Kayos's daughter, left for Yuell to study at the Chatos Academy, a huge space fortress enters the Aquilaean system. The king left for Amsel to meet with his Senate and determine whether to go to war with the Empire. Kane went to Gordon, a seedy starport, to meet with his friend Han Solo, a Ureallian.

When the wounded Cleig Whitsun, one of the spies from Alderaan arrived to warn the Aquilaeans that the Empire plans of conquest, a decision is quickly made to resist. Annikin is sent to the Academy to secure the princess. The fortress is assaulted and damaged, and two droids aboard, C-3PO and R2-D2 prematurely evacuate, landing their lifepod in the Jundland wastes. King Kayos is killed by an Imperial ambush and the Senate of Aquilae sues for peace.

The two droids encountered Annikin and Leia returning from the Academy in the desert. They regrouped at a hidden entrance to the royal fortress and the Queen decided to send for help from the Ophuchi system. Luke, Annikin, and the royal children, including Leia's younger brothers Biggs and Windy, disguised themselves and left for Gordon.

Characters

 * Alana
 * Amber
 * Bail Antilles
 * Artwo
 * Auzituck
 * Biggs
 * Bloodory
 * Breha
 * Chick One
 * Chewbacca
 * Chewie
 * Vantos Coll
 * Seig Darklighter
 * Cos Dashit
 * Datos
 * Dewanna
 * Crispin Hoedaack
 * Jommillia
 * Kayos
 * Kuro
 * Beru Lars
 * Owen Lars
 * Leia
 * Mina
 * Montross
 * Mir Nash
 * Occo
 * Prue
 * Quist
 * Sandage
 * Luke Skywalker
 * Han Solo
 * Annikin Starkiller
 * Kane Starkiller
 * Deak Starkiller
 * Tarkin
 * Threepio
 * Tok One
 * unknown black-robed Sith
 * Darth Vader
 * Valorum
 * Clieg Whitsun
 * Windom
 * Aay Zavos

Creatures

 * thumper

Locations

 * Alderaan
 * Plaza of the Daders
 * Alderaanian nightclub
 * Anchorhead
 * Aquilaean system
 * Aquilae
 * Amsel
 * Chathos
 * Dune Sea
 * Gordon
 * Jundland
 * Palace of Lite
 * Third Moon of Aquilae
 * Underground fortress
 * Med Vac Emergency room
 * Yavin
 * Forest of the Gargantuans
 * Mavassi outpost
 * Vine jungle
 * Bastine
 * Cone systems
 * Karollia
 * Kessil system
 * Utapau
 * Fourth Moon of Utapau
 * Kane's hut
 * Ophuchi system
 * Ophuchi
 * Space Fortress
 * Control Room
 * Detention Cell
 * Docking Area
 * Garbage Receptacle B-29

Organizations

 * Galactic traders
 * Great Families
 * Imperial Skyraider
 * Imperial Space Force
 * Imperial Third Fleet
 * Independent systems
 * Jedi Bendu
 * Knights of the Sith
 * Kaapauku
 * Marthusians
 * Ministry of Transport
 * PDRs
 * Sawas
 * Stormtroopers
 * Supreme Tribunal

Species

 * Wookee
 * Yourellian

Technology

 * breath mask
 * electrobinoculars
 * Intra-fazer system

Weapons

 * lazerpistol
 * lazersword
 * multiplelaser rife

Vehicles and vessels

 * Baltarian freighter
 * Banta Four
 * Imperial air tank
 * Kane's ship
 * landspeeder
 * Stardestroyer
 * Trade frigate

Miscellanea

 * Consul to the Supreme Tribunal
 * Corbet dictum
 * First Bodyguard
 * Great Rebellion
 * Hubble expedition
 * Jedi apparel
 * Jedi Master
 * Jedi Rebellion
 * Kessilian civil wars
 * Lord Protector of Aquilae
 * Waita Tar dance

Behind the Scenes

 * The Star Wars is based off Akira Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress and Lucas's political musings that also underlay his drafts of the screenplay to Apocalypse Now.


 * Major elements of this script which were deleted in the later drafts found their way into the scripts of Episode I. Early versions of that script, for instance, named what would become Naboo, Utapau. The rescue and Jedi protection of a young princess, the blockade of a isolated system, the presence of a benevolent monarchy, and the arrival and combat with a Sith Lord on the moon of Utapau, as well as difficulties encountered getting off-world, all are related to scenes from the rough draft.