|
|
Post by Starbeard on Aug 22, 2018 18:10:10 GMT -6
Anyone up for doing a joint project on compiling an encyclopedia on the Star Wars universe as seen in the various draft scripts of the different movies? Maybe we could call that the 'Starkiller multiverse'. The goal being something that can be used as a reference for interested nerds, gamers and writers. Once we're done we could even use the material to create a Classic Traveller sector of the Starkiller Multiverse. Just spitballing. I started this project once a few years ago, but got burnt out after realizing how much work it was, especially after having already taken similar notes on Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the Han Solo adventures, all of the pre-ESB children's books, magazine & newsletter issues, and comics. I've got all that stuff in several piles still waiting to be organized, which means I'll probably have to do those all over again someday too  Anyway, so far I've been slowly re-reading the 1974 first draft and revised first draft alongside each other (mostly the same but names have been changed), and have gotten up through Scene 16. I've been writing and revising entries as new things come up in the scripts. The results so far are in the next post. It's slow going, though, and would be a lot more fun if we made a book club out of it. I'm not sure how we'd go about building the encyclopedia though. Maybe divvying up scenes? Or we could give 1-2 weeks for everyone to read & post stuff from the next scene or two, then take turns editing those posts into single entries for the guide? |
|
|
|
Post by Starbeard on Aug 22, 2018 18:15:36 GMT -6
Guide to The Star Wars Draft Scripts
Each entry has a code at the beginning, to say what draft it is from. So far I'm still on the first draft, so all of the entries have [D74] for "1974 Draft." If there are differences or extra bits of information in the revised draft, then [D74r] will be listed after that bit of information. Most of these are just name changes, and those appear at the very end of the entry.
Later, as more drafts are consulted, it's possible that a name will be used for something completely different in a different draft. In this case, the entry will have a new paragraph for each version, with the code for the source script at the beginning. Something like this:
Utapau: [D74] A planet in the Kessillian System, blah blah.
[D75] A revision of the Aquiliae System from D74. It is a warm, amber desert planet, part of the Outland Dark Planets, blah blah.
Right now I've only got stuff up to Scene 17.
PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS
Alana: [D74] One of Princess Leia’s two maids-in-waiting along with Mina. Alana is short and stocky. She accompanies Leia when the Princess leaves to study at the academy at Chathos.
Amber: [D74] A one-armed member of the Aquilaean Starforce, and personal bodyguard to King Kayos’ children.
Antilles, Bail: [D74] A typical-looking galactic trader and secret operative for Aquilae. He is a friend and contact of Clieg Whitsun. [Bomoje Espaa, D74r]
Aquilaean High Senate: [D74] A committee of twelve men with noble titles. Members of the High Senate include the Grande Mouff Tarkin, Count Sandage, Mir Nash, and possibly King Kayos himself.
Aquilaean Religion: [D74] The Aquilaeans have a traditional religion, which has at least some sort of custom and hierarchy. The title of Grande Mouff appears to be the highest rank, since the Grande Mouff Tarkin is a member of the High Senate. The clergy wear long black robes.
Aquilaean Starforce: [D74[ The military of Aquilae, led by General Luke Skywalker, although his existence is denied within the Empire. Their officers, and possibly all soldiers, wear flowing white robes. Their military structure is very rigid and formal, with a great deal of importance placed on noble decorum, such as bowing, saluting, signs of respect, and so on. They are headquartered on the desert planet of Aquilae, inside the Underground Fortress.
Biggs: [D74] A young Aquilaean prince, the second child and oldest son of King Kayos, aged seven. He is protected by Amber, the royal family’s personal bodyguard. [Oeta, D74r]
Breha: [D74] The Queen of Aquilae and wife of King Kayos. She is silver-haired and carries a warm disposition. She does not appear to be involved in the politics of Aquilae, so it’s possible that she is only a consort.
Chrome Companies: [D74] Member companies of the Galactic Trade Guild that specialize in chrome. They are sympathetic to the independent system of Aquilae, but cannot openly display their support, since doing so would bring crippling Imperial trade restrictions. Nevertheless, they are active in lobbying for the rights and needs of traders: when the Empire places a restriction against any non-military spacecraft leaving Alderaan as preparation for their surprise attack on Aquilae, the chrome companies protest. The weight they can bring to the protests is assumed to be enough to cause the edict to be lifted after a certain amount of time.
Coll, Vantos: [D74] An Imperial Commissioner and member of the Supreme Tribunal. Commissioner Coll is squat and morbidly large, and a worrier. He is old enough to have been at court when General Luke Skywalker was still serving as the First Bodyguard to the Emperor, and knew him well enough to know the extent of his power and cleverness. He witnessed the Jedi Rebellion firsthand.
Darklighter, Seig: [D74] A Jedi and contemporary of General Luke Skywalker. The Emperor has propagated the false story that Darklighter was the leader of the Jedi Rebellion, when in fact it was Skywalker. [Ngai Thuc, D74r]
Dashit, Cos: [D74] Lord of Alderaan, Consul to the Supreme Tribunal, and ruler of the Galactic Empire. A thin, drab man with an insidious expression and evil, limply hanging moustache, possibly reminiscent of a Fu Manchu or Emperor Ming moustache. [Son Hhat, D74r]
Emperor: [D74] See Dashit, Cos.
Empire, Galactic: [D74] Legends say that the Empire began over a hundred-thousand years ago, in the centre of the galaxy at the Celestial Equator. After the Jedi-Bendu reformed the Imperial Space Force, the Empire was able to expand across the galaxy, right out to the Great Rift. The generals of the Empire wear black and grey uniforms. Appointed governors rule individual star systems, while the whole of the Empire is governed by the Supreme Tribunal, with the Emperor at the head as its Consul. The Emperor seems to rule the galaxy autocratically, however, and it is unclear how much or little power the Tribunal actually has. The symbol of the Empire is a red banner. [(New) Galactic Kingdom, D74r]
First Bodyguard: [D74] The Emperor’s personal bodyguard, and presumably the leader of the royal house guards of the Emperor. Before the Jedi Rebellion, these bodyguards were Jedi-Bendu. The last Jedi First Bodyguard was General Luke Skywalker.
Force: [D74] A metaphysical sensation that is somehow connected to the Aquilaean religion and/or the Jedi-Bendu. King Kayos refers to it with the parting phrase, ‘may the force of others be with you all’, and also when General Luke Skywalker confides in him that he always finds politics distressing: ‘I know, Luke. I feel THE FORCE also.’
Grande Mouff: [D74] See Aquilaean Religion.
Great Families: [D74] Also known as the Houses, or Great Houses. The Great Families are the noble families that make up the Imperial court. Each House has a member who sits on the Supreme Tribunal. The Houses are all incredibly wealthy and very powerful, and between them they maintain strict control over the resources the Empire. However, it appears that the overall influence of the Great Families is waning. Governor Hoedaack hopes that by becoming governor of Aquilae he will gain more scientific wealth than any of the Houses, and so become autonomous to their control. From this, it can be assumed that power within and between the Families is based on wealth and influence, both commercial and scientific.
Great Rebellion: [D74] See Jedi Rebellion.
Hoedaack, Crispin: [D74] A treacherous young man, newly appointed by the Emperor as the Governor of the Aquilae Systems. He has stone-cut, angular features and piercing grey eyes, and is characterized by a high-pitched and evil mirth. [Mara Horus, D74r]
Imperial Space Force: [D74] The space military of the Old Empire, created and made indestructible by the Jedi-Bendu. The force was renamed the Imperial Starforce by the New Empire. [Royal Space Force, D74r]
Imperial Starforce: [D74] Formerly the Imperial Space Force. The space military of the New Empire. It is organized in numbered fleets, such as the Imperial Third Fleet. The fleets are further broken into smaller units of battalions, which is the standard unit size for a planetary invasion. [Royal Space Force, D74r]
Jedi-Bendu: The Jedi-Bendu are the most feared warriors in the universe. They wear distinctive robes. Once the personal bodyguards of the Emperor, they were responsible for the creation of the invincible Imperial Space Force. When the New Empire emerged the Jedi-Bendu started the Great Jedi Rebellion and were declared enemies of the Empire. The New Empire used the Knights of Sith to eradicate the Jedi from the galaxy, and now they are all but extinct, with only a few survivors living in hiding on desolate planets or in refuge in the Aquilae Systems. Most of the time the survivors are isolated and unaware of the others’ existence, since the Empire has so thoroughly seeded the galaxy with propaganda that they have all been caught and executed.
At least after the Great Rebellion, the funeral rites for slain Jedi and Padawans are somewhat macabre: a locket is placed around the deceased’s neck, a complicated hand gesture is performed over the body, then the body is left somewhere desolate, where the locket explodes in a small mushroom cloud, burying and annihilating the body. [Dai-Nogas, D74r]
Jedi Rebellion: [D74] The Jedi Rebellion, also called the Great Rebellion and the Great Jedi Rebellion, was the catastrophic event that caused the extermination of the Jedi-Bendu by the New Empire. Based on the recollections and memories of the people involved, it seems that the rebellion took place several decades ago. It was led by General Luke Skywalker, though official Imperial propaganda states that it was Seig Darklighter who led the rebellion.
Kayos: [D74] The King of Aquilae. King Kayos is tanned, leathery and youthful, his true age betrayed only by his silver hair. He is presented as the ideal benevolent ruler: a fair and noble, with no love for the cruelties of the Empire, respect for his subjects, and a willingness to give even corrupt individuals a chance to do the right thing. He is a family man, and is devoted to Queen Breha, Princess Leia, and Princes Biggs and Windom. He is also religious and claims to sense the movement of the Force.
Lars: [D74] House Lars is presumably one of the Great Families of the Supreme Tribunal of the Empire. At one point in the 1974 first draft, a line by Commissioner Vantos Coll is written to ‘Lars’ instead, despite that character never being introduced or referred to elsewhere (the line is reattributed to Coll in the revised draft)—the two most easily explained possibilities are that Coll’s name was once intended to be Lars, or that a separate Tribunal character named Lars was once included but then abandoned, and the one-line error slipped past Lucas’ eyes.
Leia: [D74] An Aquilaean princess, the oldest child and only daughter of King Kayos, aged about fourteen. She keeps her auburn hair long and tied in braids. She has an iron will and idolizes General Luke Skywalker. She is kept company by two maids-in-waiting of similar age, Mina and Alana. She is protected by Amber, the royal family’s personal bodyguard. [Zara, D74r]
Mina: [D74] One of Princess Leia’s two maids-in-waiting along with Alana. Mina is comely and of the same stature and appearance as Leia, and acts as her double. When Leia leaves for the academy at Chathos, Mina has to stay behind, presumably to fulfill her duty as a double.
Ministry of Transport: [D74] The Imperial ministry responsible for spacecraft and pilot registrations and laws.
Mir Nash: [D74] A cautious member of the Aquilaean High Senate. He is described as thin and birdlike. Considering that the other Senators are named by their titles, it is possible that ‘Mir’ is actually the character’s title, and not his first name.
Montross: [D74] A captain of the Aquilaean Starforce, and one of General Skywalker’s aides-de-camp. During the rising tensions between Aquilae and Alderaan General Luke Skywalker has him monitoring traffic in and out of Alderaan.
Padawan Learner: [D74] A Padawan is the student of a Jedi teacher. Padawans are ranked in stages of accomplishment: new students begin at the first stage and move up to the fifth stage and beyond, until they become Jedi. The Jedi Kane Starkiller taught his own sons Annikin and Deak as Padawans, and Annikin showed enough promise that he had reached the fifth stage by the age of eighteen; Kane then asked General Luke Skywalker to take on Annikin as his own Padawan, because he himself was too old to continue the training.
Prue: [D74] A captain of the Aquilaean Starforce, and one of General Skywalker’s aides-de-camp. He is older and has the disposition of an academic. Skywalker relies on his skill as a military analyst.
Sandage: [D74] A Count and member of the Aquilaean High Senate. Count Sandage is corrupt and hopes to sway the Senate to accept the Empire’s Treaty of Alliance by sowing doubt and despair. His treachery is possibly suspected by the Senate, but King Kayos makes a point of trusting him anyway.
Shock Troops: [D74] See Storm Trooper.
Sith, Knights of: [D74] A rival warrior sect to the Jedi-Bendu, as ferocious and sinister as the Jedi are courageous and noble. Since the Great Rebellion the Knights have hunted down and destroyed the Jedi in the name of the New Empire. They wear face masks and black robes. Their most elite force, the Sith One Hundred, wear fascist black and chrome uniforms. Some of the mightier can be Sith warriors are very large, at least seven feet tall. [Legions of Lettow, D74r]
Skywalker, Luke: [D74] A military general and great Jedi-Bendu who served as the First Bodyguard to the Emperor. He led the Jedi Rebellion, and afterward fled to Aquilae where he now leads the Aquilaean army in secret. His abilities and exploits across the galaxy are legendary. He looks to be in his sixties, but is actually much older. He sports a close silver beard, dark eyes, and the rugged features of a veteran explorer.
Starkiller, Annikin: [D74] Eighteen-year-old son of Kane Starkiller. He is a tall, strapping and ruggedly handsome young man, but still suffers from the tempestuous rudeness and base emotions of youth. His lazersword is red. [Justin Valor, D74r]
Starkiller, Deak: [D74] Ten-year-old son of Kane Starkiller, killed on Utapau by a Sith warrior’s lazersword. He has dusty blond hair and a large scratch across his cheek. Despite being only ten, he has outperformed his older brother Annikin in twelve disciplines of the Jedi art, enough that his father reluctantly allows him to participate in combating a Sith assassin, in which he was ambushed and slain. [Bink Valor, D74r]
Starkiller, Kane : [D74] A Jedi-Bendu of middle age but looking older, large and burly. He wears his hair in the odd top-knot bun associated with the Kessil System. He has had so many cybernetic implants due to his many injuries that only his head and right arm are still flesh and blood. The cybernetics have kept him alive until now, but he is still dying. Kane wears the distinctive robes of a Jedi, which are sufficient to hide his cybernetic parts. After the Jedi Rebellion he went into hiding with his sons, eventually in the Kessil System. During this time the Empire spread convincing propaganda that he had been caught and executed, so that even General Luke Skywalker believed that he was dead. [Akira Valor, D74r]
Storm Trooper: [D74] Also called Imperial shock troops. They are the standard military and police soldiers of the Galactic Empire, exhibiting impressive drill training and fierce partisan loyalty.
Supreme Tribunal: [D74] The highest governmental tribunal of the Empire. The Supreme Tribunal is populated by members of the Great Families, of which there are at least five, and most likely more. The Emperor acts as the Consul of the Tribunal, though it is not stated whether House Dashit is one of the Great Families. It is implied that the Tribunal is on the verge of becoming a mere figurehead of government: during his partisan speech about attacking Aquilae and bringing in a new era, the Emperor surrounds himself with his generals rather than the five Tribunal members who are sitting quietly off to the side; Governor Hoedaack and Darth Vader are also happy that their commercial gains from conquering Aquilae will free them from being under the control of the Great Families.
Tarkin: [D74] A member of the Aquilaean High Senate who also holds the lofty title of Grande Mouff within the Aquilaean religion. The Grande Mouff Tarkin has a high voice that cracks. Despite being a religious leader and not a tactician, he displays a sound theoretical understanding of military matters.
Traders Guild, Galactic: [D74] A loose guild of space traders who fly Guild Trade frigates. They seem to enjoy more liberties than most spacecraft, but fewer than ships with Imperial registries. They have a reputation for being heavy drinkers, and tend to have a tense and antagonistic relationship with the Imperial Ministry of Transport. Their dress of gold and furs is distinctive, but it is unclear whether this is a guild uniform or simply a popular style of dress amongst traders.
Vader, Darth: [D74] An Imperial general. Tall and grim. He is a pragmatic man, who is still young enough not to have been involved in government during the Jedi Rebellion. Consequently, he does not believe that the Jedi-Bendu still exist.
Whitsun, Clieg: [D74] A young Alderaanian man with blond hair, about twenty years old. He keeps a glowing blue ring on his index finger that he can adjust. [Clieg Oxus, D74r]
Windom: [D74] A young Aquilaean prince, the third child and younger son of King Kayos, aged five. He is protected by Amber, the royal family’s personal bodyguard. [Puck, D74r]
Zavos, Aay: [D74] A large, sallow-eyed representative of the Galactic Trade Guild’s chrome companies. He represents the interests of the Guild to the Aquilaean High Senate.
PLACES AND CREATURES
Academy: [D74] See Chathos.
Alderaan: [D74] A gas giant ‘cloud planet’, and capital of the New Empire (and presumably the old Empire as well). The atmosphere is full of white oxide clouds [yellow oxide clouds, D74r], which surround the Imperial capital city. The Imperial city of Alderaan itself is gleaming and domed, perched like a toadstool on a spire than disappears down into the misty depths of the planet. Glass and chrome seem to be the primary materials of its structures. Moving through the city requires passing through frequent identification checkpoints. The city is famous for its splendorous nightclubs, where exotic drinks like dantic can be ordered from automated bars made of mirrored glass.
Other notable locations within the Imperial city include the Plaza of the Daders. [Granicus, D74r]
Anchorhead System: [D74] A system within the S-4 Sectors. It is where the Death Star was held before it travelled to Aquilae.
Aquilae System: [D74] A binary star system (and surrounding systems?—it is at times referred to as the ‘Aquilae Systems’) whose primary planet is Aquilae, a reddish-yellow planet of arid deserts and red plains, with three moons. It is the last of the independent systems not controlled by the Empire, and its scientific wealth rivals or exceeds the wealth of any one of the Imperial Great Families. Aquilae has a strong connection with the Jedi-Bendu: the Starkillers are from Aquilae, the Aquilaean religion apparently revolves around the force, and the system is now the last refuge for the Jedi after their termination by the Empire. Rumours that General Luke Skywalker himself leads the Aquiliaean Starforce are quite true, despite Imperial propaganda that he is just a myth. The system has continually remained undecided about Imperial negotiations to be annexed into the Empire as part a Treaty of Alliance, and their continued reluctance has caused the Emperor to forego further negotiations and plan an invasion.
The people of Aquilae are called Aquilaeans. The system is ruled by a monarchy in cooperation with the Aquilaean High Senate. The current King is Kayos. Places of interest include the Dune Sea, Jundland, the Palace of Light, Yuell, and possibly Chathos. [Townowi System, D74r]
Bantha: [D74] a domesticated beast that loves food. When Annikin Starkiller learns that they are finally going home to Aquilae after years of running from Sith assassins, he ‘lights up like a Bantha at feeding time’. [Geenick, D74r]
Chathos: [D74] A planet or city, probably within the Aquilae System, which houses a prestigious academy. At the age of about fourteen, Princess Leia leaves the Palace of Light to attend the academy at Chathos. The academy there runs on a semester system.
Dune Sea: [D74] The Dune Sea is a region of the planet Aquilae, consisting of foreboding desert sands. At its edge is the ‘dunehedge’, beyond which are the rocky badlands of Jundland.
Imperial Capital/Imperial City: [D74] See Alderaan. [Royal Capital, D74r]
Jundland: [D74] A region of the planet Aquilae, not far from the Palace of Light and resting between it and the Dune Sea. The name means ‘no man’s land’.
Kessil System: A star system, presumably far from the centre of the Empire, frequently marred by civil wars. One of its planets is Utapau. The system is home to a distinctive male hair knot, presumably reminiscent of the chonmage topknot common during Edo Japan. Also called the Kessillian System.
Kessillian System: See Kessil System.
Muscle-rat: [D74] An animal of some kind, possibly noted for its ruggedness, cunning, endearing behaviour, or scruffy looks. General Luke Skywalker calls his friend Kane Starkiller an ‘old muscle-rat’ when they meet again after years apart.
Norton 3: [D74] A planet with a Trade Guild presence, probably within Imperial Space and not far from Alderaan. General Luke Skywalker gives orders to contact the Guild there in order to confirm whether any trade ships have been able to leave Alderaan recently.
Palace of Light: [D74] The palatial capital of Aquilae. It sparkles like an oasis in the middle of the planet’s vast desert, whose low, concrete walls fail to contain the lush vegetation of its many gardens. Enormous, tiled corridors lined with fountains snake through the premises. The palace is well protected by many great turrets. Special locations include a ancient, dimly lit but comforting library. [Palace of Lite, D74/D74r]
Plaza of the Daders: [D74] A huge plaza in the Imperial city of Alderaan, capable of fitting many brigades of troops and tanks. The Plaza is surrounded by buildings that give it the appearance of a glass canyon. Overlooking the Plaza is a huge, austere review stand, from which the Emperor delivers statements and examines his troops. [Plaza of the Donns, D74r]
S-4 Sectors: [D74] A group of star systems on the other side of Alderaan from Aquilae, deep within territory. Anchorhead is one of its systems.
Underground Fortress of Aquilae: [D74] The Aquilaean Starforce is headquartered in a fortress, hidden underground. The hidden fortress is located somewhere beneath a maze of boulders in Jundland, not too far from the Palace of Light. The war room is described very much those used by the rebels in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, with a giant table display of the galaxy in the centre.
Utapau: [D74] A planet in the Kessilian System. It is vast and blue, and has four moons. The fourth moon is an inhospitable wasteland, where dust is blasted across the colourless surface and through perilous bluffs and crevasses by harsh gales. Breath masks and goggles are required to protect against the dust. It is on this moon that Kane Starkiller was hiding with his two sons, in an abandoned supply shack, when Deak is killed. The valley in which the Starkillers were hiding is called the Valley of Colored Lakes, a ‘weird plain’ featuring many huge lakes colored with vivid reds and greens, which contrast eerily against the planet’s red sky [D74r]. [Ogana, D47r]
Yuell: [D74] A city on the planet of Aquilae, several hours away from the Palace of Light by landspeeder. Yuell is an overnight stopping point on the trip to the academy at Chathos; so if Chathos is another planet, then Yuell must be a starport.
EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGIES
Air Tank: [D74] A giant tank that hovers magically two to three feet in the air. Used by the Galactic Empire.
Banta Four: [D74] A type of small, silver starship with four seats, used by the Sith. It is capable of travelling between systems. [Cao Four, D74r]
Chrome: [D74] Chrome seems to be the primary metal used in the manufacture of technological wonders. Weapons, ships and buildings all are made of glittering chrome. The Chrome Companies are incredibly influential across the galaxy.
Dantic: [D74] A presumably alcoholic drink, ordered by Clieg Whitsun at a nightclub in Alderaan.
Electrobinoculars: [D74] Handheld binoculars capable of seeing very far distances, even into orbit.
Electronic Jammer Pen: [D74] A small transmitter that resembles a pen in shape and size. When placed next to an intercom it will emit a low electronic buzz and cause the intercom to stop working. There is no indication either way whether the device can work on other electronic devices, or if it simply jams communications transmissions.
Landspeeder: [D74] An automobile transport which uses a magnetic field to travels a few feet above the ground. They have a sleek, lowriding look, and most seem to seat between two and four people.
Lazer Weapons: [D74] These include lazerpistols, multiplelazer rifles, and lazerswords. All are made of chrome and sparkle when light catches them. ‘Lazer’ is sometimes spelt ‘laser’.
Plaxiform: [D74] A plastic-like material used in manufacturing. Princess Leia’s luggage cases, for example, are made of plaxiform.
Sensors: [D74] Tracking space traffic across the galaxy is possible, at least from within military headquarters and for public manifests. The Aquilaean Starforce is able to observe the traffic in and out of the Imperial capital of Alderaan—and presumably can hear their control chatter as well, since they know the schedules of when trade frigates will be cleared for leaving. However, the script does not make clear whether this is standard procedure or if they are gathering this information covertly.
Stardestroyer: [D74] Two-man spacecraft, powered by wailing ion engines and fitted with every possible piece of sophisticated electronic weaponry. The pilot and gunnery officers sit side by side. They are part of the Emperor’s elite corps of black-uniformed troops.
Sunshield: [D74] Starship pilots have sunshields fitted to their helmets, allowing them to cancel out the glare of stars and reflected light when flipped over the eyes.
Thermoheater: [D74] A domestic space heater, used to warm a room.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starbeard on Aug 31, 2018 19:20:34 GMT -6
Up to scene 54, where Starkiller and Leia stumble upon the astro robots Threepio and Artwo in the desert. I'm actually really enjoying this script. I can see a lot of Flash Gordon, WW2 aviation action movies, Kurosawa. Several scenes with landspeeders, and especially the dynamic between Annikin Starkiller and Princess Leia, are very reminiscent of American Graffiti as well.
The adventure pulpy scene-hopping is really strong, too. Even Lucas berated his own scriptwriting abilities right from the very beginning, but I have to say that the quick cuts back and forth between scenes flow just as well here as they do in the final movie. The whole Death Star action sequence really builds up a lot of energy in the way the scenes flow from one to the next. You can tell that Lucas was always thinking as a film editor, with how shots would flow from one to the next to build the adventure.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starbeard on Aug 31, 2018 21:11:00 GMT -6
By now I'm getting a good picture of the Planet Aquilae (proto-Tatooine). Here's what I've got so far. AquilaeDescription: The Aquilae System [Townowi, Townowi System] is a binary star system, named after its main planet Aquilae. It may even include several star systems, since it is sometimes called the Aquilae Systems. The planet Aquilae is a reddish-yellow planet of arid deserts and vast plains of red clay used for agriculture. It has three moons of different sizes. From within the atmosphere the sky is coloured a vivid green. History: Aquilae is the last of the independent systems not controlled by the Galactic Empire. Instead it has been ruled by the same royal dynasty for ten thousand years. King Kayos is portrayed as an idealized king—loyal, fair, forgiving, strong, wise, a family man and a man of faith—and the people are for the most part devoted to the dynasty. Flora and Fauna: The planet's main crop is a green fungus, farmed in the vast red plains of the planet. One the planet's carnivores is the gontha: gonthas are not described, but Princess Leia gleefully threatens Annikin Starkiller with execution by feeding him bit by bit every day to the gonthas. Science & Wealth: The scientists of Aquilae have developed many secrets in biotic science, particularly in the areas of genetics and cloning, through which they have added two hundred years to the human lifespan. This scientific wealth rivals and even exceeds the economic power of any one of the Great Families of the Empire, and for this reason the Empire's failure to annex Aquilae remains a thorn in the side. Government: The royal family has ruled for ten thousand years, but the government is best described as a constitutional monarchy. There is a High Senate, populated by twelve men, all of whom have noble or religious titles. It seems the King confers with the High Senate on all matters, but otherwise has authority over them—actually it's possible that the King himself is the thirteenth member of the Senate, but this isn't clearly stated. Major system-wide decisions must be voted on by the Full Assembly, which is a gathering of officials from across the whole system. The Assembly meets at Amsel, and it is the King's job to introduce a measure and have the Assembly vote on it. The ability to declare war, for example, requires the Full Assembly's approval, after which the King can pass on a secret war code which his generals can use to mobilize troops legally. Religion: The Aquilaeans have a traditional religions, which has at least some sort of custom and hierarchy. The highest position is held by the Grande Mouff, in this case the Grande Mouff Tarkin. The priests of Aquilae are noted by their long black robes. The concept of God has at least a nominal presence in their religion, but it seems to focus more often on the Force. The Jedi-Bendu: Aquilae appears to have a strong history with the Jedi. The Starkiller family are from Aquilae, and when General Luke Skywalker flees from the Empire, King Kayos personally accepts him in Aquilae and even instates him as the chief general of the Aquilaean military. King Kayos is clearly a devout believer in the Force, and even claims to feel it himself when talking with Skywalker. Military: The Aquiliaen military follows a very formal military structure, with a great deal of emphasis placed on noble and quasi-chivalric decorum like bowing, saluting, signs of respect and so on. The main branch of the military is the Aquilaean Starforce, sometimes spelt Star Force. They wear white uniforms (which are robes, at least for the officers), blazoned with the distinctive circle-and-cross symbol of Aquilae. The pilots and navigators of the starforce are called 'airwarriors'. The main starship of the Aquilaean Starforce is the Destroyer-class starship, a silver, finned two-manned starfighter powered by four retrorocket engines. The pilot sits to the front of the craft while the navigator sits in an isolated bubble at the rear of the craft. It seems that nearly every city on Aquilae has a military base attached, housing one or two squadrons. The army wears grey uniforms, and include two-manned military landspeeders in their arsenal. Geography(subject to change as more of the script is read) Palace of Light: (spelt 'Palace of Lite' in the script) The world's palatial capital. It sparkles like an oasis in the middle of the planet's vast desert. It has low, concrete walls bursting over with lush vegetation. The complex is riddled with enormous, tiled corridors lined with fountains, as well as a great many large gun turret emplacements. It boasts an ancient library. - The Palace is in a clearly in a classic desert, but it's implied that this is not the Dune Sea. It seems most plausible that the Palace, Chathos, and the Dune Sea/Jundland form a vague triangle.
Gordon: A spaceport city, whose military station houses the Devil Pack squadron with six (or fifteen, in the revised script) destroyer starships. - So far there is no indication of where Gordon is located, except that some characters go there directly from the Underground Fortress while others leave for the Palace.
Dune Sea: A desert region of sandy dunes. It is next to Jundland, which separates it from the Great Reef. Jundland: [Kuroland] Meaning 'No-Man's Land', this is the zone where the sands of the Dune Sea meet the boulders and mesas of the Great Reef. This type of border zone is known generically as a 'dunehedge'. - Underground Fortress: The headquarters of the Aquilaean military. Its callsign is 'Base One'. It is well hidden underground beneath a maze of boulders in Jundland. It is not too far from the Palace of Light. The war room of the base is very reminiscent of the rebel base stations in all of the original movies.
The Great Reef: Also generically called 'the desert mesas', this is a rugged badlands of desert mesas and canyons. - Chathos: A city somewhere beyond the Great Reef when travelling away from the Dune Sea, which houses a prestigious academy. The Academy at Chathos seems to be some sort of ancient and stately boarding school run by old matrons, which gives the impression that they are perhaps nun-types associated with the Aquilaean religion.
- Yuell: A city beyond the Great Reef, on the way to Chathos from the Palace. It is several hours' from the Palace by landspeeder, and therefore makes a good overnight stopping point when travelling to Chathos.
Red Plains: A plains region of red clay, in another direction from the Dune Sea as Jundland and the Great Reef. The region is used as an agricultural belt, with vast fields of green fungus. - Amsel: The city where the Full Assembly meets. Its military station houses twenty starfighters. It is possible to travel by landspeeder from the Palace to Amsel in perhaps eight hours or so.
- Calvas and Caldin: Two cities (or quite possibly one city whose name changes partway through the script), along the route from the Palace to Amsel. They/it may be in the Red Plains or in the same desert region as the Palace.
|
|
