Gone The New Hope
- Thread starter The Admiral Hook
- Start date
Indeed it will. It's the main reason this stopped being a one off idea and became a TL proper.
In answer to the final question, Willow was essentially written before the POD in OTL. As much as Lucas would turn towards Tolkien works once he gets his hands on them, Willow still exists as a standalone followup picture, at least in his mind.
“Jaws was never my scene, but I do like Star Wars...”
- Freddie Mercury in “Bicycle Race” by Queen. 1978
CARTER SUFFERS HEART ATTACK:
“In the third mile of a tough 6.2-mile race through the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland—pulling hard uphill, foolishly trying to outpace himself and leaving far better runners behind—the President began to wobble. "Without the Secret Service he would have fallen," says Paul Liebler, a CBS producer who was running close by. "His legs couldn't support him, his mouth hung open, he was moaning and his eyes had a glazed look. It was very scary." White House physician Dr. William Lukash, an unofficial organizer of the race, gave Carter smelling salts and, spurning an ambulance, rushed him to Camp David in a car.
En route, the White House Situation Room alerted National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski to the grim reality: that the President was having a heart attack and would soon have to be evacuated quickly to a hospital. At Camp David, Dr. Lukash treated Carter with an intravenous saline solution, wrapped him in wet towels to cool him off and administered an electrocardiogram. The President was also suffering from heat exhaustion, or heat stroke, a fairly common problem among runners and one that has been known to trigger heart attacks. Vice-President Mondale was notified immediately as the President was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
The 55-year-old President has stabilized and his condition is said to be good, as the heat stroke was more severe than the relatively minor heart attack he suffered. One has to wonder what this incident will mean coming as it does in a week marked by dire polls, the Kennedy surge and fresh drug charges against his chief of staff Hamilton Jordan...”
- Excerpt from PEOPLE Magazine's cover story the week of October 1st, 1979
The photo used for the cover of PEOPLE magazine.
“Teheran, Iran, Nov. 4--Moslem students stormed the United States Embassy in Teheran today, seized about 90 Americans and vowed to stay there until the deposed Shah was sent back from New York to face trial in Iran.
There were reports of casualties in the takeover of the embassy building and witnesses said many of the several hundred attackers were armed, although an exact number of those deaths have not yet been reported”
- New York Times, Nov. 5th 1979
“Rep. John Anderson, the Illinois Republican, has so far shown himself to be the candidate most qualified to be president.”
- Joseph Kraft, “A Switch From Weakness,” Washington Post, 11 December 1979
“...arrested for possession of marijuana in Japan. McCartney's tour has been cancelled following the incident. Any further news about the potential merger has not been forthcoming and will perhaps not be until Mr. McCartney is ejected from Japan...”
“...While no one from either Solo United or Apple Corps has released an official statement, a source has suggested misters McCartney and Aspinall reached out to Mr. Geffen about merging Apple – at this time mostly defunct – with Solo United in an attempt to reinvigorate the Beatles' film franchise which SU owns. One has to wonder, however, if the move has more to do with the myriad lawsuits in which the Beatles' former company is currently involved; or perhaps a more ambitious move involving either the reacquisition of the group's song catalog or a new Beatles documentary or biographical film. Not surprisingly, fan speculation has run rather rampant since the rumours have been leaked and there is talk of a possible reunion. Sadly for them, talk is all that it is at this point; much as it has been many times this passed decade...”
“...What we do know is that Mr. McCartney will have to be released from a Japanese cell before any further speculation can be attempted...”
- Daily Mail excerpts, January 1980
“I do not know how it happened in Iowa. I spent so little time and money there. It was not a win, no, but nor was it the loss I had expected.”
- John B. Anderson upon learning about his third place tie with Howard Baker in the Iowa Caucus. Ronald Reagan won the Iowa Caucus with a substantial lead over George H. W. Bush who himself was followed close behind by both Baker and Anderson.
“I just didn't show up. That's all. I got a twenty-four hour bug when I got here that lasted seventy-two. Anderson won the debate, pure and simple. Iowa might just make me sick, I guess. We'll get 'em in New Hampshire...”
- George H. W. Bush upon hearing the same news.
BUSH: "IOWA MAKES ME SICK"
- Various, January 1980
- Freddie Mercury in “Bicycle Race” by Queen. 1978
CARTER SUFFERS HEART ATTACK:
“In the third mile of a tough 6.2-mile race through the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland—pulling hard uphill, foolishly trying to outpace himself and leaving far better runners behind—the President began to wobble. "Without the Secret Service he would have fallen," says Paul Liebler, a CBS producer who was running close by. "His legs couldn't support him, his mouth hung open, he was moaning and his eyes had a glazed look. It was very scary." White House physician Dr. William Lukash, an unofficial organizer of the race, gave Carter smelling salts and, spurning an ambulance, rushed him to Camp David in a car.
En route, the White House Situation Room alerted National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski to the grim reality: that the President was having a heart attack and would soon have to be evacuated quickly to a hospital. At Camp David, Dr. Lukash treated Carter with an intravenous saline solution, wrapped him in wet towels to cool him off and administered an electrocardiogram. The President was also suffering from heat exhaustion, or heat stroke, a fairly common problem among runners and one that has been known to trigger heart attacks. Vice-President Mondale was notified immediately as the President was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
The 55-year-old President has stabilized and his condition is said to be good, as the heat stroke was more severe than the relatively minor heart attack he suffered. One has to wonder what this incident will mean coming as it does in a week marked by dire polls, the Kennedy surge and fresh drug charges against his chief of staff Hamilton Jordan...”
- Excerpt from PEOPLE Magazine's cover story the week of October 1st, 1979
The photo used for the cover of PEOPLE magazine.
“Teheran, Iran, Nov. 4--Moslem students stormed the United States Embassy in Teheran today, seized about 90 Americans and vowed to stay there until the deposed Shah was sent back from New York to face trial in Iran.
There were reports of casualties in the takeover of the embassy building and witnesses said many of the several hundred attackers were armed, although an exact number of those deaths have not yet been reported”
- New York Times, Nov. 5th 1979
“Rep. John Anderson, the Illinois Republican, has so far shown himself to be the candidate most qualified to be president.”
- Joseph Kraft, “A Switch From Weakness,” Washington Post, 11 December 1979
“...arrested for possession of marijuana in Japan. McCartney's tour has been cancelled following the incident. Any further news about the potential merger has not been forthcoming and will perhaps not be until Mr. McCartney is ejected from Japan...”
“...While no one from either Solo United or Apple Corps has released an official statement, a source has suggested misters McCartney and Aspinall reached out to Mr. Geffen about merging Apple – at this time mostly defunct – with Solo United in an attempt to reinvigorate the Beatles' film franchise which SU owns. One has to wonder, however, if the move has more to do with the myriad lawsuits in which the Beatles' former company is currently involved; or perhaps a more ambitious move involving either the reacquisition of the group's song catalog or a new Beatles documentary or biographical film. Not surprisingly, fan speculation has run rather rampant since the rumours have been leaked and there is talk of a possible reunion. Sadly for them, talk is all that it is at this point; much as it has been many times this passed decade...”
“...What we do know is that Mr. McCartney will have to be released from a Japanese cell before any further speculation can be attempted...”
- Daily Mail excerpts, January 1980
“I do not know how it happened in Iowa. I spent so little time and money there. It was not a win, no, but nor was it the loss I had expected.”
- John B. Anderson upon learning about his third place tie with Howard Baker in the Iowa Caucus. Ronald Reagan won the Iowa Caucus with a substantial lead over George H. W. Bush who himself was followed close behind by both Baker and Anderson.
“I just didn't show up. That's all. I got a twenty-four hour bug when I got here that lasted seventy-two. Anderson won the debate, pure and simple. Iowa might just make me sick, I guess. We'll get 'em in New Hampshire...”
- George H. W. Bush upon hearing the same news.
BUSH: "IOWA MAKES ME SICK"
- Various, January 1980
Great to see another update! It seems that we pop culture TL writers always update in groups now 
One thing you haven't mentioned is how this affects Wings (often derisively described as McCartney's backup band, and with whom he was touring when he was busted, which helped to contribute to their final separation). Obviously, Wings are small potatoes next to the Beatles, but we'll have to see how the Fab Four work with Solo United.
Which, it should be noted, is changed from the OTL version: "Jaws was never my scene and I don't like Star Wars." I am curious as to the reason for the change ITTL, because the whole point of the song is that the singer doesn't like or care for anything except "BIIICYCLE! BIIICYCLE!"
Now this could be very interesting, though that's a curious butterfly net you've got working if Lennon hasn't been assassinated but McCartney was still busted for possessionTheInfiniteApe said:
One thing you haven't mentioned is how this affects Wings (often derisively described as McCartney's backup band, and with whom he was touring when he was busted, which helped to contribute to their final separation). Obviously, Wings are small potatoes next to the Beatles, but we'll have to see how the Fab Four work with Solo United.IOTL, Bush won the Iowa Caucus with 32% of the vote; Reagan followed, with 30%. In third place was Howard Baker with 15%, with former Democrat John Connally at fourth (with 9%). Anderson ran sixth, with only 4% of the vote, behind fellow Illinois Rep. Phil Crane (with 7%). That's a very dramatic improvement for him.TheInfiniteApe said:
Oh, George. Well, I guess if you're improving the reputation of one George, you have to make another suffer for good measure.TheInfiniteApe said:
Stolengood
Banned
Lennon wasn't assassinated until November, if I recall; that's still several months away...Now this could be very interesting, though that's a curious butterfly net you've got working if Lennon hasn't been assassinated but McCartney was still busted for possession
Great to see another update! It seems that we pop culture TL writers always update in groups now
1. Which, it should be noted, is changed from the OTL version: "Jaws was never my scene and I don't like Star Wars." I am curious as to the reason for the change ITTL, because the whole point of the song is that the singer doesn't like or care for anything except "BIIICYCLE! BIIICYCLE!"
2. Now this could be very interesting, though that's a curious butterfly net you've got working if Lennon hasn't been assassinated but McCartney was still busted for possession
3. IOTL, Bush won the Iowa Caucus with 32% of the vote; Reagan followed, with 30%. In third place was Howard Baker with 15%, with former Democrat John Connally at fourth (with 9%). Anderson ran sixth, with only 4% of the vote, behind fellow Illinois Rep. Phil Crane (with 7%). That's a very dramatic improvement for him.
4.Oh, George. Well, I guess if you're improving the reputation of one George, you have to make another suffer for good measure.
1. It was originally written that way TTL as well. Here, though, Freddie is actually enough of a Star Wars fan (and one quite aware of how ballsey a move it is TTL to say you don't like it) to have trouble knocking it even "in character". He toys with both versions, considering that no matter how much this kid likes bicycles and little else he's bound to be a Star Wars fan. In the end, he decides on the OTL version, but ad libs TTL's at the last second. Liking the way it hits the ear better, he decides to sacrifice one tiny bit of the character's negativity to show some love for Lucas.
2. John Lennon isn't shot until December 8th 1980 OTL, which is twelve months in the future. MDC is still en route to his date with destiny.
3. Iowa Caucuses are always fun PODs or Butterflies, imo. They really can go in any direction. Here, John B. Anderson is receiving more press for his unique ideas and has an even better debate while George Bush has invested less money and time in the usual rounds thus far, taking a tip from Reagan's "above the fray" book. He ends up getting a stomach virus just as he hits the ground in Iowa. While it doesn't hurt him too much in Iowa, and the quote was taken WAY out of context afterwards, Bush is not the anti-Reagan candidate everyone rallies behind this early on.
4. Exactly.
Also, I should point out that Vultan has been instrumental in helping me organize the political butterflies and we're currently combining ideas for the near and distant future. I'm going to edit into the update some Vultan praise where it is due.
His help is almost necessary and always most welcome.
December 8th, 1980.
By the way, how are you liking the TL now?
Fair enough. Just... taking out an "insurance policy", so to speak
Thanks as always for reading and commenting, friend.
Stolengood
Banned
Quite enjoying it. Curious to see if Lucas wants to help one of the Democrats ITTL...
Well, if you insist. But lyrically, it really does weaken the song. "ALL I WANNA DO IS BIIICYCLE... but barring that, we can watch Star Wars instead."
One of my favourite pieces of black humour ever: "How do you know Mark David Chapman was insane? Yoko was right there!"TheInfiniteApe said:
I could tell - vultan has been kind enough to consult with me for That Wacky Redhead for quite some time, and I've developed a sense for his particular styleTheInfiniteApe said:
Looking forward to reading more the next Star Wars movie! Very cunning of you to draw out the big reveal like that.
May the 4th be with you... always.
(Working on today's update... but I might pass out first...)
(Working on today's update... but I might pass out first...)
Plus the reason why Star Wars is mentioned at all is because it's a blockbuster movie like Jaws.
You'd be surprised...
Actually I'm hard at work at the moment on the next update. There's a lot going on in this thing now and it's a little overwhelming, but it's the first thing I've done that people seemed to like so I'm devoted to it.
I couldn't agree more and I have to admit that this was author's selfishness slipping in.
I've always been a huge fan of Queen and Star Wars, and since OTL Freddie Mercury seemed to have been aloof about whether or not he really didn't like Star Wars, I decided to make it a quirky last minute decision on his part that stayed in and affected the TL (as well as TTL's SW popularity).
I'm sorry for it, but not nearly as sorry as I should be for cheapening such a great (though certainly not their greatest) song.
Hard at work, I can pm someone when its posted if you'd like.
Part One:
“Bush is dead.”
“I don't know how up to the job he really is, honestly. He doesn't know either and he's told me as much...”
KENNEDY CRASHES CAR:
“...Again...
Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts was once criticized as the most reckless of the Kennedy clan; beginning when the youngest of the Kennedy brothers crashed his car at Chappaquiddick in 1969, killing its female occupant before allegedly fleeing the scene.
In recent years, however, he has been respected and celebrated as perhaps the most passionate and liberal minded of the legendary brood – so celebrated in fact that he has been running an enormously successful Presidential primary campaign as the popular Democratic challenger to failing incumbent Jimmy Carter, with the Senator polling well over 2-1 against the President before humiliating him in the Iowa Caucus.
Unfortunately for his ardent supporters all hopes of rebuilding Camelot have come crashing down quite literally this week as Sen. Ted Kennedy was involved in an automobile accident which has resulted in numerous injuries. While most of the injuries are minor, a combination of rehabilitation time and a bitter reminder of '69 have driven the final nail into his campaign.
Yesterday a sullen Kennedy announced from his recovery room that due to poor health he would be dropping out of the race to endorse Gov. Jerry Brown, saying that, 'Gov. Brown has the passion of youth and the wisdom of age, a combination that very well served my brother Jack and through him our national well being during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I am reminded of my late brothers when I see Jerry Brown. I am confident that he is the candidate most fit to lead our great Party and our even greater nation in repairing the damage done to both of them - in their names - by the current administration. Gov. Jerry Brown is the Ted Kennedy you're really looking for...'
Kennedy and his spokesmen have declined to comment on the specifics of the accident and there is as yet no word on when he will be returning to the legislature...”
BROWN IS THE KENNEDY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR!
“The media was strangely silent on and uncharacteristically respectful of the circumstances surrounding Sen. Ted Kennedy's relatively minor automobile accident. It was common knowledge that he had been driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the wreck, and most people knew that he had cooperated fully with the police with dignity, perhaps to avoid a repeat of '69. Americans knew it but the media chose not to report on it, opting instead to focus on his minor injuries, his bowing out of the race, and how it would affect Gov. Jerry Brown's run. They didn't exactly share Coppola's adoration of Brown, but they now loathed Carter almost as much as did the GOP.
Kennedy endorsed Brown very quietly for fear that his drunk driving would become a banner around which the Republicans could rally against Gov. Brown. Nonetheless, 'Brown is the Kennedy you're looking for...' became an immensely successful campaign slogan overnight due in large part to its evoking of Camelot – and in no small part to its similarity to a famous line from the massively successful science fiction film STAR WARS. With Kennedy's insistence, Jerry Brown quickly inherited Kennedy's team, financial backing, and guidance. Brown in turn promised Kennedy a position on his cabinet; an offer that Kennedy politely declined.
Meanwhile, Carter's health, his weakness on the Iranians for murdering seven Americans and continuing to hold many more hostage, and Vice President 'Fritz' Mondale's disastrous gaffe on Carter's unwillingness to lead quickly proved devastating. With Carter trailing miserably in the polls and now with Kennedy out, Jerry Brown of California became the surprise frontrunner for the Democratic primaries. Complications during Carter's bypass would probably have rendered the President out of shape for reelection during such a tumultuous period anyway, but the question was now certainly: When would the President bow out and would he dare to endorse Mondale?
Gov. Brown was seen as an enlightened young liberal and was extremely popular among Californians, the national public, and the New Hollywood elite alike, but he was largely silent on issues pertaining to military force; a silence which contrasted deeply with the bitter but awkwardly placid caution of Jimmy Carter or the comparatively radical pacifism of Edward Kennedy.”
NAMES OF DEAD RELEASED:
“The names of those killed in last November's attack on the American embassy in Tehran have finally been released by the White House – at least six Marines and the Vice Consul are confirmed as lost. Many have criticized Carter's reluctance to inform and inability to lead; and to many his confirmation of the names of those that many have already assumed killed is too little too late. The White House has continued to stall the public over whether it will retaliate or negotiate and many wonder if, with so many hostages still in danger, it would not be best to look to new leadership...
“We weren't all 'Brownies' at that time, of course. There were, believe it or not, quite a few John Anderson people who were liberal, secular Republicans, some more libertarian leaning 'Draft Jack Kemp' people, and even a small and silent contingent of Reagan supporters, I assume because of his history in film and his strength of personality. We all agreed on being fed up with Carter, however, and nobody wanted a Dole or a Bush presidency either. The great myth is that we used our new financial and creative clout to single-handedly push Jerry Brown to the convention. That perception is probably not that far off, although Brown himself – not to mention Carter and Kennedy – had much more to do with it than we did.
We were all so busy with the First Big Four (The Rebellion Strikes Back, Batman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Dune: Part I) and couldn't devote a lot of time to campaigning for any candidate. With George's permission we produced the campaign ads for Jerry Brown which were groundbreaking at the time and we donated some money to the various campaigns according to number of supporters in house, so obviously it overwhelmingly went to Brown.
The view that we became a political force to be reckoned with is perhaps an accurate one, but at the time we didn't really see it that way. We were only a decade removed from being students and we were passionate about politics. We did make a difference, that part is true. We became established as a company that could influence policy and popular opinion. And when the Caper went public, we were looked to even closer. As much as we tried not to get involved, we had three desert movies with enormously legitimate press in pre-production. George couldn't say no...”
- Francis Ford Coppola
“I had prayed about it and talked to my family about it and I called the young man [Gov. Jerry Brown] up early in the year. I asked him why he was so bent on driving an old man out of the White House, trying to be funny. He said the most remarkable thing to me, though, Jerry Brown said, 'Mr. President, sir, I'm not trying to drive anybody out of anywhere. I'm trying to get in there and get you some rest.' We both laughed so hard, it was the first laugh I'd had in quite a while. I know he didn't mean that one hundred percent. He didn't like me. He didn't like how I had handled the Office in the midst of the economic stagflation or the Iran crisis, and he surely didn't like my Southern conservative Democrat ways. But he was respectful with me and had a good sense of humor and I liked him a whole lot after that.
He asked if he could count on my support (laughs) ...and I told him not until he beat me. Then he offered me first pick of any appointed position I wanted. I said, “Gimme Vice President so I can take some time off till '84.' Boy, he just laughed. I could see what Kennedy saw in him. He asked me seriously if I thought Fritz [Vice President Walter Mondale] would run if I did bow out. I thought about it for a moment, not wanting to get the boy's hopes up. I said to him, 'Gov. Brown, son, I think he just might; but he'd be the biggest damn fool I ever knew if he did.' I think that was all Jerry needed to hear...”
“I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Breen!”
NEW HAMPSHIRE A SIGN OF CHANGING TIMES:
“Yesterday all eyes were on New Hampshire and the nation held its breath. While Ted Kennedy's victory over President Jimmy Carter in Iowa was embarrassing, his heir apparent Gov. Jerry Brown of California's crushing victory in Maine was nothing short of humiliating. Gov. Brown beat the President by a substantial margin of over sixty percent.
Meanwhile, former Governor Ronald Reagan's big Iowa win paved the way for he, John Anderson, George Bush, and Howard Baker to essentially tie the Puerto Rican numbers four ways. This made the New Hampshire primary perhaps the most important one of the election. George Bush has struggled with press and in spite of relatively positive attention John Anderson's unique Republicanism seemed to frighten many more traditional conservatives.
However, on the 23rd George Bush unwisely declined to participate in a televised debate against his fellow hopefuls, in an attempt perhaps to elevate himself above the other candidates. He instead came off as a sore loser and to some, a coward. Reagan and Anderson went head to head on the issues and, while it is universally agreed that Ronald Reagan won the debate, Anderson endeared potential voters to him and began to look the part of alternative to non-Reaganites.
But now the numbers are in: On the Democratic side Jerry Brown once again received sixty percent of the vote over Jimmy Carter's thirty. Democratic turnout was comparatively low, it must be noted.
Republican turnout was high. In the Republican primary Ronald Reagan walked away with exactly half the vote while John Anderson left with exactly one third. George Bush failed to recover from his Iowa gaffe, Tom Pettite's eulogy of him, and his failure to debate his peers, leaving New Hampshire tied with Howard Baker with five percent each...”
“I'm dropping out of the race and will withhold my endorsement until next month... will uh... withhold my endorsement until March...”
“I never thought I'd ever endorse him, but I've been advised that Anderson could be our stop-Reagan candidate. Bush is out.”
“You all know I'm out. I'm officially endorsing former Governor Ronald Reagan for President of the United States.”
“We really had Carter on the ropes. On the Republican side, Bush had a slight bump in March, coming in second to Anderson in Massachusetts and third behind Reagan in Vermont. John Anderson won them both. It was beginning to seem like Gov. Brown would be going up against him once we beat Carter. Meanwhile, Carter refused to bow out and started campaigning. He took a harder stance on Iran, was seen in public jogging to prove his heart attack was minor. It was lucky for Jerry because had he declined to run for reelection Fritz would've started his own campaign and that could have been a threat. Jerry won Vermont and Massachusetts pretty handily, over three fourths of the vote in both.
Then the Caper went public. It was a huge public relations coup for Solo United, but it was a tragedy for Carter because he could no longer negotiate. Luckily, the Iranians rattled sabers and little else, but when Operation Eagle Claw proved to be an unmitigated disaster Carter stopped running and started praying. There's always been speculation about the timing of the Canadian Caper leak. Right before the Oscars and all. We certainly had nothing to do with that, but it's difficult to believe I know. Anyway, Carter was dead in the water. Gov. Jerry Brown was going to the convention by spring.”
SOLO UNITED'S PARTICIPATION IN COVERT OPERATION REVEALED:
Neither Carter nor Lucas agree so far to comment...
BIG NIGHT FOR 'COVERT' MEGACORPS:
“After all the press surrounding Solo United's involvement in what has been called the 'Canadian Caper' it was easy to predict who the winners would be. Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now left with statues for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, while the film also won for Best Supporting Actor (Robert Duvall), Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing. Winning seven out of eight nominated, Coppola now has the maximum amount of hype (and pressure) imaginable for his upcoming Batman film starring Harrison Ford. Nominated for nine awards and leaving with two (Best Actor Dustin Hoffman and Best Supporting Actress Meryl Streep) was Kramer vs. Kramer. Sally Field surprised no one with her Best Actress win for Norma Rae, and Woody Allen also unshockingly won Best Original Screenplay for Manhattan.
Jerry Goldsmith won Best Original Score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Muppet Movie was honored with Best Original Song (The Rainbow Connection). Further proof that the Science Fiction Epic is here to stay Ridley Scott's Alien won both Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. Scott is currently working on an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune series. Spielberg's Moonraker was strangely absent from most ballots in spite of the positive box office returns and reviews it received. Elvis Presley's chart topping rendition of the film's theme (written by John Barry and featuring David Bowie) was nominated in the Song category...”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 4th, 1980
THE REBELLION STRIKES BACK RELEASED NATIONWIDE:
$15,951,418 Opening weekend shatters previous records...
“Bush is dead.”
- Tom Pettit, NBC News
Following George H. W. Bush's unexpected loss during the Iowa Caucus
- Tom Pettit, NBC News
“I don't know how up to the job he really is, honestly. He doesn't know either and he's told me as much...”
- Acting President Walter Mondale on President Jimmy Carter (Overheard on a microphone that Mondale did not realize was hot. The President was in surgery to repair damage done during his bypass in November.)
January, 1980
- Acting President Walter Mondale on President Jimmy Carter (Overheard on a microphone that Mondale did not realize was hot. The President was in surgery to repair damage done during his bypass in November.)
KENNEDY CRASHES CAR:
“...Again...
Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts was once criticized as the most reckless of the Kennedy clan; beginning when the youngest of the Kennedy brothers crashed his car at Chappaquiddick in 1969, killing its female occupant before allegedly fleeing the scene.
In recent years, however, he has been respected and celebrated as perhaps the most passionate and liberal minded of the legendary brood – so celebrated in fact that he has been running an enormously successful Presidential primary campaign as the popular Democratic challenger to failing incumbent Jimmy Carter, with the Senator polling well over 2-1 against the President before humiliating him in the Iowa Caucus.
Unfortunately for his ardent supporters all hopes of rebuilding Camelot have come crashing down quite literally this week as Sen. Ted Kennedy was involved in an automobile accident which has resulted in numerous injuries. While most of the injuries are minor, a combination of rehabilitation time and a bitter reminder of '69 have driven the final nail into his campaign.
Yesterday a sullen Kennedy announced from his recovery room that due to poor health he would be dropping out of the race to endorse Gov. Jerry Brown, saying that, 'Gov. Brown has the passion of youth and the wisdom of age, a combination that very well served my brother Jack and through him our national well being during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I am reminded of my late brothers when I see Jerry Brown. I am confident that he is the candidate most fit to lead our great Party and our even greater nation in repairing the damage done to both of them - in their names - by the current administration. Gov. Jerry Brown is the Ted Kennedy you're really looking for...'
Kennedy and his spokesmen have declined to comment on the specifics of the accident and there is as yet no word on when he will be returning to the legislature...”
- January 31st, 1980
BROWN IS THE KENNEDY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR!
“The media was strangely silent on and uncharacteristically respectful of the circumstances surrounding Sen. Ted Kennedy's relatively minor automobile accident. It was common knowledge that he had been driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the wreck, and most people knew that he had cooperated fully with the police with dignity, perhaps to avoid a repeat of '69. Americans knew it but the media chose not to report on it, opting instead to focus on his minor injuries, his bowing out of the race, and how it would affect Gov. Jerry Brown's run. They didn't exactly share Coppola's adoration of Brown, but they now loathed Carter almost as much as did the GOP.
Kennedy endorsed Brown very quietly for fear that his drunk driving would become a banner around which the Republicans could rally against Gov. Brown. Nonetheless, 'Brown is the Kennedy you're looking for...' became an immensely successful campaign slogan overnight due in large part to its evoking of Camelot – and in no small part to its similarity to a famous line from the massively successful science fiction film STAR WARS. With Kennedy's insistence, Jerry Brown quickly inherited Kennedy's team, financial backing, and guidance. Brown in turn promised Kennedy a position on his cabinet; an offer that Kennedy politely declined.
Meanwhile, Carter's health, his weakness on the Iranians for murdering seven Americans and continuing to hold many more hostage, and Vice President 'Fritz' Mondale's disastrous gaffe on Carter's unwillingness to lead quickly proved devastating. With Carter trailing miserably in the polls and now with Kennedy out, Jerry Brown of California became the surprise frontrunner for the Democratic primaries. Complications during Carter's bypass would probably have rendered the President out of shape for reelection during such a tumultuous period anyway, but the question was now certainly: When would the President bow out and would he dare to endorse Mondale?
Gov. Brown was seen as an enlightened young liberal and was extremely popular among Californians, the national public, and the New Hollywood elite alike, but he was largely silent on issues pertaining to military force; a silence which contrasted deeply with the bitter but awkwardly placid caution of Jimmy Carter or the comparatively radical pacifism of Edward Kennedy.”
- William J. Bennett's
AMERICA: THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY, Vol. II
- William J. Bennett's
NAMES OF DEAD RELEASED:
“The names of those killed in last November's attack on the American embassy in Tehran have finally been released by the White House – at least six Marines and the Vice Consul are confirmed as lost. Many have criticized Carter's reluctance to inform and inability to lead; and to many his confirmation of the names of those that many have already assumed killed is too little too late. The White House has continued to stall the public over whether it will retaliate or negotiate and many wonder if, with so many hostages still in danger, it would not be best to look to new leadership...
“We weren't all 'Brownies' at that time, of course. There were, believe it or not, quite a few John Anderson people who were liberal, secular Republicans, some more libertarian leaning 'Draft Jack Kemp' people, and even a small and silent contingent of Reagan supporters, I assume because of his history in film and his strength of personality. We all agreed on being fed up with Carter, however, and nobody wanted a Dole or a Bush presidency either. The great myth is that we used our new financial and creative clout to single-handedly push Jerry Brown to the convention. That perception is probably not that far off, although Brown himself – not to mention Carter and Kennedy – had much more to do with it than we did.
We were all so busy with the First Big Four (The Rebellion Strikes Back, Batman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Dune: Part I) and couldn't devote a lot of time to campaigning for any candidate. With George's permission we produced the campaign ads for Jerry Brown which were groundbreaking at the time and we donated some money to the various campaigns according to number of supporters in house, so obviously it overwhelmingly went to Brown.
The view that we became a political force to be reckoned with is perhaps an accurate one, but at the time we didn't really see it that way. We were only a decade removed from being students and we were passionate about politics. We did make a difference, that part is true. We became established as a company that could influence policy and popular opinion. And when the Caper went public, we were looked to even closer. As much as we tried not to get involved, we had three desert movies with enormously legitimate press in pre-production. George couldn't say no...”
- Francis Ford Coppola
“I had prayed about it and talked to my family about it and I called the young man [Gov. Jerry Brown] up early in the year. I asked him why he was so bent on driving an old man out of the White House, trying to be funny. He said the most remarkable thing to me, though, Jerry Brown said, 'Mr. President, sir, I'm not trying to drive anybody out of anywhere. I'm trying to get in there and get you some rest.' We both laughed so hard, it was the first laugh I'd had in quite a while. I know he didn't mean that one hundred percent. He didn't like me. He didn't like how I had handled the Office in the midst of the economic stagflation or the Iran crisis, and he surely didn't like my Southern conservative Democrat ways. But he was respectful with me and had a good sense of humor and I liked him a whole lot after that.
He asked if he could count on my support (laughs) ...and I told him not until he beat me. Then he offered me first pick of any appointed position I wanted. I said, “Gimme Vice President so I can take some time off till '84.' Boy, he just laughed. I could see what Kennedy saw in him. He asked me seriously if I thought Fritz [Vice President Walter Mondale] would run if I did bow out. I thought about it for a moment, not wanting to get the boy's hopes up. I said to him, 'Gov. Brown, son, I think he just might; but he'd be the biggest damn fool I ever knew if he did.' I think that was all Jerry needed to hear...”
- Former President Jimmy Carter
- Former President Jimmy Carter
“I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Breen!”
- Former Gov. Ronald Reagan
New Hampshire “Nashua Debate”
February, 23rd 1980
- Former Gov. Ronald Reagan
NEW HAMPSHIRE A SIGN OF CHANGING TIMES:
“Yesterday all eyes were on New Hampshire and the nation held its breath. While Ted Kennedy's victory over President Jimmy Carter in Iowa was embarrassing, his heir apparent Gov. Jerry Brown of California's crushing victory in Maine was nothing short of humiliating. Gov. Brown beat the President by a substantial margin of over sixty percent.
Meanwhile, former Governor Ronald Reagan's big Iowa win paved the way for he, John Anderson, George Bush, and Howard Baker to essentially tie the Puerto Rican numbers four ways. This made the New Hampshire primary perhaps the most important one of the election. George Bush has struggled with press and in spite of relatively positive attention John Anderson's unique Republicanism seemed to frighten many more traditional conservatives.
However, on the 23rd George Bush unwisely declined to participate in a televised debate against his fellow hopefuls, in an attempt perhaps to elevate himself above the other candidates. He instead came off as a sore loser and to some, a coward. Reagan and Anderson went head to head on the issues and, while it is universally agreed that Ronald Reagan won the debate, Anderson endeared potential voters to him and began to look the part of alternative to non-Reaganites.
But now the numbers are in: On the Democratic side Jerry Brown once again received sixty percent of the vote over Jimmy Carter's thirty. Democratic turnout was comparatively low, it must be noted.
Republican turnout was high. In the Republican primary Ronald Reagan walked away with exactly half the vote while John Anderson left with exactly one third. George Bush failed to recover from his Iowa gaffe, Tom Pettite's eulogy of him, and his failure to debate his peers, leaving New Hampshire tied with Howard Baker with five percent each...”
- Commercial Appeal
February 27th, 1980
- Commercial Appeal
“I'm dropping out of the race and will withhold my endorsement until next month... will uh... withhold my endorsement until March...”
- Bob Dole
February 27th, 1980
- Bob Dole
“I never thought I'd ever endorse him, but I've been advised that Anderson could be our stop-Reagan candidate. Bush is out.”
- Bob Dole (privately)
February, 1980
- Bob Dole (privately)
“You all know I'm out. I'm officially endorsing former Governor Ronald Reagan for President of the United States.”
- Congressman Phil Crane
February 27th, 1980
- Congressman Phil Crane
“We really had Carter on the ropes. On the Republican side, Bush had a slight bump in March, coming in second to Anderson in Massachusetts and third behind Reagan in Vermont. John Anderson won them both. It was beginning to seem like Gov. Brown would be going up against him once we beat Carter. Meanwhile, Carter refused to bow out and started campaigning. He took a harder stance on Iran, was seen in public jogging to prove his heart attack was minor. It was lucky for Jerry because had he declined to run for reelection Fritz would've started his own campaign and that could have been a threat. Jerry won Vermont and Massachusetts pretty handily, over three fourths of the vote in both.
Then the Caper went public. It was a huge public relations coup for Solo United, but it was a tragedy for Carter because he could no longer negotiate. Luckily, the Iranians rattled sabers and little else, but when Operation Eagle Claw proved to be an unmitigated disaster Carter stopped running and started praying. There's always been speculation about the timing of the Canadian Caper leak. Right before the Oscars and all. We certainly had nothing to do with that, but it's difficult to believe I know. Anyway, Carter was dead in the water. Gov. Jerry Brown was going to the convention by spring.”
- Francis Ford Coppola
SOLO UNITED'S PARTICIPATION IN COVERT OPERATION REVEALED:
Neither Carter nor Lucas agree so far to comment...
BIG NIGHT FOR 'COVERT' MEGACORPS:
“After all the press surrounding Solo United's involvement in what has been called the 'Canadian Caper' it was easy to predict who the winners would be. Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now left with statues for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, while the film also won for Best Supporting Actor (Robert Duvall), Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing. Winning seven out of eight nominated, Coppola now has the maximum amount of hype (and pressure) imaginable for his upcoming Batman film starring Harrison Ford. Nominated for nine awards and leaving with two (Best Actor Dustin Hoffman and Best Supporting Actress Meryl Streep) was Kramer vs. Kramer. Sally Field surprised no one with her Best Actress win for Norma Rae, and Woody Allen also unshockingly won Best Original Screenplay for Manhattan.
Jerry Goldsmith won Best Original Score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Muppet Movie was honored with Best Original Song (The Rainbow Connection). Further proof that the Science Fiction Epic is here to stay Ridley Scott's Alien won both Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. Scott is currently working on an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune series. Spielberg's Moonraker was strangely absent from most ballots in spite of the positive box office returns and reviews it received. Elvis Presley's chart topping rendition of the film's theme (written by John Barry and featuring David Bowie) was nominated in the Song category...”
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May 4th, 1980
THE REBELLION STRIKES BACK RELEASED NATIONWIDE:
$15,951,418 Opening weekend shatters previous records...
Act I of the Rebellion Strikes Back Synopsis
The film opens with a scroll referencing the sacrifice of Luke Skywalker in destroying the Death Star and the subsequent vengeful campaign of punishment the Empire has exacted upon the Rebellion. It is a dark time for the Alliance; which has been broken up and scattered across the galaxy, struggling to reorganize in order to strike the Empire at the heart of its central hold of Had Abbadon. Darth Vader has sent out the galaxy's most notorious bounty hunters and thousands of remote probe droids into the far reaches of space to locate and capture Commander Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa and the fugitive Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
We follow one of these probes from its launch out of a Star Destroyer to its approach of the desolate red planet where Kenobi and Artoo are stranded. Surrounding the world is a series of rings made up of the remains of the Death Star. The planet itself too is littered with the ruins of the destroyed battlestation and Artoo is sorting through this litter, as he had been doing every day for two years. Kenobi is meditating, muttering the word “Solo” repeatedly. The final “Solo” is heard without mouth movement, eluding to the master's calling for Solo telepathically.
The droid interrupts Kenobi's meditation, obviously asking if they should send out another encrypted signal to the Rebels in the hopes that they are rescued. Kenobi informs the droid that it's far too dangerous to send out a distress signal as the Empire may intercept it. Kenobi closes his eyes again to continue his meditations and we cut to the probe's POV, soaring over the Mars-like landscape before crashing into the red earth. Kenobi's eyes flash open and Artoo beeps in alarm. They have both detected the presence of the foreign droid not far off and the two go to investigate.
They find a floating remote probe droid rattling off in code. Artoo creates a diversion while Kenobi rushes up from behind to strike the probe with his lightsaber. The probe instantly explodes, blowing Kenobi back to the rocky ground. Artoo rushes over to investigate while Kenobi reassures the droid that he is alright. He remarks with some wonder that he didn't hit the probe very hard and that it must have had a self destruct. He uses Artoo to lift his old frame up off of the ground and dusts himself off before placing a kind hand on the droid's dome saying, “It's a good wager the Empire knows we're here, my little friend.” Artoo releases a frightened series of beeps and moans. “The time has come, it seems. We'll send a signal...” at this Artoo squeals with delight, “...but not to the Rebellion...” Kenobi smiles reassuringly but mischievously at a worried and wobbling Artoo and we wipe to Hoth.
Han Solo, Chewbacca, Threepio and Princess Leia are in hiding at a Rebel base on the frozen world. Solo, mounted on a taun-taun, is investigating a crash site some distance from the base and is first seen checking in to Chewbacca and Threepio back at Echo Base via comlink. Threepio asks if there are any signs of life and Han claims that there isn't enough life on this “ice cube” to fill a star cruiser. Reference is then made to Han and Chewie's inevitable departure to pay back their debt to Jabba. Chewbacca is busy making repairs to the Falcon with the irritating help of Threepio who is shouting over Chewie; warning Solo to remember to return to base by nightfall when the shield doors lock. Reference is then made to wampa attacks and blizzards and Chewie howls at Han. Solo tells Chewie not to lose his temper and assures them both he'll be headed back soon. After signing off, Solo's taun-taun is alarmed by something nearby and Han takes out his blaster while looking around in all directions.
The suspense is broken when the taun-taun is suddenly struck by an arrow, lurching backwards in a panicked death gasp, before throwing Solo into the snow; casting his blaster some distance away. He struggles to his feet just in time to barely miss a second arrow and then rapidly a third which thuds into the ice at his feet. The arrows are now clearly being shot from a rather low tech metal bow (with a scope) being wielded by a sleek and humanoid gray droid wearing a dark gray hooded cloak. The droid shoulders the bow while rushing forward, pulling out two single shot pistols from holsters affixed to his belt. Solo has now grabbed his blaster and fires a shot into one of the guns which explodes out of the droid's hand. He fires another shot which grazes the droid's cloaked shoulder. The droid fires a shot into Solo's blaster disabling it.
Solo rushes towards the droid and punches it in the face, then humorously staggers back, flinches, and grabs his hand in pain while the droid shifts backward and pulls two longknives from his legs. Solo runs back to take cover behind his fallen taun-taun as the blizzard winds pick up. He ducks to miss the first thrown knife while sifting through his survival pack for his father's lightsaber, igniting it in time to strike the second knife away. The spinning knife lands red hot into the snow which begins to melt and steam beneath it.
The droid pulls a sword from a back-scabbard and rushes Han's position as Han rushes towards the droid, lightsaber in hand. Han's strikes are clumsy and mostly defensive and the droid presses him hard, his sword being slowly chipped away and superheated by Han's lightsaber. Han ducks just in time to miss the heated blade swinging just over his head. Finally the droid knocks the lightsaber away from Han and lunges at him with his white hot sword, Han dodges at the last moment and the droid's white-hot sword is stuck steaming wildly into the ice.
Han kicks the droid backwards and tackles him grabbing an arrow from the droid's quiver and lifting it over his head to drive it into the droid. At that very moment, however, a figure approaches from out of the snowy wind behind. [Boba Fett with OTL Lando Calrissian's cape around his neck. It is Billy Dee Williams inside.]
The figure is aiming a blaster rifle at the back of Han's head and says in an almost mechanical voice: “Drop it, Solo.” Off camera another voice says, “No, you drop it.” It is the voice of Princess Leia astride her own taun-taun aiming a blaster rifle at the bounty hunter. The bounty hunter clandestinely presses a button on his arm and a black speeder bike speeds towards the group overhead. The bounty hunter briefly ignites his jetpack, grabs on to the speeder, and races off into the snowstorm as Leia unloads plasma in his direction. The droid shouts a lamentation of, “Master!” and Han hits it so hard it shuts down.
Cutting back to Echo Base, Chewbacca begins to worry about Han and Leia while the Rebels say that all the patrols are in and they still have no sign of Solo or the Princess. The messenger says within earshot of Chewie and Threepio that the shield doors must be closed. Threepio states the odds of survival are 735 to 1 and Chewie goes to assault the messenger. Threepio attempts to pull him back and talk him down. Chewbacca relents mournfully while Threepio reassures him that Han is quite resilient and clever... for a human being. The doors are shut and Chewbacca howls.
The gray droid now disarmed, shut-off, and bound and the blizzard reaching a peak of intensity, Han gives Leia hell about how in love with him she must be, coming out into the storm to find him. While they argue they set up a bit of exposition about the infamous Bounty Hunter whose true identity is unknown and Leia voices concern that he has given their position away to the Empire. The droid's eyes light up and he lifts his head to remark that the Empire already knows the location of the base and a fleet is en route to Hoth as they speak. The droid's name is 2-B4 and he doesn't identify as a droid. As he says, “But I am not a droid at all, Your Majesty... I am an armoured man... though... now I am perhaps far less man than armour...” insinuating that he was once a humanoid life form who had turned cyborg and eventually lost almost any semblance of organic life.
Han and Leia clearly don't care much about 2-B4 and are far more interested in getting word back to Echo Base to begin the evacuation. Han's commlink was damaged in the droid's attack and the storm has upset any signal Leia's commlink would have otherwise provided. Han gets back to insisting that Leia has feelings for him and offers to let her kiss him one more time before they freeze to death. She quips that she'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee. Han says he could arrange that.
Han, out of breath from the fight and shouting over the storm that Leia could use a good kiss, grabs a navigation scanner and begins to tread off in the direction of the base. He is concerned that Chewbacca and the Rebels will be caught by surprise by the Imperial attack. When Leia screams that he'll freeze to death before morning he retorts that he'll see her in hell. He begins to slow down and then collapses. Leia drags him back to the taun-taun and uses Han's father's lightsaber to cut open the beast and stuff Han inside to keep him warm until she gets the camp set up. An exasperated Leia then says to no one in particular that she thought they smelled bad on the outside (a line famously written on the spot for her by Harrison Ford). 2-B4 ominously says, “Well, Princess. I suppose it's just... you and I now...” She looks at him with fear, distrust, and exhaustion...
Circular wipe...
...to an enormous Imperial fleet leaving a wicked looking urban world, black but covered in lighted cities and speckled with volcanoes. The Imperial March plays. Star destroyers in orbit around the world are slowly darkened and dwarfed by the shadow of Darth Vader's Super Star Destroyer.
Darth Vader stares out of the window of the bridge and turns. He is approached by Admiral Ozzel and General Veers, and walks with them as they inform him that the course is set for Hoth and the fleet is preparing for lightspeed. When they reach a scanning station, Captain Piett calls for them to come over. Vader asks if they've found something and the Captain points to a planet where a probe has possibly found Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is a planet not far from where the Death Star was destroyed two years before. Vader says without a doubt that that is the planet but the Admiral argues that since there are so many uncharted settlements that it could be smugglers. Besides, he says, they combed that dead world in the wake of the Death Star's destruction to no avail. Vader forcefully states that that is the system, he is sure Kenobi is there, and further that they must have missed Kenobi's presence when they had previously scanned.
Vader says he will go to the planet himself to face his former master once and for all and commands the Admiral and General Veers to continue the plans for the invasion of Hoth in his absence. Vader demands that someone hail Grand Vizier Pestage immediately and put him through to Vader's private chambers. Vader marches off as the Admiral glares at Captain Piett before barging off himself.
Screen wipes...
...to the snowy landscape of Hoth, daytime. The storm has passed and the sun shines brightly. Three snowspeeders are on the lookout for Solo and the Princess. Rogue T is calling for Commander Solo and Princess Leia on the comm and is delighted to hear Leia's voice finally come through saying, “Good morning. Nice of you boys to drop by.”
Diagonal wipe...
...to back at Echo base, Solo is regaining consciousness inside a bacta tank when Kenobi's voice telepathically comes to him telling him that he must go to Dagobah to seek council from Yoda, the Jedi master who instructed him. A medical droid is busy working on Solo who is then pulled from the tank shouting Ben's name.
Upward wipe...
...to the medical bay where Solo is recovering [while wearing clothes eerily similar to Luke Skywalker's from film one]. Threepio remarks that it is good to see Han fully functional again and Chewie gives him a slightly too violent Wookiee hug howling presumably relief at Han's recovery. Han says he feels strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark and then as Leia enters he gives her an almost tender look saying, “All thanks to you...” then shrugging off the sentiment with a smug: “...well I guess that makes us square, Your Worship...” Leia fires back that Han owes her one.
Han asks about that “old relic” that attacked him (referring to 2-B4) and Threepio informs him that his memory is being scanned for intelligence on the bounty hunter and the Empire's plans, but his positronic brain is a unique partially biomechanical model and so far they haven't been able to crack it. He has, as far as they can tell, been reprogrammed to not be hostile to the Rebels and should no longer be a threat.
Han sits up and, calling the Princess “Your Worship” remarks that Leia managed to keep him around a little longer. Leia said that with the Imperial fleet coming right for them, the General didn't think it was safe for ships to leave the system until the broken energy shield and ion cannons were up and running. [The rest of this scene mirrors Han and Leia's “nerf-herder” fight in the medical bay in front of Luke in OTL's ESB. Han, after telling Chewie to “laugh it up, fuzzball,” references Leia expressing her “true feelings” in the blizzard rather than the “South Passage”]
Han turns to Chewbacca, “I must've hit it pretty close to the mark to get her all rawled up like that, huh Chewie?” In response, to illustrate an earlier point, Leia grabs a seated Chewbacca by the head and, looking like a woman swallowing a bitter pill, quickly kisses the Wookiee rather awkwardly and dispassionately. Threepio says, “Oh, my...” and shuffles over to get a better look. Turning to exit, Leia can be faintly heard gagging and spitting and mutters “Disgusting...” Chewbacca runs his hands through his hair cockily and chuckles while Han rises with a wince to follow Leia into the passage.
We wipe to the Super Star Destroyer coming out of light speed and entering the debris filled orbit of the red planet where Kenobi was detected. Vader is furious, force choking the young Lieutenant who first found the trace of Kenobi. As aides dispose of the body Vader makes his way to his private chambers, kneeling before a nothingness that slowly coalesces into a holographic figure, pale and hairless, with an elaborate hood surrounding the head (Christopher Lee in a baldcap and makeup. His character refers to himself as “we” or “us”. Lee famously lamented having to shave his glorious eyebrows for the role of the pale, hairless former President of the Imperial Senate). [ITTL, Christopher Lee did not do 1941, as it was never greenlit by Spielberg. During this period of time, Lee was living in the United States and was actually trying to avoid the exact sort of role he eventually accepts here. He initially turned down the role of the Emperor, but Lucas persists and after speaking with former co-star decides to accept the role. After reevaluating the script, Lucas decides to switch the actors playing the Emperor and the Grand Vizier in order to give Christopher Lee (as Sate Pestage) more screentime. The rest, as they say is history. More on that below...]
Vader addresses the figure as “Your Honor” and asks the Grand Vizier when he will be allowed to address the Emperor. Grand Vizier Sate Pestage answers that the Emperor is: “in far too foul a temperament to be bothered with an account of failure... for that is why you contact us now, Lord Vader, is it not?” Vader responds with a crestfallen and subservient “Yes, Your Honor.” Pestage inquires as to the status of the assault on the Rebel base and of Darth Vader's “little errand”. Vader responds that the fleet should be nearing Hoth in a matter of hours and he would rendezvous with them shortly before the attack.
As to Kenobi, Vader admits, something is wrong: Vader no longer senses his former master, and the scans pick up no life forms on the planet. Vader reminds Pestage that Kenobi was once quite cunning and could still be nearby, though his presence is now only an echo in the Force. Vader begins to request more time to search, but is abruptly cut off by Grand Vizier Pestage: “You are to rendezvous with the Imperial Fleet immediately before Kenobi, if he even yet lives, can meet up with the Rebels and assist them... You have been granted a dangerous freedom, Darth Vader, but your leash has grown too long. The Emperor desires more oversight, lest we suffer a repeat of the Death Star Incident...” (Here we cut to the throne room on Had Abbadon, where the Emperor sits hooded and hidden in the background while the Grand Vizier continues to speak to a hologram of Vader. “Therefore, we shall be accompanying you to Hoth to review your tactics and assess your strategy. It would be wise, Vader, not to fail us again...” The hologram flickers away.
As the Super Star Destroyer enters hyperspace, a much smaller ship, hidden in the floating debris, ignites its engines and blasts off into the opposite direction...
Back on Hoth...
The shield and cannons are now up and running and preparations are beginning for the evacuation. Han finds the General claiming he needs to leave immediately. Leia is eying Han in the background, pretending not to listen. The General starts to protest but Commander Solo says if he doesn't pay back Jabba the Hutt he's a dead man. The General thinks for a moment, finally responding that a death mark is not an easy thing to live with. He tells Solo that he's a good fighter and he hates to lose him. Han Solo shakes his hand and thanks him before turning to leave.
He passes by Leia and, calling her “Your highness” says he guesses “this is it.” She shows no emotion when she replies, “That's right.” He shrugs off her coldness and insists she not get all mushy on him. “So long, Princess.” and then he storms off. She chases after him saying they're going to need him and Chewbacca when the Imperials arrive. She doesn't want to lose Han like they lost Luke. He says they don't need him, but rather that it is her that needs him. They argue down the hall until Leia walks away from the fight. She turns alone down a corridor and attempts to open a stuck door. Han slips in behind her to help pull it open and she violently shrugs him off.
[What happens next mirrors OTL's kiss scene almost exactly. The “scoundrel dialogue”, etc. are intact. When Threepio barges in to interrupt, it is to alert them that they are needed by the General.]
Upon finding the General, Han and Leia learn they have a prisoner. The most feared bounty hunter in all the galaxy has surrendered to the Rebels. His ship had been wrecked and frozen when he was discovered by Rebel patrols and he now sits in an icy cell helmeted and armored but stripped of all his gadgets and weapons. They enter to interrogate him. Han asks if he was there to get his “toy”, referring to 2-B4. Fett is silent and Leia commands a guard to take his helmet off. “Lando! Lando Kadar...” Han says in disbelief realizing his long time hunter was in fact his former friend turned rival. Lando calls Han an old pirate and Han punches him squarely in the face. Leia holds Han back while Han asks whether it was Jabba or the Empire that paid for his head. Lando is silent. Leia asks who Lando is and Han explains that he's an aristocratic gambler, a Bespin clone, and a scoundrel (“You should like him...”) who owned the Millennium Falcon before Solo. Han mentions that Lando lost the Falcon to him in a card game, and Lando implies that Han cheated him out of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.
Upon further interrogation Lando claims he's working for neither the Empire nor Jabba the Hutt and that he was to bring Solo alive to an anonymous client on Ord Mandell. Han remarks that [Boba Fett] is infamous for rarely taking live prisoners. He assumes Lando intended to vaporize them whether his client wanted him alive or not. Han says that in spite of everything, he owes Kadar one, and so agrees to accompany Lando briefly to Ord Mandell if only to pay off his bounty to Jabba there.
An aid rushes in to inform the General, Commander Solo, and Princess Leia that there is a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace near sector four. The General commands the aid to reroute all power to the energy shields. Turning to Han and Leia he says, “We gotta hold 'em till all transports are away...” then turns back to the aide with the command, “Prepare for ground assault.” Han turns from Lando and tells Chewie they have to finish repairing the Falcon. Han tells the guards to let Lando go as he and Chewie exit. Lando calls after him, “Repairing the Falcon! What have you done to my ship?”
A triangular wipe...
...to the Imperial fleet approaching Hoth and then to the Super Star Destroyer in the blue swirls of hyperspace. Vader is in his private chambers when General Veers approaches. He informs Vader that the fleet has come out of hyperspace and detected an energy shield surrounding the Rebel base which would make bombardment impossible. Darth Vader says almost to himself that the fleet has come out of hyperspace too early and the Rebels have been alerted to their presence. When General Veers says that Admiral Ozzel felt surprise was wiser, Vader says the Admiral is as clumsy as he is stupid and commands Veers to prepare for a surface attack. Turning to his viewscreen, Vader force chokes the Admiral to death and promotes Captain Piett to Admiral.
Han and Chewie are still making repairs to the Falcon. Han thinks its fixed, but when Chewie pushes a button explosions occur in the cockpit and on the hull where Han was wiring. Han shouts at Chewie to turn it off. A droid slides over towards Han and he tells the droid to check the other end, the droid protests and Han tells it to wait a second as Leia approaches. Han says if he and Chewbacca can get it fixed in time, they will evacuate Leia on the Falcon. If not, goodbye, again. Han asks if she's alright and she says “Yeah”. She pauses and then tells Han to take care of himself, mirroring Luke's farewell before the Death Star assault. Lando and 2-B4, reunited with their weapons and gadgets, arrive to offer their services in repairing the Falcon in exchange for passage off of Hoth. Han declines their help, but assures Lando they'll go to Ord Mandell once they're passed the blockade. Lando with helmet in hand says, “You'd better” as he walks away.
Leia then walks over to the group of pilots waiting to board to brief them on their mission to guard the transports. The transport then breaks through the blockade with the help of the ion cannons. Wedge Antilles climbs into a speeder where his co-pilot Dack seems enthusiastic. Cut to outside the base where trenches and defenses are prepared and Imperial walkers approach. Wedge and Dack take off while the base begins to crumble and dislodge ice onto Threepio while Han and Chewie hurry with the repairs. The battle begins...
[The battle scene and subsequent cuts to Han, Chewie, and Leia are essentially as OTL with the exception of Luke's participation, obviously. Wedge is now the lead pilot and there is no wreck followed by bomb panting scene, shortening the battle by some time. When Imperial troops enter the base Threepio pulls a caution sign off of the door of a chamber holding monstrous captured wampas. Snowtroopers enter this room later and are mauled off screen. Lando and Toobeefor board the Falcon just before it is attacked by troops, and the Falcon blasts its way out of the hangar just before Vader approaches as OTL.]
[The Falcon encounters some trouble blasting its way passed the blockade but Han manages to get the Star Destroyers to nearly collide. The hyperdrive appears to be broken. As per OTL, the Falcon remedies this by flying into an asteroid field. When Leia tells Han he doesn't have to fly into the asteroid field to impress her, Lando remarks that that would certainly impress him. When Threepio calculates the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field, Toobeefor corrects his assement, implying that it's even more dangerous than Threepio calculated. Han tells them both to never tell him the odds. As OTL, they land in an asteroid.]
Meanwhile, aboard the Super Star Destroyer, Admiral Piett bears witness to Vader mechanically having his helmet affixed. Vader's chair turns and Piett reports that the Falcon has entered an asteroid field. Vader responds that asteroids do not concern him. He wants that ship, not excuses... Vader's chamber closes. We return to the Falcon.
[The time spent on the asteroid is reduced (no mynocks or leaving the ship) and thanks to the efforts of Lando, Han, Chewie, Toobeefor, and Threepio the hyperdrive is repaired. Toobeefor and Threepio exchange a good deal of humorous dialogue, with Toobeefor treating Threepio as a machine, and therefore an inferior being. Romantic tension ensues between the three humans, as Leia now has two “scoundrels” (as well as a rather sensual android with delusions of humanity) with which to deal. It's Lando's lap onto which Leia falls when they discover the asteroid is unstable. This breathing period allows us some time to get to know our characters shipwrecked in the belly of a beast, within an asteroid adrift in space. After Lando's remark that he hasn't got time for anything else, he puts on his helmet and we cut to Threepio and Toobeefor arguing over the negative power couplink. Han's comment to Chewie about fixing it is intact, although, the next scene cuts directly to the Imperial Fleet within the asteroid field as the kissing scene was previously achieved on Hoth.]
The Imperial Fleet is being bombarded by asteroids while inside the SSD, Vader is in holo conference with three officers, reduced suddenly to two as one clearly falls victim to the asteroid field's perils. One captain speculates that considering the damage they have taken, the Falcon must have been destroyed. Vader disagrees, claiming to know that they are alive. Vader demands that every ship available sweeps the asteroid field until they are found. Admiral Piett approaches to inform the Dark Lord that the Grand Vizier's ship will soon near their location. The Emperor commands Vader to make contact with Had Abbadon immediately. Vader orders that the SSD be moved out of the asteroid field so he can send a clear signal.
Vader, now safely out of the field, kneels before a flickering incoming image. Shaded and nearly impossible to make out is a wicked looking visage, hooded and malignant. Vader lowers his helmeted head even further before lifting it to behold the darkened figure, obediently uttering his subservient address: “What is thy bidding, my Master?” A voice, sinister in its unholy resolve crackles through. It is the voice of the Emperor himself.
[Ian McDiarmid and Christopher Lee switched roles prior to production. ITTL, Ian McDiarmid, not Christopher Lee, was originally cast in the role of Grand Vizier Sate Pestage. McDiarmid had worked with other British actors of both Star Wars films beforehand and seemed a natural for Christopher Lee's right hand. However, when Christopher Lee's role was switched from the Emperor (who would be a far smaller role, strictly background) to the Grand Vizier (a far more active role for a far more experienced and well-known actor) McDiarmid was recast as the Emperor.
Obviously, McDiarmid was cast a film earlier than OTL, due to being seen by casting directors while performing his role in Macbeth alongside McKellen. He and Lee worked together tirelessly on their characters, both having initially developed each other's roles. As a result of this, they both frequently tie at the top or close to the top of TTL's polls regarding best villains of cinema history. Their roles are also frequently reversed in cultural alternate histories on websites dedicated to the genre.
Ian McDiarmid's brief appearances in The Rebellion Strikes Back are in makeup not dissimilar to what he wore in subsequent films IOTL as Emperor Palpatine. Just as in OTL's tESB, the eyes of a chimpanzee are superimposed over his although it is far darker than in OTL to the point of almost being hidden. The nose, mouth, and chin, however, are visible.]
The Emperor says that there is a great disturbance in the Force. Vader says that he too has felt it. The Emperor states that they have a new enemy. The young Rebel who accompanied Vader's old master in rescuing the Princess from the Death Star. The Emperor says he has no doubt that this man is the son of Anakkin Solo. Vader seems slightly taken aback. He asks how this could be possible. The Emperor tells Vader to search his feelings. He knows it to be true.
We see a closeup shot of Vader's “face” and in the shadows behind him a figure seems almost to materialize, half striding and half floating into the dim blue light of the Emperor's hologram. The figure wears flowing robes of black with some gray and red so dark as to nearly be black; and an elaborate two-peaked hood, slightly drawn back from his hairless, white head. It is the Grand Vizier, Sate Pestage, political right hand of the Emperor. Darth Vader's head turns slightly, then returns to the Emperor. The Emperor says that Solo could destroy them. Pestage says that he is only a very young man, not much more than a boy, and that he has as much strength in the Force as a frequently fortunate card player. Pestage bows slightly to the Emperor and goes on, stating that the Force is weak in Solo. Far, far weaker than it was with his father or even the late Luke Skywalker.
Vader adds that Obi-Wan can no longer help Solo, as he is almost certainly dead. Sate Pestage retorts that Vader should not be so sure. The Emperor interrupts them both by claiming that the Force is perhaps stronger with Solo than they believe. Pestage agrees, though adding that it is hidden away, and without a Jedi Master to instruct Solo, hidden it could well remain. The Emperor seems to agree, answering that the son of Solo must not become a Jedi. “If he could be turned,” Vader says, “he would become a powerful ally.” Pestage's face lights up at the option, as if it had not yet occurred to him to turn Solo to the dark side. “Yes,” says the Grand Vizier, “he would be a great asset...” The Emperor asks if it can be done, and Vader responds that he will join them or die...
END OF ACT I
The film opens with a scroll referencing the sacrifice of Luke Skywalker in destroying the Death Star and the subsequent vengeful campaign of punishment the Empire has exacted upon the Rebellion. It is a dark time for the Alliance; which has been broken up and scattered across the galaxy, struggling to reorganize in order to strike the Empire at the heart of its central hold of Had Abbadon. Darth Vader has sent out the galaxy's most notorious bounty hunters and thousands of remote probe droids into the far reaches of space to locate and capture Commander Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa and the fugitive Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
We follow one of these probes from its launch out of a Star Destroyer to its approach of the desolate red planet where Kenobi and Artoo are stranded. Surrounding the world is a series of rings made up of the remains of the Death Star. The planet itself too is littered with the ruins of the destroyed battlestation and Artoo is sorting through this litter, as he had been doing every day for two years. Kenobi is meditating, muttering the word “Solo” repeatedly. The final “Solo” is heard without mouth movement, eluding to the master's calling for Solo telepathically.
The droid interrupts Kenobi's meditation, obviously asking if they should send out another encrypted signal to the Rebels in the hopes that they are rescued. Kenobi informs the droid that it's far too dangerous to send out a distress signal as the Empire may intercept it. Kenobi closes his eyes again to continue his meditations and we cut to the probe's POV, soaring over the Mars-like landscape before crashing into the red earth. Kenobi's eyes flash open and Artoo beeps in alarm. They have both detected the presence of the foreign droid not far off and the two go to investigate.
They find a floating remote probe droid rattling off in code. Artoo creates a diversion while Kenobi rushes up from behind to strike the probe with his lightsaber. The probe instantly explodes, blowing Kenobi back to the rocky ground. Artoo rushes over to investigate while Kenobi reassures the droid that he is alright. He remarks with some wonder that he didn't hit the probe very hard and that it must have had a self destruct. He uses Artoo to lift his old frame up off of the ground and dusts himself off before placing a kind hand on the droid's dome saying, “It's a good wager the Empire knows we're here, my little friend.” Artoo releases a frightened series of beeps and moans. “The time has come, it seems. We'll send a signal...” at this Artoo squeals with delight, “...but not to the Rebellion...” Kenobi smiles reassuringly but mischievously at a worried and wobbling Artoo and we wipe to Hoth.
Han Solo, Chewbacca, Threepio and Princess Leia are in hiding at a Rebel base on the frozen world. Solo, mounted on a taun-taun, is investigating a crash site some distance from the base and is first seen checking in to Chewbacca and Threepio back at Echo Base via comlink. Threepio asks if there are any signs of life and Han claims that there isn't enough life on this “ice cube” to fill a star cruiser. Reference is then made to Han and Chewie's inevitable departure to pay back their debt to Jabba. Chewbacca is busy making repairs to the Falcon with the irritating help of Threepio who is shouting over Chewie; warning Solo to remember to return to base by nightfall when the shield doors lock. Reference is then made to wampa attacks and blizzards and Chewie howls at Han. Solo tells Chewie not to lose his temper and assures them both he'll be headed back soon. After signing off, Solo's taun-taun is alarmed by something nearby and Han takes out his blaster while looking around in all directions.
The suspense is broken when the taun-taun is suddenly struck by an arrow, lurching backwards in a panicked death gasp, before throwing Solo into the snow; casting his blaster some distance away. He struggles to his feet just in time to barely miss a second arrow and then rapidly a third which thuds into the ice at his feet. The arrows are now clearly being shot from a rather low tech metal bow (with a scope) being wielded by a sleek and humanoid gray droid wearing a dark gray hooded cloak. The droid shoulders the bow while rushing forward, pulling out two single shot pistols from holsters affixed to his belt. Solo has now grabbed his blaster and fires a shot into one of the guns which explodes out of the droid's hand. He fires another shot which grazes the droid's cloaked shoulder. The droid fires a shot into Solo's blaster disabling it.
Solo rushes towards the droid and punches it in the face, then humorously staggers back, flinches, and grabs his hand in pain while the droid shifts backward and pulls two longknives from his legs. Solo runs back to take cover behind his fallen taun-taun as the blizzard winds pick up. He ducks to miss the first thrown knife while sifting through his survival pack for his father's lightsaber, igniting it in time to strike the second knife away. The spinning knife lands red hot into the snow which begins to melt and steam beneath it.
The droid pulls a sword from a back-scabbard and rushes Han's position as Han rushes towards the droid, lightsaber in hand. Han's strikes are clumsy and mostly defensive and the droid presses him hard, his sword being slowly chipped away and superheated by Han's lightsaber. Han ducks just in time to miss the heated blade swinging just over his head. Finally the droid knocks the lightsaber away from Han and lunges at him with his white hot sword, Han dodges at the last moment and the droid's white-hot sword is stuck steaming wildly into the ice.
Han kicks the droid backwards and tackles him grabbing an arrow from the droid's quiver and lifting it over his head to drive it into the droid. At that very moment, however, a figure approaches from out of the snowy wind behind. [Boba Fett with OTL Lando Calrissian's cape around his neck. It is Billy Dee Williams inside.]
The figure is aiming a blaster rifle at the back of Han's head and says in an almost mechanical voice: “Drop it, Solo.” Off camera another voice says, “No, you drop it.” It is the voice of Princess Leia astride her own taun-taun aiming a blaster rifle at the bounty hunter. The bounty hunter clandestinely presses a button on his arm and a black speeder bike speeds towards the group overhead. The bounty hunter briefly ignites his jetpack, grabs on to the speeder, and races off into the snowstorm as Leia unloads plasma in his direction. The droid shouts a lamentation of, “Master!” and Han hits it so hard it shuts down.
Cutting back to Echo Base, Chewbacca begins to worry about Han and Leia while the Rebels say that all the patrols are in and they still have no sign of Solo or the Princess. The messenger says within earshot of Chewie and Threepio that the shield doors must be closed. Threepio states the odds of survival are 735 to 1 and Chewie goes to assault the messenger. Threepio attempts to pull him back and talk him down. Chewbacca relents mournfully while Threepio reassures him that Han is quite resilient and clever... for a human being. The doors are shut and Chewbacca howls.
The gray droid now disarmed, shut-off, and bound and the blizzard reaching a peak of intensity, Han gives Leia hell about how in love with him she must be, coming out into the storm to find him. While they argue they set up a bit of exposition about the infamous Bounty Hunter whose true identity is unknown and Leia voices concern that he has given their position away to the Empire. The droid's eyes light up and he lifts his head to remark that the Empire already knows the location of the base and a fleet is en route to Hoth as they speak. The droid's name is 2-B4 and he doesn't identify as a droid. As he says, “But I am not a droid at all, Your Majesty... I am an armoured man... though... now I am perhaps far less man than armour...” insinuating that he was once a humanoid life form who had turned cyborg and eventually lost almost any semblance of organic life.
Han and Leia clearly don't care much about 2-B4 and are far more interested in getting word back to Echo Base to begin the evacuation. Han's commlink was damaged in the droid's attack and the storm has upset any signal Leia's commlink would have otherwise provided. Han gets back to insisting that Leia has feelings for him and offers to let her kiss him one more time before they freeze to death. She quips that she'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee. Han says he could arrange that.
Han, out of breath from the fight and shouting over the storm that Leia could use a good kiss, grabs a navigation scanner and begins to tread off in the direction of the base. He is concerned that Chewbacca and the Rebels will be caught by surprise by the Imperial attack. When Leia screams that he'll freeze to death before morning he retorts that he'll see her in hell. He begins to slow down and then collapses. Leia drags him back to the taun-taun and uses Han's father's lightsaber to cut open the beast and stuff Han inside to keep him warm until she gets the camp set up. An exasperated Leia then says to no one in particular that she thought they smelled bad on the outside (a line famously written on the spot for her by Harrison Ford). 2-B4 ominously says, “Well, Princess. I suppose it's just... you and I now...” She looks at him with fear, distrust, and exhaustion...
Circular wipe...
...to an enormous Imperial fleet leaving a wicked looking urban world, black but covered in lighted cities and speckled with volcanoes. The Imperial March plays. Star destroyers in orbit around the world are slowly darkened and dwarfed by the shadow of Darth Vader's Super Star Destroyer.
Darth Vader stares out of the window of the bridge and turns. He is approached by Admiral Ozzel and General Veers, and walks with them as they inform him that the course is set for Hoth and the fleet is preparing for lightspeed. When they reach a scanning station, Captain Piett calls for them to come over. Vader asks if they've found something and the Captain points to a planet where a probe has possibly found Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is a planet not far from where the Death Star was destroyed two years before. Vader says without a doubt that that is the planet but the Admiral argues that since there are so many uncharted settlements that it could be smugglers. Besides, he says, they combed that dead world in the wake of the Death Star's destruction to no avail. Vader forcefully states that that is the system, he is sure Kenobi is there, and further that they must have missed Kenobi's presence when they had previously scanned.
Vader says he will go to the planet himself to face his former master once and for all and commands the Admiral and General Veers to continue the plans for the invasion of Hoth in his absence. Vader demands that someone hail Grand Vizier Pestage immediately and put him through to Vader's private chambers. Vader marches off as the Admiral glares at Captain Piett before barging off himself.
Screen wipes...
...to the snowy landscape of Hoth, daytime. The storm has passed and the sun shines brightly. Three snowspeeders are on the lookout for Solo and the Princess. Rogue T is calling for Commander Solo and Princess Leia on the comm and is delighted to hear Leia's voice finally come through saying, “Good morning. Nice of you boys to drop by.”
Diagonal wipe...
...to back at Echo base, Solo is regaining consciousness inside a bacta tank when Kenobi's voice telepathically comes to him telling him that he must go to Dagobah to seek council from Yoda, the Jedi master who instructed him. A medical droid is busy working on Solo who is then pulled from the tank shouting Ben's name.
Upward wipe...
...to the medical bay where Solo is recovering [while wearing clothes eerily similar to Luke Skywalker's from film one]. Threepio remarks that it is good to see Han fully functional again and Chewie gives him a slightly too violent Wookiee hug howling presumably relief at Han's recovery. Han says he feels strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark and then as Leia enters he gives her an almost tender look saying, “All thanks to you...” then shrugging off the sentiment with a smug: “...well I guess that makes us square, Your Worship...” Leia fires back that Han owes her one.
Han asks about that “old relic” that attacked him (referring to 2-B4) and Threepio informs him that his memory is being scanned for intelligence on the bounty hunter and the Empire's plans, but his positronic brain is a unique partially biomechanical model and so far they haven't been able to crack it. He has, as far as they can tell, been reprogrammed to not be hostile to the Rebels and should no longer be a threat.
Han sits up and, calling the Princess “Your Worship” remarks that Leia managed to keep him around a little longer. Leia said that with the Imperial fleet coming right for them, the General didn't think it was safe for ships to leave the system until the broken energy shield and ion cannons were up and running. [The rest of this scene mirrors Han and Leia's “nerf-herder” fight in the medical bay in front of Luke in OTL's ESB. Han, after telling Chewie to “laugh it up, fuzzball,” references Leia expressing her “true feelings” in the blizzard rather than the “South Passage”]
Han turns to Chewbacca, “I must've hit it pretty close to the mark to get her all rawled up like that, huh Chewie?” In response, to illustrate an earlier point, Leia grabs a seated Chewbacca by the head and, looking like a woman swallowing a bitter pill, quickly kisses the Wookiee rather awkwardly and dispassionately. Threepio says, “Oh, my...” and shuffles over to get a better look. Turning to exit, Leia can be faintly heard gagging and spitting and mutters “Disgusting...” Chewbacca runs his hands through his hair cockily and chuckles while Han rises with a wince to follow Leia into the passage.
We wipe to the Super Star Destroyer coming out of light speed and entering the debris filled orbit of the red planet where Kenobi was detected. Vader is furious, force choking the young Lieutenant who first found the trace of Kenobi. As aides dispose of the body Vader makes his way to his private chambers, kneeling before a nothingness that slowly coalesces into a holographic figure, pale and hairless, with an elaborate hood surrounding the head (Christopher Lee in a baldcap and makeup. His character refers to himself as “we” or “us”. Lee famously lamented having to shave his glorious eyebrows for the role of the pale, hairless former President of the Imperial Senate). [ITTL, Christopher Lee did not do 1941, as it was never greenlit by Spielberg. During this period of time, Lee was living in the United States and was actually trying to avoid the exact sort of role he eventually accepts here. He initially turned down the role of the Emperor, but Lucas persists and after speaking with former co-star decides to accept the role. After reevaluating the script, Lucas decides to switch the actors playing the Emperor and the Grand Vizier in order to give Christopher Lee (as Sate Pestage) more screentime. The rest, as they say is history. More on that below...]
Vader addresses the figure as “Your Honor” and asks the Grand Vizier when he will be allowed to address the Emperor. Grand Vizier Sate Pestage answers that the Emperor is: “in far too foul a temperament to be bothered with an account of failure... for that is why you contact us now, Lord Vader, is it not?” Vader responds with a crestfallen and subservient “Yes, Your Honor.” Pestage inquires as to the status of the assault on the Rebel base and of Darth Vader's “little errand”. Vader responds that the fleet should be nearing Hoth in a matter of hours and he would rendezvous with them shortly before the attack.
As to Kenobi, Vader admits, something is wrong: Vader no longer senses his former master, and the scans pick up no life forms on the planet. Vader reminds Pestage that Kenobi was once quite cunning and could still be nearby, though his presence is now only an echo in the Force. Vader begins to request more time to search, but is abruptly cut off by Grand Vizier Pestage: “You are to rendezvous with the Imperial Fleet immediately before Kenobi, if he even yet lives, can meet up with the Rebels and assist them... You have been granted a dangerous freedom, Darth Vader, but your leash has grown too long. The Emperor desires more oversight, lest we suffer a repeat of the Death Star Incident...” (Here we cut to the throne room on Had Abbadon, where the Emperor sits hooded and hidden in the background while the Grand Vizier continues to speak to a hologram of Vader. “Therefore, we shall be accompanying you to Hoth to review your tactics and assess your strategy. It would be wise, Vader, not to fail us again...” The hologram flickers away.
As the Super Star Destroyer enters hyperspace, a much smaller ship, hidden in the floating debris, ignites its engines and blasts off into the opposite direction...
Back on Hoth...
The shield and cannons are now up and running and preparations are beginning for the evacuation. Han finds the General claiming he needs to leave immediately. Leia is eying Han in the background, pretending not to listen. The General starts to protest but Commander Solo says if he doesn't pay back Jabba the Hutt he's a dead man. The General thinks for a moment, finally responding that a death mark is not an easy thing to live with. He tells Solo that he's a good fighter and he hates to lose him. Han Solo shakes his hand and thanks him before turning to leave.
He passes by Leia and, calling her “Your highness” says he guesses “this is it.” She shows no emotion when she replies, “That's right.” He shrugs off her coldness and insists she not get all mushy on him. “So long, Princess.” and then he storms off. She chases after him saying they're going to need him and Chewbacca when the Imperials arrive. She doesn't want to lose Han like they lost Luke. He says they don't need him, but rather that it is her that needs him. They argue down the hall until Leia walks away from the fight. She turns alone down a corridor and attempts to open a stuck door. Han slips in behind her to help pull it open and she violently shrugs him off.
[What happens next mirrors OTL's kiss scene almost exactly. The “scoundrel dialogue”, etc. are intact. When Threepio barges in to interrupt, it is to alert them that they are needed by the General.]
Upon finding the General, Han and Leia learn they have a prisoner. The most feared bounty hunter in all the galaxy has surrendered to the Rebels. His ship had been wrecked and frozen when he was discovered by Rebel patrols and he now sits in an icy cell helmeted and armored but stripped of all his gadgets and weapons. They enter to interrogate him. Han asks if he was there to get his “toy”, referring to 2-B4. Fett is silent and Leia commands a guard to take his helmet off. “Lando! Lando Kadar...” Han says in disbelief realizing his long time hunter was in fact his former friend turned rival. Lando calls Han an old pirate and Han punches him squarely in the face. Leia holds Han back while Han asks whether it was Jabba or the Empire that paid for his head. Lando is silent. Leia asks who Lando is and Han explains that he's an aristocratic gambler, a Bespin clone, and a scoundrel (“You should like him...”) who owned the Millennium Falcon before Solo. Han mentions that Lando lost the Falcon to him in a card game, and Lando implies that Han cheated him out of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.
Upon further interrogation Lando claims he's working for neither the Empire nor Jabba the Hutt and that he was to bring Solo alive to an anonymous client on Ord Mandell. Han remarks that [Boba Fett] is infamous for rarely taking live prisoners. He assumes Lando intended to vaporize them whether his client wanted him alive or not. Han says that in spite of everything, he owes Kadar one, and so agrees to accompany Lando briefly to Ord Mandell if only to pay off his bounty to Jabba there.
An aid rushes in to inform the General, Commander Solo, and Princess Leia that there is a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace near sector four. The General commands the aid to reroute all power to the energy shields. Turning to Han and Leia he says, “We gotta hold 'em till all transports are away...” then turns back to the aide with the command, “Prepare for ground assault.” Han turns from Lando and tells Chewie they have to finish repairing the Falcon. Han tells the guards to let Lando go as he and Chewie exit. Lando calls after him, “Repairing the Falcon! What have you done to my ship?”
A triangular wipe...
...to the Imperial fleet approaching Hoth and then to the Super Star Destroyer in the blue swirls of hyperspace. Vader is in his private chambers when General Veers approaches. He informs Vader that the fleet has come out of hyperspace and detected an energy shield surrounding the Rebel base which would make bombardment impossible. Darth Vader says almost to himself that the fleet has come out of hyperspace too early and the Rebels have been alerted to their presence. When General Veers says that Admiral Ozzel felt surprise was wiser, Vader says the Admiral is as clumsy as he is stupid and commands Veers to prepare for a surface attack. Turning to his viewscreen, Vader force chokes the Admiral to death and promotes Captain Piett to Admiral.
Han and Chewie are still making repairs to the Falcon. Han thinks its fixed, but when Chewie pushes a button explosions occur in the cockpit and on the hull where Han was wiring. Han shouts at Chewie to turn it off. A droid slides over towards Han and he tells the droid to check the other end, the droid protests and Han tells it to wait a second as Leia approaches. Han says if he and Chewbacca can get it fixed in time, they will evacuate Leia on the Falcon. If not, goodbye, again. Han asks if she's alright and she says “Yeah”. She pauses and then tells Han to take care of himself, mirroring Luke's farewell before the Death Star assault. Lando and 2-B4, reunited with their weapons and gadgets, arrive to offer their services in repairing the Falcon in exchange for passage off of Hoth. Han declines their help, but assures Lando they'll go to Ord Mandell once they're passed the blockade. Lando with helmet in hand says, “You'd better” as he walks away.
Leia then walks over to the group of pilots waiting to board to brief them on their mission to guard the transports. The transport then breaks through the blockade with the help of the ion cannons. Wedge Antilles climbs into a speeder where his co-pilot Dack seems enthusiastic. Cut to outside the base where trenches and defenses are prepared and Imperial walkers approach. Wedge and Dack take off while the base begins to crumble and dislodge ice onto Threepio while Han and Chewie hurry with the repairs. The battle begins...
[The battle scene and subsequent cuts to Han, Chewie, and Leia are essentially as OTL with the exception of Luke's participation, obviously. Wedge is now the lead pilot and there is no wreck followed by bomb panting scene, shortening the battle by some time. When Imperial troops enter the base Threepio pulls a caution sign off of the door of a chamber holding monstrous captured wampas. Snowtroopers enter this room later and are mauled off screen. Lando and Toobeefor board the Falcon just before it is attacked by troops, and the Falcon blasts its way out of the hangar just before Vader approaches as OTL.]
[The Falcon encounters some trouble blasting its way passed the blockade but Han manages to get the Star Destroyers to nearly collide. The hyperdrive appears to be broken. As per OTL, the Falcon remedies this by flying into an asteroid field. When Leia tells Han he doesn't have to fly into the asteroid field to impress her, Lando remarks that that would certainly impress him. When Threepio calculates the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field, Toobeefor corrects his assement, implying that it's even more dangerous than Threepio calculated. Han tells them both to never tell him the odds. As OTL, they land in an asteroid.]
Meanwhile, aboard the Super Star Destroyer, Admiral Piett bears witness to Vader mechanically having his helmet affixed. Vader's chair turns and Piett reports that the Falcon has entered an asteroid field. Vader responds that asteroids do not concern him. He wants that ship, not excuses... Vader's chamber closes. We return to the Falcon.
[The time spent on the asteroid is reduced (no mynocks or leaving the ship) and thanks to the efforts of Lando, Han, Chewie, Toobeefor, and Threepio the hyperdrive is repaired. Toobeefor and Threepio exchange a good deal of humorous dialogue, with Toobeefor treating Threepio as a machine, and therefore an inferior being. Romantic tension ensues between the three humans, as Leia now has two “scoundrels” (as well as a rather sensual android with delusions of humanity) with which to deal. It's Lando's lap onto which Leia falls when they discover the asteroid is unstable. This breathing period allows us some time to get to know our characters shipwrecked in the belly of a beast, within an asteroid adrift in space. After Lando's remark that he hasn't got time for anything else, he puts on his helmet and we cut to Threepio and Toobeefor arguing over the negative power couplink. Han's comment to Chewie about fixing it is intact, although, the next scene cuts directly to the Imperial Fleet within the asteroid field as the kissing scene was previously achieved on Hoth.]
The Imperial Fleet is being bombarded by asteroids while inside the SSD, Vader is in holo conference with three officers, reduced suddenly to two as one clearly falls victim to the asteroid field's perils. One captain speculates that considering the damage they have taken, the Falcon must have been destroyed. Vader disagrees, claiming to know that they are alive. Vader demands that every ship available sweeps the asteroid field until they are found. Admiral Piett approaches to inform the Dark Lord that the Grand Vizier's ship will soon near their location. The Emperor commands Vader to make contact with Had Abbadon immediately. Vader orders that the SSD be moved out of the asteroid field so he can send a clear signal.
Vader, now safely out of the field, kneels before a flickering incoming image. Shaded and nearly impossible to make out is a wicked looking visage, hooded and malignant. Vader lowers his helmeted head even further before lifting it to behold the darkened figure, obediently uttering his subservient address: “What is thy bidding, my Master?” A voice, sinister in its unholy resolve crackles through. It is the voice of the Emperor himself.
[Ian McDiarmid and Christopher Lee switched roles prior to production. ITTL, Ian McDiarmid, not Christopher Lee, was originally cast in the role of Grand Vizier Sate Pestage. McDiarmid had worked with other British actors of both Star Wars films beforehand and seemed a natural for Christopher Lee's right hand. However, when Christopher Lee's role was switched from the Emperor (who would be a far smaller role, strictly background) to the Grand Vizier (a far more active role for a far more experienced and well-known actor) McDiarmid was recast as the Emperor.
Obviously, McDiarmid was cast a film earlier than OTL, due to being seen by casting directors while performing his role in Macbeth alongside McKellen. He and Lee worked together tirelessly on their characters, both having initially developed each other's roles. As a result of this, they both frequently tie at the top or close to the top of TTL's polls regarding best villains of cinema history. Their roles are also frequently reversed in cultural alternate histories on websites dedicated to the genre.
Ian McDiarmid's brief appearances in The Rebellion Strikes Back are in makeup not dissimilar to what he wore in subsequent films IOTL as Emperor Palpatine. Just as in OTL's tESB, the eyes of a chimpanzee are superimposed over his although it is far darker than in OTL to the point of almost being hidden. The nose, mouth, and chin, however, are visible.]
The Emperor says that there is a great disturbance in the Force. Vader says that he too has felt it. The Emperor states that they have a new enemy. The young Rebel who accompanied Vader's old master in rescuing the Princess from the Death Star. The Emperor says he has no doubt that this man is the son of Anakkin Solo. Vader seems slightly taken aback. He asks how this could be possible. The Emperor tells Vader to search his feelings. He knows it to be true.
We see a closeup shot of Vader's “face” and in the shadows behind him a figure seems almost to materialize, half striding and half floating into the dim blue light of the Emperor's hologram. The figure wears flowing robes of black with some gray and red so dark as to nearly be black; and an elaborate two-peaked hood, slightly drawn back from his hairless, white head. It is the Grand Vizier, Sate Pestage, political right hand of the Emperor. Darth Vader's head turns slightly, then returns to the Emperor. The Emperor says that Solo could destroy them. Pestage says that he is only a very young man, not much more than a boy, and that he has as much strength in the Force as a frequently fortunate card player. Pestage bows slightly to the Emperor and goes on, stating that the Force is weak in Solo. Far, far weaker than it was with his father or even the late Luke Skywalker.
Vader adds that Obi-Wan can no longer help Solo, as he is almost certainly dead. Sate Pestage retorts that Vader should not be so sure. The Emperor interrupts them both by claiming that the Force is perhaps stronger with Solo than they believe. Pestage agrees, though adding that it is hidden away, and without a Jedi Master to instruct Solo, hidden it could well remain. The Emperor seems to agree, answering that the son of Solo must not become a Jedi. “If he could be turned,” Vader says, “he would become a powerful ally.” Pestage's face lights up at the option, as if it had not yet occurred to him to turn Solo to the dark side. “Yes,” says the Grand Vizier, “he would be a great asset...” The Emperor asks if it can be done, and Vader responds that he will join them or die...
END OF ACT I
Special thanks goes out to Vultan, without whose proofreading, expertise, and valuable suggestions this TL would never have been possible.
The next update or so so may be a week or more. This one nearly killed me...
The next update or so so may be a week or more. This one nearly killed me...
Dole said that in February, and March is the next month. So why did he do the unneeded correction?