Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker

Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker is the official novelization for the 1977 science fiction & fantasy feature film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which was titled as just Star Wars at the time of its release. The novel was published in paperback form by Ballantine Books on November 12th, 1976 - just under six months prior to the release of the film. The book was written by Alan Dean Foster ghost-writing as George Lucas.

Movie Synopsis
The Imperial Star Destroyer Devastator bears down upon a fleeing Rebel Blockade Runner, the Tantive IV. Laser fire rocks the hull of the beleaguered ship while inside, two droids Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio make their way past a team of armed Rebel Alliance soldiers. Threepio, a natural worrier, is certain that the Imperials will capture the ship as well as its most-prized passenger, Princess Leia Organa. The Star Destroyer quickly overtakes the Tantive IV and a boarding party of Imperial Stormtroopers make their way through the ship's smoke-filled corridors. A squad of Rebel troops stand ready, but as the armored Stormtroopers cut through a doorway, they easily take down every Rebel in their path. Once they are satisfied that the first wave of Rebel foot soldiers are dead, they clear a path for their supreme commander, Darth Vader.

Meanwhile, Artoo is separated from Threepio and manages to find Princess Leia. Leia hastily inserts a disc into Artoo's databank before she is discovered. Looking furtively around her, she disappears back into the corridors of the ship. Threepio finally catches up with Artoo and criticizes him for running off without him.

Vader finds the captain of the ship, Raymus Antilles. Grabbing him by the throat, he demands to know the location of a set of stolen plans. These plans contain vital statistics relating to the Galactic Empire's newest super-weapon, the Death Star. Antilles offers little information, saying that his crew are on a diplomatic mission. Disbelieving him, Vader strangles Antilles and throws his body against the wall of the ship. He instructs his Stormtroopers to tear the ship apart until they find the stolen plans and take all passengers alive. As the soldiers inspect the corridors of the ship, Princess Leia emerges from behind a conduit and fires her weapon, felling one of the Stormtroopers. Setting their weapons on stun, they fire a blaster bolt into Leia's back, rendering her temporarily unconscious. The droids meanwhile make their way to one of the ship's escape pods and blast away from the Tantive IV. Leia is brought before Vader and feigns surprise at the Dark Lord's villainy. Vader asks her about the stolen plans, but when she refuses to cooperate, he orders her to be taken away. An Imperial officer questions Vader's decision to keep her captive, citing that if word were to get out, it might generate sympathy for the Rebellion in the Senate. Vader shows little concern for the political fallout of his actions and knows that Leia represents the only link towards locating the Rebel's hidden base. After consulting with another officer, Vader deduces that the princess must have hidden the Death Star plans in an escape pod. He instructs the officer to send a detachment down to the planet below to retrieve them.

Desert hardships
The escape pod carrying the droids lands on the desert landscape of the planet Tatooine. Trudging through the arid sands, Threepio complains about the situation at length. Artoo and he argue over which direction to take and the two split up. Through a series of beeps and whistles, Artoo communicates that he is on a special mission. When Threepio inquires as to what this mission is, Artoo makes a rude noise and continues on towards more rocky terrain. Threepio gives up and stalks off in the opposite direction. He walks along by himself for endless hours until he finally sees a blinking light coming from a transport off in the distance. Threepio signals the vehicle and believes that salvation has arrived.

Artoo meanwhile, leaves the shifting of the Dune Sea and makes his way to the hilly Jundland Wastes. While rolling through a smooth swatch of road, he picks up strange sounds coming from the cracks and crevices of the canyon wall. Datcha, leader of a band of Jawas leaps out and zaps Artoo with an electro-magnetic weapon that short-circuits the small astromech droid. R2 collapses in a heap. More Jawas emerge and load him up into their massive Sandcrawler. Once inside, the small robot looks about and finds other droids in advanced stages of disrepair. He also finds C-3P0. Threepio is elated to be reunited with his small friend and Artoo feels likewise.

Meanwhile, a detachment of Stormtroopers land on Tatooine and find the empty Escape Pod. Riding atop large Dewback lizards, they begin following the tracks leading away from the pod. One trooper, Davin Felth, finds a metal ring in the sand and determines that the pod's occupants were actually droids.

The Jawa Sandcrawler approaches the moisture farm of Owen Lars. The Jawas open up the bay door of their giant vehicle and begin ushering the droids outside with the intent to sell them. Owen and his nineteen-year-old nephew Luke Skywalker come out to inspect the Jawas' wares. Owen speaks with C-3PO and asks him if he can speak Bocce as well as the binary language of moisture vaporators. Threepio tells him that he can, but Owen shuts him up before he has the chance to list his merits. Owen purchases him as well as an R-5 series astromech droid. As they turn to leave however, the R5 unit suffers from a bad motivator and a piece of hardware jettisons out of the top of its head. Angry for purchasing an inoperable droid, Owen turns towards the Jawas. Threepio takes advantage of the opportunity and recommends R2-D2 as a suitable replacement. Owen acquiesces and orders Luke to take the droids home and clean them up.

Masters and Monsters
Inside the maintenance bay at the Lars' homestead, Threepio takes an oil bath while Luke tries to clean up Artoo. He notices carbon scoring across Artoo's dome and Threepio tells him that they've seen some heavy action with the Rebellion. Luke is impressed to learn that the droids have been involved with the struggle between the Empire and the Rebellion, but Threepio confesses that he knows very little about it. Continuing his work on Artoo, he inadvertently activates a holoprojector. A small image of Princess Leia flashes before them. The image repeats the words "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope". Neither Luke nor Threepio has any idea who the woman is. Artoo indicates that the recording is a private message for Kenobi. When Luke removes the restraining bolt to broaden the recording, the hologram disappears. Artoo refuses to replay the message. While Threepio admonishes Artoo for his rudeness, Luke's aunt Beru call him inside for dinner.

During the meal, Luke tells his aunt and uncle that he thinks the droids might be stolen property. He mentions how Artoo indicated that he was the property of someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke knows someone named Ben Kenobi and wonders if they might be the same person. Owen discourages the notion, calling Ben Kenobi a "wizard" and a "crazy old man". He instructs Luke to take the droids to Anchorhead to have their memory erased. Changing the subject, Luke announces his desire to leave Tatooine to join the Imperial Academy. Owen tells him that he needs Luke's help during the harvest season. He promises that after the harvest season, he will hire more hands so that Luke can go to the academy the following year. Frustrated, Luke throws his napkin down and returns to the garage. Once he's out of earshot, Beru tells Owen that he can't expect to keep Luke around forever and that he's too much like his father. Solemnly, Owen responds, "That's what I'm afraid of."

When Luke arrives in the garage, he finds Threepio alone. The protocol droid tells him that Artoo has run away, saying that he kept "babbling on about his mission". Luke scans the horizon with his macrobinoculars, but picks up no sign of Artoo.

The next morning, Luke takes Threepio in his landspeeder and travels out towards the Jundland Wastes. When he picks him up on his scanners, he parks the speeder and continues after him on foot. They quickly catch up to him, but Artoo warns them of several creatures approaching from the southeast. Luke climbs a hill and stares down into the canyon where he sees two beasts of burden known as Banthas. However, he has yet to see any of the Sandpeople usually found riding them. Without warning, one of the Sandpeople, URoRRuR'R'R, appears before him and begins attacking Luke with his Gaderffii stick. Artoo secures himself within a tiny alcove and Threepio, startled by the creature's appearance, falls backwards into the canyon. URoRRuR'R'R beats Luke until he is unconscious and then proceeds to scavenge through his landspeeder. From a distance, a howling shriek comes over the horizon, frightening the Sandpeople. They abandon Luke and the speeder and run off. An elderly, hooded man with long dark robes approaches the stunned Skywalker.

Obi-Wan
Luke revives as the old man lowers his hood. Luke recognizes him as Ben Kenobi. He tells Ben that he came out into the Jundland Wastes in pursuit of his astromech droid. He says that he claims to be the property of someone named "Obi-Wan Kenobi". Ben confesses that he is Obi-Wan and that he hasn't gone by that name since before Luke was born. He hears the grunts of the Sandpeople in the distance and recommends everyone moving inside. They gather up Threepio and trek to Obi-Wan's hut.

Inside the hut, Luke begins making repairs to Threepio as Obi-Wan tells him about his father. Luke always believed that his father was a navigator on a spice freighter, but Kenobi tells him the truth, stating that both his father and he were once Jedi Knights who fought during the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan presents Luke with his father's lightsaber - a hi-tech laser sword. Luke asks how his father died and Ben hesitates. He tells him that a young Jedi, a former pupil named Darth Vader was corrupted by the dark side of the Force and murdered his father. This prompts Luke to ask about the Force. Ben explains that it is an energy field created by all living things that provides the Jedi with their power.

Obi-Wan then activates R2-D2's message and the droid displays the full recording. The woman in the hologram greets Obi-Wan and praises him for his service to her father. She says that the droid contains information that is vital to the survival of the Rebel Alliance and asks him to bring it back to her father on Alderaan. After the message concludes, Obi-Wan tells Luke that he must learn the ways of the Force and accompany him to Alderaan. Luke protests and says that he has to stay to help his uncle. He does however offer to take him to a space port.

Technological Terror
In the vastness of space rests a moon-sized battle station known as the Death Star. Inside a meeting room, the Darth Vader meets with station's high commanders, including the architect of the station Grand Moff Tarkin. Tarkin tells the others that he has received word from the Emperor that the Imperial Senate has been dissolved and that regional governors now have direct control of their respective territories. One of the commanders, Commander Tagge, questions the practicality of this decision, but another officer, Admiral Motti, enforces the notion that the Death Star, being the "ultimate power" in the universe, is more than enough to stabilize their authority in the galaxy. Vader scoffs at the notion and warns Motti about being too confident in his "technological terror", citing that its power is insignificant compared to that of the Force. Motti takes offense to this and dismisses Vader's concerns. Vader replies by using the Force and begins stangling Motti. Tarkin intervenes and orders Vader to stand down.

Back on Tatooine, Luke and Obi-Wan come upon the smoking ruins of a Jawa Sandcrawler. Bodies of dead Jawas litter the ground. Luke finds evidence of Sandpeople, but Kenobi says that it was actually the work of Imperial Stormtroopers. They determine that the Stormtroopers are looking for the droids and may have learned that they were sold to Owen and Beru. Luke races back home in his landspeeder, but he is too late. The house is a smoldering husk and he finds the charred, skeletal remains of his aunt and uncle. With nowhere else to turn, he agrees to go with Ben Kenobi to Alderaan.

On the Death Star, Darth Vader and a compliment of troopers enters Leia Organa's cell. An IT-O Interrogator droid follows behind them and looms before Leia in a threatening manner. Vader intones, "And now, princess we shall discuss the location of your hidden rebel base".

Scum & Villainy
Luke, Ben and the droids take the landspeeder to Mos Eisley space port. As they pass through the crowded streets, they are stopped by a squad of Stormtroopers. The lead trooper asks Luke for his identification, but Ben intercedes. Using the Force, he clouds the soldiers' minds, coaxing them into allowing them to pass unmolested. Ben tells Luke that the Force is particularly useful on the weak-minded. They then stop at a cantina that Kenobi has some familiarity with in search of a pilot willing to take them to Alderaan.

As they walk inside, they set off a scanner. The bartender looks over and tells Luke that his droids will have to wait outside - a decision that sits perfectly well with both Artoo and Threepio. While Obi-Wan searches the dark room for a pilot, Luke takes a seat at the bar. Immediately, two of the other patrons take a dislike to Luke. Ponda Baba, a large walrus-faced man grunts at him and his comrade, Doctor Cornelius Evazan tells Luke that Ponda doesn't like him. Luke tries to avoid any unpleasantry, but the two inebriated aliens are eager to start some trouble. Obi-Wan approaches, but when Ponda pulls a blaster, Obi-Wan withdraws his lightsaber and severs the alien's arm. Once the other patrons realize that there is more to this man than meets the eye, they give him a wide berth. Obi-Wan helps Luke up and tells him that he has found a pilot that might agree to take them to Alderaan.

They meet Han Solo and his Wookiee companion Chewbacca. Han brags about the capabilities of his starship, the Millennium Falcon. Obi-Wan expresses the importance of avoiding any Imperial entanglements on their journey and Han tells him that something like that will cost them extra; 10,000 credits to be exact. Obi-Wan makes a counter-offer. He can pay them 2,000 now, plus an additional 15,000 once they reach Alderaan. Han cannot refuse such an offer and tells them he'll get his ship prepped. He tells them to meet him at Docking Bay 94.

Luke and Obi-Wan leave the cantina and Han prepares to head off for the docking bay. Before he can take a step however, an ambitious bounty hunter named Greedo appears and points a blaster at Han. The two sit back down and Greedo tells him that he is here to collect money that Han owes to the regional crime lord Jabba the Hutt. Han tries to stall Greedo and tells him that he has the money, but Greedo wants more than that. He threatens to take Han's ship. Han takes great offense to this and after an exchange in blaster fire, Greedo falls over dead. Han throws some money to the bartender, says "Sorry about the mess." and leaves.

Aboard the Death Star, Darth Vader reports to Tarkin. He tells him that Princess Leia is proving resistant to the mind probe. Tarkin suggests a new tactic. He directs his officer to set course for the Alderaan system. He feels that it is time to test the station's full potential power.

Back on Tatooine, Luke sells his landspeeder to an alien named Wioslea in order to pay for their passage to Alderaan. As Obi-Wan and he make their way back towards the docking bay, they are followed by a strange, cloaked alien. The alien steps behind a pillar and uses a com device to alert the local Imperials.

At Docking Bay 94, Han and Chewie prep the Millennium Falcon for launch. The gangster Jabba the Hutt enters the area accompanied by several henchmen. Jabba criticizes Han for "frying poor Greedo" and makes a veiled threat about the money that Han still owes him. Han tells him that he just set up a charter that will guarantee him the ability to pay Jabba back in full. Jabba lets Han go, but with the proviso that he is now going to tack an extra 20% on top of the money he owes him. As a sideways compliment, Han refers to Jabba as "a wonderful human being".

After Jabba and his cronies leave, Luke, Obi-Wan and the droids arrive at the docking bay. Luke is unimpressed with the state of Han's ship and calls it piece of junk. A squad of Stormtroopers arrive and open fire on them. Han corrals the others into the ship while Chewie lays down some cover fire. Han blasts a few troopers then runs into the ship. After a quick flip of several switches, the Han and the others take off and soar away from Tatooine.

Death of a Planet
Leaving the planet proves to be just as difficult as leaving Mos Eisley though. Two Imperial cruisers are set in orbit around Tatooine. As the Millennium Falcon flies past them, they open fire. The Falcon evades fire long enough to make the jump into hyperspace.

Aboard the Death Star, Darth Vader brings Princess Leia before Governor Tarkin the Command Center. The two exchange barbs until Tarkin reveals that he intends on destroying her home planet of Alderaan unless she gives up the location of the secret rebel base. Leia relents and tells him that the rebels are headquartered on a planet called Dantooine. Tarkin is content, but still intends on destroying Alderaan. He gives the order and a giant green blast of energy discharges from the station's super-laser. Leia watches in horror as the blast instantly destroys Alderaan.

On the Millennium Falcon, Obi-Wan can feel the reverberations in the Force caused by Alderaan's destruction. He then has Luke practice lightsaber techniques with a training remote. He makes him wear a helmet with the blast shield down, obscuring his vision. The droids meanwhile, play a digital game with Chewbacca. Chewbacca grows increasingly frustrated as Artoo proves to be the superior opponent. Han warns them that it would be wise to let the Wookiee win. Luke continues working with the remote and Han derides him, claiming that the Force is little more than a strange remnant of a "hokey religion".

Back on the Death Star, an Imperial officer reports to Tarkin and tells him that they sent scout ships to Dantooine where they found the remains of an old, abandoned rebel base. It had apparently been deserted for quite some time. Furious at Leia's deception, Tarkin orders her termination.

The Millennium Falcon meanwhile, comes out of hyperspace right into the middle of a meteor shower. It catches Han completely unawares. He checks his navicomputer and realizes that this is the spot where Alderaan is supposed to be. He tells the others that the planet has been destroyed. They soon discover an Imperial TIE fighter swooping past them. Han doesn't want to risk anyone identifying them so he pursues the craft. As they continue the chase, they find the ship heading towards a space station - the Death Star. Han tries to reverse hi engines, but the Death Star crew spot them and lock the ship with a tractor beam. They pull the ship into a hangar bay and force it to land.

Prisoners of the Death Star
Darth Vader and several squads of Stormtroopers go to the hangar bay to inspect the ship. An Imperial officer addresses Vader and tells him that there is no one on board and no sign of the droids they were hoping to recover. Vader is incredulous however and orders a scanning crew to go over the entire interior of the ship. Just then, something arouses Vader's curiosity. He senses a particular presence in the area and immediately leaves the hangar.

From inside the Falcon, Han and the others emerge from a hidden compartment beneath the deck plating. Han usually uses these secret areas for smuggling, but muses over the notion of having to smuggle himself in them. The scanning crew technicians enter the ship, but Han and Luke knock them out. They then call two Stormtrooper guards up into the ship. As they enter, Han and Chewie shoot them. Afterward, Luke and Han take their weapons and disguise themselves in Stormtrooper armor. They manage to get off the ship with Obi-Wan and the droids and go to a computer maintenance room. They plug R2-D2 into the station's computer network and he finds the location of the tractor beam projector terminals. Unfortunately, they have to be shut down manually. Obi-Wan volunteers to find the tractor beam terminals and shut them down. Luke wants to go with him, but Obi-Wan tells him that this is a mission that he must do alone. After Obi-Wan leaves, Han asks Luke, "Where did you dig up that old fossil?" Luke takes offense to this and the two begin bickering. Their conversation is interrupted when Artoo lets out a string of beeps. Threepio translates and tells them that he has learned that Princess Leia is being held prisoner on the ship. Further, she is marked for termination. Luke wants to rescue her, but Han doesn't care for the idea. He feels that marching into the detention center is akin to suicide. Luke plays to Han's greed and tells him that the Princess is extremely wealthy and that the reward for rescuing her would be greater than anything he could imagine. Reluctantly, Han and Chewie agree to help Luke with the rescue.

Leaving the droids behind to monitor the Falcon, Luke and Han place a pair of binders on Chewbacca so that they could pose as two troopers executing a prisoner transfer through the detention area. They reach the detention level and come upon Lieutenant Shann Childsen. With a look of disgust, Childsen looks at Chewbacca and then to the Stormtroopers and asks them, "Where are you taking this... thing?" Luke tells him that he is part of a prisoner transfer, but the lieutenant doesn't believe him. He turns to check on the transfer order, at which point, Chewbacca "breaks loose" and chaos ensues. During the fire fight, Luke and Han blast out the security cameras and take down all of the soldiers in the room. Han accesses the computer and finds the cell block number where Leia is being held. Luke runs off to find her, leaving Han behind to deal with collateral damage. Han opens a channel to an Imperial officer and tries to warn him off from coming down to the detention level. The officer suspects something is amiss and Han shoots the com unit. Knowing that more soldiers are sure to arrive, he shouts "Luke we're gonna have company!"

Luke reaches Leia's cell and opens the door. Leia looks at him and smugly says, "Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?" Luke removes his helmet, revealing that he is not an actual Stormtrooper. Introductions are hastily made and he tells Leia that he is here with Obi-Wan Kenobi and her R2-unit. Leia and Luke leave the cell block.

They eventually meet back up with Han and Chewbacca, but they find themselves cut off by Stormtrooper fire while trying to escape from the detention block. Leia grabs Luke's Stormtrooper rifle and begins blasting a hole into the wall. Han yells at her, wondering what she is attempting to do, but her tactic becomes clear when she blasts a hole leading down into a garbage chute. Reluctantly, the four heroes dive into the chute and escape from the Stormtroopers. They land in a large garbage compactor with magnetically sealed doors. Han tries blasting his way out, but his shot just ricochets across the room, nearly hitting several people. Luke takes note of something alive swimming about amidst the garbage. A large, thick tentacle emerges from the sewage and wraps itself around Luke's neck. Han tries to blast the monster, but can't get a bead on it. This Dianoga creature drags Luke down into the muck, but lets him go only a few moments later. To complicate things even further, the Imperials activate the compactor walls, which begin to slowly sandwich them in. Han and Leia try to brace the walls with a long, metal pipe, but the pressure is too great and the pipe snaps. Even Chewbacca's prodigious strength cannot stop the walls from closing in. Han jokingly muses, "One thing's for sure, we're all gonna be a lot thinner". Luke takes out his com link and call C-3PO. Threepio answers and Luke orders him to shut down the garbage compactors on the detention level. Worried, Threepio has R2-D2 shut down all of compactors. The walls stop moving just in time and Artoo opens the pressure hatch.

Duel to the death
Obi-Wan Kenobi makes his way across the station and finds the power grid terminal containing the tractor beam generator. He walks across a narrow catwalk and de-activates the tractor beam. Using the Force, he avoids the notice of some passing Stormtroopers and makes his way back towards the hangar bay. When he gets there, he finds Darth Vader waiting for him. His red lightsaber is ignited and ready for battle. Vader challenges Obi-Wan to a dual, saying that when last they met, he was still a pupil, but now he is the master. Obi-Wan activates his own saber and the two begin fighting. Sabers clash as the combatants move back and forth. Vader is physically stronger than Obi-Wan and manages to keep him on the defensive, though Obi-Wan does come close to dealing a fatal blow more than once. Cryptically, he warns Vader that killing him would only make him more powerful than ever. Kenobi keeps the dual going until he sees Luke and the others arriving in the hangar bay. A squad of Stormtroopers have also arrived, but give both saber combatants a wide berth. Obi-Wan glances over towards Luke, then stands at attention and closes his eyes. Vader swings his blade and it cuts through the venerable Jedi's robes. With one stroke, Obi-Wan Kenobi is gone. Luke screams "No!", alerting the other soldiers to his presence. As the Stormtroopers trade blaster shots with the Rebels, Vader inspects Obi-Wan's empty cloak. The old man has completely disappeared. While Luke fires his gun at the troopers, he hears the disembodied voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi urging him to run. They board the Falcon and Han blasts free of the Death Star.

A squadron of TIE fighters emerge from the Death Star and pursue the Millennium Falcon. Han and Luke man the quad cannons while Chewbacca flies the ship. Though Han is a skilled fighter, Luke has little experience when it comes to aerial combat. He is particularly pleased with himself when he manages to blast a TIE fighter out of the sky. Han warns him against getting too cocky. Once the ships are destroyed, the Falcon makes way for the Rebels' hidden base on the fourth moon of Yavin. Leia is concerned however about how easily they managed to get away. She suspects that the Empire let them go and is tracking them. Leia's fears are warranted as on the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin confirms that a homing beacon was secured to the Millennium Falcon before the rebels escaped.

The Battle of Yavin
The Falcon reaches Yavin IV safely and Princess Leia is greeted by her old friends in the Rebel Alliance, particularly General Jan Dodonna. Luke officially joins the Alliance to Restore the Republic. General Dodonna and his technicians extract the information from R2-D2's memory circuits and analyze the Death Star schematics. Once they determine a weakness, Dodonna holds a meeting. In attendance are the Alliance's senior staff and two squadrons of fighter pilots comprising Red Squadron and Gold Squadron. General Dodonna presents a holographic layout of the Death Star and points out that a small thermal exhaust port leads into a primary reactor chamber. A successful shot from a proton torpedo fired into the port should set off a chain reaction which will destroy the entire station. The point of entry however, is only two meters wide. One of the pilots, Wedge Antilles, thinks that such precision shooting is impossible. Dodonna concludes the meeting and tells the pilots, "May the Force be with you".

As Luke prepares to man his X-Wing fighter, he runs into his old friend Biggs Darklighter. The two are thrilled to see one another and are excited for the opportunity to fight up against the Empire. Luke then comes upon Han and Chewie, who are packing up the Falcon, getting ready to leave. Luke wants Han to stay and help out with the Rebellion, but Han lets him know in no uncertain terms that he is only here to collect his reward. Luke is disheartened to hear Han speak in such a mercenary fashion and sarcastically tells him to take care of himself.

The Death Star comes into range of Yavin IV and the Imperials begin priming their super laser. The only thing obstructing them is the planet itself. As the Death Star looms closer, Red and Gold Squadrons fly out to intercept them. They skim the surface of the battle station and veer into the trenches, firing shots designed to take out the Empire's turbo lasers, while looking for the exhaust port. Red Leader is the first to locate the port and fires a torpedo, but his shot misses and impacts the surface. On the station itself, an Imperial officer asks Tarkin whether they should send out their fighters to repel the Rebels, but Tarkin finds the matter too trivial for fighter pilots. As the Imperials analyze the rebels' attack pattern however, they realize that a threat does in fact exist. Tarkin deploys a squadron of TIE fighters to intercept the X and Y-wings.

The Death Star comes closer into range as the TIE fighters engage the Rebels. Darth Vader mans his TIE Advanced x1 Starfighter and joins the fight as well. Flanked by two TIE fighters, he clears the trench area of enemy ships. The Imperials have an advantage over their enemy and several Rebel pilots are killed including Red Leader Garvin Dreis, Biggs Darklighter and Jek Porkins. Before long, the only pilot left is Luke Skywalker. Luke makes a run down the trench towards the exhaust shaft. Vader bears down after him and gets a lock on his ship. From out of nowhere, energy blasts rain down, destroying the two TIE fighters and crippling Vader's ship. The Millennium Falcon looms into view for an eleventh hour rescue and Han lets out a victory cry. Vader's ship goes spiraling away from the Death Star into space.

Once again, Luke hears the disembodied voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi urging him to use the Force. Luke switches off his targeting computer and closes his eyes. Drawing on the power of the Force, he fires a proton torpedo at the port. The torpedo hits its mark and Luke and Han have only minutes to get away as the Death Star explodes into a billion fragments.

Sometime later, a great celebration is held in the main theater of the Massassi temple on Yavin IV. All of the heroes of the battle are present as Princess Leia awards Han and Luke with medals of valor. Accompanied by Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2, they turn to face the congregation and the room explodes with applause.

Notes & Trivia

 * Star Wars novel, Star Wars novelization, Star Wars (novel), Star Wars (novelization), Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel), and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novelization) all redirect to this page.


 * Information provided in this book that is identical to information provided in the film is considered part of the official canon continuity. Information from the book that does not match information from the film, including cut scenes, is considered non-canon and is attributed to the "Legends" brand.


 * The first edition release of this book included a cover graphic illustrated by Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie.


 * As the publication of the novelization actually precedes the release of the film, this is technically the first appearance of the entire Star Wars Galaxy, including all characters, items, locations, races, vehicles, etc.