The original radio drama gets us to Alderaan

Following chapter one, episode one, the next part opens the same way as the first with the main theme and those very famous words. Come on, say them with me now:

After listening to the entire radio play, I can tell you that it starts that same way every time: opening credits score, narration about the formation of the Rebel Alliance and a summary of what is going to happen in the following part of the story. This was done in order to allow people to catch up, as it was originally aired over a multi-day period.

The chapter opens with something similar yet different to the 1977 movie. Princess Leia’s ship Tantive IV is intercepted by an Imperial ship, but this time over the planet Ralltiir instead of Tatooine, “and forced to land under escort”. It isn’t Vader who captures her, it’s someone named Lord Tion. Only having read a small selection of Legends novels, there is not much I can glean from this. I don’t recall coming across Tion — is he someone to be feared like Thrawn or simply some lower ranking Imperial sent to retrieve her? If anyone knows, please explain in the comments below.

Then — as per the movie — in order to hide her involvement with the Rebel Alliance, Leia repeats her standard line of her ship being that of a consular on a diplomatic mission. In my mind, I couldn’t help but add “to Alderaan,” as that is the famous line, even though that part has yet to come up. At this point, she is simply trying to re-equip the rebels on the planet below. It is only through her keen skills of diplomacy that she is able to escape this encounter without having her ship immediately searched. The catch is that she has to agree to have dinner back on her home planet with the arrogant Lord Tion, the man who captured her ship. What Leia does for the rebellion…

After agreeing and leaving in order to make way to her ship, she has her first encounter with the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. Again, it is only due to her knowledge of Imperial protocol and Vader’s desire to keep everything legal that she is allowed to remain free. One problem down, another to go.

This part is interesting in that it shows yet another time Leia was able to skillfully slip through the Empire’s grasp. Not just the Empire’s, but Vader’s to boot. As she’ll later learn, escaping from him is not the easiest thing in the galaxy. To do so now re-enforces her knowledge of Imperial regulations and protocols.

After setting a trap for Lord Tion that will lead to an important discovery later on, she meets a wounded rebel solider who passes on important information.

Leia then makes her way back home to Alderaan via “the old roads” on foot. She does this in order to sort out her thoughts about what she saw on Ralltiir. Being as it is a day’s journey, it gives her a nice long while to think everything over and figure out how she is going to help them.

According to Leia, “people on Ralltiir have been chased from their homes, penned up like animals, executed without trial. Torture chambers are set up everywhere, they [The Empire] call them interrogation centers.” To this her father simply comments that it is the “usual Imperial procedure.” I found this fascinating because it shows two different levels of experience in this way of life. Her father has come to expect it and adjusted accordingly, while still of course disagreeing. His daughter, on the other hand, is still amazed by it all. It goes to show how an event that affects two people — in this case a father and daughter— can result in completely different reactions.

Hope to see you all next post. Until then, May the Force be with you…always.

Luke is torn between family and adventure in the original radio drama

Hello everyone and welcome back. I hope you’re doing okay. If not, hopefully this will cheer you up. In this next section of the radio drama the excitement really begins. I’d tell you everything I’m going to be talking about, but that would ruin the surprise. So let’s get into it.

Picking up where we last left off, Luke now knows of his friend’s plan to jump ship and join the Rebellion. Just like in the movie of course.

A new scene follows. Luke and Biggs argue over the former’s decision to put off going to the Imperial Academy another season, even though both know that there’s no place he’d rather be. In this debate, Biggs tells his friend that in the process of putting off his application it was cancelled, thus sending the point home that unless Luke applies again, he really is stuck on Tatooine.

During the course of this dispute, Biggs manages to really infuriate his friend by saying, “Your uncle uses that ‘I fed you and brought you up’ line to keep you here. Can’t you see that?” By doing this, he is implying that Luke’s uncle is simply manipulating him. While the young man may know this to be true, he is still tied between his duty to help his only remaining family — “My aunt and uncle are the only family I’ve got. They’re all I’ve got” — and his desire to follow his dreams off-planet into whatever adventure awaits him. Oh, if only he knew! This leads me to wonder what would have happened if Luke had left his family behind and gone to the academy. Well, that’s a topic for another day.

Luke eventually drops his friend off at his destination. Seconds pass before Biggs starts the conversation again, not yet ready to get out and leave. People in the Imperial Academy — and indeed the Rebellion — don’t know what will happen to them day to day. As such, he wants to leave things between himself and Luke as amicable as possible.

The first episode of the radio play thus comes to a close with the traditional end title score and a narrator giving the participants the credit they deserve.

So, what did I think of the first episode overall? It was…fun. Nothing too dramatic has happened yet, but it still managed to suck me in by giving more detail to one of the most well known characters in the saga: Biggs Darklighter. No, of course not, I’m talking about Luke Skywalker! Again, it was nice to see a more relaxed and playful side of him.

The first episode does an excellent job of giving more depth to Luke’s character by showing exactly how good a pilot he is along with establishing his relationship with Biggs. While obviously not as big a character, it’s still nice to see more of him and get more depth to his character as well. Things like this really bring a story to life.

Before I go I would like to give a big shout-out to Phil Roberts for liking my posts and passing them on to Future of the Force, with whom I am obviously now working. Thank you so much! Also to everyone who has liked and retweeted my articles both on here and Twitter such as Andrew in Belfast, MonkeesbloodCreative, Bryan Fontaine, Stephanie Hope, Ken $olo, Wesley van Wensen, Stewart Gardiner, Chris White and Zoe Roberts. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I hope to see you in my next post. May the Force be with you…always!