Death Star's Transit

As Vader's cruiser gets closer to the Death Star, he orders Princess Leia to be brought before him. He reveals the Death Star through the main viewport, and she inadvertently admits prior knowledge of its existence due to her shock. He cautions her that neither her position as a Senator nor any legal protection can withstand the might of this ultimate weapon.

Following the ship's docking at the station, Vader attends a meeting with Imperial officers, including Governor Tarkin. General Tagge expresses concern over the Senate's reaction to Leia's capture; however, Tarkin assures him that the Emperor has disbanded the assembly. Another officer, Admiral Motti, questions Vader's capabilities due to his failure to retrieve the Death Star plans and criticizes his adherence to the Force. Vader uses the Force to choke Motti, silencing his dissent.

Vader begins interrogating Leia, employing various forms of mental torture and manipulation. Despite her suffering, Leia refuses to disclose the location of either the Death Star plans or the Rebel base. After the injection arm of an interrogation device administers a mind-altering hallucinogen, Vader shifts his tactics. He initially impersonates a member of the Rebel Alliance, then claims to be Leia's father. When Leia remains uncooperative, he inflicts intense, burning pain upon her. Even then, she reveals nothing, prompting Vader to halt the interrogation and instruct a medical technician to ensure she is fit for further questioning.

Elsewhere on the Death Star, Motti informs Tarkin that the station, including its prime weapon, is fully operational. Motti emphasizes that Tarkin now wields the power of life and death over all living beings in the Galaxy, adding that "the Emperor is far from here." Before Motti can elaborate, Vader enters the room. He seems to suspect that both men's loyalty to the Emperor may be faltering, speaking generally about the folly of betrayal and ambition. Vader reports that Leia is trained to resist his interrogation and requires more time. Tarkin decides on an alternative strategy: threatening the destruction of Alderaan. Furthermore, destroying Alderaan will enhance the Death Star's effectiveness as a deterrent. Vader suggests that such a decision necessitates consulting with the Emperor, but Tarkin dismisses this idea. The scene highlights Tarkin's contemplation of Motti's words and the extent of his newfound power.

Leia is brought before Tarkin and Vader and confronted with the impending destruction of her home planet. She provides a name for the rebel base - the Dantooine system - but Tarkin proceeds with the destruction of Alderaan regardless. Leia cries out in anguish for her father and her world. Later, Vader and Tarkin receive a report that a starship, suspected of carrying the droids with the Death Star plans, escaped from Mos Eisley spaceport and breached the Imperial blockade. Tarkin criticizes Vader for his repeated failure to secure the plans. Motti then reports that Imperial scouts discovered a base on Dantooine, but it was abandoned. This signifies that both Vader's and Tarkin's methods have failed to extract information from Leia. Enraged, Tarkin orders her execution.

In the film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Vader's interrogation and torture of Princess Leia are only implied, shown by a door closing as they are in her cell with a floating IT-O Interrogation Unit. In "Death Star's Transit," Vader's actions are depicted explicitly. After injecting Leia, Vader uses vivid mental suggestions, planted using the Dark Side of the Force, to torture her. Leia's anguish and steadfast resistance escalate throughout a four-minute scene. In an interview, Ann Sachs recalled this as a challenging and frightening scene to record. Afterward, Brock Peters offered her a comforting hug. She also noted that Tom Voegeli's sound mixing greatly enhanced the scene's impact.

"Death Star's Transit" introduces a subplot into the drama that was absent in the film: Motti's attempts to conspire with Tarkin. In this episode and subsequent ones, Motti proposes plans to exploit the Death Star's ultimate power, potentially eliminating Vader and challenging the Emperor himself. This storyline was integrated into Star Wars canon in the 2017 short story "Verge of Greatness," told from Tarkin's perspective. The story incorporates some of the exact dialogue from the radio drama, blending it with events from Rogue One and other canonical details about the Death Star.