The Star Wars rough draft

Living on the Fourth Moon of Utapau are the Jedi Kane Starkiller and his offspring, Deak and Annikin Starkiller. Their isolation from the forces of the Galactic Empire is shattered when a Sith, piloting a Banta Four starfighter, arrives. The Jedi and his sons decide to investigate, but the Sith ambushes them, fatally striking Deak. However, the Sith is no match for a Jedi Master, and Kane retaliates, killing his apprentice. It becomes apparent that they must escape the Kessil system, so they head to their homeworld of Aquilae. Aquilae, a planet not yet under Imperial control, is governed by the wise King Kayos and Queen Breha. As the Jedi arrive, the Galactic Emperor, Cos Dashit, and his advisors are scheming to seize it, one of the last of the Independent Systems. Spies stationed on Alderaan, the gas giant capital of the Empire, are dispatched to deliver this news to Aquilae's leaders.

Concurrently, Kane and Annikin reach Aquilae and establish contact with the royal government at their Underground Fortress. Kane is reunited with his Jedi colleague, Luke Skywalker, who is now a General in the Aquilaean army. Kane reveals to his friend that he is mostly cybernetic, with only his head and arm remaining organic. He believes that this hinders his ability to properly train his son, so he asks Skywalker to mentor him as a padawaan learner. Shortly after princess Leia, Kayos's daughter, departs for Yuell to study at the Chatos Academy, a massive space fortress enters the Aquilaean system. The king travels to Amsel to consult with his Senate about whether to engage in war with the Empire. Kane goes to Gordon, a shady starport, to meet with his friend Han Solo, a Ureallian. When Clieg Whitsun, one of the Alderaan spies, arrives injured to warn the Aquilaeans of the Empire's invasion plans, they quickly decide to resist. Annikin is sent to the Academy to protect the princess. The fortress is attacked and damaged, causing two droids, C-3PO and R2-D2, to prematurely eject in a lifepod that crashes in the Jundland Wastes.

The true motive for the invasion is the Aquilaean facility dedicated to genetics and biology, including cloning. Hoedaack informs Darth Vader that capturing a member of the royal family is essential to controlling the planet, as they have ruled for 10,000 years. Without a puppet ruler, he explains, the Empire will not be able to steal Aquilae's biotic secrets. Simultaneously, King Kayos is killed in an Imperial ambush, and the Aquilae Senate seeks peace. The two droids encounter Annikin and Leia in the desert as they return from the Academy. They regroup at a secret entrance to the royal fortress, where the Queen decides to request assistance from the Ophuchi system. Luke, Annikin, and the royal children, including Leia's younger brothers Biggs and Windy, disguise themselves and head to Gordon. At Gordon, the heroes become involved in a brawl in a cantina. Outside, they meet Han Solo, and in the slums, Kane. They decide to escape Aquilae on a Baltarian freighter, but they need a power source for the microcases that will keep the young princes in hibernation to avoid detection. Kane sacrifices one from his own mechanical chest, giving up his life.

However, the freighter is a trap. The captain is actually Valorum, one of the Sith Knights. The heroes are captured and imprisoned. This is only a minor setback, as they overpower their guards, abandon the ship, and seize an Imperial starship. They take off, but Imperial ships pursue them. They evade the enemy by entering an asteroid field and passing into one of the Forbidden Systems. Unfortunately, their ship is severely damaged. Everyone enters life pods and ejects from the wreck. The pods crash on the jungle planet of Yavin, home of the Wookees. Artwo and Annikin leave their pod to find the others. They encounter Yourellian trappers attempting to capture Wookees. The trappers are defeated, and Chewbacca, a Wookiee, carries the wounded Annikin to his tribe's settlement. Artwo follows. Meanwhile, everyone except Leia gathers at the home of anthropologists Owen and Beru Lars. After fighting Jommillia, Annikin is accepted by the tribe. Han and Skywalker use jetsticks to locate Annikin, Artwo, and the Wookees. Because Han can speak the Wookiee language, the heroes learn that Leia is imprisoned at the Mavassi outpost, an Imperial camp. Han, Skywalker, Annikin, and the Wookees attack the Imperial base, but discover that Leia has already been sent to Aquilae. Imperial troops find Biggs and Windy, but are defeated.

Annikin and Artwo fly an Imperial ship to the fortress, where Artwo accesses the computer to find the princess's cell. Annikin subdues a stormtrooper and takes his armor. He is trapped by Imperial troops and gassed unconscious. Vader orders Valorum to execute him. Simultaneously, Skywalker leads a group of Wookiee-piloted fighters, and the nine ships head toward the fortress. Valorum has a change of heart. He cannot kill his prisoner and releases him. Together, they find and free the princess. The power fails as the Wookees damage the space station with their barrage. The heroes, including Valorum, board life pods and escape as the station explodes. Leia, now the new Queen of Aquilae, rewards the heroes in the Palace of Lite. The droids are upgraded to class A-4, and Annikin is appointed Lord Protector of Aquilae.

The Star Wars draws inspiration from Akira Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress and Lucas's political reflections, which also influenced his drafts for the Apocalypse Now screenplay.

Although the jungle planet of Yavin is located in the Forbidden Systems, the space fortress orbiting Aquilae is visible from it, suggesting that Yavin is in the same star system. While the evidence is not definitive, it is difficult to explain otherwise. Later drafts place Yavin in a separate system.

Significant elements from this script that were omitted in later drafts reappeared in the scripts for Episode I. For example, early versions of that script referred to what would become Naboo as Utapau, which was combined with Aquilae in the second draft. The rescue and Jedi protection of a young princess, the blockade of an isolated system, the presence of a benevolent monarchy, and the arrival and battle with a Sith Lord on the moon of Utapau, along with difficulties in leaving the planet, are all related to scenes from the rough draft.

The coronation of Leia at the script's conclusion may have been considered for the planned sequel trilogy. Gary Kurtz mentioned in a 1999 interview that she would be crowned Queen of the surviving Alderaanians in Episode VII.

Several elements from this draft were featured in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.