Saga The rescue of Palpatine in previous script?

Hi,

I am trying to clear up a nagging memory that's been bothering me for several years. I've searched online with little success, mostly because I get really mixed and unrelated results.

I am hoping the experts on here might be familiar with what I've seen.

A long time before Revenge of the Sith came out (I'm guessing more than 5) I came across a text file online that was purported to be an original draft of a Star Wars prequel. I can't remember the title but it was "By George Lucas" and dated from the 1970s. Needless to say I was really skeptical of its authenticity.

One of the scenes depicted in this script was the rescue of the Emperor (or Chancellor) who had arranged to have himself taken hostage as part of a ruse to manipulate Vader (I can't recall if he was referred to as Vader, Starkiller, or Skywalker) to join his cause. And Vader was a rival to another apprentice (Prince Valorum perhaps) who he ended up killing to prove himself.

Anyway, I thought what I was reading was an interesting piece of fan fiction. I then promptly forgot about it until Revenge of the Sith came out, years later. And to my stunned surprise, the opening rescue sequence of that film was uncannily similar to the rescue depicted in that script I'd read years earlier. Far too similar to have been a coincidence, especially given how many years I'd read it before RotS came out.

Ever since then I've tried to find the script online and have had no luck. It's one of those little things that has always bugged me. Has anyone else ever seen this or does it sound familiar?

 

Pretty sure you're thinking of this, although it doesn't include Palps being rescued:

http://starwarz.com/starkiller/2010/05/fall-of-the-republic/

It's fan fiction, although it led to many a misleading article about what was going to happen in the prequels, as it was believed to be authentic for years.

 

I remember a couple of fan drafts for the PT during the late 90's and early 00's, but none mentioning Palpatine's faked kidnapping as a way to lure Anakin/Vader to the Dark Side.

Actually, most of the few I happened to read at that time turned out to hit rather far away from the actual plot of the movies.

 

Saw the Biggs scene in the theatrical presentation of ANH too, didn't you?

 

And multiple grappling hook attempts, no doubt.

 

I still think the OP recalls the John L Flynn fan fiction (it does have a 'Prince Valarium' in it, an aide to Palpatine, who Vader kills), the rescue of Palps could have been in another bit of fanfic that got jumbled in his memory. Fan fiction does occasionally hit the mark - there's that 1980 article touching on Darth Vader's childhood as a slave.

There were also spoilers floating around during the shooting of ROTS (2003-2004) about Palpatine being rescued, perhaps they muddied the waters. And yeah, there's still plenty of people out there who will insist to their deathbeds that they saw the Biggs & Jabba scenes in 1977.