Cunning plans! (SW: ANH, 10/?)
This one mostly covers filler (of sorts), but I hope to actually get the next section done before another term passes. Anyway: as almost always, be warned for TV Tropes, and let's go!
Artoo does -- something, and it tells them that disabling one of the terminals will free the ship to escape. Obi-Wan says the "boys" can't help (for some reason); Han, as always, is perfectly on board with not helping, but Luke insists on going along.
OBI-WAN: Be patient, Luke. Stay and watch over the droids.
LUKE: But he can--
I'm assuming he means that Han can lounge around and look at Artoo and Threepio, which ... okay, he's perfectly capable of doing, but I'm not sure I'd trust him with a pet rat. Also, Luke is fairly whiny during this whole interchange, but I'm willing to overlook it because baby stormtrooper Luke is so adorable.
I've mentioned that I've been trying to find an actress for girl!Luke, so my artist can have some kind of model to work with, but it . . . might not be necessary.
OBI-WAN: They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny lies along a different path than mine.
I'm curious if he can actually sense Luke's destiny in some way, or if he just has very strong opinions about what it should be. Of course, several people have strong opinions there.
If I'm recalling correctly, Obi-Wan thinks he's destined to kill his father and avenge er, restore the Jedi, his father thinks he's destined to kill the Emperor and take over the galaxy, and the Emperor thinks he's destined to kill his father and take his place. They're all Force-sensitive and he could easily have ended up doing any of these things (and nearly did), so I'm going to assume that it's some measure of foresight mixed with strong opinions.
In any case, getting killed by Darth Vader is definitely not in the cards, so I guess he's right.
OBI-WAN: The Force will be with you, always.
*sniffle*
It's pretty much always quoted as "may the Force be with you," and that's what people do say most of the time, but I suspect Obi-Wan wanted something more powerful. The usual benediction offers generic hope; Obi-Wan's departing words offer certainty to Luke specifically. The Force may or may not be with others. It will always be with Luke Skywalker.
Still, I think it's close enough. Classic Line Time!
CLASSIC LINE: May the Force be with you.
Variation: "The Force will be with you, always."
ITERATION: 1
SPEAKER: Obi-Wan Kenobi (to Luke Skywalker)
CONTEXT: going off to free the Death Star/distract Vader
Obi-Wan leaves. Chewie puts his hands on his hips and growls something, presumably derogatory. I get the feeling that just about everything he says is. I remember being surprised when I first watched this, because I'd gotten the impression that he was mostly cuddly and gentle, which ... he really isn't.
HAN: You said it, Chewie. [To LUKE] Where did you dig up that old fossil?
I didn’t really notice this before, but the way he addresses Luke here is not actually adversarial. If anything, it comes across as a weird Han-ish gesture of solidarity - us against the weird old guy, huh, kid? But of course Luke isn’t having any of it.
LUKE: Ben is a great man!
Even accepting my theory that it's been several weeks, not, like, a day, Luke seems . . . very devoted. As much as I love this movie and the OT in general, I'll admit that it probably could have benefited by seeing Obi-Wan and Luke actually develop a relationship, rather than occasional snapshots of them interacting. I don't doubt that Luke cares, but I don't know why.
On consideration, that means that Mark Hamill's acting manages to convince me that Luke is intensely loyal to Obi-Wan, but the story itself doesn't provide a lot of justification. Sometimes, I have the horrible suspicion that the biggest difference between the OT and the PT is the actors' ability to engage with their material, even when it doesn't make any sense. But then I remember that the PT actors are incredibly good in things other than the PT, so ... I'm confused. :(
Han snarks at the absent Obi-Wan some more, Luke observes that Han has contributed absolutely nothing to the escape plans, blah blah, and it's all kinds of surreal because Han is whining and Luke is snarling.
Then R2-D2 starts shrieking. C-3PO helpfully translates his spastic beeps as I've found her! She's here! She's here! She's here!
She . . .? Oh Lord, he's talking about Leia, who he obviously loves with every bolt in his casing. I think my heart just melted.
ARTOO WHY SO ADORABLE
LUKE: The princess? She's here?!
Hm, how does he know that she's a princess? Eh, maybe Obi-Wan told him.
HAN, amusingly blank: The princess?
LUKE: Where? Where is she?
I love that Luke says all this in his Leia-voice. He really does sound bizarrely like her. With a touch of Fire Lord Ozai.
Also, if I were an EU-friendly sort of person, I would think that obvious Force bond is obvious, because Luke is practically jumping off the deep end and he's never even met this girl. They're just spiritually aligned or soulmates on the astral plane or something. (Or, um, empathic clairvoyant telekinetic telepathic twin demigods separated at birth.)
Threepio translates Artoo's next series of beeps -- Leia's slated for execution. Luke looks completely devastated.
You know, as much as I rail against the twin twist in ROTJ, I think there are reasons it doesn't really come across as an Asspull. Oh, it creates a lot of creepy implications and unresolved issues, but it seems to build on previous canon; while it's a (blatant) retcon, they didn't have to make it up out of whole cloth. It's entirely possible to rewatch earlier parts of the trilogy and go "oh yeah, now I get it!" -- even with things that can't possibly have been intended that way when they were created.
Honestly, I suspect ~platonic soulmates~ even when I ignore ROTJ.
Luke declares that they have to do something. Han shoots him this hilarious uncomprehending look, shaking his head, like "No. Also, what is even going on? Also no," so Luke babbles that she owns the droid, is in the message (which Han may or may not even know about) and OMG they've got to save her!
HAN: Now look, don't get any funny ideas. The old man wants us to wait right here. *sits, firmly*
Han Solo: power sitter.
LUKE: But he didn't know she was here.
Adding another person to the "cannot sense Leia" list.
Han actually puts his feet up on the computer. Oh, Han. <3
HAN: I'm not going anywhere.
LUKE: They're going to EX-E-CUTE her. Look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here to be captured. Now all you want to do is stay?
Okay, earlier I said that Luke didn't seem to be particularly short-tempered. I fully retract that statement; he's spent a good portion of the time since flying into rages. He's now haranguing Han at full speed and, I think, in a single breath. The fandom insistence that Luke makes better choices than his father just because he's naturally better-tempered (and not, say, because he makes better choices) is a bit odd now.
Hm. I suppose the sheer magnitude of Luke's zen in ROTJ overshadows everything before it (including his Unstoppable Rage in the same movie), so that pretty much all meta on the Skywalker twins reduces them to "the angry one" (Leia) and "the calm one" (Luke), even though they both possess cool serenity and epic levels in getting-pissed-off.
Han, of course, responds that "straight fight" did not actually mean "march into the detention block."
LUKE: But they're going to KILL her!!
Yes, he talks with capslocks, italics, and multiple exclamation points. Damn has this boy got a lot of his daddy in him.
Han waves this off. No, literally, he just waves his hand. Eh, death, shmeath.
HAN: Better her than me!
And now he sounds pissed. Either at Luke for being Luke or at himself for being ... himself. So Luke turns away with this terrible desperate, disillusioned look. Seriously, shouting at him is like kicking a puppy. Anyway, Luke strides away, still exuding desperation, and then his face freezes and shifts into what I can only imagine is the Skywalker-patented "cunning warrior" face.
Then he strides back, puts his hand on Han's chair and leans down like he's the devil on his shoulder.
LUKE: ... she's rich.
This is the point where I really fall in love with Luke Skywalker. I mean, obviously I loved him already, but henceforth it is eternal and undying.
I don't just love this because Luke is able to use Han's own greed against him. I mean, that's cool by itself, but I think it's a bit more than that. The idea of rescuing somebody for money would never enter Luke Skywalker's head. But on the spot, he's able to perceive the motivations of someone whose nature is so utterly foreign to his own that he can't even process it most of the time, and to exploit them.
It's not that he suddenly "gets it," either; the way Han thinks never really makes any sense to him. Rather, he's able to conceive of something he doesn't and will never understand, and to use it for his own ends. Vader, unsurprisingly, does the same thing in Empire; Luke is noble and heroic and his ends are also noble and heroic, but (contrary to popular belief) if he'd gone evil, he'd have been a terrifying villain. If he'd joined with his father (and especially if they retained the mutual undying loyalty of canon), nothing could have stopped them.
Part of me always wanted to see this happen. I think Han and Leia would have to be dead for it work, though. Or hanging out in the deep end of the alignment pool themselves.
Chewie growls something here, which I'm guessing is "wait, did he say rich?" I suspect he manages the business end of the smuggling and Han mostly just shoots people.
HAN: Rich?
He sounds intrigued, and Luke nods slowly, just ... luring him in?
LUKE: Rich . . . powerful . . .
I think he missed his calling as a politician. In some happy fluffy AU where the Skywalker family wasn’t torn apart by Palpatine’s evil plots, he’d be all Mama, guess what I convinced my teacher to do today! Like a less ditzy Cher Horowitz, or something. Padmé might not be as proud as Mr Horowitz, though.
Also, I hear that in Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Luke is a natural liar à la Lyra Belacqua, able to come up with convincing stories off the top of his head and of selling them at a moment's notice. A lot of people object to this (Luke Skywalker, master liar?!), but ... I actually wouldn't find it remotely surprising. I get the impression that he lied to his uncle all the time, anyway, and snuck off to go joyriding or whatever.
LUKE: Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be...
HAN, skeptically: ... What?
Yes, he actually wants defined numbers on a purely speculative reward. Oh, Han. <3
Luke’s patience comes to an abrupt end and he snaps that it’s more than Han can imagine, at any rate.
HAN, deadpan: I don’t know. I can imagine quite a bit.
I'm sure you can, Han.
LUKE: You’ll get it.
HAN: I better!
Yeah, Luke has totally reeled him in by this point. I’m now imagining dark!Luke as this super manipulative, affably evil villain with a short fuse and a tendency to handle things personally. Maybe even magnificent.
HAN: What’s your plan?
I love this. Luke glances around, going “uhhhhh?” and approximately two seconds later is asking Threepio to hand him the binders to put on Chewie. Chewie, naturally, objects, and Luke quickly suggests that Han can put them on.
Han half-smiles to himself and slouches to his feet.
HAN: Don’t worry, Chewie. I think I know what he has in mind.
He actually looks mildly impressed. Yay!
Threepio very tentatively asks what he and Artoo should do if they’re discovered, and Luke’s face clearly says “lol, then you’re screwed.”
LUKE, flippantly: Then lock the door!
Okay, so does his mouth. Han snarks at them and Threepio is less than reassured.
That weird black rolling thing from before is rolling down the hall, when it runs smack into Chewie and two stormtroo-oh, Han and Luke. Duh. Chewie growls and the thing, which I’m guessing is a droid with some kind of AI, squeaks and hurries away. Chewie just gives this adorable shrug.
Luke and Han lead Chewie through the detention center, passing a bunch of grey-clad officers on the way to the elevators. Maybe there’s a special Star Wars-type name for them, but they look very elevator-y. The ones at my university have more options, though - I guess the GFFA hasn’t discovered digital yet. Anyway, there’s a creepy dark protocol droid behind them.
Of course the Empire’s droids are black. BECAUSE THEY’RE EVIL.
Oh, officers in a different colour! …White. They look older, so maybe they’re higher-up or something. They have tacky red and blue insignia too.
LUKE, as they get into the elevator: I can’t see a thing in this helmet!
It’s because you’re too short to be a stormtrooper, darling. Don’t worry, we still love you.
His voice is oddly mechanized, yet wholly recognizable as him. Also, it’s kind of lulzy that he says this as he’s getting into the elevator, not after, and a bunch of Imperial guys are walking right past him.
There’s an amusing little scene with no dialogue whatsoever - an officer starts to get in the elevator with them, and Han the ostensibly disposable stormtrooper shakes his head and gestures for him to get in the next one. Imperial officers apparently have obedience so drilled into them that they’ll obey any orders, including silent ones, from anyone. The officer promptly obeys the stormtrooper. Or maybe he’s just frightened of Chewie.
The doors close with a whoosh that sounds distinctly like Vader’s breathing. I’d be panicked if I didn’t know how everything's going to end - so instead, it’s just exciting. Creepy Empire-y music that isn’t quite the Imperial March! Continued whooshing! The awesome, it approacheth. VADER IS HERE I KNOW IT OOH, WHAT AMAZING THING WILL HE DO TODAY-
Obi-Wan? Uh, okay. Obi-Wan sneaks around. Sneakily.
Oh, and here is Vader. Being not sneaky. And just kind of normal, as if he’s not stalking anyone just at the moment and is actually walking around to get from one place to another. It’s mildly disconcerting. Then he stops because he knows something is up, but is apparently not quite clear on what. Maybe he has to get killing-people authorization from Tarkin.
Obi-Wan sneaks some more, upping the suspense, and … back to the elevator. Han is now Gus Gloomyface (er, helmet) and is adjusting the binders around Chewie’s wrists, and insisting that the plan won’t work. Luke asks why he didn’t mention this earlier and Han says he did. Um, no, you didn’t, Han. You just complained generically.
They step out and exchange awkward stares with a bunch of Imperial guys stationed at a computery desk thing. This lead officer is wearing yet another colour uniform! … Black. He has four blue thingies on his insignia and looks vaguely Nazi-ish.
OFFICER: Where are you taking this . . . thing?
Every word out of his mouth oozes with contempt, but the last one is so smug and superior and condescending that you just want to smack him. But Han and Luke are keeping close grips on their guns and insulting Chewie is rarely beneficial to one’s health, so I’m not too worried about that.
Nobody was killed, so I don't think I need to update that.
Summing up:
(1) Obi-Wan can sense Luke's ~destiny~ in some way. Maybe.
(2) Luke idolizes Obi-Wan for little reason that we're aware of.
(3) Artoo goes spastic when he finds Leia. So does Luke.
(4) Obi-Wan apparently can't sense Leia's presence either.
(5) Luke obviously but effectively manipulates Han into helping him with the rescue, and comes up with a reasonably effective plan on the spot. Yeah, "cunning warrior" is totally in his future, and he'd have made a super creepy evil guy.
(6) The Imperial officers have different (monochrome) uniforms, signifying ... something.
(7) The newest officer, the one in Leia's detention area, is a racist jerk.
Artoo does -- something, and it tells them that disabling one of the terminals will free the ship to escape. Obi-Wan says the "boys" can't help (for some reason); Han, as always, is perfectly on board with not helping, but Luke insists on going along.
OBI-WAN: Be patient, Luke. Stay and watch over the droids.
LUKE: But he can--
I'm assuming he means that Han can lounge around and look at Artoo and Threepio, which ... okay, he's perfectly capable of doing, but I'm not sure I'd trust him with a pet rat. Also, Luke is fairly whiny during this whole interchange, but I'm willing to overlook it because baby stormtrooper Luke is so adorable.
I've mentioned that I've been trying to find an actress for girl!Luke, so my artist can have some kind of model to work with, but it . . . might not be necessary.
OBI-WAN: They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny lies along a different path than mine.
I'm curious if he can actually sense Luke's destiny in some way, or if he just has very strong opinions about what it should be. Of course, several people have strong opinions there.
If I'm recalling correctly, Obi-Wan thinks he's destined to kill his father and avenge er, restore the Jedi, his father thinks he's destined to kill the Emperor and take over the galaxy, and the Emperor thinks he's destined to kill his father and take his place. They're all Force-sensitive and he could easily have ended up doing any of these things (and nearly did), so I'm going to assume that it's some measure of foresight mixed with strong opinions.
In any case, getting killed by Darth Vader is definitely not in the cards, so I guess he's right.
OBI-WAN: The Force will be with you, always.
*sniffle*
It's pretty much always quoted as "may the Force be with you," and that's what people do say most of the time, but I suspect Obi-Wan wanted something more powerful. The usual benediction offers generic hope; Obi-Wan's departing words offer certainty to Luke specifically. The Force may or may not be with others. It will always be with Luke Skywalker.
Still, I think it's close enough. Classic Line Time!
CLASSIC LINE: May the Force be with you.
Variation: "The Force will be with you, always."
ITERATION: 1
SPEAKER: Obi-Wan Kenobi (to Luke Skywalker)
CONTEXT: going off to free the Death Star/distract Vader
Obi-Wan leaves. Chewie puts his hands on his hips and growls something, presumably derogatory. I get the feeling that just about everything he says is. I remember being surprised when I first watched this, because I'd gotten the impression that he was mostly cuddly and gentle, which ... he really isn't.
HAN: You said it, Chewie. [To LUKE] Where did you dig up that old fossil?
I didn’t really notice this before, but the way he addresses Luke here is not actually adversarial. If anything, it comes across as a weird Han-ish gesture of solidarity - us against the weird old guy, huh, kid? But of course Luke isn’t having any of it.
LUKE: Ben is a great man!
Even accepting my theory that it's been several weeks, not, like, a day, Luke seems . . . very devoted. As much as I love this movie and the OT in general, I'll admit that it probably could have benefited by seeing Obi-Wan and Luke actually develop a relationship, rather than occasional snapshots of them interacting. I don't doubt that Luke cares, but I don't know why.
On consideration, that means that Mark Hamill's acting manages to convince me that Luke is intensely loyal to Obi-Wan, but the story itself doesn't provide a lot of justification. Sometimes, I have the horrible suspicion that the biggest difference between the OT and the PT is the actors' ability to engage with their material, even when it doesn't make any sense. But then I remember that the PT actors are incredibly good in things other than the PT, so ... I'm confused. :(
Han snarks at the absent Obi-Wan some more, Luke observes that Han has contributed absolutely nothing to the escape plans, blah blah, and it's all kinds of surreal because Han is whining and Luke is snarling.
Then R2-D2 starts shrieking. C-3PO helpfully translates his spastic beeps as I've found her! She's here! She's here! She's here!
She . . .? Oh Lord, he's talking about Leia, who he obviously loves with every bolt in his casing. I think my heart just melted.
ARTOO WHY SO ADORABLE
LUKE: The princess? She's here?!
Hm, how does he know that she's a princess? Eh, maybe Obi-Wan told him.
HAN, amusingly blank: The princess?
LUKE: Where? Where is she?
I love that Luke says all this in his Leia-voice. He really does sound bizarrely like her. With a touch of Fire Lord Ozai.
Also, if I were an EU-friendly sort of person, I would think that obvious Force bond is obvious, because Luke is practically jumping off the deep end and he's never even met this girl. They're just spiritually aligned or soulmates on the astral plane or something. (Or, um, empathic clairvoyant telekinetic telepathic twin demigods separated at birth.)
Threepio translates Artoo's next series of beeps -- Leia's slated for execution. Luke looks completely devastated.
You know, as much as I rail against the twin twist in ROTJ, I think there are reasons it doesn't really come across as an Asspull. Oh, it creates a lot of creepy implications and unresolved issues, but it seems to build on previous canon; while it's a (blatant) retcon, they didn't have to make it up out of whole cloth. It's entirely possible to rewatch earlier parts of the trilogy and go "oh yeah, now I get it!" -- even with things that can't possibly have been intended that way when they were created.
Honestly, I suspect ~platonic soulmates~ even when I ignore ROTJ.
Luke declares that they have to do something. Han shoots him this hilarious uncomprehending look, shaking his head, like "No. Also, what is even going on? Also no," so Luke babbles that she owns the droid, is in the message (which Han may or may not even know about) and OMG they've got to save her!
HAN: Now look, don't get any funny ideas. The old man wants us to wait right here. *sits, firmly*
Han Solo: power sitter.
LUKE: But he didn't know she was here.
Adding another person to the "cannot sense Leia" list.
Han actually puts his feet up on the computer. Oh, Han. <3
HAN: I'm not going anywhere.
LUKE: They're going to EX-E-CUTE her. Look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here to be captured. Now all you want to do is stay?
Okay, earlier I said that Luke didn't seem to be particularly short-tempered. I fully retract that statement; he's spent a good portion of the time since flying into rages. He's now haranguing Han at full speed and, I think, in a single breath. The fandom insistence that Luke makes better choices than his father just because he's naturally better-tempered (and not, say, because he makes better choices) is a bit odd now.
Hm. I suppose the sheer magnitude of Luke's zen in ROTJ overshadows everything before it (including his Unstoppable Rage in the same movie), so that pretty much all meta on the Skywalker twins reduces them to "the angry one" (Leia) and "the calm one" (Luke), even though they both possess cool serenity and epic levels in getting-pissed-off.
Han, of course, responds that "straight fight" did not actually mean "march into the detention block."
LUKE: But they're going to KILL her!!
Yes, he talks with capslocks, italics, and multiple exclamation points. Damn has this boy got a lot of his daddy in him.
Han waves this off. No, literally, he just waves his hand. Eh, death, shmeath.
HAN: Better her than me!
And now he sounds pissed. Either at Luke for being Luke or at himself for being ... himself. So Luke turns away with this terrible desperate, disillusioned look. Seriously, shouting at him is like kicking a puppy. Anyway, Luke strides away, still exuding desperation, and then his face freezes and shifts into what I can only imagine is the Skywalker-patented "cunning warrior" face.
Then he strides back, puts his hand on Han's chair and leans down like he's the devil on his shoulder.
LUKE: ... she's rich.
This is the point where I really fall in love with Luke Skywalker. I mean, obviously I loved him already, but henceforth it is eternal and undying.
I don't just love this because Luke is able to use Han's own greed against him. I mean, that's cool by itself, but I think it's a bit more than that. The idea of rescuing somebody for money would never enter Luke Skywalker's head. But on the spot, he's able to perceive the motivations of someone whose nature is so utterly foreign to his own that he can't even process it most of the time, and to exploit them.
It's not that he suddenly "gets it," either; the way Han thinks never really makes any sense to him. Rather, he's able to conceive of something he doesn't and will never understand, and to use it for his own ends. Vader, unsurprisingly, does the same thing in Empire; Luke is noble and heroic and his ends are also noble and heroic, but (contrary to popular belief) if he'd gone evil, he'd have been a terrifying villain. If he'd joined with his father (and especially if they retained the mutual undying loyalty of canon), nothing could have stopped them.
Part of me always wanted to see this happen. I think Han and Leia would have to be dead for it work, though. Or hanging out in the deep end of the alignment pool themselves.
Chewie growls something here, which I'm guessing is "wait, did he say rich?" I suspect he manages the business end of the smuggling and Han mostly just shoots people.
HAN: Rich?
He sounds intrigued, and Luke nods slowly, just ... luring him in?
LUKE: Rich . . . powerful . . .
I think he missed his calling as a politician. In some happy fluffy AU where the Skywalker family wasn’t torn apart by Palpatine’s evil plots, he’d be all Mama, guess what I convinced my teacher to do today! Like a less ditzy Cher Horowitz, or something. Padmé might not be as proud as Mr Horowitz, though.
Also, I hear that in Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Luke is a natural liar à la Lyra Belacqua, able to come up with convincing stories off the top of his head and of selling them at a moment's notice. A lot of people object to this (Luke Skywalker, master liar?!), but ... I actually wouldn't find it remotely surprising. I get the impression that he lied to his uncle all the time, anyway, and snuck off to go joyriding or whatever.
LUKE: Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be...
HAN, skeptically: ... What?
Yes, he actually wants defined numbers on a purely speculative reward. Oh, Han. <3
Luke’s patience comes to an abrupt end and he snaps that it’s more than Han can imagine, at any rate.
HAN, deadpan: I don’t know. I can imagine quite a bit.
I'm sure you can, Han.
LUKE: You’ll get it.
HAN: I better!
Yeah, Luke has totally reeled him in by this point. I’m now imagining dark!Luke as this super manipulative, affably evil villain with a short fuse and a tendency to handle things personally. Maybe even magnificent.
HAN: What’s your plan?
I love this. Luke glances around, going “uhhhhh?” and approximately two seconds later is asking Threepio to hand him the binders to put on Chewie. Chewie, naturally, objects, and Luke quickly suggests that Han can put them on.
Han half-smiles to himself and slouches to his feet.
HAN: Don’t worry, Chewie. I think I know what he has in mind.
He actually looks mildly impressed. Yay!
Threepio very tentatively asks what he and Artoo should do if they’re discovered, and Luke’s face clearly says “lol, then you’re screwed.”
LUKE, flippantly: Then lock the door!
Okay, so does his mouth. Han snarks at them and Threepio is less than reassured.
That weird black rolling thing from before is rolling down the hall, when it runs smack into Chewie and two stormtroo-oh, Han and Luke. Duh. Chewie growls and the thing, which I’m guessing is a droid with some kind of AI, squeaks and hurries away. Chewie just gives this adorable shrug.
Luke and Han lead Chewie through the detention center, passing a bunch of grey-clad officers on the way to the elevators. Maybe there’s a special Star Wars-type name for them, but they look very elevator-y. The ones at my university have more options, though - I guess the GFFA hasn’t discovered digital yet. Anyway, there’s a creepy dark protocol droid behind them.
Of course the Empire’s droids are black. BECAUSE THEY’RE EVIL.
Oh, officers in a different colour! …White. They look older, so maybe they’re higher-up or something. They have tacky red and blue insignia too.
LUKE, as they get into the elevator: I can’t see a thing in this helmet!
It’s because you’re too short to be a stormtrooper, darling. Don’t worry, we still love you.
His voice is oddly mechanized, yet wholly recognizable as him. Also, it’s kind of lulzy that he says this as he’s getting into the elevator, not after, and a bunch of Imperial guys are walking right past him.
There’s an amusing little scene with no dialogue whatsoever - an officer starts to get in the elevator with them, and Han the ostensibly disposable stormtrooper shakes his head and gestures for him to get in the next one. Imperial officers apparently have obedience so drilled into them that they’ll obey any orders, including silent ones, from anyone. The officer promptly obeys the stormtrooper. Or maybe he’s just frightened of Chewie.
The doors close with a whoosh that sounds distinctly like Vader’s breathing. I’d be panicked if I didn’t know how everything's going to end - so instead, it’s just exciting. Creepy Empire-y music that isn’t quite the Imperial March! Continued whooshing! The awesome, it approacheth. VADER IS HERE I KNOW IT OOH, WHAT AMAZING THING WILL HE DO TODAY-
Obi-Wan? Uh, okay. Obi-Wan sneaks around. Sneakily.
Oh, and here is Vader. Being not sneaky. And just kind of normal, as if he’s not stalking anyone just at the moment and is actually walking around to get from one place to another. It’s mildly disconcerting. Then he stops because he knows something is up, but is apparently not quite clear on what. Maybe he has to get killing-people authorization from Tarkin.
Obi-Wan sneaks some more, upping the suspense, and … back to the elevator. Han is now Gus Gloomyface (er, helmet) and is adjusting the binders around Chewie’s wrists, and insisting that the plan won’t work. Luke asks why he didn’t mention this earlier and Han says he did. Um, no, you didn’t, Han. You just complained generically.
They step out and exchange awkward stares with a bunch of Imperial guys stationed at a computery desk thing. This lead officer is wearing yet another colour uniform! … Black. He has four blue thingies on his insignia and looks vaguely Nazi-ish.
OFFICER: Where are you taking this . . . thing?
Every word out of his mouth oozes with contempt, but the last one is so smug and superior and condescending that you just want to smack him. But Han and Luke are keeping close grips on their guns and insulting Chewie is rarely beneficial to one’s health, so I’m not too worried about that.
Nobody was killed, so I don't think I need to update that.
Summing up:
(1) Obi-Wan can sense Luke's ~destiny~ in some way. Maybe.
(2) Luke idolizes Obi-Wan for little reason that we're aware of.
(3) Artoo goes spastic when he finds Leia. So does Luke.
(4) Obi-Wan apparently can't sense Leia's presence either.
(5) Luke obviously but effectively manipulates Han into helping him with the rescue, and comes up with a reasonably effective plan on the spot. Yeah, "cunning warrior" is totally in his future, and he'd have made a super creepy evil guy.
(6) The Imperial officers have different (monochrome) uniforms, signifying ... something.
(7) The newest officer, the one in Leia's detention area, is a racist jerk.