SYNOPSIS
Above the arid world of Tatooine, an Imperial Star Destroyer is pursuing a Rebel spacecraft, firing on it. The hull is breached and Stormtroopers being pouring in, firing at will. In the mayhem, R2-D2 and C-3PO head through the blaster bolts and flames toward safety.

On the planet below, young Luke Skywalker watches the battle through his macrobinoculars before leaping in his landspeeder and racing off to tell his friends in Anchorhead.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader demands information of the stolen data tapes from a rebel. He fails to comply and Vader chokes him.

Threepio stumbles onto Princess Leia fiddling with Artoo. When Artoo takes off and starts babbling about 'a mission', Threepio begins to fret his freedom. They make their way to an escape pod and are jettisoned into space. Princess Leia is not so lucky, as Stormtroopers stun her before she can make an escape.

In Anchorhead, Luke races in to tell Fixer and Camie the news about the battle and is surprised to see his old friend Biggs Darklighter. They look up at the ships in the sky, but see no battle and remind Luke that the rebellion is a long way from Tatooine.

Leia is brought before Vader, who threatens her to reveal the whereabouts of the stolen data tapes. When she stands her ground, Vader orders one of his commanders to send a detachment down to the planet to retrieve them.

On Tatooine, Artoo and Threepio wander across the Jundland wastes but decide to separate. Artoo is tracked by Jawas, stunned, restrained and taken to their awaiting sandcrawler.

Back at Anchorhead, Biggs confesses to Luke that he plans to jump ship and join the Rebellion. Luke is resigned to being stuck on Tatooine the rest of his life. They part company until someday.

On board the Death Star, a group of Imperial officers are discussing the merits of the battle station. Grand Moff Tarkin interrupts Commander Tagge, letting them know that the Senate has been dissolved and the stolen tapes will soon be back in their hands. Admiral Motti is vocal about his doubts that Vader can conjure up the tapes, but after Vader uses a Force choke on him, he ceases bickering.

The jawas, who have captured Threepio as well, unload their wares outside the Lars moisture farm. Owen and his nephew, Luke, pick out Threepio and another R2 unit, but when the R2's motivator explodes, they replace him with R2-D2. Luke begins to clean them up before dinner and finds part of a message for an 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'. He thinks it might be for old Ben.

Luke brings the message up with his aunt and uncle at dinner. His uncle becomes very upset at his mention of the old hermit and orders him to get the droids memories wiped. Luke storms off and Beru chastises Owen for keeping him here. She says there's just too much of his father in him. Owen tells her that's what he is afraid of.

Finding Artoo missing from the garage, Luke blames himself, but doesn't risk going out at night. He rises early the next day and takes Threepio with him to find the little droid. Elsewhere on the desert planet, a squad of Stormtroopers discovers the escape pod and realizes that there were droids inside.

Luke guides his landspeeder into a canyon, unaware that he is being watched by Sandpeople. They locate Artoo and he gives off a warning signal that there are creatures approaching. Luke makes his way onto a plateau to get a better look and is attacked by one of the Tusken Raiders. He falls to the rock as the Tusken Raider raises his gaffi stick for the kill.