Welcome to Disney's Magic of Storytelling podcast, brought to you by Wake Med Children's, because inside every child is a story waiting to be told.
Our storyteller is ABC 11's Diane Wilson.
Star Wars, A New Hope, Escape from Darth Vader.
It was a time of war.
Rebel spies fought the sinister empire for control of the galaxy.
One of the rebels was named Princess Leia.
She had been given plans for the Empire's newest weapon, the Death Star.
Now Leia was on her starship heading home to Alderaan.
But she was not alone.
An Imperial ship was chasing her.
On board Leia's ship were two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO.
C-3PO was worried.
He didn't like being attacked.
We're doomed, he said as the starship shook.
There'll be no escape for the princess this time.
Suddenly, a loud blast rocked the ship.
It had been captured.
As the droids watched, the starship's main door blasted open.
Stormtroopers rushed in, swarming the ship.
The stormtroopers fired their blasters at the rebels, and the rebels fired back.
One by one, the rebels fell.
Soon the stormtroopers were in full control of the ship.
As the battle wound down, a mysterious figure emerged from the smoke.
It was Darth Vader.
In the commotion, R2-D2 slipped away.
Noticing that R2-D2 was missing, C-3PO set out to find his friend.
R2, where are you? he called.
Elsewhere on the ship, Princess Leia looked at the plan for the Death Star.
She knew she had to keep them safe.
If the Empire got the plans back, the Rebels wouldn't stand a chance.
Just then, R2-D2 appeared.
That gave Princess Leia an idea.
Princess Leia leaned over and began speaking to the droid.
She was recording a message for someone she had hoped could help her and the Rebel Alliance.
I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit.
She explained.
When Princess Leia was done with her message, she inserted the plan for the Death Star into R2-D2.
She then told him where to go.
Princess Leia was just finishing her instructions when C-3PO found R2-D2.
At last, she said, where have you been?
C-3PO pointed back at the stormtroopers.
They're heading in this direction.
What are we going to do?
But R2-D2 wasn't listening.
He turned around and zipped off towards the escape pods.
Princess Leia watched until she was sure R2-D2 was safe.
Then lifting her hood over her head, she crept into the shadows.
There was still a chance she could get away too.
Meanwhile, Darth Vader was speaking to one of his commanders.
The Death Star plans are not in the main computer, the commander reported.
That did not make Darth Vader happy.
Tear this ship apart until you found those plans, he ordered, and bring me the passengers.
The stormtroopers wasted no time.
They had not been searching long before they spotted Princess Leia.
She tried to escape, but she was not fast enough.
The troopers brought the princess Darth Vader.
I want to know what happened to the plans, he told her.
Princess Leia refused to speak.
Darth Vader ordered his commander to take her away.
He would get the truth out of her somehow.
But the plans in R2-D2 were about to leave the ship.
They were inside an escape pod.
You're not permitted in there, C-3PO told him.
It is restricted.
You'll be deactivated for sure.
R2-D2 just beeped at him.
Secret mission?
C-3PO asked.
What plans?
I'm not getting in there.
Just then, another explosion rocked the ship.
C-3PO hurried into the pod.
I'm going to regret this, he said.
The door slammed and the escape pod rocketed off into space.
A short while later, the pod landed on a desert planet called Tatooine.
Plans were safe, but the droid's adventures were just beginning.
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