Star Wars: Episode IV | Visual Guide -- Chapter 5: Vader Confronts the Princess

From the Screenplay

INT. REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER - HALLWAY

Princess Leia is led down a low-ceilinged hallway by a squad of armored stormtroopers. Her hands are bound and she is brutally shoved when she is unable to keep up with the briskly marching troops. They stop in a smoky hallway as Darth Vader emerges from the shadows. The sinister Dark Lord stares hard at the frail young senator, but she doesn't move.

Leia: Lord Vader, I should have known. Only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this, when they hear you've attacked a diplomatic...

Vader: Don't play games with me, Your Highness. You weren't on any mercy mission this time. You passed directly through a restricted system. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you.

Leia: I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan...

Vader: You're a part of the Rebel Alliance... and a traitor. Take her away!

Leia is marched away down the hallway and into the smoldering hole blasted in the side of the ship. An Imperial Commander turns to Vader.

Commander: Holding her is dangerous. If word of this gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion in the senate.

Vader: I have traced the Rebel spies to her. Now she is my only link to find their secret base!

Commander: She'll die before she'll tell you anything.

Vader: Leave that to me. Send a distress signal and then inform the senate that all aboard were killed!

Another Imperial Officer approaches Vader and the Commander. They stop and snap to attention.

Second Officer: Lord Vader, the battle station plans are not aboard this ship! And no transmissions were made. An escape pod was jettisoned during the fighting, but no life forms were aboard.

Vader turns to the Commander.

Vader: She must have hidden the plans in the escape pod. Send a detachment down to retrieve them. See to it personally, Commander. There'll be no one to stop us this time.

Commander: Yes, sir.

EXT. SPACE

The Imperial Star Destroyer comes over the surface of the planet Tatooine.

George Lucas, Writer/Director: "I felt that I needed to have a woman in the script. The interesting thing is she does get in jeopardy, but she is very capable of taking care of herself; she is a central character, and I didn't want to have three guys. It wouldn't have been nearly as interesting. She is a leader, and even though she gets captured, the guys are the ones who are fumbling around and being in trouble... I mean, they can't even rescue her!"
According to production reports, contract actors required for scenes on this set include Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Dave Prowse (Darth Vader), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Geddis (Captain Antilles), Al Lampert (Commander Jir) and George Roubicek (Commander Praji). The reports list another actor, Ken Hutchinson, whose part or role remains unclear.

[ Visual Guide -- Chapter 5: Vader Confronts the Princess ]