Praxium

The Tom Veitch Files

Yale’s Beinecke Library 1016 photographs

Original photograph

Tom Veitch archive photograph IMG_4386
IMG_4386.HEICZoom to read the original

Transcription

Automatic transcription · may contain errors

Dark Lords working notebook

[circled: 50] [margin, red ink: [uncertain: The monks, per KA's book + McQuarrie's?] art are a group sympathetic to the Jedi. they knew Obi-Wan + perhaps have some of his stuff. Bring in Jawas, sandcrawlers, sandpeople.] * Leia, Vima, and the children journey to Tatooine, to hide in a monastery (see Kevin’s book). There Vima translates the book of Jedi Battle Mediation, and teaches Leia about the ancient battle art. * When the Emperor traces her to Tatooine, Luke and his Jedi must rush to save her. [margin, red ink: ([uncertain: they tweak his flagship (Leavy Bros)?])] * The Emperor’s huge flagship orbits Tatooine. As Solusar, Wedge, and Lando prepare a commando mission to take or destroy the ship, Rayf, Brand, and Luke go to protect Leia. * Option of space battle over Tatooine, the capture of the ship. [margin, red ink: What about the "shield [uncertain: cruisers?]"?] * In the monastery, the Emperor gets in undetected, with the help of Jawa traders and/or sandpeople. He goes alone, or with one assistant. He is unafraid, full of power. He fully intends to take the child...or else die in this place and inhabit the child. Merciless confrontations with the disguised Emperor: Brand vs. the Emperor. The Emperor strips away his prosthetic gear and leaves him defenseless, then brutally annihilates Brand. Rayf vs. the Emperor. Rayf has a very special lightsaber, one that was found under Master Ood on Ossus. In a lightsaber battle with the Emperor he is defeated and killed. [margin, red ink: Kills Rayf right in front of Leia] [Adjacent page, cropped at right: * Empe[illegible] Medit[illegible] first[illegible] her [illegible] now, like[illegible] Empir[illegible] * vs. t[illegible] Luke[illegible] save[illegible] The E[illegible] thing[illegible] the [illegible] invit[illegible] at la[illegible] the [illegible] then, (Palp[illegible] for t[illegible] his [illegible] Eclip[illegible] * about[illegible] sudden[illegible] shoots[illegible] his b[illegible] (think[illegible] stage[illegible] saving[illegible] die.) * [illegible] preven[illegible] little[illegible] be [illegible] in...A[illegible] him. [illegible] spirit[illegible] magica[illegible] Nadd w[illegible] that [illegible] up...s[illegible] m o n a[illegible] charac[illegible] Empero[illegible]]

Read alongside the photograph, especially for handwritten passages. Bracketed notes may mark uncertain or illegible text.

Go to image

The Tom Veitch Files

On August 18, 2026, Praxis visited Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and photographed 1016 pages from the Tom Veitch papers. This collection brings those early drafts, unused stories, correspondence, and handwritten notes together for everyone to explore.

YCAL MSS 1368 · Boxes 3, 5, 42, 76, and 77

Box 3
Dark Empire and Tales of the Jedi correspondence, proposals, and annotated drafts.
Box 5
Lucasfilm approvals, contracts, Kevin J. Anderson correspondence, and audio adaptation material.
Box 42
Tales of the Jedi and Dark Lords of the Sith proposals, scripts, artwork, and proofs.
Box 76
Handwritten Star Wars drafts and the Log X notebook.
Box 77
Dark Empire, Dark Lords of the Sith, and Tales of the Jedi notebooks and plots.

The descriptions above follow Yale’s finding aid. These photographs are a selection from those boxes; individual images have not yet been assigned to exact boxes and folders. Image numbers follow photography order, with occasional gaps.

These are working papers: some ideas were approved, some changed, and some never reached publication. Most transcriptions are automatic; checked passages use the corrected text.

There’s plenty to explore. Have fun looking!