A previous encounter is hinted at in the movie The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader says, "The Rebels are there and Skywalker is with them."
According to the movies alone, Darth Vader didn't know who Luke was when Vader tried to stop him during Luke's attack run on the Death Star. So how did Vader know his name at the beginning of Empire?
Time to turn to the books. Published in 1978, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, is said to be the first book George Lucas authorized after the release of Star Wars, A New Hope. It was written by Alan Dean Foster, a prolific science fiction writer whose most recent work includes the prequel trilogy Founding of the Commonwealth. (What's the deal with prequel trilogies anyway?)
With only A New Hope as his guide, Foster did an admirable job creating an adventure that fits nicely into the Star Wars universe as we know it today. There are a few inconsistencies, but they can be overlooked. For instance, Luke's feelings toward Leia could be considered incestuous now that we know they're brother and sister. But that revelation didn't come until five years after this book was written. Also, those feelings could be looked at as Luke's growing awareness, through the Force, of his closeness to Leia. It's a stretch, but we don't want to lose our suspension of disbelief.
Splinter takes place after the Battle of Yavin. The Rebels need to convince others to join them. Despite their victory, few are willing to openly join the fight against the Empire. Princess Leia Organa is sent to the planet, Circarpous IV, to represent the Rebellion in a meeting with the Circarpousian underground. Luke escorts her.
Of course, Luke and Leia can't get from Point A to Point B without zigzagging all the way. In this case, the detour encompasses the entire length of the book. They crash land (with R2-D2 and C-3P0) on the wrong planet, find out about the Kaiburr crystal and it's ability to enhance the power of the Force, and decide they need to find it before the Imperials do. Tension mounts throughout as Luke and Leia try to find a spaceship to get them to their meeting at the same time they are racing Darth Vader to gain possession of the crystal.
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