8 Star Wars Prequel Moments George Lucas Planned Way Back In 1977

5. The Rebellion Was A Splinter Of The Senate

"When he became Emperor, little over half the Senate ... was not corrupted - and they reacted strongly against the whole thing. Most of these planets harboured great resentment to the Empire and the Rebellion was born of them." - Leia Organa

In the original history, as the Emperor tightened his grip on the Republic, he bribed and blackmailed his way to having half of the systems (24,372 by original count) in his pocket. These corrupt senators turned a blind eye as the Empire rose, leading to the totally-for-show Imperial Senate. Those on the other side first tried for political resolution but Darth Vader swiftly dealt with them, which led to an increasingly radicalised opposition.

A major subplot of Revenge of the Sith that was all but cut from the film (it still survives in the deleted scenes) dealt with the early seeds of the Rebellion in a similar manner. Featuring Padmé conspiring with Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and other future Rebels, it's the motivation for her otherwise out-of-the-blue comment on the Separatists legitimacy. It's not well explored in the final film, but the suggestion's definitely there.

Interestingly enough, the notes also shed some light on the scope of the Rebellion. The group who destroyed the Death Star are described as the militant branch, controversial to the point Bail Organa fell out with his daughter when she joined them (that sentiment was never explored beyond these notes).