ANH plot hole?

From a post on rec.arts.movies.past-films:

"Just after our heroes make their escape from the Death Star.

Leia warns that their escape was too easy, and that the Falcon is probibly being tracked by the Imperial forces in the hope that the heroes will lead them to the hidden rebel base.

This is, remember, a vital secret base, the location of which Leia wouldn't give up even under torture and threats to her homeworld.

So what do our heroes do? They fly straight to that hidden base in their tracked ship, bringing the Death Star down upon the Rebels there and precipitating a desperate battle for which there was no need."

Any thoughts?

 

I figured it was because the information was vital and Leia wanted to make sure they got to the rebels asap, seeing as how she'd already seen the devastation caused by the Death Star. Hopping around in an attempt to lose them might have resulted in more planets getting destroyed.

 

Also, in leading the Death Star right to Yavin, the rebels had an easier time destroying it. Since the Death Star followed them to Yavin and was hovering right outside the planet, it made a much shorter trip for the rebels to take. Rather than fly about the galaxy for a considerable time and risk getting blown up by the Empire, they only had to leave Yavin's atmosphere, fly for a bit, and then start the fighting.

 

It was a desparate act made in a desparate time.

 

How strange is that? That same question popped into my head at work the other day, then I forgot about it before I had a chance to post Yup, seems a little insensitive on Leia's part to me too, but like Go-Mer said, desperate times call for desperate measures...

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The force told Leia that Luke would destroy the DS, so she had nothing to worry about.

 

Here's how I always thought of it ...

At the point in time that Alderaan was destroyed, Leia didn't know that her message (via R2) made it into friendly hands. Thus she wants to protect the hidden base at all costs.

Once she hooks up with our heros, she takes the plans back to Yavin. This lures the Death Star there, hoping the Empire doesn't go out and get a ton of Star Destroyers first to protect it. The Rebels then attack a most un-defended Death Star, and blow it up.

 

Besides the matter of time, we have no real way of knowing if the Falcon went straight to Yavin, or if it jumped to a number of other locations to lose the Imperials.

 

I never really thought about that; that is kind of strange. But yeah, I think the Han explanation and "desparate times" explanation worked. It was a huge gamble on Leia's part, but it worked.

 

Besides the matter of time, we have no real way of knowing if the Falcon went straight to Yavin, or if it jumped to a number of other locations to lose the Imperials.
yeah we do, because the DS followed them, so they went straight there....

Anyway, this topic has been brought up before, in fact- i think i made the thread.
BUT, i do think this is a serious hole. Even if Han didnt think the ship was being tracked or whatever- Leia could of had them stop ANYWHERE, pick up another ship and get Artoo to Yavin 4. Or call someone and have them pick up Artoo, while the Falcon leads them half way around the galaxy.

BUT, on the other hand- we wouldnt have the story and maybe the force willed this to happen so luke could help Vader/Anakin bring balance to the force....?

 

They had to stop the Death Star before other innocent planets were destroyed. That was more important than the current location of the secret Rebel base.

 

yeah we do, because the DS followed them, so they went straight there....

The fact that the DS followed them does not automatically mean that they went straight there. They could have led them on a series of hops through different systems, etc.

I agree with the above posters that Han and Leia may have had differing approaches to the question: Han did not believe they were being tracked, and he would have wanted to go directly to the rebels so he could get paid and be on his way. Leia was more cautious about being tracked, but at the same time she knew that their only hope was to get to Yavin ASAP, analyze the plans and mount an attack on the DS. The natural conclusion would have been to go to Yavin after a minimum of fuss, maybe a couple of hyperspace jumps at the most. The imperials could have made the jumps after them, or they could have simply waited until the homing beacon stopped jumping between systems, and then followed the Falcon to its final destination of Yavin.

I think the most telling sign that the Falcon made few if any extraneous jumps is that Vader says "This will be a day long remembered, it has seen the end of Kenobi, it will soon see the end of the Rebellion." Thus, Kenobi's death and the Falcon's escape from the DS happened within a day of the battle of Yavin. Admittedly a day may be different in the GFFA and who knows how they calculated it. However, I think the viewer is meant to believe the Falcon went straight to Yavin, without stopping.

Of course they would not think of stopping anywhere else along the way to switch ships - even if Leia suspected they were being tracked, trying to hire a new transport would be too much of a security risk. Plus Han wasn't going to let his clients go without getting paid, and the money was at Yavin.

Finally, I agree with 3263827's point that they would want to lure the DS to Yavin quickly before the imperials had a chance to amass a large fleet and create a Hoth-like situation.

 

If they hopped from system to system, I think they would of researched the plans in Artoo or contacted someone about whats going on.

Also, if they were luring the DS to Yavin 4- i would hope they would of evacuated most of the personal and equipment before they showed up. Which, of course, they didnt.

Stupid rebels. How did they ever win? LOL...

 

There didn't seem to be any more Rebels on Yavin 4 except those needed to fly and support the rebel fighter ships, and plan the attack. (Except for the final medal ceremony, where there are a heck of a lot more guys, I don't know where they came from).

 

3131, it was the ewoks that saved the rebels remember? thank the force for them. (goes to start a new ewok bashing thread)