CT Was the Battle of Yavin originally supposed to break the Empire permanently?

darklordoftech

Not exactly. My authentic 4th draft from March 15, 1976 has it and it reflects the almost same wording in the ANH novelization:

(Tarkin) "That known, we will proceed to it and destroy it utterly, crushing this pathetic rebellion in one swift stroke."

"As the Emperor wills it," Vader added , not without sarcasm, "so shall it be."

If any of the powerful men seated around the table found this disrespectful tone objectionable, a glance at Tagge (who got choked in the novelization) was sufficient to dissuade them from mentioning it.

 

I checked and you're correct that it's in the revised fourth draft/shooting script.

 

The Dark Lord of Technology took the words right out of my mouth. Also, Lucas admits that he came up with various ideas, which, of course, others revised and amended, and by the time he got to ROTJ, his material was rather thin. That's why he made a second Death Star.

When I first saw ANH during 1995, I thought that the Rebels had destroyed the Empire. Therefore, I was surprised to see Imperial ships at the beginning of TESB. I thought that only Vader survived. I imagine that I was't the only person who drew that conclusion as a child.

 

I always figured the Emperor was controlling the galaxy before the Death Star through a combination of patronage and Imperial Force. He had enough Star Destroyers to keep trouble systems inline. But the majority of the galaxy just went along with what was going on. There was a the illusion of a working senate and freedom still at play. The Empire could not rule this way forever, but they didn't need to. Once the Death Star was built no planet would dare rebel for fear of total destruction.

The one time use and then destruction of the Death Star must have been a huge blow to the Empire. And it was much harder for star systems to not see what was going on so a huge number joined the rebellion. There may have even been a period of time when it looked like the Empire could topple. No doubt the Emperor was scrambling to keep control and this helped the more centralized rebels slip through the cracks and raise funding and gather supplies. Maybe this is when the Mon Calamari were able to have a starfleet.

Ultimately the Empire was able to keep control and amass enough resources to build a second Death Star. Where some people say Death Star II is an easy redo of the first Death Star, I don't think it is. The first Death Star was to control the galaxy. The second Death Star was a giant piece of cheese in the galaxy's biggest trap. The second Death Star was built to force the rebels to a massive show of force that could wipe them out decisively with a working Death Star left behind.

 

The newcanon novel Battlefront: Twilight Company depicts the Rebels as launching their own campaign, which claims a big chunk of Imperial space, before the Empire starts pushing them back and forcing them to abandon the planets they've gained.

 

Jedi_Sith_Smuggler_Droid wrote

The second Death Star was a giant piece of cheese in the galaxy's biggest trap.

I'm pretty confident it was for real and not just bait.

In ANH the Emperor had first permanently dissolved the Imperial Senate and second destroyed the peaceful planet of Alderaan as a demonstration - there was a point of no return and an absolute reliance on the new Death Star or the "Tarkin Doctrine".

With the destruction of the first Death Star this (unproven) concept had failed, thus the Empire went for a second try. If I imagine what would have happened, had the Alliance lost at Endor, I wouldn't want to be near any planet that had openly supported the Alliance...

 

But the first mission of the new Death Star was to lure in the Rebels to wipe them out. After the battle the Imperial could finish the Death Star. But I don't think it was mobile in Return of the Jedi. The trick was the prime weapon still worked. But at the time of the Battle of Endor - it was not a working Death Star yet, and could only actually be used as part of a trap. So yes, it was a real Death Star but couldn't really be used as one yet.

 

Jedi_Sith_Smuggler_Droid

I absolutely concur. Maybe I misunderstood your post. It sounded to me as if the second Death Star had only been constructed to serve as a trap for the Alliance.

 

Whether or not the Empire was destroyed, killing Tarkin certainly boosted morale. Tarkin was perhaps the most hated being in the galaxy next to Sheev himself.

 

...and I'd presume that Admiral Motti also didn't have the best of reputations.

 

I was going to edit that into my post. A wreckless fascist like him being so close to the nuclear button must have scared people.

 

Never though of that before. You're right. It seems the Empire's main brain trust was taken out with the first Death Star. In the movies anyway we don't see any Imperial Officers after that with as much initiative or power.

Perhaps that was a good thing for the Emperor. Less chance of someone causing trouble from within.

 

Vader was likely given complete control of the Imperial mulitary as a result. Sheev probably lost faith in the technocrats that had been the face of his Empire.

 

darklordoftech

That makes sense. I doubt Tarkin needed any one to motivate him like Moff Jerjerrod did. So even the second Death Star was ultimately completed by Darth Vader. The early drafts for Return of the Jedi had Vader and Jerjerrod vie against each other for power. Funny after A New Hope I actually feel sympathy for any officer that works with Darth Vader. I didn't feel that for anyone on the Death Star.

 

Not even General Taggi? Or Commander Number One ("Bast")?

 

I wonder if Motti is related to Tarkin. Motti seems young and inexperienced yet high-ranking.

 

The Empire no doubt suffered a heavy blow following the destruction of the Death Star. Worlds becoming increasingly restless and the reprisals would place a great deal of pressure on the Neutral star systems. The Mon Calamari who were not depicted before this assumed greater prominence within the Rebel Alliance with no Imperial Navy harassing their ships. The creation of the Death Star II may have been an attempt to expand the military to the former glory days of pre Yavin. Back then it was uncontested in the Galaxy and all those planets fighting against it were in disarray and routinely worked with fugitives.

The Moffs could very well be pleading with Emperor Palpatine to build the Death Star in order to keep their rule intact. It is quite possible the Emperor remains the most powerful warlord in the Galaxy without needing the Death Star. The requirement of enforcing the rule of the Empire with the military and restore order to the Galaxy is what undermines his very power. The Rebel Alliance had dozens of informants finding out about the Death Star so it was no secret.

We really don't know if the Moffs that were pushing for the stations construction were aware that the Emperor new the Rebel Alliance would be showing up to ruin their opening. In fact if I remember correctly nobody on board did understand why the Emperor and Darth Vader wanted work on the station to be complete promptly.

 

Definitely not Tagg.

Because of the Clone Wars I do feel bad for Wullf Yularen. But not from what we see in A New Hope.

 

Inexperienced? I wouldn't count on that. Have you noticed that among the top brass officers (Tarkin, Taggi) he is the only one wearing an ammunition belt? In my headcanon I refer to him since as the "cowboy".

I would rather think he is the General Veers type. Ambitioned, competent, sky-rocketed through the ranks. And he has a special infatuation with the Death Star. Understandable. If he send troops into ground battle and would loose he'd have to answer for that, thus prefers the ultimate WMD which would end such concerns. Would really love to know what the young George Lucas thought about this character's background.

That's what your uncle (EU) told you. I posted something addressing the issue in the costume thread: http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...ep-vii-spoilers.50024351/page-6#post-53295588

 

He called The Force a "sad devotion to an ancient religion."

 

darklordoftech

Clearly listened to too much propaganda and the erasure of historical facts.

Tarkin also referred to Vader as the "last of their religion". They probably believed it's just simple tricks and nonsense (like Solo)

 

The non-Force-using Palpatine that GL envisioned when making ANH likely would have said "Impossible. The Death Star is the ultimate power in the universe," when he heard about what happened at Yavin.