Why did the Rebels celebrate....

after destroying the first Death Star (in ANH)? You know, the award ceremony where Luke and Han got those medals on Yavin IV. Shouldn't they have been evacuating? I mean, I'm sure the Empire sent Star Destroyers and stuff were on their way...

it really doesn't matter, just nitpicking.

but... yeah.

Any thoughts?

 

It was the rebel's first major victory against the Empire.
As for the medal ceremony, if it weren't for Han and Luke, Yavin would have been destroyed and the Death Star would not have been destroyed.
I read the old Marvel comics long ago, but I believe they went scouting for a new base location soon after. I don't think Hoth was their first base after Yavin. I forgot how long they were on Hoth before TESB began.

 

If I remember THE ESSENTIAL CHRONOLOGY correctly, I think they were on Hoth for just about a year before they had to evacuate.

EDIT: Yup. Just checked. They were on Hoth for a year. What a bummer, too, because construction on Hoth Base had just been finally completed when they had to start packing up.

 

i doubt i'll find it online, but there is a funny "Foxtrot" comic featuring Jason and Marcus playing Hoth. Jason quotes the General Veers telling Vader they are going to fire, then he mimmicks the firing.

Marcus throws a snowball and hits the Imperial Walker, and it explodes into a million pieces. Jason shouts, "The Rebels on Hoth did not throw snowballs!"

Then Marcus retorts, "Well, obviously they SHOULD have!

one of my fav cartoons...

 

ticker tape war is over street parade

 

they celebrated because they weren't dead.

My preciousss...

 

They celebrated because the Death Star was destroyed.

 

It would have taken days at the earliest for any Imperial ISD to make it to Yavin IV. So they had a short while before they could expect Imperial ships, and they had the ceremony and got out under that timeframe. However, General Dodonna was captured on Yavin according to the EU, as he was overseeing the final evacuation plans when the Imps showed up.

 

All of the ANH visuals indicate that apart from small fighters based on the Death Star itself, there were no other Imperial ships present, and definitely no Star Destroyers. Thus, the Rebels logically would have time to have an awards ceremony before turning tail and getting out of Dodge.

But, the fact that the Imperials had found the base would logically mean that other Imperial ships might be within a short hyperspace-jump away from Yavin, and they could arrive at any time to sweep up the Rebels. Wouldn't this risk create a little sense of urgency on the Rebels' part?

 

The Empire didn't really arrive at Yavin 4 in force until about six months after the battle. The reason they waited for so long was because Vader was waiting for the Executor to be completed, so he could exact his vengeance on the Rebels.