CT Why is there a battle on the Tantive IV when Vaders's troops board the ship?

Why is it, when the Empire board the Tantive IV in ANH, the troops on the Tantive IV adopt defensive positions and when the Empire's troops board the ship, a battle ensues?

Why doe this happen? Leia's cover story is that she is on a diplomatic mission for the Imperial Senate. To all intents and purposes her and her men are part of the Empire. Why not stick to this story rather than have a battle? For that matter, why are the Imperial troops boarding the ship in such an aggressive way? Why do they not just signal their intent to perform the (perfectly legal) act of boarding the ship?

 

they were resisting before they boarded them. the star destroyer and the tantive iv were exchanging fire in the opening. it makes sense that they'd use force when boarding too considering they had to get the craft to stop by tractor beam

 

Good point, didn't think about that.

Blimey, this was a short thread wasn't it??

 

I'm pretty certain that Captain Antilles informed the Devastator - which probably knew already - that the Tantive IV was a consular ship and protected by Imperial Senate's diplomatic immunity.

The Alderaan Royal Guards and/or Imperial Senate Guards just did the same job, they would have done, had the ship been attacked by space pirates or else. To protect the Ambassador and diplomatic immunity by preventing anybody to enter and seize the ship.

 

Because their ship is being boarded by hostile forces? And they have to protect Leia Organa? I think the cover story of "We're a peaceful convoy on a diplomatic mission!" went clear out the window when the Devastator started shooting at them, followed by Vader and the Stormtroopers boarding them thereafter.

 

At this point she is simply trying to use the ruse she did before which obviously worked.

Kind of futile at that point but she is an Imperial Senator and Vader was reminded afterwards and came up with the cover story that all aboard were killed.

Which of course they were (we just didn't see those grisly executions onscreen) save for Leia until they found out what they needed to know.

 

Of course? That's merely an assumption. We saw Leia's defenders being led away and being held up (in the background while Vader interrogated Captain Antilles). Quite possible they were sent along with their droids to the spice mines of Kessel and never heard from again.

 

Plus, I imagine that Lucas wanted a dramatic opening to the film.

 

Well that certainly isn't Captain Antilles for one.

Unless it's a different guy with the same name.

Either way they were gotten rid of. I don't see why Vader wouldn't just kill them like anyone else connected with the plans was from harmless Jawas to Owen and Beru.

 

The radio series had the Devastator challenge the Tantive IV over the planet where Princess Leia actually received the plans.

The Blockade Runner had already resisted orders to stop and jumped to lightspeed, in the reasonable expectation that they could not be followed. That is why, when followed, laser bolts were flying back and forth between both ships.

 

You were talking about "unseen executions", so I don't see the point to mention Captain Antilles.

Qui-Riv-Brid wrote

I don't see why Vader wouldn't just kill them like anyone else connected with the plans was from harmless Jawas to Owen and Beru.

The crew was probably dispersed throughout the Kessel mines (like what the US Navy did with the crew of the USS Liberty) to prevent their story being known. Assuming the Imperial Senate would have gotten wind of the actual events (its imminent dissolution not withstanding) the killing of the crew (I say Imperial Senate Guards) would have been a political disaster for Vader's "black ops" organization.

Also, Vader merely ordered Commander Praji not to attract attention (in the extended screenplay) in retrieving the plans. We can certainly argue whether Vader's order left Praji with little choice but to eliminate everybody who had gotten in touch with plans or whether Vader left the execution of the operation to Praji's imagination...

 

That's right. The radio series is so good.

Leia and Antilles initially thought they had escaped the Devastator. The Star Destroyer had surprised them while R2-D2 was outside the ship appearing to do repairs but actually receiving the plans. So the plans are in R2-D2 from the start - never the Tantive IV computers. The empire detects the transmission of the plans and orders the Tantive to surrender and be boarded. After escaping Leia informs Antilles they are making an extra stop to enlist the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi at Tatooine.

When Leia and company get out of hyperspace they are shocked to find the Devastator followed them. The hyperdrive for the Tantive gets knocked out immediately making escape impossible.

Antilles and Leia quickly come up with a plan.

- The only way the Star Destroy could have followed them is if an Imperial Spy is among the crew. The spy could be anyone meaning there is no one they can trust on board.

- This leaves the droids as the only option they can trust.

- Leia will use what time they have to find R2-D2 and give him secret orders and coordinates to find Obi-Wan Kenobi.

- To buy Leia time Antilles issues weapons to the crew with orders to repel boarders. He know they can't win but at this point they're all dead anyway - and every extra second of time is needed.

- From the command center Antilles monitors the battle, jettisons empty escape pods as if they are malfunctioning, and destroys evidence that could connect them to the rebellion or help the empire in anyway.


The Empire in short order takes over the Tantive. But the battle successfully delays the stormtroopers from getting to where Leia is. An Imperial Office insults Antilles for not fighting alongside his crew. From this Vader realises the entire battle was a diversion and plans are no longer onboard.

After the battle Leia is taken to the Death Star. The crew is executed and the Tantive blown up. The Senate would be told the ship malfunctioned and blew up in space taking its entire crew with it.

 

Leia's troops were stalling the Empire to give her more time to save the plans.

 

Jedi_Sith_Smuggler_Droid wrote

So the plans are in R2-D2 from the start - never the Tantive IV Computers.

That's the one thing where I (reluctantly) disagree with Brian Daley. Then, what was it Leia inserted into Artoo if not the Death Star plans?

IMPERIAL OFFICER The Death Star plans are not in the
main Computer.

SECOND OFFICER Lord Vader, the battle station plans
are not aboard this ship! And no
transmissions were made.

The Death Star plans are no longer in the main computer because they were apparently transferred to a carrier medium. And Praji just states that they were not forwarded by transmission to another location.

It seems to suggest, that Praji looked into the communication protocols of the Tantive IV (which is obviously how Daley interpreted it), but it can just as well be a statement in the sense "We monitored all transmissions from the Tantive IV and can exclude that the plans were transmitted some place else."

 

Good questions. I think the disc Leia puts in R2-D2 is the information on how to find the location of Obi-Wan Kenobi and identify him.

For security it also makes sense to never have the illegally obtained Death Star plans in the ship computer. What if someone else found them or they left behind some evidence even after being deleted? On the radio series anyway, while all the crew is supposed to be loyal to the rebellion and alderaan, most of them don't know they are on a mission to receive the Death Star plans and actually think the ship stopped in space for repairs with R2-D2 is outside the ship to make those repairs - not receive the plans.


The Devastator was able to detect the plans being transmitted to the Tantive, but didn't realize it was R2-D2 that was receiving them.

It does seem odd that R2 wouldn't immediately stay in Leia quarters or something for safety, but I think the idea was for everything to look totally normal and for the droids to go about their regular work.

 

Jedi_Sith_Smuggler_Droid wrote

I think the disc Leia puts in R2-D2 is the information on how to find the location of Obi-Wan Kenobi and identify him.

But there is a consistency problem: According to Daley Artoo went outside to receive the plans (he already has them) and Leia told him specifically the coordinates where to locate General Kenobi!

What is it Leia put into Artoo, according to Daley??? (add to this that these coordinates could have been memorized, no need for Leia to keep that "floppy disc" in her "handbag").

And then there is Vader who instantly "understands" that these transmitted plans have taken the form of a carrier medium that "must" have been hidden in an escape pod.

The way I see it the Death Star plans were "removed" from the main computer and Vader was certain these had taken the form of a carrier medium. How Praji arrived at the conclusion that the Death Star plans were not / no longer aboard is irrelevant.

• no transmissions (to another recipient) had been made
• the crew was either dead or taken into custody (and probably would have been strip-searched)
• the Tantive IV was about to be "vaporized" (and along with it any plans that might have been hidden elsewhere aboard)

leaving the escape pod the only element of uncertainty which is why Vader ordered a detachment to be sent down to retrieve the plans.

 

That makes sense.

That makes sense. In the movie it looks like disk is the Death Star plans. But lets say in the radio series the plans never were in the Tantavie computer. Leia may have given R2 more than just latitude and longitude numbers for Obi-Wan. The disk could have had maps of Tatooine and other info to help find Ben by the best possible route. I wonder how big those Death Star plans are?

 

Just took another look into the ANH radio drama novelization and realize that the "tapes" Leia inserts into Artoo are the Death Star plans.

Let's just say it's a bit complicated how they got there. Artoo is send outside with a special transceiver to receive the plans. How and were they are recorded is not made clear. Eventually Leia ends up with a "plaque" which Antilles suggests to have destroyed. The idea to use an escape pod then comes up, and finally Leia finds Artoo and inserts the "plaque" into him.

 

Thanks for checking on that. So it's the Death Star plans for sure and they were on "tapes." Maybe the data was never in the computer just on tapes - or maybe it was. Transferring data is so easy in 2016 on Earth it's easy to forget nothing like email, BlueTooth, or Thumb Drives existed in 1977. Star Wars is so perfectly ambiguous with it's technology it all still looks futuristic - but we may have things now that they actually don't in the movies. It really is amazing a futuristic movie from 39 years ago still looks futuristic.

Again thanks for checking on that - great detective work. I really enjoyed the radio series - especially mowing the lawn as teenager. I should listen to them again soon.