Which planets does the deathstar blow up first?!!!

I shall repeat this quote again:

"I have chosen to test it's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."

-Grand Moff Tarkin, Episode IV

THE DEATH STAR DOESN'T BLOW UP ANYTHING UNTILL EPISODE IV! WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT?!

 

Here's an even better quote:

Tarkin: "in a way, you have decided which planet will be destroyed first."


I wonder how the EUers explained their way out of this one.

 

Well said Plo_Koen. That just proves the Death Star doesn't blow up squat in Episode III. To put it simply, I've made up my mind that the Death Star's gonna be just in "Development Hell."

 

Oh, you people are no fun! Despayre RULES!!!

 

Continuity, also, RULES

 

Here's Bib Fortuna's explanation:

Alderaan was the first *public* target. Despayre was a test. (so I guess Alderaan was a *public* test, regarding Tarkin's dialogue?)



Whatever floats your boat, Bib.

 

Well, I'm not big on EU "canon" (see my sig).

But I can accept the fact that it's reasonable to assume that SOMEBODY tested out the laser on SOMETHING before the DS was complete. I mean, you don't just build a massive piece of a prototype like that without making sure it works first, especially when you're building it for a man who's reputed to destroy people he even likes without a second thought.

So, sure, Alderaan is the very first planet the DS destroyed. But could there have been something else destroyed by an incomplete death star or just the laser on it's own? Very likely.

Again, this is just speculation and logic. I have never read anything about "Despayre" or any of that stuff. It just seems reasonable to me that someone would test a massive weapon like that before sticking high ranking officials and thousands of troops on the thing (it could blow up, and that would be bad to kill off a Grand Moff). It's like car companies testing out new engines before even installing them in cars for the first time, or testing out said cars before even labeling as "safe for public use."

-Jomero

 

Esplin9466:

Oh, you people are no fun! Despayre RULES!!!

Is there really such planet in the SW galaxy. ? I doubt it.

 

Tarkin: "You may fire when ready."

Superlaser charges up, then stops for no apparent reason. Weapons operators scratch their heads and kick the control panels. A low-ranking officer walks up to Tarkin.

Officer: "Uh, sir, it appears we forgot to install the batteries. We'll need to return to Coruscant to pick some up."

 

LOL HawkNC!


The2ndQuest:

In the EU, Despayre was the penal colony world found in the Horuz system where the first Death Star was constructed. Despayre was destroyed during a test firing of the superlaser prior to the entire station coming online. (It occurs in the original X-Wing PC game).

So, Alderaan was still the first test of the fully operational Death Star, just not the first test of the superlaser itself.

Afterall, you would probably want to make sure something works first, before you use it in a "public" (or, as Tarkin put it an unremote "effective") demonstration. Imagine if Tarkin had given the command to fire on Alderaan and nothing happened? Or the resulting laser wasn't powerful enough to destroy the planet, merely damage it?

Alright. That's proof enough for me. But I doubt that Despayre will be mentioned in Episode III. I'll stick with my descision that Alderaan was the first and only planet to be destroyed by the fully operational Death Star.

 

No, I don't think it should be mentioned. It goes without saying that the DS must have been tested somewhere before it was used on Alderaan (to avoid that embarrassing battery dilemma ). It just happens that Alderaan was the only test that mattered.

 

Well said Dark_Lady_Mara. I very much agree with you.

 

Maybe it was something like Contact...

"Why build one, when you can build two at twice the price?"

One got finished before the other (or, as problems were encountered in DS 1.0, they were fixed for DS 1.5.)

I think Microsoft was in charge of the second DS. They copied the plans for DS 1, but decided to make it bigger, and changed the standards to something they could market...

"You don't need an on-board shield generator! We have a generator on-site. Just keep your Death Star in orbit around OUR planet, and wait for the other planets to pass by. By the way, all you really need is the big lasergun. Let's leave the other parts open to space. That way, we don't need all that silly life-support stuff, and it'll help cool down the lasergun after you fire it.

 

"Imagine if Tarkin had given the command to fire on Alderaan and nothing happened?"
I had a vision: remember ESB when the Falcon is on the run and Han tries to activate the hyperdrive "Watch this!" Falcon does a strange sound, nothing happens. "Watch what?" or was it "(still) no hyperdrive?" I can't remember which one was it, but probably next poster is going to correct me. I really should watch it again...

 

I think Microsoft was in charge of the second DS.



That was the problem the Imperial military had with so much of its ordnance. Too much contracting to Microsoft.