Author Topic: Death Star Survivors?  (Read 10574 times)

Offline Jesse James

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Death Star Survivors?
« on: May 5, 2003, 11:39 PM »
So, ya think?  

Star Wars Tech commentaries made mention of this possibility, and the game Force Commander also made mention of General Veers being a Colonel aboard the DS who escaped upon seeing the possible destruction of her.

The distance away that the Falcon, X-Wings and the one Y-Wing were could suggest that there was some time between the DS's explosion for some personnel to make it to shuttles or fighters and leave...

Veers' shuttle was damaged in the escape and he crashes on Yavin IV (He's a secondary goal in one of the missions you are commanding).

It's an interesting debate...  I personally feel several of the station's crew might've made their way to shuttles to bug out...  Guys like Bast who saw a distinct possibility in the station's destruction maybe were making early preps...

Your take?  What do you believe?  Think I'm nuts?  :)
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Offline JediMAC

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #1 on: May 6, 2003, 06:24 AM »
Think I'm nuts?  :)

Nuts?  Nah, nuts is pretty harsh Jesse.  Crazy maybe, but not nuts...   :D

Alright, I kid...   :P  Was there enough time for some Imperials to escape the Death Star prior to it's demise?  I probably wouldn't have thought so off the top of my head, but now that you've reminded me how far off the Falcon and Rebel fighters were when it blew, I'd have to say YES, there was enough time for some folks to escape if they were so inclined.  Did any?  I'd say doubtful - possible, but doubtful.  If any people of significance did escape, Lucas would've squeezed it into the story somehow, at least later on if not showing their Shuttle zipping away from the fireball.

Unless we're talking "sorta-kinda EU" here (which I think we probably are), in which case I'd say sure.  Any of them you'd like to escape, could've done so - except Tarkin, who wasn't going anywhere!  But if most of us prefer to believe that Boba Fett blasted his way out of the Sarlaac after getting munched by it, then we can certainly believe that a few of the brighter Imperial folks saw what was coming, and hopped a transport off the Death Star just in time (in the other direction of the good guys, thus not seen).  Certainly sounds feasible to me...

Offline MisterPL

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #2 on: May 6, 2003, 09:37 AM »
Once upon a time, a wrote a story called "Evacuate?" that took place in the blink of an eye.

It was a "what if" story that happened in the time it took Tarkin to reply to the Imperial Officer who warned "We've analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?"

For that brief moment, he imagines escaping the Death Star, rushing down corridors in a VIP speeder with his attendants. Explosions and general mayhem threaten to impede his flight, but he makes it to a landing bay and escapes in a shuttle. When the Death Star is obliterated, he is forced to confront the Emperor, who rewards his cowardice with a decidedly painful death. It's then that he responds, "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?" The end.

Was there time for personnel to flee the Death Star? Sure. Did any? Would you take your chances with Palpatine?
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #3 on: May 6, 2003, 04:13 PM »
I've thought about it, and I feel that at the moment Luke fires his torp, Impy's in the hangar areas maybe were inclined to bug out.

Tarkin I feel was likely too far from a hangar to escape, as most others were...  That and the fact a hangar only has so many vessels in it...

For instance, TIE's (for the most part) hang in racks that have to have an order in which ships leave.  IE: 36 TIE's in a rack cannot all leave at once...  Only the front 4, or whatever, can haul butt immediately, etc...  Plus if you factor in the idea that tractor beams guide fighters in and out of hangars then it kills almost ALL thought of TIE's manually leaving.

A shuttle though with maybe the immediate personnel hauling butt kinda seems neat.

To me in my lil SW world, I accept the Force Commander storyline that Veers was a Col. aboard the DSI.  He took a shuttle upon the station's imminent destruction (When Luke launched the torp) and punched it...  It suffered damage in the shockwave and he crashed it on Yavin IV (Where you as an up and coming officer must send a party to rescue and protect Veers).

I'm not so sure Bast made it out (That is the guy who warned Tarkin about the possible loss).  Tech Commentaries really thought it out in a rationale sense...  They seemed to feel people like himself would've had a means of escape established because they knew of the danger.  I didn't detect a ballsy maneuver like that being within Bast's personality.  He seemed like a smart guy, but one who listened to his CO (Tarkin).

On the other hand, he did analyze their attack.  He said so.  Which implies he was taking some initiative about the attack, to learn just what the REAL danger was.

I sort of want to go with Bast escaping, but could you imagine the trouble HE would've been in?  His direct CO was Tarkin!  He would've left his CO basically.  

Veers on the other hand wasn't directly under Tarkin's orders, so maybe Veers (and some others, possibly even in the thousands of personnel?) were ordered by their CO to try and fill shuttles to escape.

It is reasonable to assume they KNEW the torps had gone in the exhaust port though, and that distance thing with the surviving rebels really makes me wonder...

Plus, you'd not be able to see the ships trying to leave the DS because they'd be substantially closer.  But then comes the question of how many of them didn't escape the blast....  A whole other topic.  

I'm one who runs with the "some survived" idea...  I've never liked the thought that EVERYONE died.  They maybe weren't important at all (Veers would be slightly), but some maybe did.

Always fun to speculate I always say...  
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Offline JediMAC

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #4 on: May 6, 2003, 05:42 PM »
Always fun to speculate I always say...  

It certainly is...  So with that said, how many people hopped planet when the Death Star lined up Alderaan in it's cross hairs...?  Think Mr. Hill Street Blues did?   ;D

Offline dustrho

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2003, 12:35 PM »
I highly doubt there was enough time for ANYONE on that Death Star to escape their doom.
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Offline DSJ™

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2003, 12:57 PM »
I say they all blew up real good!  ;D

Offline FX-7

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2003, 02:53 PM »
Luke made it out as the thing was exploding why couldn't anyone else
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Offline Darth Broem

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2003, 03:24 PM »
I would think the Imps on board would not evacuate.  The only ones that might evacuate were people in the know.  Such as whomever that guy was that came up to Tarkin and suggested to have a Shuttle ready.  Even that guy was saying it as a precaution "There is a danger..."  but not imminent.  I doubt they really thought the whole Death Star would blow.  If anyone did escape it was minimal at best.  

Offline MisterPL

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2003, 04:29 PM »
If anyone did escape it was minimal at best.  

No, I'm pretty sure the only guys left by the time Luke blew the place up was Tarkin, a couple lackeys, and that poor S.O.B. who kept saying "Stand by."

In the DVD release, there will be a scene extension where Luke misses on his first run and has to double back. Tarkin realizes his life's in danger and decides to take his Officer up on his offer of evacuation. Trotting through deserted halls, Tarkin asks, "Where the hell is everyone?" "Oh they left about half an hour ago, sir," replies Bast, "but enough chit-chat. We need to hur-"

Boom.
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Offline Muftak

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2003, 04:52 PM »
I'm pretty sure the only guys left by the time Luke blew the place up was Tarkin, a couple lackeys, and that poor S.O.B. who kept saying "Stand by."

Actually, that "stand by" guy is the one who makes me think no one got out alive, with the possible exception of Bast and his people.

If there was substantial time between Luke's shot and the explosion, then wouldn't the superlaser have been charged and fired its shot before the explosion?

The only way I see out of that dilemma is in an explanation like events that we saw happening at the same time really didn't.* In effect, Luke didn't fire his torpedo as the guy was saying "stand by", but minutes beforehand. It was only cut together for dramatic purposes.

*And of course, I say "really" knowing fully well none of this really happened anyway.

Offline Scott

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2003, 05:05 PM »
I think FX-7 has a good point there...Luke made it out of the DSII hanger while the whole thing was exploding, fire shoots out the hanger yadda yadda yadda.  People in the hanger bays, getting ready to launch etc may have heard an evacuation alarm and made it out, TIE's probably didn't get out of the blast area but shuttles and other craft may have made it

Offline JediMAC

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2003, 06:20 PM »
*And of course, I say "really" knowing fully well none of this really happened anyway.

Huh?  What do you mean it didn't really happen Bobb?!?   ???

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2003, 08:04 PM »
Next thing ya know, he's gonna say the Easter Bunny's fake...   ::)  

I was thinking about that point that Luke got out of the DSII while it was blowing up as well...  A good point that some individuals who either KNEW of the threat and hauled butt to a nearby hangar, or those already in the hangars may have gotten out...

Col. Veers' got out in a shuttle in the game, and it crashes due to damage incurred during his escape (Not canon, but food for thought and something I personally accept as "my canon" and my basis for the post actually).  The shuttle takes damage, crashes, you protect him.

The cutting of the footage also is of interest...  I'd say things weren't necessarily happening in that exact order, but they very well could have also.  I'm gonna go with the "dramatic effect" thing...  

One bit of evidence that backs up the "distance" theory of the X-Wings/Y-Wing/Falcon from the Death Star is that the Torp is moving at a specific speed when it exits Luke's fighter...  It has to travel DOWN the exhaust port ALL the way to the center of the DS, impact, and then a resulting internal explosion occurs (An explosion that, technically, should be no different than that of the DSII where we saw individuals actually ride the shockwave out).

This leads me to believe that, at the least, the moment the shot is fired and goes IN the exhaust port that it's got a certain ammount of time NECESSARY for it to get to the center and explode then for the full explosion of the DSI to take place...

One thing necessary to come up with that exact evidence would be knowing the approximate speed of the torp (It wasn't going fast  though, as it can be made out in shots), and then the other thing needed would be the distance to the DS's core...

That's a lot of specifics, but just guessing I'd think it left for SOME time for shuttles to load up with whoever was nearby then punch it out of the hangars like Luke did in ROTJ...

The ability or possibility of a warning then would come into play, or the possibility that more reserved officers like Bast had given hangar officers a "heads up" sort of that let them know to keep an eye on the battle possibly, and leave if they saw that the shot had been made...

My head hurts.
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Offline MisterPL

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Re: Death Star Survivors?
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2003, 09:12 AM »
Also, in the DVD release the part of the "stand by" guy will be played by Bill Gates as he watches a progress bar slowly creep across his PC monitor.  8)

First of all, any TRUE fan wouldn't question the reality of Star Wars, the greatest documentary ever made ever in history ever. (Needed to put that to bed.)

Second, I think it's definitely possible that there were survivors from the Death Star, though there were probably even MORE from the Death Star II. I mean, if I were stationed aboard that thing during a battle, knowing what I do about the first station's demise, I'd make sure I was conveniently close to a shuttle bay or escape pod.

(And why'd they call it "Death Star II?" Is that what jinxed it? Isn't that like naming your cruise ship "Titanic II?" Really, is the Empire THAT devoid of originality? Clone mentality...)
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