SW Death Star Questions (possble spoilers)

[stopbush]

So, at the end of Episode III, Vader & the Emperor are looking out the window of their cruiser, watching the initial construction of the Death Star.

My question: did it take 20 years to build the Death Star? After all, Luke was just born at the end of Episode III, and the full power of the DS isn't tested until Ep IV when they destroy Alderan. How old is Luke in SW IV?

And if it took so long to build the first DS, how come the Empire has another one fully operational by the end of ROTJ?

[Ready4Change]

1. 2nd was already under construction?

Or perhaps the first was a prototype. When done, they'd figured out the design, and could construct the 2nd faster?

[lenidog]

6. That doesn't work out

When Lucas decided he was no longer ever going to make the last three of his story arc. He let various authors continue the universe with the clause that he got to look at what was being written before it was published and they followed certain guidelines where he wanted the universe to go. As the story goes whe find out that Moff Tarkin was in charge of a secret think tank where the Death Star was created and where the prototype was built which was more or less a shell which held the super laser and its control euipment. Then he went off and built the original leaving them behind to keep on building other weapons. The other Death Star was built after the first one was destroyed correcting the faults that led to the first ones demise.

[LSdemocrat]

12. Lucas doesn't feel bound by the novelizations outside the films

While he may sanction the non-film books, he has stated that the only official storyline is what is in the films. Therefore if you go to the Databank on starwars.com there are separate sections for the films and what is called the "Expanded Universe"

[lenidog]

19. Which is a total reversal of what he said when he originally

allowed them to be created starting in the late 80s and 90s. I think like the creator of the "X-Files" Lucas has gotten so mired in his vision that he has forgotten what he was actually doing.

[dhinojosa]

2. They got better at it....

Now everytime a Sith shits theres a new Death Star!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I thnk Luke was about 18 in IV.

But even if tt took that long to build the first Death Star, once you've built your first one, you've gotten the hang of it and it's a lot easier to build more.

[smiley_glad_hands]

4. Why build just one when you can build two? eom

[lenidog]

5. Real simple George Lucas doesn't remember what he wrote in the

original movies and he seems not to give a damn about the original anymore.

[AngryLizard]

7. God Help Me for Knowing This

Luke and Leia were 20 during Ep IV. My novelization of Star Wars is 15 years old and falling apart.
Yeah, you heard me.

I actually thought that either some time had passed before that last scene, or it was just a prototype out there in the middle of nowhere. No big whoop. But I'm planning on getting the novelization to this last one (let's not get into my obsession with novelizations, okay?), so I'll let you know next week.

[Dukkha]

8. The Death Star was first used 20 years later

to destroy Alderaan. That doesn't necessarily mean it took that long to build. We know Palpating is very patient and waits for the right opportune time to execute his plans. Maybe they had design issues with th primary weapon and went through other contractors to get it completion and went offline for a while.

The Galactic Empire already had the design plans when it was destroyed in EPIV so it took them only 4 years to get as far as they did on Death Star 2.0

[lenidog]

9. But in the ROTJ its larger and the design problems in the first one has

been fixed. So its not the same design. Basically Lucas screwed up again. He seriously needed to hire someone to remind him of what he had done before.

[DerekG]

10. Its long construction, whatever the case, lends more power to IV

Now we see that the Death Star was absolutely integral to the framework of the Empire; and how great the blow was that Luke and co. delivered.

Hell, just seeing Tarkin again merited said scene's inclusion.

[UdoKier]

11. Absolutely one of the best things in Ep IV

Here's the guy they apparently used for General Tarkin in Ep III




And the legendary Peter Cushing in Ep IV




They don't make 'em like that anymore.

[DerekG]

15. How does Fett get more love from the fans than Tarkin?

The Grand Moff has Vader on the proverbial leash, orders the destruction of Alderaan, AND leaves the saga in dignified repose; Fett gets about four lines and is wasted in a manner befitting Larry, Curly, and Moe.

[UdoKier]

17. It's nostalgia.

Fett doesn't speak, he's got a badass costume with gadgets. Basically the coolest thing there is in the eyes of a 9-year old.

It's not until we're a bit older that we appreciate the likes of Tarkin.

[AmyDeLune]

20. Wayne Pygram!!!

AKA "Scorpius" from Farscape. :D

[Ready4Change]

22. I THOUGHT that's who that was.

Dang. Good Tarkin.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

27. Wayne Pygram was Tarkin???

Now I have to see the movie again. I totally missed him the first time.

[Generic Guy]

13. I was wondering the same thing.

Of course in Jedi the DS was only like 3/4 built.

[SideshowScott]

14. How do we know WHEN the death star was completed?

It could have been done years before Ep 4..Or had major problems that had to be worked out..Its just a movie, You really should relax. I loved Sith..It made me forget the other two

[Beware the Beast Man]

16. The Battle Station Workers Union Local 436 went on a long, bitter strike.

The negotiations lasted years. Then the Stormtroopers killed them all, and then they hired non-union. This is the Empire, after all. :P

[Kool Kitty]

18. Either that, or

they worked out all the kinks with the first one, and got it down to a science. They were gonna just pop those babies out. Besides, didn't the Emperor send Darth to oversee the work on the second Death Star? Didn't Darth say that they better start making it snappy or he'd have to start finding "new ways to motivate them"? (Holy shit-I know every word of all of those films. That confirms it-I am a hopeless SW geek.)

[dorktv]

21. Okay the Death Star is a giant weapon that had never been created before?

Well it probably needed to be worked on for a long time because of lots of design flaws, scheduling problems, equipment shortages and were they not still dealing with a war at the time? There are lots of reasons for a weapon like the Death Star to take forever to build. BUT once they have a completed design with all the kinks worked out, it could easily be fixed. Compare it to building the first atomic bomb. It was not done over night but once they figured it out, bam! Like making cupcakes.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

23. Where have I seen this question asked before....?

Hmm...

[Guy Fawkes]

24. Death star in New Hope is the second?

and ROTJ is the third?

[Zuni]

25. have to think about it

:P

[The_Casual_Observer]

26. My question: did it take 20 years to build the Death Star?

My question: who cares?