# Star Wars: How did the Rebels get the death star plans in ANH?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 26, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662 "2005-05-26T20:55:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/21 "2005-05-28T01:00:21Z")
> [@HPL](#):
>
> Also, both show glaring flaws in Imperial Security. If I had a giant battlestation capable of blowing up planets but only had a single flaw, I’d have as few copies of the plans as possible lying around. I’d have maybe one in a secure vault on corsecant, and other in the hands of guy in charge of building the damn thing. Having one in a poorly defended outpost in the middle of nowhere guarded by a bunch of rent-a-cop stormtroopers seems…incredibly stupid. Hell, later in the game Kyle has to break into a heavily fortified vault on Corescant, which would have been a perfect place to keep the plans.
Well, if you’ll recall, Imperial security is so lax that a random R2 unit can not only plug into any old data port and gain access to information stored in the central computer (prisoner locations, etc.), but it can also override what are presumably regularly scheduled operations. Heck, even M$ doesn’t build software with so many security holes! 😉
---
### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/22 "2005-05-28T01:24:10Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#):
>
> Well if **I** had a giant battlestation capable of blowing up panets that had a single flaw, I’d spend an extra hundred bucks on a sturdy metal gate to put outside that flaw.
My impression was that they didn’t know about the flaw. Remember after they were already engaged with the rebels as they were approaching Yavin, an officer approached Tarkin and said “We’ve analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?”
---
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/23 "2005-05-28T01:36:09Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> Heck, even M$ doesn’t build software with so many security holes! 😉
If they did, the Death Star would destroy planets by crashing into them.
And it’d ask if you wanted to send an Annihilation Report.
---
### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/24 "2005-05-28T02:55:51Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#):
>
> It’s been awhile since I’ve seen _ANH_, but I believe Mon Mothma’s line about this was “…many Bothans dies to bring us [these plans]”.
Hey, now that I think about it, there’s a slight possibility that this was actually in RotJ. 🙂
And apparently, my friends and I wound up ripping off an old [_PvP_ comic](http://www.pvponline.com/archive.php3?archive=20020221).
---
### Author:  [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/25 "2005-05-28T03:47:33Z")
> [@Dooku](#):
>
> My impression was that they didn’t know about the flaw. Remember after they were already engaged with the rebels as they were approaching Yavin, an officer approached Tarkin and said “We’ve analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?”
This is what I’ve always assumed. The flaw just kinda slipped past everyone’s notice. Then, during the attack, that one officer grabbed the schematics, saw what was at the end of that trench, and said, “Oh, crap.”
---
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/26 "2005-05-28T03:51:59Z")
> [@Diceman](#):
>
> This is what I’ve always assumed. The flaw just kinda slipped past everyone’s notice. Then, during the attack, that one officer grabbed the schematics, saw what was at the end of that trench, and said, “Oh, crap.”
Was his name “Ensign Ricky”?
---
### Author:  [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/27 "2005-05-28T04:20:15Z")
Rest assured that Lucas films will release a series of novels, a couple of anime-style comics and a full-length cartoon movie describing how the rebels gets their hands on the Death Star plans, while ignoring everything else that has been written, be it EU or games.
---
### Author:  [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/28 "2005-05-28T04:35:06Z")
Vader capturing Leia: You weren’t on any mercy mission this time. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by rebel spies. I want to know what became of the plans they sent you.
Leia after arrival at Yavin: Now we’ll find out if those plans were worth the price we paid.
So, either bribed someone on the inside to get them(thus making them spies) or Leia was referring to a non-monetary “price” making it likely the spies were caught.
Enjoy,
Steven
---
### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/29 "2005-05-28T07:14:04Z")
The odd thing is that Vader’s dialogue suggests that the plans were _beamed_ to the Rebels – meaning it was a data file and not an unreproducible physical copy.
If that’s the case, why not just toss the plans on whatever the Imperial equivalent of the Internet is, and tell everyone to make copies? The Empire couldn’t possibly stop sixty bazillion mirrors of DeathstarPlans.zip, especially if we’re talking peer-to-peer sharing, and the Rebels could just download a copy at their leisure and not go galvanizing all over the place like a bunch of ninnies. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/30 "2005-05-28T07:32:02Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#):
>
> …which, of course, lead my geeky friends and me to constantly abuse the line.
>
> “Hey man…this is some good pizza!”
>
> “Thanks…” \ “Many Bothans died to bring us this pizza…”
For a few weeks now, I’ve had a mind to make a T-shirt with "Many Bothans died to bring me this T-shirt on it.
With a little wire-frame drawing of a T-shirt.
---
### Author:  [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/31 "2005-05-28T09:12:55Z")
> [@rjung](#):
>
> If that’s the case, why not just toss the plans on whatever the Imperial equivalent of the Internet is, and tell everyone to make copies? The Empire couldn’t possibly stop sixty bazillion mirrors of DeathstarPlans.zip, especially if we’re talking peer-to-peer sharing, and the Rebels could just download a copy at their leisure and not go galvanizing all over the place like a bunch of ninnies. 🙂
Because, Grasshopper, even George Lucas doesn’t have a time machine.
You see, in 1975, when filming began, the Internet was still called the ARPAnet, and most ordinary mortals didn’t have access to it, didn’t even know about it, mostly. Access was restricted to government and research institutions, and nobody would have dreamed of using it to set up a filesharing system to swap music and films. They used it for serious purposes, like sending their co-workers and ASCII drawing of Snoopy as the World War I Flying Ace, shaking his fist and yelling _Curse You, Red Baron!_ So, no big surprise, Lucas didn’t conceive of a more advanced form of computer network than one that would allow the Empire to send a single copy of the plans for the Death Star, disguised to look like a picture of Ol’ Helmet Head, shaking his gloved fist and hissing _(hoo-hooh) Curse You, Rebel Scum! (hoo-hooh)_
---
### Author:  [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/32 "2005-05-28T13:31:33Z")
> [@pravnik](#):
>
> The set up:
>
> Ah, why bother? The target area is only two meters wide, a small thermal exhaust port right below the main port. Only a precise hit would start the chain reaction, and the shaft is ray shielded, so they’d have to use proton torpedos. That’s impossible, even for a computer!
I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They’re not much bigger than two meters.
---
### Author:  [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/33 "2005-05-28T13:33:35Z")
Bah. I missed **Bryan Ekker’s** post.
And it was funnier, too…
---
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/34 "2005-05-28T15:23:22Z")
> [@flodnak](#):
>
> Because, Grasshopper, even George Lucas doesn’t have a time machine.\*
No, but he does have a computerized box of crayons which he likes to rub all over his movies to “correct” things, like the “problems” with Han shooting first.
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/35 "2005-05-28T16:21:19Z")
> [@Diceman](#):
>
> This is what I’ve always assumed. The flaw just kinda slipped past everyone’s notice. Then, during the attack, that one officer grabbed the schematics, saw what was at the end of that trench, and said, “Oh, crap.”
The exhaust port WAS shielded against beam weapons, which is why they had to do the whole Bridges at Toko-Ri thing down the trench, as opposed to just flying straight at it and shooting a laser down the exhaust port.
Sure, in theory there was a flaw, but it would have to be a hell of a great shot.
One in a million.
---
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/36 "2005-05-28T16:30:37Z")
Considering the size of the station, the fact that there was only _one_ potentially devastating design flaw is actually pretty remarkable. In any case, if the imperials knew what was going on and needed an improvised shield, surely they could’ve parked a big transport in the trench or something. My guess is the officer who reported the flaw to Tarkin felt all his bravery evaporating when he got chewed out and quietly slipped into a corner (or if he was a smart, an escape pod) to sulk.
---
### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/37 "2005-05-28T16:33:37Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> Well, if you’ll recall, Imperial security is so lax that a random R2 unit can not only plug into any old data port and gain access to information stored in the central computer (prisoner locations, etc.), but it can also override what are presumably regularly scheduled operations. Heck, even M$ doesn’t build software with so many security holes! 😉
I’d always presumed that it was because R2D2 had the plans stored in his memory that he could do that. Not just blueprints but things like datacomm protocols, security codes, etc.
---
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/38 "2005-05-28T17:19:49Z")
> [@Lumpy](#):
>
> I’d always presumed that it was because R2D2 had the plans stored in his memory that he could do that. Not just blueprints but things like datacomm protocols, security codes, etc.
Well, that works for _that_ film, but not every other film in the series where R2 jacks into a random port and begins doing things.
---
### Author:  [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/39 "2005-05-28T17:26:26Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> Well, that works for _that_ film, but not every other film in the series where R2 jacks into a random port and begins doing things.
_Insert R2 centered Double Entendre Here_
---
### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662/40 "2005-05-28T17:30:51Z")
> [@HPL](#):
>
> _Insert R2 centered Double Entendre Here_
I’m now thinking of that scene in ROTJ (when he’s trying to open the blast doors at the shield generator bunker) in a whole different light.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662.md?page=1)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-how-did-the-rebels-get-the-death-star-plans-in-anh/305662.md?page=3)