Some OT What-Ifs

[Darth Raptor]

Here are just a few hypothetical scenarios I've been mulling over lately. I know at least one of them has been done in an Infinites comic, but it was crap. I thought I'd run them by what I've come to regard as the true experts of SW and see what you guys (and gals) think would happen. In these three scenarios everything proceeds as normal except for the things that change (dur!).

ANH: Han DOESN'T come back. He goes straight to Tatooine and pays off Jabba. Vader vapes Luke over the Death Star and Yavin IV is destroyed. There are no survivors from Yavin Base.

ESB: After Vader defeats Luke and reveals his true identity, Luke takes his hand instead of falling down that shaft. Note: This does not necessarily mean that Luke accepts his claims as fact or accepts his offer. He merely *goes* with him.

RotJ: Commander Dumbass doesn't open the control bunker. The surface battle grinds to a stalemate and the DSII's shield is not deactivated.

What happens to the main characters? What happens to the tactical and strategic face of the Galactic Civil War? How are galactic politics and the ballance of the Force impacted by these events?

[Greymalkin]

Interesting senarios.

ANH: Han DOESN'T come back. He goes straight to Tatooine and pays off Jabba. Vader vapes Luke over the Death Star and Yavin IV is destroyed. There are no survivors from Yavin Base.

Unfortunately, this does not leave much hope for our heroes. Perhaps the story shifts focus to Han. Lets say Han pays Jabba, but now he is known to the Empire as an associate of the Rebelion. Han may now be a wanted man. Perhaps Jabba would sell him out to the Empire?

As for the Rebelion, I do not see it ending, but its future is uncertain at best.

ESB: After Vader defeats Luke and reveals his true identity, Luke takes his hand instead of falling down that shaft. Note: This does not necessarily mean that Luke accepts his claims as fact or accepts his offer. He merely *goes* with him.

This is the most interesting senario. Luke seems like a "all or nothing" type of person to me, so I think he would either fully accept what Vader said or not. Let's asume that Luke accepts Vader's words as true. Let us further assume that Luke becomes a whole hearted Dark Side devotee and willing Imperial lacky (under Lord Vader's instruction, ofcourse) Would he betray his friends, his sister even Yoda? I think that there is a good chance he would. It is ineteresting to note that in this version that Luke might never know that Leia is his sister.

RotJ: Commander Dumbass doesn't open the control bunker. The surface battle grinds to a stalemate and the DSII's shield is not deactivated.

This one is kind of like the first one. It amounts to a very bad day for the Rebelion. With out the shield being taken down the Rebel fleet must either flee or be destroyed. Thought this senario does not change what happens to the Emperor and Vader.

[Trooper TK12746]

Every scenario results in the almost complete destruction of the Rebel Alliance either immediatly or later.

[Darth Sephiroth]

ANH: Han DOESN'T come back. He goes straight to Tatooine and pays off Jabba. Vader vapes Luke over the Death Star and Yavin IV is destroyed. There are no survivors from Yavin Base.

The rebellion collapses with the loss of most of its leadership, though there is a chance that a new one will form.

ESB: After Vader defeats Luke and reveals his true identity, Luke takes his hand instead of falling down that shaft. Note: This does not necessarily mean that Luke accepts his claims as fact or accepts his offer. He merely *goes* with him.

Luke and Vader take out the Emperor. Then either Luke and Vader rule the galaxy as father and son, or Luke kills Vader and either becomes the new emperor, or restores the Republic.

RotJ: Commander Dumbass doesn't open the control bunker. The surface battle grinds to a stalemate and the DSII's shield is not deactivated.

The Emperor dies and Luke assumes command of the Empire...

[Lord Pounder]

^

How do you figure that for ANH, Yavin had already been mostly evacuated, Jan Dodonna was the only high ranking officer left, and he ends up captured anyway. Mon Mothma and Ackbar 2 of the Rebellions best and most influential leaders where well away by that point. IMHO in the ANH senario after the destruction of Yavin Tarkin would try and go for the whole sabaac pot and the Empire would be enveloped in a breif but bloody civil war and while that happens the Rebels quietly arm the Mon Cal Cruise ships and become more of a threat.

[Trooper TK12746]

Yavin wasn't evacuated until after the destruction of the DS. Does Leia not count as a high ranking Rebel?
Almost the entire Rebellion was on Yavin IV.

Darth Vader or failsafe systems would take out Tarkin if he rebeled against he Emperor, we had a whole thread on that.

Mon Calamari hadn't joined the Rebellion yet, it was still occupied by Imps. the Rebels would be too worried about surviving to liberate it. How would they now it would greatly benefit their side?

[Lord Pounder]

Yavin wasn't evacuated until after the destruction of the DS. Does Leia not count as a high ranking Rebel?
Almost the entire Rebellion was on Yavin IV.

IIRC the novelisation states the base was evacuated unless you think 30 fighters is all the NR had to defend it's leadership, Leia was only there because she didn't know where else to go.

Darth Vader or failsafe systems would take out Tarkin if he rebeled against he Emperor, we had a whole thread on that.

Darth Vader is out hunting rebel X-Wings, airlocks and hanger bays can be sealed while he's out, and even though I have myself advocated there is probably fail safes built in, there is no evidence to that, only educated guess work.

Mon Calamari hadn't joined the Rebellion yet, it was still occupied by Imps. the Rebels would be too worried about surviving to liberate it. How would they now it would greatly benefit their side?

Check your EU more, prior to the Battle of Yavin Ackbar had just been rescued from Tarkins gentle care. In the timeline between Yavin and Hoth Ackbar not only convinced the Mon Cals to join the Rebellion and arm their ships but he had enough time to design and build the 1st run of B-Wing bombers. Also given Mon Cals good defensible position int he Galaxy it's make an excellent new HQ for the surviving Rebellion, particularily while the Imps have their Tarkin -vs- Palpatine civil war.

[Trooper TK12746]

IIRC the novelisation states the base was evacuated unless you think 30 fighters is all the NR had to defend it's leadership, Leia was only there because she didn't know where else to go.

Look at the ceremony at the end. That is a lot of rebels. And other books and comics have the rebels evacuating later during the second imperial attack on Yavin IV

Darth Vader is out hunting rebel X-Wings, airlocks and hanger bays can be sealed while he's out, and even though I have myself advocated there is probably fail safes built in, there is no evidence to that, only educated guess work.

SO DV flies just out of range of the Turbolasers (on the opposite side from the superlaser), and force chokes Tarkin from a distance. If that doesn't work, Palpy destroys it with a Force Storm. Oh, and Vader could tell the troops onboard that Tarkin is a traitor, so they march up to the overbridge and shoot him down.

Check your EU more, prior to the Battle of Yavin Ackbar had just been rescued from Tarkins gentle care. In the timeline between Yavin and Hoth Ackbar not only convinced the Mon Cals to join the Rebellion and arm their ships but he had enough time to design and build the 1st run of B-Wing bombers. Also given Mon Cals good defensible position int he Galaxy it's make an excellent new HQ for the surviving Rebellion, particularily while the Imps have their Tarkin -vs- Palpatine civil war.

You think he could have convinced them to do that with the main rebel base destroyed, its leadership in disarray, and the DS on the loose.
The Civil War wouldn't have happened, and The time between Yavin and Hoth would have been much worse for the Rebellion if the DS wasn't destroyed. And the rebels helped liberate Mon Cal from the Imps, they wouldn't be able to do that with the DS running around.

[Pcm979]

ESB: After Vader defeats Luke and reveals his true identity, Luke takes his hand instead of falling down that shaft. Note: This does not necessarily mean that Luke accepts his claims as fact or accepts his offer. He merely *goes* with him.

[Cough]Starcrossed[/Cough]

[Trooper TK12746]

I think Vader and Luke would have overthrown the Emperor, we know Vader had plans to do so.